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City Worker Labor Talks Move Toward 5-Year Deal

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After months of closed-door bargaining sessions, this week has brought significant progress toward hammering out a new, five-year labor agreement for San Diego city employees.

But what union negotiators wind up taking to their members to sign off on may be a tough sell.

Confidential sources close to the labor talks tell NBC 7 that two of the city's six labor groups have signed "tentative" agreements, and a third is close to doing so.

The overall deal could save taxpayers a ton of money.

Critics see it as too generous.

But employees say it still traps them behind the curve of living costs.

Members of San Diego's organized labor groups have been anything but happy campers over the past decade.

On occasion, off-duty police officers, fire fighters and clerical workers have marched on City Hall, filled the gallery in the Council chamber, and gathered for angry rallies on Civic Center Plaza – at one point shouting “Shame on you! Shame on you!” up at the windows of then-Mayor Jerry Sanders’ office.

They've absorbed 6 percent pay cuts, salary freezes, furloughs and a 15 percent down-sizing of the entire workforce in the wake of the city's pension scandal -- when required payments to the retirement system began to balloon.

The five-year deal proposed by Mayor Bob Filner includes a freeze on the retirement benchmark known as "pensionable pay", which would yield projected savings totaling $110 million.

Over that time period, salary bumps would add up to nearly 15 percent.

Skeptical union member say rising health care costs would offset most of that, leaving them no better off than where they are now.

But taxpayer advocates aren't comfortable seeing double-digit raises offered.

“We can't just go on a spending barrage with employee salaries and benefits,” says Chris Cate, vice president of the San Diego County Taxpayers Assn. “We have to look at what we need to give back to our taxpayers and residents in the form of neighborhood services -- because that's also been neglected over the past decade."

With the Mayor's budget revenues up, should Councilmembers insist on holding the line against labor costs -- and risk losing huge savings if the unions walk away from the table?

"We don't know what years two, three, four and five are going to look like,” Cate says. “We need to make sure we move forward in a very cautiously optimistic manner to make sure the taxpayers are getting the best deal."

Informed sources tell NBC 7 that the unions' rank-and-file members aren't thrilled about the deal.

One selling point is, there's a 're-opener' after the third contract year.

It'll take six votes out of nine on the City Council to pass any raises.

And the four Republicans are known to have some real issues.

Cate dismisses suggestions by Filner and labor interests that the GOP councilmembers don’t want to give the mayor a political achievement to crow about – “it’s pure politics,” insists one union boss.

“I don’t think that’s the viewpoint at all,” Cate says. “I think what it is, is that we need to make sure that the intricacies of the deal are to the benefit of the taxpayers, that we’re going to get savings and dollars re-invested in our services.”
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Leader of Infamous Drug Cartel Pleads Guilty

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One of the last leaders of one of the world’s most notorious drug cartels pleaded guilty in federal court in San Diego on Friday to money laundering and conspiracy charges.

Eduardo Arellano-Felix, 56, is one of four brothers linked to Tijuana’s powerful Arellano-Felix Organization (AFO). He was arrested by Mexican authorities in Tijuana, Mexico in Oct. 2008 after a gun battle with a Mexican Special Tactical Team and extradited to the U.S. on Aug. 31, 2012.

The AFO is known as one of the most notorious multi-national drug trafficking organizations, controlling the flow of cocaine, marijuana and other drugs through the Mexican border cities of Tijuana and Mexicali into the United States. Its operations also extended into southern Mexico and Colombia.

With Arellano-Felix’s guilty plea on Friday, the leader could spend the next 15 years in a U.S. prison. His sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 19, when a judge is expected to formally approve the plea bargain.

According to prosecutors, Arellano-Felix – a medical doctor nicknamed “El Doctor” -- laundered money from drug deals and then used those illegal proceeds to invest into and benefit his family’s notorious drug cartel for more than a decade, from 1986 to 2002.

Arellano-Felix admitted to he was a “senior member” of the AFO.

According to the office of U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy, Friday’s plea marks the conclusion of the U.S. government’s 20-year battle to dismantle the AFO and its wide scope of violent criminal activity that plagued the Southwest border and beyond.

“I’m proud to say this is the end of an era,” Duffy said in a media statement. “When this ruthless cartel was thriving in the 1990s, we made what some considered an audacious and impossible commitment to wipe out the organization. Today, we can say we have done just that.”

DEA San Diego Special Agent in Charge William R. Sherman also said Arellano-Felix’s guilty plea is a win for law enforcement.

“This plea agreement pounds the final nail in the coffin of what used to be the Arellano-Felix Organization,” Sherman said. “The AFO, once a brutally violent cartel, now becomes a footnote in history books, while DEA and our partners focus on dismantling the drug trafficking organizations that have moved in since the AFO’s demise. We will be just as relentless in our pursuit of these new trafficking organizations and they will be brought to justice in the same manner as the AFO.”

In addition to serving time in prison, Arellano-Felix will be required to forfeit $50 million derived from illegal activity. He will waive any claim to money or property that the U.S. government has seized or can seize, that he acquired from his illegal acts.

Prosecutors and investigators say the resolution of this case was a long time coming.

Arellano-Felix and his brothers were first indicted in 1998 on drug conspiracy charges. Additional charges of racketeering, money laundering and conspiracy to distribute and import marijuana and cocaine soon followed.

Brothers and former co-leaders of the AFO, Benjamin Arellano-Felix and Francisco Javier Arellano-Felix, were captured in 2002 and 2006. They are both currently serving sentences in the U.S.

Ramon Arellano-Felix, the cartel’s enforcer, was killed in a shootout with police in 2002. In addition to the brothers, multiple top AFO lieutenants have been convicted over the years.

The operation to bring down the infamous cartel was a multi-agency project led by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, IRS and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force created to consolidate and coordinate all law enforcement resources in the battle against major drug trafficking rings, drug kingpins and money launderers.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Public Memorial Service Planned for Late Charger

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A public memorial service will be held at a local church Saturday for late Chargers running back Chuck Muncie.

Henry Vance “Chuck” Muncie died of heart attack on May 13. He was 60 years old.

His daughter, Danielle Ward, said Muncie was a great man, a loving father and doting grandfather to three grandchildren.

On Saturday at noon, Muncie’s family will hold a public memorial service for the Chargers icon at The Rock Church located at 2277 Rosecrans St.

The memorial service will be live streamed on the church's website and can be seen by clicking here.

For those attending the service, Muncie’s family asks that donations be made in lieu of flowers to the Boys and Girls Club, other youth-related programs or the Chuck Muncie Youth Foundation.

Earlier this month, Muncie’s daughter said her father was a huge advocate for youth-related programs, always looking to help children.

"His work with at-risk youth, the Boys and Girls Clubs and his foundation were the things that really made him shine," Ward said.

In recent years, Muncie dedicated himself to establishing the Chuck Muncie Youth Foundation, an organization that offers youth mentoring, kids’ camps, job training and other programs.

Muncie, originally a star of the New Orleans Saints, was traded to the Chargers in 1980. He played for the Bolts from 1980 to 1984.

During his nine seasons with the NFL, he rushed for 6,702 yards and scored 71 touchdowns. In 1981 in San Diego, he ran for 1,144 yards on 256 carries and held a then-record of 19 touchdowns.

In the span of his career, Muncie appeared on the cover of “Sports Illustrated” three times.

In 1989, Muncie was sentenced to 18 months in prison for selling cocaine but later turned his life around and worked with others struggling with addiction and young people facing the pressure to join street gangs.

Former San Diego Charger and NBC 7’s Sports Director Jim Laslavic played with Muncie and said he was one of the veterans he always looked forward to seeing when Bolts got together.

Muncie made such a remarkable turnaround, Laslavic said he once asked him what prompted him to change his life for good. Here’s what Muncie had to say about that.

When the San Diego Chargers heard the news of Muncie’s passing, the team posted old photos of Muncie to their Twitter page and sent condolences to his family.

In 2009, Muncie made the list of the "Top 50 Chargers of All Time," alongside other Bolts legends including Junior Seau, Antonio Gates, LaDainian Tomlinson, Quentin Jammer and Philip Rivers.



Photo Credit: San Diego Chargers

Woman Claims She Was Kept as Slave in Northern Va.

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A 25-year-old Kenyan woman has come forward with allegations that she was kept as a domestic slave for three months by Saudi Arabian diplomats living in Northern Virginia.

The allegations come to light two weeks after News4 first reported an investigation into possible human trafficking at a Saudi-owned compound in McLean, Va.

The Kenyan woman -- who goes by the name Sheila -- said she was brought to the U.S. from Kenya by way of Saudi Arabia last summer, by people who forced her to work long hours each day, seven days a week, as a domestic worker.

"I used to work from 6 in the morning to 8, 10 in the evening," Sheila said by cell phone to News4's Jackie Bensen. "From Monday to Monday."

Did you ever have a day off? Bensen asked. "No," Shelia replied.

Shelia said she was rescued with the help of a Fairfax County man, Marikio, whom she met on a Facebook community for Kenyans living in the D.C. area.

He and Sheila had corresponded online for a couple of days when he grew puzzled by her reluctance to answer basic questions about where she lived and worked.

"It's very simple: 'Where you living? You should tell me where you're living.' She was hiding," he said.

She told him she lived in a high-rise in a place she knew as Falls Church, but she was not sure of the address because she was never allowed outside. He told her to look at a piece of her boss' mail to see what the address was.

Marikio arranged to help her. The rescue ended up being a harrowing one -- particularly, Marikio said, because he knew if he called 911, he risked a chance that Sheila's boss could convince police to arrest him instead, because he was in the country illegally.

Still, Sheila -- wearing a head scarf and a veil -- ran from of the lobby of Skyline Towers on Seminary Road and jumped into his car. It was the first time the two had met.

Marikio said Sheila was gaunt and in obvious pain. She told him she was hemorraghing from an untreated medical condition. He told her to go back inside and get her passport, and he'd take her to a hospital.

"She was sick, and she was shaking, and the police asked her, 'Do you want an ambulance?'" Marikio recalled. "She said yes and the ambulance came."

But, Marikio said, when she went back for her passport, she was held by the family she worked for.

"She went back, the guy was holding her. He was still holding hostage. She was screaming with her cell phone. ... I say, 'Go out!'"

Said Shelia, "I was afraid, because maybe they could have killed me. Because they have taken all my documents. They have taken my passport."

Police officers ordered the boss to return the passport, and he did. Shelia then received medical treatment.

Shelia now has an attorney, immigration attorney Regina Njogu. An investigation revealed the Saudi diplomat who brought her to the U.S. used an domestic worker visa known as an A3 visa.

"I called the embassy, and I spoke with him," Njogu said. "At first he didn't know what I was calling about. When I told him what I was calling about, he said he doesn't care, because he's a diplomat nothing will happen to him."

The Saudi Arabian embassy did not return News4's calls for comment.

Njogu said her efforts to get authorities to investigate further have been frustrating. "Basically it was a game of ping-pong. I was being referred from one place to another. I could tell from those I was speaking to that there was a great reluctance to get involved."

Now, Shelia remains in the U.S., relying on the assistance of fellow Kenyans. Her visa has expired, so she has no way to work. 

But, she said, she is grateful she can sleep in a bed instead of the floor, where she slept in the Falls Church home.

Coronado Bay Bridge Recently Inspected for Safety

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A bridge collapsed along the Skagit River in Washington State Thursday evening, plunging two cars into the water below and prompting the emergency rescues of three people from the water. The incident could very well propel the topic of bridge safety into the national spotlight.

Locally, NBC 7 covered bridge safety earlier this month when NBC 7 Investigates got an exclusive look at how a special team of Caltrans divers and experts inspect San Diego's iconic Coronado Bay Bridge for safety. Video of that inspection can be seen here.

The safety inspection is done on the Coronado Bay Bridge every few years. Experts have spent this past month examining the bridge, and those latest findings will be available in about two months.

Inspection experts told NBC 7 Investigates that a 2007 inspection of the Coronado Bay Bridge showed that the piers were in good condition, with "no major defects."

Back in March, the non-profit advocacy group Transportation for America deemed the Coronado Bridge “structurally deficient,” saying it was one of thousands of bridges across the nation in need of significant maintenance. That group's ranking of the Coronado Bay Bridge can be seen here.

Meanwhile, the California Department of Transportation keeps a list of all “fracture critical state highway system bridges” that are regularly tested for any potential safety concerns.

In San Diego, that list includes the Coronado Bay Bridge, the Sweetwater River bridge, the Mission Bay Drive bridge and Ballena Creek bridge. Click here for the DOT's full list of California fracture critical bridges.

On Friday, Caltrans officials told NBC 7 that it’s very unlikely that a bridge-related accident like the one in Washington could happen in San Diego because local bridges are designed and built differently.

Still, Caltrans said there are a number of challenges to keeping bridges safe.

For example, a bridge span on North Torrey Pines Road at Carmel Valley Road is being reinforced to meet earthquake safety standards. Repairs will make the pillars stronger, while supports under the roadway get new steel reinforcements. The $15 million project will be finished late this year.

Although Caltrans inspects all state bridges in San Diego for cracks and other potential problems, one engineering expert says many other local roadways and bridges are getting old and must soon be repaired or replaced.

"I think we have identified the problem. What we don't have exactly is enough resources to get it all done.” Jim Frost of the American Society of Civil Engineers told NBC 7.

The American Society of Civil Engineers gives San Diego County a grade of “C+” for bridge safety. The group says 19 percent of local bridges need major repairs or replacement.

The group also says that in 10 years, the majority of San Diego bridges will be outdated.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Mexican Mafia Member Sentenced

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A prominent member of a local prison-based gang called the Mexican Mafia has been sentenced to serve nearly 22 years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced.

Salvadore Colabella, 54, who ran a local methamphetamine trafficking ring linked to the Mexican Mafia, was sentenced Friday to 262 months in prison based on his plea to RICO conspiracy charges.

According to court documents, Colabella actively participated in the Mexican Mafia, a group that controls the criminal conduct of thousands of Hispanic street gang member in Southern California. Colabella controlled a significant portion of the criminal activity linked to this group in San Diego.

In Colabella’s guilty plea, he admitted to personally engaging in drug trafficking and extortion, and profiting from the criminal activity of gang members under his command.

Court documents reveal Mexican Mafia members like Colabella would collect so-called “taxes,” or extortion payments from gang members in exchange for the right to conduct illegal activities free from interference of the Mexican Mafia.

Colabella admitted he had authority over several Mexican Mafia associates who collected taxes on his behalf.

The taxes were collected through violence or the threat of violence. In one instance, one of Colabella’s top associates stabbed a drug dealer over a dispute over the dealer’s payment of taxes.

The drug dealers who paid these taxes to Colabella were responsible for distributing methamphetamine and drugs on the streets of San Diego. Over time, Colabella collected tens of thousands of dollars through these extortion payments in cash, cars and other valuable items, according to court documents.

Colabella’s case was part of the multi-agency, long-term investigation called “Operation Carnalismo.” The investigation resulted in charges against 36 individuals suspected of RICO conspiracy, violent crime in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to distribute drugs and the distribution of drugs.

Colabella has been custody since January 2012. Most of the other individuals charged in “Operation Carnalismo” have already been sentenced to prison. A few are still awaiting their sentencing, scheduled for the coming months.

A leader of the Mexican Mafia, Rudy “Crazy” Espudo, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and drug trafficking charges Thursday. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 7.

According to court records, while the Mexican Mafia has thousands of associates, membership is quite rare. Law enforcement estimates that there are only about 150 to 200 Mexican Mafia members operating in the United States.

U.S. Attorney Duffy called Friday’s sentencing of Colabella another “significant step” toward fighting criminal activity linked to the Mexican Mafia.

“Today’s sentencing marks another significant step toward our office’s effort to combat the dangerous criminal activity of gangs and, in particular, the Mexican Mafia. Gang members should take note: their organized criminal activity will not be tolerated, and we will continue to use the full resources of our office and our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute organized gang crime,” said Duffy.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/Tetra images RF

Dates Added for Del Mar Racetrack

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The racing season at Del Mar will add a second meet to its season in coming years, following a vote from California racetrack officials.

The California Horse Racing Board voted on a fall meet schedule for Del Mar that will last five weeks from early November to December.

Typically Del Mar hosts horse racing season from mid-July to early September, but starting in November 2014, Horses will return for a full five weeks in the fall.

In 2014, Del Mar will host this second racing season from Nov. 5 to Dec. 7. In 2015, races will be held from Oct. 28 to Dec. 6, according to the California Horse Racing Board.

Business owners at the racetrack said they are excited about bringing in more customers.

"It brings tons of people to the area, and I mean that's what we really need is a second meet, I mean we have the best track in the country, in most people's eyes, and we only have 7 weeks of racing...So we're very excited,” said Del Mar restaurant owner Mason Meredith.

The change in dates will also give Del Mar the opportunity to host more advanced races. This will be the first time in the track’s history where fall racing is part of a major circuit.

The reason for the second racing season in Del Mar has to do with fact that Hollywood Park is closing down at the end of the year, so Del Mar along with Santa Anita will pick up additional dates to keep the California Circuit intact.

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club expects this new fall season to be more low-key, with fewer horses and fewer attendees, but it will still bring excitement to the area – and more customers for local businesses.

John Luciano, the owner of Crush restaurant in Solana Beach, says his business notices a positive difference during regular racing season. He’s looking forward to what this added second season might mean for his restaurant.

“Del Mar has been after that for a few years now. That would be a tremendous feat for Del Mar to get that,” Luciano told NBC 7.

Perhaps the most exciting news, however, is that local racing executives think the new dates will give them a better chance at possibly one day hosting the Breeder’s Cup, a major event with worldwide appeal.

"That is a significant thing that is a major, major 48 hours of racing and what that means to the community and local businesses is very important,” Del Mar Thoroughbred Club director of racing Tom Robbins said.

Editor's Note: The article originally stated the changes to the season would take place this year, but a second meet will not be added until a later date. We have since corrected the article and apologize for the error.

Suspect Fatally Shot in SWAT Search

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A SWAT situation ended with a suspect being fatally shot in San Diego’s Bay Terraces area on Friday afternoon.

San Diego Police Department Lt. Kevin Mayer said a search for a robbery suspect began around 11:35 a.m. at an Arco gas station located at 495 Meadowbrook. An armed man in his 40s entered the gas station and robbed it, firing one round from a sawed off rifle or shotgun into the ceiling in front of two female employees.

After the robbery, Lt. Mayer said the suspect fled the gas station in a 2005 Suzuki, which was stolen. He then crashed the stolen vehicle on Paradise Valley Road, near Parkwood, and then tried to set the vehicle on fire.

A message on social media from the fire department said a gas can and Molotov cocktails were believed to be inside the vehicle.

The suspect then fled that scene, and went to the 7300 block of Woodridge Street, where an officer spotted the man going into a home in the area.

Officers set up a perimeter around the home.

Once inside the home, the suspect shot a resident in the foot, Lt. Mayer said. The injured resident came out of the home and told police they had been shot.

The suspect then fled that scene and made his way over to another house in the 7400 block of Gatewood Lane.

Lt. Mayer said the resident of that home told police the suspect had knocked on his/her door and said he needed clothes because “he had just robbed a place.” The resident gave the man a gray long-sleeve shirt.

Officers set up a perimeter around the area and searched for the robbery suspect, described as a Hispanic man in his 40s with a dark complexion, wearing a baseball cap, brown shirt and jeans. Police considered the man armed and dangerous.

The suspect managed to evade police once again and entered a third home in the area. This time, a woman was inside and was forced to escape by crawling out of the window.

Shortly thereafter, police officers spotted the suspect and shot him. He died at the scene, officials confirmed.

While all of this was happening, two schools in the area -- Daniel Boone Elementary and Bell Middle School -- were placed on lockdown. The lockdown was lifted at approximately 2:15 p.m., school officials confirmed.

The name of the suspect fatally shot by police has not yet been released. SWAT teams assisted in Friday’s search for the armed man, adding to the heavy law enforcement presence in Bay Terraces.

The investigation is ongoing. Check back for updates on this developing story.



Photo Credit: Spencer Thornburg

San Diegan Has Vision for Convoy Street

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NBC 7 reporter Mari Payton talks to Tim Nguyen and how he plans to impact the businesses of Convoy Street.

Water Main Break Causes Sinkhole in Mission Valley

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A water main break early Saturday morning caused a sinkhole in the Mission Valley area, officials said.

The main break, and subsequent sinkhole, happened in the 1000 block of Colusa Avenue, between Gaines and Friars Road.

Police say a 5-foot sinkhole formed, and water was flowing out of it. Currently, officials say there are no concerns over flooding in the area.

The cause of the main break is under investigation. Check back for updates.
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Brush Fire Contained Near SR-125

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Fire crews knocked down a brush fire on northbound State Route 125 on Saturday.

The blaze began around 11:50 a.m. near SR-125 and South Birch Road. California Highway Patrol officials temporarily shut down portions of surrounding roads.

Fire officials said the brush fire had burned two to three acres, and winds had pushed it down a slope.

It was contained a short time later.
 



Photo Credit: Monica Garske

SDSU Students Install Time Capsule

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San Diego State University students and leaders gathered at the Aztec Student Union building on Friday for a historic event: the installation of a time capsule that will be opened 50 years from now.

The time capsule is filled with items and mementos representing campus milestones and what it’s like to be an Aztec in 2013. All of the items were hand-picked by SDSU students.

The time capsule was placed inside a wall in the new, highly-anticipated Aztec Student Union building, which is set to open this fall as a hub for studying, socializing, relaxing and learning for students, faculty, staff and alumni.

The building is funded entirely by a student-approved fee increase and receives no state funding, making it a major landmark and achievement for the campus.

For that very reason, SDSU campus historian Seth Mallios said placing the time capsule inside the walls of the building was a no-brainer.

“This is the Student Union and the students worked so hard to get this building. It’s a focal point for students; their voice is in this. The students chose all the items that are in the time capsule,” said Mallios. “It really ties into their identity at this moment.”

Items inside the time capsule include a campus map and voter pamphlet and promotional materials from the student fee referendum votes that lead to the construction of the Aztec Student Union.

Other items include a framed sketch of the Aztec Center, student council shirt, a letter written by SDSU associated students president Josh Morse and an SDSU student ID card featuring the Aztec Warrior.

Of course, the time capsule wouldn’t be complete without some SDSU basketball memorabilia.

The capsule also contains a basketball signed by SDSU men’s basketball coach Steve Fisher, a Sweet 16 NCAA shirt and a ticket from the 2012 Battle of the Midway game.

Other pop culture items include a dollar bill and penny, photos of the 2012-12013 Associated Students of SDSU Council and a centennial issue of “The Daily Aztec” student newspaper.

Mallios said the project is meant to bring together different generations from the past, present and future.

“The reason time capsules are so exciting, is that they pull together the generations. When you put together a time capsule, you’re thinking about addressing people 50 years, 100 or 1,000 years from now. But then you’re also reflecting,” said Mallios.

When the time capsule is dug out 50 years from now, Mallios believes SDSU will be a much different place.

“It’ll be a completely different community,” he said.
 



Photo Credit: SDSU

Woman Shot Multiple Times in San Ysidro

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A woman was shot multiple times in the chest and head in a San Ysidro neighborhood overnight, police confirmed.

SDPD Lt. Paul Rorrison said the shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. in front a mobile home park in the 1800 block of Smythe Avenue.

When police arrived at the scene, they found a 28-year-old victim lying in the street at the entrance of the mobile home park suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

The woman was transported to UCSD Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Her current condition is unknown.

Lt. Rorrison said police had no suspect information as of Friday night.

Officials interviewed residents in the area who may have heard the shooting, but Lt. Rorrison said officials hadn’t found any eye witnesses just yet.

He said the motive for the shooting is unknown. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to contact the San Diego Police Department.

 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Multiple Spot Fires Burn in Lakeside

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Multiple small spot fires burned in Lakeside Saturday near State Route 67, officials said.

The fires were first reported around 4:25 p.m., according to CHP officials, on both sides of northbound SR-67 near the Riverford exit. Motorists reported smoke and flames off the highway.

Fire officials say at least nine different spot fires burned in the area. Multiple fire crews rushed to tackle the fires, and were able to knock them down a short time later.

CHP officials shut down some lanes while fire crews worked, issuing a SigAlert for part of the afternoon and evening.

Check back for updates.
 



Photo Credit: Caltrans

'Secret Hostage' Recalls Frightening Moments

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A man held hostage in his own home by an armed robbery suspect spoke first with NBC 7 about the frightening ordeal on Saturday morning.

On Friday, at around 11:35 a.m., police began pursuing an armed suspect who robbed a gas station located at 495 Meadowbrook. The man fired a round from a sawed off shotgun or rifle into the ceiling of the gas station before fleeing in a stolen 2005 Suzuki.

The suspect crashed the stolen vehicle on Paradise Valley Road and then allegedly tried to set the vehicle on fire.

Then, a wild foot chase for the suspect throughout the surrounding Bay Terraces neighborhood began.

The man entered a home in the 7300 block of Woodridge Street and shot a resident in the foot. He then fled the scene on foot and made his way to a second nearby home, where he demanded a change of clothes from another resident.

After that, the suspect – identified as a 47-year-old National City resident – fled to a third home in the 7400 block of Woodridge, where the wild pursuit eventually came to a fatal end.

The third home was occupied by siblings Arnold and Cecilia Demesa.

After confrontations with both siblings, the suspect then stole some car keys, hopped into a vehicle parked in the Demesa’s garage and backed out of the driveway at a high rate of speed, toward police officers on the street.

Officials say that’s when five officers drew their service weapons and shot at the suspect, killing him.

As all of this was happening, there was another person inside the third and final home on Woodridge -- a secret hostage hiding out in the bathroom, Arnold Demesa.

On Saturday, Demesa spoke to NBC 7 about the scary chain of events that happened inside his Bay Terraces home.

“I heard a noise. I got up, [and] I saw the strange guy,” he told NBC 7. “He was confused and sweating.”

Demesa says the suspect was also yelling at him and making violent threats.

“He told me, ‘Don’t go outside, I’m going to kill you.’ And so, he’s touching me, so all of a sudden, he grabbed me, so I pushed him,” he recalled.

After the confrontation, Demesa says he ran into the bathroom and hid from the suspect.

But the man wouldn’t let up, knocking loudly on the bathroom door and yelling for Demesa to open it.

Afraid for his life, Demesa stayed silent.

The suspect then ran down the hallway, to his sister Cecilia’s room. Demesa says Cecilia opened the door, saw the man and also ran to hide in her bathroom.

Officers were right outside and were able to help Cecilia crawl safely out from a bathroom window.

As this was happening, the suspect got into Cecilia’s car, which was parked inside the garage and reversed through the garage door. That’s when police officers opened fire on the man and killed him.

From inside the bathroom, Demesa said he heard multiple gunshots.

He continued hiding until authorities told him it was safe to come out.

Demesa said the ordeal was “dramatic” and frightening.

He’s now trying to put it all behind him and move forward with his life.

“The past it the past,” he said.

Police are still investigating the wild pursuit that shook up Bay Terraces. The suspect’s name has not yet been released.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

10 Undernourished Horses Seized by Animal Services

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Animal services seized 10 undernourished horses from a ranch in Ramona. Investigators may file neglect charges against the owner. NBC 7's Nicole Gonzales reports.

Ton of Pot Found on Fishing Boat in L.A.

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Two Mexican nationals were being questioned on Saturday in connection with the discovery of nearly 2,000 pounds of marijuana found on a fishing boat in the waters off Manhattan Beach in southwestern Los Angeles, federal officials said.

The boat was discovered at 2:45 a.m. at El Porto Beach, officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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Federal agents were conducting routine surveillance operations in the El Porto Beach area and saw a suspected smuggling boat approaching the shoreline, ICE spokeswoman Lori Haley said.

Agents found two men hiding behind a sand dune and took them into custody for questioning, Haley said.

Video footage taken at the location shows at least nine large black duffel bags or suitcases sitting in a beach parking lot near where authorities were conducting their investigation.

Saturday's discovery is one in a rising number of cases in recent years in which suspected smugglers use fishing boats -- called pangas -- from Mexico to ferry drugs and people into the United States, authorities said.



Photo Credit: Multimedios

Paralegal Found Dead in Home of Philly Attorney

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Police say the body of a 26-year-old woman was found inside the Center City home of a prominent Philadelphia lawyer.

A source tells NBC10 the body of Julia Law was discovered inside an apartment located at 2000 Delancey Street in Center City around 10 a.m. Saturday. The home belongs to criminal defense attorney Chuck Peruto, Jr., according to investigators. A source says Law was Peruto's paralegal for two years.

Investigators say Peruto's maintenance man discovered Law's naked body face down and submerged in water inside a bathtub on the third floor.

"The first thing I did was call 9-1-1 and police showed up. I then went to homicide to give my accounts of what happened," said the man who did not want to be identified.

Investigators say Peruto was not inside the home when Law's body was found.

Police are trying to determine why she was inside the home and how she died.

While the relationship between Peruto and Law has not been confirmed, Peruto wrote the following on his Facebook Page.

"It's very hard to find someone who really matches you on all eight cylinders," he wrote. "I found my soulmate hippy, and can never replace her. We worked and played, and never got enough life. I'm grateful we made every minute count, without a single dispute about anything ever. I'm especially sad for her 10-year-old brother, who was her life, along with her loving and close sisters, mother and step-father. Earth lost the best one ever. Happy birthday baby."

Peruto is best known for representing high-profile clients including alleged mob leaders Joey Merlino, Nicodemo Scarfo and Rian Thal - a 34-year-old woman who was killed in a double murder at the Piazza at Schmidt's in Northern Liberties in 2009.

Stay with NBC10.com for more updates on this developing story.


 



Photo Credit: Family photo

Changing Weather Conditions Impact Hurricane Season

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Federal forecasters say it will be a busy Atlantic Hurricane season. NBC 7's Steven Luke spoke with a local researcher today about changing weather conditions in the U.S.and specifically problems we could see here in San Diego.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Mayor Vows to Wipe Out La Jolla Bird Stench

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La Jolla’s jagged coastline is renowned for its natural beauty. Unfortunately, with that beauty comes a strong, lingering stench caused by bird droppings that have accumulated on the rocks over time.

Now, the smell is so bad, Mayor Bob Filner has declared it a public health emergency, and he has vowed to curb the stinky problem plaguing one of San Diego’s biggest tourist destinations.

On Friday evening, Filner announced that a plan for solving the La Jolla odor issues would be put in place following the Memorial Day weekend.

Filner says he’s been working closely with San Diego City councilmember Sherri Lightner on this matter.

The pair has now been told by regulatory agencies that the city can begin implementing a plan that will neutralize the chemicals and organisms – including the overwhelming bird guano – causing the stench permeating the air around the cliffs east of La Jolla Cove.

“We finally have a plan that we think may work! And that’s good, because I was about to go get a bucket and mop, or a big vacuum cleaner and do it myself,” the Mayor said on Friday. “Look, this has just been a stinky mess for too long.”

Back in April, biologists said the odor in La Jolla was, essentially, the smell of success. Environmental protections put in place in La Jolla over the past few decades have brought endangered species back into the coastal town.

La Jolla is a state-designated area of "special biological significance." That means California strictly regulates its waters to protect its abundant marine life, which also attracts birds.

"We're kind of a victim of our own success," said Robert Pitman, a marine biologist at the National Marine Fisheries Service in La Jolla during an interview last month.

"We've provided a lot of bird protections so now we're getting a lot of birds. I think we're going to be seeing more of these conflicts come about, and I think we'll have to deal with them on a case-by-case basis. I think there'll have to be compromises all around,” he continued.

In La Jolla, the birds took over the rocks after the city prohibited people from walking there years ago for safety reasons. Since then, there has been little rain to wash away the accumulating bird feces.
Visitors, residents and business owners in La Jolla have said the smell impacts their lives.

George Hauer, who owns the gourmet restaurant George's At The Cove, even launched an online petition regarding the stench, which has garnered more than 1500 signatures. It states: "The cormorant colony at the La Jolla Cove has reached critical mass with their excrement. The smell is overtaking the entire village. The result is a loss of business and a potential public health disaster."

Now, to move the matter along and gain some resolution, Filner has issued an “Emergency Finding” under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

Filner’s Emergency Finding states that the bird waste is a public health hazard that threatens public health, safety and welfare.

“Over the course of the years, cormorants, gulls, pigeons, pelicans and other animals have fouled the area such that the stench and odors are constant at the Cove and are, at times, overwhelming,” the Emergency Finding states. “Those who work or live in close proximity to the Cove complain of severe headaches and nausea. The powerful smell often wafts over the entire village commercial district.”

Filner has signed a deal with a company named Blue Eagle to begin the clean-up of the cliffs. On Tuesday, experts will visit the area to take samples from the rocks.

Filner says the plan is to eventually apply a specialized “microbial odor counteractant and cleaner” to the guano on top of the cliffs. The product will “digest” the guano and organisms atop the cliffs and, if all goes as planned, eliminate odors.

The product has been used in the past to address similar odor problems in cities like Sacramento and at the Colorado Springs Zoo, according to Filner.

In La Jolla, the product will be applied in small amounts under the supervision of both a biologist and geologist retained by the city, the mayor said.

The Blue Eagle company will begin applying and testing the product on problem areas in La Jolla on Tuesday. Filner says experts will return to the area for broader clean-up work in early June. Exact dates for the work will be determined soon.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego
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