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

"Difficult" Conditions in Battle Against Silver Fire

0
0

California Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in the wake of a Riverside County wildfire that has claimed more than 18,000 acres.

The Silver Fire wildfire has consumed 25 square miles of dry, mountainous terrain in less than two days was heading east in the direction of Palm Springs Friday, as high winds posed a challenge in battle against the fire.

More than 1,630 firefighters were on scene as gusts continued to push the flames, which had prompted mandatory evacuations and worries about the fire's dangerous growth potential.

Since it broke out about 2 p.m. Wednesday in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains about 90 miles east of Los Angeles, the blaze has injured five firefighters and severely burned one resident.

Nearly 30 structures, most of them homes, were destroyed.

An estimated 1,800 people were told to evacuate from multiple communities, with Snow Creek Village the most recent addition, according to an online incident report.

Photos: Viewer Images | More Fire Images | Send Us Your Fire Photos

Smoke smothered Snow Creek, where residents could see flames coming down the mountain early Friday. Longtime homeowner Donald Tousseau was one of the few who refused to evacuate the foothill community near Palm Springs.

“I’ve been through this before,” Tousseau said. “I don’t like to be a hazard or a handicap to the firemen, because I know they worry about you. But if it came to the time, and it’s really dangerous, I’d get out.”

The mailboxes of those who stayed behind were tagged by authorities by yellow caution tape.

By Friday evening, the Silver Fire had burned 18,000 acres south of Banning and Cabazon, two cities along the 10 Freeway. The fire was 40 percent contained.

Winds blowing at 26 mph -- along with the rugged terrain -- were a cause for concern as the flames moved east toward the resort town of Palm Springs. Together, they make for tough conditions, fire officials said.

"They have a 40-pound pack on their back, they’re walking up into the rocky terrain that’s very steep, now you add these winds. It really is difficult to fight fire up there,” said Riverside County Fire Department Capt. Lucas Spelman.

Temperatures were expected to reach into the 90s in the region Friday.

At least 26 homes and a commercial building were destroyed, and two other structures were damaged, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

At a Thursday afternoon news conference, Cal Fire Riverside Chief John R. Hawkins said more than 500 structures had been threatened in the blaze, which he said had moved rapidly and jumped Highway 243 soon after it was reported.

Fire official had said one resident was discovered severely burned from "head to toe" inside a travel trailer near the fire's origin at Wolfskill Truck Trail (map). 

The fast-growing blaze is in the same treacherous area as the 2006 Esperanza Fire, a wildfire that killed five U.S. Forest Service firefighters, adding to the worries of those battling the flames.

Hawkins called the Silver Fire a "180-degree mirror image of Esparanza Fire."

Evacuation orders remain in effect for Vista Grande, Mt. Edna, Poppet Flats, Twin Pines and Silent Valley, Snow Creek Village in Cabazon, and other parts of Cabazon. Evacuation centers were established at Hemet High School, 41701 East Stetson Ave. in Hemet and Beaumont High School, 39139 Cherry Valley Blvd., in Beaumont.

Evacuation order will be lifted at 6 p.m. for Snow Creek, Cabazon, Mt. Edna and Poppet Flats, according to a tweet from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department spokesman.

An animal evacuation center was established at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus, 581 South Grand Ave. in San Jacinto.

Boulder Basin and Black Mountain Campgrounds on Black Mountain Road have been closed through Aug. 15. And evacuation orders were issued for for Marion Mountain Campground, Fern Basin Campground, Dark Canyon Campground -- and for the the Marion Mountain and Seven Pines hiking trails.

Highway 243 was closed between Banning and Poppet Flats.

As the fight against the Silver Fire continued, crews fully contained the 1,383-acre Falls Fire burning about 5 miles west of Lake Elsinore.

Residents in the following areas were told to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities: Lake Elsinore, Perris Valley, Hemet/San Jacinto Valley, Banning Pass, Coachella Valley and Temecula Valley.

Anywhere that residents can see or smell smoke from the wildfires was also included in the warning, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

The Silver Fire broke out in an area about 20 miles north-northwest of the origin of the Mountain Fire, which burned 43 square miles last month. In that blaze, which prompted the evacuation of thousands of area residents, fire officials had warned of extremely flammable fuels due in part to a dry winter.

More Southern California Stories:


Ex-Staffers Silent on Mayor Filner’s Behavior

0
0

Just this week in San Diego the mayor reportedly finished two weeks of therapy, a former employee was questioned by local law enforcement about her sexual harassment allegations and new allegations of quid pro quo were handed up to state and federal investigators.

Meanwhile, one group of citizens has launched a recall campaign and military veterans who are also sex assault victims demanded to know why those in power stayed silent for so long regarding Mayor Bob Filner’s self-described “wrong” and “inexcusable” treatment of women.

NBC 7 has learned few employees who have left the mayor’s office since his term began seven months ago are willing to discuss why they left.

Special Section: Mayor Under Fire

NBC 7 Investigates obtained a list of former employees through a Public Records Act request.

Out of 34 staffers hired by Filner when he moved into the mayor’s office in December, 15 left within Filner’s first 7 months in office. Of those, 10 were women.

One is former communications director Irene McCormack Jackson who was transferred to work for the City Operations Officer on July 7. McCormack Jackson has since filed a lawsuit alleging the mayor’s office was a place where women were treated as “sexual objects or stupid idiots” and accusing Mayor Filner of sexual harassment.

Of the men, deputy chief of staff Allen Jones resigned and Chief of Staff Vince Hall left saying Filner created a quote "dehumanizing" work environment.

Only two former staffers are willing to discuss why they left.

Steve Hadley joined the staff on December 3 as the mayor’s Deputy Director of Open Government. The city’s records show he left on April 27.

When NBC 7 asked Hadley why he chose to leave his job after just five months, he would not talk about it but instead, forwarded the statement he made to the City Council 10 days ago. Read his comments here.

As he demanded that the mayor resign, Hadley claimed no credible rehab center would send Filner back to his job as mayor.

The “people surrounding the mayor have been used so pervasively to enable his horrific behavior,” Hadley told the council.

“Only when there is a new leader can we expect the women of this City to have any confidence in their personal safety when they attend events, meetings, briefings or simply converse on the street corner with our mayor,” he wrote.

Another former employee, who asked not to be identified, worked for Filner while he served in Congress and again when he served as San Diego’s mayor.

"There was a definite lack of leadership in the overall office and the way the office was run,” the man told NBC 7.

He admitted that he didn't leave because of the mayor's alleged sexual harassment of women but because he said Filner was a difficult boss.

He also said the allegations don’t surprise him.

“If there was a female in the meeting he'd try to get close to her. He'd put his arm around them. Always try to flirt with the females,” the former employee said.

When asked if anyone ever confronted the mayor about his behavior, the former employee said he was not aware.

“All the hard work we did is all tarnished by what he's done. What he's accused of doing,” the ex-staffer told NBC 7.

Key Players in Mayor Under Fire

Executive Receptionist Caroline Ledesma who transferred on June 24 after working in the office for 15 years declined to discuss her decision to leave. She has since transferred to the Development Services Department.

Attorney and former Director of Appointments & Compliance Lea Fields Bernard, who transferred to HR in April 2013, handled the request to release the list to NBC 7 but would not comment about the allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace.

Executive Assistant to the Mayor Sandra Laird stayed on until December 20, 2012 after working for Mayor Sanders for seven years.

NBC 7 has been unable to contact former Deputy Director of Scheduling Nancy Contreras who held the position for 33 days.

Former Protocol Officer Jessica Gomez whose last day on staff was four days after the lawsuit was filed against the mayor has not responded to our request for an interview.

Former Director of Scheduling Brenda Lugo has not responded to repeated requests for an interview. Lugo was no longer working in the mayor’s office after 70 days of employment.

NBC 7 has also reached out to former Director of Scheduling Loretta Martinez for an interview but she has not responded. Martinez last worked for the mayor on Feb. 9, just two days before Lugo’s last day.

Slain Tot's Family Has Message for City Driver

0
0

Family and friends of a toddler struck and killed by a city water truck consoled each other outside the hospital doors.

There were hugs and tears for Santiago, the little boy who they only got to enjoy for a year.

Grandfather Mario Preciado said the one-year-old boy was always laughing and running around, “doing his thing,” he said. “That’s the way I’m going to remember him.”

Santiago Montes and his four-year-old brother were playing outside a discount store near 32nd and National Avenue Thursday while their grandmother was working inside.

San Diego police said the toddler darted out into the street between two parked cars.

A city water truck driver could not stop in time and struck the child.

“At first we thought he wasn't breathing because he wasn't moving at all, until he started twitching and everyone started crying,” said Mary Barron who witnessed the incident.

Santiago was rushed to Rady Children's Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Officers say there were four workers in the vehicle. The woman driving was so distraught she had to be assisted by SDPD crisis managers.

Investigators did not cite the driver at the scene. They say the investigation is ongoing although it appears to be an accident.

The victim’s grandfather said the woman bears no fault in the incident.

“There's no one to blame or point fingers to. It was an accident. She's hurting the same way we're hurting,” he said.

However there was one message he wanted to send to other families.

“Enjoy your kids as much as you can. Hold 'em, hug 'em, kiss 'em,” Preciado said.

Crews Find Body During Search for Oakland Woman

0
0

Crews recovered a body in Vacaville on Friday, where searchers were looking for a missing federal investigator from Oakland, Sandra Coke. The body is that of a female, but the identity of the body has not been confirmed.

The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Search and Rescue team found the body in the area of Cherry Glen Road, not far from interstate 80, across from Lagoon Valley Regional Park. The body was found near the base of a tree.

"Shortly after they began their search, they did in fact locate the body of the female,” said Solano County Sheriff's Department spokesman Daryl Snedeker. “That scene has been secured; the roadway has been shut off.”

Snedeker said the search-and-rescue operation was winding down in light of the discovery.

The 50-year-old Coke was last seen Sunday night. Police have detained a “person of interest” in her disappearance.

The search for Coke led investigators from her home in Oakland to Solano County Thursday night.

A police source told NBC Bay Area Coke's cell phone was tracked to Solano County. Coke's sister said earlier this week that Coke's teenage daughter used the “Find My iPhone” app Sunday night.

“Like a good, tech savvy teenager, she was doing absolutely the right thing,” Coke’s sister Tanya Coke Kendall said Wednesday. “She saw her mom's phone zig-zagging all over the north Bay Area...It seemed to be all over, in Oakland, in Vacaville, in different neighborhoods.”

A police source said surveillance cameras captured Coke's car crossing the Carquinez Bridge. The source said another surveillance camera showed Coke's former boyfriend, parolee Randy Alana, gassing up her car and using her ATM card.

The source said Alana, who has been arrested on a parole violation, was found with Coke's keys and her credit card. He also had on muddy boots.  

"This is an ongoing investigation. It's evolving. It's evolving quickly now. Things have happened. A body has been located," Oakland police Lt. Henderson Jordan said.

On Friday, crews scoured the Solano County fairgrounds and to a nearby lagoon in Vallejo, and then later in the day headed to Vacaville in the hopes of finding Coke, a federal investigator with the public defender's office in Sacramento.

Police arrested 56-year-old Alana on a parole violation and are questioning him in connection to Coke's disappearance. Alana is a high-risk sex offender with a violent past, including rape and kidnapping convictions. He has been in and out of jail since the 1980s.

Sources confirmed Alana and Coke dated more than 20 years ago. They said she was recently trying to help him turn his life around.

Starting at 8 a.m. Friday, crews began searching a three-mile area near the fairgrounds and Lake Chabot at Dan Foley Park near Six Flags amusement park. About noon, they headed to Vacaville.

Coke's friends and family are hoping a $100,000 reward will prompt someone to come forward in helping bring the single mother who works as a federal investigator home.

They released the following statement Friday morning, saying police have asked them not to comment on the case: 

“Sandra Coke, our beloved daughter, sister and family member, disappeared on Sunday evening, and she has not returned. 

We pray for her immediate return to us. We are enormously grateful for the efforts of everyone – law enforcement, colleagues and friends of Sandra, and members of the public and the media--who have labored day and night -- to find Sandra. We want to do everything we can at this point to help that search.

The police have asked us not to comment on details of the investigation. We will make no additional comments today. Thank you for your support in the search for our beloved Sandra.”

If you have any information you believe might help in the search for Sandra Coke, please call (415) 385-5190 or e-mail findsandracoke@gmail.com.

 

More Bay Area Stories:

 



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area

Teen: Kidnap Suspect Had Crush on Victim

0
0

Friends closest to Hannah Anderson say James Lee DiMaggio became infatuated with the teenager and even admitted he had a crush on her.

We tracked down another teenager who fears she may also have been the object of the suspect's desire.

FBI agents and law enforcement authorities in five states are searching for DiMaggio, Hannah and her younger brother Ethan Anderson after the children's mother, Christina, was found dead in a Boulevard home along with an unidentified child.

San Diego County sheriff's investigators invited another family DiMaggio befriended to this office for questioning Thursday evening.

It wasn't the parents but what their children have to say about the suspect that interests them.

Among the kids was 16-year-old Cassie Luongo who has a chilling story to tell.

Before firefighters arrived neighbor Mike Luongo tried to put out the flames that consumed James DiMaggio's home, Christina Anderson and a child still unidentified.

Mike and his wife Lori live less then a football field from the now suspected kidnapper and killer. They trusted DiMaggio for many years with their own kids.

“Did Mr. DiMaggio ever make you uncomfortable?" she was asked. "Yes,” Cassie said.

On Wednesday, Cassie told her mother of exchanges with DiMaggio that in hindsight now seem frightening.

Cassie is a friend of Hanna, the missing El Capitan student who is the subject of an Amber Alert.

When the Anderson kids visited DiMaggio's home so did the Luongo's.

Sometimes the visits spanned overnight.

“We went to bed and we locked the door . He got angry with us that we locked the door and he told us not to lock it,” Cassie said.

That happened last April during the teenagers' spring break. That same night Cassie said DiMaggio lost his temper.

“He said that he wanted to hang out with us and he got mad that we didn't want to go with him,” Cassie said.

Cassie says DiMaggio never touched her or Hannah but he just seemed different from other adults .

“He's nice but he was just kind of weird. I always got bad vibes from him. My mom would tell me to get a ride from him and I really didn't want too,” Cassie said.

Cassie never mentioned those feelings to her parents until now.

“I thought it was pretty weird but I didn't think it was a big deal until now," she told NBC 7.

Cassie can't help thinking it could also be her in this Amber Alert.

“I just want her home because I know he could be hurting her,” Cassie said.

Sheriff's spokesperson Jan Caldwell says eight new FBI special agents have set up shop in the department's headquarters.

Among other things they are experts in kidnapping, violent crime and child abduction.

Pedestrian Killed Near Naval Hospital

0
0

A woman walking near Naval Medical Center San Diego was struck and killed early Friday.

The woman was walking near Florida Drive and Pershing Drive around 4:30 a.m. at the time of the collision.

A white Honda Civic is parked on the right side of the road with a shattered windshield. Officials say the driver was traveling northbound and stopped after the incident.

He has been questioned by police.

The victim has been described by the police as an African-American woman with significant injuries.

There were no witnesses at the scene so officers say they are starting the investigation from scratch.

Alcohol does not appear to be a factor.

Friends Hold Vigil for Hannah Anderson

0
0

Friends of missing Lakeside teenager Hannah Anderson, 16, held a vigil Friday and prayed for the safe return of their friend, who’s the subject of an active Amber Alert spanning six states.

Dozens of teens gathered near El Capital High School in Lakeside, setting up candles in heart-shaped formations and praying for Hannah.

Hannah is believed to be traveling with kidnapping and murder suspect James Lee DiMaggio, possibly willingly, officials said on Friday.

DiMaggio, 40, of Boulevard, Calif., and the teenager are the subjects of an active Amber Alert issued Monday after a home owned by DiMaggio went up in flames in Boulevard.

Inside the home, investigators discovered the body of Hannah’s mother, Christina Anderson, and her 8-year-old brother Ethan Anderson.

Hannah and Ethan were reported missing the day before the fire, and investigators initially believed both children had been abducted by DiMaggio. This sparked an Amber Alert spanning six states including California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona and Idaho.

On Friday, officials in Idaho said a reported sighting of DiMaggio and Hannah led investigators to a rural, backcountry community in Idaho known as the River of No Return Wilderness.

The search has now shifted focus to an area near Cascade, Idaho, approximately 80 miles north of Boise and roughly 400 miles from the Canadian border.

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore announced that officials had recovered DiMaggio’s vehicle – the blue 2013 Nissan Versa listed in the Amber Alert – covered in brush with the license plate removed about 15 miles northeast of Cascade.

Meanwhile, Hannah’s friends in San Diego said they felt hopeful Friday after hearing that Hannah was possibly spotted alive.

Many hugged and cried when they heard the news.

Brianna Power, who has been friends with Hannah since the 1st grade, said she had tried contacting Hannah through her cell phone.

"I 'kicked' her yesterday and it said 'delivered' and I 'kicked' her today and it said that her phone is disconnected and it will get delivered when it gets turned back on,” said Power. “So, someone shut her phone off.”

Jay Lopez, friends with Hannah for the past year, said not knowing where she is has been difficult.

"It's kind of hard to have a new friend, and then have her disappear all of a sudden."

Those who gathered at Friday’s candlelight vigil included the chlidren's father, Brett Anderson. Friends said the vigil would also honor Hannah’s little brother, Ethan.

A memorial fund has been set up to help the family with burial costs. Go to WePay and search for "San Diego Anderson Family Support Fund."

City Attorney: “We’ll Give Filner an ‘Out’"

0
0

In an interview with NBC 7 on Friday, City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said his office will give embattled Mayor Bob Filner an “out” to end the political stalemate that has paralyzed City Hall.

“We’re not in this to battle Bob,” Goldsmith said. “We’ll work on terms.”

Goldsmith told NBC 7 a possible scenario could involve a global settlement of the lawsuit filed against the City and Filner by the Mayor’s former Communications Director, Irene McCormack Jackson.

Goldsmith noted that Filner faces personal financial liability should McCormack Jackson win that lawsuit. Plus, the mayor faces huge legal costs for his defense, and is now the defendant in a legal cross-complaint filed against him by the City of San Diego.

Goldsmith said all parties to that lawsuit – Filner, the city council and city attorney, McCormack Jackson and her attorney, Gloria Allred – could come to an agreement that would satisfy all parties, and perhaps erase, or at least limit, Filner’s personal liability.

Goldsmith would not say that Filner must agree to resign in return for a settlement. He emphasized that the terms and approval of any legal and political compromise rests with the city council. The City Attorney told NBC 7 that he cannot speak for the council on those issues.

But when pressed for an answer, Goldsmith did not deny that resignation is clearly the only bargaining chip Filner has left.

The City Attorney also predicted that legal, financial and political pressure will continue to mount on Mayor.

READ: Key Players in the Filner Scandal

He told NBC 7 that Filner already faces another potential legal problem: after delaying his deposition in the McCormack Jackson lawsuit because he was supposedly in treatment for his behavioral problems, it was revealed on Friday that Filner had in fact nearly finished his treatment.

Allred and the city attorney’s office could now argue that Filner intentionally mislead them in an effort to avoid answering questions under oath about his alleged harassment of McCormack Jackson.

The city attorney also told NBC 7 that Filner could face one or more additional lawsuits filed by women who claim he sexually harassed them.

“We don’t have to fight this, and it doesn’t have to be this way,” Goldsmith said of the stand-off between the Council, his office, and the Mayor. “The city right now is hurting. Bob Filner is hurting. We’re offering him an out to resolve this problem.”

NBC 7 reached out to political consultant John Dadian Friday night about the possibility of Filner actually resigning and negotiations with the City Attorney.

“The mayor’s not going to resign and just walk away. He has to have assurances there will be some type of protection and I believe that’s what the City Attorney’s working on as we speak,” Dadian told NBC 7.

SPECIAL SECTION: Mayor Under Fire

 


CA Leads Nation in Fatal Crashes at Train Crossings

0
0

Linda Kruger-Small was driving home on a rainy night, just a few days before Christmas 2008. She was on an unfamiliar street and followed a right turn arrow that put her on railroad tracks at Orangethorpe Avenue in Anaheim.

It turned out to be a fatal move. Her car became stuck on the tracks as a train barreled toward her. She dialed 911 to ask if the train could be stopped. Moments later came a horrible collision. Passersby pulled Kruger-Small from the wreckage, but it was too late.

Her daughter Faith Pantel said, “I felt that that intersection was particularly deceptive.”

Map: Dangerous Crossings | Full Coverage: SoCal's Dangerous Rail Crossings

Whether it is deceptive or not, the Federal Railroad Administration says there are 24 rail crossings in Southern California that are even more dangerous than the one where Kruger-Small was killed.

The most dangerous train crossing in California is where Nogales Street crosses the tracks in Rowland Heights. According to a new federal report, it is the third most dangerous crossing in the United States. Forty-thousand cars cross the tracks, over which 52 trains rumble each day.

A federal database rates thousands of crossings across the country, predicting the likelihood of accidents happening there.

There have been seven accidents at the Nogales Street crossing in the past five years, including one that happened earlier this month.

In that crash, a Union Pacific freight train rammed into a semi-trailer that was hemmed in on the tracks by heavy traffic.

"Cars routinely stack across the railroad tracks and sometimes those vehicles can’t get cleared out fast enough when these trains go through,” said Marc Christoffels, of the Alameda Corridor, the railroad express line that connects the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach with the rail network just east of downtown LA.

Work is underway to make that crossing safer. More than $100 million will be spent on an underpass to keep traffic from driving across the tracks. Twenty-two other crossings are also scheduled for safety improvements over the next 10 to 15 years.

It’s all too late for the family of Linda Kruger-Small. They want drivers to always be vigilant when encountering a railroad crossing.

“She didn’t get to see the birth of my daughter. All these things that would have made her so happy,” said her son Phil Krueger.

Pantel says, “Our prayer, our wish, is that maybe because of my mother’s death, maybe somebody’s life can be saved.”

To see how safe the crossing in your neighborhood is, click here.

NBC4's Phil Drechsler produced the broadcast special report that accompanies this article.

Are 'Green' Products Better?

0
0

Walk into your neighborhood grocery or department store and you'll find many more green products than ever before. But choosing items that are better for the environment can come at a cost. NBC 7's Consumer Bob looks at how the green movement could impact you.

Officials ID Second Victim in Boulevard Fire

0
0

Five days after the discovery of a second body in a deadly house fire in Boulevard, officials confirm the victim was a boy sought in a six-state Amber Alert.

San Diego County sheriff's homicide detectives confirmed Ethan Anderson, 8, was found dead after an intense house fire in San Diego's East County.

Ethan died along with his mother Christina Anderson of Lakeside on the property of James Lee DiMaggio.

Emergency personnel were called to the 2000-block of Ross Avenue in the unincorporated community of Boulevard east of San Diego around 8 p.m. Sunday for a structure fire.

DiMaggio's log cabin-style home and detached 3-car garage were fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters called in sheriff's deputies when they recovered a body on the property.

Once crews were able to bring in a bulldozer on Monday, they recovered a second body and several weapons burned in the fire. They also recovered the body of a dog.

Detectives could not make a positive identification until DNA analysis of material extracted through bone marrow returned Friday.

DiMaggio, 40, is accused of killing Christina and Ethan Anderson although detectives have not released the cause of death.

Law enforcement officers have located DiMaggio and Hannah Anderson, Ethan's teenage sisiter near Cascade, Idaho, approximately 80 miles north of Boise and roughly 400 miles from the Canadian border.

Officials discovered the vehicle linked to DiMaggio on Friday covered in brush with the license plates removed about 15 miles northeast of Cascade.

Initially, investigators believed Ethan was also traveling with DiMaggio and Hannah. 

Friends and family have been praying for Ethan, calling the young boy a great kid with lots of friends who love him.

Friends have also said Ethan and Hannah had a strong sibling bond, with little fighting and lots of love between them.

As a family, friends say the Andersons were very happy and seemingly had a great relationship.

Officials have not released how Christina Anderson and the unidentified child were killed. They also have not identified a possible motive.

Christina's father, Christopher Saincome, said his daughter went to visit DiMaggio's home to say goodbye to the family friend before he moved to Texas.

Hannah Anderson attended El Capitan High School in Lakeside where friends described DiMaggio as having a crush on the 16-year-old girl.

As for a motive behind the murder, arson and kidnapping crime spree, Sheriff Gore said they don't have one just yet.

"We all have come up with a theory but really it is speculation and we wont know until we get Hannah and DiMaggio back here for further questions," he said.

A memorial fund has been set up to help the family with burial costs. Go to WePay and search for "San Diego Anderson Family Support Fund."



Photo Credit: Courtesy of Alan McNabb

‘Breaking Bad’ Takes Over Local Car Wash

0
0

Fans of “Breaking Bad” – and their cars – are in for a real treat Friday at eight car wash businesses across the country, including one in San Diego’s Mission Valley area.

To celebrate the highly-anticipated final season of “Breaking Bad,” which returns to AMC for its final eight episodes this Sunday, car wash locations in eight cities nationwide will temporarily rename themselves “Walter White’s A1A Car Wash.”

This, of course, refers to the famous A1A Car Wash at the center of the series. At one point, Walter White (Bryan Cranston) worked part-time as a cashier at the car wash but quit after learning of his cancer diagnosis. Walt and his wife, Skyler White (Anna Gunn), later bought the business in order to use it as a money laundering facility.

In San Diego, the Body Beautiful Car Wash located at 4282 Camino Del Rio North was rebranded Friday as “Walter White’s A1A Car Wash.”

From 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. fans of the hit series were able to get a free basic car wash at the location, as well as a limited edition “Breaking Bad” air freshener.

This offer was also valid for seven additional car wash businesses across the country, including: Carwash Express in Denver; Flagship Carwash in Washington, D.C., Jax Kar Wash in Detriot; Wheely Clean in Cleveland; Sunset Car Wash in Los Angeles; Bluewave Express in Dallas; Bluewave Express in Houston.
 



Photo Credit: Google Maps

Pentagon Proposes to Extend Benefits to Same-Sex Spouses

0
0

Same-sex spouses of service members are now recognized by the military but they still don't get the same benefits as spouses in heterosexual marriages.

Those benefits include things like healthcare, housing, and survivor benefits, and the Pentagon has drafted a proposal for how to extend them to same-sex military spouses.

According to a Department of Defense official, it's under review by the Department of Justice but some say it won't solve all the problems.

Lori Hensic is a newlywed. Her spouse is a Marine, but when it comes to benefits, Lori's not a Marine wife.

That's because Lori's spouse is a woman and although the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the law preventing the military from recognizing gay marriages, The Pentagon has yet to extend spousal benefits.

"So should something happen to her, I would not be informed - anything from the range of should she get hurt to should she fall casualty while she is serving our nation, I would not be the first to be informed,” Hensic said.

So for now, Lori doesn't have medical benefits normally provided to military spouses and her wife doesn't get paid the same as her married heterosexual colleagues.

"For us it would be about $400 per month. You multiply that out per year and that's a couple thousand dollars per year that we could be missing out," she said.

The Pentagon is working to correct the issue.

Under the current DoD proposal, same-sex spouses could get healthcare, housing and other benefits by the end of the month.

But for same-sex couples stationed in states where they can't get married, Hensic said there will still be a problem

"Individuals who are maybe residing in Hawaii or out of country have to spend thousands of dollars just to get married so their husband or wife will get the benefits that heterosexual couples don't have to spend that money to get," she said.

We did reach out to the Defense Department Thursday for comment on this story but they did not get back to us by deadline.

However in a statement they provided to the Associated Press, a DoD official said that the Pentagon is working alongside the Department of Justice to implement the court's decision as quickly as possible.

 

Emerald to Filner: "Enough is Enough"

0
0

San Diego City Councilmember Marti Emerald has reversed her stance on whether the embattled mayor should resign saying Friday “enough is enough.”

Special Report: Mayor Under Fire

The lone holdout on the San Diego City Council released a statement Friday calling for Mayor Bob Filner to resign.

Emerald had remained loyal to Filner despite the growing number of city leaders, Democratic Party leaders, U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators who called for Filner’s resignation after allegations of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances surfaced in July.

On July 30, Emerald said Filner should make a connection with God and asks for forgiveness but stopped short of asking him to resign.

On Friday, she joined colleague Myrtle Cole in issuing a statement with a much difference message.

“Based upon the ongoing disclosure of evidence Mayor Filner's conduct is reprehensible and cannot be excused,” the statement read.

“Mr. Filner, without further delay we insist you resign and allow the healing of our city to begin,” the statement said.

Read the full statement here
 



Photo Credit: NBCSanDiego

Mayor Filner Wrapping Up Rehab

0
0

Embattled Mayor Bob Filner has completed his two-week therapy program, the San Diego City Attorney confirmed on Friday.

San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said the mayor entered rehab one week before expected and has nearly completed the program.

Filner's camp said the mayor will officially complete his therapy program on Saturday.

"Upon completion of the treatment program, Mayor Filner is planning to continue therapy sessions on an outpatient basis. Mayor Filner is taking personal time next week," a spokesperson with the mayor's team said.

Also on Friday -- on the orders of the mayor’s Chief of Staff -- some locks inside the mayor’s office were changed, Goldsmith confirmed. He would not disclose how many locks were changed, but did say he agreed with the move.

The new locks were added to some offices as part of the ongoing investigation, though further details were not released.

In a press conference on Jul. 26, Filner announced he would enter a two-week “intensive therapy” program to correct his behavior beginning on Aug. 5. He said he would return to work on Aug. 19.

SPECIAL SECTION: Mayor Under Fire

In the Jul. 26 press conference, Filner acknowledged that his "failure to respect women, and the intimidating contact, is inexcusable."

Filner has been under fire for weeks regarding accusations of sexual harassment. Numerous women have come forward claiming they were victims of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and unwanted advances at the hands of the mayor.

Those victims include his former employee Irene McCormack Jackson, who has filed a lawsuit via prominent attorney Gloria Allred.

McCormack Jackson was the first victim to go public, claiming Filner often asked her to have sex with him, would hold her in the now-infamous “Filner Headlock” and once told her she would do a better job if she worked without panties.

The growing list of additional victims who have come forward with sexual harassment claims involving Filner include Laura Fink, Morgan Rose, Joyce Gattas, Patti Roscoe, Ronne Froman, Sharon Bernie-Cloward, Lisa Curtin, Michelle Tyler and Katherine Ragazzino.

READ: Key Players in the Filner Scandal
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

San Diego Kidnap Suspect's Vehicle Found in Idaho

0
0

A reported sighting of a murder suspect and the teenager believed to have been abducted has narrowed a six-state Amber Alert to a rural community in Idaho known as the River of No Return Wilderness.

San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore announced Friday that officials have recovered the vehicle of James Lee DiMaggio and have focused their search near Cascade, Idaho, approximately 80 miles north of Boise and roughly 400 miles from the Canadian border.

DiMaggio, 40, of Boulevard and Hannah Anderson, 16, of Lakeside are the subjects of an Amber Alert issued Monday. Hannah and her brother Ethan were originally believed to have been abducted after their mother was found dead in a house fire. On Friday, officials positively identified Ethan as the second victim in that fire.

Now, officials say it appears Hannah Anderson may be with DiMaggio willingly.

On Wednesday, a horseback rider ran into a man and a teenager near Morehead Lake. The horseback rider had a brief conversation with the two but saw no reason to be alarmed. He told officials they appeared to be hikers or campers, which are common in the area.

The man and teenager had backpacks and a tent the rider said. They were spotted twice entering and exiting a campground about six to eight miles from where the vehicle was discovered.

When he encountered the suspect and the teenager, the horseback rider was not aware of the Amber Alert.

Andrea Dearden, acting Public Information Officer for Valley County, Idaho, said the man contacted the Amber Alert tip line Wednesday evening. That tip was shared Thursday with investigators.

Officials discovered the vehicle linked to DiMaggio on Friday covered in brush with the license plates removed about 15 miles northeast of Cascade. Officials were able to identify the vehicle through the VIN number.

Authorities believe DiMaggio may have homemade explosives. Sheriff Gore said no explosives have been found in the vehicle so far, however Idaho officials say they have not been able to get inside the car to investigate.

Dearden said the car is still in the wilderness area where it has been secured until experts can arrive to attempt to search the interior.

A search team of 12 people are on the ground using satellite phones, horses or all-terrain vehicles and helicopters from the Idaho Air National Guard Dearden said.

“It is treacherous terrain. It is back country. It is wilderness area,” Dearden said.

When asked to describe the search area, Dearden could only estimate it at dozens of miles.

Teams have been stationed at multiple access points around the wilderness area to monitor anyone coming or going.

Officers with local law enforcement, Idaho State police, the FBI, the U.S. Marshal’s service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have all joined in the search. Some investigators will be sent from San Diego to assist.

Gore was confident Hannah Anderson will be returned safely to San Diego.

“She was alive on Wednesday and we hope that law enforcement will find them up in the mountains there and return them safely,” said Gore.

Gore said as far as they know, Hannah did not look like she was being held against her will. 

According to Dearden, the horseback rider told officials the conversation with the pair was odd but not alarming. There was nothing done or said to cause him to think he needed to help the teenager.

Brother's body identified

Hannah's younger brother was also listed in the Amber Alert, but DNA tests revealed the boy died along with his mother.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department Friday night confirmed that a second body found in the burned-out home is that of 8-year-old Ethan Anderson.

Initially, investigators believed the boy was also traveling with DiMaggio and Hannah. He was described as 4-foot-11, weighing 65-pounds, with sandy blond hair.

Before Friday night's confirmation, family members – including the children’s father Brett Anderson – had implied that Ethan was found dead in a house fire with his mother Christina Anderson on Monday.

Investigators confirmed a child’s charred body was found inside the burned out home in Boulevard.

Due to the condition of the body, Ethan's identity was determined using DNA analysis of his bone marrow, the sheriff's department said.

Records have confirmed that Anderson has only two children, Ethan and Hannah.

Just as friends and family have been holding vigils and praying for Hannah, they’ve also been praying for Ethan, calling the young boy a great kid with lots of friends who love him.

Friends have also said Ethan and Hannah had a strong sibling bond, with little fighting and lots of love between them.

As a family, friends say the Andersons were very happy and seemingly had a great relationship.

Fiery Boulevard homicide scene

Emergency personnel were called to the 2000-block of Ross Avenue in the unincorporated community of Boulevard east of San Diego around 8 p.m. Sunday for a structure fire.

DiMaggio's log cabin-style home and detached 3-car garage were fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters called in sheriff's deputies when they recovered a body on the property.

Once crews were able to bring in a bulldozer on Monday, they recovered a second body and several weapons burned in the fire. They also recovered the body of a dog.

Officials have not released how Christina Anderson and the unidentified child were killed. They also have not identified a possible motive.

Christina's father, Christopher Saincome, said his daughter went to visit DiMaggio's home to say goodbye before he moved to Texas.

Hannah Anderson attended El Capitan High School in Lakeside where friends said they believed she was abducted against her will. They described DiMaggio as having a crush on the 16-year-old girl.

Close friend of the family

DiMaggio was close friends with Christina Anderson, her ex-husband Brett Anderson and their children for years.

He recently worked at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla.

Court records show that he filed for divorce in 2003. His ex-wife told an NBC Station in Seattle that she was shocked to learn the news since DiMaggio has been best friends with the family for such a long time.

She said he served in the Navy but showed no signs of PTSD during their marriage.

Officials say DiMaggio is an experienced outdoorsman with skills to survive in the wild. It's not known what history he may have in the state of Idaho officials said.

He purchased camping supplies shortly before allegedly burning the house investigators said.

As for a motive behind the murder, arson and kidnapping crime spree, Sheriff Gore said they don't have one just yet.

"We all have come up with a theory but really it is speculation and we wont know until we get Hannah and DiMaggio back here for further questions," he said.

After five days, FBI agents and local law enforcement agencies expanded the Amber Alert to include, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona and Idaho.


View Larger Map



Photo Credit: AP

6-Year-Old Girl Saves Mom's Life

0
0

Alyssa Capelli isn’t the typical 6-year-old girl.

“My daughter is a very old soul,” said Alyssa’s mother, Melinda Chiappine. “Always very intuitive and she knows exactly how you’re feeling by looking at you. A lot of children don’t have that ability.”

It’s that ability that helped save the 32-year-old Hammonton, New Jersey woman’s life. Chiappine and her daughter came back to their home Saturday morning after eating breakfast. Chiappine made a phone call shortly before 10 a.m. Suddenly, everything went black.

“I cannot tell you what happened or when I passed out,” Chiappine said. “I was completely unconscious. I felt like I was in a movie and I did not feel like myself, it was the wildest feeling."

By the time Chiappine came to about ten minutes later, she was on the floor surrounded by police officers and paramedics. They wouldn’t have been there however, if not for her daughter. After hearing her mother fall and finding her unconscious on the floor, Alyssa immediately called 911.

“According to the call, she said ‘My mom won’t wake up,’” Chiappine said. “They asked where we lived and she gave them our address. I had taught her how to do that multiple times.”

Chiappine, who is anemic, say she’s fainted before, but had never gone through anything like what she went through on Saturday.

“Nothing like that has ever happened to me before where I had collapsed and had no recollection of anything,” she said. “I didn’t understand what was going on. I didn’t even know how old I was. I didn’t know my name.”

There is one thing however, that Chiappine says she immediately remembered.

“I kept asking for my daughter,” she said. “That was the only thing I was able to get out.”

Chiappine was taken to the hospital where she underwent several blood transfusions. When she returned home on Tuesday, she asked her daughter to show her where she found her. Her daughter’s answer amazed her.

“Mom, it doesn’t matter how I found you or what happened,” Alyssa replied. “All that matters is you’re here with me now.”

“Were you scared?” Chiappine asked.

“Mommy, I couldn’t be scared,” Alyssa said. “I had to be brave.”

It wasn’t the response one would expect from a 6-year-old girl. But as Chiappine said, her daughter is an old soul. 

“That’s just something she has in her,” Chiappine said. “I can’t teach her that part.”
 



Photo Credit: Melinda Chiappine

Firefighters Make Progress Against Silver Fire

0
0

The Southern California wildfire that prompted an emergency declaration continued to burn in the San Jacinto Mountains on Saturday, consuming nearly 30 square miles of terrain.

California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Friday for Riverside County in the wake of the Silver Fire, a blaze that has claimed nearly 30 structures -- most of them homes -- over 19,000 acres.

At least 10 firefighters and one civilian have been injured in the blaze, authorities said.

Evacuation orders for the areas of Snow Creek, Cabazon, Mt. Edna and Poppet Flats were lifted Friday evening as fire crews had the fire 70 percent contained, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

More than 1,840 firefighters were battling the blaze amid the strong wind gusts, but cool temperatures helped control the flames as it headed east toward Palm Springs on Friday, clouding the resort town with smoke.

Highway 243 was still closed north of Poppet Flats to Wesley Street in Banning.

An animal evacuation center was established at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus, 581 South Grand Ave. in San Jacinto.

Boulder Basin and Black Mountain Campgrounds on Black Mountain Road have been closed through Aug. 15., and evacuation orders were issued for for Marion Mountain Campground, Fern Basin Campground, Dark Canyon Campground -- and for the the Marion Mountain and Seven Pines hiking trails.

Residents in the following areas were told to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities: Lake Elsinore, Perris Valley, Hemet/San Jacinto Valley, Banning Pass, Coachella Valley and Temecula Valley.

Anywhere that residents can see or smell smoke from the wildfires was also included in the warning, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

The Silver Fire broke out about 2 p.m. Wednesday in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains about 90 miles east of Los Angeles. Five firefighters and one civilian were injured in the blaze.

Photos: Viewer Images | More Fire Images | Send Us Your Fire Photos

As the fight against the Silver Fire continued, crews fully contained the 1,383-acre Falls Fire burning about 5 miles west of Lake Elsinore.

More Southern California Stories:



Photo Credit: Viewer Image

Woman Wakes Up, Finds Intruder On Top of Her

0
0

Charges were filed against a man who tried to sexually assault a 54-year-old Chicago woman earlier in the day while she slept in her Gold Coast home.

Deandre Minor, 28, faces one count of attempted criminal sexual assault with bodily harm, robbery and home invasion/sex offense, according to police.

Authorities said the woman was woken up by a man on top of her at about 3:20 a.m.

The woman's son, who was also in the home on the 1200 block of North Stone Street, heard the struggle and went to her rescue, police said.

The son chased the attacker, who police said was partially clothed, out of the apartment. The man was arrested as he was exiting the building.

Neighbors suspect the man got into the building through a door that wasn't locked properly and went floor by floor of the nine-story building looking for a victim.

A doorman is on duty each evening but leaves at 10 p.m., residents said.

But that's changing.

"The building is going above and beyond now. There's a 24-hour doorman and new locks, a security system and the whole thing," said a man who wished to be identified only as Doug.

The incident is the latest in a recent string of violent crimes in the normally quiet, affluent neighborhood.

3 Men Narrowly Dodge Erratic Driver, Escape Crash

0
0

A parking lot surveillance camera captured three men barely escaping a crash as a car sideswiped a vehicle next to them, denting a concrete wall. Patrick Healy reports from Pomona for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9, 2013.
Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images