People are dying of opioid overdoses in communities across the country, but the outlook is even worse for young people living on Native Reservations.

New data showed Native Americans are up to three times more likely to use the potentially deadly narcotics.

Nearly eight out of every 100,000 people die from an opioid overdose in San Diego County, according to the State of California Department of Public Health.

That's double the state's average.

San Diego County's Native tribes have been hit the hardest.

"In early 2016, the opioid crisis hit our reservation very hard," said Robert Smith, Tribal Chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians. "And a lot of young people lost their lives."

Smith said during that year, 10 local tribe members died from overdosing on opioids - a staggering number considering only 1,300 tribe members live on the reservation.

“It’s hard, it’s devastating, it’s like losing one of your own family members,” Smith told NBC 7. “Very close to home. I have relatives myself that passed away.”

But Pala isn’t the only reservation feeling those impacts.

One out of 10 Native Americans have taken opioids without a prescription, according to the California Department of Public Health.

That's high considering that one out of every 20 Caucasians admitted to using these drugs, and one out of every 30 African Americans use prescription pills.

Smith said one of the problems is how easy it is to get the pills.

"People are selling them on the street for $4 to $8 dollars a pill," said Smith. “Nowadays, you don't know what they are cutting it with or what they are making it with. You could be buying something and it could be something else."

The Pala Tribal Council decided to do something about it. Hundreds of other tribes across the nation have recently filed a lawsuit against some of the largest pharmaceutical companies, claiming those companies did not fully disclose how addictive opioids are.

The lawsuit accused companies who manufacture, market and distribute opioids of carrying out “a scheme to make doctors and patients believe that prescription opioids were safe, non-addictive, and could be used without long-term effects. That effort, coupled with their failure to track orders and distribution of the drugs as required by law, shows the companies created an illicit market for highly addictive drugs that have ravaged tribal communities.”

Smith told NBC 7, “They are making a lot of money off of it, so I just think big pharma should be held accountable."

Smith hopes the lawsuit will help raise awareness for his community and for Native Americans everywhere.

"It's not going to bring anyone back, but maybe it will help bring some preventative measures to stop this bad addiction for our Native American people," he said.

NBC 7 reached out to Purdue Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Oxycontin and Oxycodone, who are named in the lawsuit. They did not respond to our request for comment.

The lawsuit was filed in late November. So far, the companies in the lawsuit have not responded.

A San Diego woman was traveling home from college in Colorado when an airline employee told her she could not bring her pet on the plane with her. In this case, the pet was a fish.

Lanice Powless is a University of Colorado student at Colorado Springs and was traveling through Denver International Airport with her pet Betta fish "Cassie."

Powless had traveled with the fish before and even checked the website for the TSA to see if she could fly home with the pet over the holiday break.

“Typically I would just check in and then go through TSA and walked right on with it,” Powless told KUSA-TV. “No one’s ever stopped me.”

TSA policy allows live fish in carry-on bags after inspection by a TSA officer.

However, Southwest does not. An employee told Powless her fish could not go on the plane with her.

Southwest’s pet policy is stricter, allowing only small dogs and crates in crates stowed under the customer’s seat.

In the end, she handed Cassie over to another traveler going on a different airline.

The two got separated at the airport before they could exchange contact information.

“I don't know where my fish is at. I don't know if they allowed her to take it.” 

Southwest Airlines offered a statement on Monday.

“A Customer attempted to bring a pet fish onboard their flight from Denver to San Diego. Our Customer Service Agents informed the Customer about Southwest’s pets policy which does not allow for live fish to travel in the passenger cabin. Our Team offered to re-book the Customer for a later flight to allow them to make arrangements for their pet but the Customer refused that option. The Customer eventually traveled on their originally scheduled flight.”

Powless told KUSA she wasn't given the option to book a different flight.  

“I would have gladly taken another flight. I was in no rush to get home, I’m on break,” she said. “If they offered me a later flight to drop off my fish, that would have been totally fine with me.”

She advises anyone else in a similar situation to check with the individual airline, not just the TSA site.

“It’s lit!” After suffering through the absence of a San Diego date on the first leg of Travis Scott’s acclaimed “Astroworld: Wish You Were Here” 2018 tour, area fans can stop 'stargazing': The chart-topping rap star hits Pechanga Arena San Diego (formerly Valley View Casino Center until two weeks ago) on Feb. 4, 2019, during his North American tour’s just-announced second leg.

Tickets to the all-ages, Monday night show range from $29.95 to $129.95 each, and go on sale to the general public at axs.com on Friday, Dec. 20, at 10 a.m. PST. Of course, there are also pre-sales available: An American Express Card Member pre-sale is currently underway (at this link), as well as a LaneONE VIP Package pre-sale, and a pre-sale for fans who have previously purchased Travis Scott merchandise that begins separately on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 4 p.m. PST.

Scott’s “Astroworld” album has been garnering rave reviews since its Aug. 3 release. In its review, Pitchfork hailed Travis Scott’s “skill as a curator” that “helps sculpt a sticky, humid, psychedelic world with dazzling production and odd pleasures at every turn." The album -- which features guest appearances by huge stars including Drake, James Blake, Frank Ocean, the Weeknd, Tame Impala's Kevin Parker, Kid Cudi, 21 Savage and many others -- recently notched its second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart. It was also recently nominated for Best Rap Album at the 61st annual Grammy Awards, along with Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for his single “Sicko Mode."

Additionally, the Wish You Were Here Tour has been turning heads across the nation over the last couple months. Complex has claimed “this show is worth whatever effort you have to put forth to catch it,” with a stage set-up resembling a theme park replete with roller coasters and huge props around the arena.

One of the onstage rides that takes Scott in a small cart around a 360-degree roller coaster loop even caught the attention of Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee -- who recently claimed in a series of tweets that the stage design copied his infamous upside-down, circular drum-performance roller coaster employed during the glam-metal band’s “Final Tour.”

In one of his Nov. 28 tweets on the matter, Lee wrote “Hey [Travis Scott], lawyer up!” In response, Scott’s lawyers told TMZ: “Tommy didn’t invent the concept of a roller coaster on stage and there’s no legal basis for his accusatory outburst. The actual creator and owner of the system has granted Travis all rights to use that equipment to complement his original stage design.” What a strange beef but hey, it’s 2018, and life is weird now.

Nonetheless, we couldn't be more ready to see Scott in San Diego -- let's just hope fans don't start "stage-diving off the nosebleeds."

Tony DeVico began noticing something unusual after filling up the gas tank of his 2006 Chrylser 300.

At stop signs or red lights, his car would sputter, like it wasn’t getting any gas. Tony said he had to step on the brake while the other foot pumped the gas pedal to keep the car from dying.

“All the warning lights would come on,” Tony told NBC 7 Responds. “I would have to father the gas pedal to keep it alive. If not the car would chug, and the whole car would rock.”

In October 2018 Tony took the car to his mechanic to get fixed. His mechanic had some good and bad news. The bad news: gas was seeping into the evaporation canister. The tank had to be removed and a new part installed.

The good news: the issue was common and in fact, Chrysler had agreed to extend the warranty for Chrysler 300 owners. But to get the warranty Tony needed to go to a Chrysler dealership.

Tony said he took his car to the dealership.

“They dropped the tank and confirmed it was the same problem the other Chrysler 300’s had.”

Good news, right?

Tony said he thought so. He got on the phone with Chrysler. Tony said the representative said that despite the warranty covered the same, year, make, and model, Tony’s car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) was not on the list and the repair would not be covered.

“It took a month of phone tag until eventually, a manager told me that the repair was on me, that even though it was a factory defect, my car was not covered by the warranty,” said Tony.

Tony said he spent the following weeks seeking an explanation for why his car wasn’t covered.

He said he asked to speak to managers and supervisors at Chrysler. He said he left messages but he was not getting any response.

Meanwhile, Tony’s car continued to sputter at stop signs and stop lights.

That’s when his wife gave him a suggestion.

“My wife Shirley, she said, ‘Hey, why not give Consumer Bob a call, maybe he can help,” said Tony.

Tony did just that. After sending NBC 7 Responds his documentation for the car, NBC 7 Responds contacted officials with Chrysler. Days later, Tony got the call he was hoping for.

“It went quickly from someone ignoring me to someone calling from Chrysler Corporate,” said Tony.

Chrysler, according to Tony, told him the company would cover the repairs.

On December 13, the repairs were completed.

“Thank you NBC’s Consumer Bob,” Tony said. “I really appreciate all of the help.”

A spokesperson for Chrysler would only confirm the repairs made to Tony’s vehicle and did not offer any additional comment for this story.

One student is in custody and three other men are at large after a fight outside of K Sandwiches in Linda Vista led to a shooting.

San Diego police say a suspect fired at least five shots into the restaurant at a someone he was in a fist fight with just before. SDPD said the altercation involved students of Kearny High School and Mesa College.

Customers were inside the restaurant at the time of the shooting but no one was injured by the gunfire, police said.

One person of unknown age was taken into custody after police found him with a handgun in his possession. 

The four suspects were described as between 17 and 20 years old.

SDPD said the altercation does not appear to be gang-related. 

Officer said they would remain staged at the scene for several hours.

No other information was available.

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

Editor's note: A previous version of this story reported the fight involved juveniles. Police have not confirmed the ages of anyone involved. NBC 7 regrets the error.

A strong economy is allowing more people to shop for presents this year, meaning the United States Postal Service is working hard during the holiday season. 

Americans will send more than 16 billion cards and packages in the mail through the United States Post Office between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve. That includes 900 million packages. 

USPS said the busiest week of the year is December 17 through December 23 for mailing, shipping, and deliveries. 

The Carmel Mountain Postal Store on Rancho Carmel Drive was bustling with customers Tuesday. 

"I have to mail Christmas cards to Ohio, Florida and Idaho," said Brendon Bregen of Solana Beach. 

To ensure that lines inside don't get too long, the location will be using the Holiday Priority Mail Train located in the drive-through. It allows customers to ship their items from their cars if they are paying with a debit or credit card. 

"Inside has been unbelievably fast, so it's great," said Kristen Winter on Tuesday. "Keep using the post office, that's my tip to everyone!"

The Holiday Priority Mail Train is open Monday December 21, through Saturday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Packages must be sealed and addressed ahead of time. 

During this week alone, USPS expects to deliver nearly 3 billion pieces of First-Class mail, such as greeting cards. 

"This is really your last week to get your packages in before Christmas Day," said Eva Jackson, spokesperson for USPS, San Diego district. 

In order to ensure your Christmas cards and gifts make it on time to their receivers by December 25, the post office has some deadlines for those planning to send anything through the mail. 

2018 Holiday Shipping Deadlines:

Dec. 20  First-Class Mail (including greeting cards)

Dec. 20  First-Class Packages (up to 15.99 ounces)

Dec. 20  Priority Mail

Dec. 22  Priority Mail Express

The brother of the man accused of killing a Navy sailor on Interstate 15 was found and arrested in Mexico Tuesday in connection to the same crime.

A warrant was issued for Edson Acuna’s arrest shortly after Curtis Adams was killed in late October, according to the San Diego Police Department. However, Edson, 24, was believed to have fled to Mexico and was at large until Tuesday.

Adams pulled over on I-15 in Mountain View to help who he thought was a stranded driver on Oct. 27, police said. He was then shot and killed.

The suspects involved quickly fled south from the scene, according to SDPD.

On the same day, Edson’s brother, Brandon, was arrested. Officers later discovered Brandon, 21, was involved in another shooting just minutes before.

It wasn't until nearly two months later that Edson was arrested by Mexican authorities and turned over to U.S. officials, SDPD said.

Brandon pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder on Halloween.

It is not clear what charges Edson will face at this time.

At least three women have come forward to accuse a former pastor at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Encinitas of "aggressive" advances during his three years at the parish, according to the Catholic Diocese of San Diego. 

Ben Vincent Awongo, 55, a Uganda native who has been serving as a visiting priest at the location since 2015, was fired from St. John's on Sept. 1 after the second allegation surfaced, according to diocese spokesperson Kevin Eckery. 

Parishioners learned of the allegations against the former associate priest on Sunday in a bulletin from the church's pastor, Father James Bahash. A diocese review board decided to alert the public after a third woman made a claim of inappropriate behavior, Eckery said. 

Awongo graduated from seminary school in 1990 and served in the San Diego Catholic Diocese under three parishes: at St. Francis of Assisi in Vista, a parish in El Centro and St. John's. 

The church did not detail the accusations made against Awongo, but Father Bahash called them, "terrible and shocking," in his letter to parishioners. 

In the same bulletin, Bishop Robert McElroy called the advances towards several adult women, "aggressive." 

"One of the great sadness's for a bishop and for the Catholic community as a whole occurs when a priest has grievously failed the flock entrusted to his care," McElroy wrote. 

Read the entire bulletin from the diocese, here. 

Awongo works for a religious order in Pennsylvania and Africa and not directly for the Catholic Diocese of San Diego, according to the organization.

The allegations against the priest were reported to his superior, Father Bahash said. 

"His superior has been given the reports compiled by the Diocese and will decide on the appropriate responses and/or investigations," he said. 

Bishop McElroy urged anyone with information about mistreatment from Awongo to call the diocese at (858) 490-8353. 

A man was charged with second-degree murder Tuesday after three people were killed and more injured in a pursuit with Border Patrol agents that ended in a crash last month.

Luis Alberto Virgen, 21, was said to be driving a truck carrying nearly a dozen people when it crashed, in what BP believed to be a human smuggling attempt near Crestwood Road in Boulevard.

Virgen was also charged with three counts of implied malice, gross vehicular manslaughter, and several counts of reckless driving, according to authorities.

He pleaded not guilty.

If convicted, Virgen could face 45 years to life in prison.

Virgen is a U.S. citizen who has been living in Mexico, according to the California Highway Patrol.

When agents attempted to pull the truck over, Virgen allegedly refused to stop and continued eastbound on Interstate 8, before turning around in the opposite direction and leading BP on a chase, according to authorities.

At times, the truck reached speeds above 100 miles per hour.

BP agents deployed a spike trap that caused the driver to lose control, roll up an embankment, and eject multiple passengers, officials said.

Three people died.

Of those who survived the crash, three suffered major injuries and five had minor injuries, including Virgen, according to CHP.

Virgen was arrested and booked into the San Diego Central Jail on Nov. 30.

His bail was set at $3 million.

Virgen's next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 2.

Parents of students at Garfield Elementary School met with a San Diego Unified School District representative on Tuesday to discuss elevated levels of lead found in the drinking water at their children's campus. 

Last week, four of the school's 52 water faucets tested positive for lead, one of which tested above the federal limit of 15 parts-per-billion, according to SDUSD spokesperson Samer Naji.

The faucet, which had not been in use since last year when lead was detected in the drinking water, tested at 17.28 parts per billion on Dec. 14, according to SDUSD's water sampling report. 

To read the District's testing results for Garfield Elementary, click here.

The three other faucets, which Naji said were inside rarely used classrooms, fell below the federal standard but tested higher than the 5 parts-per-billion standards set by the district.

Each of the three faucets, all drinking fountains, tested between 9- to 12 parts-per-billion. 

Parents at Garfield elementary were informed to the elevated amounts of lead in a letter sent home last week. 

On Friday, the district informed parents of students at Ocean Beach Elementary school that they had also found lead in the drinking water at the school’s fountains. 

To read the District's testing results for Ocean Beach Elementary, click here.

San Diego Unified said students at both campuses were provided bottled water if there wasn’t a water fountain close by that did not test positive for lead. 

NBC 7 Investigates has been tracking the testing of water in San Diego County’s schools for more than a year. 

The American Academy of Pediatrics has found no amount of lead in water is safe for children to drink.

The San Diego Unified School District also responded to reporting from NBC 7 Investigates and media partner Voice of San Diego last week, surrounding the city of San Diego's water service lines. 

That reporting revealed the San Diego Public Utilities Department told State Water Board officials it could not identify what material two-thirds of the city's water service lines are made of. This contradicts what the water department told NBC 7 last year, saying there were NO lead pipes in its distribution system. 

Samer Naji, a spokesperson for the San Diego Unified School District, told Voice of San Diego that school leaders are confident in the city's water quality.

"If there was an issue with the city’s water quality, we believe that those issues would be revealed in the district’s water sampling results," Naji said. "Results received by the district from a certified lab have not produced an identifiable pattern that would indicate a systemic issue."

The city of San Diego has until July 2020 to identify what all those unidentified service lines are made of. If it can't, or if the city finds some of those lines are made of lead, the city will have to come up with a plan on how to replace those lines by the 2020 deadline.

San Diego police announced the arrest of a teenager suspected in multiple sexual assaults and investigators say they are looking for any additional victims.

The San Diego Police Department said it took 18-year-old Seth Roberts into custody on Dec. 5. and he remained in custody on $1.25 million bail as of Tuesday.

Roberts is the suspect in at least three sex assaults, SDPD said. The first case happened on Summit Meadow Road near the Sweetwater Summit Regional Park, the second happened on the 2000 block of Reed Avenue in Pacific Beach and the third occurred on the 1000 block of Kostner Drive in Otay Mesa West.

Investigators say Roberts would identify himself as Seth to young females and befriend them by telling them he was from out of state before sexually assaulting them with a weapon.

Roberts is facing 13 felony sex crime charges including rape by force, false imprisonment, and a sex crime against a victim under 14 years old.

SDPD did not provide details regarding where Roberts lived but said the department believes he is from Oklahoma and arrived in the San Diego area in October of this year.

Roberts' next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.

No other information was available.

Anyone with information on cases involving Roberts is asked to call SDPD's Sex Crimes Unit at (619) 531-2210 or Crime Stoppers' anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.

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

Facebook denied Tuesday night that its dozens of "partners" — companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix, Spotify and Yahoo — were able to misuse Facebook users' personal data, NBC News reported. 

The company, however, didn't address explosive new allegations that it gave those companies far broader access to private data than it has previously acknowledged. The New York Times reported Tuesday that Facebook for many years gave more than 150 companies extensive access to personal data, including private messages and contact information for users' friends, than was previously known and without users' explicit consent.

The Times said it based its reporting on more than 270 pages of internal Facebook documents and interviews with more than 50 former employees of Facebook and its so-called integration partners, as well as other former government officials and privacy advocates.

Facebook has said it is ending the "integration partnerships," some of which the Times reported extend as far back as 2010 and some of which were still in effect this year.

The season is starting to wind down, but the Chargers (11-3) have a lot riding on these last two games in terms of playoff seeding.

This Saturday in primetime, the Chargers face the number one defense in the NFL in the Baltimore Ravens (8-6), led by former Chargers safety Eric Weddle.

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was one of 12 current players that were on the 2015 roster, which was Weddle’s last season donning a bolt helmet. Rivers still has a relationship with Weddle as they both coach their sons’ flag football teams.

“We've had quite a bit of competition on the practice field, just when score wasn't involved,” said Rivers, “So it will be a heck of a challenge, both he leading that defense, and just that defense in general, it's a heck of a defense. So we definitely have our work cut out for us on Saturday.”

During Weddle’s nine years in San Diego, many teammates and coaches said that having him was like having a quarterback on the defensive end. He would change plays, wore the radio helmet, and was a leader that the younger players could go to for guidance, which is the same thing he does now on the Ravens.

“They all look to him to do a lot of the communicating,” explained Rivers. “It seems like the group that's on the same page but you see Eric directing a lot of that, as you'd expect, that's what he's done here. That's what he's great at, and he's a heck of a player after the snap. It's some of the pre-snap things that he does that really separates him from a lot of other safeties.”

The Ravens defense is not only the number one in total defense, but they are number one against the pass and number three against the run. They will run into a Chargers offense that has been rolling as of late, even without running back Melvin Gordon. Both teams are coming in hot with the Ravens winning four out of their last five and the Chargers winning three in a row including two tough road games in Pittsburgh and Kansas City.

One of the best things to see in a game featuring Weddle and/or Rivers is their pre-snap calls. Time might be ticking down, but Rivers will run up to his line and change the protection or the play, one second left and he snaps it. Weddle waits, walks around, and sees what way the offense lines up and if he remembers something from film, he will change it up or point out where the ball is going. These two guys are ahead of the game when it comes to preparation, but could they both point out each other’s calls?

“I'll find out” said Rivers, “We'll find out early on. We'll find out early on how much of that will go on. I mean, that would go on about every day, multiple times a day on the practice field, you know? Of course, you could hear a little bit then, it's just us on the practice field. I think, again, I don't want to make too much of it. I don't imagine he's going to overanalyze everything he hears. He knows that I know that he knows, you know what I mean? And vice versa.”

Things went downhill between the Chargers and Weddle in 2015 when he called out the team’s brass for not being upfront with him about their intentions on wanting to re-sign him. He went as far as to say that “as long as that management is there, I’ll never set foot anywhere near that place.”

Expect there to be extra motivation for number 32 this weekend when he faces his former team for the first time since his departure.

Both teams are fighting for their placement in the playoffs this Saturday. If Baltimore wins and the Pittsburgh Steelers lose in New Orleans, Baltimore will be the division leader. Now if Baltimore loses and Indianapolis or Tennessee wins, the Ravens will drop out of the sixth seed, so they have a lot riding on this game. If the Chargers lose and Kansas City wins on Sunday night in Seattle the Chiefs win the division and would nearly wrap up home-field advantage in the AFC. If the Chargers win and Kansas City loses, then the Bolts take sole possession of the first seed and the Chiefs drop down to the fifth seed. Easy math, right?

NUTS N’ BOLTS

•Chargers injury report: DNP: WR Keenan Allen (hip), RB Austin Ekeler (neck), TE Sean Culkin (back). FULL: RB Melvin Gordon (knee), DT Brandon Mebane (not injury related).

•Pro Bowl rosters came out today and the Chargers have seven players headed to Orlando in QB Philip Rivers (8), C Mike Pouncey (4), RB Melvin Gordon (2), WR Keenan Allen (2), DE Melvin Ingram (2), S Derwin James (rookie), and S Adrian Phillips. This is the most the team has had since 10 made the trip in 2008.

Two teenagers who were staying at a migrant center in central Tijuana, Mexico, were killed in an attempted robbery, NBC News reported.

The two boys, estimated to be ages 16 and 17, were stabbed and strangled Saturday, according to Baja California Deputy Attorney General Jorge Alberto Álvarez Mendoza. Their bodies were found shortly after 7 p.m., he said. A third boy with the victims managed to escape. 

The bodies were found in an alley in a neighborhood named for the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Álvarez Mendoza said. Authorities believe the trio were headed to another migrant shelter, the Benito Juarez sports complex, which was officially closed down after heavy rains doused the open-air encampment earlier this month. 

The violence highlights the dangers migrants face in Tijuana as thousands await a slim possibility of pleading their case for asylum at the U.S. border. Some were part of a caravan that was politicized during the midterm congressional election in November.

Newly elected Texas congressman Dan Crenshaw said he reached out to "SNL" star Pete Davidson over what he called Davidson's "devastating" Instagram post over the weekend, NBC's "Today" show reported. 

Davidson, 25, had alarmed fans and friends after sharing a message that seemed to suggest he was having suicidal thoughts. Davidson, who has been candid about his struggles with depression and borderline personality disorder, then deleted his account.

New York police performed a wellness check and the comedian appeared briefly on Saturday's "SNL." 

Crenshaw told KPRC2 Houston that he talked to Davidson on Sunday. "We don't go back very far. We're not good friends," Crenshaw said. "But I think he appreciated hearing from me. I told him everyone has a purpose in this world. God put you here for a reason. It's your job to find that purpose. And you should live that way."

Crenshaw and Davidson first made headlines after Davidson poked fun at the  former Navy SEAL's appearance. Crenshaw lost his eye in an IED attack in Afghanistan.

They pair appeared together Nov. 10 on "Weekend Update" where Davidson apologized for his remark. 

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for more additional resources.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has written a letter asking for outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown’s help to free her brother, who is not eligible for parole for another 15 years in a notorious homicide case.

Back in 2000, he pushed a young mother out of a car and into Golden Gate Bridge traffic. Napoleon Brown, 46, is now serving a 44-year term in Solano State Prison for manslaughter, robbery and other crimes tied to the death of Lenties White.

Both White’s family and legal experts question Breed’s letter, which was obtained by NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit.

Breed wrote to the governor as part of an official application in October that while she did not think the four-decade sentence against her brother was fair, “I make no excuses for him. His decisions, his actions led him to the place he finds himself now.”

She says her brother has been through addiction, parenting and other programs in state prison. Outside, she assured, he would have “strong” family support.

“I guarantee we can secure him access to a job, to a good home, to the counselling and services he and every other addict need for the rest of their lives.”

His freedom, she says, is “what’s best for both Napoleon and society overall.”

But Sandra McNeil, the mother of the 25-year-old victim, disagrees.

“I don’t think it would be justice,” she said. “She’s the mayor, so she’s got a little power, so she thinks she can get her brother out.’’

Veteran prosecutor turned defense attorney, Chuck Smith, said the mayor’s letter raises all sorts of ethical questions.

“The timing of it is troublesome,” Smith said. “She could have written this letter six months ago, when she wasn’t mayor -- and she didn’t. The governor obviously is leaving office soon.”

In writing the governor, Breed left out that just last year, according to court records, her brother was caught with heroin in prison. As a result, he had another two years tacked onto the sentence he was already serving for manslaughter, robbery and other crimes.

Brown had a prior robbery on his record when he was originally convicted of murder and robbery and sentenced to 44 years in prison back in 2005. While the murder verdict was overturned by a judge for technical reasons, Brown ultimately agreed to plead to involuntary manslaughter. He was eventually resentenced to 42 years.

The extra time for the drug offense brings his term back to 44 years. He is eligible for parole in 2032.

McNeil says another thing Breed left out in that letter was that Breed herself tried to provide her brother with an alibi, testifying in the trial that Napoleon Brown was sleeping on their couch at midnight. That was when prosecutors said Brown robbed a Marina District restaurant and later pushed White from the getaway vehicle.

The jury heard evidence that White’s dying words implicated Napoleon Brown as her killer.

The governor’s office declined to comment, citing a policy of not discussing such pending requests.

Breed issued a statement, stressing that she was joining in her family’s request to reduce her brother’s term, given that he has already served nearly 20 years.

“I do believe that people need to face consequences when they have broken the law, but I also believe that we should allow for the rehabilitation and re-entry of people into society after they have served an amount of time that reflects the crimes committed,” she said in a statement issued Tuesday.

“Too many people, particularly young black men like my brother was when he was convicted, are not given an opportunity to become contributing members of society after they have served time in prison. I believe my brother deserves that opportunity.”

“I am not asking for my brother to be pardoned or for his conviction to be wiped away, but simply for the Governor to consider initiating the commutation of his sentence. This would only be the first step in a long process that involves a thorough investigation by the Parole Board and a decision by the California Supreme Court.”

“My family and our community is ready and willing to help support my brother, and we will take this responsibility seriously if his sentence is commuted. I believe he will better serve society, the community, his family, and his children outside of prison. Ultimately this determination is up to the Governor and the courts, but I join my family in making this request.”

But attorney Smith said he is troubled by the fact that the letter leaves out key information, like the heroin possession and Breed’s role as an alibi witness.

“If there are negative facts,’’ he said, “it is the obligation of the office holder to bring forth those negative facts and address them. Rather than just try to sweep them under the rug…. It smacks of ethics which are not exactly up to par in my opinion.”

McNeil said the clemency effort, and the mayor’s letter, is reopening old wounds.

“I thought it was done and over,” she said, “Justice was served and that was the end of it -- I never knew there was going to be another beginning of it.”

Nearly a dozen students were injured in a crash involving a school bus in University City Wednesday, San Diego Fire-Rescue said.  

A silver car crashed into the school bus with more than 30 children on board near the intersection of Genesee Avenue and Governor Drive just before 8:30 a.m., according to a spokesperson for the fire department.

Crews transported 11 students and the driver of the silver car to an area hospital with minor injuries, SDFD said. 

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School police officials were working to notify parents. 

CHP is investigating to determine the cause of the crash. 

No other information was available.

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Effective Dec. 26, San Diego International Airport will close its Pacific Highway economy lot.

According to a press release, the closure will make way for a brand new employee parking lot as a result of the loss of the existing employee parking due to construction of a new stormwater infiltration system. The procedure is part of the airport's long-term Stormwater Management Plan.

As an alternative, the report directs travelers to visit the airport’s parking reservation system for discounted rates at the long-term parking lot, or to consider the new parking plaza at Terminal 2 for $17 a day.

Other options include: terminal 1 parking lot, terminal 2 parking lot and curbside valet.

The Children’s Place is recalling thousands snowsuits over metal snaps that could detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.

The children’s apparel chain on Tuesday issued a recall for around 14,900 girls’ infant snowsuits that come with matching print hoods with small ears, detachable mittens and a zipper down the front that is covered with a fabric snap flap at the chest.

The New Jersey-based retailer received one report of a metal snap detaching from a snowsuit, but hadn’t received any reports of injuries as of Wednesday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

The recall includes two styles of girls' infant snowsuits sold in sizes 0 to 18 months.  The style number 2111187 was sold in White Sophy floral and Jazzberry ladybug patterns. The style number 2111188 came in Rosebud heart. The style number can be found on the label sewn in to the side of the seam.

The recalled snowsuits were sold in stores and online between August 2018 and November 2018 for about $50.

Anyone who has purchased one of the snowsuits should stop using them and return them to the chain for a full refund, the commission said. For more information, contact The Children’s Place at 1-877-752-2387.