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Portraits of Those Mourned After the Manchester Arena Attack

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16 Pounds of Heroin Stashed in Rocker Panel Compartments

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Images of smuggling attempts at their finest.

Photo Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Eater SD: North Park’s New Food Hub

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North Park is now home to a new hub housing restaurants, bars and retail space all under one roof. This week, Eater San Diego shares a glimpse of that venue, plus a first look at a hotly-debated brewery in downtown San Diego and other news from our food and drink scene.

New North Park Marketplace Has Food, Drinks & More
Previewing to the public this Memorial Day weekend is DAM Park, a new multi-use project on Illinois Street in North Park that combines eateries and bars with retail spaces and event space. Buona Forchetta and Le Parfait Paris are just two of the established restaurants that will have spaces here alongside two cocktail bars. 

10 Barrel Brewing Opens in East Village – But With Opposition
Makers Quarter's 10 Barrel Brewing, which has been a subject of heavy controversy in the local craft beer community, opens its East Village brewpub this Saturday. Clocking in at over 10,000-square-feet, it spans three levels, two bars and full-service restaurant. But not everyone is happy about the opening, with some arguing that 10 Barrel is not craft beer, thanks to its ties to macro beer behemoth, Anheuser-Busch Inbev. 

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Midwest Cult Favorite Sandwich Shop Coming to San Diego
With over 400 locations across the country, Potbelly is rapidly expanding its sandwich empire. Specializing in submarine sandwiches, the Midwest-based company tells Eater that it is looking to land in the San Diego market with at least five locations. 

San Diego Chefs Celebrate Local Fishermen
Take a stunning visual tour of the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. Learn the story of this bayside market, which opens to the public every Saturday, by meeting the fishermen who run the bustling seafood hub and the chefs who turn their catch into delicious dishes. 

Bracero Sets Date for Final Farewell in Little Italy
After a rollercoaster ride through successes and challenges, Bracero will shutter on June 3. Its owner plans to briefly close the restaurant and reopen it on June 6 as Romesco Mexiterranean Cocina, which will have a Mediterranean-inspired menu and a Spanish tapas bar atmosphere. 

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Photo Credit: Courtesy of DAM Park
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Air Force Probing Disrespect of John Glenn's Body Before Burial

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The Air Force is investigating allegations that a mortuary worker at its base in Delaware made Defense Department inspectors an offer they refused — a peek at John Glenn's body before the astronaut and American hero was buried, NBC News reported.

It allegedly happened while Glenn's remains were at the Dover Air Force Base "pending his interment at Arlington National Cemetery on April 6, 2017," Air Force spokesman Col. Patrick Ryder said in a statement on Friday.

The worker was not identified.

Glenn died in December at age 95 in his home state of Ohio. Thousands of people filed into the Ohio Statehouse rotunda to pay their respects before Glenn's body was flown to Delaware.



Photo Credit: AP

Testing School Water for Lead Costs City $500K+

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Testing schools for lead in water has become very costly for the City of San Diego. More than $500,000 has been spent on the effort so far.

City council members were updated Thursday from the Public Utilities Department on the process to test all San Diego Unified schools for lead levels in drinking water.

In January 2017, new State Water Resource Control Board regulations went into effect requiring water agencies to monitor school water for high levels of lead, when the school district requests testing.

The San Diego Unified School District asked to have 57 schools tested on March 21, according to data with the State Water Resources Control Board.

The state data shows the school district filed requests with the City of San Diego to participate in the state program, after test results came in showing high levels of lead and vinyl chloride at a school in Southeast San Diego.

The school was originally tested because parents and kids complained about stomach problems and smelly water. "Star," a service dog, refused to drink the water.

District officials said they had already planned to test school water for lead when contaminated water was discovered at Emerson Bandini, but the discovery accelerated the testing schedule and extended it to all 300 schools. The City and SDUSD hope to complete the testing by mid-June.

The City of San Diego said it has spent about $200,000 on start-up costs to get the testing going.

The city's water department estimates a cost of $2,200 per school to sample the water.

Of the 164 SDUSD schools tested so far, three schools have tested positive for levels of lead above state guidelines.

The low number of positive results had some city councilmembers asking whether the cost is reasonable.

The schools are Birney Elementary School in University Heights, Emerson Campus of the Emerson/Bandini Elementary School and the Emerson Campus of the San Diego Cooperative Charter School.

In the most recent test results released by San Diego Unified School District, unusually high levels of lead were found in eight schools. In each case, the levels measured were below state guidelines requiring the district to take action.

"We know the national stories about this and so we always have to be vigilant to protect those communities whether it's water or anything else," said City Councilman David Alvarez.

Councilman Chris Ward asked if there's any concern or any plan to test other public buildings like police stations or even City Hall. So far, there is not but he asked the water department to look into doing that.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Your Corner: A Permanent Place for Names of the Fallen

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Memorial Day weekend is often called the unofficial start of summer. And while the scene at San Diego beaches would seem to support that, the real meaning is far more serious, and far less celebratory.

There are dozens of events over the weekend marking the true meaning of Memorial Day, and for a handful of families, no event was more meaningful than what happened in Chula Vista Friday morning.

The City of Chula Vista officially named seven streets after U.S. military service members who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Among those new streets is Martinez Drive, named after 24-year-old Army Sgt. Michael Martinez, killed by an IED in Iraq on June 28, 2007, along with four other Americans.

Ten years after Michael's death, his family still hurts.

"It just hasn’t gotten any easier," said his father, Manny Martinez. "Every time that I go there at Fort Rosecrans, and I see his name on the headstone, I cry because it still hurts."

The Martinez house is filled with photos and tributes to Michael. Manny says it’s so they never forget. His fear is that not everyone has those reminders of his son.

"A lot of friends that Michael had, they don’t come around like they did the first couple years, and I understand that. They need to go on with their lives," said Manny. "But I can’t. I have to live with it. He was my son."

It helped when Eastlake High School named the school’s baseball field after Michael. Now, the street sign will be another reminder, as will streets named for six other families whenever they drive through Otay Ranch.

The new streets are:

  • Lorenzo Road for U.S. Army SSGT Kristofferson Lorenzo killed in Afghanistan in 2011
  • Paseo Bachar for U.S. Marine CPL Salem Bachar, killed in Iraq in 2003
  • Idanan Road for Army SGT Michael J. Idanan killed in Iraq in 2005
  • Mattero Ave for U.S. Army SSGT Joshua Mattero killed in Iraq in 2007
  • Spivey Road for U.S. Army SPC Curtis R. Spivey killed in Iraq in 2007
  • Wyckoff Street for U.S. Army SGT Charles Wyckoff Jr. killed in Afghanistan in 2007

Near each sign will be a brief description of the person behind the name.

No sign can erase the pain these families feel every day, nor outweigh the mementos most of them have in their homes. What those signs will do is make sure that those names are remembered more than one holiday weekend every year.

"Their legacy is going to live on forever," said Manny. “It’s something that we can carry with us, and makes us feel good that people still care.”

Children Search for National City Couple Detained

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A husband and wife were taken into custody by federal officials in front of their children this week. Days later, the children tell NBC 7 they aren't sure where their parents are being held but they are hopeful they will be allowed to return home.

Francisco Duarte, 19, of National City said his father walked out of the family’s home on Palm Avenue Tuesday morning to pick up a newspaper at the convenience store next door.

His father, also named Francisco Duarte, was handcuffed and put into an unmarked SUV.

Duarte’s mother, Rosenda Perez, walked out of the home to see what was going on and was also detained, the teenager said.

At the time, Francisco said he could not get much information from the officials who were detaining his parents.

He asked them if they had an arrest warrant for his father but he was told the officials didn't need an arrest warrant.

“My life was normal the day before,” he said. “I thought somehow I could help and I wasn’t able to help and that just broke me.”

The family called the National City Police Department who did some investigating. The police told the children their parents were in the custody of the government.

As of Friday, the elder Duarte and Perez have not been deported but the couple’s four children still are not sure where their parents are being held.

Francisco said his parents have not been in trouble with the law.

A rally in support of the family was scheduled for Friday evening outside of the Otay Detention Facility. Duarte said his mother was at this detention center earlier in the week.

An attorney hired by the Duarte family said the parents were not detained by the school district as had been rumored earlier this week.

Francisco has three siblings – one 17-year-old and a set of 12-year-old twins.

He said his mother and his sisters have never spent time apart.

“I’ve been trying to cope with this as much as I can,” he said. “Trying to get my sisters ready for school.”

“At the end of the day, I’ve got to be there for my family.”

In response to rumors circulating in the community that Duarte and Perez were detained outside of their daughters' school, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released the following statement:

"Reports of ICE checkpoints, indiscriminate “raids” & sweeps are false, dangerous & irresponsible. These reports create mass panic and put communities and law enforcement personnel in unnecessary danger. Any groups falsely reporting such activities are doing a disservice to those they claim to support."

Virginia Kice, Western Regional Communications Director/Spokesperson for ICE told NBC 7, "Based on the information you provided…my operational colleagues were not able to confirm that these individuals in ICE custody."

The National City Teachers Association will be organizing an upcoming meeting to address concerns parents have about immigration arrests.



Photo Credit: Jeff Herrera, NBC 7
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7 Streets Named After Chula Vista Fallen Veterans

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Seven streets were named in honor of local fallen veterans, including several military service members who fell during operations in Afghanistan and Iraq in Otay Ranch Friday.

Chula Vista Mayor John McCann lead the street sign dedication ceremony on the corner of Heritage Road and Santa Victoria Road at 11 a.m. Each newly named roadway is at a development in Otay Ranch, said city officials.

Navy Rear Admiral James McNeal gave a speech at the ceremony as the key note speaker. Several Gold Star Families, members of the military, city officials and the general public attended the event, according to the City of Chula Vista.

Eighty-five streets in the Sunbow, McMillin and Otay Ranch communities have already been named after Chula Vista’s veterans, said city officials. Now there are 92 streets named in memory of deceased military members around the area.

Each street sign is in red, white and blue with a flag, along with the fallen veteran’s name, said city officials.

The streets names are dedicated after Salem Bachar, Iraq War Veteran; Michael Idanan, Iraq War Veteran; Kristofferson Lorenzo, Afghanistan War Veteran; Michael Martinez, Iraq War Veteran; Joshua Mattero, Iraq War Veteran; Curtis Spivey, Iraq War Veteran; and Charles Wyckoff, Jr., Afghanistan War Veteran.

This ceremony was made possible through a joint partnership between the City and developer Baldwin & Sons, said city officials.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Garage Catches Fire at Family's Home in Poway

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A garage caught fire at a family's house in Poway Friday afternoon, confirmed the Poway Fire Department.

When crews arrived at the scene, there were visible flames and smoke rising from the garage. Firefighters have been able to extinguish the fire, on the 1200 block of Mcferon Road at around 1:30 p.m.

No injuries have been reported from the fire, according to the Poway Fire Department. 

Poway Fire officials say the San Diego County Sheriff's Bomb Arson unit will investigate the fire.

No other information was immediately available.

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



Photo Credit: City of Poway

DMV Self-Service Terminals to Debut at San Diego County Fair

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Save yourself a trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) by taking a trip to the San Diego County Fair instead. The DMV will have a self-service kiosk at the fair.

According to the DMV, California residents can renew autos, pickups, motorcycles, coach and park model trailers and commercial vehicles that don’t pay Commercial Vehicle Registration Act fees.

Visitors must bring their renewal notice or their current registration card in order to complete transactions, the DMV says.

A registration card and sticker or Planned Non-Operation (PNO) acknowledgment will be printed at the terminal after the transaction is complete.

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The kiosk accepts payments in cash, check, and credit or debit cards.

The self-service terminal can be found at the DMV information booth in Exhibit Hall at the San Diego County Fair.

DMV representatives will be at the booth to answer questions and demonstrate how the self-service kiosk works.

The San Diego County Fair is located at 2260 Jimmy Duarte Blvd. in Del Mar. The fair kicks off June 2nd and runs until July 4th.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

How Hackers Can Get Into Your Rental Car

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We all know hackers can get into our cell phones and laptops, but did you know they can also get your information through your rental car?

Dr. Murray Jennex is a cybersecurity expert at San Diego State University, he said anyone with Memorial Day Weekend travel plans should beware.

"When you rent a car and you use the GPS on your phone through that car's Bluetooth, that car records the information from your phone," said Dr. Jennex.

That means any information on your phone: texts, contact lists and e-mails can be stored and used by cybercriminals.

Dr. Jennex said there is a way to protect yourself. Go into the settings of the Bluetooth device installed in the car and erase all the user data. He added doing this quick and easy step can save you from identity theft and fraud.

“That data is powerful," said Dr. Jennex. "It is used to determine who you are. We all have different personas: we have our web persona, we have our car persona. Those are all being used to craft an image of who you are, that can be marketed or hacked.”





Photo Credit: Getty Images

2 Sentenced for Stealing $3 Million in Marines' Equipment

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Two defense contractors were sentenced Friday for stealing medical equipment intended for deployed marines, according to the U.S. Attorney.

"This isn’t the theft of pencils and pens," U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo told the defendants, in court at their hearing.

Henry Bonilla, 29, of Pomona, and Richard Navarro, 44, of Oceanside, were each sentenced in federal court to 15 months and 12 months in prison, for conspiring to steal more than $3 million worth of medical equipment from Camp Pendleton, confirmed the U.S. Attorney.

Bonilla must forfeit two vehicles and $172,850, as ordered by Judge Bencivengo, and Navarro must also forefeit $49,210 in ill-gotten gains.

Bonilla and Navarro were charged with conspiracy to engage in theft of government property. They faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

With the help of their co-conspirators, Bonilla and Navarro stole expensive medical equipment from 1st Medical Logistics Company (1st MEDLOG) aboard Camp Pendleton. That includes anesthesia machines, autoclaves, ventilators, ultrasound machines, defibrillators and laryngoscopes, among others.

The military had planned to ship this equipment overseas to treat injured service members, according to the U.S. Attorney.

"This medical equipment was meant for U.S. Troops. This type of theft is outrageous and puts our troops at risk. I hope this sentence will send a message to people in government in positions of trust, said Judge Bencivengo.

Bonilla, Navarro and their co-conspirators worked as civilian defense contractors in warehouses, said the U.S. Attorney. Those warehouses are run by 1st MEDLOG.

The company is responsible for providing important medical items to combat forces across the world, according to the U.S. Attorney.

Trump to Set Up 'War Room' to Deal With Russia Questions

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The White House is preparing to establish a "war room" to combat questions about ties between Russia and President Donald Trump's campaign, Reuters reported.

The news agency cited administration officials and people close to Trump.

When Trump returns from an overseas trip, the administration will add experienced political professionals and possibly lawyers to handle the Russia probe, which has gained new urgency since the Justice Department appointed a special counsel to head the investigation, the sources told Reuters.




Photo Credit: AP

Consumer Connection Discusses Rental Rights In San Diego

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Questions about rent control, security deposits and carpet replacement topped the list of most frequently asked questions during NBC 7 Responds’ Consumer Connection Facebook chat this week. 

The event, held on Wednesday evening, invited San Diego renters to ask questions about anything related to renting. Local experts, including Steven Kellman, a tenant rights attorney, Azucena Valladolid from the San Diego Housing Commission, George Ibarra, a housing counselor from CSA San Diego and Jaime Levine with the Elder Law and Advocacy group. 

This was the San Diego’s Consumer Connection Facebook group’s second live chat. The group now has more than 1,100 members. It’s part of the NBC 7 Responds franchise, spearheaded by Bob Hansen and producer Tom Jones, and aims to provide a forum where all San Diegans can ask questions and seek input on local consumer topics. 

Regarding rental increases, Kellman said “the law is 30 days notice for an increase of under 10% over a 12 month period, and 60 days notice for an increase of over 10% over a 12 month period. Rent increases are cumulative when it comes to calculating whether it is over 10% within any 12 month period.” 

Valladolid shared resources for renters needing section 8 assistance and explained programs available in the San Diego area. 

In the group, a consumer asked about renting a room in their condo and what rights they would have if the tenant became violent or engaged in illegal acts. Levine said, “If the person you bring in becomes violent or otherwise threatening, you may want to seek a Restraining Order and a possible Kickout Order.” 

One consumer said they have been in the same apartment for six years and “desperately need new carpet.” The consumer wondered how long a renter has to occupy a place before carpet gets replaced. 

Ibarra asked whether or not the carpet was replaced when the renter first moved in and said, “the life of carpet is between 8-10 years depending on manufacturer’s warranty. I would suggest that you take pictures of the carpet and write a Certified Letter to the Landlord stating the carpet is completely worn and needs immediate replacement, the Landlord does not have to replace carpet but if it poses a health and safety issue then he might have to (for example tack strip is exposed and can cause injury to your person, padding is worn and dust is causing you to have a respiratory condition).” 

Another San Diego renter asked if there is a law that states a property management company cannot charge a pet deposit and pet rent, at the same time. 

Kellman said, there is no law on the books when it comes to landlords collecting both a pet deposit and pet rent. But, he said, there would be a strong argument against this practice in the courts as the landlord is essentially double-dipping. Kellman added that if a renter is paying extra money each month towards any pet damages, then that money would go towards any damages or repairs when you move out. Landlords cannot collect double payments from a tenant for the same thing. 

Do you have questions about renting? Want to know what is legal for landlords and tenants? Request to join the Consumer Connection Facebook group to see more answers about this topic and receive tips about other consumer issues.

“Pure Water” Program Looks to Reduce Waste, Cut Costs

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City engineers are now designing the major elements of a program that'll supply a third of San Diego's water in the next two decades.

It comes right down to being a high-tech conservation effort.

After five years of drought, people in this region shouldn't get complacent because they had such a rainy winter.

Forecasters are warning of more drought cycles ahead.

The need to maximize every drop available is what's turning on the flow of San Diego's "pure water program".

Years ago, clever headline writers got squeamish and coined the phrase "toilet to tap".

But scientists tell us our tap water is in no way more sanitary, odorless or tasteless than wastewater recycled through advanced purification processes.

Nearly 200 million gallons of "wastewater" is pumped into the Pacific here every day, after what's called "primary and tertiary" treatment.

So it's literally "wasted" -- useless.

Not ideal in drought-ridden, "arid" places like San Diego.

All but a fraction of our water is imported from the Colorado River and San Francisco Bay Delta.

Earthquakes could rupture pipelines from there.

By 2021, the city will start adding pure, recycled water into homes, and gear up to produce a third of San Diego's daily supply by 2035.

It's projected to be cheaper than the imported water we'll be getting by then -- much cheaper than desalinated.

"We're going to be capturing methane gas that currently is escaping from the Miramar landfill,” says Halla Razak, director of the city’s Public Utilities Dept.

In a recording session for NBC 7 ‘s “Politically Speaking” program, which will air Sunday at 5 p.m., Raza smiled as she enthused: “We're going to be creating energy and creating that water. So not only is it local, but it's also sustainable, because in fact we're going to be using 'green energy' to create it."

Construction on full-scale purification facilities will begin late next year.

Once the output goes into San Diego's system, people afraid to drink it can take showers in it, wash their cars and dogs, and water their lawns with it.




Biking for Science, UCSD Student Heads to San Francisco

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A student at UC San Diego is biking along the California Pacific Coast from San Diego to San Francisco to send the message that science matters.

Kellman is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology in the Department of Bioengineering, according to UCSD.

Starting in San Diego, Benjamin Kellman has pledged to head north, riding one mile on his bike for every $5 donation. His group of bikers is taking off from UCSD Friday and heading to Buccaneers in Oceanside for their first stop.

In the past few months, Kellman has raised more than $5,000 on his GoFundMe page to donate to the organization in support of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Part of his goal is to, "Get academics the representation we need to be heard, pressure our representatives to rely on facts and reason in their decision making," according to his GoFundMe page.

His GoFundMe page estimates that they will raise about $500 for the 100 mile trip to LA, then $1,000 for 200 miles to Santa Barbara, $3,500 for the 800 miles to San Francisco and possibly even $10,000 for 2,000 miles to Seattle.

Kellman works on important research for the early identification of autism, according to AAAS. He has wondered about the impact of the new administration on the future of science.

Even the GoFundMe website donated $1,000 to his cause, after he was highlighted by AAAS.

You can check out the progress of Kellman's biking adventure on a live tracker.



Photo Credit: GoFundMe Page

Housing SD's Homeless A Mission For Father Joe’s Villages

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San Diego's homeless crisis is being targeted with half a billion dollars that'll go to long-term housing throughout the city.

More than a thousand affordable apartments will start opening next year.

The driving force behind this effort is Father Joe's Villages.

For many of San Diego's "unsheltered" population, Father Joe's means a roof over their heads, healthy meals and a helping hand up.

About 800 housing units will go up in buildings downtown at 5th and Ash, and along Commercial Street between 14th and 17th Streets.

Nearly 1,200 units will be located outside downtown in under-used motels that'll be acquired and renovated.

A big percentage of the homeless have mental health and addiction problems, so there'll be so-called "wrap-around" social services to help the residents stabilize their lives and find jobs.

Over the past year, there was a spike in the transient situation downtown, and the need for emergency shelters.

"At the end of the day we can have many emergency shelters -- and we need emergency shelters, we need transitional beds,” says Deacon Jim Vargas, president and CEO of Father Joe’s Villages.

In a Friday recording session for NBC 7’s “Politically Speaking” program, which will air at 5 p.m. Sunday, Vargas stressed the importance of long-term solutions for the homeless.

“They can't stay in these shelters forever,” he said. “We need that housing. So that's what we're committed to doing."

Renovations on motel properties are expected to begin later this year, to get them ready for residents to move in next year.

That's when groundbreaking on the new buildings is expected.

Father Joe's says it's already lined up 75 percent of the $530 million needed for the program.











Photo Credit: Father Joe's Villages

Counterfeiting Suspect Flew to China, Vietnam for Fake Chips

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A suspect in a San Diego County Sheriff's Department investigation told detectives she flew to China and Vietnam to get millions of dollars worth of fake casino chips and labels for local casinos.

That's according to a search warrant affidavit obtained by NBC 7.

On Christmas Day, Barona Resort and Casino security guards alerted San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) deputies to a pair spotted switching their glasses, closely inspecting casino chips and moving chips from the table to a purse, according to the document.

The security guards had stumbled upon an international counterfeiting operation stretching into Southeast Asia and possibly impacting several local casinos on Indian reservations.

Deputies arrested Lien Do, Hao Nguyen and Ben Ven Pham on Christmas Day last year, after a detective asked a judge for a search warrant for Pham and Do's Garden Grove home.

At the casino, Sheriff detectives found $300,000 worth of counterfeit chips in the suspects' car.

"It appears that what they were seeking to do was convert those chips into cash and to walk out the casino with the cash," said District Attorney Prosecutor Daniel Shim.

The defendants were charged with multiple felonies, including grand theft, burglary, forgery and possession of counterfeit marks. Charges were later dropped against Nguyen and he returned to Vietnam, according to the DA's office. Do and Pham plead guilty to felony burglary and forgery charges and are serving one-year jail terms, Shim said.

"When the sheriff's department searched their home in Garden Grove, they found about $2 million in casino labels," Shim said. "During Mr. Pham's interview, he indicated he received those chips from Vietnam."

Another suspect told detectives she had flown to Vietnam and China. Detectives found casino player cards for Sycuan, Pala, Pechanga and Viejas.

"Phan's plan was to defraud Barona Casino in an attempt to defraud Barona Casino out of enough money to purchase a new home for his fiance," the search warrant states.

It remains unclear if any fake chips were used in any of the other casinos for which Pham had player's cards.

"The Sheriff's department did a great job in investigating this case. They did a very thorough investigation," Shim said. "It is still unknown if the operation had any ties to organized crimes."

Vietnam Pilot's Remains Return to San Diego for Burial

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More than half a century later, a local family is finally getting closure over the death of a beloved Navy pilot who served in the Vietnam war.

They will get to properly bury Lt. Commander Frederick Crosby in San Diego on Sunday. And his daughter Deborah is finally getting a chance to make good on a promise to her grandmother.

“I was sitting on the sofa with my grandmother and she said, ‘They know where your dad's plane went down and I don't know why we don't have his remains. I would like him buried here,’” Deborah Crosby said.

That's what essentially sparked this search. Lt. Commander Frederick Crosby was a Navy pilot during the Vietnam war. In June of 1965, he went on a bomb assessment mission. He was never seen again. Deborah, was only six at the time. She says she never doubted the fact that her father was killed, but she and her brothers always wanted closure and to bring him home.

Crosby called to inquire regularly about the military's progress on her father's case. She attended meetings of the National League, and analyzed where the crash occurred in Thanh Hoa province on Google Earth. She poured over news reels and reports at the Library of Congress and provided a sample of her aunt's blood to the military to have a DNA match on file in case his remains were ever found.

Decades passed and her mother and grandmother both died before investigators got a breakthrough on their third trip to the area when they met Pham Van Truong, a lifelong resident of Nam Ngan ward in Thanh Hoa City.

According to a 50-page report given to Crosby, the 89-year-old man told investigators he couldn't recall the month or year, but he remembered during the war that he was cooking limestone to reinforce his house when he heard gunfire and ran to the nearby levee to investigate.

He saw two planes headed toward his house and one was on fire as it glided toward the levee. He said he could see its wing and tail surfaces were missing. The aircraft rolled as it hit the fish pond in front of his house, splashing Van Truong with water and mud. The other aircraft kept flying toward the sea.

Van Truong told investigators that shortly after it crashed, a Vietnamese salvage team had pulled some parts of the plane, including the engine, from the pond and hauled it away. Van Truong, who had helped the salvage team, kept a piece of the plane to use for making a cooking utensil. He also used a piece of its glass to repair a clock.

Based on the new information, U.S. military investigators decided to comb the bottom of the pond in 2015. When they emptied it bucket by bucket, they found bones, pieces of fabric from Crosby's uniform, his chrome lighter and wedding band.

Friday those remains made it stateside, a caravan of children and grandchildren and loved ones awaiting them. Deborah will get a chance to make good on a promise to her grandmother, just in time for Memorial Day. The Crosby family will spend Friday evening meeting with Navy pilots practicing a flyover for the funeral.

Lt. Commander Crosby will be buried Sunday at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.



Photo Credit: Family

Maritime Museum of San Diego Announces Return of Gloria

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The Maritime Museum of San Diego announced the Colombian tall ship Gloria, official flagship of the Colombian Navy, will be in San Diego Tuesday, June 6 – Thursday, June 8, 2017.

Gloria was built in port Cartagena, Colombia, and in 1968 she was taken to the Celeya shipyard in Spain to be built as a sail-training ship. She is 257 feet long, which makes her one of the largest tall ships afloat.

Gloria is steel hulled with polished wood and brass, four masts and a full crew of 176. The Maritime Museum says the ship is perfection that is rarely seen.

This ship is used by the Colombian government to highlight its history to foreign dignitaries. Gloria’s arrival to San Diego allows all San Diegans and visitors the chance to do the same when they step aboard.

Dockside visits aboard the Gloria are free to the public, and while she is here, visitors can also save on general admission to the Maritime Museum of San Diego.

Maritime Museum of San Diego is open every day of the year from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. For more information on the museum, visit their website.



Photo Credit: Maritime Museum of San Diego
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