Quantcast
Channel: NBC 7 San Diego - Top Stories
Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live

Young Mother's Body Found in Garage

0
0

The body of a 21-year-old mother of two was found in the garage of a home in Oceanside Thursday, police confirmed.

Officers were called to the home in the 300 block of Leeward Court near El Camino Real Thursday after the victim's parents requested a welfare check on their daughter.

Police say the victim's parents had tried to reach her by phone throughout the day, but she wasn't answering their calls.

The victim's boyfriend told the woman's parents that they had gotten into a fight and she left.

When police arrived at the Oceanside home to investigate, they discovered the woman's body partially concealed in the third stall of a three-car garage.

Investigators have not yet determined how the woman was killed, but say it doesn't appear that she was shot or stabbed. Investigators say she may have been dead since Wednesday.

Police say the woman, her boyfriend and their two children – ages two and four – had been living inside the garage. Further details about their living situation were not immediately released, as the investigation is ongoing.

Police say that after a number of interviews, the woman's boyfriend confessed to killing her. He was arrested and charged with murder. His name has not yet been released.

Investigators say the suspect was arrested at least one other time before this for domestic violence against this same victim.

The medical examiner's office will determine the victim's cause of death and identity. Those details are forthcoming.


WATCH: Jury Selection Continues in Zimmerman Trial

0
0

The jury selection continues in the George Zimmerman case on Friday at the Seminole County courthouse.

On Thursday, Circuit Judge Debra Nelson said in court that the jury, once seated, will be sequestered.

"Juror K-80, before Mr. West goes ahead and does his questioning of you, this is for your benefit and for the benefit of the future potential jurors that the parties have, both sides have stipulated that they anticipate that this trial will last between 2 and 4 weeks. Based upon that approximate stipulation, I will be sequestering the jury. Mr. West, you can now inquire of K-80," the judge said.

Five hundred people have been summoned for consideration as possible jurors. On Thursday, 10 potential jurors were dismissed for various reasons.

Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February 2012. He has pleaded not guilty, saying it was self-defense.

The case is expected to last more than a month.

Judge Nelson has ruled that the identities of potential jurors will be kept confidential but potential jurors won't be sequestered, as defense attorneys requested.

Potential jurors are only being referred to by their jury numbers in court.

Snubbed Valedictorian Wants Apology for Muted Speech

0
0

The North Texas high school valedictorian who had this speech cut off last week is speaking out.

Remington Reimer was giving his valedictorian speech to the graduating class of Joshua High School when school officials cut off his microphone. Reimer broke school policy of sticking to an approved script, the officials said.
 
Reimer said school officials not only asked to see his speech, they made changes to it.
 
 
“I just assumed it was grammatical editing, which I assumed that what they want to 
make sure was I didn’t make any mistakes while I was on the stage,” Reimer said. “I didn't expect it to be anything of a sort of deleting lines, adding sentences, changing the whole message of the speech."
 
Reimer said his approved speech didn’t sound like he wrote it, and that the speech was missing key parts, including a part where he talks about faith, family and teachers. When Reimer started reading that section, his microphone was turned off.
 
“I first thanked my family for raising me in a Christian home, I thanked a few teachers, 
I thanked God,” Reimer said.
 
Ironically, Reimer also said he wanted to talk about free speech and constitutional rights.
 
“I'm passionate about my constitutional rights. It disappoints me that they had the power
to cut me off just simply by not reading what they wanted me to read,” Reimer said.
 
Hiram Sasser with the Liberty Institute is now Reimer’s attorney. Sasser said the school violated its own rules when it comes to valedictorian speeches.
 
“The school officials violated their own district policy by pre-approving a speech, by censoring a speech, by cutting off the microphone,” Sasser said. “The board policy says it’s the free speech of the valedictorian and they're supposed to be giving whatever speech they want to give.”
 
Sasser was referring to the state education code, chapter 25, article III, which states:
 
“The school district shall treat a student's voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint, if any, on an otherwise permissible subject in the same manner the district treats a student's voluntary expression of a secular or other viewpoint on an otherwise permissible subject and may not discriminate against the student based on a religious viewpoint expressed by the student on an otherwise permissible subject.
 
A written disclaimer shall be printed in the graduation program that states, "The students who will be speaking at the graduation ceremony were selected based on neutral criteria to deliver messages of the students' own choices.  The content of each student speaker's message is the private expression of the individual student and does not reflect any position or expression of the school district or the board of trustees, or the district's administration, or employees of the district, or the views of any other graduate.  The contents of these messages were prepared by the student volunteers, and the district refrained from any interaction with student speakers regarding the student speakers' viewpoints on permissible subjects."
 
Sasser said he wants the school district to apologize to Reimer and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
 
“I don't want this to happen to anyone, to any other valedictorian in the state of Texas or really, nationwide,” Reimer added.
 
NBC 5 contacted the Joshua Independent School District for comment, but didn’t hear back.
 
Last week, Fran Marek said the district was standing by its policy of only allowing students to read approved speeches and not deviating from them.

Suspect Crashes Car Fleeing Cops

0
0

A man trying to avoid getting pulled over by a police officer lost control of his car and crashed upside down near Miramar Thursday afternoon.

San Diego police say a detective tried to stop a vehicle near Miramar Road and Carroll Road just north of Miramar Memorial Golf Course and the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

The police helicopter was overhead along with several patrol officers on the ground according to a police spokesperson.

When the suspect driver took off, he lost control and flipped the vehicle onto its roof.

San Diego Fire-Rescue responded and used a gurney to move a man from the back of the patrol car into a waiting ambulance.

Police slowly redirected traffic along Miramar Road using the westbound lanes. Even so, there was a long backup for eastbound traffic.

Miramar Road will be closed between Dowdy Road and Distribution Avenue for several hours, police advise.
 

 

 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Accident Backs Up Traffic Near Julian

0
0

A head-on collision near Julian has backed up traffic on state Routes 78 and 79.

The incident happened around 1 p.m. on highway 78 between state Route 79 when two cars collided, blocking traffic.

Click here for live traffic conditions

A SigAlert has been issued and the road will be closed for at least two hours.

Check back for updates on this story.



Photo Credit: NBC Philadelphia

Ex-Boyfriend Shot Woman in Front of Toddler: Police

0
0

San Diego police are searching for a man suspected of shooting his ex-girlfriend multiple times in the chest and head in front of her 4-year-old daughter.

Police say the 28-year-old woman was shot in front of a mobile home park in the 1800 block of Smythe Avenue around 9:30 p.m. on May 24.

When police arrived at the scene, they discovered the woman lying in the street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, head and neck.

Police say the victim was with her 4-year-old daughter at the time of the shooting, but the child was not injured. The shooting suspect fled the scene.

The woman was taken to UCSD Medical Center with life-threatening injuries and underwent surgery. She remains hospitalized in serious condition but is expected to survive, police said.

On Thursday, Jun. 13, the San Diego Police Department and Crime Stoppers released a photograph of the victim’s ex-boyfriend, Ramiro Espinoza (pictured above), 34.

Police say Espinoza is suspected of shooting the victim on Smythe Avenue. He is wanted for attempted murder and remains at large.

Police describe him as a Hispanic man, 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts to call the SDPD domestic violence unit at (619) 533-3500 or the Crime Stoppers tip line at (888) 580-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and could receive up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Parents Support School for Firing Domestic Violence Victim

0
0

Parents gathered outside Holy Trinity School in El Cajon today after an NBC 7 San Diego exclusive story revealed one of its teachers was fired because of her ex-husband’s behavior.

Second grade teacher Carie Charlesworth is the victim of domestic violence and was terminated from her job earlier this year because her school feared for the safety of students and staff.

Last January, Charlesworth’s ex-husband showed up at the school, which then went into lockdown. She was then put on indefinite leave, and her four children who attend the school were also asked to leave. Since then, an armed security guard has been placed at the school.

Read more: Domestic Violence Victim Fired From Teaching

Nearly 30 people voiced strong support for the school and its controversial decision Thursday afternoon on campus. Parents felt compelled to come forward after the public had a strong reaction from the NBC 7 exclusive story.

“Yes, there was a teacher that was victimized by domestic violence and that's very sad and we all support her as her being a victim, we're very sorry,” said parent Jennifer Grubbs.

But these parents also feel the number one priority needs to be the safety of their children.

“Decisions had to be made that would protect all of our kids, her kids included. So those were hard decisions and our principal and the Diocese had to do the best they could. And they did,” said Grubbs.

But at least one parent with a student at the school came forward to denounce the decision.

“Her getting fired was shameful. She did everything right. She came to the principal, told her the situation. And I think in that regard, protected the children. I think she got fired for it. It's very sad,” said parent Theresa Ososkie.

Charlesworth said she knows most of the school does not support her, and as a parent, she understands their concerns. But she also feels like the school abandoned her and her four children.

In a statement released today, the Diocese said it's received an “outpouring of expression” both in support and opposition of its decision.

Man Lures Woman to Motel for 'Modeling Opportunity'

0
0

Carlsbad police have arrested a man accused of luring a 20-year-old college student to a North County motel room by falsely promising her a modeling photoshoot, and then assaulting and restraining her with plastic zip-ties.

According to the Carlsbad Police Department, Oceanside resident Matthew Terrell, 27, allegedly lured his victim to a Motel 6 in the 1000 block of Carlsbad Village Drive on Jun. 9.

He had met his victim on the online dating website “OK Cupid” and had promised to take modeling photographs of her at the motel.

Thinking it was a modeling opportunity, police say the victim met Terrell at the motel just before 11:30 a.m. Once in the room, Terrell restrained the woman with plastic zip-ties.

Police say the victim struggled, screamed and fought against the assault. Other motel guests heard the struggle and her screams from outside the room and reported the incident to authorities.

When police arrived at the motel to investigate the disturbance, they found Terrell and the victim inside the room.

Police arrested Terrell on suspicion of false imprisonment with violence and assault with the intent to commit rape or a sexual act. He was booked into the Vista Detention Facility and is scheduled to appear in court on June 20.

Investigators believe Terrell has committed similar crimes within the past six months. Police are now seeking additional assault victims linked to Terrell.

The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are asking any additional victims of similar crimes to come forward by contacting Carlsbad Police Department Det. Jeff Smith at (760) 931-2146.
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Jet Slams Into Empty Offices at Chino Airport

0
0

The wing of a private jet slammed into empty offices inside a hangar at an airport in Chino Thursday evening, according to the FAA.

A spokesman for the FAA said a Challenger jet collided with a hangar at the Encore Jet Center (map) in the 8300 block of Kimball Avenue. There were no reports of injuries, Ian Gregor said.

Mechanics were inspecting the jet's twin engines by running it for several hours, officials said. Suddenly, the million-dollar jet skipped over the devices that hold its wheels in place and skidded into a business that rents space in the airport hangar.

The offices were empty at the time of the crash. They closed shortly before the jet slammed into the building.

Three maintance workers were inside the airliner, unable to stop the runaway plane. None of them were hurt.

FBI to Parents: Treat Games Like Computers

0
0

A Tampa man is behind bars charged with luring an Escondido teen he met through an online game to Florida. Now the FBI is offering ways to keep your child safe. NBC 7's Danya Bacchus reports.

Make a Wish Makes a Robot Lover's Day

0
0

Peter is 9, and loves robots. He's also living with adult lymphoma, a lung condition that makes it tough to fight off infection. But he still loves gadgets, and wants to see robots in action. Enter Make-A-Wish and Scott Budman.

"Chicago Stronger" T-Shirts Pulled After Boston Backlash

0
0

A Chicago T-shirt company has decided to pull a controversial Blackhawks shirt that was a take on the "Boston Strong" motto that popped up following April's Boston Marathon bombings.

Cubby Tees produced a T-shirt with a Blackhawks logo and the word "Stronger" in preparation for the Stanley Cup Finals matchup between the city's two hockey teams.

But after a good deal of social media outrage and negative emails, the company decided to stop selling the Chicago Stronger shirts "in the interest of harmony between two great cities," and posted a lengthy statement on its web site that stopped short of an apology for the T-shirt's message itself.

Cubby Tees says the shirt was not meant to "trivialize" the marathon tragedy, but to mock Boston sports fans who co-opted the "Boston Strong" term for their sports teams.

It really seemed to jump the shark with the unbelievable proliferation of (non-fundraising) merchandising and the use of 'Boston Strong' by many to aggrandize themselves, or as a war-cry against a non-existent threat and as an anthem for the mindless societal diversion that is professional sports." -- Cubby Tees Statement

The company also says the people who complained about the shirt didn't take the time to read the description that went along with it, which explains their philosophy behind its creation.



Photo Credit: Cubby Tees

The Most Expensive Divorces of All Time

0
0

What better way to lick one’s divorce wounds than with a hefty settlement?

Rupert Murdoch filed for divorce on Thursday from his wife of 14 years, Wendi Deng. The media mogul -- who is worth about $9.4 billion -- is no stranger to divorce. He married Deng, his third wife, less than three weeks after his divorce from second wife Anna Maria Torv who reportedly received one of the highest settlements on record at $1.7 billion.

Here is a look at other big pay days from some of the most expensive divorces in recent history:

The Wildensteins
Art dealer and racehorse breeder Alec Wildenstein paid ex-wife Jocelyn Wildenstein a cool $2.5 billion from their messy divorce in the late 90s. The New York socialite, recognizable by her extensive plastic surgery, also received $100 million annually for the next 13 years.

The Ecclestones
Slavica Ecclestone settled for $1.2 billion when her divorce from husband Bernard Ecclestone, Formula One CEO, was finalized in 2009. The former model has reportedly used her wealth for shopping sprees, including the purchase of a $60-million private plane.

The Khashoggis
A judge ordered Saudi businessman Adnan Khashoggi to pay ex-wife Soraya a $874 million settlement after a five-year divorce battle. Soraya married the international arms dealer in 1961 when she was only 15 and gave him five children.

The Wynns
Casino executive and owner of the Wynn Resorts, Steve Wynn divorced his wife Elaine for the second time (their first divorce was in 1986 but they remarried five years later) in 2010. There have been conflicting reports on what Elaine received from the fallout, but she gained control of more than 11 million shares of the Wynn’s casino operations, which was worth more than $741 million at the time of their divorce, according to The New York Times.

The Gibsons
In what is believed to the largest divorce settlement in Hollywood history, actor Mel Gibson and ex-wife Robyn divided his net worth of $850 million when their 28-year-marriage ended in 2009. The two, who had seven children together, split after he announced that he was having a baby with Oksana Grigorieva, who dated him during his highly-publicized meltdowns and telephone rants.

The Johnsons
Robert and Sheila Johnson, the founders of Black Entertainment Television, dissolved their 33-year-marriage in 2000 and the former Mrs. Johnson was paid a $400 million settlement. The couple bought BET and Ebony Magazine with $15,000 of their own money and $500,000 in loans, but became billionaires when they sold BET to Comcast for $3 billion. Sheila later married the judge who presided over her divorce.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver
Shriver filed for divorce from the movie-star-turned-politician in July 2011, two months after it was revealed that Schwarzenegger had an affair and fathered a child with a woman employed by the family. Schwarzenegger reportedly handed over somewhere between $250 and $375 million in the divorce settlement.

The Jordans
Basketball star Michael Jordan ended his 17-year marriage to wife Juanita in 2006 and forked over $168 million in the settlement. Determined to protect his $650 million fortune, Jordan reportedly had his new fiancée Yvette Prieto sign a prenuptial agreement.

Samathur Li Kin-ka and Florence Tsang-Chiu-wing
Hong Kong property tycoon Samathur Li Kin-ka was ordered to pay ex-wife Florence Tsang-Chiu-wing $154 million after their eight-year marriage ended in 2008. Their settlement is believed to be the highest ever paid in Hong Kong.

Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphey
A generous Neil Diamond gave up $150 million -- half of his estate -- to ex-wife Marcia Murphey when the couple divorced after 25 years of marriage in 1994 and said she was "worth every penny."

The McCourts
L.A. Dodger owner Frank McCourt paid ex-wife Jamie $130 million in the wake of their 2009 divorce. Jamie, the former CEO of the Dodgers, was also required to relinquish any claims to the baseball team as part of the settlement.

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren
The couple’s high profile relationship ended in a car crash and a divorce and Swedish beauty Nordegren walked away with $110 million when their six-year marriage ended in 2010. Nordegren reportedly dropped $12.2 million of her new fortune on a beachfront mansion in 2011 in North Palm Beach, Fla.

Steven Spielberg and Amy Irving
Despite a pre-nup scrawled on a napkin, a California judge awarded Amy Irving $100 million when her four-year marriage to Steven Spielberg ended in 1989.

Madonna and Guy Ritchie
The Material Girl forked over money to the tune of $92 million to ex-husband Guy Ritchie when their marriage ended in 2008.

Edith Yang contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Mariachi Kid Who Performed National Anthem Met With Hate Speech

0
0

An 11-year-old who performed the National Anthem in a mariachi suit at Wednesday's NBA Finals game received a raucous ovation for his rendition.

The Twittersphere, however, wasn't as supportive.

Many tweets directed at Sebastian De La Cruz involved hate speech.

One person wrote: "How you singing the national anthem looking like an illegal immigrant?"

"Why is a foreigner singing the national anthem?" another wrote.

NBC Bay Area's Damian Trujillo looks at how this kind of reaction could have negative consequences for the boy and beyond.

View his report by clicking the play button on the video above.

Propane Tanker Crash Closes SB I-5

0
0

A crash involving a propane tanker and several other big rigs shut down southbound Interstate 5 for several hours Friday at the scales north of Camp Pendleton.

The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert after the crash happened at 7:16 a.m. between San Clemente and Oceanside.

Check Interactive Traffic Map

Three big rigs were stopped in the slow lane, in line for the weigh station.

A truck driver traveling at 55 mph was unable to stop in time. His truck collided with a tractor trailer hauling a propane tank causing the pileup.

A flatbed truck that was trying to go around the stopped vehicles was pushed into all lanes of traffic officials said. That driver suffered cuts to the back of his head officials said. Minor injuries were reported by other drivers.

Traffic along the highway came to a halt. CHP officers turned vehicles around at Basilone Road and sent them back north. Southbound I-5 was closed to traffic at Cristianitos Road. 

Officers requested three tow trucks and a hazmat team to help clean up fuel and oil spilled on the lanes. The fuel spill initially reported as 100 gallons was later adjusted by CHP at approximately 20 gallons.

As of 9:44 a.m., two southbound lanes were reopened to traffic.

 

With traffic backed up well into Orange County, CHP said it could be some time before the gridlock is cleared.


Wendy's Employee Eats Frosty Straight From Dispenser

0
0

The Taco Bell shell-licker has nothing on this guy.

A photo circulating on Reddit shows a Wendy’s employee inhaling a mouthful of the fast-food chain’s Frosty frozen treat straight from the dispenser.

The folks at Wendy’s have taken notice and said in a tweet early Friday that the employee is no longer with the company.

Last week, a Taco Bell worker seen licking a stack of taco shells was fired after a photo of him in action was posted on the company's Facebook page.



Photo Credit: Reddit

Local Cases Gone Cold

0
0
On June 15, 2001, Lincoln High School student Lynn Bell, 16, was shot and killed while waiting at a bus stop near the Willie Henderson Sports Complex on Logan Avenue in Mountain View. Investigators say Bell was shot several times by an unknown male suspect. A girl playing at a nearby park was also struck in the face by a bullet, but she survived her injuries. Crime Stoppers and San Diego homicide detectives continue to look for the teen's killer 12 years later.

La Mesa Police Ticket 56 ‘Distracted Drivers’

0
0

La Mesa police ticketed 56 “distracted drivers” Friday who were either talking or texting on their cell phones behind the wheel.

The La Mesa Police Department says the citations were issued over the course of a six-hour period Friday morning as part of the “Traffic Safety Enforcement Program” operation aimed at keeping our roadways safe and eliminating distractions while driving.

Funding for the operation was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles website, the base fine for a first-time texting while driving offense is $20, followed by $50 for each subsequent offense. With penalty assessments, the DMV says the fine can be more than triple the base fine amount.

The DMV says driving distractions – including cell phone use – are the leading cause of most vehicle crashes and near-crashes.

According to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 80 percent of crashes involve some sort of driver distraction.

Earlier this week, a pickup truck driver who died in a rollover crash in Poway was found to be texting at the time of the fatal crash. Deputies said David Dorion, 43, was receiving or sending text messages when his truck veered off Espola Road and slammed into a tree.
 



Photo Credit: Shutterstock

New Mural Unveiled at Lincoln Acres Library

0
0

A new mural created by local artists and children was unveiled Friday at the Lincoln Acres Branch Library near National City.

The colorful mosaic mural, which depicts children peacefully playing and learning underneath an enormous green tree, was created by the Rainforest Art Project, a local program that encourages kids and their families to build a sense of pride through the creation of permanent mosaic art installations.

The organization works to bring mosaic masterpieces to San Diego schools, communities, hospitals and libraries.

County Supervisor Greg Cox attended Friday’s unveiling ceremony and said the mural was picture perfect for the library.

“This mural depicts images of the community and of children laughing and playing. That’s appropriate because this library is helping our children laugh, play and exercise their imaginations,” said Cox.

The Rainforest Project held two workshops at the library where local children were able to contribute to the mosaic by bringing their favorite quotes and drawings. The mural includes the County Library’s mission statement to inform, educate, inspire and entertain.

The mosaic is also a tribute to late former library staff member, Jose Luis Rodriguez, who worked with children in the library.

Rodriguez was killed in 2007. A boy depicted in the mural walking hand-in-hand with his younger sister represents Rodriguez.



Photo Credit: County of San Diego Library

Man Stabbed Near Market Street & 6th Avenue

0
0

A man was stabbed to death in the heart of downtown San Diego Thursday.

San Diego police officers arrived at the 600 block of Market Street outside the CVS Pharmacy on the bottom level of the Alta condo high-rise around 4:55 p.m.

Officers say a 52-year-old man was assaulted by a suspect who ran from the scene before they arrived.

The man was transported to a nearby hospital where he died several hours later.

Investigators have not released the man’s name pending notification of next of kin.

Anyone with information can call the San Diego Police Department's Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
 

Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images