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

Filner Whistleblowers Speak to NBC 7

$
0
0

The three civic activists who first demanded the resignation of former mayor Bob Filner spoke extensivley with NBC 7's Gene Cubbison. Former City Councilwoman Donna Frye and attorneys Cory Briggs and Marco Gonzalez were once allies of Filner. Sharing his progressive politics and emphasis on grass-roots issues. But his personal demons drove them to confront him over his mistreatment of women. Which, they argue, took forms at least bordering on criminality.

New Zealand Fans Holding Onto Hope for Win Over Oracle Team USA in America's Cup Finals

$
0
0

Supporters of Emirates Team New Zealand aren't giving up hope on a win as Oracle Team USA garnered another point in the America's Cup Finals in San Francisco Monday afternoon.

Oracle, the defending Cup champions, won this afternoon in the 16th race of the finals but still trails the Kiwi team 8-6.

Emirates Team New Zealand was up 8-1 and was poised to win the regatta last week, but Oracle has won the last five races. The first team to nine points wins the America's Cup.

Both teams have now won eight races in the America's Cup Finals, but Oracle was docked two points before racing began for illegally modifying their boats during exhibition races in 2012 and earlier this year.

New Zealand native Shaun Allbon, 24, had his country's flag draped on his shoulder and was wearing a dismayed look after Oracle's win.

"It's frustrating," he said. "Everyone back home is waiting with bated breath."

He noted that many Kiwi fans have had to return home as the race for the Cup continues late into the month.''

Monday afternoon's race started 30 minutes late because of low winds on the Bay. A second race initially planned for later today was postponed until Tuesday.

Several finals races have been postponed in the past week because of mercurial wind conditions on the Bay.

Marty Walls, 50, sporting a hat with a stuffed Kiwi bird on top, said he would miss watching Tuesday's race live.

The New Zealand native lives in San Diego and has to return to his job. He had already delayed his flight by one day.

"There's always hope," he said.

Despite the prolonged victory he is anticipating, he said the venue for the races has been "awesome."

A sailing aficionado who has attended four other America's Cup competitions, he said this one is the best with the boats coming close to the shore.

Those cheering for Oracle Team USA were elated this afternoon.

A group of women from Saratoga were decked out in red, white and blue and waving American flags.

"We are so excited," Sharon Baab said. "We thought (last week) we'd be celebrating with the Kiwis."

She said Oracle's steady comeback sends "a good message. Don't give up."

Oracle team officials chose San Francisco as the host city for this year's regatta after winning the previous America's Cup in 2010.

The final races are overlapping this week with Oracle's annual week-long conference Oracle Open World.

There appeared to be more Oracle fans out at America's Cup Park at Piers 27/29 this afternoon compared to last week where the New Zealand flag was prevalent in the crowd.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Gas Line Break Closes Downtown Street

$
0
0

Construction crews struck a large gas line, shutting down a section of 4th Avenue near the public park being built near Horton Plaza.

San Diego Fire-Rescue responded to the corner of 4th and Broadway directly across from the U.S. Grant Hotel and the NBC Building around 8 a.m Tuesday.

San Diego Gas & Electric crews were also called to the scene.

A fire engine blocked traffic along 4th Avenue from crossing Broadway into the Gaslamp area.

Firefighters cordoned off a nearby sidewalk to foot traffic as well.

In less than an hour, crews had the leak capped.

 

5-Month-Old Girl Drowns in Bathtub

$
0
0

New Britain police are investigating the drowning death of a 5-month-old girl in a bathtub.

Officers responded to 370 High Street around 8 a.m. on Saturday after someone called 911 to report an unresponsive baby found in a bathtub.

The girl was not breathing and emergency crews performed CPR on the girl while they transported the infant to the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain. The girl was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the girl's death an accidental drowning.

The incident is being investigated by the New Britain Police Department Criminal Investigation Division.



Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Chicago Mass Shooting Was Retaliation For Graze Wound: Cops

$
0
0

The Chicago park shooting that left 13 people wounded last week was retaliation for a graze wound one of the alleged gunmen suffered in a separate shooting, the city's police superintendent said.

Bryon Champ, 21, charged this week with allegedly firing a gun into a crowd last Thursday night at Cornell Square Park, suffered the wound to his leg, Supt. Garry McCarthy said. Prosecutors said Champ was shot by rival gang members.

"The motivation for this incident was an unreported shooting where this individual, Mr. Champ, suffered a graze wound earlier last Thursday," McCarthy said Tuesday. "And as a result the retaliation took place."

Champ was one of four people charged with three counts of attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm. Tabari Young, 22, is accused of firing a military-grade weapon into the crowd; Kewane Gatewood, 20, is accused of supplying the weapon Young used; and Brad Jett, 22, is accused of participating as a lookout during the shooting.

Prosecutors said Champ told the other three about his injury and they went to the park with the intent to seek revenge for Champ being shot.

Witnesses said gunmen fired at least 20 shots at a group shortly before 10:15 p.m., and the spray of bullets sent a mass of people to the ground on the basketball courts. Among the injured was a 3-year-old boy, who was struck in the jaw.

All men were held without bond, and McCarthy said more charges are likely against the four men accused in the incident.

McCarthy said Champ was previously convicted of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, which is "a crime that's designed to put dangerous criminals in jail, and he received boot camp as his punishment."

"A little more than a year later, he's the main player in a shooting of 13 people," he said.

McCarthy again called for a mandatory minimum sentence for illegal gun possession.

"To truly address violence for the long-term we need state and federal laws that keep illegal guns out of our communities and provide real punishment for the criminals who use them,” he said.

Paralyzed Skateboarder Wants to Ride in LA Marathon

$
0
0

Jesse Swalley has been training hard for the LA Marathon, going at least 5 miles a day.

He propels himself using his arms and hands with converted “shoves” -- half gloves, half shoes -- to protect his hands from the blistering streets of the northeast San Fernando Valley.

His mode of transportation? A skateboard.

Swalley is paralyzed in his left leg, but he’s not going to let that stop him from trying to ride his board in the LA Marathon in March.

“I expect to be in the Marathon,” he said. “I expect it’s gonna happen.”

Swalley, 51, of Sylmar, has an uphill battle.

“This is an unusual situation,” said Richard Traum, the president and founder of Achilles International, which helps athletes with disabilities and is working with Swalley. “Ultimately it’s the decision of the Los Angeles Marathon. It’s not our decision. The issue is ultimately safety.”

Marathon officials said they are open to working with Achilles and Swalley to try to accommodate his participation, “as we do with other athletes, with equipment that meets our safety standards.”

Guidelines set by USA Track and Field say such events are limited to foot races, approved racing wheelchairs and "does not include other methods of wheeled transportation such as roller blades, bicycles, etc.,” Jason Greenwald, an LA Marathon spokesman, said in a statement.

But Swalley is undeterred.

He’ll continue to ride his board along the relatively flat Foothill Boulevard and practice working his cardio at a skatepark.

“I used to run a lot,” said Swalley, who was paralyzed in 1991 when he was stabbed trying to prevent two men from robbing another man at a restaurant in Carpinteria, Calif.

The knife cut his spinal cord, leaving him partially paralyzed.

He spent months in a wheelchair and eventually started using arm braces.

Now he gets around on a board.

His main sponsor is Green Earth Collective, but his biggest supporters are his 22-year-old daughter, his longtime girlfriend and local skaters.

He took up skateboarding on June 26, 2011 -- 20 years to the day he was stabbed.

He recently took part in the Guinness Book of World Record “World's Largest Skate Parade” in which nearly 500 people skated 2 miles around LA’s Venice High School. He did 22 miles on his skateboard in an all-skate marathon in San Diego last year.

He hopes that his push to get into his hometown Marathon will inspire others like him to be active.

“Maybe it’ll get other people to move around a little more,” he said. 

More Southern California Stories:



Photo Credit: Andy Holzman/Los Angeles Daily News

Bush: Obama "Ought to Play Golf"

$
0
0

Being Commander in Chief is stressful, but former President George W. Bush has the perfect antidote: golf.

In a clip from the season finale of "In Play with Jimmy Roberts," airing Tuesday night on the Golf Channel, Bush said President Obama should keep golfing, despite what critics say.

"You know, I see our president criticized for playing golf," Bush said. "I don't - I think he ought to play golf. Because I know what it's like to be in the bubble. And I know the pressures of the job. And to be able to get outside and play golf with some of your pals is important for the president. It does give you an outlet."

Still, even Bush himself stopped playing in 2003 during the height of the Iraq war.

"I don't want some mom, whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf," he said in an interview in 2008.

The Golf Channel reports that Obama has played more than 140 rounds since he first took office in 2008.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Dog Owner Faces Questions in Multiple Attacks

$
0
0

Animal control officers are investigating a series of attacks involving the same pit bull in response to neighbors asking the animal’s owner be held accountable.

The San Diego County Department of Animal Services said they have an open investigation into three incidents involving a pit bull on Kobe Drive in Serra Mesa.

One attack happened in 2011. Two other attacks occurred recently – one in August and another last week.

Serra Mesa resident Derek Olson, who has lived in the neighborhood for four years, witnessed two incidents and wants the dog euthanized.

On August 14, the pit bull got free when its leash broke. It attacked another dog described as a collie, Olson said. The collie was not injured in the attack but the collie’s owner hurt her wrist defending her dog.

Then, on Sept. 13, Olson said he helped separate the same pit bull and another dog. In this incident, Olson said the pit bull was on a leash but its owner did not have control of the animal.

Olson said he struck the dog several times before the pit bull released the injured animal.

“I grabbed the dog pulled it off, threw it on the ground,” Olson said.

“The whole time the owner is yelling ‘I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry,’” he said.

The injured dog suffered a fractured eye socket and several puncture wounds. Its owner may be filing a civil suit for minor injuries he sustained.

Pit bull owner Curtis Christian didn't want to comment when asked about the pending investigation however, he was expected to be interviewed by animal control officers Tuesday.

Fred Marotta has lived next door to the pit bull for three years and said he hasn’t had any issues with the dog.

He said he has seen the dog as very happy and very friendly when it’s playing in the backyard or out on walks.

“I've never seen anything violent or anything aggressive, other than it just being, it’s a very strong dog,” Marotta said.

He said he knows the pit bull’s owners have had the dog for awhile.

Olson however said he was upset that animal control officers have not yet seized the dog.

“Where’s the city in all of this,” he asked. “When there’s a clear pattern of aggression here, how long does it take the city really to jump in and do something about it?”

Daniel DeSousa, Deputy Director with San Diego County Department of Animal Services, said the department cannot just take anybody’s dog. By law, dogs are considered property.

There is one animal control officer for every 85,000 people in the jurisdiction, DeSousa said.

“We will respond, we will always respond,” he said. “It just may not be as quick as someone would like.”

His also said the department doesn’t always get involved when two dogs get into a confrontation.

“In situations such as what's been reported with this one, it's something the department may have to look at to see is there something we need to do to protect the public,” DeSousa said.

Since a pattern has been established, the next step would be to quarantine the animal for up to 11 days, according to DeSousa. That quarantine may happen at the owners’ home.

Then supervisors will have to make the decision about whether the animal is such a risk to the community that it must be euthanized.

Marotta said it would be very unfortunate if the dog were to be euthanized.

“I think it would hurt the people very much if they had to do that,” he said.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 News

Uncle, Grandmother in Custody After Toddler's Dog Attack Death

$
0
0

A toddler's uncle and grandmother were arrested Tuesday after dogs fatally mauled the boy while he was visiting family in Colton, Calif., the night before, police said.

Authorities received a report that a dog had killed someone in the 700 block of Citrus Avenue at about 5:30 p.m., according to a Colton Police Department statement. Officers arrived to find a 2-year-old with severe injuries to the upper body, the statement said.

The child, Samuel Zamudio (pictured, right) of Rialto, died at about 6 p.m. at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner. He was not at his own home at the time of the attack.

The boy's uncle, Marco Zamudio, 23, and grandmother, Eustulia Zamudio, 42, were booked Tuesday morning on suspicion of child endangerment leading to death, police said.

Animal Control officers took custody of five pit bull mixes at the scene of the attack. It was not clear how many of the dogs were involved.

A family friend and neighbor told NBC4 Samuel turned 2 years old in April. She joined family members in a search for the boy after he went missing at about 5 p.m. Monday.

About 30 minutes later, Erica Vega said she heard screams coming from the family's backyard. The grandmother had found Samuel's body with bite wounds to his head and neck.

Anyone with information can contact Colton Police Detective McFarland at 909-370-5000.

More Southern California Stories:

Pleasanton Police: Several Teens Questioned After Beating Leaves Father in Coma

$
0
0

Three days after a marketing professional was beaten and left for dead outside his suburban Bay Area home, police said that they are questioning "several" teens from two high schools in the city about the attack.

Pleasanton Police Sgt. Maria Munayer, speaking at a news conference Tuesday, declined to say much more about the "active" investigation into a brutal attack on David Lamont, a father, husband and 51-year-old co-founder of Marketingsage who was badly beaten just after midnight Saturday morning on the normally sleepy dead-end Middleton Place.

Munayer confirmed that Lamont went outside his home just before midnight Friday night when he heard "loud voices" and confronted some "juveniles making noise."

She said officers are interviewing teens, whom she described as "persons of interest," and urged community members to come forward if they had any information to share.

Munayer did not specify the number of teens possibly involved and she did not identify the schools attended by the teens being interviewed. Pleasanton Unified School District Supt. Parvin Ahmadi said district is cooperating with authorities, but declined to say more. Lamont's two daughters, Fiona, 19 and Orla, 15, attended and currently attend schools in the district.

The witness who saw an SUV leave the scene just after midnight talked to NBC Bay Area, asking to remain anonymous. He said he was just pulling up to his street when he saw a "golden or metallic brown" SUV pull away from the area. Within moments, a flood of police cars and fire trucks had appeared, responding to an earlier 911 call.

As of Tuesday morning, no one had been arrested and Lamont remained in a coma at Eden Valley Medical Center.

MORE: Pleasanton Man in Coma After Beating Outside Home

"It's so horrible and so cruel," Lamont's wife, Agnes Lamont told NBC Bay Area on Monday. "The fact that they left him there to die -- I can't understand it."

Lamont was visibly shaken as she recounted how she went to search for her husband of nearly 25 years when he didn't return. She was stunned to find him lying in the street bleeding and unconscious. She is also his business partner; the two co-founded Marketsage in 2002, and had moved to the Bay Area from their native Ireland.

"They've broken our lives," Lamont, who did not attend the news conference at the police station on Tuesday, said on Monday. "My husband is in danger and he did nothing to deserve this."

Neighbors agree.

Sandy McDonald said she thought the beating was "horrible," and she doesn't feel safe herself, a sentiment echoed by others who live nearby, too.

Those who know Lamont are praying that he'l soon recover, and they are remembering him as a vibrant person, devoted father and patent holder, too.

He and his wife helped his daughters get a patent in 2011 for a product they named a "Yuckease," a combination scoop, scraper and container to pick up unpleasant or hazardous items. The family was issued a trademark for this invention in April.

Anyone with information should call Pleasanton police at (925) 931-5100.

NBC Bay Area's Christie Smith and Terry McSweeney contributed to this report.

More Bay Area stories:

3 Injured in Webster Collision

$
0
0

This video was shot Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the scene of an accident in Webster. Three people were injured, one seriously, in an accident that happened around 7:45 a.m. at the corner of Federal Boulevard and 47th Street. A van, flipped over in the collision. Two children were inside one of the vehicles. Fire officials say one person, a trauma patient, was transported to Mercy hospital with accute injuries.

Garbage Truck’s Trash Load Catches Fire

$
0
0

A garbage truck dumped a large load of trash onto the middle of the street in a North Park neighborhood Tuesday after a small fire ignited in the trash load, officials said.

The incident happened around 11:15 a.m. at Texas Street and Howard Avenue.

Officials say that, for unknown reasons, a small fire sparked in the trash load as the driver was traveling down the road.

The driver was directed to dump the trash onto the street so firefighters could tackle the blaze. The fire was put out within minutes.

Smoke could be seen emanating from the pile of trash, which covered a large portion of the street.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the trash fire is under investigation.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Rashad Johnson Shows Off Lopped Finger in a Tweet

$
0
0

Cardinals safety Rashad Johnson unknowingly lost a finger during game on Sunday and used what digits he had left to tweet about it.

Johnson displayed the grisly injury in a tweet Monday night that included a photo of the severed middled finger from three different angles -- just in case there was confusion that it was a lopped off finger.

Johnson removed his gloves from the sidelines at Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints and noticed that a part of his middle finger went missing. After he found it in his glove, Johnson was removed from that game and he and his middle finger went to the hospital.

"I'm not even sure how it happened," Johnson told USA Today. "If I had to take a guess, I would say maybe it dug into the turf there and snapped back and broke it that way. My glove was torn or ripped, which makes me think it didn't get caught in a facemask or a cleat stepped on it."

If the gruesome injury sounds painful, that's because it was.

"Had exposed bone and skin shaved down yesterday and stitched up. Prob most painful injury I've had," he tweeted.

 

 



Photo Credit: AP

Man Tried Floating to U.S. on Bag of Pot

$
0
0

A man was arrested off the coast of San Diego trying to swim into the U.S. while floating on a duffle bag full of pot, officials said.

U.S. Border Patrol Agents arrested the unidentified man Sept. 19 after spotting him approximately 600 yards from shore just north of the U.S./Mexico border.

The swimmer was floating on a duffle bag holding more than $23,000 in illegal drugs, agents said.

Inside the bag, federal agents said they found seven bundles of marijuana weighing more than 50 pounds.

The man, described as a 55-year-old Mexican citizen, was taken into custody by the U.S. Border Patrol
 



Photo Credit: U.S. Border Patrol

School Board Accepts Resignations of N-Word-Using Administrators

$
0
0

The Coatesville school board accepted the resignations of two top administrators who sent racially-charged text messages on their district-issued cell phones.

Coatesville Area School District Superintendent Richard Como and Director of Athletics and Activities Jim Donato resigned from their posts last month after an IT staffer, fixing Donato's phone, discovered N-word-laden text messages.

The district said it started the process to fire the pair once the text messages were found, but that the men resigned pending the board's approval.

During a meeting, the nine-member board voted to accept the resignations of both Como and Donato. The only dissenting vote was School board member and Coatesville Area NAACP Chapter President Dr. Tonya Thames Taylor, who left the meeting early.

Coatesville Area School District President Neil Campbell says the board agreed to allow Richard Como to resign as superintendent to avoid a long legal battle. He also vowed that Como would not get "one red cent" of his remaining contract.

During the meeting, several Coatesville residents demanded answers and resignations. The school board also confirmed for the first time that Como and Donato are being investigated criminally for kickbacks in the athletic program.

The messages, first reported by The Daily Local of West Chester on Sunday and obtained by NBC10 Philadelphia on Monday, were uncovered by the district IT employee before the start of the school year, according to officials. That employee brought it to the attention of the school board on August 18, prompting Como and Donato to later resign. Chester County prosecutors eventually launched a criminal investigation and asked that more than 100 pages of transcripts be turned over to detectives.

"All should just have whatever first names they want...then last name is N-----! Leroy N-----, Preacher N-----, Night train n-----, Clarence n-----, Latoya n-----, Thelma n----- and so on," read one message sent from Donato’s phone on the night of June 4.

"Great idea! Joe n----- bill n----- snake n----- got a nice ring to it," Como replied.

“hahahahahahahahahahahaha could have whole homerooms of N-----,” came another message from Como’s phone.

“hahahahahahahahaha! Will N----- report to office, pardon the interruption but will N----- report to nurses office. N----- to lunch now!” Donato said.

Amid the racist messages were also conversations about district money.

"Gonna give them til Aug 1st to raise coin still want district to give at least 40k on top," wrote Donato in one of the texts.

Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan tells NBC10 Philadelphia on Tuesday that prosecutors have spent several months looking at whether Como and Donato were skimming district cash.

Sources say concerned parents went to prosecutors four months ago asking officials to look into potential financial wrongdoing in the district. The discovery of the text messages came months later.

"There are references in these texts about financial improprieties of missing money," Hogan said.

Hogan says an electronic forensics team has been deployed to look for additional evidence, but would not elaborate further citing the on-going investigation.

The district attorney's office asked the district to turn over copies of the conversations and the phones used once Hogan was made aware of the racist messages.

"The texts that we have reviewed are appalling," Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said Monday. "They look like something from the 1800s, not 2013."

NBC10 made multiple attempts over several days to speak with Como and Donato by phone and in-person, but at the time of publication, have been unable to make contact.

Como, a longtime and well-liked administrator, shocked the school community when he abruptly resigned from his post in the beginning of the school year on August 29. Donato left his job the same day. Coatesville is a predominately black community and both Como and Donato are white.

More than a week later, on September 10, school board officials said the two left their posts amid a criminal investigation by the county prosecutor. Officials, however, would not comment further, citing the investigation.

School board member and Coatesville Area NAACP Chapter President Dr. Tonya Thames Taylor was the first official to learn about the text messages on August 18. Officials say she immediately notified other board members and that an investigation was launched.

Following the initial report, Dr. Taylor posted a message on her website explaining her involvement in the situation.

"Despite this newspaper reporting, I am still bound by a legal responsibility to protect the school district from any liability that could be caused by any statements that I make which could be misconstrued," she wrote. "I cannot comment about any matters that involve district personnel, which are confidential matters. Also, I cannot comment on any matters that are associated with an ongoing criminal investigation."

Dr. Taylor was the only dissenting vote during Tuesday night's meeting.

“The racist and sexist language expressed by the two men was sickening and obviously unacceptable. The Board followed state and federal laws and moved as expeditiously as possible while simultaneously cooperating with the District Attorney,” Board President Neil Campbell said in a statement Monday.

District officials say they will now provide mandatory sensitivity training to all staff, faculty and administrators in light of the text messages.

Como and Donato have not been paid since their resignations. It's unknown at this time whether they will be paid their pension after they leave the district. School leaders say that will be up to a state pension board and that only potential criminal charges could stop the payouts.

Angry residents started an online petition asking the school board to delay its retirement vote until the criminal investigation is finished. The petition garnered more than 1,200 signatures ahead of the meeting.

On Monday, residents also protested outside the district's headquarters. One man held a sign reading "Como worse than KKK!"

"They shouldn't even be in the school and they shouldn't be able to get a job no other place teaching anybody," said another resident Willie Woods.

During Tuesday night's meeting, the district employees who first discovered the texts claimed the district did not respond quickly enough, even though they feared for their jobs.

"A little integrity is better than a career!" said Dr. Theresa Powell, a Coatesville employee.

District officials insisted they had worked furiously behind the scenes to investigate the authenticity of the texts. They also acknowledged however that the messages only came to light as part of a larger criminal investigation into misspending on athletic programs.

"Attorney Ellison was told that there was an investigation regarding potential kickbacks involving high school football camps," said Coatesville School Board President Neil Campbell.

Also during the meeting, the Pennsylvania NAACP chapter announced they planned on holding a series on diversity conferences in Coatesville.

 


Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.



Photo Credit: Coatesville Area School District

Homeless Student Reaches Success

$
0
0

NBC 7's Greg Bledsoe has the story of one inspirational student who at one point, had all odds against her.

Explosion Rocks PB Neighborhood

$
0
0

Authorities are investigating an explosion at a Pacific Beach apartment building.

The incident happened just before 7 p.m. Tuesday in the 2100-block of Grand Avenue. The explosion apparently came from top level of the two-story building.

One person was taken to the UCSD Medical Center with serious burns and life threatening injuries, according to fire officials.

Officials said the explosion appears to be drug-related, possibly the result of a growing operation.

Fire and Hazmat crews both responded.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
 


View 2100 Grand Ave in a larger map

Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Husband Charged After Bodies Found In Burning Car

$
0
0

Two men were charged Monday night in connection with the strangling death of two women whose charred bodies were found inside a burning vehicle on Saturday, and one of the accused is the husband and son-in-law of the victims.

Authorities said Robert Danno, 50, and Jose Fernardo Martinez-Hernandez, 24, both confessed to
strangling Danno’s wife, Mary Ann Urban-Danno, and her mother, Theresa Urban, on Saturday.

In bond court Tuesday, Martinez-Hernandez was in tears while Danno showed little emotion as a judge ordered them both held without bond on first-degree murder charges.

Prosecutors said Martinez-Hernandez was homeless up until six months ago when he moved into the Danno home, on the 5600 block of South Neenah Avenue. Theresa Urban, 79, also lived in the home.

A source with knowledge of the investigation said Danno and Martinez-Hernandez were both living in the basement and sharing the one bed that was found there. Both men, however, denied they were having a relationship. Danno's 51-year-old estranged wife confronted the men in the basement with the intent of kicking both of them out of the house when she was attacked, the source told NBC Chicago.

"He first strangled Mary Ann downstairs with Jose's help, then they went upstairs to the bedroom where Theresa was sitting and then they strangled the 79-year-old woman as well," said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.

Danno and his wife had been married 11 years, authorities said.

Investigators said both bodies were stuffed inside a garbage can before being placed in the rear of the Chrysler PT Cruiser, which was found burning late Saturday in a Palos Township forest preserve, near the intersection of Ford and Wolf roads.

A Sunday autopsy determined both women died from strangulation and their deaths were ruled homicides, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Robert Danno and Martinez-Hernandez were charged after sheriff's deputies, armed with a search warrant, went inside the victims' home looking for information related to the incident.

The medical examiner reported having problems identifying the bodies because they were so badly burned. There were also problems finding next of kin.

Ed Martin, who lives nearby, said he heard screaming Saturday night.

"I swear I heard people shouting at a distance. I thought maybe I was just dreaming it, but when I heard of this incident, I thought maybe it could have been connected," Martin said.

Sheriff’s police used canine units and helicopters to scan the surrounding woods in Cap Sauers Holdings Nature Preserve, but no other remains were found.

Robert Danno (left) and Jose Fernardo Martinez-Hernandez

Police Seek Serial Rapist Linked to 30 Assaults

$
0
0

A serial rapist has victimized more than 30 women as they worked as massage therapists in a three-county area, according to Riverside police now seeking the public's help in identifying him.

The assaults date back to 2009. But only recently have DNA matches enabled police to link individual cases to the same perpetrator, said Riverside Police Officer Javier Cabrera. The perpetrator has displayed a handgun.

"He gains access to the business, and once inside the business, that's where the sexual assaults occur, " Cabrera said.

Besides Riverside, attacks have also occurred in San Bernardino County and in Los Angeles County in the east end of the San Gabriel Valley, according to Cabrera. Investigators have been able to collect still and video images of the perpetrator from security camera systems in several of the massage businesses, and intend to release them during a briefing at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

One masseuse who operates her own business in Riverside on Hole Avenue has twice been victimized by an intruder, said property owner Darrell Clardy. The woman was bound and placed in a room, but was able to escape.

"We don't know what he had in mind," Clardy said.

Security video was provided to police investigators, but police have not revealed if the perpetrator in that case is the serial rapist linked to the string of attacks.

More Southern California Stories:

Water Main Break Causes Flooding in Hillcrest

$
0
0

A water main break in Hillcrest on Tuesday led to flooding on a busy street lined with businesses and eateries.

Officials say a water main broke around 3 p.m. in the 3600-block of 5th Avenue at Pennsylvania Avenue, near Anderson Plane. Police say the main break spans about half a block.

Officials from the City of San Diego Public Utilities said the water main that broke is approximately 20 inches. As of 6 p.m., officials said surrounding customers would be without water service until at least late Wednesday afternoon.

Public Utilities crews are at the scene making repairs, but the exact time of restoration is still being determined, officials said.

Following the main break, water quickly flooded the area, pooling in front of 5th Avenue businesses including Huapangos Mexican restaurant, the Tractor Room, R-Gang Eatery and Busalacchi’s A Modo Mio.

Officials from the San Diego Fire Department immediately requested sandbags and a vacuum truck to curb the flooding, as well as assistance from the Water Department. The water was turned off by 4:05 p.m.

Police shut down flooded lanes and provided traffic control in the area. As of 6 p.m., officials said portions of 5th Avenue between Pennsylvania Avenue and Upas Street remain closed.

Police said there are reports of two businesses that were flooded in the area, as well as several flooded garages on 5th and 6th Avenues.

MTS has been notified, as several bus stops are located along the impacted area.

The cause of the main break is under investigation. Check back for updates.
 


View Larger Map



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego
Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images