A woman accused of using a stolen credit card to make purchases at a Wal-Mart in Santee with a toddler in tow was arrested, along with her boyfriend, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) confirmed.

Maria Gaffney and her boyfriend, Frank Kennedy were arrested at their home in Santee during a Probation Compliance Check.

Sheriff's investigators also found stolen mail, identification cards and social security cards inside the residence. Washed checks and printers used for printing checks were also discovered.

Investigators also found an illegal assault weapon and narcotics.

On May 9, SDSO had released surveillance video showing the suspect, now identified as Gaffney, leaving the Wal-Mart at 170 Town Center Parkway in Santee with a shopping cart filled with bags.

The incident occurred on April 1.

Accompanying Gaffney was a little boy, sitting in the cart she was pushing.

Investigators said Gaffney had made purchases of more than $124 using the Wal-Mart app at a self-check out lane. She had tried to use the stolen credit card number several times for other things but those transactions were declined.

The victim was identified as Jamie Cuellar, according to SDSO.

Gaffney and Kennedy were arrested, and multiple tips were received.

Gaffney and Kennedy are facing multiple charges, including Child Endangerment, Identity Theft, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Conspiracy and Possession of Stolen Property, among others.

The couple's children were taken into protective custody by the San Diego County Department of Child Welfare Services, SDSO said.

District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis is filing criminal charges against the owner of a medical marijuana company and his attorney, shortly after being ordered by a judge to return $100,000 seized from the family of the business.

The 15-page felony complaint accuses James Slatic, two of his executives and his attorney, Jessica McElfresh of conspiracy and manufacturing a controlled substance.

Read the full complaint here.

The Drug Enforcement Agency agents raided Slatic's Med-West Distribution in Kearny Mesa in January 2016 confiscating inventory, equipment, records and $324,000 in cash.

McElfresh, a defense attorney, wrote in a 2015 email to Slatic about trying to distract a retired San Diego Police Department investigator, according to the complaint.

“I didn’t flirt (wouldn’t have worked), but I just kept focusing on the papers," she wrote. "I’m convinced they walked away knowing it wasn’t a dispensary in the typical sense… but it probably seemed like something other than just paper."

After the January 2016 raid, agents froze assets in bank accounts for Slatic, his wife and two teenage daughters. 

A San Diego Superior Court judge ordered the return of those assets, despite the DA's objections, after a 15-month court battle that made national news.

Filing charges against criminal defense attorneys is rare.

Defense Attorney Marc Carlos said this:

"At the outset I would say that it is always very difficult to charge an attorney for legal advice being requested by the client. The attorney must act in the best interests of the client and sometimes that means safeguarding their interests so that they do not incriminate themselves. That being said, the attorney has an ethical duty to act within the ethical cannons of the state bar and applicable laws. An attorney can not actively engage in activities which obstruct justice. Under these circumstances that DA will have to prove that she acted with criminal intent in conspiring to violate the law. This is extremely difficult given the ethical duties of the attorney."

NBC 7 reached out to James Slatic who said he has a license to supply other licensed medical marijuana dispensaries.

"“I am already out of business," Slatic said. "How are these charges in the interest of the public good? This is a waste of the taxpayers money.”

The leadership of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit shared new insight into the role they played in the war on terror, responding to threats around the world, as needed during a 7-month deployment to the Pacific and Middle East.

While some of the details are still classified, marines from the 11th MEU told NBC 7, they provided mobile artillery, assisting in the isolation of Raqqa, Syria.

They were called on during the deployment by the command of Operation Inherent Resolve in support of rebel forces who are being assisted by U.S. and coalition forces battling ISIS.

"The task force executed over 400 fire missions and fired more than 4,500 rounds from M777 Howitzers to support our coalition partner,” said Maj. Craig Thomas.

The Commander of the 11th MEU Col. Clay Tipton could not specifically comment on that mission. But he did describe how the leadership was always prepared when called on to provide support with one of their mission sets.

“We're studying the environment, studying the terrain, studying the threats, studying...studying friendlies--no we're anticipating anything that comes up," Tipton said.

The 11th MEU was also called upon to be ready to respond to a possible crisis in South Sudan. The concern was for embassy security as unrest in the country was growing.

Master Gunnery Sgt. Adrian Virges said the 11th MEU is known for being flexible and fast, able to respond in just six hours to any scenario they are tasked to deal with.

“We start looking into it, reading into it, we start planning for it. We don't start from scratch,” Virges said.

In the end, while the marines were ready, they were not needed.

There were other missions that are classified or under another command that the leadership could not discuss including the January raid in Yemen, in which Navy SEAL Ryan Owen was killed.

But the bulk of the work was training the 4,500 marines and sailors from three ships--USS Makin Island, USS Somerset, and USS Comstock. They trained at sea, in the air, and on land with host countries in hot weather and jungle terrain, creating a self-sustaining environment--including purified water systems and developing relationships with other nations to secure democracy.

Some of the exercises included the following:

• Exercise Keen Sword: A combat readiness exercise with U.S. and Japanese forces in Guam
• Exercise Tiger Strike: A bilateral training with Malaysian Armed Forces, a bilateral exercise with Sri Lankan Marines
• Exercise Alligator Dagger in Djibouti: Conducting comprehensive amphibious operations to keep warfighting skills ready for U.S. Central Command
• Exercise Sea Soldier with Omani forces to build mutual warfighting capability
• Bilateral Exercises with Papua New Guinea to help the country provide security for their upcoming elections and a major international conference in 2018

The leadership described the effort of the marines and sailors as one being in a constant pattern of training and preparedness over the 7-month period.

“The American people would be proud of the young marines and sailors, their focused energy and their focused effort," Tipton said.

Solana Beach City Council voted 4-1 in favor of taking the first step needed to enter into an agreement to create a government-run utility company.

It's part of a program called Community Choice Aggregation or CCA.

The move got a round of applause from the people who packed City Hall Wednesday night.

Solana Beach will team up with two private companies, Calpine and The Energy Authority (TEA) to help them purchase energy-- though San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) would still deliver it to residents' homes.

The goal of the government-run utility company would be to reduce cost, draw more power from renewable energy sources, and provide businesses and residents more choices.

"We've never been able to make any decisions as far as where our energy is sourced from. I think this gives all of us a choice as individuals to decide whether we want to stick with SDG&E or move to the CCA,” said Solana Beach resident Kelly Harless.

Deputy Mayor Ginger Marshall said she is for choice and green energy. But as the one dissenting vote, she said her concern with a government-run utility company is added bureaucracy and too many fees.

“You're adding more management and another layer of government. For me, there's too much regulatory and price risk,” Marshall said.

Everyone in Solana Beach will be enrolled with the new utility company, but they would have the ability to opt out and stay with SDG&E.

In response to the vote, SDG&E issued the following statement:

“We support the City of Solana Beach's right to choose its energy supplier. And regardless of where the energy comes from, SDG&E will continue to deliver it on the most reliable power grid in the West.”

Rates have not been set yet, so there are no details on how much savings, if at all, there will be for residents.

Councilmembers will vote again in about six months to decide if they want to continue to move forward with the project.

The suspect in a brazen theft at a restaurant in Kearny Mesa was caught on camera stealing a phone, credit cards and cash while posing as a customer.

The theft happened Tuesday around 6:30 p.m. at Ichiro’s Japanese Restaurant on Convoy Street.

Ichiro's Restaurant is a family-owned place. This is the first time it has been burglarized, and the timing could not be worse for owner Junko Sakai.

After more than three decades in business, Sakai told NBC 7, she is uncomfortable in her own restaurant.

"It’s like, violated, you know,” Sakai said. "And a little bit scared."

The suspect entered the restaurant Tuesday night and asked for a table.

In the video the man appears to bypass his table, telling the waitress he would first visit the restroom. He then goes directly in Sakai's office, taking her purse wallet, and a phone from the desk.

"It’s all my identity... is in my wallet," she said.

As casual as he came in, the video appears to show the suspect walking back outside.

Sakai's credit cards, cash, social security card, and other identification were stolen. She told NBC 7, she needs those to return to Japan in two weeks for the funeral of her 95-year-old father.

She is now left scrambling to get everything together before the trip. But it's not easy.

She said the suspect used her ATM card to withdraw $600 from her bank account and to shop at a Target store.

The theft happened so quickly, Sakai said she did not realize she had been burglarized until she watched the security camera footage.

“He knows where to go and I think he took about less than 10 minutes,” Sakai said.

Sakai made photocopies of an image from the recording to share with other area businesses as a warning.

Anyone with information can contact the San Diego Police Department through their non-emergency phone number.

Ben Carson, the secretary of housing and urban development, is facing criticism after calling poverty a "state of mind," NBC News reported.

Carson was asked in a SiriusXM radio interview with Armstrong Williams that aired Wednesday what can be done to reduce the number of people living in poverty, he credited his own success story to his headstrong mother.

But then Carson delved deeper, saying, "I think poverty to a large extent is also a state of mind." He added that people — no matter what they have — need to have "the right mindset."

Carson spoke frequently about his rise from abject poverty and his approach to social progress while running for president during the 2016 primaries.

Live video of a news conference will appear in the player above. From time to time the signal may go black — this is normal and the video should return soon.

Police said a man is dead after leading authorities on a chase through four North Texas counties in a recreational vehicle with two children inside after shooting a woman early Thursday.

Arlington police said Hunt County Sheriff’s deputies received a 911 text from a woman who said she was inside the RV and had been shot. She added that she had been kidnapped and that her two children were inside as well.

A Caddo Mills police officer spotted the RV near the intersection of Farm-to-Market Road 1903 and Interstate 30 just before 3 a.m., according to police. The officer saw the woman jump from the RV while it was traveling at speeds up to 90 mph.

The woman was transported to Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas for treatment for gunshot wounds. Hunt County Sheriff's deputies said she is out of surgery, but her condition is not known.

The RV continued west on I-30 through Rockwall and Dallas counties during the next 30 minutes as multiple police departments joined the pursuit. Police said they used spike strips, damaging the RV's tires and slowing the pursuit to about 20 mph as the driver approached Tarrant County.

The pursuit continued on westbound I-30 into Arlington until the driver stopped near Cooper Street at about 4:40 a.m. Police said officers approached the RV, opened the door and let out two children described as a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old.

As officers grabbed the children, police said they reported hearing a single gunshot. The vehicle then caught fire.

Arlington Police Department spokesman Lt. Chris Cook confirmed the driver was found deceased in the RV.

Officers were seen escorting the children to an ambulance and transported to Arlington Memorial Hospital. Their conditions were not released.

Hunt County Sheriff’s Office and Rockwall police are investigating the shooting of the woman, according to authorities. Arlington police are investigating the death of the driver.

All westbound lanes of I-30 were closed until about 10 a.m. Various eastbound lanes of the interstate were closed until about 7 a.m.

An Oceanside gas station is offering free gas Thursday morning to active military and veterans.

Up to $20 of free gas will be available as part of an app promotion at the G&M Oil Company.

In order to qualify, drivers must have the app downloaded to their smartphone and a profile created. There will also be a requirement that drivers have military IDs before they will receive the free gas.

For more information on the app hosting the giveaway, click here.

The station is located at 601 N. Coast Highway/Surfrider Way. For those looking to add the details into a GPS device, the zip code is 92057.

A magnitude-3.3 earthquake Thursday morning off the coast of Malibu caused shaking in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Weak to light shaking was reported in Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Camarillo and Thousand Oaks. Most of the responses on the USGS's "Did You Feel It" page were from Newbury Park, a community in southeastern Ventura County.

The epicenter was 10 miles west of Malibu.

There were no reports of significant damage.

The area's recorded seismic history includes strong quakes in 1979 and 1989.

A magnitude-5.2 earthquake on  New Year's Day in 1979 caused minor damage near the epicenter about eight miles south of Malibu, but was felt far inland, including as far as Kings and Kern counties.

It also rattled fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where USC defeated Michigan 17-10.

A magnitude-5.0 quake reported in the Malibu area in January 1989 also caused minor damage, and several injuries were reported.

The winner of Miss Black Texas 2016 says she was harassed and berated by a North Texas police chief who called her a "black b----," and then was unlawfully detained and arrested. 

Carmen Ponder recounted her alleged interaction with Commerce Police Chief Kerry Crews in a Twitter post Tuesday. She is calling for police accountability and wants charges filed against Crews.

In her account, Ponder wrote that she was driving to a Wal-Mart in Commerce Saturday when a black truck cut in front of her car and began driving erratically, braking and accelerating. Ponder said she turned on her blinker, pulled around to pass the truck and then drove into the Wal-Mart parking lot.

According to Ponder, the black truck followed her and pulled up next to her car. She said the passenger, later identified as Crews, exited the truck and yelled that he was teaching his 14-year-old daughter how to drive and that she should not have passed his truck. 

Ponder said she ignored the man at first but eventually told him that that was illegal before she walked into the store.

"He continued yelling and cussing me out and I finally turned around and said 'It's illegal,' when he kept saying that it was a 14 year old driving," Ponder wrote. "That's when he screamed 'oh whatever, you black b----!"

After making a purchase at the store, Ponder said when she walked out of the store she was charged by several other officers in plain clothes.

“One of them shoved his badge in her face, told her that she ‘Better apologize to the police chief,’ but my client declined to do so,” Ponder's attorney Lee Merritt said. “One of the officers grabbed her, pulled her back into Wal-Mart, and told her she was being detained. When other officers arrived she walked back to her car to explain what happened. An officer grabbed her and demanded she be arrested for resisting arrest. She has bruises on her arms from where she was grabbed.”

Ponder was handcuffed, booked into jail and charged with evading arrest. She spent 24 hours in jail.

Authorities said Crews was placed on administrative leave while an outside organization hired by the City of Commerce conducts an investigation.

Crews declined to comment on the allegations, telling NBC 5 his attorneys advised him not to speak at this time.

Ponder is calling for police accountability and has launched a crowdfunding page to raise money for attorney's fees to fight the charges. She writes in her youcaring.com post that she refuses to take a plea deal and is "more than willing" to go to trial. 

"My only crime...the color of my skin," she said.

Ponder is the former Miss Black Texas U.S. Ambassador. She is also a Dean’s List student at Texas A&M University-Commerce and an intern with the Hunt County District Attorney, according to her You Caring page.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting an above-normal 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season, with between 11 and 17 named storms.

NOAA is giving a 45 percent probability for an above-normal season, with a 35 percent probability for a near-normal hurricane season and a 20 percent probability for a below-normal season.

Between five to nine hurricanes are predicted, along with two to four major hurricanes.

An average season produces 12 named storms of which six become hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

"The outlook reflects our expectation of a weak or non-existent El Nino, near- or above-average sea-surface temperatures across the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and average or weaker-than-average vertical wind shear in that same region," said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., the lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

The 2016 season was the most active since 2012, with 15 named storms, including 7 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes.

The Republican candidate for Montana's sole congressional seat, Greg Gianforte, is accused of misdemeanor assault for grabbing a reporter by the neck and throwing him to the ground Wednesday.

As Montana voters go to the polls Thursday in a special election, U.S. politicians are reacting to news of the confrontation.

An Associated Press reporter publicized the reaction from one such politician, local U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-50th District).

According to AP reporter Mary Clare Jalonick, Hunter told her, "It’s not appropriate behavior. Unless the reporter deserved it."

House Speaker Paul Ryan called for Gianforte to apologize, but said he wouldn't stop Gianforte from joining Congress if he wins the election.

"There is no time when a physical altercation should occur," he said, adding, "I think he should apologize."

Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin announced Gianforte would face charges  about six hours after the attack on reporter Ben Jacobs of The Guardian.

Gianforte was in a private office preparing for an interview with Fox News when Jacobs came in without permission, campaign spokesman Shane Scanlon said.

The Fox News crew watched in astonishment as, after Jacobs pressed him on the GOP health care bill, "Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him," Fox News reporter Alicia Acuna wrote in an article. She added that Gianforte then began to punch Jacobs.

In an audio recording posted by the Guardian, the reporter asks the congressional candidate about the GOP's health care bill, which was just evaluated hours earlier by the Congressional Budget Office.

"We'll talk to you about that later," Gianforte says on the recording, referring Jacobs to a spokesman.

When Jacobs says that there won't be time, Gianforte says "Just--" and there is a crashing sound. Gianforte yells, "The last guy who came here did the same thing," and a shaken-sounded Jacobs tells the candidate he just body-slammed him.

"Get the hell out of here," Gianforte says.

Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist, who declined to comment, are seeking to fill the state's seat in the U.S. House left vacant when Ryan Zinke resigned to join Trump's Cabinet as secretary of the Interior Department.

Three Montana newspapers rescinded their endorsements of Gianforte in the wake of the incident, with the Billings Gazette writing "Everything he said was obliterated by his surprising actions."

The Gianforte campaign Wednesday night released a statement blaming the incident on Jacobs. It contends he "aggressively shoved a recorder in Greg's face and began asking badgering questions" before being asked to leave.

Gianforte asked Jacobs to lower a phone that was being used as an audio recorder, then tried to grab it, the campaign said in a statement. Jacobs then grabbed Gianforte's wrist and both fell to the ground, Scanlon said.

The 45-second recording does not contain a request from Gianforte that Jacobs lower his phone. Acuna, the Fox News reporter, wrote that "at no point did any of us who witnessed this assault see Jacobs show any form of physical aggression toward Gianforte."

The sheriff's office said Gianforte has until June 7 to appear in court on the charge.

Gianforte would face a maximum $500 fine or 6 months in jail if convicted. The statement added that Jacobs' injuries did not meet the legal definition of felony assault.

The Guardian is a British liberal newspaper that opened a U.S. edition 10 years ago. Its U.S. editor, Lee Glendenning, said in a statement: "The Guardian is deeply appalled by how our reporter, Ben Jacobs, was treated in the course of doing his job as a journalist while reporting on the Montana special election. We are committed to holding power to account and we stand by Ben and our team of reporters for the questions they ask and the reporting that is produced."

Former Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman has withdrawn his name from the running for FBI director.

The confirmation comes after reports that President Donald Trump is expected to retain Marc Kasowitz as a private attorney on matters related to the Russia investigation. 

Lieberman and Kasowitz are senior partners at the same firm and Lieberman's letter to President Donald Trump, which NBC News obtained, says he thinks it would be best to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

News of Trump's plan to retain Kasowitz came after Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as a special counsel to oversee the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election between Trump and Hillary Clinton, and any possible collusion with members of the Trump campaign. Congressional committees in the House and Senate are also leading separate investigations. 

"With your selection of Marc Kasowitz to represent you in the various investigations that have begun, I do believe it would be best to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, given my role as senior counsel in the law firm of which Marc is the senior partner,” Lieberman wrote.

“Once again, I am grateful for your consideration, and I wish you the very best in identifying the right person to lead this most important law enforcement agency in the future,” Lieberman’s letter says.

Lieberman was Trump's top pick to be the next FBI director to replace James Comey, who Trump fired earlier this month. 

The other three candidates include the current acting director, Andrew McCabe, former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating and Richard McFeeley, a former executive assistant director in the FBI.

Lieberman served 24 years as a Connecticut senator before retiring in 2013 after his fourth term.

He was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, running with Al Gore in 2000. The pair lost the election to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in a result that needed to be decided by the Supreme Court.

Lieberman also served as Connecticut's attorney general and spent 10 years as a state senator.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department has identified two deputies who are involved in a use of force investigation that was launched after a man died Saturday in custody.

Cell phone video shows deputies making several commands of a man who is on his back in the patio area of a condo in Lemon Grove.

“On your stomach. I will zap you again,” one deputy can be heard saying in the video.

The man on the ground has been identified as 54-year-old Mark Roshawn Adkins.

Adkins was approached by deputies after 8 a.m. Saturday because they were investigating a report of a man jumping fences and attempting to get into units of the complex on Lemon Grove Way.

“I don’t think so. That's a lie,” said Collette Adkins. “There's no reason for him to get into anybody's home. He got killed right on his own street."

Colette Adkins told NBC 7 she wants an investigation into what led to her husband's death.

Sheriff's homicide investigators say Mark Adkins was a burglary suspect who refused to follow their commands. Video shows it took three deputies to subdue him.

Deputies called for paramedics as is protocol when a Taser is deployed. Soon after the medical emergency personnel arrived, Adkins lost consciousness. He died after noon at a nearby hospital.

On Thursday, the sheriff's department identified the two deputies who fired department-issued Taser stun guns in the confrontation.

Deputy Jeffrey Perine, a 3-year veteran with the SDSO and Corporal Armin Vianzon, a 10-year veteran with the department are both assigned to the Lemon Grove Sub-Station.

Mark Adkins was described by family and friends as an unemployed father who had his struggles. He was also dealing with mental health issues, according to family members.

“If a person is in a state of mind where they can’t comply, for [deputies] to electrocute them is not the answer,” Adkins' widow told NBC 7 in an interview earlier this week.

Investigators are awaiting toxicology report results to show what, if anything, was in Adkins' system at the time of his death.

His family has set up an online fundraising page.

Editor's Note: Details in this story may be disturbing for some readers

An Illinois nurse taken hostage at Kane County hospital was raped and tortured at gunpoint before she saved staff and patients from the gunman, attorneys and a new lawsuit claim.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of two nurses taken hostage May 13 at Delnor Hospital in Geneva, blames the incident on alleged violations by an officer guarding an inmate whose elaborate escape attempt turned into a deadly barricade situation. The suit also names the Kane County Sheriff's Department and the hospital's security firm as defendants, claiming they failed to properly monitor and secure the Kane County inmate.

The suit claims Tywon Salters, of Chicago, was left unshackled after a visit to the bathroom because he told a Kane County Sheriff’s officer he may need to use the restroom again.

That’s when attorneys say Salters managed to gain control of the officer’s gun and begin his attempt at an escape.

“Following the taking of his gun, the sheriff ran from the room, down the hall, into another patient’s room and hid,” the lawsuit claims. “The sheriff then took no action to attempt to regain control of his gun or protect hospital employees walking the floor.”

Salters, 21, of Chicago, was taken from the Kane County Jail by ambulance on May 8 to Delnor Hospital after eating part of his plastic, jail-issued sandal, the Kane County State’s Attorney said. After undergoing surgery to remove the plastic from his stomach, Salters was recovering while awaiting a court appearance set for May 17 at the Kane County Judicial Center. He had been charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

After grabbing the officer’s gun, a naked Salters allegedly entered a nursing office and took a nurse hostage before demanding she take off her clothes so he could put them on.

Salters “forced her to remove her clothes, threatened her, physically abused her, verbally abused her,” the lawsuit states.

When another nurse entered the office, Salters let the first nurse leave while taking the second nurse hostage, eventually moving her to a “decontamination room” where they would stay for the more than three hours.

“During which time he repeatedly beat her, forced her to remove her clothes, violently raped her, threatened her life, verbally abused her and held her at gunpoint,” the suit states.

At one point, the nurse convinced Salters to allow her to make a phone call, one she used to alert other employees to escape, attorneys said. She led Salters through an area of the hospital “she knew would be evacuated and contain no hospital staff,” according to attorneys.

“The quick thinking by this nurse likely saved other hospital staff from being harmed,” attorneys said in a statement.

Negotiations were ongoing through the incident, officials said, but ultimately failed.

A SWAT team entered the area where Salters held his hostage and one of the officers shot him, the state’s attorney’s office said. One of the SWAT officers was also shot in the vest but was uninjured, officials said.

The suit offers the first account of what happened inside the hospital that day. Little information has been released by officials, with the state’s attorney earlier saying “there are many questions to be answered about this incident.”

The state's attorney's office declined to comment on the suit "pending the ongoing investigation and litigation."

"We really don't know what happened in the room," Kane County Sheriff’s Lt. Pat Gengler told the Aurora Beacon-News last week.

Both the SWAT officer who fired the shot that killed Salters and the corrections officer who was disarmed were placed on paid administrative leave, per protocol.

Gengler told the Beacon-News the corrections officer’s placement was a formality.

"The officer had his weapon taken and that weapon was used (to hold someone) hostage," he told the newspaper. "To expect that person to come back to work is completely unrealistic."

The Kane County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a review of its policies, procedures and protocol involving the transport of detainees and how they are guarded when outside the jail.

“We are [filing suit] so this type of thing doesn’t happen to anyone else, and so that hospital staff can feel safe returning to work,” Taxman, Pollock, Murray & Bekkerman LLC said in a statement.

Nearly 200 people were arrested in the Los Angeles area by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during a five-day operation this week, officials said Thursday.

Some 188 people were arrested during the operation that targeted "criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and immigration fugitives," according to ICE. The operation was conducted from Saturday night through Wednesday.

"Of those arrested during the operation … 169, or almost 90 percent, had prior criminal convictions," a statement from the agency read.

The statement revealed a convicted rapist and previously deported cocaine trafficker were two of the people arrested. Forty-three of the arrested individuals had drug offense convictions, and another 30 had been convicted for driving under the influence.

"By taking these individuals off the streets and removing them from the country, we're making our communities safer for everyone," said David Marin, field office director for ERO in Los Angeles.

The expanded enforcement operation was led by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division.

City Heights residents have a new place to score some deals on groceries: a Grocery Outlet Bargain Market opens in the neighborhood this weekend.

The store, located at 4360 54th St., plans to host a grand opening celebration on Saturday starting at 8 a.m. The party will include deals, prizes and treats, while they last.

For instance, the first 100 customers in line will get a 25 percent off coupon for their shopping trip, while the first 500 customers get an eco-friendly reusable bag.

Customers will also be able to enter to win $500 in Grocery Outlet gift cards and take a spin on something called the “Wheel of Bargains.” At 8 a.m., there will be free coffee and treats; from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the store will offer $1 hot dogs and drinks with proceeds going to Crawford High School’s athletics program.

The store is the first-ever Grocery Outlet to open in City Heights. According to the company, the opening has created more than 25 jobs in the community.

This location is owned and operated independently by San Diego native Kelly Meldrum, a 22-year veteran of the grocery retail industry. The store is located near Meldrum’s old high school, in the heart of the community in which he grew up.

Meldrum held a ribbon cutting ceremony for his store on Thursday and donated $1,000 in Grocery Outlet gift cards to the San Diego Food Bank. He hopes to continue to find ways for his store to give back to the community.

Grocery Outlet Bargain Market currently has more than a dozen stores in San Diego County, from San Marcos all the way to El Cajon. Less than two years ago, a new Grocery Outlet opened in Santee.

The company, founded in 1946, is based in Emeryville, California, and has 270 locations in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington. The chain is known for offering bargains at deep discounts compared to other grocery retailers – from produce, dairy and meat to beer, wine and health and beauty products. The stores are run by independent owner-operators in local communities.

Over the next year or so downtown San Diego’s bustling Gaslamp Quarter will be celebrating a milestone: it’s 150th anniversary.

The historic heart of downtown San Diego – which spans about 16 blocks, from Broadway to Harbor Drive, and 4th to 6th avenues – was first successfully developed in 1867 by Alonzo Horton. Two years later, Horton built a wharf at the end of 5th Avenue, making this the backbone of his city. The rest, as they say, is history.

On Wednesday, the Gaslamp Quarter Association – along with San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and other city leaders – gathered to launch what will be a year-long celebration of the settling of Horton’s “New Town.”

On behalf of the City of San Diego, Faulconer officially proclaimed May 24 as the 150th anniversary of the Gaslamp Quarter. 

The Gaslamp Quarter Association said the milestone will be marked with a lineup of events over the next several months.

This includes the “Rabbitville” public art installation: six fiberglass rabbit sculptures adorned by local artists and exhibited around San Diego. The name of the exhibit is a nod to William Heath Davis, the man who tried to develop the downtown land before Horton in 1850, but couldn’t quite make it happen. Davis’ town eventually became known as “Rabbitville,” for its principal inhabitants.

“When others saw Gaslamp as a place only for rabbits, Alonzo Horton had the courage and vision to forge ahead, creating the beginnings of one of San Diego’s most vibrant communities,” Kris Michell, President/CEO of Downtown San Diego Partnership said in a press release. “After 150 years, the Gaslamp remains central to San Diego’s identity and his innovative spirit continues to inspire.”

Eventually, the art installation will boast a total of 15 rabbits.

Other upcoming anniversary events include this Saturday’s free Gaslamp Jazz Concert featuring George Ferres and other musicians, happening from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the June 3 San Diego County Fair Cattle Drive, which will bring 300 cattle, 15 cowboys and three dogs herded through the Gaslamp Quarter.

On June 17, the Taste of Gaslamp foodie event (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.) will showcase more than 25 restaurants in the community. On Aug. 24, the Pendry hotel will host the Gaslamp’s 150th anniversary party.

There’s also holding an ongoing cocktail contest in which local mixologists are competing to develop the Gaslamp’s signature 150th anniversary cocktail, to be dubbed the “Dusty Rabbit.” Via engagement on social media and votes, the best cocktail will eventually be chosen.

In honor of the anniversary, the Gaslamp will also offer a $5 flat-rate parking deal Sunday through Thursday, from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m., at the 6th & K Parkade (289 6th Ave.).

San Diego District 3 City Councilman Chris Ward said this anniversary will help highlight just how far downtown’s hub has come.

“You can find the story of San Diego's long history in the Gaslamp, from our earliest aspirations to our emergence as a major city and our vision for bold success into the future,” said Ward. “I hope everyone will join us for the Gaslamp's 150th Anniversary celebration to learn about the journey that's shaped our city and enjoy everything that goes into making the Gaslamp such a special part of San Diego.”

Joe Terzi, of the San Diego Tourism Authority, said the Gaslamp Quarter is considered the gateway for the 8 to 10 million visitors who come to San Diego each year.

Today, the Gaslamp Quarter is home to more than 180 restaurants, bars and clubs.

“It really is the epicenter of San Diego’s nightlife,” Terzi said. “On top of that, the neighborhood has a rich history, Victorian architecture, art galleries and more, so there’s something for everyone.”

If you’re looking for the center of the Gaslamp Quarter, your best bet is to find the big arch sign lined with light fixtures and located at the end of the 200 block of 5th Avenue, across from the San Diego Convention Center. The archway was officially completed and dedicated in 1991, meant to serve as a symbol of the successful redevelopment of the Gaslamp Quarter.