The San Diego City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to refuse to pay for Mayor Bob Filner's legal fees in a former employee’s sexual harassment lawsuit.

Special Section: Mayor Under Fire

Filner has been accused of making crude comments and unwanted sexual advances in the lawsuit filed by his former communications director Irene McCormack Jackson.

The city council heard public comment on the issue at hand: whether to foot the bill for Filner’s legal fees.

San Diego resident Julie Adams was adamant that the city should not provide legal counsel.

“As far as paying for his defense, being a groper is not part of his duties, so I say no. I say hell no,” Adams told the council.

Another resident, Izean Rim, felt the mayor should cover his own expenses in this case.
“Let Bob Filner pay for it. Let him get his own lawyer and let him pay for it,” Rim said.

Citing a conflict of interest, the city voted to not cover Filner's legal fees and Council President Todd Gloria said the vote was not connected to the councilmembers’ personal feelings on whether Filner should stay in office or resign.

“As Mayor Bob Filner was elected to serve San Diego and its citizens he was not elected to mistreat and disrespect San Diegans or members of his staff,” Gloria said. “San Diegans have every right to expect service from its mayor.”

“The mayor has no right to expect a blank check from San Diegans to defend his egregious behavior,” he said.

In addition, the council voted to sue Mayor Bob Filner to recover costs for all damages and attorney fees if Filner and the city were found liable in the suit.

Filner asked the city to cover the cost of his attorney’s fees in the civil case brought by high-profile attorney Gloria Allred on behalf of Jackson.

The mayor has hired outside legal counsel for this case, after San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said his office would not represent Filner.

Six Flags Over Texas is investigating a fatal accident on its Texas Giant roller coaster in which a woman fell to her death on July 20.

According to NBC News, Texas is one of at least 17 states that have no state or federal agency responsible for enforcing the safety of amusement parks.

It's different in California, where a state agency inspects every roller coaster up to four times a year.

The state's Department of Industrial Relations is responsible for inspecting roller coasters, fair and carnival rides.

In 2000, a California law established the Permanent Amusement Ride Safety Inspection Program.

Nancy Medeiros is a senior engineer with Cal-OSHA, a division of the Department of Industrial Relations. She says inspections are regular and thorough.

“If it’s serious and the ride should not operate, we don't let it operate,” Medeiros said.

NBC 7 reviewed inspection reports for the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster at Belmont Park in Mission Beach from November 2010 to October 2012.

No safety hazard were observed, but the ride did get a "notice to correct" in November 2010, among the eight requested corrections, the ride's operator was asked to repair cracked chains and replace a wire rope, they were corrected by March 2011.

They were also asked to inspect spring brakes and replace three which were broken at the time of inspection. They were all corrected by Jan 2011

In October 2011, the park removed one of their trains after they got notice that axles needed to be replaced. They were also asked to secure and replace broken roof panels, which they did by December 2011.

Wendy Crain, general manager of the San Diego Coaster Company says the Giant Dipper is very safe.

Besides annual state inspections, they do their own.

“The roller coaster is inspected every single day. The track is walked every single day. The trains are inspected every day.

The only known death on the roller coaster was a year after it was built in 1926. Before it had lap bars, a gentleman stood up at the top of the hill and went over the top,” Crain said.

NBC 7 reviewed inspection reports for SeaWorld San Diego's "Journey to Atlantis ride" from April 2010 to April 2013 and found that "No safety hazards were observed."

Its "Manta" ride was inspected in August 2012 and March 2013.

The inspector told the park they needed additional signs "making sure instructions, limitations and warnings matched the manufacturers specifications" which SeaWorld agreed to do.

There were no safety hazards found on Legoland's "Coastersaurus" according to inspection reports from Jan 2010 to April 2013.

On February 7, 2012 Legoland's Dragon Coaster received a "notice to correct." They were told to inspect and replace fasteners. Legoland made the correction and noted them in writing three days later.

Neither SeaWorld or Legoland returned NBC7’s request for comment.

Wendy Crain says patrons should ask questions and if they see something out of place, they should notify ride operators.

“Look around your park and ask for the reports and documentation because here in California we all have them,” Crain said.

State law also says that the operator or owner of a ride is required to report any injury that requires more than a standard first aid kit.

Under those circumstances, the site of the accident must be preserved for state investigation.

For the first time, prosecutors revealed a possible motive in the beating death of a prominent San Diego architect.

Higinio Soriano Salgado, 31, will stand trial for murder in the death of his boss Graham Downes.

Downes, 56, was pronounced dead several days after he was found critically injured outside his Bankers Hill home on April 19.

Prosecutors claim Salgado was angry that Downes was considering hiring a former employee Salgado didn't like. The prosecution argued the property manager feared the former employee would take his job.

The fight started as a verbal argument during a party at Downes' home officials say.

Salgado, 5-foot 5-inches tall and 300-pounds was the last to leave the party police said. As he left, the argument allegedly became physical.

In pre-trial testimony Wednesday, a medical examiner said Downes suffered 17 to 21 wounds to his head and neck in the fight.

Judge John Einhorn ruled Downes’ did not die in an accidental fight or from an accidental push.

“This was blunt force trauma injuries about the head and the neck,” Einhorn said. “Implied malice is quite easily found.”

At 6-foot, 259-pound, Downes had a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .23 according to the autopsy report.

Immediately following the ruling, Salgado entered a plea of not guilty at an arraignment. His next court appearance was scheduled for Sept. 10 with trial slated to begin Sept. 18.

Downes was widely known for his designs that prompted many to call him a visionary in architecture.

He also had the nickname "Basher" from family and friends who he played rugby with over the years or coached at the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club.

Police have arrested a man accused of stabbing his girlfriend multiple times during a struggle at a 7-Eleven store in Chula Vista.

The Chula Vista Police Department says suspect Rafael Gonzalez De Lipa, 58, has been booked into jail and charged with attempted murder in connection with an alleged assault against his girlfriend.

On Monday, at around 8:20 p.m., police were called to a 7-Eleven store located at 290 I Street to investigate reports of a man – now identified as De Lipa -- beating a woman.

A witness told investigators that the couple had entered the store together.

Shortly after the couple was inside, the witness heard a scream and allegedly saw De Lipa and the woman struggling on the ground. During their fight, the witness said he saw De Lipa repeatedly stab the woman.

When officers arrived at the scene, the woman ran from the store, followed closely by De Lipa. The victim had blood on her face and body.

De Lipa – later determined by police to be the victim’s boyfriend -- was detained by officers, while his girlfriend was taken to UCSD Medical Center with serious injuries.

Ultimately, De Lipa was arrested for attempted murder, Chula Vista Police Department Capt. Gary Wedge said on Wednesday. He’s scheduled to appear in court on Thursday in the South Bay. The victim’s current condition is unknown.
 

Embattled Mayor Bob Filner released a statement Wednesday saying he plans to pay for a controversial trip to Paris he took late in June.

The trip in question was initially said to be funded by the Organization of Iranian-American Communities (OIAC), believed to be a non-profit organization.

The mayor’s travel drew questions about whether or not state limits on gifts were violated.

State law says local elected officials may not accept gifts in excess of $440. However, if the trip has a "governmental or legislative" purpose, and it is paid for by a nonprofit, it falls under one of several loopholes.

However, it turns out OIAC inaccurately represented itself as a non-profit, meaning that loophole no longer applies, and the group should not have covered Filner’s travel expenses in the first place, Filner said.

“I have become aware that OIAC’s representations regarding its non-profit status were inaccurate,” said Filner in a statement released Wednesday. “For this reason, I will reimburse OIAC for all amounts it paid for my travel expenses to participate in its International Conference in Paris, France, above the $420 gift limit.”

Councilman Kevin Faulconer has been calling for more transparency on Filner's trip for four weeks.

“As Chairman of the City’s Audit Committee, I’ve continued to ask questions about Mayor Filner’s junket because the story doesn’t add up," Faulconer said Wednesday. "Nothing makes sense about a San Diego Mayor taking this trip to France. I’m going to continue to investigate to determine if other rules meant to protect taxpayers were broken.”

Earlier this month – prior to explosive accusations of sexual harassment involving Filner coming to light – Filner briefly discussed the trip, but did not initially release details of its cost or purpose.

Last Thursday, Filner’s office released more information about the trip, including figures.

Filner’s office said the mayor was invited to speak at the OIAC’s 2013 Annual Conference for Democracy and also traveled to the city of Lille, France, where he was briefed on energy and sustainability programs that he would like to use as a model for San Diego.

That release said, in part:

“Building and maintaining these international relationships will support several of the Mayor’s most important priorities for San Diego, including increasing cargo imports that lead to good-paying maritime jobs and his vision for an innovative energy and sustainability program.”

Filner’s office revealed that the costs for the mayor’s trip to Paris totaled $31,363.

Nearly one-third of that – the expenses for Filner himself to travel – were paid for by the OIAC. That included airfare that totaled $8,304, lodging that totaled $971 and meals totaling $564.

Two city security detail officers and Filner's former fianceé accompanied him on the trip.

Travel expenses for his security detail were paid by the City of San Diego and amounted to $16,462 in airfare, $3,183 in lodging and $1,599 in meals, according to the figures released by Filner’s office on Jul. 25.

NBC 7 reached out to the OIAC for comment on Wednesday. OIAC vice president Ross Amin said his group is a non-profit, but said he’s unsure what kind, and does not know why the organization doesn’t appear in a federal database of such agencies.

Amin said he was unaware of any conversations between his organization and Filner’s office about the reimbursement, but said he would look into it further.

Meanwhile, NBC 7 Investigates has been requesting more details about the trip to Paris, such as receipts and back-up material for the past month. The mayor’s office did not take any questions on the matter beyond sending out the press releases on Jul. 25 or on Wednesday.

Felipe Monroig, president of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association (SDCTA) had this to say Wednesday night about Filner’s plan to cover some of the travel expenses:

"Mayor Filner has announced that he’ll cover the roughly $9,000 cost of his recent trip to Paris. Yet, there remains a much larger cost for his security detail that taxpayers are still on the hook for," said
Monroig. "Since it’s clear the Mayor’s trip to Paris was little more than a vacation, the Taxpayers Association calls on him to do the right thing and reimburse the full cost, which was upwards of $30,000.”

August is the best and worst time to travel all at once. It's a busy time as families try to get in their last summer vacation but as school begins, those travel rates and fees start dropping.

"August is a pretty good month to travel, especially in the latter part of August," said Get a Room President Bob Diener. He says flights to New York and Las Vegas are some of the lowest prices of the year.

But Diener says you shouldn't necessarily book a round-trip ticket.

"All airlines set their rates each way, so there is really no benefit to taking the same airline round trip anymore," said Diener.

Diener says 50 percent of the time he's finding better fares by booking two one-way flights.

As for hotels, the co-founder of Hotels.com and Getaroom.com says look for special deals for an extra night's stay.

"Stay through Monday or check-in a day early and look to see if the rate is the same or it may be a big discount for staying that third night," said Diener.

Get a Room offers discounted rates on the website but also offers "unpublished" rates you can only get by calling a number on the site. Diener says they can often offer an additional 10-20 percent off the room rate.

But the travel expert says you also have to look out for additional charges like parking and Wi-Fi connection.

And Diener says anyone traveling with children should book hotels that offer free breakfast.

"Not a continental breakfast, but an American breakfast, which means eggs and French toast," says Diener.

A diabetes care company has announced the voluntary recall of 62 million glucose test strips distributed in both the United States and outside the continental USA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed.

Nova Diabetes Care has initiated a voluntary recall of 21 lots of the Nova Max Glucose Test Strips. Nova Max Plus glucose meter kits that include test strips from the recalled lots are also included in the company’s recall.

The test strips are used to measure blood sugar levels. However, the company recently determined that some strips included in the recall may report false, abnormally high blood sugar readings for those living with diabetes.

The FDA says the strips are contaminated with a chemical used in the manufacturing process, which interferes with readings.

The company says those who use the Nova Max Glucose Test Strips should immediately stop using them. Customers can return the strips and receive replacements at no charge by calling the company’s customer service line at (800) 681-7390.

For a full list of the recalled lots click here.

Inmates are being courted by an Orange County jail that is offering flat-screen TVs, brand new beds and other luxury items not often found behind bars.

The Seal Beach Detention Center, which was shut down in 2007 due to its poor financial health only to reopen a year later, is charging inmates between $100 to $120 per day to indulge in their pay-to-stay program.

For a daily price, inmates can enjoy brand new beds, flat-screen TVs and media centers, according to an ad placed by the deparment in LA Weekly (pictured below).

The pay-to-stay program is expected to rake in $400,000 for the jail, according to the 2013-14 Seal Beach Adopted Budget. The jail gets $720,000 from the city to operate.

The program was created to offset the expenses of street arrests, according to a spokesperson for the Seal Beach Police Department.

Inmates must apply and go through an interview process before being admitted, according to the city’s website.

There are no specific criteria that determine who gets accepted and decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, the spokesperson said.

Those accepted are housed in cells that have TVs with cable, but are not in a different part of the jail, officials said. Inmates may not watch TV after lights out, which starts at 10 p.m.

Additionally, inmates in the program may work outside of the jail wearing a GPS tracking device, if approved by the city court, according to the city's website.

The detention center can house up to 30 inmates.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article erroneously attributed comments about the Seal Beach Jail's new program to Sgt. Steve Bowles. Bowles has not commented to NBC4 about this story.

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Personal information of hundreds of former Sears employees, including their Social Security numbers, was found in file cabinets a South Side Chicago man bought at a liquidation sale last weekend.

Hersey Mallory said his surprise turned to frustration when he tried to alert the retailer of the problem and couldn't get anyone to care enough to take the files back.

At $23 apiece, Mallory said he thought the file cabinets he bought Saturday were a good deal. But almost immediately he noticed how heavy the cabinets were. He understood why when he opened a drawer.

Inside were documents with personal information for former Sears employees. The files ranged from photos to records with marital status information, as well as birth certificates, termination papers and forms detailing accusations of theft.

Mallory said those employees have a right to privacy.

"The company should have had a little bit more due diligence in order to protect these people," he said.

Mallory said he'd tried calling Sears eight or nine times this week to alert them of the security problem.

"Take them off my hands and put them in the proper place before someone who's unscrupulous gets them," he said.

But instead of getting the attention he expected, Mallory said got the run-around from company representatives. He said one of his calls found him transferred to a representative in India. In another attempt, a representative gave him some creative advice: leave the files on a loading dock at the Sears store on State Street in Chicago.

Frustrated, Mallory contacted NBC Chicago. After an inquiry, Sears' Director of Corporate Communications, Howard Riefs, promised to look into it.

"We greatly appreciate the customer bringing the issue to our attention," Riefs said in a statement. "Ensuring the integrity of our associates' personal information is of the utmost importance."

By Wednesday afternoon, Mallory said he'd been contacted by a Sears representative and an appointment was made to have the files collected.

Mallory said he was offered a $100 gift certificate as a thank you for his integrity. He said he doesn't want anything at all and said the entire matter was just one of character and doing the right thing.

Family members and friends will say their final goodbyes Thursday to four of the victims of last week's horrific Hialeah shooting.

The funerals of Italo and Samira Pisciotti, Merly Niebles and Pricilla Perez will take place Thursday. The Pisciottis will be laid to rest at 9:30 a.m. at Vista Memorial Gardens at 14200 Northwest 57th Avenue in Miami Lakes. Niebles and Perez will be laid to rest at 2 p.m. at Dade South Memorial Park at 14200 Southwest 117th Avenue in Miami.

Hialeah Police are also expected to give an update on their investigation into the shooting at an 11 a.m. news conference.

On Wednesday, family members paid their final respects to victim Carlos Gavilanes at a funeral at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Hialeah. His uncle, Nivardo Diaz, remembered Gavilanes as “totally devoted” to his family.

Family, Friends of Teen Shooting Victim Speak

"He was unbelievable,” said Diaz, who recalled weekend and holiday barbecues together. “He loved being with his family. He was always the life of the party and obviously we’re going to miss that about him.”

Police say Pedro Vargas, 42, shot and killed six people and held two others hostages, and opened fire on police officers before he was killed by SWAT team members during a violent standoff Friday at an apartment building in the 1400 block of West 46th Street.

Vargas had set $10,000 in cash on fire before the shooting spree and standoff that lasted until early Saturday, police said.

Hialeah Gunman Downloaded Files on Hacking, Explosives: Documents

Italo Pisciotti, 79, and Samira Pisciotti, 69, the husband and wife who managed the building where Vargas lived with his 83-year-old mother for the last 12 years, were killed, as were neighbor Perez, 17, her mother, Niebles and stepfather Patricio Simono, and Gavilanes, who was killed across the street.

Police haven't determined a motive in the shootings. On Wednesday, police released a 911 call from Vargas placed just hours before the shooting, in which the gunman said he was being harassed by someone using witchcraft against him.

Vargas, who police say had no criminal record, can be heard telling the dispatcher in Spanish that someone was following him and using witchcraft against him. He told the dispatcher he was suspicious of a car parked outside the apartment building that he knew did not belong to anyone living there.

Earlier Wednesday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott thanked members of the Hialeah Police Department and SWAT team for their work rescuing the hostages.

"Your heart goes out to families, the individuals that were impacted, but also I just wanted to thank you for what you did, it can't be easy to put your lives at risk," Scott told the officers. "If it wasn't for individuals like you, we wouldn't have the safety we have."

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A boy found his mother dead in their Escondido home Wednesday morning, according to police.

Officials said they received a call around 11 a.m. from a child who said he could not wake his mother.

Officers visited a home in the 1500-block of East El Norte Parkway and found that resident 43-year-old Jacinto Montalvo was dead.

The investigation concluded that Montalvo was murdered, though officials did not immediately release further details regarding her killing. Her husband, 46-year-old Jose "Tony" Hernandez, is wanted in connection with the homicide.

Police are asking for the public's help in locating the suspect (pictured above). Hernandez is described as 5-foot-6, weighing 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He is known to drive a 4-door GMC Canyon pickup truck with the California license plate 7D60443.

Anyone who spots Hernandez is encouraged to call 911 and report the incident.

NBC 7 spoke to neighbors in Escondido Wednesday night who said Montalvo was a very kind, sweet mother of three young children.

Neighbors told NBC 7 Montalvo and Hernandez experienced some marriage troubles a few months ago and he moved out of their home. However, neighbors said Hernandez had recently moved back in, and, as far as they knew, the couple was doing better.

Watch NBC 7 News at 11 p.m. for the latest updates on this developing story.

Embattled San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has decided to cancel his monthly open office hours previously scheduled for August, his office announced on Wednesday.

According to Filner’s camp, the monthly “Meet the Mayor” session, which is typically held the first Saturday of every month, will not go on as planned in August.

A statement released by the mayor’s office reads, in part:

“The Mayor looks forward to resuming his monthly sessions in the City hall lobby in the month of September, and appreciates your understanding for the cancellation.”

Special Section: Mayor Under Fire

The cancellation comes after a couple of whirlwind weeks for Filner, who’s been accused of sexual harassment by eight local women.

Former allies, local leaders and the San Diego County Democratic Party have all called for Filner to resign, and efforts to recall Filner are underway.

TIMELINE: Bob Filner's Term as Mayor

Last week, Filner announced he will undergo two weeks of intensive therapy to correct his behavior beginning on Aug. 5. Still, Filner shows no signs of resigning from office and has not addressed any of the specific sexual harassment claims brought to light by his accusers.

Prior to Filner’s scandal taking center stage, his “Meet the Mayor” hours were a hit with constituents.

In February, more than 100 San Diegans lined up at the City Administration building in downtown San Diego for a chance to chat with Filner.

Back in February, Filner told NBC 7 his monthly open office hours were part of his mission as mayor to make himself accessible to the public.

“I’ve always believed that government has to be very close to the people,” Filner told NBC 7 in a February interview. “[I thought] Let’s have people come into City Hall Saturday mornings and we’ll just talk to people. Have some coffee and just talk. It’s as simple as that.”
 

Social media has fueled revolutions, raised money for victims of tragedies and on Wednesday - it helped save the life of a cat.

Thanks to the powers of Facebook, an orange and white tabby was rescued from the post office on 14th Street in San Leandro, which was left to starve and bake in the sun.

“I’m not a big fan of Facebook,” said Ken Carbone, owner of Dolphin Graphics in Castro Valley, whose employee, Bebe Duarte, began posting urgent pleas on the social media site to help get the cat down off the roof.  “But today, something hugely positive came of it.”

As the story of the cat saga unfolds, a Facebook friend of Duarte’s posted on her page three days ago that she noticed a cat stranded on top of the post office across the street from where she lives.

“You can’t just leave a living animal on the roof,” Duarte said.  And the promotions director jumped into action. By 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, she had contacted media outlets – by Facebook, of course – about the cat, after she said she called police, fire and animal control services for help with no success.

She also used Facebook’s instant messaging system to contact a graphics client, Doc Bailey Construction Equipment, Inc., in Oakland. “Will you get this kitty down from a roof?” she asked. 
And within a half hour, a truck with a bucket crane was rolling to the post office.

“We were happy to help,” said the crane’s rental manager, Larry Hall.

All the while, the folks from Dolphin Graphics took photos, and Robert Souza, the editor of CastroValleyTV.com, who was nearby, made a video of the rescue.

Before noon, the cat was off the roof, and whisked away to Dr. Andrew Moffett, another client of Dolphin Graphics and a veterinarian at Groveway Vet Hospital in Castro Valley.

At no charge, Moffett checked out the cat, gave it a shot and gave it a clean bill of health. Best of all, he discovered the cat had a chip in its neck, which allowed the volunteer team of cat rescuers to call its owner, who Duarte said was apparently “over the moon” about the discovery.

Souza provided the YouTube video embedded below:

(Video courtesy Robert Souza / San Leandro TV)

A Pakistani television show host gave away two abandoned babies on live television during this year's Ramadan, Reuters reported.

The show, "Amaan Ramazan," hosted by popular Pakistani talk-show host Aamir Liaquat Hussain, usually gives away mobile phones and land deeds. But for Ramadan, when the show is in a ratings war with other talk shows, the host presented two families with abandoned babies.

"If we didn't find this baby, a cat or a dog would have eaten it," Hussain proclaimed during a broadcast, Reuters reported.

The newborns were rescued by the Chhipa Welfare Association, a Pakistani aid organization, which searches garbage dumps and other areas for discarded children, according to Reuters. The organization's head said potential parents had been vetted.

Hussain has also made a call on his website for families to turn over their children directly to him.

"If any family cannot afford to bring up their new born baby due to poverty or illness then instead of killing them, they should hand over the baby to Dr Aamir," a notice on his website reads.

Hussain reportedly plans to give away a baby boy next.

Many Pakistanis have been left disgusted with Hussain's antics on the show, Reuters said.

A Rhode Island man accused of drunken driving and causing a serious crash was arrested in Stonington last night after his son called 911 to tell police he feared for his life, according to state police.

The 10-year-old boy called 911 just before 10:30 p.m. to report that he and his 12-year-old sister were in the car their father was driving on Interstate 95 and he was drunk and speeding, according to the police report.

The boy was so scared that he was considering jumping out of the moving car to avoid crashing at the speeds they were traveling, police said.

The call was made on the Connecticut-Rhode Island border and went to Rhode Island state police.

As Rhode Island state police were transferring the call to Connecticut state police, it was dropped, police said.

Within seconds, Connecticut state police started receiving several 911 calls reporting a crash in the area.

When police responded to I-95 South near exit 91, they found a Jeep overturned 50 feet off the right side of the road, down an embankment. The man in the vehicle suffered blunt-force trauma was taken to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital to be treated, police said.

Police gave the driver of the other car, Owen Gilman, 49, of Warwick, field sobriety tests and arrested him when he failed, police said.

Police said the two juveniles were transported to Westerly Hospital to be treated for lacerations.

Police said they also found a “significant amount” of marijuana in the car, as well as drug paraphernalia and Gilman was charged with reckless driving, operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, illegal sale of a controlled substance, two counts of risk of injury to child, two counts of second-degree assault with a motor vehicle and additional charges.

He was unable  to post the $35,000 cash/surety bond and he will be arraigned today in New London.
 
 

The state of Connecticut is suing a Bridgeport grocery and convenience store owner accused of using hundreds of food stamp accounts to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of energy drinks, candy bars, beef jerky and other products that he sold at his store.

Saaid Cherkaoui, who runs Slim’s Deli Market, is accused of obtaining EBT cards from authorized recipients and using them at BJ’s Wholesale Club, where he bought products at a discount.

State officials said the scheme began as early as March 1, 2011 and continued until Oct. 6, 2012  He’d swipe card after card at the self-checkout to pay for the products, then resell the items at his store, according to the complaint the state filed against Cherkaoui.

“The alleged misuse of these benefit cards diverts taxpayer nutrition assistance funds from those who need it most – especially children -- and is an abuse of public trust,” Attorney General Jepsen said in a statement. “The state also has an interest in assuring an honest marketplace, in which economic activity is conducted without fraud or deception.”

The program, called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, is a federally funded food sustenance program that provides assistance to low-income individuals and families at risk of undernourishment.

Benefits are distributed through an Electronic Benefits Transfer, which can be used like a debit card to buy groceries, but not cigarettes or alcohol.

At times, people who receive the federal benefits have sold the cards for cash, drugs or alcohol, according to state officials.

The state is seeking civil penalties of $5,000 for every violation of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act and disgorgement of all revenues, profits and gains Cherkaoui might have realized from the alleged scheme.

More information will be posted once it becomes available.

The Department of Social Services investigated the case and operates a fraud reporting hotline at 1-800-842-2155. If you have a case to report, you can also e-mail providerfraud.dss@ct.gov.
 

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has never received sexual harassment training, said his lawyer in a letter to the city attorney’s office.

NBC 7 has obtained a letter from attorneys representing Filner in a sexual harassment suit brought by former employee Irene McCormack Jackson. Jackson claimed that Filner sexually harassed her multiple times, and filed a lawsuit through prominent attorney Gloria Allred.

Special Section: Mayor Under Fire

The city has refused to pay for Filner's legal fees in the lawsuit, citing conflict of interest.

But Filner’s lawyer states that if the city had provided mandatory sexual harassment training within the time allotted, Jackson may never have filed the case.

Eight women have publicly come forward claiming Filner sexually harassed them, but Jackson has been the only person to make the claim while Filner was mayor.  Many of the women recalled incidents that allegedly occurred during Filner's 10 terms in Congress.

“The City has a legal obligation to provide sexual harassment training to all management level employees,” wrote Filner’s lawyer Harvey Berger. “The City failed to provide such training to Mayor Filner.”

Berger also states that Filner never received such training as a U.S. Representative and may not know what indicates sexual harassment.

“This is not an excuse for any inappropriate behavior which may have occurred, but I have learned that many – if not most – people do not know what is and what is not illegal sexual harassment under California law," Berger stated.

Timeline: Filner's Mayoral Career

It appears if Filner is found liable in the current claim, his defense attorneys are planning on laying blame on the City of San Diego.

They use that as a case to persuade city leaders to put aside politics and “unverified and public statements” into account when deciding whether to defend the mayor.

If the city fails to fund Filner’s defense, his attorneys claim “It will be a political, not a rational decision.”

NBC 7 checked on rules and regulations regarding what training is required for members of Congress.

Congressional representatives are not required to receive ethics training, but are advised to have it. Even if a member did take ethics training, the House of Representatives does not divulge the contents of the training.

Congressional staff members are required to take ethics training, but the content of that training is also confidential.

Filner served in Congress from 1993 to 2013 - first for the 50th District and then for the 51st District, according to Vote Smart. Prior to that he was a member of the San Diego City Council from 1987 to 1992 and a member of the San Diego Unified School Board from 1979 to 1983.

Filner also earned a BA in Chemistry from Cornell University, his Master’s degree in History from the University of Delaware and went on to earn a Ph.D. in the History of Science again from Cornell.

A Manhattan ad executive who went out to smoke on the balcony of her 17th-floor apartment while on a first date plunged to her death early Thursday morning when she sat on the railing and it gave way, according to police sources.

Sources told NBC 4 New York that Jennifer Rosoff, 35, and her date were on the balcony at about 12:30 a.m. and when she sat on the railing's corner, it broke and she plunged to the ground, hitting scaffolding on the way down.

Her date told investigators he heard two pops before the railing gave way.

Witnesses reported seeing a screaming man, believed to be Rosoff's date, running from the building at 400 E. 57th St in Sutton Place. Police spoke to him and cleared him of any wrongdoing.

A source on the scene provided a description of the railing, which appeared to be metal, and was bent and twisted, with a cigarette lighter still sitting nearby.

The Buildings Department is investigating.

Only the higher-floor corner apartments in the gray brick building have balconies, and the Buildings Department issued a partial vacate order for them Thursday.

A neighbor of Rosoff on the 17th floor, who did not want to give his name, told NBC 4 New York his landlord had sent the superintendent and an inspector to examine his balcony two or three months ago.

"They just asked to peek at it, and I just assumed they were only talking about the surface of it, because that's what they had worked on," he said.

The landlord, Stonehenge Management, LLC, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Rosoff, who had worked at The New Yorker and Lucky Magazine, was director of sales at TripleLift, an advertising company on Fifth Avenue. CEO Eric Berry told NBC 4 New York the staff was struggling Thursday after learning of her death.

"She was a well-loved and highly respected member of our team," Berry said in a statement. "The entire company is distraught by the loss of Ms. Rosoff -- she will be deeply missed."

Hours after a car thief drove off with a $200,000 sports car left running by a restaurant valet, officers arrested a suspect and recovered the vehicle, police said Wednesday.

Dylan Coffey, 20, was arrested Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of burglary after he broke into an Arleta house while fleeing from officers. Detectives were piecing together evidence that he also stole the car, according to a Los Angeles Police Department statement.

Around lunch time on Tuesday, a man got into a Mercedes-Benz SLS parked outside of the Feed Body and Soul restaurant in Venice Beach (map). A valet left the luxury roadster running for the owner - DeAnna Staats, who also owns the restaurant.

"I was ready to park it right in front of the restaurant like I always do and I let my guard down," said the valet, who asked to be identified only as "Benjamin." "He threw down a bike and he got in the car and took off. I called 911 right away"

LAPD Detective Lt. Paul Vernon said Coffey apparently left behind a bicycle at the Venice Beach restaurant.

The car was immediately reported stolen, and police tracked it using an OnStar system to the Van Nuys area. About 3 p.m., they found it in Panorama City, near an American Legion post.

Officers staked out the empty car, then saw Coffey come near it, according to an LAPD statement.

"Something spooked him and he went into the (post) where detectives entered," Lt. Vernon said. Coffey ran out of the hall and jumped a fence, fleeing into a residential area, according to the statement.

Coffey went into a home that wasn't his and dressed in the homeowner's clothes, then hid beneath a woodpile, according to the statement.

Officers arrested Coffey and safely recovered the Mercedes.

"The owner was happy to hear her car was found, none the worse for wear," Vernon said, "and we promised her we wouldn’t dirty the interior with print dust."

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