A hepatitis A outbreak in California and four other Western states may be linked to a brand of berries sold at Costco stores, officials said Friday.

At least six of 30 cases of the liver disease were in California — one each in Orange, Riverside, San Diego and Humboldt counties, and two in San Bernardino County.

The virus was believed to be linked to Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend. Costco has removed the product from its shelves, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Attorney Bill Gaar, representing Townsend Farms of Fairview, Ore., told the Associated Press that investigators appeared to be focusing on imported pomegranate seeds in the product.

The department has recommended anyone with the product at their home should throw it away. Anyone who has consumed the fruit mix in the last 14 days should contact their doctor, said the agency's director, Dr. Ron Chapman.

Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay-colored bowel movements, joint pain and jaundice. Symptoms develop two to six weeks after consuming contaminated food or drink, according to the California Department of Public Health.

The potentially severe illness can last up to several months and can require hospitalization.

Just in time for summer, SeaWorld’s renovated water park in Chula Vista officially opened its doors on Saturday.

“Aquatica SeaWorld’s Waterpark” used to be the site of Knott’s Soak City, which was purchased by SeaWorld last November.

The Chula Vista location is the third Aquatica park in the country, with another in San Antonio and one in Orlando.

Aquatica has plenty of attractions, including a giant wave pool, six slides and a 1,250-foot lazy river. Parents can take little ones to kid-friendly areas “Kata’s Kookaburra Cove” or “Slippity Dippity,” which were engineered with children in mind.

And did we mention the animals? A habitat with dozens of freshwater turtles will live in an exhibit that will feature under- or above-water viewing. Plus Caribbean flamingos can be seen when gliding down the lazy river – because it wouldn’t be SeaWorld without cool critters.

Aquatica San Diego will be located at 2052 Entertainment Circle in Chula Vista. The park is open daily June 1-Sept. 2, and weekends from Sept. 7 to Oct. 20. Admission is $38 for ages 10 and older; $30 for ages 3–9.

The Powerhouse Fire grew to 5,561 acres in northern Los Angeles County on a hot and windy Saturday, burning structures and prompting evacuations in rugged areas between the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys in southern California.

Three firefighters have been injured, and 960 firefighters, assisted by planes and helicopters, were expected to keep up the aerial and ground assault against flames on Saturday. The blaze was 20 percent contained, said John Wagner of the U.S. Forest Service.

An unspecified number of structures were burning Saturday night, county fire officials said. The exact locations of the structures were not immediately released.

About 1,000 structures threatened in the burn area. Firefighters were trying to protect structures, in the Lake Hughes area, said Los Angeles County Fire spokesman Keith Mora.

Temperatures reached the triple digits in some areas, including near the fire.

Also on Saturday, officials ordered evacuations for Elizabeth Lake Road and areas south of Lake Hughes, and upheld existing evacuations in the San Francisquito Canyon area.

Road closures were also ordered.

The fire broke out Thursday near a hydroelectric plant known as Powerhouse No. 1 in San Francisquito Canyon, north of Santa Clarita, the third biggest city in Los Angeles County.

Health officials urged people to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities as air quality in the Santa Clarita Valley and San Gabriel Mountains was expected to be unhealthy throughout the weekend due to the fire.

Evacuation orders were expected to remain in effect at least through Saturday night. Power lines were reported threatened at one point Thursday, but there were no reports of service disruptions, Judy said.

One structure, described as an outbuilding, was destroyed in the blaze, Judy said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

The body of a missing hospital patient was discovered by search and rescue officials in a canyon Friday evening after an extensive search.

Chula Vista resident Thomas Vera, 58, had been missing since Monday. For the last several weeks, he had been a patient at the UCSD Medical Center.

Vera was admitted to the hospital after falling down the stairs at his home. He suffered a concussion and broken collar bone, according to his family, and was awaiting surgery.

On Monday morning, clad in a hospital gown, Vera wandered away from the hospital. His son, Antonio Vera, said security cameras spotted his father leaving the hospital area through a canyon, not along surface streets. Vera was last seen at 6 a.m. that morning.

Since then, Antonio said his family had been desperately searching for Vera.

“I've been looking for the past three days,” Antonio told NBC 7 on Friday. “My biggest fear is that he’s stuck in a bush somewhere and not being able to talk.”

Police and search and rescue teams began scouring the dense, rugged canyons near the hospital on Thursday. They returned Friday morning after viewing a security tape that indicated the direction Vera walked from UCSD Medical Center and searched all day long for any clues that might lead them to Vera.

Helicopters and San Diego police dogs helped in the exhaustive search, but for hours upon hours, officials came up short.

By the evening hours, search and rescue teams had rappelled deeper into the dense brush and tough, steep canyon terrain. Once officials went further into the canyon, they made a devastating discovery.

Vera's body was found at the bottom of Palm Canyon, not a mile from UCSD Medical Center where he walked away from Monday morning. A hospital gown and neck brace was also found at the scene, officials confirmed.

Vera's son, Antonio, collapsed and sobbed at the canyon's edge after hearing the news of his father's demise. His greatest concern was staying strong for his children, Vera's grandchildren, he said.

Next came the difficult task of recovery.

The foliage was so dense and the canyon walls were so steep, San Diego Fire Rescue crews made the risky choice to hoist Vera's body from the canyon by helicopter.

It was a sad, disappointing end to a four-day search for the missing hospital patient.

Search and Rescue Sgt. Don Parker hoped the discovery might bring some type of peace to Vera's family.

“This enbables the family to have closure,” said Sgt. Parker. “We don't always find the subject first. Sometimes we'll find a footprint or a garment.”

SDPD detective Sgt. Frank Hoerman said it was difficult breaking the news to Vera's family.

“The family has been actively involved. They've been out here dealing with this so it can be very difficult because they are actually part of the search,” said Sgt. Hoerman.

Search and Rescue officials said it's likely that Vera crawled down the rough canyon terrain. Sgt. Hoerman said it's also a possibility that Vera fell down the steep area, though that's all still under investigation.

Officials say a healthy man could survive for a week in those conditions, but since Vera was injured, it was much more difficult for him to stay alive in the canyon.

UCSD Medical Center spokesperson Debra Kain was at the scene of the body recovery Friday evening with a member of the medical center's security force.

Kain would not answer direst questions about the incident, but did say the hospital was saddened by Vera's death and sent condolences to the family.

A hospital spokesperson said that once Vera went missing on Monday, staff conducted an immediate search of the hospital and notified Vera's doctor and his nursing supervisor.

They then contacted hospital security and the San Diego Police Department and left a voice message to the patient's immediate family, followed up by a second phone call, the spokesperson said.

Representatives at UCSD Medical Center could not tell NBC 7 how many patients, like Vera, have walked away from the facility.

The county medical examiner will now work to determine a cause of death. That information is forthcoming.

Vera's daughter, Tanya Vera, told NBC 7 the family has established a fund for her father's memorial service. To donate, visit this website.

Summer is around the corner, which can only mean one thing: the 2013 San Diego County Fair is headed to Del Mar.

This year, fair season runs for 24 days -- from Jun. 8 through Jul. 4. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The fair is closed on Mondays, except July 1.

The theme is “Game On!” and will spotlight classic and nostalgic games, from board games and pinball, to TV, video and computer games, with a focus on how these have evolved over the years. The fair’s main “Game On!” exhibit will include a 10-foot “Monopoly” board and larger-than-life versions of dominos, chess and four-in-a-row for visitors to play.

Admission to the fair this year is $14 for adults, $8 for seniors 62 and older, $8 for kids ages 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and younger.

Besides rides, games and other daily activities, the fair will host several special events during its run this year, including the Big Bite Bacon Fest scheduled for Jun. 16, the San Diego County Fair Wine Festival on Jun. 15, the San Diego International Beer Festival scheduled for Jun. 21-23 and the Gospel Festival on Jun. 29.

The Bacon Fest will showcase endless bacon samples and craft beer samples. Tickets for the pig-out start at $55, which includes fair admission.

Tickets to the Fair Wine Festival cost $58, which includes fair admission, a souvenir tasting glass and unlimited one-ounce samples of wine to taste. Tickets to a session of the Beer Festival cost $55 and include a souvenir cup and samples of more than 300 beers.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the fair without tons of live entertainment hitting center stage. The 2013 San Diego County Fair concert lineup was released earlier this month, and includes notable headliners such as the Beach Boys (Jun. 8), Train (Jun. 27), the Steve Miller Band (Jun. 15) and San Diegan-turned-pop star Adam Lambert (Jul. 2).

For more on the musical line-up, click here.

Finally, those looking forward to indulging in different foods at the fair certainly won’t leave hungry.

Gloriously unhealthy fair foods offered this year in Del Mar include Deep-fried cookie dough, a Krispy Crème Sloppy Joe sandwich, bacon beer, wild boar kebabs, a mac-and-cheese melt sandwich, deep-fried bacon-wrapped pickles and more.

For an up-close look at these fair foods, click here.

And, for more details and information about the 2013 San Diego County Fair, visit this website.
 

An officer fatally shot a suspect on SeaWorld Drive in Ocean Beach Saturday morning, SDPD officials confirmed.

The officer-involved shooting happened around 9:30 a.m. in the 100 block of SeaWorld Drive near Mission Bay Drive.

SDPD homicide Lt. Jorge Duran says the ordeal began around 9:15 a.m. when a man and woman were walking home after grabbing coffee in the area. The couple allegedly saw a man with a gun in the 1700 block of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard and the suspect threatened to shoot the man.

The woman called police to report the incident.

SDPD officials say witnesses saw the suspect get into a silver Volkswagen sedan and drive north
Lt. Duran says responding officers spotted the vehicle and tried to pull the suspect over. Once the man had stopped, officers ordered him to put his hands in the air.

The suspect did not comply. Instead, officials say the man walked over to the passenger side of his car and began rummaging through his vehicle. He reached between the seats and pulled out what officers described as a brown and silver object.

Officials say the suspect allegedly raised the object and pointed it towards officers, as if it were a weapon.

Fearing for life, one of the officers closest to the suspect drew his duty weapon and fired at least one shot at the suspect, Lt. Duran said. The suspect was taken to a local hospital, but died from injuries sustained in shooting. His name has not yet been released, pending family notifications.

SDPD officials say a handgun was found inside the suspect’s car.

The scene was blocked off with police tape as police began their investigation, searching for evidence and interviewing witnesses. The suspect's vehicle was also stalled at the scene with its doors and trunk open. The vehicle had a broken window and several items were taken out of the trunk and placed on the roadway.

Following the shooting, there was a heavy police presence at the scene, including dozens of officers and multiple marked and unmarked police vehicles.

CHP officials helped with traffic control and issued a SigAlert due to the police activity in the area. As of 11:38 a.m., CHP officials said northbound Sunset Cliffs at Interstate 8 to West Mission Bay Drive would be closed for the next five hours. Get traffic updates here.

Witness Mike O'Malley told NBC 7 he saw the fatal shooting as he was driving to yoga. O'Malley stopped his car and recorded the incident on his cell phone, which was then given to detectives.

O'Malley said he heard the officer yell something at the suspect. Then, he saw the suspect get out of his car and hold both hands toward the officer, allegedly taking a stance as if he had a gun.

O'Malley said he saw the officer the shoot the suspect. The witness said a car door was standing between the suspect and officer, and they were approximately 15 feet away from one another.

"I had an anxiety attack," O'Malley said. "It was traumatic. I saw someone die."

SDPD officials say the officer involved in the fatal shooting is an 11-year veteran of the Department. His name was not released.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

Two cases of hepatitis A in San Diego have been linked to a brand of frozen berries sold at Costco stores, local health officials said.

The local cases are part of a five-state hepatitis A outbreak associated with at least 30 cases. As of Friday night, six of those cases were reported in California.

The outbreak is being investigated by multiple agencies, including the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal Food and Drug Administration, and the California Department of Public Health.

Health officials believe the hepatitis A cases may be tied to consumers who ate Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend of frozen berries sold at Costco stores. The California Department of Public Health is warning consumers not to eat the product.

The local residents with hepatitis A both reported eating the berry blend, HHSA officials said.

HHSA officials say the number of cases in San Diego County and other affected states may increase because it can take up to 30 days to become ill with hepatitis A after being exposed to the virus.

“If you ate Townsend Farms Organic Anti-Oxidant Blend frozen berries within the past two weeks and you have never been vaccinated for hepatitis A or had the disease, you should contact your health care provider to discuss hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin,” said deputy county public health officer Eric McDonald, M.D.

McDonald said those who have purchased the frozen berry product should discard it immediately.

The HHSA says Costco has removed the product from shelves, but a formal recall has not yet been issued. The FDA is conducting more tests on the product for traces of the hepatitis A virus.

Health officials say symptoms of hepatitis A include mild fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, abdomen pain, dark urine and jaundice. Anyone with those symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.

The HHSA says hepatitis A varies in severity. Mild cases can last two weeks, while more severe cases can lead to hospitalization. The virus is spread from person to person, or through contaminated food or beverages.

For more information on hepatitis A, visit the CDC’s website.
 

The Powerhouse Fire grew to 19,500 acres in northern Los Angeles County after a hot and windy Saturday, burning structures and prompting evacuations in rugged areas between the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys.

At least five homes have burned in the blaze, said Los Angeles County Fire spokesman Keith Mora.

About 1,000 structures were threatened in the burn area, he said.

Three firefighters have been injured, and 960 firefighters, assisted by planes and helicopters, were expected to keep up the aerial and ground assault against flames on Saturday. The blaze was 20 percent contained, said John Wagner of the U.S. Forest Service.

The USFS told NBC News the fire had burned 19,500 acres as of 2:15 a.m. PT Sunday. That was up from 5,561 acres as of 1:40 a.m PT.

Temperatures reached the triple digits in some areas, including near the fire.

Also on Saturday, officials ordered evacuations for Elizabeth Lake Road and areas south of Lake Hughes, and upheld existing evacuations in the San Francisquito Canyon area.

Road closures were also ordered as far south as Castaic at Lake Hughes Road. 

The fire broke out Thursday near a hydroelectric plant known as Powerhouse No. 1 in San Francisquito Canyon, north of Santa Clarita.

Health officials urged people to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities as air quality in the Santa Clarita Valley and San Gabriel Mountains was expected to be unhealthy throughout the weekend due to the fire.

Evacuation orders were expected to remain in effect at least through Saturday night for the following areas: the Forest Service's Cottonwood Campground, L.A. County's Camp Mendenhall juvenile detention center and areas along Lake Hughes Road, Judy said. Other evacuations remained for areas north of South Portal Road and west of San Francisquito Canyon Road.

Power lines were reported threatened at one point Thursday, but there were no reports of service disruptions, Judy said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

A Red Cross evacuation center was set up at the Marie Kerr Park's recreation center at 2723-A Rancho Vista Boulevard in Palmdale. An evacuation center for large animals has been set up at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds at 2551 West Avenue H in Lancaster.

Leon County deputies were on the lookout for an unusual fugitive this weekend: a llama on the loose in Tallahassee.

Scooter the llama had escaped from his owners and was roaming the Killearn Lakes area of northern Tallahassee, leading deputies from the Leon County Sheriff's Office on a chase that began late Friday night and continued into Saturday morning.

Man Wrestles, Catches 18-Foot Python

"I've been doing this twenty years and this was the first llama I've ever had to chase," said Sgt. Tony Drzewiecki, with the Leon County Sheriff's Office.

Drzewiecki said the calls reporting a llama sighting began to come in at 11 p.m. Friday. Deputies weren't able to get their hands on him that night, but he was seen again on Bannerman Road at about 8 a.m. the following morning.

"Our main concern was that he was going to get hit by a car and either get hurt or injure someone else," Drzewiecki said.

Peanut the Orangutan Doing Well a Year After Lymphoma Diagnosis

That's when deputies were forced to use a Taser on the giant creature to subdue him. They were able to secure him with a rope and get him on a trailer to take back to his owners.

Drzewiecki said Scooter was unharmed by the Taser and was back to normal soon after being apprehended.

"He was eating his favorite snacks, Triscuits, shortly thereafter," Drzewiecki said.

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Fire crews have knocked down a wildfire that burned for a couple of hours in Ramona, fire officials confirmed.

The blaze began around 12:10 p.m. on open land. Cal Fire said the wildfire scorched 15 acres off State Route 78 and Boden Canyon near Ramona. The blaze was dubbed the “Boden Fire” by officials.

Firefighters from multiple departments and agencies are assisted battling the blaze. Helicopters also made water drops.

Cal Fire Capt. Mike Mohler said the fire was contained by about 2:30 p.m. It held at 15 acres, he said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. No injuries were immediately reported.
 

Thousands upon thousands of runners and spectators turned out for the 2013 Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon and Half Marathon Sunday morning as music, cheering and sounds of sneakers on the pavement filled the air.

The 16th annual 26.2-mile race began at 6:15 a.m. at 6th Avenue and Quince Street near Balboa Park.

The course then headed through University Avenue and Park Boulevard before moving into downtown San Diego, passing through B Street, 11th Avenue and Broadway, among other streets.

Mile six took runners to Kettner Boulevard, then India Street and San Diego Avenue through Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. By mile 11.4, runners were on Mission Bay Drive, followed by Clairemont Drive, Morena Boulevard and Friars Road, among many other markers.

Mile 19.4 took runners on northbound SR-163 down to 10th Avenue, Robinson Avenue and other surrounding streets.

The highly-anticipated finish line was set up downhill at 13th Street and K Street in downtown San Diego, near Petco Park. See a full map of the 2013 course here.

As runners triumphantly charged downhill towards that finish line, thousands of spectators – some holding enthusiastic signs – cheered loudly from the sidelines.

The endorphins, and emotions, were high.

“It was awesome. I feel so good,” one runner from England told NBC 7 at the finish line.

“It was really good downhill,” said another excited runner.

Pacific Beach resident Ashten Wolfe told NBC 7 she was elated to cross the finish line.

“It was great. I’m dead, but I finished. It’s awesome; it’s an adrenaline rush,” said Wolfe.

Like many participants, Wolfe said she couldn’t help but think of those who took part in the Boston
Marathon nearly two months ago as she ran in San Diego on Sunday.

“My prayers and thoughts go out to all those injured and who passed away in Boston,” said Wolfe. “I hope I can be in Boston one day to remember all those who were injured. I’m sorry that happened to all the families and hope that everyone is recovering and doing well.”

Runner Jason Swingler, 43, traveled to San Diego from Phoenix to participate in the marathon for the first time.

“Being 43, I was just glad to finish. I really love San Diego,” Swingler told NBC 7.

He too said he thought of Boston often during Sunday’s run.

“Boston comes to mind. I’m really glad that there were no incidents today. It’s a great day to run and everyone is having a great time. And that’s the way it should be, right here,” said Swingler.

Local runner Mark Rodriguez said seeing all the spectators on the sidelines made his marathon run a little easier to finish.

“At 10 miles is where I started to cramp up and it was a wrap, but one hour and 42 minutes and a 7:37 pace? I can dig it! It’s okay,” said Rodriguez. “Coming across that finish line and seeing all these people out here, it’s awesome.”

Scroll through a photo gallery of the 2013 marathon here.

A husband and wife visiting from Mexico City crossed the half marathon finish line together and said the event was a success.

“It’s a pleasure to be here in San Diego. It’s a good race,” said one runner from Mexico City. “It’s the first time that we’ve run a half marathon.”

Local marathon runner and 2012 Olympian Meb Keflezighi also crossed the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon finish line on Sunday and told NBC 7 he was happy to be back in his hometown, running alongside fellow San Diegans.

Fans waited for him at the finish line, including one of his former high school teachers who greeted him with a big hug.

“It’s overwhelmingly great to be back in San Diego. The course was tough, but it’s a great show. This is a great day for San Diego,” said Keflezighi at the finish line.

The Olympian said he ran the half marathon faster this year than he has in the past two years, so he was pleased with his time of 1:02:11. He said he’s actively conditioning every day and will run the New York City Marathon this November.

Keflezighi told NBC 7 his favorite part of the race was running through his old neighborhood and past San Diego High School, the school he graduated from in 1994. He said Arizona Street brought back memories of his first apartment in San Diego.

He said he and his family are planning on moving back to San Diego for good next week.

Keflezighi also couldn’t help but think of Boston during his run.

The Olympic marathon runner was actually in Boston on April 15 cheering for Boston Marathon runners from the grand stand for hours before two bombs exploded near the finish line. He left the area about five minutes before the bombs went off, he told NBC 7 in an interview back in April.

NBC 7's news reporter and anchor Artie Ojeda also competed in Sunday's race, giving a thumbs up at the finish line (photo below).

A child was injured in a rollover crash on Interstate 5 Sunday night and the driver fled the scene of the accident, California Highway Patrol officials confirmed.

The collision happened at southbound I-5 near Rosecrans Street and Old Town San Diego.

According to witnesses at the scene, a truck traveling on the freeway flipped over onto an embankment and landed along Jefferson Street. Upon impact, a child passenger was partially ejected from the vehicle.

Witnesses told NBC 7 they could see the child hanging out of the window following the crash.

Witnesses described hearing a loud boom during the collision. Some people at a nearby hotel and liquor store told NBC 7 they ran out to see what happened and saw the overturned truck in the roadway.

Witnesses say they saw a man get out of the truck and take off running south on Jefferson Street.

According to CHP officials, the driver did take off running immediately following the crash, but then returned to the scene to unbuckle the child from the vehicle. The driver then got scared and took off running, according to CHP.

That's when a good samaritan ran to the truck to help rescue the child. The child was taken to a local hospital. Officials say the injured child is between three and five years old.

CHP officials are investigating the crash and trying to figure out why the driver ran away from the scene. Officials are looking into whether alcohol or drugs were a factor in the collision.

Check back for updates on this developing story. Watch our news at 11 p.m. Sunday for more details.

Some 1,000 homes were threatened on Sunday as the 22,242-acre Powerhouse Fire approached the northern Los Angeles County high-desert city of Lancaster, authorities said.

The fire destroyed six homes and damaged nine other buildings, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Lee Bentley said.

The fire was 20 percent contained and burning to the northeast, fire officials said. The blaze was burning dense brush on rugged terrain that hasn't burned for more than 80 years.

Officials ramped up their staffing to more than 2,000 firefighters on Sunday to try and get a handle on it. The cost of fighting the fire was estimated at about $3 million.

Firefighters were hopeful that a slight drop in temperatures and more humid conditions would work in their favor on Sunday. Temperatures reach about 90 degrees in areas including where the fire was burning, officials said.

Firefighters were taking no chances.

“It’s got its own mind,” Bentley said. “Unstable air … no set pattern. We want to get a handle on this thing as quickly as we can.”

Three firefighters suffered minor injuries while fighting the blaze. One was injured by a falling rock, another suffered from heat stress and a third was injured by contact with poisonous oak.

The fire broke out Thursday near a hydroelectric plant known as Powerhouse No. 1 in San Francisquito Canyon, north of Santa Clarita.

The community of Lake Hughes was under a mandatory evacuation order and Elizabeth Lake was under a voluntary evacuation order.

Evacuations remained in place along Lake Hughes Road, including two youth probation camps and the Forest Service's Cottonwood Campground.

Lake Hughes and San Fransciquito Canyon roads were closed. Bouquet Canyon and Elizabeth Lake roads were open to residents only.

A Red Cross evacuation center is located at Marie Kerr Park, 39700 30th St. W. Palmdale, 93551.

The Antelope Valley Fairgrounds are serving as a shelter for large animals.

A San Diego woman currently working as a professor in Istanbul, Turkey, has found herself in the middle of massive protests and violent government backlash.

Clashes between demonstrators and Turkish police began earlier this week with protests in Istanbul over a plan to redevelop a popular park and city square into a mall. The initially peaceful demonstrations soon became larger, anti-government protests and police retaliated violently.

On Saturday, more than 900 activists were reportedly arrested.

A San Diego woman who currently teaches in Istanbul spoke exclusively to NBC 7 San Diego on Saturday about the civil unrest and she’s experiencing in the country.

Due to the seriousness of the situation and to protect her identity, she wanted to share her story under the pseudonym “Caroline Caracalla.”

Caracalla says she’s playing an active role in the protests, which have rapidly grown over the last few days.

“I got shot with a tear gas canister yesterday and probably have a bruise that’s about a foot long,” she told NBC 7 in a phone interview from Istanbul on Saturday.

Caracalla has been capturing footage on her cell phone of the uprising on the streets in Istanbul, which she shared with NBC 7.

The footage depicts loud, screaming crowds and police throwing things at demonstrators.

Caracalla was part of Monday’s original occupation of Istanbul’s Gezi Park, where she says the actions of the Turkish police turned a peaceful event into a violent riot.

“The police gassed all the people who were sleeping. It’s like a pepper gas; it cleared the tents. Then the police burned protestors’ tents,” she explained.

Since then, Caracalla says Turkish police have escalated their tactics by allegedly shooting Agent Orange at protestors, a powerful herbicide used by military during the Vietnam War era.

“If you get gassed, you run down the street, People are spraying with counter gas. They started and fought off police all night,” she added.

On Saturday in San Diego, approximately 250 local residents – many of them Turkish immigrants – gathered at Balboa Park to support the people of Turkey and raise awareness about the violence happening on the streets of the country.

Holding signs, local demonstrators wanted to send their own messages to the Turkish government.

“We’re asking the government to do the right thing and take care of citizens instead of attacking citizens,” one participant at Balboa Park told NBC 7.

“We don’t want the government making decisions for us, we want the government making decisions that we want,” said another participant.

One local fears that the civil unrest will continue to grow.

“It’s really hard to stop a revolution, and that’s what people are calling this,” he said
From local protestors, to Caracalla in Istanbul, they all say the continual reduction of civil liberties by the Turkish government has gone far enough, and now they’re standing up for human rights.

NBC 7 has also learned that several local college students studying abroad in Turkey are also caught up in the middle of these protests.
 

Three massage parlors on the same street in Poway are being investigated for alleged prostitution activity, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed.

On Friday afternoon, officials say the Sheriff’s Poway Community Policing Team, North County Human Trafficking Task Force and the Poway Detective Unit conducted an undercover sting at three massage parlor locations in Poway: the Silky Massage at 13328 Poway Rd.; Hai Tee Acupuncture-Massage at 12623 Poway Rd. and Healing Touch at 12845 Poway Rd.

Over the past several weeks, investigators had been monitoring activity at the massage parlors after receiving reports of a high volume of male customers visiting the three locations at all hours of the day and night.

Deputies also received complaints of alleged prostitution occurring at the massage parlors by female masseuses, officials said.

Investigators began looking into the allegations of prostitution and on Friday, officials raided the businesses. During the raid, officials questioned five men visiting the parlors and then released them.

Six women working at the three locations were arrested for suspicion of unlawful touching and other Poway Municipal Code violations, deputies said.

The suspects include Silky Massage employees Huiyan Fan, 39, of Monterey Park, Calif., and Tian Tian Jobe, 32, of San Gabriel, Calif. Hai Tee Acupuncture-Massage employees Yun Xian Chen, 56, of Monterey Park, Calif. and San Diegan Qing Hui Zhang, 39, were also arrested.

Additionally, Healing Touch employees and Oceanside residents Hang Yin Chui Russell, 50, and Yishuang Cheng, 47, were taken into custody.

Officials said Cheng was cited for prostitution solicitation.

All six women were later released from the Poway Sheriff’s Station on their written promise to appear in court for their violations.

On Saturday night, other business owners and workers in the area told NBC 7 they had noticed somewhat suspicious activity at the massage parlors.

Laura DiDonato owns a dance studio next door to Hai Tee Acupuncture-Massage and said strange things would happen at the parlor late at night.

“I’d never see any women go in and out – mostly all gentlemen,” she said. “I would see a van pull up and then different people going in and out with luggage.”

Over at the Silky Massage things also didn’t seem quite right, according to Dale Quezada, who owns a business in the same shopping center.

Quezada told NBC 7 he would often see Silky Massage customers parking their vehicles a ways away from the parlor.

“We would always joke that no one ever wants to park in front [of the parlor], so they park over on our side of the parking lot,” he said.

Meanwhile, at the Healing Touch massage, signs outside the business are confusing. A large sign advertising “cell phones & pagers” is much more visible than a small sign soliciting massages.

Blake Bickham, who works at a family business nearby, told NBC 7 she was under the impression that the business only sold cell phones.

“It was really weird because they were just never open, but were always in business. They were always advertising for new cell phones and the windows and stuff were blacked out, so you couldn’t really see inside,” said Bickham.

A man sexually assaulted a woman in an emergency room in Harlem after she fell asleep, then urinated on her when she was startled awake, police said. 

The 45-year-old woman fell asleep after being treated in the Harlem Hospital emergency room for an injured foot Friday afternoon, according to the NYPD. She awoke to find a man allegedly assaulting her. 

He then began to urinate on her, police said.

Hospital police were called and they arrested the assailant, 49-year-old Tyrone Brown, who was being treated for an unknown injury, according to the NYPD. He faces a charge of criminal sex act, a felony. 

Attorney information for Brown wasn't immediately available. 

A message was left with the hospital.

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