A ride-hailing services driver convicted of sexually assaulting women while he worked has been sentenced to one year behind bars, officials confirmed. 

Jeremy Vague, 37, a former driver with Uber and Lyft in San Diego, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two women. 

The first incident happened on Sept. 16 at approximately 1:15 p.m., an 18-year-old student at Palomar College San Marcos campus requested a ride to an Escondido home through Uber, police said. 

Instead of taking the victim home, Vague intentionally turned off the Uber app and veered away from the route to an area where he sexually assaulted the victim, Escondido police said. 

After the assault, the suspect drove the rider home and dropped her off.

The second incident happened on Sept. 7 when Vague gave a woman a ride through the Lyft service. Vague was initially charged with sexually battering the 19-year-old rider and another 19-year-old female who was waiting for her. 

Escondido Police say investigators were not aware of the initial report until after the Sept. 16 investigation began.

Police said Vague's employment at Lyft and Uber has been suspended pending the investigation.

On Thursday, Vague was sentenced to 365 days in custody with three years formal probation. He will get credit for time already served: 208 days. 

A man accused of strangling a young mother in front of their two-year-old son in a car outside his paren'ts Oceanside home pleaded not guilty to murder and child abuse charges, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's office. 

Suspect Uriel Leon, 24, burst into tears in court Thursday when prosecutors detailed the crimes he allegedly committed on Monday night.

Barlow said the incident unfolded when Contreras, of Oceanside, dropped off her two boys at Leon's parent's house Monday morning before she went to work.

When she came back from work, prosecutors say the couple - who had been together several years - got into an argument. 

Leon got into the car with their two-year-old and confronted Contreras, prosecutors details in court. 

Contreras' family, in court on Thursday, sobbed as they listened to Barlow detail the attack.  

"The two-year-old was in the car the entire time and once the defendant positioned himself behind the victim, we believe, he strangled her, killing her at that point," Barlow told reporters after the arraignment.

Cameras outside the home recorded the entire attack, Barlow said. 

A neighbor reported seeing the body lying down inside the vehicle, near the intersection of Luna and West Redondo Drive, at about 8:41 p.m. and called police. 

Leon was formally charged with two counts of murder and one count of felony child abuse. He pleaded not guilty.

The judge ordered Leon to be held on $2 million bail, saying he wanted to send a message about how seriously they take domestic abuse cases at the Vista Courthouse. 

If convicted, Leon faces 25 years to life in prison. 

A homicide investigation from the Oceanside Police Detectives from the Crimes of Violence Unit is ongoing.

If you're celebrating New Year's Eve with a glass of wine, or several, you have options when it comes to getting back home.

AAA is offering free towing services for anyone unable to find a designated driver or a ride home from the festivities.

Drivers can call AAA and ask for a "Tipsy Tow" from 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 until 6 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2017.

The number to call is 1-800-400-4222.

But there are restrictions on the free towing service.

Only the driver and their vehicle will be able to use the service, not a passenger. The ride is almost limited to a one-way trip to the driver's residence and can only be used once.

If a driver is taken to a location not covered under the free tow, they will be asked to pay the rate charged by the tow truck company.

AAA also offered several tips and reminders for ringing in the New Year.

• Prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications can also impair your driving skills and increase the effects of alcohol
• Eat different kinds of food to help absorb the alcohol and drink lots of water
• If you see an impaired driver, report them
• Reach out to family and friends to drive you home if you consumed too much alcohol
• Never ride in the car with someone who is under the influence
• Have the number of a taxi or sober ride company saved on your phone
• Use ride-share services like Uber and Lyft

On New Year’s Eve, city inspectors will be patrolling the San Diego's iconic Gaslamp District, checking for overcrowding and code violations.

San Diego Fire Marshal Doug Perry said it is not to dampen anyone’s evening, but to make sure venues are operating safely, especially in light of the devastating Oakland, California warehouse fire that killed 36 people.

“It was a tragic wake-up call to everyone to stay vigilant. Sometimes the public and law enforcement gets complacent,” Chief Perry said. “After the incident, I spoke to my inspection team and told them if you see something doesn’t look right to take time to talk to someone, check on it.”

Chief Perry said everyone should have a mental checklist when they enter any venue, be it a bar, club or restaurant:

• Look for exits
• Find the fire extinguisher
• Does the venue have a sprinkler system?
• Is the exit sign lit?
• Is the fire alarm system working?

If a venue does not have these basic safety features, Chief Perry urges the public to report it to the city by calling (610) 533-4300. He said his team is committed to checking it every day and following up on credible reports.

“My worst nightmare are the things taking place underground that we don’t know about because we can’t do anything about it,” he said.

Some will be ringing in the New Year with a glass of champagne and some may be legally celebrating with a joint.

Marijuana delivery services are counting on cashing-in big on New Year’s Eve.

Forbes reports a 71 percent increase in marijuana orders on Dec. 31.

But those services, although readily available, are not yet legal in San Diego.

The San Diego City Council passed a temporary ban on recreational marijuana activities on Dec. 13.

That includes commercial cultivation, sales and delivery services.

City leaders said the 45-day ban was meant to buy them time for city officials to set-up land use and public safety regulations.

Under state law, marijuana delivery services are illegal except from a licensed retail medical marijuana dispensary.

There are currently eight legal dispensaries in San Diego, but they say they are getting pushed out of the market by illegally operating delivery services that face no regulations.

Some other legal considerations: The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is reminding people that despite Prop 64, weed remains illegal for people under 21.

It is also illegal to drive with an open container of marijuana in the car, and especially when high.

Finally, it is illegal to smoke marijuana or consume edible marijuana in public, according to a fact sheet by SDSO.

You can see the document here.

A high school music teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a former student has changed his plea in his case. 

Jason Mangan-Magabilin, 38, has pleaded guilty to oral copulation and penetration by a foreign object with one of his former male students, from 2010 to 2011. 

Police say Mangan-Magabilin is a music teacher at Bonita Vista High School. The Sweetwater Union High School District is fully cooperating with the police investigation, the CVPD said. The school district is also conducting its own internal personnel investigation on the case.

CVPD Capt. Lon Turner said the teacher’s alleged relationship happened five years ago with a former student, when that student was between 15 and 17 years old.

The victim recently reported the incident to police because of mandatory reporting at job training. 

Further details were not released.

The Sweetwater Union High School District released this statement concerning the case:

"We appreciate that the public has many questions regarding the recent arrests in the District pertaining to alleged inappropriate contacts between students and staff. The District is currently actively working with law enforcement on each of these matters. The District is committed to assisting law enforcement and conducting thorough personnel investigations in each matter, so we are not able to provide further comment at this time."

"We appreciate your understanding and respect of the District’s commitment to protect the integrity of all pending investigations during these challenging circumstances. We ask that you allow our staff to focus their attention during these trying times on the learning environment of our students," the statement continued.

A website for the Club Blue Instrumental Music Program at Bonita Vista High School includes a short biography on Mangan-Magabilin. The bio says he has been with the school for 10 years, and also conducts the Crusader Girls Chorus at Bonita Vista Middle School.

He’s an alumnus of the University of Southern California, where he performed as a member of the Trojan Marching Band. He also earned a master’s degree in conduction from the American Band College of Sam Houston State in 2013.

At his sentencing, the judge could sentence him to anything from probation with no jail time to the maximum of three years and eight months in prison.

Regardless of the sentence, he will have to register as a sex offender for life. 

A California Uber driver is being hailed a hero after he helped rescue a 16-year-old runaway from sex traffickers, NBC News reported.

Keith Avila picked up the teenager and two other females in and drove them to a Holiday Inn in Elk Grove, California.

While in the car, the women openly talked about delivering the girl to a "John" and getting money from him. Once his fare was dropped off at the hotel, Avila called the police.

Elk Grove public information officer Chris Trim told NBC Latino that police immediately detained Destiny Pettway, 25, and Maria Westley, 31, when they arrived at the scene. Police found the teen trafficking victim with Disney Vang, 20, in a hotel room.

A member of the Uber Safety Team reached out to Avila to congratulate him for his work. An Uber representative reiterated their admiration for his quick thinking and thanked him again.

San Diego Chargers Cornerback Casey Hayward is receiving a lot of recognition this year. 

Hayward was named the Chargers MVP and Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday. This is another big accomplishment for the cornerback, who will also be making an appearance in his first-ever Pro Bowl game in 2017.

Hayward is the third defensive player to receive this award, behind Jamal Williams and Eric Weddle.

The cornerback has had seven interceptions and one touchdown so far this season. He will play in his final game of the 2016 season on Sunday when the Chargers take on AFC West Rival, Kansas City Chiefs.

In addition to Hayward’s award, the Chargers honored a handful of other players.

Melvin Gordon was acknowledged as offensive player of the year. He finished the season with 245 carries for 997 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Darrel Stuckey received Special Teams Player of the Year.

Matt Slauson and rookie Joey Bosa both received the award for Co-Linemen of the Year, and nose tackle Brandon Mebane was chosen as Most Inspirational Player.

Patients at one San Diego hospital got quite the surprise Thursday! 

Pop superstar Miley Cyrus and actor Liam Hemsworth stopped by Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego to surprise some very special patients. 

A video posted on the hospital's Facebook page shows some of the patients with big smiles of their faces as the celebrities said hello and talked with them. 

The visit was made possible in part by The Happy Hippie Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Miley Cyrus. The organization works to help fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth and other vulnerable populations. 

Regulations can be developed and put into practice for using recycled water for drinking, according to a report released Thursday.

The regulations are feasible if there is sufficient research and certain "knowledge gaps" are filled, the report states.

It was released by the State Water Resources Control Board and sent to the state Legislature.

Turning recycled water into drinking water is a part of Governor Jerry Brown's goal to find more sustainable water resources.

As of now, no other state has developed reglulations for reusing recycled water for drinking.

A woman was assaulted and had her phone and Green card stolen Thursday morning in Escondido, her family said.

The incident occurred around 5 a.m. near Valley Parkway and Midway Drive, the Escondido Police Department confirmed.

Rosa Barnes was walking to work when a man approached her and assaulted her, according to her son's girlfriend, Alejandra Ramos.

Ramos spoke to NBC 7 on the phone Thursday evening.

Police say the suspect was described by the victim to be around 20 years old, 5-feet 6-inches in height, approximately 150 pounds with a thin build. He had been wearing a brown jacket and dark colored pants.

Barnes did suffer bruises and an injury to her arm.

An online fundraiser was started to help Barnes save up money to purcharse a car.

No other information was avialable.

A 10-year old boy rescued by firefighters from a burning mobile home in Escondido remains in critical condition at UCSD Medical Center, family members told NBC 7 Thursday evening.

Diego Flores was one of seven family members injured in an electrical fire that sparked inside their home just after midnight on Thursday.

Diego's 5-year old niece, Ellie Orozco died in the fire.

So compelled by this tragedy during the holidays, the Escondido community is stepping up to help.

“I couldn't process it. I was in shock,” Land and Water Restaurant owner Robert Ruiz said. 

Ellie's father, Felipe Orozco works at the restaurant as a line cook. His two sons, Ethan and Enrique and wife Sandra were injured in the fire but survived.

“There is nothing you can replace a father-daughter relationship. I know how hurt he is right now,” Chef Brandon Nichols said.

Felipe was working Wednesday night before the fire sparked. By the time he got home, the damage was done.

“The guy is a little quiet guy, back there smiling and working really hard. He's the last person you would expect to have something like this happen to,” Ruiz said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but it's believed to be electrical, possibly linked to an extension cord where the lights on a Christmas tree was plugged in.

Nine people had been asleep inside the home when the fire began.

Firefighters said they did not find smoke alarms.

At the Mormon Church Washington Chapel, where the family goes for services, they are collecting clothes and money.

Annie Martinez told NBC 7 she doesn't know the family but she just wanted to help.

“Christmas just came and I got a bunch of new stuff so I just gave away my old stuff,” Martinez said.

Samantha Villa, a mother of two said she heard about the church efforts through social media.

“My kids have so much of everything so I gave all their old stuff, because they got a bunch of new stuff for Christmas,” Villa said.

The restaurant where Felipe Orozco worked also sprang into action Thursday morning. They spread the word through social media, set up an online fundraiser and are accepting donations during restaurant hours.

Ten-year old Diego remains in the hospital Thursday night. He is the last of the victims still hospitalized.

A social security employee plead guilty Thursday to stealing thousands of dollars over a period of several months

Josue Edgardo Castro, a San Ysidro resident, admitted to stealing more than $5,700 in money orders.

According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's office, the theft began in Sept. 2015. 

Castro admitted that he had been in charge of accepting payments on behalf of the Social Security Administration. On at least 21 occasions, he accepted the money and deposited it into his personal bank account.

He then waived the fees charges to overpaid social security beneficiaries.

As a result, the Social Security Administration lost $9,000 due to over payment waivers filed by Castro.

Investigators discovered the theft when a victim reported that a payment was not showing up in her records.

“Crimes committed by federal employees are some of the most egregious violations of the public trust. Today’s guilty plea is a tangible result of my office and the Social Security Administration’s commitment to root out crime wherever it may be," said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy, in a statement.

According to his plea agreement, Castro agreed to return the money he had taken from accounts and pay back the Social Security Administration for extra costs.

If he is convicted, he could face a $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.

His hearing is scheduled for April 3, 2017.

A car plowed into an office building in Mission Valley Friday morning but when authorities got to the scene, the driver was nowhere to be found.

The wreckage was first reported just after 6:45 a.m. outside a building at 2275 Rio Bonito Way. The car appeared to have veered off the roadway, through some bushes and into the windows of a building for Blue Shield of California.

The wrecked car landed on its nose, sticking up vertically, resting on the side of the building. Several windows were shattered; the back tires of the car poked through the shattered glass and ended up partially inside the office. 

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) worked to stabilize the car from the outside and inside of the building. Due to how it landed, officials said the removal process would take a while as they figured out how to tow the car.

Officials the driver of the car was not immediately located.

A structural engineer was requested at the scene to evaluate the integrity of the building and determine whether it was safe for people to go inside.

No one was hurt in the crash.

A 60-year-old man was walking along Market Street when he was attacked with an umbrella and beaten in East Village, according to San Diego police (SDPD).

The victim was headed west on the 1100 block of Market St. at about 8:32 p.m. Thursday evening when he was approached, said an SDPD officer. The suspect, who has been identified as, Glenn Davis, age 44, first bumped the man with a shopping cart.

Once an argument sparked between the men, the suspect took out his umbrella and started swinging it at the victim, said an SDPD officer. He continued on to beat the man with his fists, gouging his right eye and biting part of his nose off.

When police arrived on scene, the suspect was immediately arrested on charges of aggravated mayhem and assault with a deadly weapon, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's department (SDSO). The suspect was booked into San Diego Central Jail later that evening.

Paramedics were requested for the victim, who was taken to a nearby hospital. The victim's injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, according to the SDPD. 

An investigation is underway from the San Diego Police Central Division Detectives.

Eater San Diego shares the top stories of the week from San Diego’s food and drink scene, including a glimpse at a new restaurant in La Jolla cooking up doughnuts, fried chicken and more, and word on an ocean view bar coming to Pacific Beach.

StreetCar Merchants Bring Doughnuts & Southern Food to La Jolla
North Park's popular StreetCar Merchants of Fried Chicken, Doughnuts, & Coffee has opened an expansive full-service restaurant in downtown La Jolla. It serves the concept's signature fried chicken and doughnuts, but the menu has expanded to include salads, sandwiches and an array of traditional Southern dishes. 

Oceanfront Waterbar Coming to Pacific Beach
Landing in early 2017 on the Pacific Beach boardwalk is Waterbar, a new dining and drinking destination just steps from the sand. The spacious restaurant, which spans a lounge and two bars, will feature a seafood-centric menu and craft cocktails.

Dinner Destination Two Seven Eight Opens in Hillcrest
A New American eatery has replaced The Tractor Room on 5th Avenue, bringing a refreshed interior and seasonal, small plates to the table. The dinner-only Two Seven Eight will host its soft opening this weekend, with plans to debut its craft cocktail offerings and a limited food menu.

Dining Pros Name Top Restaurant Newcomers of 2016
Eater surveyed a panel of local food media on their picks for the best new restaurants in San Diego. See the top vote-getters, which include a celebrity chef-backed hotspot in Little Italy and a buzzy neighborhood gem in Hillcrest.

Industry Experts Share Top Restaurant Standbys of 2016
Which restaurants do San Diego's dining experts frequent most often? Our panel shares their go-tos, which include a Japanese small plates spot, an Ocean Beach bistro and a cocktail bar with food.

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