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Trump Donates His First Salary to National Parks Service

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President Donald Trump donated his first salary to the National Parks Service, NBC News reported.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was presented the president’s first quarter salary—which totaled $78,333—at the beginning of Monday’s White House Press Briefing. The check included "every penny the president received from the first quarter" since his Jan. 20 inauguration, said press secretary Sean Spicer.

Though the donation makes good on the administration’s promise that the president would donate his salary, not all people were pleased.

Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune called the donation a "publicity stunt," and said it’s a "sad consolation prize" as the president’s budget proposes a 12 percent cut to the Interior Department.



Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

San Marcos Standoff Ends With Suspect Killing Himself

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A SWAT standoff ended in San Marcos Monday when the man killed himself after deputies tried to deliver a warrant for his involvement in an attempted homicide case, confirmed deputies.

Deputies were delivering the warrant for the 54-year-old man's connection with an attempted homicide case in Carlsbad, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's department (SDSO). The suspect refused to come out of his home and eventually shot himself.

The standoff started at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday night at the 1000 block of Brightwood Drive, said deputies. A neighbor who witnessed the whole standoff told NBC 7 he saw a woman with two dogs run out of the house.

Then, he heard a single, ear-piercing gunshot ring out.

"When the gunshot happened, I heard her exclaim and start crying and saying oh my word, oh my word," said Mark Bower, a neighbor near the standoff. "I believe she knew what was going on as well. It was very sad."

Once the gun shot was fired, authorities sent a robot into the house which found the man's body dead inside.

Another neighbor, Natasha Lapeyre, told NBC 7 she woke up to the SWAT Team surrounding the area close to her house.

"They didn't go in for another two hours because they didn't know if he was shooting at them, or if he shot himself. They just wanted to be safe, you know? But it was pretty scary," said Lapeyre.

Further details about the suspect's involvement in the attempted homicide case in Carlsbad were not immediately available. NBC 7 is following up with Carlsbad Police for more information on the case.

Nearby residents shaken by the standoff say the area is generally a quiet and tight-knit neighborhood. They said the people living in the house involving the standoff had just moved in a few days ago.

Earlier Monday morning, there were still boxes left unpacked on the front porch.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Crane Operator Rescues Giant American Flags

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Joshua Dybka's daily view as a crane operator in downtown San Diego is one of the best in the city. From his crane cab, he's almost seen it all.

But a few days back he looked down and "there's an American flag laying on the ground and it's huge."

"When I saw it just lying on the ground, literally the hair on the back of my neck stood up," said Dybka, of Ramona. 

According to U.S. flag code, "The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise."

Dybka felt like he had to do something so he picked up the phone and called the Salvation Army, on whose property the flag was placed. 

That's when he learned there were actually two flags. Dybka estimated one of the flags is as large as 25-feet by 60-feet. The other he said could cover the entire roof of his house. 

They had just been sold, so the store put him in touch with their new owner.

Dybka learned the flags were to be folded up and sent out of the country. So he negotiated to buy both for $50.

Dybka wasn't quite sure what to do next, so he reached out on social media for help.

"The outpouring from the community was incredible," Dybka said. "I've been contacted by Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops as well as the VFW." 

That's where these flags will ultimately get the retirement ceremony they deserve. He’s donating them to the VFW, and the scouts are going to help retire them with the vets.

Dybka was a scout growing up. His wife is an Army vet. He says he's grateful for this opportunity.

"I was always taught that gratitude is an action verb, to feel grateful about something implies that we're doing something," he said. "So I feel good to be a part of making sure that that flag is laid to rest properly and not discarded like a piece of trash."

The retirement ceremony may happen around Memorial Day.

The Salvation Army told NBC 7 on Monday that it appears the flag was offered as part of an auction.

The flag should not have been placed on the ground, a spokesperson said.

The organization now has a flag protocol in place to keep this from happening again in the future.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Motorcyclist Dies in El Cajon Crash

First Los Angeles Chargers Practice Takes Place in San Diego

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The Los Angeles Chargers held their first official workout since relocating from San Diego to Los Angeles, however, the voluntary workout didn’t happen in Los Angeles, instead it happened at Chargers Park in San Diego.

Chargers Quarterback Philip Rivers, who has spent all of his 14 NFL seasons in San Diego, said driving into Chargers Park as a member of the Los Angeles Chargers felt “weird.”

When asked about practicing for the first time as the Los Angeles Chargers, defensive lineman Brandon Mebane said “It might be strange for guys who’ve been here a long time.”

Guys like Antonio Gates, who like Rivers has spent his whole career with the Chargers in San Diego, “The majority of my NFL memories will be here in San Diego. It’s an unbelievable fan base here.  Hopefully the San Diego Chargers fan base will come support us in Los Angeles.”

Rivers said after the initial “weird” feelings faded away, the football familiarity returned, “It’s weird in a sense, but then it’s not because it’s what we’ve always done.  For the most part it felt the same, going to our same locker room, same weight room, different guys around but very similar.”

On January 12th, Chargers Chairman of the Board Dean Spanos announced the decision to move to Los Angeles in a letter that was posted the teams Twitter account, saying “we turn the page and begin an exciting new era as the Los Angeles Chargers.”

“The Chargers are determined to fight for LA and we are excited to get started.”

New Head Coach Anthony Lynn wasn’t on the field during the portion of practice that was open to the media, nor did Lynn speak with the media, but Chargers players liked what they saw and heard from their new coach.

“I thought it went well. You can tell Coach Lynn is going to have great command of the room and the team, and he has great energy that I think will filter in,” said Rivers.

The Chargers will continue to practice and work out at Chargers Park in San Diego through June, before transitioning to the team’s training facility in Orange County.



Photo Credit: CSN Bay Area staff

Blackwater Founder Met With Putin Ally on Trump's Behalf: So

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Blackwater founder Erik Prince represented Donald Trump at a secret overseas meeting in early January with an unnamed Russian emissary close to Vladimir Putin, two intelligence sources familiar with the matter told NBC News.

The meeting on the Seychelles islands, which was first reported by the Washington Post and confirmed by NBC News sources, was arranged by the United Arab Emirates. The Post said the meeting was an effort to convince Russia to stop backing Iran.

According to intelligence reports filed at the time, no Trump transition people were directly involved and it is unclear if the meeting was undertaken on behalf of Trump's people or was a UAE initiative, the official said.

Prince donated to Trump's campaign and is the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. His firm Blackwater became a private security provider for the U.S. government in Iraq.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

CA Law Enforcement Raise Awareness of Distracted Driving

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California Highway Patrol (CHP), the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), Impact Teen Drivers (ITD) and other agencies are working to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

April is recognized by the National Safety Council as National Distracted Awareness Month, and April 3-9 is California Teen Safe Driver Week, but the goal is to end distracted driving year round, according to California law enforcement in a statement.

Law enforcement agencies will give educational presentations at high schools and venues throughout California to show students the consequences of distracted driving.

“We’ll have seat belt challenges, a distracted driver simulator and interactive booths for kids to grasp the dangers of distracted driving,” said San Diego CHP Officer Joshua Nelson, regarding an upcoming presentation at Otay Lakes High School.

The virtual reality driving simulators will be provided by AT&T to demonstrate the dangers of smartphone distracted driving for National Distracted Driving Awareness Month and as part of its IT CAN WAIT initiative.

“We encourage everyone to take the IT CAN WAIT pledge to keep your eyes on the road, not your phone, and help keep our roads safe,” said AT&T President Ken McNeely in a statement.

Nelson said CHP will be giving distracted driver safety seminars not just at schools but various venues and companies in the area, and the law enforcement focus throughout the month of April will be on distracted driver violations.

California law enforcement will have a zero tolerance for distracted driving, according to a CHP statement.

“Law enforcement would rather see everyone off their cell phones than hand out a lot of tickets," said Director of the Office of Traffic Safety Rhonda Craft. “Take care of calling, texting, setting your GPS and everything else before you hit the street.”

In 2015, 3,477 people were killed and 391,000 injured in crashes involving distracted driving, according to research from the United States Department of Transportation.

Teens were the largest group reported as distracted at time of fatal crashes.

“We still have a long way to go to change attitudes and behaviors about distracted driving,” said Kelly Browning, Executive director of Impact Teen Drivers. “Just as it took a change in the driving culture through education and enforcement to reach a 98 percent seat belt compliance rate in California, so too will it take a multifaceted approach to eliminate distracted driving.”

Officers will be enforcing phone and texting laws, as well as other vehicle violations, including Assembly Bill 1785, which prohibits the use of wireless communication or use of GPS unless the device is voice operated, hands-free, installed in the car console or mounted to the vehicle’s dashboard.

Drivers are reminded that in California, those under the age of 18 are prohibited from using a cell phone or hands-free device while driving.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News

Truck Bursts into Flames in Carmel Valley on I-5 Bypass Rd

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A white pickup truck caught fire Monday, with heavy smoke billowing from the vehicle by Carmel Mountain Road, confirmed San Diego Fire-Rescue (SDFD).

It happened just before 3:30 p.m. on the bypass road by Carmel Mountain Road.

The off ramp to northbound Interstate 5 by the area was temporarily shut down while fire crews worked on extinguishing the fire, said CHP officials.

Nobody was injured in the fire, according to SDFD.



Photo Credit: Monica Garske

More Than $150K Worth of Meth Found in Vehicle's Engine

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Border Patrol agents arrested a 19-year-old man after discovering more than $150,000 worth of methamphetamine inside his vehicle's engine compartment.

The arrest was made on Sunday around 9 p.m. on the Interstate 8 near Pine Valley, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).

Agents pulled over a man in 2008 Nissan Armada for secondary inspection and found 46 bundles of methamphetamine hidden in a non-factory compartment behind the front firewall of the SUV's passenger side.

The total value of the drugs is estimated to be $159,256, CBP said.

Border Patrol arrested the man and turned him over to the Drug Enforcement Administration along with the drugs.



Photo Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Firefighter Stabbed Requested Air Mattress While in Hospital

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There is an incredible story on how the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) obtained the giant air mattress used to help a despondent man threatening to jump off a bridge over Interstate 5.

It all starts with firefighter Benjamin Vernon.

Vernon was one of two firefighters who was stabbed during a routine medical call in June 2015. He suffered a punctured lung in the attack.

He recalls laying on a table, naked, in the emergency room, a tube being inserted in his chest to re-inflate his lung, when by chance, then Fire Chief Javier Mainar walked in and asked if there was anything he could do.

“The first thing he said was ‘Ben, what can I get you?’ And he probably meant ‘could I get you a cup of water,’ but I took that as the opportunity. I said ‘Chief, now that I got you here, I want to buy a rescue air cushion to save potential jumpers off bridges,” said Vernon.

It may seem like an unusual and unexpected request at that moment, but for the previous year, Vernon had been trying to figure out a way to talk to the Chief about the air mattress.

A year earlier, Vernon was on a call involving a despondent 19-year old woman threatening to commit suicide. After three hours of negotiation, she jumped from a bridge, and died at his feet.

“She jumped. She landed at my feet, opened her eyes, spoke to me a few times and then she died,” said Vernon.

Vernon was eventually able to convince the Chief to purchase the air mattress, and in yet another twist to the story, he learned the department obtained the mattress on the day he testified against the man who stabbed him.

“I was in court waiting to testify and I got the text, and that made feel really good and helped me kind of relaxed and testify,” said Vernon.

The air mattress is formally known as a Rescue Air Cushion. The cost is $15,000. Its 20 feet wide, 20-feet long, and 9-feet high. It’s rated to protect a jumper from 100-feet.

The head of the San Diego Police Department credits the mattress for helping to save the man in the Interstate 5 incident. Even though the man sidestepped the mattress, it forced him to land in bushes.

“I actually called for the deployment of the bag in a chance if he fell off the rail he would actually fall on the bag,” said Lt. Mark Bennett.

“He saw the rescue air cushion, and he didn’t want to go for that, but he landed in the bushes and we saved the day anyway. It feels like a win for me,” said Vernon.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Driver Pleads Guilty in Crash That Killed Grandma, Child

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A driver who triggered an early morning crash on Interstate 15 that killed a grandmother and toddler pleaded guilty to related charges on Monday, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's office.

At a readiness hearing, Grant Stewart Thoren pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run through his attorney. 

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials said the deadly crash happened around 1:45 a.m. in September 2016 on southbound I-15 at Scripps Poway Parkway, near Mercy Road.

Lina Nebrida, a 64-year-old grandmother, was in her family's Honda with her 35-year-old daughter, her five-year-old granddaughter and her two-year-old granddaughter Kiera Magat when a silver Cadillac CTS crashed into them, according to authorities. 

The driver of the Cadillac, Grant Stewart Thoren, 31, stopped momentarily on the right shoulder of the freeway, but then fled the scene.

CHP officials said that due to the damage from the hit-and-run collision, the Honda became disabled in the traffic lanes.

Moments later, a man driving a red pickup truck, accompanied by a passenger, failed to see the disabled Honda and slammed into the vehicle. That driver remained at the scene.

When emergency crews arrived, the Honda was so mangled they had to extricate the family from inside.

Nebrida and her 2-year-old granddaughter did not survive, CHP said.

The 35-year-old woman the 5-year-old girl were rushed to local hospitals with major injuries. The girl suffered a concussion and is currently being treated at Rady Children's Hospital. Her mother was hospitalized but has since made progress with her recovery, according to a family spokesman.

The passenger in the red pickup truck was also taken to a local hospital with unspecified minor injuries. Officials said the driver of the truck was not injured.

Investigators launched a search for the driver of the Cadillac who fled the scene. Hours later, CHP officials confirmed Thoren had been arrested at his home in Vista on suspicion of driving under the influence, thanks to a tow truck driver.

Anyone looking to help the family with medical costs can donate to their GoFundMe by clicking here.

The DA's office said Thoren is expected to be sentenced to 10 years and four months in state prison on May 5. 



Photo Credit: Family/GoFundMe

20 Local Companies to Bid on Border Wall, Propose Designs

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Although building a new wall along the U.S.-Mexico border may be controversial, the project is quickly moving forward.

About 20 local companies in San Diego are planning to take part in the multi-billion dollar project to build the U.S.-Mexico wall along the southern border.

This Tuesday marks the first bidding deadline for companies hoping to contribute their design and construction plans to the wall.

That includes Concrete Contractors Interstate (ICC) based in Poway.

The company has worked on projects for the Hotel Del and for the San Diego Zoo. Now ICC is planning to get involved with the design of the border wall.

"One of the things that we're really interested in doing is enhancing the current wall," said Russel Baumgartner, President and owner of ICC.

"Part of the RFI (request for information) process has to do with building a new wall but also replacing some old walls. This is a great opportunity for some urban areas," said Baumgartner.

The Department of Homeland Security has laid out its conditions for border wall prototype designs. One requirement is that the wall must be 30 feet high, unscalable and prevent attempts at underground tunneling.

Baumgartner says what sets their company apart from the others is their so called ‘flat work design.’

The design would use concrete to connect the tilt up panel to the footing, instead of using a mechanical connection like anchors or bolts.

"It's a safer method because you don't have to get up on a scaffold," Baumgartner told NBC 7. "It’s really affordable when the walls get tall so when the border patrol came out with 30 foot walls, we said, hey you know what, we're right there."

They use an unconventional approach for their design proposal. The company wants the design to be aesthetically pleasing on both sides of the border. For that to happen, Jo Baumgartner wants to work with Mexican artists for the south facing part of the wall.

"If the wall is going to be built, it may as well be beautiful," says Baumgartner. "We will work with any culture that wants to be involved in the wall and they can help us build a beautiful wall in terms of design and how they want to enhance it."

Building a border wall is one of President Trump’s campaign promises. The proposal has been controversial from the start. Some lawmakers are also asking for a boycott of companies that take part in designing or building the wall.

"We talked at length about it. We're builders, we're not politicians," said Baumgartner. "If the federal government wants to build something, controversy or not, it's what we do."

ICC employs about 55 employees in San Diego County. The company was established in 1958.

The border wall will cost an estimated $20 billion, with funding for the massive construction project still requiring approval from Congress.

Dodgers Demolish Padres on Opening Day

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It was not as bad as Opening Day of 2016. But it was close.

A year after getting ripped 15-0 by the Dodgers at Petco Park the Padres opened up against L.A. on the road and only lost 14-3. Let’s consider this an improvement.

Last year not only did the Dodgers get the shutout win; they won the next two games in shutouts to outscore the Padres 25-0 in a 3-game sweep. At least this year the Padres won’t have to wait until their 4th game to score a run.

In fact the Friars had a lead in this game. In the first inning Wil Myers reached on an error by shortstop Corey Seager and moved to 3rd base on a wild pitch. For some reason Dodgers manager Dave Roberts brought the infield in and Yangervis Solarte singled up the middle to score Myers and put San Diego up 1-0.

Kershaw responded by retiring the next 19 Padres hitters in order while his offense went bonkers.

Padres starter Jhoulys Chacin had all kinds of trouble with the Dodgers lineup. The thing really went off the rails in the 3rd inning. With two outs Chacin allowed a double to Justin Turner then intentionally walked Adrian Gonzalez and plunked Logan Forsythe with a pitch to load the bases for Joc Pederson.

Chacin fell behind 3-1 and had to throw a fastball, which Pederson deposited in to the right field seats for a grand slam and a 5-1 lead. The very next hitter was Yasmani Grandal, who went back-to-back with Pederson on a solo shot to put L.A. up 6-1. Grandal finished with a pair of home runs, one from each side of the plate. Chacin was pulled in the 4thinning after giving up nine runs on eight hits.

The first reliever of the 2017 season for San Diego was Christian Bethancourt. The converted catcher looked good off the mound in Cactus League play but uncorked a pair of wild pitches, both allowing runners to come home from 3rd base, before serving up a 3-run home run to Seager that put the Dodgers up 12-1.

The Padres offense finally snapped Kershaw’s streak when Ryan Schimpf smoked a solo home run to right field off Kershaw. Manuel Margot added an RBI single in the 8th inning.

Game two of the series is Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Uber Driver Killed While Driving U.S. Citizens in Rosarito

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Three U.S. citizens were taking an Uber from a nightclub to their rented apartment in Rosarito, when their Uber driver was shot and killed Thursday night, confirmed Rosarito police.

The victim was shot multiple times by a driver who pulled up next to the Uber car in a black sedan at about 11:35 p.m., according to police. It happened in Rosarito, Mexico in Baja California just south of Tijuana.

Before police arrived at the scene, the passengers tried to keep the 28-year-old man who was driving the Uber alive, said police officers.

By the time police arrived at the scene, the victim was dead.

"None of the passengers were injured," said a representative for the Rosarito Police Department.

The passengers included two men and one woman from the U.S. headed to a place at Club Marena from the nightclub Papas and Beer, before their driver was fatally shot.

SD County's New Downtown Courthouse Faces More Challenges

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After lengthy delays, the most expensive courthouse in state history is scheduled to open on July 17 in downtown San Diego. But two critical parts of the $555 million project won’t be completed, and funding for those important elements remains in limbo.

Law enforcement officials and judges told NBC 7 Investigates that one of those uncompleted elements -- an underground tunnel to move inmates from the downtown jail to the new courthouse -- is critical for the safety of both the public and San Diego County sheriff deputies who transport those inmates.

"From a security standpoint, it just makes sense," said San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore, who has been lobbying for the tunnel since it was dropped from the construction budget more than four years ago.

Without the 320-foot tunnel, Gore said deputies must load inmates into vans at the jail, drive them two blocks through downtown traffic to the courthouse, and unload them in the basement. Gore said that process increases risks for everyone.

“Any time you're out exposed to the public like that, it makes you more vulnerable to some type of an escape attempt by friends of an inmate,” Gore explained.

Though he expressed full confidence in his deputies, who are experienced and trained in transporting inmates, the Sheriff also said, “Any time you’re taking inmates off and on buses and loading them in and out of a jail into a courthouse, that creates more concern for our deputies and their personal safety.”

In 1992, a local inmate escaped from a Sheriff’s transport van in downtown San Diego. That inmate took the deputy’s gun then killed a nearby driver and hijacked his car.

There's also an added cost to taxpayers for moving inmates on city streets: Sheriff Gore said he must hire five additional deputies, at an annual cost of $450,000, plus a one time expenditure of $175,000 for three transport vans.

The state Judicial Council, which is responsible for all courthouse planning and construction in California, dropped plans for the tunnel when its estimated cost jumped from $3-5 million to $25 million.

According to an engineering study obtained by NBC 7 Investigates, the tunnel is a “challenging project” despite its short distance. The study cites the need to control ground movements, design a “dewatering” system, cross through an “active (earthquake) fault-zone” and “overcome restricted access and low headroom” for work crews.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Tony Maino told NBC 7 Investigates the Judicial Council knew from the start that no construction funds were available for the tunnel, “yet they advertised to everybody in this city that they were going to build a tunnel.” Maino has been an outspoken critic of the courthouse building process.

The Judicial Council denies Maino’s allegation.

In an email to NBC 7 Investigates, a spokesman for the Council said the tunnel was “reviewed and approved” by three agencies “as an integral part” of the courthouse project and was removed due to budget cuts made to all of the state’s courthouse construction projects.

NBC 7 Investigates has learned that the Judicial Council is quietly negotiating with the County of San Diego to find the money to build the tunnel. The Council owns the land occupied by the old courthouse and old county jail, but it hopes the county will assume ownership of that parcel and find a developer to build the tunnel as part of a master plan for redeveloping the land.

According to Maino, inflation and construction challenges will add millions more to the tunnel’s cost and make it difficult to find a developer willing to accept that challenge.

Any development deal would also involve the cost of demolishing or remodeling the old buildings, which have asbestos in their walls and ceilings

The original estimate for tearing down the buildings was $25 million, but on March 21, the Judicial Council told NBC 7 Investigates the cost has increased by at least 20 percent. Now, according to the Council, the estimate is between $30 and $35 million. That cost is likely to increase every month due to inflation and labor and equipment costs.

According to a San Diego county spokesman, the demolition could happen as soon as 2019, but Judge Maino predicts the negotiation and permitting process will take much longer.

Until a developer is found, the Judicial Council will pay only to fence off the property, and "do minimal maintenance to ensure the building is secure."

San Diego City Councilman Chris Ward, who represents the downtown area, acknowledges there are “serious challenges” in the demolition and development process.

"We have an unfunded project that is currently going to be a shell of a building and the downtown community is going to be frustrated if it sits empty for too long,” said Ward, who has a master’s degree in urban planning.

The councilman has pledged to speed-up the process, and do whatever possible to make sure the old courthouse site doesn’t end up like the old central library building on E Street, which has been empty, unused, and a magnet for the homeless since it closed four years ago.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Man Pleads Guilty to Lewd Acts to 3 Young Girls: DA

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A man who inappropriately touched three young girls at a North County coin laundry spot has pleaded guilty to related charges, according to the District Attorney's office. 

Salvador Guillen Alcaraz, 41, was accused of grabbing the buttocks of an 11-year-old girl at a coin laundry on Rancho Santa Fe Road and Descanso Avenue in San Marcos in 2016, according to San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO). He carried out two similar incidents at the same business prior to that incident. 

On Monday, Alcaraz pleaded guilty to felony charges of lewd and lascivious acts with a person under 14 years of age and admitted to an allegation of substantial sexual conduct. 

Authorities were able to catch Alcaraz after the 11-year-old snapped a photo of his license plate. 

"She did it great in this instance. She kept her distance she was able to take a picture from quite a ways away and it helped us find the person who did this," said SDSO Sgt. Daniel Deese.

Alcaraz was later arrested at his home on Curry Comb Drive in San Marcos.

Officials said he was then identified as the suspect in two similar incidents reported at the same business in June and August 2016.

On June 21, 2016, an eight-year-old girl was inappropriately touched by Alcaraz, SDSO said. A six-year-old girl was also a victim.

Alcaraz has agreed to a 6-year stipulated state prison sentence. He will be supervised for 15 years by parole following his release. 

He will have to register for life as a sex offender as part of the plea agreement. 



Photo Credit: San Diego County Sheriff's Department

Tourism Industry Backs Tax Hikes For Expanded Convention Center

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San Diego civic boosters have officially endorsed Mayor Kevin Faulconer's push for a bigger Convention Center.

Included in the proposed November special election measure is money for roads and homeless programs.

The funding mechanism is hotel room tax hikes -- which city voters have rejected three times since 2004.

The expansion project's cost estimate has gone way up, and the city doesn't control the land needed for it.

Four years ago, the price tag for enlarging the Convention Center was $520 million.

Now it's been projected as high as $685 million.

“It soon may be too costly for our tourism dollars to fund, if we don’t act now,” Faulconer said at a Monday news conference in Embarcadero Marina Park South, with the Convention Center in the background.

“And the condition of our roads and the homeless crisis we face,” Faulconer added, “means we cannot wait.”

Citing the prospect of thousands of construction and permanent jobs, tourism executives also see expanding the facility as essential.

Their bedrock goal is to insure that the 28-year-old center can host super-sized conventions such as Comic-Con, staged in San Diego for nearly five decades.

But there's a hangup to the scenario -- a $300 million hotel is planned on the underlying property, leased by developers who claim in a lawsuit that the city's efforts are getting in their way.

To pay for the expansion, hotel room taxes would be increased at least 1 cent on the dollar citywide and up to 3 cents downtown.

Of course, hoteliers worry that higher taxes might steer prospective guests and conventions to other cities.

In this case, they're supporting the hikes.

"It's not something we normally do,” said Joe Terzi, CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority. “But I think the industry has come to the conclusion that the economic value of an expanded center far outweighs the cost to the customer that's coming to San Diego."

In fact, the hoteliers voted in 2012 to assess themselves a higher tax-rate schedule for a bigger convention center.

A state appeal court later overturned it on grounds that tax measures need two-thirds approval by the voting public.

In a statement released Monday, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association said it "looks forward" to details of the proposal.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

1 Dead, 1 Hurt After Wall Collapses at Construction Site

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One worker has died and a second survived after a six-foot concrete wall collapsed on workers digging a trench in El Cajon, according to a Heartland Fire and Rescue Department spokesman. 

The incident happened shortly before 12:20 p.m. Monday when Heartland Fire officials responded to a call for a confined space trench rescue near Wagner and Marshall in El Cajon, according to spokesman Sonny Saghara.

At the time, crews were working at the construction site, building a new car dealership. Workers were digging a trench along the back side of several residences when the six-foot concrete wall toppled onto two workers in the trench. 

One worker in his 20s managed to escape after the wall collapsed and was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital with minor injuries. 

A second worker was trapped under the wall, estimated to weigh between 5,000 and 6,000 pounds, for several hours. 

"Crews are working diligently to remove the concrete from on top of him and try to rescue him and determine what his injuries are," Saghara said.

For a long time, crews did not have any sort of communication with the employee, who was completely covered by concrete. 

After several hours of rescue efforts, authorities on scene told NBC 7 the rescue effort had turned into a recovery effort. The 51-year-old victim had been declared dead. 

The recovery effort is ongoing. The City of San Diego is bringing in additional heavy duty equipment to assist in the rescue. 

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this breaking story. Details may change as more information becomes available.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego
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Equal Pay Day: Here's What You Need to Know

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Many people in America are marking Equal Pay Day on Tuesday, calling attention to the wage discrepancies between men and women in the workplace, NBC News reported. 

Equal Pay Day, which dates back to 1996, is held in April to symbolize how far into the year women need to work to make what men did in the previous year, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity. It is on Tuesday to "represent how far into the next work week women must work to earn what men earned the previous week."

Even though decisions have been made in Washington to help close the gap, progress toward pay equal has been slow. Data from a 2016 study illustrates that white, non-Hispanic women make 83 cents for every dollar men make and Hispanic women make 60 cents on the dollar.

The fight for gender equality in the workplace if far from over. In fact, it will reportedly take 169 years for the world to completely close the economic gender gap.



Photo Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Caught on Video: Man Rescues Young Person From Subway Tracks

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A man waiting for the train in Manhattan jumped onto the subway tracks to rescue a young person who fell, just a minute before the train came roaring into the station Saturday night, dramatic cellphone video shows.

Jonathan Kulig, 29, was headed to his overnight shift as engineering supervisor at Con Edison when he spotted the young man falling onto the tracks at the Third Avenue L train station in Manhattan, a Con Edison spokesman says. 

"There wasn't really any thought," Kulig told News 4. "I made sure that I was safe before I jumped down there, but the thought of should I do this should I not do this, that didn't cross my mind."

Kulig leaped onto the tracks, lifted up the young man and heaved his body onto the platform, where another woman grabbed him. The man appeared to be in and out of consciousness. 

"Talk to me, what's happening?" Kulig says to the man, whose clothing was covered in mud from the tracks. 

Kulig and the woman escort the man onto the subway bench. Seconds later, a Brooklyn bound L train train pulls into the station. 

EMTs responded and took the man to a local hospital. It's still not clear how or why he fell. Bystanders in the video say the man had been staggering and bumping into things before he fell. 

"If I didn't pick him up that train would've got him, because there weren't really anyone else that was jumping down, he probably wouldn't be around," Kulig said.

Kulig, of Glendale, Queens, told the Daily News he had taken a track safety session as part of a project about a month ago. He said he made sure he knew where he could go if the train was approaching and that he had his escape plan.



Photo Credit: Provided by Con Edison
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