California Highway Patrol officers were trying to solve a mystery Wednesday morning in El Cajon after a two vehicle crash.

It happened around 1:45 a.m. on eastbound Interstate 8 and the Mollison Avenue exit.

CHP officers don’t know what caused the crash. They said a 1949 stake-bed truck flipped over, then a Honda Civic ran into the truck.

After an extensive ground and air search, investigators were unable to locate the driver of a Honda Civic.

The driver of the truck was transported to the hospital. The extent of the drivers injuries is unknown.

The CHP said the Civic is registered to a woman, but they were unable to provide any further details.

The vehicles and debris from the wreckage were cleared from the scene within an hour of the accident.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy fought back tears Wednesday as he delivered the State of the State Address and recalled the Newtown school shooting that devastated a tight-knit community last month.

“It won’t surprise you that this speech is very different from the one I first envisioned giving,” Malloy said. “In the early days of December, I began thinking about what I’d like to say. Now, while it’s only been a few short weeks on the calendar, we have all walked a very long and very dark road together. What befell Newtown is not something we thought possible in any of Connecticut’s beautiful small towns or our cities.”

In the aftermath of one of the worst days in the history of the state of Connecticut, Malloy said, he saw the best of his state. He spoke haltingly as he talked about the school staff members who sacrificed their lives protecting students and ran directly into harm’s way to do so.

He commended the State Police, Newtown’s local law enforcement, firemen, others who responded, as well as local officials who worked around-the-clock to bring comfort and stability to Newtown.

Newtown First Selectwoman Pat Llodra and School Superintendent Dr. Janet Robinson were in the chambers during the State of the State.
 
“You were tested by unimaginable tragedy. Your compassion and your leadership over the past month has been an inspiration to Connecticut and to me personally,” Malloy said.

He commended teachers who put the interest of students first as they return to classrooms.

Then his thoughts went to the 26 families of those killed and of how they have supported the community that has supported them and of the perseverance they have shown in great tragedy.

YOU CAN READ THE PREPARED REMARKS HERE.

Speaking before an assembly of people wearing green ribbons to honor Newtown, Malloy talked about the state’s responsibilities in the future.

They will be shaped, in part, by findings of the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, which is tasked with making specific recommendations about school safety, mental health services and gun violence prevention.

When Malloy spoke of mental health services, he said there must be a balance of respecting individual rights with the obligation to provide for the greater public safety.

When talking about guns, Malloy emphatically stated that more guns are not the answer.

“Let me be very, very clear. Freedom is not a handgun on the hip of every teacher,” he said, adding that security should not mean a guard posted outside every classroom.

“That is not who we are in Connecticut, and it is not who we will allow ourselves to become,” Malloy said.
 

Attorneys finished their closing arguments Wednesday morning in the case of a 12-year-old boy who admitted to shooting and killing his father -- a leader in the National Socialist Movement -- as the Southern California man slept on the family's couch in May 2011.

The boy, who was 10 at the time of the shooting, faces a murder charge that the defense argued Wednesday should be downgraded to a voluntary manslaughter charge. Defense attorneys claimed domestic violence, child abuse and violent video games "neurologically damaged" the boy and programmed him to be violent.

Attorney Matthew Hardy told the court the boy was trying to protect his family from his father, Jeffrey Hall -- the regional director of a neo-Nazi organization. He claimed the boy's mother encouraged him to kill the father.

"[The boy] saw what seemed to be a simple solution to his problems," Hardy said. "Stop the violence.

"He certainly did not know the wrongfulness of his actions."

The boy did not testify on the stand during the trial, which began in October. A recorded interview with a detective was shown in court.

If found responsible for Hall's death, the boy could remain in juvenile custody until his early 20s.

Prosecutors, who called the shooting a "case that shocks the conscience," claimed the slaying was not related to the father's neo-Nazi beliefs.

During the trial, prosecutors attempted to portray the boy as having a history that led to "cold, calculated murder." The boy was kicked out of as many as nine elementary schools for bad behavior, prosecutors said.

He allegedly stabbed a teacher with a pencil once and choked another with a telephone cord.

"It's time for [the boy] to learn that the legal system works," said Deputy District Attorney Michael Soccio, referring to the past cases. "It is beyond obviously clear that [the boy] knew what he was doing was wrong at the time of the killing.

"[He] is talked about almost as if he's an idiot. That may be a good defense in court, but it's just not true."

The boy's sister testified during the trial that the boy told her she planned to kill the father. Prosecutors played an audio recording on which the boy's sister said, "I thought he would hit him in the stomach."

President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration was, from a security standpoint, about as hairy as it gets: the most important people in American government, from the commander-in-chief to the Supreme Court, assembled outside the Capitol, surrounded by nearly two million people at a time of heightened terror risk.

The circumstances make Obama's second inauguration, to take place Jan. 21 with about half the attendance and fewer parties, seem sort of quaint in comparison.

But authorities aren't any less tense. The Secret Service, FBI, armed forces, Metropolitan Police Department, Capitol Police, U.S. Park Police and an array of local law enforcement agencies began planning for the event long before Obama's re-election. They're being just as meticulous as they were four years ago -- perhaps even more so.

"You don't want to be the person who makes a decision…to cut back and something happens. That's a legacy you don't want," said Joseph Funk, a retired Secret Service agent who protected two presidents and ran the agency's Washington D.C. office. "So you will not see anything different this year."

Thousands of troops, agents and cops will be in the streets, trying to manage crowds and eying potential threats. There will be sharpshooters on rooftops, undercover investigators among the spectators and analysts poring over surveillance images. There will be airport-style magnetometers, high-tech bomb-detecting equipment and armored "tactical vehicles." There will be roadside checkpoints and dozens of closed streets and tunnels. Parking will be a nightmare.

Washington D.C. estimates that between 600,000 and 800,000 will gather on the National Mall and along the inauguration parade route. That's a considerably smaller number than in 2009, but "still a big crowd," said Christopher Geldart, director of the city's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.

The city, which has been planning since June, is borrowing 3,200 National Guard troops, and another 500 or so police officers from other local departments, for help with traffic control and other logistical duties, Geldart said.

While the crowd-management concerns won't be quite as acute as four years ago, Geldart pointed out that there are other areas that have drawn more attention, in part because of breakdowns at the 2009 inauguration. Although the celebration ended with no arrests, there were some relatively minor snafus: hundreds of ticket holders were misdirected into the Third Street Tunnel and remained stuck there for hours, and poorly designed signs and understaffed entrances led to interminable lines.

This time, authorities are bringing in temporary cell phone towers to make sure they can better communicate with each other. Officials will be monitoring Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites to get a better idea of where people are massing and if there are problems. There will be clearer directions for visitors; Geldart encouraged out-of-towners to check out the city's inauguration website.

In 2009, intelligence officials heard reports that Somalia-based Islamic militants were planning some type of attack on Obama's inauguration, and Osama bin Laden warned that the new president would inherit a fight against guerrilla warfare. There were also lingering concerns from the November 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, India. And there were fears that some white supremacist group would target the first black president.

There have been no such reports this year, at least none that have been made public.

As was the case in 2009, the Department of Homeland Security has declared the inauguration a National Special Security Event, meaning that the lead agency is the Secret Service, with the FBI taking over investigative duties in case of an attack or other disaster.

The Secret Service declined to answer questions about its preparations.

"Although we cannot discuss our means, methods, specific resources or numbers we utilize to carry out our protective responsibilities, we can say there is a tremendous amount of advance planning and coordination," spokesman Brian Leary said in a statement.

No matter how good the intelligence, and how extensive the planning, there's always a bit of anxiety gnawing at you, former security officials said.

Retired Army Major Gen. Richard Rowe, who headed a military task force in charge of the capital region during the 2009 inauguration, said he didn't think the risk of an attack had diminished.

"I have trouble imagining that anyone thinks the threat here is any less, because of the types of things that could happen," Rowe said. "If anything, there probably more technological capabilities out there that could be applied."

But the inauguration is the Secret Service' equivalent of the Super Bowl, and the agency never really stops thinking about it.

"I don't think people have a true understanding of the enormity of it," Funk said. "It's hard to equate it with anything else. It would be New Year's Eve in Times Square times ten in terms of the security that goes into it."

He added: "This is the pinnacle of what we do."

A man is under arrest after leading police on a high-speed chase and then trying to break into a home to get away.

La Mesa police said an officer was attempting to stop a Saab sedan for driving over the speed limit just before 10 p.m. Tuesday night.

The driver of the Saab tried to avoid the officer, though. He sped up and collided with an F150 truck along Grossmont Boulevard.

Then, the suspect ran away from the crash scene, and broke into a home about a block away on Wister Avenue. La Mesa police say the suspect tried to push his way into the front door.

The resident, thinking the suspect was his son, almost opened the door, but quickly realized the man was attempting to intrude and did not allow him inside.

The suspect then broke a window in the home to try to get in. 

"[The suspect] said, 'I'm bleeding I need to go to the hospital,'" said witness Bryce Montgomery. "There was blood on the ground, and afterward they were like, 'who are you? Get out of our house.' And he just ran."

La Mesa police arrested the suspect after he tried to run from the house he had just broken into. Police also say the suspect was carrying heroin.

The driver of the F150 was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The homeowners were not injured. 

He was taken to the hospital and will be booked on several charges including resisting a police officer and a hit and run. 
 

The lines at Disneyland were longer than a typical weekday in January on Tuesday, as the park moved to impose a new identification system for people who purchase multi-day passes, a spokeswoman said.

People with passes for several days’ worth of entry to the Walt Disney Co.’s Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks had to stop on the way in and get their pictures taken, Suzi Brown said Wednesday.

It’s part of a months-long effort to crack down on ticket brokers who are re-selling the multi-day passes – which offer discounted admission over a period of days – to a number of guests, instead of to just one person, Brown said.

Tuesday was the first day of the new policy, so guests experienced delays getting into the park as clerks snapped their pictures on iPads at the entry booths.

Going forward, Brown said, people who buy multi-day tickets will get their pictures taken on the first day that they use them. The lines were longer on Tuesday, she said, because workers were photographing everyone who had a pass that was good for several days – not just the ones who were using them for the first time.

“Now they don’t have to show an ID every time,” Brown said. “We’re looking at it as a way we can expedite the process and not make people stop and show their IDs.”

The new policy replaces an earlier effort to crack down on abusers that was started last fall, Brown said.

That plan, which started in October of last year, required people with multi-day passes to present a photo ID such as a driver’s license every time they entered one of the parks.

Under the new system, visitors will not have to stop and show their IDs, because the park’s workers will be able to check their photographs.

The procedure is similar to one that Disney has been using at the parks for years to identify people who have purchased annual passes.

Other companies use similar methods to identify pass-holders and visitors.

Some hospitals, for example, snap photos of guests and print them on visitor badges. Universal Studios, which like NBC is owned by Comcast, Corp., records a fingerprint image of guests who buy annual passes.
 

A bill that would allow Floridians to have domestic partnerships was filed in the state Senate by a Hollywood Democrat Wednesday, the News Service of Florida reported.

Sen. Eleanor Sobel’s bill would allow gay Floridians to obtain some rights approaching marriage, although the legislation says it is not attempting to circumvent the state Constitution provision defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman, according to the News Service of Florida.

Any two people who are at least 18 years old could establish a domestic partnership under the proposed law.

"The state has a strong interest in promoting stable and lasting families, and believes that all families should be provided with the opportunity to obtain necessary legal protections and status and the ability to achieve their fullest potential," says the legislation, which is Senate Bill 196.

Supreme Court Takes Up Gay Marriage

Sobel, who has filed similar bills before, did not immediately respond a request for comment from the News Service of Florida.

Forty-five percent of Florida voters said they oppose gay marriage compared to 43 percent who support it, a Quinnipiac University survey in December found.

The leader of a group opposed to gay marriage predicted that the bill would not get far in the state Legislature, which is controlled by Republicans.

“I think they're lucky if they get it debated," John Stemburger, the president of the Florida Family Policy Council, told the News Service of Florida.

Stemburger said that domestic partnership proposals try to avoid Florida’s legal definition of marriage.

The first two openly gay lawmakers were elected to the Legislature in November.

NBC 6 Videos

Some major tides will hit San Diego shorelines beginning Thursday morning, the National Weather Service (NWS) announced.

The super swells – dubbed California “king tides” or “astronomical tides” – strike the coast between two to four times per year when the gravitational forces of the sun, Earth and a full moon are all in alignment.

According to the NWS, this batch of king tides will hit local areas like La Jolla, Point Loma, Imperial Beach and the San Diego Broadway Pier Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning.

During this period, the tides will measure between 6.6 feet and 7.4 feet.

For instance, in La Jolla the first king tide is expected to hit at 7:14 a.m. Thursday, measuring 6.8 feet. On Friday another king tide will come in at 6.9 feet at 8:01 a.m., and on Saturday, a 6.7-foot king tide will hit La Jolla at approximately 8:47 a.m.

Meanwhile, in Point Loma, the first king tide will hit at 7:15 a.m. Thursday morning, measuring 6.7 feet. On Friday, at 8:02 a.m., a 6.8-foot tide is expected and on Saturday a 6.6.-foot king tide will break around 8:47 a.m.

At Imperial Beach, the king tides will hit at 7:24 a.m. Thursday, 8:11 a.m. Friday and at 8:56 a.m. Saturday.

Finally, the highest local king tides – measuring between 7.2 feet and 7.4 feet – will hit the shorelines at the San Diego Broadway Pier at 7:24 a.m. Thursday, 8:11 a.m. Friday and at 8:56 a.m. Saturday.

Got all that?

The NWS says the astronomical tides will bring a high surf advisory and coastal flooding advisory for local beaches. Both advisories will remain in effect Thursday through Saturday morning.

Flooding of areas such as the Ocean Beach Pier, Cardiff and Del Mar is possible.

During this time, the NWS says waves and surf at San Diego County beaches could reach between eight to 13 feet, with the highest surf on exposed west-facing beaches.

The California king tides will also hit other Southern California shorelines including Newport Bay and San Clemente.

And, as these rare king tides roll in, so will the wet weather.

The NWS says rain and strong, gusty winds are expected to also hit the county, combined with cooler temperatures and snow for higher-elevation areas.

The last time these massive tides hit SoCal shorelines was about a month ago. They’re expected to hit again in February.

Tiger Woods will play at the Farmer's Insurance Open later this month, according to the Professional Golfers Association.

The pro golfer has six victories at prior Farmer's Insurance Open tournaments, though he has not played in San Diego since 2011.

Woods joins Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler and defending champion Brandt Snedeker for this year's event. He last won the Farmer's Insurance Open in 2008, then returned later than summer to claim the U.S. Open champion title.

The La Jolla tournament begins at Torrey Pines Golf Course on Jan. 24.

A La Mesa man accused of posing as a doctor has been charged with multiple felony counts of treating patients without a medical license, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis announced Wednesday.

According to the DA, defendant Keith Allen Barton, 50, claimed to be a doctor, promising patients he could cure cancer and HIV with some sort of unapproved remedy.

Barton was arrested after an investigation by the Medical Board of California’s Operation Safe Medicine Unit and San Diego DA’s office.

Investigators say Barton fraudulently referred to himself as “Dr. Barton.”

He claimed he could cure a woman and her children of HIV, charging the woman $18,000 for the supposed treatment. One of the woman’s children subsequently died as a result of not receiving effective treatment early on, the DA said.

Barton is not a licensed medical doctor. He does, however, share his name with a real medical doctor who is licensed in California. He allegedly used this fact to create the impression that he was a licensed professional in his plot to swindle patients, investigators said.

As a result, he is also being charged with identity theft and grand theft.

“By posing as doctor and charging thousands of dollars for a phony cure, this defendant showed callous disregard for his victims and the medical field,” DA Dumanis said. “Our Consumer Unit works to hold individuals who pose as physicians accountable for their actions and the harm done to their victims.”

On Wednesday Barton was arraigned in San Diego Superior Court on five felony counts.

He pleaded not guilty.

He faces up to five years and eight months in state prison if convicted of all charges.

Barton is currently in custody on $100,000 bail. He’s scheduled to appear in court for a readiness conference on Jan. 18 and then again for his preliminary hearing on Jan. 23.

The DA’s office believes there may be more victims involved in this case. Anyone with information is asked to contact the DA’s office at (619) 531-3507 or the Medical Board at (800) 633-2322.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for closing loopholes on a state ban on assault weapons and ammunition magazines that carry more than 10 bullets as part of a wide-ranging gun control package he proposed in his State of the State speech Wednesday.

"Guns have both a noble and a tragic tradition in America and in New York state," Cuomo stated in remarks provided before his speech. "They are a sign of our nation's fiercely defended independence and self-reliance ... (but) in the wrong hands, guns are also weapons of untold destruction and heartbreak.

The state already has among the most restrictive gun control laws in the nation, but a deal is expected soon that could make New York one of the first states to pass gun control laws following the Dec. 14 shooting, in which 20 first-graders and six educators were gunned down with a powerful weapon at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The shooter also killed his mother and himself.

New York's effort was hastened further by the Christmas Eve killings of two firefighters in western New York by a man who set his neighborhood on fire, lay in wait with a high-powered rifle for responders, shot them and killed himself. Webster residents related to the firefighters were honored guests at the State of State address.

"Some weapons are so dangerous and some ammunition devices so lethal that we simply cannot afford to continue selling them in our state," Cuomo said.

Cuomo would also require follow-ups for owners of handgun licenses to make sure they are still qualified to possess a gun based on criminal and other records. He would increase sentences for gun crimes including for using guns on school property and for gang activities.

Legislators were working Wednesday behind closed doors to reach agreement on the governor's demand for tighter controls on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Republican Sen. Martin Golden agreed the closed-door talks have brought all sides to within 95 percent of a deal, which could be announced and acted on this week.

"New York leads the nation, it's time New York lead the nation in this," Silver said. His priorities are bans on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines of ammunition.

Golden, a leader in the Senate on crime-fighting measures, said in an interview that the final deal is expected to have some stiffer sentences for gun crimes, although not as severe as he hoped. Also, he said, the deal will crack down on the trafficking of illegal guns. The Brooklyn Republican, a former New York City police officer, said illegal guns are the weapons of choice in New York City crime.

The priority for Cuomo and Silver is to close what they say are loopholes that let some weapon designs escape a ban on assault weapons. They also want to outlaw the high-capacity magazines.

"I think we will come up with a reasonable definition and a reasonable closing of loopholes," Silver said.

Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos is insisting on changes to a state law that authorizes longer court-ordered mental health treatment for individuals who won't seek help but are deemed a safety threat.

Legislators are prepared to be called into session by Cuomo as early as Thursday if a deal is struck, though a Cuomo spokesman said he knows of no plan to call legislators into session that day. The Legislature isn't scheduled for regular session until Monday.

In other priorities, Cuomo proposes raising the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $8.75 an hour, an idea he also pitched a year ago; allowing three casinos for upstate New York and none in New York City; and making possession of up to 15 ounces of marijuana seen in "open view" punishable as a violation.

In addition, the governor would eliminate the Long Island Power Authority as part of measures to better protect New York City and Long Island and would "harden" the energy network that failed for millions of New Yorkers for as many as 21 days with the Oct. 29 storm. The governor said the Long Island Power Authority failed during the storm.

The Chargers officially hired a new general manager on Wednesday.

Tom Telesco, the vice president of football operations for the Indianapolis Colts, will take over GM duties for the 2013-2014 season.

Telesco, shown below in an NFL image, is replacing A.J. Smith, who was fired along with head coach Norv Turner earlier this month. He beat out inside man Jimmy Raye, the Charger's director of player personnel, for the position.

“We set out to find the right person to bring about positive change for the San Diego Chargers,” said Chargers President Dean Spanos. “It was a tough decision, but in the end, all signs pointed to Tom. He is highly respected among his NFL peers."

Spanos showered Telesco with praise during a press conference Wednesday afternoon, saying the new general manager has exactly what the Chargers need after a brutal past few seasons.

"His work ethic is extraordinary," he said. "He is honest, humble, engaging and an excellent communicator. And, most important, he knows how to build a winning football team."

Telesco is originally from Buffalo, New York and played wide receiver at John Carroll University in Ohio. He earned his degree in business management and immediately worked as scouting assistant with the Carolina Panthers.

Telesco’s youthful appearance did not go unnoticed during Wednesday's press conference. The team says that at 40, he is the youngest general manager in Chargers history, though his experience with the Colts runs deep. He spent the last 15 seasons with the Colts. Before serving as the VP of football operations, he was the director of player personnel, director of pro scouting, pro scout and area scout.

According to NFL, Telesco gained managerial experience working with the Colts general manager after the team parted ways with Peyton Manning. The Colts went on to have a 11-5 record despite losing a key player.

During the Chargers press conference, Telesco was very appreciative of the Colts, as he’d spent the majority of his career working in their office.

“My experience in Indianapolis was invaluable and I wouldn’t be here without them,” he said.

Telesco said he had a long, detailed interview with the Chargers. Though he had opportunities to interview elsewhere, he said working with the Chargers was the right fit.

“We’re really excited to be a part of this community,” he said. “I can’t wait to get to work here in San Diego.”

Spanos said with this change, and the selection of Telesco, he looks forward to positive change in the team’s future.

Telesco said he isn't sure how long it will be until the Chargers make the playoffs, but he's beginning his work now.

"Our goal is to create a culture and foundation for consistent winning," he said.

Over the next few weeks, Telesco will help Spanos pick a new coach to replace Turner.

“Our first order of business is to find a new coach, we’ve already started working on that," he said.

Telesco said he has a list of candidates that aligned similarly with that of the Chargers front office. Telesco said his main qualification for head coach include honest, humble, engaging and an excellent communicator.

“I can’t wait to get started,” he said. “[I'm] going to work myself and the staff to make the city extremely proud of this football team.”

A hazardous weather warning has been issued for San Diego on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Rain and gusts of winds are expected to hit the county, combined with cooler temperatures. Snow for areas at elevation of 2,500 feet and higher is expected, in addition to temperatures in the 20s for mountain towns.

Increased water levels could also affect coastal areas.

Click here for our interactive radar

“High astronomical tides combined with high surf will bring the possibility of coastal flooding around the times of highest tides each morning,” said the NWS statement.

Wave height could also reach up to 13 feet through Friday morning. Highest surf will be on exposed west-facing beaches.

Cooler temperatures are expected to last through Sunday.

Lawyers representing people traveling with banda singer Jenni Rivera on a plane that crashed in Mexico last month filed a lawsuit Thursday against the aircraft's owners and the singer's production company.

MORE: See the original complaint

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleged that neither of the plane's two pilots - a 78-year-old and a 20-year-old - was qualified to fly the singer and her staff that day.

Named in the suit were Starwood Management, which owned the 1969 Learjet 25 in which the group was flying, along with its previous owner, McOco, Inc. Jenni Rivera Enterprises, Inc., was also listed as a defendant.

The suit was filed by survivors of Rivera’s publicist, makeup artist, hairdresser and lawyer. The group did not seek punitive damages against Jenni Rivera Enterprises, but it did seek them against the other companies.

The group, which included the singer as well as Arturo Rivera, Jaboco Yebale, Jorge Armando Sanchez Vasquez and Mario Macias Pacheco, had just taken off after a concert in Monterrey on Dec. 9 when the aircraft nosedived and crashed into a mountain.

Their lawyers, with the firm of Kiesel, Boucher & Larson in Beverly Hills, discussed the suit at a news conference on Thursday morning.

"An airplane dropped out of the sky and did a nose dive, and I know that shouldn't happen," said Paul Kiesel, the attorney for the plaintiffs.

The Rivera family did not want to comment on the suit, but representatives said they were surprised by the filing.

Kiesel said the legal action was in part an effort to find out what happened.

"I understand the deep sense of loss that they feel and I certainly don't want to add to that strife to them," Kiesel said. "But, on the other hand, I want to fully investigate all possible explanations as to why this aircraft went down."