Local COASTER and Sprinter trains, along with Breeze buses, will offer free rides to partygoers on New Year’s Eve, the North County Transit District (NCTD) announced this week.
Tickets will not be necessary after 6 p.m. that night. The NCTD said the free rides are being offered as a way to help New Year’s Eve revelers get to and from their celebrations safely, while discouraging drinking and driving.
An extra southbound COASTER train will depart from the Oceanside Transit Center at 8:30 p.m. arriving at the Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego by 9:30 p.m.
An additional northbound late-night train will leave downtown San Diego at 12:45 a.m. on Jan. 1.
Other free nighttime COASTER trains include southbound departures from Carlsbad Village at 8:35 p.m., Encinitas at 8:47 p.m. and Old Town at 9:25 p.m.
Free late-night northbound COASTER trains include departures from Solana Beach at 1:21 a.m. and Oceanside at 1:45 a.m.
Meanwhile, the Sprinter train will have extended hourly service from Escondido between 8:33 p.m. to 12:33 a.m. and from Oceanside during those same hours. A final trip will leave Oceanside at 2:03 a.m. to allow for connection with the final COASTER.
For more information on this free, extended New Year’s Eve train service, visit the NCTD website.
In this episode of San Diego Fact Check, Voice of San Diego looked at the claim Mayor Bob Filner told photographer Sam Hodgson that the fourth floor of City Hall is now empty after being used to house. Get more from voiceofsandiego.org here.
A 40-year-old man was severely injured in a surfing accident Sunday, officials confirmed.
According to San Diego lifeguards, the incident happened around 11:40 a.m. near Camino Del Oro in La Jolla Shores.
Details surrounding the accident were not immediately available but officials said the victim sustained a severe laceration to his head, accompanied by significant blood loss.
Medics were called to the scene to treat the man. He is expected to survive his injuries.
A water main break in the Midway District area left several local businesses without water Sunday.
According to Water Department officials, a corroded, 18-inch, cast iron water main broke just before 6 a.m. in the 2800 block of Midway Drive.
The water was shut off by 8 a.m.
Officials said the water main break impacted several businesses in the area, including a post office and some strip malls. The businesses will likely be without water service until 11 p.m.
Police shut down Midway Drive so crews could clean up the mud and debris. Lanes will reopen as crews make progress throughout the day.
The cause of the main break is under investigation.
When officials arrived, they discovered the woman – 41-year-old mother Antonia Duran (pictured above) – dead inside the home. The young girl was in critical condition and transported to Rady Children’s Hospital.
Shortly thereafter investigators arrested suspect Daniel Hernandez, 28, in connection with the fatal stabbing. Officials said Hernandez was a friend of Duran’s, but did not provide specifics on their relationship. He’s been charged with Duran’s murder and the attempted murder of her daughter.
In an arraignment Thursday, prosecutors revealed the brutality of the attack. They said Hernandez had allegedly slashed Duran’s throat and stabbed her 22 times. He also allegedly stabbed the child 26 times.
Duran’s daughter was sleeping inside the home during the attack but prosecutors said she woke up and screamed, “Leave my mom alone!” She then became a victim in Hernandez’s stabbing rampage.
Deputies found Hernandez at a laundromat hours after the assault washing his bloodied clothes and shoes.
He’s now being held at Vista Detention Facility on $5 million bail and is considered an “extreme danger to society,” according to prosecutors. Hernandez also has a criminal history of assault and burglary. He’s scheduled to appear in court again on Dec. 28.
The young girl, whose name has not been released, is still recovering at the hospital, but is expected to survive her injuries, officials said. As of Thursday, she was in a medically-induced coma at Rady Children’s Hospital.
So far, the girl’s family has set up two funds for her and her siblings at Chase Bank under the name “Duran Kids.”
All donations collected will go directly to the young victim and Duran’s other surviving children as they cope with the sudden death of their mother.
Donations can be made under the following account numbers at Chase Bank: #3016833591, an account set up for all of Duran’s children, and #963522594, an account set up specifically for the young stabbing victim.
A fire sparked at a condominium in Lemon Grove Sunday morning, fire officials said.
The blaze began just before 10 a.m. in the 3300 block of Alford Street, near Broadway.
Heartland Fire & Rescue crews responded and were able to contain the blaze within about 15 minutes.
The family of three who lives in the condo told NBC 7 they were at church when the fire started. A neighbor smelled smoke coming from the home and called authorities.
No one was injured. The American Red Cross is assisting the family, who had just moved into the condo this past November.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. San Diego Gas & Electric officials are investigating the boiler inside the home because it may have been left on and unattended.
Researchers at UCSD have released new findings on the genetics behind autism. The study could lead to earlier detection and possibly new treatments. NBC 7 s Chris Chan reports.
A man was tied up during a home invasion robbery in Santee Saturday night, sheriff’s deputies confirmed.
The home invasion happened around 11:45 p.m. at a residence on Via Nina near Magnolia Park.
According to authorities, a suspect knocked on the man’s front door and when he answered, the suspect forced his way inside the home.
Deputies said the suspect, described as a Hispanic man, was armed with a sawed-off shotgun. When he forced his way in, a Hispanic female also entered the residence.
Investigators said the suspects then tied up the victim and ransacked the home, stealing a computer, cell phone and check book, among other items.
They also stole the victim’s car, a 2011 Jeep Compass, and fled the scene. A neighbor told NBC 7 he saw the suspects driving off in the stolen getaway car.
The suspects are still at large, and anyone with information on this case is urged to contact authorities. Other than being bound, the victim in this case was not injured. He was able to free himself and call 911 after the robbery.
Meanwhile, sheriff’s deputies say there was another home invasion robbery Saturday night in the Decanso/Jacumba area.
Not many details were released about that home invasion, but officials did say the victim in that case was beaten and sustained serious injuries. He was airlifted to Grossmont Hospital.
It is unknown if these two home invasions are in any way related. The investigation on both is ongoing.
Police on Sunday were searching for the person or people responsible for vandalizing Nativity scenes at a Catholic church and a home in Huntington Beach.
Someone misspelled "Hail (sic) Hitler" and drew a Hitler mustache on the baby Jesus outside a home in the 16000 block of Woodstock Lane, police said. They also put a Nazi symbol on one of the wisemen likely with a black Sharpie pen.
Homeowner Richard Candlish reported it to police and cleaned up the scene he said he spent a month putting up.
"It probably took less than 15 minutes for someone just to deface all of it," he said.
The case followed another one in which similar scrawlings were found about three blocks away on a Nativity scene at Saint Bonaventure Catholic Parish. Parishoners called police at 9 a.m. to report the vandalism.
Parishoner Max Periolat, 10, said he was offended.
"Who would do such a thing?" he said. "If I saw them I would give them a whopper."
Friends and family are remembering Antonia Duran, the 41-year-old woman stabbed to death in San Marcos. Her young daughter remains in critical condition. NBC 7's Chris Chan attended the candlelight vigil for the victim, a very emotional gathering.
One person was killed and three others injured when two cars collided on State Route 76 near Via Monserate around 3:30 p.m. Sunday. NBC 7's Artie Ojeda reports.
San Diego police officers are investigating two armed robberies minutes apart at two gas stations – one in San Diego and the other in La Mesa.
A man entered the Thrifty gas station at University Avenue near Interstate 805 around 3 a.m. Monday, pulled a hand gun and demanded cash from an employee.
The suspect ran from the gas station with the money.
About half an hour later, police were called after a man entered an Arco Gas Station near Palm Avenue and Spring Street. He also pointed a gun at the clerk, demanded cash and threatened the clerk.
Officers are not saying if the two crimes are related.
The never-before paired UCLA Bruins and Baylor Bears will square off Thursday at Qualcomm Stadium for this year's Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl.
Kickoff is at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 27th. The Bruins enter the bowl with a 9-4 record, while the Bears have a 7-5 overall record.
It costs $20 for cars to park at Qualcomm Stadium, and $40 for RVs. The parking lot is expected to be full two hours before kickoff. Click here for a stadium overflow map.
You can also take the trolley to the stadium by hopping on the Green Line at these locations. Service starts at 5 a.m. and continues until midnight. More frequent trips on the Green Line begin at 11:40 a.m.
Prior to the game, "America's Largest Balloon Parade" will march through Downtown San Diego. The parade starts at 10 a.m., and features bands, floats and of course balloons.
The best way to get to the parade without driving is to take the trolley. Here are the best routes for the Holiday Bowl service:
South of Downtown: take the Blue Line to the America Plaza station.
North of Downtown, including Mission Valley and Hotel Circle: take the Green Line to the Santa Fe Depot. MTS will offer more frequent Green Line service between Qualcomm Stadium and the Parade route.
East of Downtown: take the Orange Line to the America Plaza station.
Tickets for the 2012 Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl can be purchased here. Last-minute tickets can be purchased at Qualcomm Stadium, Window B, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Weather on Thursday is expected to be mostly sunny, but with a 30 percent chance of precipitation in the afternoon. Temperatures will be in the 50s, so bring a coat and an umbrella.
Google isn't a search engine to sit around and mope. Despite its relationship with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracking Santa via Google Maps and Google Earth since 2007, this year NORAD decided to go with rival search engine Bing instead.
But Google didn't pout and it didn't cry.
Instead, Google decided to go it alone and create its own Santa Tracker perhaps in a bid to crush NORAD's own website and app.
The Google site also has many more Easter eggs, interactivity and games to make NORAD's website look amateurish. Because apparently in the tech world, getting dumped as a Santa tracker partner is a serious insult, especially if the new partner is a direct competitor.
So perhaps your only course of action would be to spend millions to create a better version to gain more eyeballs and followers.
The new Google Santa Tracker allows people to send messages or phone calls from Santa. We're wondering if the "development elves" that Brian McClendon, vice president of Google Maps and Google Earth, wrote about on the Official Google Blog are helping out with this.
One can't really blame NORAD if it wants to date other search engines. NORAD's been tracking Santa Claus on Christmas Eve since 1955, according to its site, and it's only spent the last five years in a partnership with Google.
A pizza delivery car struck and killed a woman in Otay Mesa Sunday.
The woman, identified by the medical examiner as 88-year-old Ejanda Salome, was walking at the intersection of Picador Boulevard and Arey Drive around 7 p.m. Sunday.
Officers said the driver of the pizza delivery car was traveling northbound when he struck Salome. She was pronounced dead upon paramedics' arrival.
Officers say Salome was moved some distance from the intersection by the power of the crash, however they don’t believe the driver was speeding.
Salome was widowed and lived with her son and his wife in a San Diego home.
The medical examiner's report states she was walking against a red light when the collision occurred.
There is also still a question of if the driver was working at the time of the accident.
“The vehicle obviously does have a pizza sign and whether it was making a delivery or just leaving the scene, that I don't know,” said Sgt. Art Doherty with San Diego police.
It doesn’t appear the driver will be cited in the incident.
Three people were hospitalized after a fire engulfed their home in Mount Hope on Sunday, according to fire officials.
The family lost nearly all their belongings and their pet dog just two days before Christmas.
They were being treated for minor smoke inhalation injuries at a local trauma center, a fire dispatcher said.
The blaze began around 5:30 a.m. in a duplex in the 4300-block of J Street.
Flames poured from the home as firefighters arrived, according to video footage obtained from the scene.
In the scene video, a man can be seen running and screaming from the home carrying two children - one over each shoulder.
Firefighters estimated about $200,000 damage to the property and $100,000 damage to the contents of the home.
A fire dispatcher said three pet dogs were also occupants of the home. One animal was found uninjured in the backyard, another puppy took shelter at neighbor's house, but a third family pet died at the scene.
Emergency crews knocked out the fire around 6:30 a.m. No firefighters were injured during the response.
Hours after the fire had been extinguished, an undamaged Chirstmas tree was visible in the front yard.
Kathy Herrera told NBC 7 San Diego that her mom owns the home and was renting it to a family she knows.
"My mom called us this morning, crying, telling us her house had burned down," Herrera said. "They think it was caused by space heater. My mom just really wants to know if the family is OK."
Two volunteer firefighters were killed and two others seriously injured when they were ambushed with gunfire while responding to a house fire in western New York -- what police now believe was a Christmas Eve trap set up by the shooter aimed at killing first responders.
"These people get up in the middle of the night to go and put out fires," Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering said. "They don't expect to be shot and killed."
Four firefighters responded to the fire at 5:35 a.m., two of them on an engine truck and two in private vehicles. They were all fired upon immediately and all hit, Pickering said. One fled the scene in his own car, and the other three were pinned down until a SWAT team arrived.
Police chased the shooter and exchanged gunfire with him, Pickering said. The shooter's body was found outside one of the houses, dead of a gunshot wound. Pickering was not sure if it was self-enflicted or if he was shot by police.
Firefighters Michael Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka were killed at the scene, and Theodore Scardino and Joseph Hofsetter suffered serious injuries and were being treated in the intensive care unit of Strong Memorial Hospital, according to Dr. Nicole Staffen, who treated both firefighters.
Scardino was shot twice, Staffen said -- one bullet went through his left lung and broke his shoulder blade, and the other injured his right knee. Hofsetter was shot in the pelvis, and the bullet was lodged against his spinal bone, Staffen said.
"Both are awake, alert, with good blood pressure," Staffen said. "Both have significant injuries."
Chiapperini was a lieutenant in Pickering's police department.
“These firemen are part of our family. You go into a fire with these guys. To see them go down with something like this is totally unexpected,” Billy Gross, fire commissioner for West Webster, told the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. "We are in shock."
For hours, while police tried to secure the scene and evacuate residents, firefighters were unable to battle the blaze. By 9:50 a.m., officials said there was no longer an "active shooter," and firefighters could again fight the fire -- but by then, it had spread, destroying four houses and damaging three others.
"It's just a miserable thing to happen this time of year, any time," Assemblyman Mark Johns, who represents the district and said he was friends with at least one of the victims, told WHEC. "People that volunteer to come down and help others are shot at, wounded, killed. It's terrible, terrible."
"We looked out the window and we saw the SWAT team and everyone around," Michael Damico, a nearby resident who was evacuated, told the Democrat and Chronicle. "Some people on this bus already watched their houses burn. They're not happy."
This is the second high-profile shooting in just 10 days. On Dec. 14, 20-year-old Adam Lanza killed 20 first-graders and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
"Emotions are extremely high," said Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks. "There's a heightened awareness to this type of violence in light of what happened in Connecticut. I want everyone to remember, it's Christmas Eve, we have first responders, and we have families who are in pain and crisis today. We need to, as a community, keep them in our thoughts and prayers."
Two people were arrested Monday after fire damaged beachfront property in Point Loma.
Arson investigators were at the scene of a house fire along Sunset Cliffs near Guizot Street.
San Diego Fire Rescue crews received a call of a fire on the second story of the two-story house around 2 a.m. The home appeared to be occupied but may have been used as a rental property officials said.
Neighbors told NBC 7 San Diego that no one lives in the house full-time.
It took crews 25 minutes to knock the fire down.
Police detained two people for questioning but would not confirm
if the two individuals were involved in the fire.
