Newly released police body cam video shows a San Diego Police Department K9 biting a naked, unarmed man for over 40 seconds after officers had the man pinned to the ground.

The incident began around 8:30 in the morning on a Saturday in August 2015. Patrol officers with the SDPD were asked to check on the welfare of a naked man screaming and running through a canyon in University City, according to police reports.

The man in the video wasn’t charged with any crimes. He sued the City of San Diego for excessive force. Last week, the San Diego City Council approved a $385,000 settlement.

Attorneys who’ve seen the video say it amounts to excessive force, and raises questions about how police departments use K9 officers.

To see the video and more of this story click here. 

Repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a rallying cry for many Donald Trump supporters. With the GOP controlling Congress, and Trump’s recent appointment of Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Service, a change to the ACA could soon come.

Under current ACA rules, businesses with less than 50 employees don’t have to provide a health insurance to employees. That allows many small businesses to rely on the ACA for coverage of their workers.

NBC 7 talked to small businesses in San Diego to see how they approached healthcare and if the coming change in the White House has led to any changes.

Kelsey McNair, 38, runs North Park Beer Company. The brewery opened in June. This is his first business and while it’s still early, he does plan to offer insurance coverage to his employees.

“Whether I’m a small business owner or not, it’s part of my responsibility to try and take care of the people that work for me,” McNair said. “So it’s definitely something that I want to work towards.”

He said over time, those benefits could grow to include partial-ownership for his employees.

In Escondido, Vinnie Griffin runs Vinz Wine Bar. His business first opened 16 years ago. In that time, he said he’s never provided health insurance to his employees.

“If we are forced to insure full-time employees or even part-time employees, you’re going to be paying $12 for a sandwich rather than $8 for a sandwich,” Griffin said.

He believes shouldering the burden of insurance would hurt his business.

“Little guys like me, where we support our families, we have certain expectations for how our business should perform,” said Griffin. “So how do our employees fit into that? And how do we keep them happy?”

Though Griffin said his business’ future is most dependent on something else, “The more you get support, the better you can do for your employees.”

President-elect Donald Trump has made his pick for the leader of the Department of Energy: former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who famously once forgot that he wanted to abolish the Energy Department, sources told NBC News Monday night.

Perry, a rival of Trump's during the Republican presidential nominating campaign, met with Trump for about 90 minutes earlier in the day at Trump Tower in New York, NBC News reported. 

During Perry's first bid for the presidential nomination, in 2011, he famously stumbled through a primary debate, listing the three federal departments he'd eliminate if he were elected. However, he couldn't remember the Energy Department — the agency Trump now wants him to lead. The gaffe became known as Perry's "oops" moment.

As governor, Perry supported the oil industry. He now serves on the board of Energy Transfer Partners, the company constructing the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Officers were responding to reports of an assault on another officer in Clairemont Monday, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) confirmed.

The incident occurred at approximately 9:33 p.m. on the 4700 block of Mount St. Helens Drive.

Police say the officer was attacked but his injuries are not believed to be serious.

The incident appears to be related to a domestic violence call.

This is now a SWAT call out, police said. The suspect is holed up inside the house.

A neighbor told NBC 7 that she saw about 15 police cars in the area and officers carrying rifles. 

“They’re not telling us anything. Pretty much just any police officer we’ve seen is running right past us," said Caitlyn Landi-Bishop.

She says officers had been making their way towards the house, using the cars as shelter. 

“They’re putting up police tape so you know, it’s nerve-wracking for us. But we’re hoping all is well and everyone is going to come out of this okay," she added.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

The family of a National City man shot while protecting his pregnant wife during a home invasion says he has serious injuries.

Adrian Preciado is recovering at Scripps Mercy Hospital from a gunshot wound to his stomach that caused serious damage.

NBC 7 learned Monday evening that a single close range gunshot not only cost Preciado a kidney and his spleen, but it tore a hole in his small intestine crushed a rib and fractured his spine.

It was a heroic sacrifice to keep his pregnant wife, and the couple's two children safe, the family told NBC 7.

While he survived the gunshot, Preciado remains in the intensive care with an uncertain future.

"I just want him to be healthy but it's going to be hard. Hopefully he comes out of it,” Preciado's mother Hortencia Cabral said.

The family says his body is healing but with a wife eight months pregnant and medical bills mounting, Preciado's mood is sullen.

"I see it in his eyes that he is worried. It just hurts. It hurts to see him like that,” Cabral said.

Preciado was shot while chasing away two suspect around 2 a.m. last Friday near Calmoor Street and Sweetwater Road.

At the time, he did not think he would survive, the family said.

“He told his wife his goodbyes while he was on the floor," his brother Robert Preciado said.

The two teenage suspects were arrested a few blocks from the home. The victim's brother says they must have thought the house was empty.

"We have no idea why they were targeted. If anything we feel like it was just a random act,” Robert said.

The couple just had a baby shower and the baby is due in January. They have a 14-year-old son and a daughter who turned 12-year old on Monday.

She is spending her birthday with her father in the hospital.

"Hopefully everything goes okay. Right now, it's just see what happens day by day and a lot of prayers," Cabral said.

But Preiado's act of bravery--protecting the family, could leave him a lifetime of struggle.

Family members say doctors could not remove the bullet without causing more serious damage. It is not yet known how soon he could be released from the hospital.

Meantime the suspects involved in the break-in and shooting will appear in juvenile court on Tuesday.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family.

The mother of an 18-month old baby found dead last week in a mobile home in Alpine was arrested on Monday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO).

Lilly Brown, 21, was booked into the Las Colinas Woman's Detention and Reentry Facility.

Brown's boyfriend, 26-year old Wiliey Foster had already been arrested in connection to Leah's death on Friday, SDSO said.

Last Tuesday, at around 12:05 p.m., baby Leah Brown-Meza was found not breathing in a mobile home parked on a property in the 300 block of Hunter Lane in Alpine.

Brown had told deputies she woke up to find Leah unresponsive and called authorities for help. Despite life-saving efforts, she was pronounced dead.

Investigators said they did find injuries on the baby's body.

SDSO confirmed on Friday that Brown's boyfriend, 26-year old Wiliey Foster had been arrested in connection to Leah's death.

Brown is facing three counts of willful cruelty to a child with great bodily injury and/or death.

Foster is expected to be arragined on Tuesday.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Detail at (858)974-2321.

A bevy of glimmering, festive lights illuminating the San Diego Bay can only mean one thing: a beloved holiday boat parade is back -- a longtime tradition started by the San Diego boating community.

Dozens of boats covered in twinkling lights and inflated animals coasted along the shore of the San Diego Bay to the delight of thousands of onlookers Sunday.

It was the first weekend for the 45th annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights presented by the Port of San Diego. The event returns to the waterfront at 5 p.m. on Dec. 18.

The procession features approximately 80 boats decked out in lights and holiday decorations, making their way around the bay. The parade starts at Shelter Island then proceeds to Harbor Island, the Embarcadero, Seaport Village, the Pier at Cesar Chavez Park and ends at the Ferry Landing in Coronado.

The usually parade takes about an hour-and-a-half to pass at any given point. Organizers say the parade starts at Shelter Island at 5 p.m. By 6 p.m., the procession should reach Harbor Island. By 6:30 p.m. the parade should be visible from the Embarcadero viewing area. By 7 p.m., it will be seen from Seaport Village. By 7:15 p.m., the parade should reach the Pier at Cesar Chavez Park. By 7:30 p.m. the procession will be winding down, making its way to the Ferry Landing in Coronado. To get details of the entire route, click here.

This year, the Pier at Cesar Chavez Park is a new addition to the parade route, serving as another prime spot where spectators can gather. Typically, the San Diego holiday tradition draws about 100,000 spectators to the waterfront viewpoints.

Two very popular areas to perch during the parade include the Maritime Museum of San Diego on the Embarcadero and at the Ferry Landing, where announcers will be delivering a brief history on each boat that passes along these viewpoints.

The Maritime Museum will host its Parade of Lights Viewing Dinner during the event on both Dec. 11 and Dec. 18, a fundraiser aboard the Berkeley steam ferry that includes a seasonal dinner and a cozy, prime spot from which to watch the parade. Tickets to this viewing dinner cost $50 for adults and $25 for kids ages 3 to 12. Dinner will be served from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with the parade expected to arrive at this site at around 5:30 p.m.

Parade spectators also tend to flock to Harbor Island to watch the parade, as well as the north and south ends of the Embarcadero. Boaters wishing to watch the parade can view from the water; organizers say the area where the parade turns west for Coronado – near the 10th Street Terminal – is a good spot for spectators in boats.

As always, parking for this large-scale event is limited, so spectators are encouraged to take public transportation, including the trolley or bus. All three trolley lines serve parking lots where spectators can leave their cars – Fashion Valley, Old Town, American Plaza – and then take the trolley to the North Embarcadero area.

The Green Line can be taken to Santa Fe Depot and the Orange and Blue lines to the American Plaza station. Both stations are within walking distance from Harbor Drive – another popular spot from which to view the procession.

This year’s San Diego Bay Parade of Lights theme is “It Began With a Roar,” a nod to the San Diego Zoo’s centennial celebration. Light displays on the boats participating in the parade will reflect this wild theme, with the best display winning the coveted “Best in Theme” award. The grand prize is a cruise via Uncruise Adventures to Costa Rica or Panama.

A man who led deputies on a pursuit in Spring Valley Monday jumped down from an overpass to escape arrest, according to the San Diego Sheriff's Department (SDSO).

The pursuit began at approximately 11:40 a.m. when deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Jamacha Road. 

Frank Rios, 36, had been wanted for an outstanding felony warrant related to a pursuit in National City, SDSO said. 

Rios refused to stop and led deputies on high speed, 15-mile pursuit on the southbound State Route 125. 

The San Diego Police Department and the National City Police Department, along with the SDSO ASTREA was involved in the pursuit, in which speeds reached around 100 miles per hour.

Rios rear-ended another vehicle on the northbound Interstate 5 near Civic Center Drive and then ran out of the vehicle. He jumped down from the overpass above 18th Street in National City, SDSO said.

Deputies found a loaded handgun on Rios after they took him into custody. The gun had been stolen.

Rios suffered broken bones in his arms, legs, knees and lacerations to his face as a result of jumping down from the overpass and was taken to a local hospital.

He is facing several charges, including an outstanding felony warrant, felony evading, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and carrying a stolen loaded firearm.

A Valencia Park man died after he became involved in a struggle with several police officers Monday, homicide investigators confirmed.

The man’s mother talked with NBC 7 and said her son woke up complainingthat he was having trouble breathing.

Elena Bermudez said her 53-year-old son Robert Bermudez died this morning in the front of their home at Mariposa Place and Greycourt Avenue in Valencia Park.

Officers were called to the home at approximately 3:05 a.m. for the report of a naked Filipino male causing a disturbance inside of his house, according to Homicide Lt. Mike Holden.

Holden said several officers attempted to detain the man. A news release detailng the excerience of the officers involved included six officers.

During a struggle, the man stopped breathing, according to police news release released just before 1 p.m.

Holden said the SDPD officers attempted lifesaving measures.

Homicide investigators were at the home for several hours collecting evidence and taking pictures and measurements.

Elena said her son awoke complaining that we has having trouble breathing and walked outside to the front of the house.

Emergency personnel tried to revive Robert and took him to the hospital but he was later declared dead, Elena told us.

The U.S. Department of Justice has made combating sex-trafficking a top priority, pouring resources into stopping it in San Diego and along the U.S. Mexico border.

But then, just on the other side, about 20 miles away from downtown San Diego, Tijuana is a premier world destination for those looking to buy sex.

Teenagers as young as 13 are being bought and sold as sex slaves by the hundreds in our region, according to federal law enforcement on both sides of the border, but domestic cases typically stay in the country where they originated.

Only about 20 percent of domestic sex trafficking cases involve the border, according to San Diego County Chief Deputy District Attorney Summer Stephan. The vast majority, the other 80 percent, involve girls from the U.S. being trafficked in the U.S. by gangs and other criminal organizations. The criminal activity generates an estimated $810 million a year for those organizations.

Still, some question whether legal prostitution in Tijuana attracts a dangerous clientele to our region.

Prostitution is tolerated in certain areas in Mexico, often known as “zonas de tolerancia” or “zones of tolerance.” Buying or selling children for sex is not legal anywhere, but the problem is rampant in both Tijuana and San Diego.

In Tijuana, District Attorney Hector Orozco prosecutes cases of child-trafficking.

“It is very difficult,” he told NBC7 exclusively. “After something has already happened to the child, the damage is irreversible. It is something that affects the victim forever.”

He said his most emotionally draining and difficult case involved a mother who sold her teenage daughter for a hit of drugs.

Orozco said the trafficking of minors is not done out in the open in Tijuana’s “Zona Roja” or red light district.

“This part of it is very clandestine,” he said. “It’s not happening out in the public. They do it in motels, in houses. They go do that where it cannot be seen.”

But NBC7 showed Orozco images we took of the word “child” scrawled in graffiti on the wall of a building adjacent to a world-famous sex club, Hong Kong.

At first Orozco said he did not believe the word indicated trafficking was taking place there, but when he viewed our material, he said his office would investigate.

“If someone reports possible activity to us at a location involving minors, we respond,” Orozco said.

Since 2011, Orozco and his investigative team have rescued 246 child sex-trafficking victims, and prosecuted 116 traffickers, including putting the mom who sold her daughter behind bars for 24 years.

Stephan, who is Orozco’s counterpart on the U.S. side in San Diego, said Tijuana’s Zona Norte or Zona Roja remains a very destructive problem because the majority of the women are not there by choice, even if they are adults.

“No girl wants to grow up and be a prostitute,” Stephan said. “They don’t want to be sexually abused. This is not a choice for them. You can put a bow on it, but still these women were girls that were exploited and then had no other choice.”

Some say legal prostitution in Tijuana may protect adult women somewhat in that it is partially regulated. Sex workers are required to obtain a permit and receive monthly health check-ups in Tijuana.

Stephan said the women are mostly controlled by their pimps and cannot escape the lifestyle, even if it is legal.

“They’re watching them, just like they always watch them here also. They’re watching them to make sure they get every penny of their money; they’re not talking to police; they’re not talking to someone that can offer them resources to help them get out of this particular life,” Stephan said. “They want them to have no choice.”

NBC7 Assignment Editor Pablo Key contributed to this piece by assisting in translation and voicing the translated portions of broadcast piece.

A woman accused of running down a man on an Oceanside sidewalk and then leaving the scene appeared "disheveled" and emotional when he first saw her, an Oceanside police officer testified Monday.

Esteysi "Stacy" Sanchez faces criminal charges in the June 27 crash on a sidewalk along Mission Avenue east of El Camino Real and north of State Route 56.

Jack Tenhulzen, 69, was killed when he was struck by a vehicle while walking on the sidewalk. The force of the crash stripped Tenhulzen of his clothes, prosecutors said.

Tenhulzen's leg detached from his body and flew through the back window, landing on the trunk of the car, police said. 

Officers found Sanchez at her house, approximately two blocks from where she left the car.

Oceanside Police Officer Brad Hunter testified he saw the defendant in the front door of her home.

“She appeared disheveled, her hair, her clothing,” Hunter said adding that Sanchez appeared to be crying at the time.

Two hours after the crash, prosecutors said Sanchez had a blood alcohol level of 0.18-0.19, more than double the legal limit.

Sanchez continued driving for approximately half a mile, police said. She parked the vehicle and walked away before officers arrived, police said.

Shortly after she abandoned the car, prosecutors say Sanchez called her boyfriend, walked home and changed her outfit.

Also Monday, an acquaintance Marino Estrada testified that he saw the defendant consuming alcohol at a club the night before the crash.

A friend of Sanchez also testified that he attempted to stop her fron driving at least four or five times prior to the crash.

Sanchez has pleaded not guilty to a number of charges including a murder charge, in addition to several felonies, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, hit and run, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, driving with a measurable blood alcohol causing injury and a misdemeanor count of driving without a license.

Sanchez could face more than 15 years in prison if convicted.

The San Diego Unified School District is facing a $117 million budget shortfall for the 2017-2018 school year, just a month after approving across-the-board pay raises for all teachers and most staff.

School officials are considering everything from reducing health care benefits to revamping district headquarters organization to plug the $117 million hole in their $1.3 billion budget.

The issue was first reported by our media partner, Voice of San Diego. 

"What you're seeing is a structural deficit," said Voice of San Diego's Scott Lewis. "They are set-up to spend more money than they are set-up to collect."

School trustees recently approved a 4 percent employee pay hike taking effect this school year. It added $30 million to the budget gap for the 2017-2018 school year, and will cost at least $50 million more in 2018-2019, according to VOSD's Ashly McGlone.

San Diego Unified school officials declined an on-camera interview with NBC 7 Monday.

A district spokeswoman sent the following statement:

"San Diego Unified's 2016-2017 budget is balanced and all school staff and operations are fully funded through the end of the school year. Any financial discussions now are focused on the 2017-2018 budget, and a lot depends on what happens in Sacramento."

It's a dilemma school districts commonly find themselves facing: the district has to send out layoff notices by March 15 but they aren't privy to the state's budget until June.

"The district's budget relies heavily on the budget passed by the state - typically in June. And given that the Governor will not publicly present his budget until next month, all district staff is doing at this time is preparing for contingencies," said Shari Winet, a district spokeswoman. "San Diego Unified expects to have final budget decisions for the 2017-18 school year in June of next year."

Still, county education officials warn that cuts are on the way.

Assistant Superintendent San Diego County Office of Education Lora Duzyk said San Diego Unified will eventually have to face their deficit spending.

Critics of the decision to give staff a four percent pay raise also warned last month that the next wave of pain was coming. However, district staff said the pay hike was needed to ensure San Diego Unified retains the best and brightest teachers and support staff.

One way the district will not be able to bridge the funding deficit is by dipping into their reserves. The "rainy day" funds are already at a bare minimum to meet state mandates.

"They've depleted their reserves, so they've spent reserves over the last few years, even as things have been going well, in order to keep the same level of teacher ratios and services they had before," said Lewis.

Parents told NBC 7 Monday that what they fear most are decisions that impact the teacher-to-student ratio at their children's schools.

"I think it’s important to maintain a decent teacher-to-student ratio and definitely I’m not in favor of more cuts," said Paul Vincent, a parent of three students at Washington Elementary. "I think they should utilize the teachers they have better."

The board is scheduled to hear a report on the budget and discuss solutions to the shortfall, including possible buyouts and layoffs, at its Tuesday meeting.

The head of a West Virginia nonprofit whose racist social media post about first lady Michelle Obama drew demands that she be fired is expected to return to work next week, NBC News reported.

Pamela Taylor, the director of the nonprofit Clay County Development Corp., was suspended after her Facebook post last month was screenshotted and went viral: "It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified First Lady in the White House," she wrote. "I'm tired of seeing a Ape in heels."

The controversial message also ensnared Clay County's mayor, Beverly Whaling, when she replied, "Just made my day Pam" — a comment that led her to resign.

The University of California San Diego plans to open a “hub” in downtown’s East Village that will serve as a center for educational programs and arts events – and even include a restaurant.

The university announced Monday its “Innovative Cultural and Education Hub” at the corner of Park Boulevard and Market Street in downtown San Diego, with aims to expand the reach of UC San Diego’s programs to diverse urban communities.

The 66,000-square-foot center will be managed by UC San Diego Extension and will be located near the trolley’s UC San Diego Blue Line, which runs from San Ysidro to University City.

The Holland Partner Group is developing the site as part of a larger residential project in the East Village, UC San Diego officials said. That project includes 341 market-rate apartments, 85 affordable housing apartments and the preservation of the Remmen House. The Holland Partner Group’s development will be reviewed Tuesday by the San Diego City Council.

Right now, construction is set to begin in summer 2017; the project will be completed in 2020.

UC San Diego said the space will house a 3,000-square-foot restaurant, plus an outdoor amphitheater. There's no word yet on what type of eatery that will be.

The center plans to offer academic and outreach programs for middle and school students, entrepreneurship resources for those working in the community and workshops and seminars relevant to downtown’s workforce. 

It will also serve as a venue for cultural programs including arts events and exhibits. In a press release, UC San Diego said the space will be “a hub for civic engagement, including applied research and volunteer opportunities.”

Funding for the center will be managed by UC San Diego Extension and those funds will come from a combination of program underwriting, contracts and grants, fees for services and lease revenues, the university said.

In a press release, UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla said the new facility “will support economic development downtown while delivering new educational opportunities for our students, faculty and staff.”

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said this project has been long in the works.

“Landing a university presence in downtown San Diego is a game changer,” he said in a press release. “This new project will continue the revitalization of the East Village neighborhood and, with UC San Diego’s top-notch reputation, provide countless opportunities for collaboration as we prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Walmart has removed a mug from its website after numerous shoppers reported it as “appalling” and “offensive.”

The black and white coffee mug was posted to the retail giant’s site with the message “Got Retard?” on it.

After numerous complaints, and a Change.org petition asking the company to stop selling the mug, Walmart said it had the item from a third-party seller “removed from the site as soon as we were informed.” 

“This item violated our policy and we quickly removed it,” Walmart said in a statement on Twitter. “It’s unacceptable a seller put it on our Marketplace.” 

A similar version of the mug also appeared on Amazon.com, but has since been removed from the site as well. Amazon said in a statement Tuesday the item is "not listed for sale on Amazon."

The National Down Syndrome Society thanked the retailers for “discontinuing sales immediately.”

“Upon learning of the offensive language used in products sold by Walmart and Amazon, NDSS reached out to both retailers to discuss the offensive items being sold on their websites and asked that they immediately disconitnue the sale of those products, which they both have done,” the group said in a statement. “NDSS strongly condemns the use of the ‘r word.’ As the leading human rights organization for all people with Down syndrome, we maintain a zero tolerance policy for this type of mockery and offense.”

GiGi’s Playhouse Inc. in suburban Chicago, a group dedicated to increasing “positive awareness of Down syndrome,” also thanked the companies for removing the product.

“Walmart, we would like to thank you for taking down your product, the despicable, offensive mug with the R-word prominently displayed on it, but not before many people were hurt,” the group wrote on Facebook.

Still, the group has asked both Walmart and Amazon.com “What can we do to ensure this doesn’t happen again?”

Walmart describes its Marketplace program on its website as a way for "strategic business partners" to sell products alongside Walmart products.

"Our sellers are selected based on reputation, sales projections and alignment with Walmart's values," Walmart's website says.

A request for comment on how the mug made it onto the company's marketplace was not immediately answered.

Amazon also did not respond to a request for comment about how the mug was listed on the site. According to the company's website, registered sellers can list their products to the Amazon Marketplace catalog.

President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, for secretary of the interior, a top transition source told NBC News on Tuesday.

Zinke, 55, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee who's described as an avid hunter and fisherman, was an early and consistent supporter of Trump's presidential campaign and was re-elected to a second term last month as Montana's sole representative in the House.

If Trump carries through with the appointment, Zinke's nomination would have to be confirmed by the Senate.

The Interior Department oversees management of about three-quarters of federal land and natural resources, along with programs relating to American Indian and territorial affairs.

The San Diego Superior Court issued a warning to the public Tuesday about a “well-rehearsed” scammer posing as law enforcement, threatening to arrest people if they don’t give him money.

According to court officials, the unknown man’s scam works like this: pretending he’s a member of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO), the scammer calls a potential victim and tells them a warrant is out for their arrest for failing to show up in court as a witness to a traffic accident.

To make his ruse more believable, officials said the scammer uses actual court locations and the names of judges when speaking to possible victims. He tells them that if they give him a cash payment, he will make the charges “go away.”

Michael Roddy, executive officer for the San Diego Superior Court, said these types of scammers surface every once in a while.

“Sometimes they tell people there are charges for failing to show up for jury services or charges for clearing up arrest warrants,” Roddy explained. “We want the public to know the Court or law enforcement will not call you with this type of issue and the Court will never demand cash as the way to make charges go away.”

As of Tuesday, no arrests had been made in this alleged scam case.

For now, officials said anyone who receives a call like this should hang up on the scammer or call authorities if the scammer gets aggressive.

A toddler who investigators say died last week of blunt force trauma was the great-granddaughter of a Jamul Indian Village tribal leader.

Leah Brown-Meza died Tuesday of blunt force trauma, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office. The 18-month-old was found unresponsive at an Alpine home just after noon on December 6. Investigators said they found injuries on the child's body.

Lillie Brown, Leah's mother, faces criminal charges in the death along with her boyfriend, Wiliey Kevin Foster.

Foster, 26, was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday but the hearing was trailed to Thursday.

He appeared in court and sat quietly while his defense attorney requested the scheduling change.

The toddler's biological father and other family members sat quietly in the courtroom. In the hallway, after the hearing, a few of them exchanged angry words with the family members of the defendant.

"All parties are suffering but the people that are accused are suffering from the allegations. The people tied to the baby obviously are suffering, they feel pain and my heart goes out to all of them," said defense attorney Gretchen Von Helms. "It's a horrible, horrible time."

Foster faces charges of murder and assault on a child with force likely to produce great bodily harm or death. He was ordered held on $2 million bail.

Lillie Brown, who told deputies she awakened to find her daughter unresponsive, was arrested Monday on three counts of willful cruelty to a child with great bodily injury and/or death.

"We believe the evidence will show Lilly [sic] knew of the injuries and knew the severity of the injuries, yet made a conscious decision not to protect Leah or seek medical attention, because she feared investigations into those injuries," said Lt. Kenn Nelson.

She has been booked into the Las Colinas Women's Detention and Reentry Facility. Her arraignment is scheduled for Thursday. Bail is estimated to be $300,000 according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. 

The toddler was living in a mobile home parked outside a home on Hunter Lane in Alpine. The home belongs to Foster's parents.

Von Helms said she was retained by Foster's family.

Leah's paternal great-grandfather, Kenneth Meza, is currently the Vice Chair for the Jamul Indian Village, one of 13 bands of the Kumeyaay Nation. He served as Chair of the tribe for more than 30 years and was instrumental in getting the band recognized by the federal government.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Detail at (858)974-2321.

From Aston Martin and Ferrari to Maserati and Mercedez-Benz, gearheads can see it all this year as the San Diego International Auto Show zips into town on New Year’s weekend.

The auto show – which boasts more than 400 of the latest new rides – runs from Dec. 29 through Jan. 2 at the San Diego Convention Center in downtown San Diego. Besides browsing a long lineup of shiny, drool-worthy wheels, attendees can also take part in test drives and check out the latest in automotive products. For a full list of manufacturers and exhibitors set to attend this year’s show, click here.

The five-day auto show revs up from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30. On New Year’s Eve, the show runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; on New Year’s Day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Jan. 2, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time online for $12 per adult. Kids ages 7 to 12 get in for $8; kids 6 and under get in free, with a paying adult. Organizers say Jan. 1 is Chevy Family Day and on that day, all kids get in free.

As for parking, there are a few options.

Car buffs can park their rides for $20 per day inside the San Diego Convention Center’s underground garage, located on Harbor Drive between 1st and 5th avenues.

There are several other off-site parking lots located near the convention center, too, including a 2,000-space structure directly across the street on the corner of Harbor Drive and 8th Avenue. Metered parking spots are also sprinkled throughout the area.

For those taking public transportation to the event, the Amtrak Station is located less than one mile from the San Diego Convention Center. The MTS trolley also stops right in front of the convention center, at Harbor Drive and 1st Avenue and at Harbor Drive and 5th Avenue.

Buckle up and enjoy the ride, San Diego.