A judge has decided to send an El Cajon woman to trial in a double fatal accident case.

31-year-old Sunny Hall is charged with driving under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter.

During a preliminary hearing Tuesday, new details were revealed, included a chilling 911 tape.

On June 11, 2012, 25-year-old Angela August rolled over her car on Interstate 8. Jimmy Arrevalo, 59, pulled over to help. That’s when Hall crashed into Arrevalo’s car, killing him. August was also pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutors said Hall was driving more than 70 miles per hour and had a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit.

In the 911 tape, Arrevalo describes the crash to the dispatcher. Then, he screams, and there is silence.

At one point during the hearing, Arrevalo’s family members left the courtroom in tears after listening to the graphic details of his death.

“My husband never drank, and he encouraged his students to never drink,” Silvia Arrevalo said. “He lived by example."

Hall faces 14 years in prison.
 

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called on parents to ignore calls for a school boycott and send their kids to class on Wednesday as planned.

"You have a disagreement? The court has spoken to that. You don’t like something? There’s another way to speak of it. Do not take the kids out of school and harm them and their future," Emanuel said Tuesday. "Do not use the kids that way. They don’t have a day to waste when it comes to their education."

The boycott in protest of the recent school closures was scheduled to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. It's also scheduled to happen at about the time the Chicago Board of Education votes on a $5.58 billion budget and comes amid another call by protesters for an elected school board.

Michelle Young of the group Action Now said the boycott will make a statement that parents are standing up for the rights of their children.

"I feel [Chicago Public Schools] is using our children," she said. "They're using them as pawns. We're asking for much. We're asking for a new, elected school board that has our children's education at heart."

Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett said the boycott sets a bad example for children.

"Removing children from the classroom for even one day is unacceptable," Byrd-Bennett said in a statement. "Our students belong in the classroom with their teachers getting the instruction they need to be on a path to a successful and bright future."

Mother Katrina Martin, who has four children in CPS, insisted Tuesday night that all of her kids will be in classes. She said she feels a boycott will do more harm than good.

"What would make a difference? If we keep all of them out of school for that one day to attend ... what are they doing to get out of it?

Her son agreed.

"I need to be in school to get everything out the way and get my word done," he said.

Action Now and other groups say their protest for change will begin at 8:30 a.m. They'll gather at CPS Headquarters, at 125 S. Clark St., and march to City Hall, at 121 N. LaSalle St.

Hundreds of people gathered in Harlem Tuesday night to mourn the 21-year-old transgender woman who was beaten to death, allegedly after a group of men discovered she was born male. 

Islan Nettles died of blunt impact injuries to the head after she was assaulted by a group of men near 148th Street and Eighth Avenue on Aug. 17, authorities say. 

Nettles' mother cried as she spoke to the crowd at a rally to denounce hate crimes against the gay and transgender communities Tuesday.

"Thank you for supporting my baby," said Delores Nettles. "I'm going to make sure it does not happen again."

There was a series of anti-gay attacks in the spring across New York City; more recently, a gay couple was attacked while leaving a movie theater in Chelsea. 

City Council speaker and mayoral candidate Christine Quinn. who is openly gay, said, "Eventually enough has to be enough. I don't know what's wrong with some people, why who I am or who transgendered people are is offensive to them, but at the end of the day I don't really care. It is not OK for people to act out their feelings in a violent way."

Transgender activist Nicole Bowles said, "In 2013, for us to still be stuck in that stigma, and society to still be so angry because a person chooses to be what their heart desires is very unfortunate." 

Also at the vigil was transgender actress Laverne Cox, who has risen to fame on the new hit show "Orange Is the New Black." 

"It saddens me that a 21-year-old girl, that her life was taken away for no good reason, because of hatred, because of misunderstanding," she said. 

Police have charged a suspect with assault.

The bell that rang in Birmingham, Ala., on the day four girls were killed in a bombing made its way to Washington, D.C., for the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.

The bell was loaned to the District by Birmingham officials for Wednesday's events, marking the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech Aug. 28, 1963.

• FULL COVERAGE: March on Washington Anniversary

On Sept. 15, 1963, the bell rang at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham as it had any other Sunday. That same day, an explosion at the church killed four young girls, fueling the Civil Rights Movement.

The bell was unloaded at the Lincoln Memorial Tuesday. Presidents Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama are among the speakers during Wednesday's ceremony.

Fred Stobaugh, 96, remembered laying eyes on the prettiest girl he ever saw: It was 1938, and she was a car hop named Lorraine at an A&W Rootbeer stand in East Peoria, Ill.

Two years later, she was his wife. They remained together until Lorraine's death this year.

"She gave me 75 years of her life," Stobaugh said in an online documentary.

It was this love story that transformed Stobaugh - not a musician by any means - into a chart-topping songwriter and Internet star.

Soon after Lorraine died, Green Shoe Studio, an Illinois-based music studio, held an online contest for singer-songwriters. Studio employees were sorting through uploaded videos when they received a manila envelope.

Inside were heartfelt lyrics that Stobaugh wrote about the love of his life, titled "Sweet Lorraine."

"Oh sweet Lorraine, I wish we could do all the good times over again," the song starts. "Oh sweet Lorraine, life only goes around once, but never again. ... The memories always linger on. Oh sweet Lorraine, I don't want to move on. ... that's why I wrote this song."

The studio said the lyrics didn't meet the submission criteria for the singer-songwriter contest. But it did him one better - the studio had professional musicians work with Stobaugh to transform the lyrics into a song.

The studio created a documentary video telling Stobaugh's story and posted it online.

The video showed the moment Stobaugh first listened to the finished song. When the song was over, Stobaugh visibly trembled, held his hand over his mouth and stared off into the distance.

"Wonderful," he said.

The song has since gone on to top the iTunes downloads in the Singer/Songwriter category, according to Green Shoe Studio.

"It was a wonderful 75 years," he said. I often think they're kind of unreal - dreaming, or something. But it was real. That's all I can say. It was real."

"I really, really miss her," he said. "It just don't seem right."

The song can be purchased on iTunes or Google Play.

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Multiple San Diego sports officials gathered together on Tuesday to outline a new fan code of conduct for local athletic venues.

Chargers president A.G. Spanos and Padres CEO Mike Dee were joined by local university officials to present enhanced policies which they hope will complement existing rules.

“The goal of our work is to ensure a quality spectator experience for fans of youth, high school, collegiate and professional sports throughout the region,” said Mike McDowell, president of the San Diego Sports Commission.

The goal is to have the new code of conduct focus on behavior that “detracts from the spectator experience.”

Meaning: They want fans to be respectful. Not just of other fans, but also toward players and venue staff.

That means no yelling obscenities, punching players or fighting.

McDowell said local teams, ranging from the San Diego State Aztecs to youth soccer, will let fans know about the policies going forward.

“We are not attempting to replace any existing codes of conduct but hope that this focused and fan-friendly version will enhance fan involvement and serve to underscore the fact that breaking any of these common sense rules may subject violators to ejection or arrest,” said McDowell.

Dees said that the new code helps reinforce team’s commitment to an extraordinary fan experience.

“This code provides a clearly communicated framework to support that cooperation,” he said.

Spanos said he wants fans to be safe in the stadium and in the parking lot.

“We want all fans attending our games to enjoy the experience in a responsible fashion,” he said. “We enthusiastically support this effort to develop and promote a culture of sports fan courtesy and positive conduct throughout the region.”

A 10-foot python was captured Tuesday in the parking lot of a New Jersey Burger King after a construction crew fixing a sewer line spotted the reptile.

It had apparently been seen in recent days, moving through the grass near the Passaic River in Paterson.

On Tuesday morning, the construction crew saw the snake and called animal control officers, who then contacted local snake expert Jerry Zelenka.

Zelenka, who conducts animal education programs through his organization Touch of Nature, estimated the Burmese python was about 10 feet long and 40 to 45 pounds.

He said the snake wasn't venomous or dangerous, but "they'll give you a bite you won't enjoy, if you are bitten."

Zelenka guessed the snake was a pet because it was well-fed and healthy. 

"It's probably not the most agreeable snake at the moment," he added.

He plans to treat the snake for possible worms or parasites, then clean it and feed it. He hopes to introduce it to other snakes in his collection of featured reptiles in his educational program. 

The boy who survived a sand dune collapse will get to meet the team who rescued him.

Nathan Woessner fell into a hole last month at Mount Baldy, a popular dune at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, and was buried for hours under 11 feet of sand.

Indredibly, Nathan survived and recovered, leaving the hospital two weeks after his fall and starting first grade with his peers.

Nathan and his family will join the rescuers Wednesday at events hosted by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer.

A dual recognition program will honor all of the agencies and individuals involved in the boy's rescue, the first at 11 a.m. at Michigan City City Hall and the second at 1 p.m. at the Stardust Events Center at the Blue Chip Casino.

Woessner spent three-and-a-half hours trapped in the sand and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. At Comer Children's Hospital, he was breathing with a ventilator for a week.

Woessner's grandfather, Pastor Don Reul, said the boy was at the dunes with his parents and another couple. The boy was walking to the top of Mt. Baldy with his dad, an adult friend of the family and another boy when he fell.

"Part of the way up, Nathan stepped into a sink hole and disappeared out of the sight," Reul said. "They immediately went back, and he was nowhere to be seen. The ground had swallowed him up."

Woessner was hollering out, Reul said, and they frantically began to dig to get him out.

Officials say Woessner was found 11 feet down in the sand. Michigan City Fire Chief Ronnie Martin said his crews used heavy machinery to locate the boy.

The area around the dune remains closed indefinitely after officials reported finding a second sinkhole near the area where Nathan was swallowed up.

Crews from the Environmental Protection Agency found the hole, which is about 10 inches in diameter and at least five feet deep, during a sweep of the area with ground-penetrating radar.

"This is obviously a very rare occurrence but we know it's not a unique occurrence," park ranger Bruce Rowe said.

Decades ago, a northern Virginia woman left home against her parents' wishes to become a freedom fighter. Now Joan Mulholland is known not only as a trailblazer but as the go-to person when it comes to artifacts from the Civil Rights Movement.

A stroll through Mulholland's Arlington home is a freedom ride through American history.

But Mulholland's collection of Civil Rights treasures also play a big part in her own history. She was a non-violent fighter for equality.

Mulholland proudly showed off her sentencing papers, requiring her to spend two months in prison for riding a freedom bus into Jackson, Miss.

"It was following Gandhi," Mulholland said. "Fill the jails, make it so inconvenient and expensive for them, and keep that publicity ruling that they would decide to obey the Supreme Court ruling."

When talking about her role in the movement to students, Mulholland is often met with skepticism. She says people don't associate her face with the push for Civil Rights.

"No, I think I'm an exception to the rule," she said. "But there were an awful lot of white folks in the south who were glad to see change come, but [they] were afraid for themselves and their families to speak out."

Mulholland wasn't afraid, not of her family nor society. She's pictured in several iconic images of the movement. One photo shows her at a Jackson lunch counter sit-in. She's covered in sugar and sits with her back to a hate-filled crowd.

Asked if it was a humiliating moment or a proud moment, Mulholland answered, "It's a 'survive it' moment."

Mulholland was arrested about a half dozen times. Her time in prison overlapped with the Rev. Reginald Green's. He was also arrested in Jackson on the day before Mulholland.

"Same jail, same time," said Rev. Green. "In fact, Joan stayed a little longer than I did, I think. She stayed to go back to school from jail."

Today, Rev. Green lives just a few miles from Mulholland across the border in D.C. He praises her role as a fellow freedom rider.

"Had it just been a movement where it was just African-Americans trying to do this on their own without that kind of ... involvement, I don't think it would have had the success," Rev. Green said.

On the eve of the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, Mulholland reflected on her own connection to Dr. Martin Luther King -- her fearless efforts to help see his dream, her dream, become reality.

"We're going to die, eventually," Mulholland said. "It may as well be a death that makes a difference."

Google Inc. has named the city of Carlsbad as the “digital capital” of California in its annual eCity Awards program, analyzing the online strength of the small-business communities of all 50 states.

Working with the research firm Ipsos, Google scored cities’ small businesses on factors including use of company websites, blogs, social media, ecommerce and mobile technology. The top-scoring city from each state was named a digital capital, according to Google.

A representative of Mountain View-based Google presented the city with its award at a recent chamber of commerce event in Carlsbad.

Republican congressional candidate Carl DeMaio called a news report accusing him of masturbating in a San Diego City Hall restroom as “disgusting, humiliating and nothing more than a character assassination attempt.”

The former San Diego City councilmember and 2012 mayoral hopeful became emotional after speaking with NBC 7 News about allegations published Thursday in a “Voice of Orange County” article.

Quoting former City Councilmember and current Democratic State Sen. Ben Hueso, the article claims that in 2009, city officials and members of the press knew that DeMaio would regularly excuse himself from Council Chambers to masturbate in the bathroom.

In an exclusive interview with NBC 7, DeMaio offered up results of a polygraph taken Aug. 26.

Paul Redden, a polygraph examiner often used by local law enforcement agencies and defense attorneys alike, asked DeMaio if he recalled masturbating in the City Hall bathroom when Ben Hueso walked in. A second question asked if Ben Hueso ever saw DeMaio masturbate.

The polygraph examiner concluded “subject was not attempting deception when he answered ‘no' to the above relevant questions.”

On behalf of DeMaio, attorney Robert Ottilie sent a letter to the "Voice of Orange County" on Friday demanding it publish a correction.

“In politics, you see people make accusations all the time. And you know, I’ve had people criticize me before and I usually let it roll off my back,” DeMaio said.

“But this one crosses the line. It’s so gross. It’s so false, that I have to speak out. I have to present the truth.”

DeMaio, who announced in May his intention to run against newly-elected Democratic Rep. Scott Peters in San Diego's 52nd Congressional District, said he thought the rumor was dead after 2009. Then, he said the same story was “shopped around” to local newspapers in October 2012 during a heated mayoral race with now-outgoing Mayor Bob Filner.

“Local papers in San Diego saw it for being a lie and dismissed it,” DeMaio said. “And now, conveniently the timing, of bringing it out right as a new mayoral race starts. It’s very clear what this is.”

Demaio blamed Hueso and organized labor for spreading the accusations, the same groups he said worked to get Bob Filner into office.

Read DeMaio's Full Interview Here

Hueso's office told NBC 7 that he stands by the statements he made, but is not available to be interviewed further.

In the article, Hueso was quoted as saying former Councilmember Tony Young once described a DeMaio masturbation incident to him.

Young issued us a statement today, saying: "During my tenure with the city I never witnessed Mr. DeMaio do anything inappropriate as a member of the City Council."

Calls to labor leaders and political opponents or other councilmembers mentioned in the disputed coverage were not returned to NBC 7.

NBC 7 News was not aware of the allegations until the article was published Thursday.

Seven animals were killed in a Clairemont house fire early Wednesday.

Firefighters rescued several dogs from the home on Diane Avenue after fire broke out in a back bedroom just after 4 a.m.

The homeowner left around 3:30 a.m. to take her son to work at the airport. When she returned, she noticed flames in the back of the home.

As the homeowner went to open the front door, smoke started pouring out of the home.

Fire crews say it looks like the fire started in a back bedroom but spread throughout the house when they arrived.

Firefighters created a hole in the roof to ventilate the home.

Of the 14 animals on the property, firefighters were able to bring out seven dogs to the homeowner.

“I think we got all the ones in the back yard. The two in the house didn’t make it. The five in the garage didn’t make it. The smoke just…” she told NBC 7.

Neighbors were a big help comforting her after her loss.

“You may not talk to them every day,” she said. “But God puts people in the right place at the right time.”

Firefighters said they have wrapped up the investigation however they say they have not yet figured out the cause of the fire.
 

An image of San Diego Marine and his wife taken last week while vacationing in Idaho has become a national sensation.

Special Section: San Diego Military News

In the picture, Kelly Cottle is carrying her husband Jesse Cottle, a war veteran and double amputee, on her back.

The moment – very natural and routine for the couple- was captured during a recent family photo shoot.

When the photographer suggested a group picture in the water, she was unsure how Jesse would manage.

“He'll just take his legs off and we can carry him in and get the photos, so that's how it came about,” Kelly explained. “It was all pretty spur of the moment.”

The result was a candid photo that has captured America’s hearts.

Through the photographer’s Facebook page, the image has received thousands of likes, shares and comments.

Now home in San Diego, the reality of their new found viral fame is hitting the military couple.

While the media attention may be surreal and bizarre, the couple said it’s the reaction of people across the country that has meant the most. At times, the comments have left them speechless.

“That’s why it’s the best thing to me to know that those are the kinds of people that are out there and they do care,” Kelly said.

It’s a very humbling story when you consider how it all began.

Helmet cam video captured the Marine Staff Sergeant's IED clearing mission in 2009. About five hours into mission Jesse was struck by an IED.

He has come a long way since.

“My faith carried me through,” Jesse said.

He’s thankful for the opportunity to go through the process of learning to live with his injuries.

“Plenty of my friends and other friends and family members, as everyone knows, don’t make it back at all and don’t have that opportunity,” he said.

The act of Kelly carrying him on piggyback is not unusual. It’s a natural and easy way they get around other situations like visiting the beach. However Jesse understands the message the photo sends.

“It really represents just any adversity that anyone is dealing with,” Jesse said. “It represents just getting through day by day and having a positive attitude and overcoming.”

“It's inspiring to me and to us that our nation does hold military in that type of regard, and holds a woman who can carry her husband figuratively and physically at times in high regard as well,” Jesse said. “That humbles me and inspires me.”

“I just remind myself that if we can have a positive impact or encourage anyone out there, it's worth it,” said Kelly.

And as if this story needed any other positive result, it’s also been a boost for the photographer who was on maternity leave at the time of the Cottles’ shoot. Jesse and Kelly said the woman’s phone has been ringing nonstop.
 

The jury is now deliberating a possible death sentence for convicted Fort Hood mass murderer Nidal Hasan, after prosecutors gave their final plea for the rare sentence Wednesday.

Deliberations began at about 11 a.m. CT, after Hasan declined to make any closing statement in the sentencing phase of his trial.

The same jury convicted Hasan Friday on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder for the 2009 mass shooting.

Before Hasan’s turn came to speak Wednesday morning, prosecutor Colonel Mike Mulligan spent around 45 minutes recalling for the jury the victims’ family members who testified and other evidence of the crime presented in the prior 16 days of trial.

“We ask you now with your sentence to make him accountable,” Mulligan said. “Today will be his day of reckoning.”

Anticipating what Hasan could say in a closing statement, Mulligan refuted what Hasan has said before in documents released to the media about religious motives for the crime.

“He is not giving his life. We are taking his life. It is not his gift to God. It is his death,” Mulligan said.

Hasan mentioned religious motives in a brief opening statement at the beginning of the trial.

He told an Army sanity review board in 2010 that he would be a “martyr” if he is executed for the crime which he considered part of a holy war to stop soldiers from fighting in Afghanistan.

“He will not now and he never will be a martyr. He is a criminal. He is a cold-blooded murderer,” Mulligan said.

Representing himself in the trial, Hasan rarely raised any objections and presented no defense evidence.

The judge repeatedly asked if he wanted to have lawyers but he declined.

Stand-by attorneys again Tuesday attempted to intercede on Hasan’s behalf but the judge told them Hasan is the “captain of his own ship.”

The stand-by lawyers have said before they believe Hasan is helping prosecutors win the death sentence they are seeking.

Hasan was forbidden from pleading guilty in the death penalty case under military law.

Follow the story from Fort Hood via @KenKalthoffNBC5 who is tweeting from the Army base.

Tweets by @KenKalthoffNBC5

Fresh off passing a ban on Styrofoam, a San Jose city councilman is already talking about another ban.

Councilman Ash Kalra is poised to introduce a proposal on Wednesday to ban sugary drinks and whole milk at city properties and events.

It's a move, he says, to promote healthier diets, though critics say government shouldn’t be dictating what people think.

Kalra first needs to get the proposal approved by the council's agenda- setting committee.

On Tuesday, the city council voted to ban Styrofoam takeout containers at restaurants.

The goal of that ban is to help protect the environment and keep styrofoam, a product that takes a long time to degrade, out of local landfills and waterways.

Groups like the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce oppose the ban, arguing it's too much of a financial stress on small businesses. 

A powerful 235-foot tall rocket -- the tallest launch vehicle in the country -- climbed toward the sky with a roar heard for miles along the California coast when it took off Wednesday morning from Vandenberg Air Force Base (map) northwest of Santa Barbara.

The Delta IV Heavy rocket carried a top-secret defense satellite into space. The launch was conducted by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and The Boeing Company formed in 2006 to conduct space missions for the U.S. Department of Defense, NASA, Air Force and other agencies.

The launch marks the second time a towering and powerful Delta IV Heavy rocket took off from the West Coast. In January 2011, a sound wave blasted over the nearby community of Lompoc as the rocket unleashed a roar that could be heard about 50 miles away.

The Delta IV, actually a three-booster cluster, is the nation's tallest rocket in regular service. It can carry payloads up to 24 tons to low-Earth orbit and 11 tons to the orbit used by communications satellites.

The tallest rocket to launch in the 21st Century is NASA's Ares 1. It stood 327 feet tall and was launched in October 2009 to test a rocket design for a crew capsule that was part of a now-defunct program.

Saturn V retains the title of tallest rocket at 363 feet tall. The three-stage booster launched astronauts on space missions in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

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