A wrong-way driver now faces charges of murder and driving under the influence after a freeway crash left a motorcyclist dead, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Adam Barooshian was arrested Tuesday morning after CHP said he crashed driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of State Route 76 in Bonsall.

Barooshian, 25, reportedly struck a motorcyclist head on, who was traveling in the correct direction, according to CHP Officer Mark Latulippe.

The motorcyclist died at the scene.

Barooshian had previously been convicted of a DUI, Latulippe said. This conviction, along with Barooshian’s probation status and the circumstances of the crash, made CHP believe the murder charge was necessary.

A third vehicle was hit with debris from the collision.

Barooshian sustained minor scratches, CHP said.

He was not eligible for bail at this time, according to officials.

Barooshian’s court date is scheduled for Thursday.

A former Imperial Beach PTA president was arrested Wednesday after being suspected of embezzling thousands from the school, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Kaitlyn Birchman is accused of stealing between $25,000 and $40,000 in funds meant for Imperial Beach Charter School students, according to current PTA officials.

She was taken into custody by the Temecula Police Department at her Riverside home, deputies said.

A felony warrant was obtained back in November and put in the system for Birchman's arrest, according to SDSO.

On Wednesday, San Diego deputies went to Riverside to interview Birchman. Officials said she cooperated with the investigation and spoke about the allegations against her.

Amber Vissuet and Elizabeth McKay, the current president and treasurer of the PTA told NBC 7 in August that during an 18-month period the organization's former president allegedly lied about the group's finances.

They said she reportedly emptied out its bank account, collected money from members for bills but failed to pay invoices, and spent the PTA's money on personal items and on family trips.

The real victims are the children, according to McKay, who missed out on field trips and back-to-school events typically funded by the PTA.

“It’s a hard lesson to share with your kids that adults you trust and you think are good people are capable of doing something like this,” McKay said.

Birchman posted bond after her arrest, according to deputies.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department Financial Crimes Unit is handling the investigation.

A man accused of posing as an interested home buyer at open houses, then returning to steal items in a series of burglaries at celebrity and high-end homes for sale in Los Angeles, has been arrested, police said Wednesday.

An estimated 2,000 items, including jewelry and artwork, worth millions of dollars were seized during the investigation involving break-ins at luxury homes in the Hollywood area. The burglaries occurred in 2017 and 2018.

Victims included celebrity homes belonging to singers Usher, Jason Derulo, Adam Lambert and others, LAPD Detective Jared Timmons said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Detectives received a break in the case when they noticed the same person signing in to multiple open houses where the burglaries occurred. The suspect was identified as Benjamin Eitan Ackerman, 32, of Los Angeles. 

A search warrant was executed in September at the suspect's home in connection with the case. He was arrested at that time and released on bond. 

The suspect used the open houses as an opportunity to case his targets, posing as a potential buyer or realtor, police said.

"They believed that he was a buyer," said Timmons. "When he showed up, he was dressed to the nines. He acted the part. He was very slick."

Police said the suspect was likely working with others and called the operation "sophisticated." Police posted images of the some of the stolen items here in hope of identifying other victims and returning property.

Eckerman is being held on $1 million bail. It was not immediately clear whether the suspect has an attorney.

A decorated Navy SEAL will face Court-martial for charges, including premeditated murder in the death of a young ISIS fighter in Iraq, NBC 7 has confirmed. 

Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher faced an Article 32 hearing in November at Naval Base San Diego. During the hearing, U.S. Navy prosecutors accused Gallagher of premeditated murder for the stabbing death of an injured ISIS fighter who they estimate was about 15 years old. The stabbing happened in Mosul, Iraq in May 2017.

Gallagher is also charged with aggravated assault for shooting Iraqi civilians.

Special Operations Chief Gallagher has denied the charges.

Rear Adm. Yancy Lindsey, commander, Navy Region Southwest, reviewed evidence presented at that hearing and determined Gallagher should face Court-martial, according to a U.S. Navy spokesperson. 

NBC 7 was the only broadcast news station at Article 32 Hearing at Naval Base San Diego.

Special Operations Chief Gallagher has been held in the Miramar Brig since September 11 when was arrested at the Camp Pendleton Intrepid Spirit Center. 

The Navy outlined its evidence including cell phone photos that show Gallagher holding up the head of the deceased fighter during a reenlistment ceremony.

That evidence is considered privileged and was not shown in court because it could be used as propaganda by enemies of US troops.

The government also said it had a video of the Iraqi fighter before he was killed.

Prosecutors also presented evidence that they say shows that Chief Gallagher tried to bribe fellow SEALS not to talk about the incident to NCIS Investigators.

Gallagher's private defense attorney, Phil Stackhouse, questioned conflicts in dates and testimony in court and Asked if investigators were able to determine if the ISIS fighter could have died from injuries suffered in an airstrike.

The defense says Gallagher was turned in by his subordinates because he was too tough on them.

Naval Special Warfare Group One reviewed the evidence presented at the hearing according to the Navy and requested the charges be reviewed by RADM Lindsay, who then referred most of the charges to the court.

Gallagher will be arraigned at Naval Base San Diego on Friday.

The Navy SEALs Fund Brotherhood Beyond Battlefield has launched a fundraising campaign for Gallagher who served eight tours of duty with six as an elite special forces operator.

Gallagher has served 19 years in the U.S. Navy and more than 14 years as a Navy SEAL, his attorney said.

In 2017, Gallagher was ranked as the top SEAL chief and his platoon was ranked as the top SEAL platoon, the website said.

While the minimum wage increase implemented Jan. 1 is certainly good news for workers, it’s forcing San Diego business owners to consider new strategies and models to offset costs.

San Diego’s minimum wage is now $12 an hour.

It’s the third straight year the minimum has increased in accordance with a wage structure approved by voters in June 2016. State-mandated increases will bring the minimum wage up to $15 an hour in the year 2022.

“It’s not just my employees are costing more. It’s every vendor, every supplier I have. Their costs went up, too. So from everywhere, the cost went up and my staffing went up, so what do we do,” Midway District business owner Damien Devine said.

Devine has owned and operated Devine Possibilities for the last 16-years. He says overhead costs have forced him to raise menu prices over the last two years. For example, the cost of his signature sandwich – The Torpasta – has increased $2.

“Unless I change our model to where we have way fewer employees or totally fancy things up to where we can charge $20 to $30 dollars a plate, how are we going to afford that?” asked Devine.

Like many restaurant owners, Devine is considering several different strategies, all of which seem to come with a caveat.

One of which is raising menu prices again, but that obviously impacts customers. He's also considered ditching wait service and forcing customers to order at the counter, but says that would not likely impact the number of employees he needs. Ordering partially-prepared products was another idea, but that impacts quality.

Devine says adding a surcharge is not an option for his business.

“The other direction is to try and ramp up business and go for volume and get more people in, but that's also expensive, marketing and doing all those things. It's hard to have your mind on both places,” he said.

Devine is not alone. Chris Duggan, Director of Local Government Affairs with the California Restaurant Association, San Diego Chapter, released this statement:

“With California’s new $12 minimum wage in effect and scheduled to increase over the next three years, restaurants have been implementing several measures to adjust to the increased labor cost, including, adjusting menu prices, introduction of automation, adding a surcharge or increasing operational efficiencies. As the minimum wage climbs to $15 per hour by 2022, restaurateurs will closely monitor the finite amount of labor dollars available, adjusting where necessary all while continuing to provide the dining public with an exceptional experience they deserve.”

A popular Mexican food chain in San Diego has been ordered to pay tens of thousands of dollars for failing to report a work-related injury and for maintaining dangerous work conditions.

According to a complaint filed by California’s Division of Occupational Health and Safety, Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista must pay $40,000 after an employee fell off a ladder and sustained serious injuries.

According to investigators, the employee accident happened on January 20, 2018.

A subsequent inspection of the popular taqueria found a total of 10 violations at the chain’s flagship location, including a failure to keep records of unsafe work conditions, not providing training to employees on how to use portable ladders, inadequate first aid materials, and for not establishing an emergency eyewash station in the workplace.

The violations resulted in fines of $40,105.

The California Department of Industrial Relations has given the restaurant chain 15 working days from December 28, 2018 to pay the fines.

Tacos El Gordo has been noted as a popular option for Tijuana-style street taco in San Diego. In July of 2018, the Palm Street location in San Diego shut down due to lack of staff.

In an effort to halt the devastating impact of the opioid crisis, state regulators are now reviewing the prescribing history of doctors whose patients who overdosed on powerful and addictive narcotics. 

The Medical Board of California says Dr. Frank Gilman negligently prescribed powerful opioids and sedatives to a San Diego woman, failed to heed warning signs of her possible abuse of those controlled substances, and increased her “risk of harm” by his “haphazard prescribing.” 

That patient, 66-year-old Diana Barliant, had a history of depression and suicidal thoughts and at least one suicide attempt. 

On July 3, 2012, Barliant killed herself by overdosing on prescription opioids and sedatives.

In an accusation filed against Dr. Gilman, the Medical Board cites his allegedly substandard care of Barliant and three other patients as a reason to revoke Dr. Gilman’s license.

But Barliant’s widow strongly disagrees with those allegations and is refusing to help the Medical Board pursue its action against Dr. Gilman. 

“This is a witch hunt, and I won’t be part of it,” said Nowell Wisch. “And I will fight [the Medical Board] every step of the way.” 

Wisch said Dr. Gilman diligently prescribed different medications, including narcotics, to help his wife cope with the intense, unrelenting pain of thyroid cancer, fibromyalgia, and nerve pain. 

“She was just falling apart, and the opioids were the only drug [that helped her],” Wish told NBC 7 Investigates. “This was a highly thought-out process. We discussed every single treatment option. We accounted for every single pill. And no one involved in this process was responsible in any way for her death. Dr. Gilman was responsible for keeping her alive.” 

Wisch said he has refused a request from the Medical Board to assist with the investigation, and would not help an investigator obtain his late wife’s medical records. 

The Medical Board has a very different, and extremely critical, view of Gilman's treatment.

Its 63-page accusation seeks to revoke Gilman's license, based on his alleged sub-standard care of Diana and three other patients. 

According to that document, Gilman prescribed thousands of powerful opioid pills -- including Oxycodone and Oxycontin -- for Diana in the five years he treated her. 

The Medical Board accuses Gilman of "haphazard" and "incompetent" prescribing and claims he "failed to respond to warning signs [of Diana's] possible misuse and abuse" of narcotics and sedatives. 

The Medical Board alleges that those actions amount to “gross negligence" on Gilman’s part, and contributed to Barliant’s suicide by an overdose of narcotics and sedatives. 

Dr. Gilman did not respond to a request for comment from NBC 7 Investigates. But his attorney said, “To my knowledge, Dr. Gilman’s investigation has not been concluded, therefore detailed comments regarding this matter are premature. However, I can share that Dr. Gilman continues to cooperate with the investigation.” 

Nowell Wisch isn't the only one questioning the Medical Board's accusation against Gilman and 22 other California doctors, who are all are accused of negligently prescribing powerful and addictive drugs. 

Those accusations are the result of a relatively new enforcement effort called the "Death Certificate Project." 

Medical Board investigators reviewed more than two thousand autopsy reports from 2012 and 2013 that implicated prescription opioids in a patient's death. 

The Medical Board says this new strategy helps it root out negligent prescribers, without waiting for a complaint. 

“The systematic approach of this project has given the Board a chance to discover who the over-prescribers are, rather than having to wait for specific complaints to be made,” reads the minutes of a July 2017 meeting of the Board’s Enforcement Committee.

But the California Medical Association, which represents thousands of California physicians, is concerned that the Death Certificate Project has ensnared doctors who were correctly following accepted opiate prescription practices in place when they treated those patients. 

“Are there bad prescribers? Yes. Are there so many that these investigations had to blanket so many people? We don't think so," said Dr. Ted Mazer, a San Diego physician and immediate past president of the California Medical Association. 

"The issue is, are the [Medical Board] reviewers applying the right guidelines, and are the investigations focusing improperly on certain areas and certain specialties?" 

In response to this, a Medical Board spokesman said the Board’s expert reviewers, “...are expected to use the standard of care in effect at the time the incident/care and treatment occurred.” The spokesman also noted that the Medical Board did have opiate prescription guidelines in place as early as 2013. 

Mazer said the issues of concern to the Medical Association were first raised in a series of articles in the online medical publication “MedPage Today”.

Those articles and the concerns of some physicians have prompted the Medical Association to request an independent, outside review of the Death Certificate Project. 

“We’re not accusing the Medical Board of improper investigations, but we’re hearing enough concern that we think it needs to be looked into,” Mazer said. 

In the meantime, Mazer warns that until California doctors are confident that the investigations are fair, some will stop prescribing narcotics and turn away patients who have a legitimate need for those medications. 

"The patient who truly needs pain medication may not be able to access it,” Mazer said. “Then they have two choices: They can suffer, which is not what medicine is supposed to have them do. Or they can go to the street” to buy illicit narcotics.

Are you thinking about giving up meat? 

Some people feel strongly about not eating animals and it can have a positive impact on the environment, but as Consumer Reports warns, when some people cut out meat and dairy, they need to take extra care to get the nutrients they need. 

Consumer Reports suggests for a balanced vegetarian or vegan diet, you need to pay special attention to getting enough of these four important nutrients:  protein, calcium, iron and vitamin B12. 

There are plenty of plant foods that have protein. For example - tofu, chickpeas, and other legumes, and high protein grains such as quinoa. Eat some protein at every meal. 

And don't forget bone-building calcium. Doctors recommend 1,000 mg a day, and 1,200 if you’re a woman over 50. How do you get it when don’t eat dairy?

Plant sources of calcium include almonds, bok choy, collard greens, kale, fortified plant milk or orange juice and calcium-set tofu. 

Getting enough iron can be a challenge when you don’t eat meat. Pair good plant iron sources, such as lentils, white beans and other legumes, and swiss chard with vitamin C containing foods such as oranges and red bell peppers. Combining plant foods rich in iron with Vitamin C helps boost iron absorption. 

Another nutrient you may miss out on: Vitamin B12, crucial for brain and nervous system functioning. Fortified plant milks, meat alternatives, breakfast cereals can help you get B12. 

If you’re planning on making the switch to veggie or vegan in the new year, it’s not a bad idea to check in with your health care provider to ensure you’re getting enough of the nutrients you need!

All Consumer Reports Material Copyright © 2019_ Consumer Reports, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Outraged over the price of printer ink? You’re not alone.

A recent Consumer Reports survey shows the price of ink is the number one complaint for printer owners. So why are those tiny little ink cartridges so expensive?

Experts at Consumer Reports say one reason: There’s a lot of science and engineering behind printing, and it all has to work together seamlessly. Consumers expect a push-button experience and that’s what they try to deliver. 

Consumer Reports says to think of what you paid for your printer as more of a down payment. The manufacturer hopes you come back to them and buy their original brand ink or toner. That’s the profit motive. So now they sell the printer cheaply, but can charge more for the ink and toner. 

And when it comes to that ink, most consumers aren’t even getting what they paid for. CR says tests have shown with many inkjet printers, more than half of the ink you buy never winds up on the page!

Inkjets, which are a very popular type of printer, tend to use up more ink than other types of printers because they have to do a maintenance cycle. That maintenance cycle helps keep the printheads from clogging, which can ruin your prints. CR says consumers who print the average 25 to 35 pages a month should leave their printers on. That’s because turning a printer off and on can trigger more maintenance cycles. Don’t worry about your electricity bill. CR says inkjets nowadays use very little power in sleep mode. 

Other ways to save? Consider an affordable black and white laser printer, especially if you’re mostly just printing text. You can also check out reservoir inkjet printers. They use ink reservoirs you fill yourself instead of cartridges. And those refills can last up to two years. 

Consumer Reports urges consumers not to be attracted by low prices when shopping for a printer, especially this holiday season. They say it’s important to consider the price of a printer over time, including ink. CR members can check out the two-year estimated cost of ownership in the printer ratings.

All Consumer Reports Material Copyright © 2019_ Consumer Reports, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Close to 4,000 customers in Southeast San Diego were without power for a few hours Wednesday night.

The outage impacted 3,680 residents in Logan Heights, Mountain View, Lincoln Park, Encanto, Emerald Hills, and Valencia Park. It was first reported just after 7 p.m.

The utility company said power was expected to be restored to everyone at around 10 p.m. By about 9 p.m., less than 100 customers were without power.

SDG&E has yet to determine the cause.

It's finally arrived: The moment people have been waiting for since the last time this happened ... Yep, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has orchestrated the big reveal for spring 2019, the 20th iteration of the big bonanza.

On Wednesday evening, Coachella tweeted out the full lineup poster, which includes Childish Gambino headlining Friday, April 12 and 19; Tame Impala headlining Saturday, April 13 and 20; and Ariana Grande headlining Sunday, April 14 and 21 (talk about a thrilling tax season).

Other big names to see this year include Janelle Monae, the 1975, Diplo, Rufus Du Sol (read their recent SoundDiego interview here), Anderson Paak, Solange, Kid Cudi, Weezer, Aphex Twin, J. Balvin, Khalid, Zedd, Bad Bunny, Dillon Francis, Chvrches, YG, H.E.R., Playboi Carti, Pusha T, and so many others.

Perhaps the biggest headline out of this year's festival's reveal (for locals) is the inclusion of San Diego's very own the Frights! It's insane to think just five years ago, the surf-punk band was opening (not even headlining!) our Halloween SoundDiego LIVE party at the Office in North Park, and now look at 'em -- right smack in the middle of Friday's lineup! Congratulations, guys. Well deserved (check out our recent interview with band frontman Mikey Carnevale here).

And if you've been watching SoundDiego TV, you've also seen quite a few of the lineup's acts on recent episodes, like Billie Eilish, Mon Laferte, Beach Fossils, SOB x RBE, Alice Merton, Soccer Mommy, and more!  

Three-day general admission passes go on sale here on Friday, Jan. 4, at 11 a.m. PST. Snap 'em up quick.

The 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Lineup

Friday, April 12 and 19

• Childish Gambino
• Janelle Monae
• The 1975
• DJ Snake
• Diplo
• Rufus Du Sol
• Blackpink
• Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals
• Kacey Musgraves
• Juice WRLD
• Ella Mai
• Los Tucanes de Tijuana
• Fisher
• Jaden Smith
• Nina Kraviz
• Rosalia
• Gorgon City
• Mon Laferte
• Khruangbin
• Kayzo
• dvsn
• King Princess
• Chris Lake
• Jauz
• The Interrupters
• Hot Since 82
• Charlotte Gainsbourg
• Sophie
• Nicole Moudaber
• Tierra Whack
• Polo & Pan
• Beach Fossils
• Yellow Days
• The Frights
• Nora En Pure
• Yves Tumor
• SG Lewis
• Kero Kero Bonito
• JPEGMAFIA
• Calypso Rose
• Nic Fanciulli
• Kolsch
• CamelPhat
• Let's Eat Grandma
• Anna Lunoe
• Amelie Lens
• Hurray for the Riff Raff
• Walker & Royce
• Turnstile
• Rat Boy
• 88Glam
• Ross From Friends
• Lauren Lane
• Still Woozy
• Bakar
• Blond:ish
• Tomasa del Real
• Las Robertas
• Dave P.

Saturday, April 13 and 20

• Tame Impala
• Solange
• Kid Cudi
• Weezer
• Aphex Twin
• J Balvin
• Billie Eilish
• Bassnectar
• Four Tet
• Christine and the Queens
• Wiz Khalifa
• Mac DeMarco
• Bazzi
• Maggie Rogers
• Sheck Wes
• Gryffin
• Bob Moses
• Virgil Abloh
• Tale Of Us
• Mr Eazi
• Sabrina Claudio
• Ty Segall & White Fence
• Deep Dish
• Smino
• FKJ
• SiR
• Idris Elba
• Parcels
• JAIN
• Soulection
• Turnover
• Sales
• Stephan Bodzin
• CloZee
• Arizona
• Murda Beatz
• Jambinai
• Ame
• Chon
• Little Simz
• Adriatique
• Lee Burridge
• The Garden
• Agoria
• Hop Along
• Shame
• Superorganism
• Serpentwithfeet
• Ookay
• Steady Holiday
• Javiera Mena
• The Messthetics
• The Red Pears
• Heidi Lawden

Sunday, April 14 and 21

• Ariana Grande
• Khalid
• Zedd
• Gesaffelstein
• Bad Bunny
• Dillon Francis
• Chvrches
• YG
• Cirez D
• Playboi Carti
• H.E.R.
• Blood Orange
• Pusha T
• Unknown Mortal Orchestra
• Kaytranada
• Gucci Gang
• Jon Hopkins
• Sofi Tukker
• Burna Boy
• Lizzo
• Dermot Kennedy
• SOB x RBE
• Clairo
• NGHTMRE
• Perfume
• Boy Pablo
• Guy Gerber
• HYUKOH
• Emily King
• Dennis Lloyd
• Alice Merton
• Shallou
• 070 Shake
• Soccer Mommy
• Rico Nasty
• Cola Boyy
• Wallows
• Mansionair
• Nocturnal Sunshine
• Dusky
• Yotto
• Patrice Baumel
• Easy Life
• Jan Blomqvist
• U.S. Girls
• Iceage
• Men I Trust
• Charlotte de Witte
• Social House
• Ocho Ojos
• Razorbumps
• Tara Brooks

Students returning to Horace Mann Middle School after holiday vacation will have to deal with a big loss to the administration staff.

Dr. Allen Teng, the principal of the school, passed away during the holidays. Teng’s wife said in a letter that he was killed in a crash Saturday morning.

A letter sent to the school community from the vice principal said crisis counselors will be on campus Monday and beyond for students who need to talk about their feelings.

Dr. Teng was well-liked by students and staff. In fact, a Horace Mann graduate said he recently came back to the campus to say high to old teachers. Soon after, he saw the news on social media.

“On social media a bunch of people posted it I was like wait, that can't be real,” high school student Kayvion Jones said.

Another former student, Larry Salinas, said Dr. Teng always told him to keep moving forward.

“Students had fun with him, teachers, everybody had fun with him,” he said.

In the vice principal’s letter, Teng was described as a "Great educator who truly believed that education is the key to a better future -- someone who understood that teachers make an irreplaceable difference in the lives of young minds.”

The letter went on to say “Together we will continue building the kind of campus Dr. Teng hoped to create. That will be the best way for all of us to honor his life and legacy.”

A water main break has flooded a street and is impacting traffic near Sharp Memorial Hospital in Linda Vista.

Water began seeping into the roadway before 4:45 p.m. at the corner of Health Center Drive and Frost Street.

Nearby Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women said the break did impact the hospital slightly but not enough to stop daily operations or reject new patients. the hospital said the issues were quickly resolved.

Sharp Memorial said the break did not impact the hospital's water service.

Health Center Drive was shut down at Vista Hill Avenue. San Diego police are at the scene directing traffic.

No other information was available.

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

As the new year begins, the United States Postal Service is telling customers about changes in 2019 that could impact their mail. 

Starting January 27, Forever stamp prices will increase from 50 cents each to 55 cents each. The 10 percent increase is the biggest in U.S. Postal Office history. 

The price hike is to offset losses from 2018. The post office had its worst year yet, resulting in about $4 billion in operating losses. 

Postal employees said it is important to keep the stamp price increase in mind if you plan to print shipping labels at home. 

"If you come to the post office, we'll weigh it and put the correct postage on," said Eva Jackson, spokesperson for the USPS San Diego District. "If you're at home, that could create a problem if you don't have enough postage on there." 

Locals say they will be supporting USPS in a personal effort to keep the federal agency afloat. 

"Keep using the post office, that's my tip," said Kristen Winter as she was mailing letters at the Carmel Mountain Postal Store on Rancho Carmel Drive. 

At the same time, 2018 saw one of its busiest weeks due to a strong economy, with over 16 billion letters, gifts and packages sent out between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve. 

The post office has been taking steps to compete with major online retailers like Amazon. During the busy winter months, some local post offices set up a drive through for the holidays so that customers did not have to leave their cars to mail letters and packages. 

The Forever stamp price increase was approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission. 

Another debate over a cross on public land in San Diego County came to a peaceful end Wednesday with the rededication of a memorial cross that stood in the middle of the desert.

A cross surrounded by only miles of sand and rocks has stood for more than five decades in Ocotillo Wells as a tribute to Jim Robison, a hometown hero who died in the Vietnam War.

“Last I seen him it was Christmas Day, 1965,” Robison’s nephew Tom Lemmon said. “I was 6 years old.

The memorial cross was erected by the tight-knit community and served as a special reminder for many besides Lemmon. Lemmon, who is also a well-known labor leader, said only the people of Ocotillo Wells really knew what the cross meant.

But apparently, the fact that the memorial, a religious symbol, stood on public land didn’t sit well with at least one person. A complaint was made and the fate of the cross was in question.

Lemmon said the thought of the cross disappearing was heartbreaking because of the connection to his uncle and the peace it brought his family and community in the years after Robison’s death.

“The comfort that I think it gave my grandparents as they looked upon the hill, I think helped them,” he said.

Lemmon’s fear turned to action, and he started working the phones and eventually teamed with the American Legion to buy the land and make it private.

“I understand the separation of church and state. I’m absolutely supportive of that but there’s a process and clearly the American Legion went through the process,” he said.

Since the cross was erected the names of several other fallen veterans have been scratched into the cross. And like Robison’s, their names will be preserved forever.

In 2015, a 25-year legal battle over the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial ended when the land beneath the cross memorial was transferred from the Department of Defense to the Mount Soledad Memorial Association for $1.4 million.

Police in La Mesa are on the lookout for a burglar who used the cover of a termite tent to break into someone's home.

The La Mesa Police Department said the break-in happened at around 7:40 p.m. on Elden Street near Fletcher Parkway and State Route 125.

The homeowner told NBC 7 his security camera alerted him to movement inside the home. When he looked at the camera feed on his cell phone, he saw the suspect and called 911.

Within minutes a police helicopter was over the neighborhood trying to find the backpack-toting masked man the homeowner reportedly saw inside.

Neighbors were told to stay inside their homes and lock their doors as police searched the area.

“It was kind of nerve-racking, next-door neighbor Melissa Kremer said. “We're such close neighbors. To know someone was next door burglarizing it, it kind of puts you on alert."

Kremer thinks the break-in could’ve been what caused her dog to bark when he was in the backyard.

She also thinks the suspect could be familiar with the area because street repairs in the area make it a tough neighborhood to get to.

Images or video of the suspect have not been released. Police have yet to determine if anything was stolen.

No other information was available.

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

Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn't ruling out President Donald Trump being indicted in office, telling the "Today" show in an exclusive interview she considers it "an open discussion."

While standing Justice Department guidelines advise against indicting a sitting president, Pelosi told Savannah Guthrie that it's possible special counsel Robert Mueller could still seek one.

"I think that is an open discussion in terms of the law," she said ahead of reclaiming the House speaker's gavel Thursday, becoming the first lawmaker to do so in recent history.

Democrats have discussed whether to impeach Trump, and Pelosi didn't rule it out, saying it shouldn't be done — or avoided — "for a political reason."

Large flames and thick smoke could be seen coming from a Carlsbad apartment complex early Thursday morning, damaging at least four units, officials said.

The building, located on Chinquapin Avenue, caught fire just before 4 a.m., according to the Carlsbad Fire Department.

“I woke up, all I saw was red flames moving upward,” said resident Faye Bacon.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time; however, Bacon said, “It came from one apartment, and it quickly spread upward.”

“At this time, it appears that the fire started in the first floor and extended to the second floor,” said CFD Division Chief Mike Lopez.

Gerry Pirritano lives in the apartment unit above near the source of the fire, he told NBC 7.

He was lying in bed when he heard the fire alarm go off.

Pirritano told NBC 7 he just moved from an apartment complex where the fire alarm went off regularly, so he was “waiting and waiting and waiting, and then I heard some thumping outside,” and that’s when he opened his front door.

“A bunch of smoke came billowing in from downstairs,” Pirritano said.

Pirritano then grabbed his dog, Chronos, and his computer essentials before running out of the burning building.

“It’s bad enough waking up to an alarm clock, let alone a fire,” Gerry said.

Crews from Carlsbad, Encinitas, Oceanside, and Vista arrived at the scene to assist and block off portions of Chinquapin Avenue and Harrison Street.

Crews were able to put out the blaze in roughly half of an hour.

Two units had heavy fire damage and another two had smoke and water damage, according to Lopez.

“We’re going to have to live with a lot of smoke smell in the apartment,” Bacon told NBC 7. “That concerns me, because that’s not healthy.”

Though the fire was contained to the first and second floors, the entire apartment complex was evacuated as a precaution, Lopez said.

Four families were displaced following the damages, Lopez told NBC 7. The Red Cross was en route to help those affected.

No injuries were reported.

No other information was available.

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

Drug maker Aurobindo Pharma USA is voluntarily recalling 80 lots of its blood pressure medication valsartan over concerns that tablets could be contaminated with a cancer-causing agent.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported that traces of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a "probable human carcinogen," was found in several lots of Amlodipine Valsartan Tablets USP, Valsartan HCTZ Tablets, USP and Valsartan Tablets USP.

The recalled medications were distributed nationwide. The New Jersey-based company has not received any reports of adverse effects related to the drugs as of Dec. 31, 2018, when the recall was announced, the FDA said.

A full list of the recalled products is available here. Products can be identified by checking the product name, manufacturer details, and batch or lot number on the bottles. Expiration dates range from May 2019 to March 2021.

Valsartan tablets are used to control high blood pressure and for treatment of heart failure. The FDA says patients who are prescribed Amlodipine Valsartan Tablets USP, Valsartan HCTZ Tablets, USP and Valsartan Tablets USP should continue taking their medication, “as the risk of harm to the patient’s health may be higher if the treatment is stopped immediately without any alternative treatment.”

If a patient's medicine is included in the recall, they should contact their health care professional to discuss alternative treatment options before returning their medication.

Consumers can contact the company at 1-866-850-2876 or pvg@aurobindousa.com.

Aurobino’s recall follows a number of others in the last year. In November, Teva Pharmaceuticals voluntarily recalled two of its drugs over the same concerns. In August, the FDA announced an expanded recall of medications that contained the active ingredient valsartan over concerns that it could be contaminated with the cancer-causing agent.

The agency encourages patients and health care professionals to report any adverse reaction to the FDA’s MedWatch program.

Online child predator-shaming group POPSquad has recorded more than 130 stings and claims to have been involved in 14 arrests, which NBC News has verified, though not all were charged with crimes related to videos of the encounters.

It's one of dozens of such groups that have sprung up online, especially in the last year, mining similar territory to the NBC News "Dateline" show "To Catch a Predator," according to an NBC News review of the groups on Facebook.

"In this field, sex crimes, no one can hold a candle to me. And that's a problem," said Shane Erdmann, also known as "Incognito," who founded POPSquad in Connecticut two years ago.

The groups' stings sometimes end with a potential child predator in police custody. But many law enforcement officers consider them dangerous vigilantes.

In one case from October, a 20-year-old gay man from Torrington, Connecticut, went home after being confronted by Erdman at a sting and hanged himself. Erdmann declined to comment on video of the encounter, posted to Facebook and later removed, and threatened to sue NBC News when asked follow-up questions.

SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting 'Home' to 741741.