A Navy veteran convicted of running a medical marijuana retail store in San Diego will serve about four months in sheriff’s custody for charges stemming from the sale of marijuana.

Jovan Jackson was sentenced Friday to 180 days in sheriff’s custody, plus three years of probation. Jackson has earned credit for past days served in custody, bringing his final sentence down to 132 days.

Jackson’s sentence begins on Jan. 3, after the holiday season.

Jackson’s attorney, Lance Rogers, and prosecutor Chris Lindberg both spoke before a judge in San Diego Friday, pleading their cases one final time.

In the courtroom, the judge asked Jackson to choose between being sentenced to prison or serving probation time. Jackson requested to see the conditions of his probation, and his attorney asked for a recess to discuss those conditions.

Jackson’s case has been a long, five-year process with two separate court cases dating back to 2008 and 2009.

In 2009, Jackson was accused of managing and profiting from a medical marijuana dispensary in Kearny Mesa called Answerdam Alternative Care.

Currently, California’s medical marijuana law protects people from prosecution is they form non-profit collectives or cooperatives.

However, in this case, prosecutors argued that Jackson made $160,000 from the sale of marijuana in 75 days, meaning his dispensary was not a non-profit operation.

“He didn’t comply with the medical marijuana laws,” said Lindberg during a November court appearance when a jury announced the guilty verdicts against Jackson for sale and possession of marijuana.

The sentencing judge said there was no proof from either party on where the money in question actually ended up.

TIMELINE: Medical Marijuana in San Diego

In 1996, Prop 215 was passed in California, making it legal to smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes. Since then, issues stemming from the sale of medicinal marijuana have been anything but simple.

While the California state law allows for medicinal marijuana, federal law does not.

Dispensaries were shuttered two years ago after the U.S. Attorney’s Office warned landlords to stop renting to dispensaries or risk losing their property.

However, in August, the U.S. Justice Department announced it would not block state laws legalizing medical marijuana.

Richard Tuite, found not guilty last week in the 1998 murder of Escondido teenager Stephanie Crowe, left San Diego county jail at about 1 p.m. Friday, a spokesman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) told NBC 7 San Diego.

Tuite will be taken by a state parole officer to an undisclosed location outside of San Diego County, where he will serve 10 days of state parole, said CDCR spokesman Bill Sessa.

Tuite must also wear a GPS monitoring device during that parole period, and must register as a  sex offender for life, due to a prior sex offense, unrelated to the Crowe case.

In an interview earlier today with NBC 7, Sessa said Tuite will be assigned to a state parole officer who specializes in sex offenders. Those specialized parole officers have smaller case loads, so Tuite will get more attention from his parole officer.

Tuite also has a history of mental illness, and will receive special assistance in that area, possibly including mental health counseling and psychiatric medications, Sessa told NBC 7.

Local TV news stations have posted photographers on both sides of the San Diego County jail all week long in anticipation of Tuite's release from county jail.

But those news crews did not see Tuite inside any of the vehicles that left the jail early this afternoon, or at any time earlier. The photographers outside the jail said the vehicles in which Tuite may have been traveling had heavily tinted windows, making it impossible to see the passengers inside those vehicles.

Tuite, convicted in 2004 in the slaying of Stephanie Crowe, was acquitted by a jury on Dec. 6, exactly one week ago.

The 15-year-old case of Stephanie Crowe’s slaying has been filled with twists and turns.

The young girl was brutally stabbed nine times in her bad in her family’s Escondido home. She collapsed and died in her bedroom doorway, and her bloodied body was discovered on Jan. 21, 1998.

In 2004, Tuite – a transient seen in the Crowe family’s neighborhood around the time of Stephanie’s murder – was convicted in the death of the girl. Investigators said witnesses had reported seeing Tuite walking through the Escondido neighborhood, entering homes through unlocked doors.

In 2012, a federal appeals court voided Tuite’s conviction and ordered a new trial, which began in San Diego this past October.

During the retrial, jurors heard from many of Stephanie Crowe’s family members including her mother, Cheryl Crowe, her sister Shannon Dehesa, and her brother, Michael Crowe.

Michael was initially arrested in and charged in his sister’s murder. His friends, Aaron Houser and Joshua Treadway, were also initially deemed potential suspects.

A judge later threw out those charges levied against Michael and his friends, ruling they were based on coerced confessions of teenagers. Ultimately, Michael was ruled factually innocent in the case.

After Tuite was cleared in the Crowe case last week, Crowe's family expressed anger over the acquittal. Stephanie's mother, Cheryl Crowe, maintains that Tuite killed her daughter.

“I’m sure [the jury] will regret their verdict once he kills somebody else. It’s only a matter of time. So lock your doors," she warned on Dec. 6 during an interview with NBC 7. “He’s already killed my daughter. It’s just a matter of time before he does it to someone else’s child.”

Tuite's attorney, Brad Patton, said Tuite was pleased with the not guilty verdict. Tuite spent nearly nine years behind bars for the killing of Crowe, and Patton said his client was ready to reunite with his family and live a normal life.

A Southern California boy with a severe terminal illness was greeted with a special holiday treat on Friday morning – with the help of the Gardena Police Department.

Dozens of officers first visited the home of 8-year-old Erick Casillas on Thursday night, after they had heard the boy wanted to be a police officer someday.

Erick was given a brand new police badge and treated as an honorary officer – but police noticed that something was missing in the family home.

“A Christmas tree. How can you have Christmas without a Christmas tree??” said Police Chief Edward Medrano.

WATCH: Terminally ill man weds the love of his life

Erick’s brother Cristian explained that because Erick needs round-the-clock care and can no longer walk, it’s difficult for the family to make time to do anything else.

So Gardena police stepped in to help get the Casillas family home into the holiday spirit.

Friday morning, NBC4 tagged along as police delivered a Christmas tree to the Casillas home, along with lights, ornaments, and even an angel to sit atop the tree.

Read: Make-A-Wish foundation helps 5-year-old boy with leukemia become "Batkid"

The family does not want to disclose what terminal illness Erick is suffering from, but NBC4 was told it recently took a turn for the worse – and that he only has few days left to live.
 

A 19-year-old man who fatally crashed his car into another driver on State Route 56 in Rancho Penasquitos earlier this year while driving under the influence of drugs was sentenced Friday in an extremely emotional hearing in a San Diego courtroom.

“Please know I will spend the rest of my life remembering what I have done and trying to make up for my mistake," Timothy Barnette said between sobs, addressing the court and the victim's family as he read from a letter he had prepared. “From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry.”

In October, Barnette pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence in the May 16 head-on crash that killed Nick Hart, 22.

With that guilty plea, Barnette was sentenced to six years in state prison Friday – nearly seven months after the fatal crash that changed the course of his young life, and Hart’s life, forever.

Barnette cried throughout the entire sentencing, which was attended by members of both his and Hart's family, including the victim's parents.

At one point, Hart's father, George Hart, addressed the courtroom, and Barnette. Between sobs, this is what the heartbroken dad had to say:

“We’re a strong family. We have faith in the system and we have faith in people. And, because we are a strong family, we believe in you. And we will forgive you. Do the right thing. You’re going to be faced with a lot of challenges in there – do the right thing.”

Sentencing Judge Eugenia Eyherabide reminded Barnette to -- in the word's of Hart's family -- "fashion your future in honor of Nick," to which Barnette nodded as he wiped tears from his face.

Hart’s sister, Kaitlyn Hart, also spoke in court, sharing memories of her late brother’s life and smile.

“His smile lives on in picture and his voice in video but is lost to us forever,” said Kaitlyn, as Barnette and the courtroom listened. “I sincerely hope Mr. Barnette knows the magnitude of the life he took. Nick was going to change the world. Nicholas was the boy who always saw the rainbow, but never the rain. Our family has suffered a great loss, but we are not broken. We will continue to live our lives as Nicholas would’ve wanted.”

Hart’s mother, Jennifer Wood, also spoke.

“[Nicholas] will forever be 22 and absent from our lives. No more birthdays or holidays. We will never be able to see his beautiful smile, kiss him, have a wonderful conversation and see him flourish in everything he would do,” Wood said.

Hart’s brother, Garrett Hart, told Barnette to remember Nick’s birthday every year on March 9, and remember exactly what he did.

“Do you know how hard it is to speak at a funeral for your brother who was killed senselessly? I’m wearing my brother’s watch today that he was wearing when you actually killed him. You shouldn’t be alive. He should be here with us,” said Garrett.

Joan Reynolds, Hart’s grandmother, also spoke to Barnette in court.

“We hope and pray that you will think about our Nicholas every day knowing that you survived and he did not,” said Reynolds.

Once the Hart family finished their statements, Barnette took an opportunity to address the family.

“You have no idea how horrible I feel for what I have done to Nick and your family," he said. "I had no idea how much of a risk I was causing to the public while driving under the influence. I wish I could go back in time knowing what I know now so I could try to change things.”

After Barnette’s comments, his mother, Georgia Barnette, spoke.

“My heart breaks for the Hart family. I can only imagine the pain for the loss of their son. I can only pray that God is with you. I am truly sorry for your loss,” said the defendant's mother.

Barnette's sister, Stephie Barnette, also spoke in court, addressing the Hart family and her little brother on behalf of the Barnette siblings.

She apologized to the Hart family and then, between tears, turned to Barnette with this message:

“To me, you will always be our little brother. The way we feel about you will never change. If I could – if any of us could – take your place, we would be there in a heartbeat. I love you so much; we all do,” said Stephie.

Prosecutors say Barnette was driving under the influence of Xanax, marijuana and possibly inhalants at time of the fatal collision.

That day, at around 9:45 a.m., Barnette was driving a Land Rover traveling eastbound on SR-56, just east of Black Mountain Road, when his car drifted into the center median and into opposing traffic lanes of westbound SR-56.

At the same time, Hart – a graduate of Poway High School -- was driving a Toyota traveling westbound on SR-56. Barnette’s Land Rover struck Hart’s car, and Hart was killed in the crash.

CHP officials arrested Barnette following the fatal collision on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. He was then released to a local hospital for immediate care because he suffered major injuries in the crash.

Two weeks later, CHP officials confirmed Barnette had been arrested and booked into jail on charges of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence of a controlled substance causing injury or death.

He’s been behind bars ever since.

On May 31, Barnette appeared in court for his arraignment and pleaded not guilty to charges. At the time, he was still recovering from injuries sustained in the fatal crash and sat in a wheelchair, wearing a cast, as the charges against him were read.

Deputy District Attorney Roy Lai said a preliminary toxicology report revealed that Barnette was driving under the influence of Xanax and marijuana.

Lai also revealed that three separate phone calls were made to 911 on May 16 regarding Barnette’s allegedly erratic driving, which including weaving in and out of traffic and running red lights.

Lai said one caller reported Barnette driving on the curb at Ted Williams Parkway, another caller said Barnette was driving recklessly on the I-15 on-ramp at SR-56 and a third caller reported Barnette allegedly driving erratically on Camino Del Sur.

After that final call was placed, Lai said Barnette got back on SR-56 and moments later, the fatal crash involving Hart occurred.

Many witnesses testified in court about Barnette’s erratic driving on the day of the crash, with many saying Barnette was swerving on the road and cutting off cars.

A California Highway Patrol officer also testified in the case and said Barnette had admitted to taking Xanax pills and smoking marijuana two days before the accident, as well as inhaling computer keyboard cleaner two months earlier.

When officials searched Barnette’s car, they found two cans of computer keyboard cleaner inside, one of which was empty, the CHP officer testified.

Chargers fans are still basking in the glow of an impressive 27-20 victory over the AFC West division leading Denver Broncos on Thursday night. Now comes the hard part.

The win keeps the Bolts in the hunt for the playoffs, but they still have plenty of work to do -- and will need some help from their AFC brethren. Let's take a look at the way they can get into the playoffs and who Chargers fans should be rooting for over the last three weeks of the season.

At 7-7, the Chargers are currently in eighth place in the conference where six teams make the postseason. Directly ahead of them are the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins, both at 7-6. The Bolts would have to pass both of them in the standings because each team would likely hold playoff tiebreakers (conference record) over them.

Let's just assume they have to win their final two games (at home against Oakland and Kansas City) to finish 9-7 and have any chance. That means both Baltimore and Miami have to go 1-2 at best to put San Diego in the postseason.

Improbable? Maybe, but not impossible.

The Ravens have the tougher schedule of the two. The defending Super Bowl champs have games against three potential playoff teams: at the Detroit Lions, home against the New England Patriots and on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Dolphins have three division games to finish the season. Their two home games (New England this week and New York Jets in the season finale) sandwich a road matchup with the Buffalo Bills.

So, what are we rooting for to get our Bolts into the playoffs? We're cheering hard for the AFC East, especially the Patriots, who have both of the competitors on the schedule. We're also rooting for bad weather in Buffalo, where the Dolphins are notoriously bad.

After cheering on the Dolphins on Sunday morning, Chargers fans can turn their attention to Monday Night Football, cheering hard for the Lions to drop the Ravens.

Negotiations for a plea deal quickly unraveled Friday for six current and former Sweetwater officials snared in a three-year corruption probe.

There was no courtroom drama today, as no one ever made it into the courtroom. Defense attorneys stormed from the judge's chambers announcing, "We're done for the day," and one Sweetwater trustee had tears welling in her eyes as she left the courthouse with no deal in place.

What began as what District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis described as the largest corruption case in San Diego history - with more than 232 criminal counts filed against 18 defendants - appears headed for a lengthy and costly trial for the six remaining Sweetwater officials and the one contractor who has not yet accepted a deal.

Current Sweetwater trustees Bertha Lopez and Jim Cartmill were offered a plea deal of admitting to one misdemeanor charge of accepting gifts over the legal limit. They are each facing between 10 and 18 felony and misdemeanor counts.

Current trustees Arlie Ricasa and Pearl Quinones, as well as former board members Greg Sandoval and former Superintendent Dr. Jesus Gandara, were offered a plea deal of accepting one felony count each. They are heading to trial facing between 20 and 29 felony and misdemeanor counts each.

"We are ready to go to trial," said defense attorney Marc Carlos. "Ms. Quinones is ready to litigate the matter if necessary."

Charges the defendants face include extortion, conspiracy to commit a crime, felony accepting bribes and felony perjury counts.

The current board members who were contemplating admitting to felonies would have had to resign from the Sweetwater board, per state law.

Those who were contemplating pleading to misdemeanors are not required by state law to immediately resign, but according to Sweetwater board policies they may have to resign upon sentencing.

Prior, 11 other defendants accepted guilty pleas, admitting to either filing false documents on their state mandated forms to report gifts or being accessories to a crime. Among those defendants is former San Ysidro Superintendent Manuel Paul, who was first highlighted by NBC7 Investigates for accepting parking lot cash from a contractor seeking work with his school district.

That matter is the subject of a separate federal investigation.

Also among the 11 defendants who accepted plea deals are three contractors who agreed to work with prosecutors as a condition of their plea.

A nonprofit group ensured hundreds of military families in the Camp Pendleton area will have a proper meal this holiday season at an event in Oceanside on Saturday.

Beginning at about 10 a.m., military members and their families gathered at the QLN Conference Center for the Holiday Meals for Military event put on by Operation Homefront.

During the event, organizers said they handed out 500 free “meal kits” which included every grocery item the families would need to cook a full holiday meal.

Around 30 volunteers helped bag the groceries and carry the items out to the family’s cars, according to event organizers.

The annual event had been in the works for nearly month and required military members register to attend on a first come, first served basis.

More than just grocery giveaways, Holiday Meals for Military included special children’s activities and music in an effort to make the day as festive as possible for the families, many of whom took to social media to express their gratitude.

“Just want to say thank you so much for everything!!!!!” wrote one woman on Operation Homefront California’s Facebook page. “You guys have no idea how much this will do for our family!" she added.

Many of those present at Saturday's event were happy to be recognized for their service said Jack Chirrick, the executive director of Operation Homefront California.

“The reaction of the people is just generosity; they are so thankful that people have taken the time to put the program together for them to say thank you,” Chirrick said.

“At the end of the day they’re just thankful that anybody is taking the time to thank them for their service," Chirrick added.

Across the nation, Operation Homefront has provided both emergency and financial assistance to families of service members and wounded warriors since 2002.

The anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre arrived Saturday with the nation torn over how to commemorate the day —- if at all.

Newtown itself, exhausted and traumatized, has asked for peace and quiet: no media, no inrush of sympathetic gestures or remembrances. Local officials and families of victims say they’d rather people do something kind or volunteer for a charitable cause in their own home towns as a way of recognizing the one-year mark.

Many of them have arranged to be out of town for the weekend, while others will quietly light memorial candles in honor of their lost loved ones.

Neil Heslin, father of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, said he planned to travel to New York on the anniversary to take part in a project honoring the victims, but also to avoid any spectacle that may encroach on the town. "I need to get out of Dodge," he said.

The proudly modest community, sprawled across the wooded hills of southwestern Connecticut, wants to move forward, so that the shooting doesn’t define it.

"Newtown's ask of the world for the anniversary is to stay where you are and do acts of kindness and honor those we’ve lost," said David Ackert, chairman of the Newtown Foundation and Newtown Action Alliance, which organized a vigil for gun violence victims in Washington D.C. on Thursday, in part to draw attention away from the town.

Sandy Hook Elementary School has been demolished, and the town has begun design of a new school that would leave no reminder of the shooting. Many of the families have turned their grief into political action, lobbying for stricter gun laws and better mental health care — an endeavor that has yet to reap much success. Many have also formed organizations that promote causes that their loved ones identified with.

At the same time, many Americans, and their elected leaders, feel a need to express their condolences, in a way that respects Newtown’s wishes.

 At 9:30 a.m., around the time the first of Adam Lanza’s 26 schoolhouse victims died, houses of worship around Connecticut  tolled their bells, once for each victim, a request from Gov. Dannel Malloy — repeating a similar gesture made a week after the shooting. President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama observed a moment of silence Saturday morning and lit 26 candles set up on a table in the White House Map Room.

Across the country, people will find their own ways to pay tribute — the personal and the communal, the modest and the grand.

Many of such efforts have been underway for quite a while. There is, for example, The Sandy Ground Project: Where Angels Play, which built 26 playgrounds in areas leveled by Hurricane Sandy, each named after one of the Sandy Hook victims. There is the Newtown Documentation Project, which sought to preserve the thousands of letter and handmade gifts that have poured into the town in the past year.

But the most profound undertakings may be those in which people use the anniversary to rededicate themselves to helping others.

That is what Carlos Soto, the 16-year-old younger brother of slain Sandy Hook Elementary teacher Victoria Soto, is planning.

“I want to help people. That’s actually what I want to do with the rest of my life,” he said a few days before the anniversary. "I want to counsel people and families of gun violence.”

That, he said, is the best way he can think to honor the events of Dec. 14, 2012.

San Diego police are searching for a man who allegedly used a knife to threaten a woman and her 4-month-old baby inside the women’s bathroom at a Kohl’s department store in San Diego.

According to the San Diego Police Department, the incident happened Thursday around 4 p.m. at the Kohl’s located at the College Grove shopping center at 3450 College Ave.

A woman and her baby were using the women’s restroom inside the retail store when an unknown man, who was allegedly hiding in a bathroom stall, snuck up behind the woman.

Detectives say the man then tapped the woman on the shoulder and threatened her with a knife. The woman was able to escape and flee the restroom with her baby, unharmed. The man was last seen leaving the store on foot, according to police.

Detectives describe the suspect as a black man between 20 and 25 years old, approximately 5-foot-8 with a goatee. He was wearing a dark leather jacket, white long-sleeved shirt, dark pants and dark shoes during the incident. He was also carrying a dark backpack.

On Friday, officials released clear images of the suspect caught on surveillance tape at the retail store. The San Diego Police Department’s Sex Crimes Unit is handling this case, and the investigation continues.

Local shoppers say this frightening incident has them on edge.

“I have to be aware of everything – anything can happen at any time – so you have to always watch who is around you, what’s around you and everything,” said shopper Fabio Garcia.

Jennifer Llaneta said this makes her think twice about what she would do if this happened to her.
“[I plan to] be aware of my situation and I have my cell phone with me all the time so I could dial 911 right away,” she said.

Anyone with information on this suspect should contact the SDPD Sex Crimes Unit at (619) 531-2210 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward for information leading to an arrest in this case.

A multi-agency drunk decoy operation was conducted in San Marcos and Escondido on Friday.

Sheriff's Deputies, California Department of Alcoholic and Beverage Control (ABC) agents and Escondido Police Officers sent an undercover officer to licensed establishments. Although sober, he acted obviously intoxicated. He smelled like alcohol, stumbled into the store, slurred his speech and dropped items.

Out of the eight stores they visited, five stores sold the decoy alcohol. It is a misdemeanor in California to sell alcohol to someone who is obviously drunk. The individual committing the crime faces up to a $1,000 fine or six months in jail. The business can have its alcohol license suspended for 25 days.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, the operation is for educational purposes only and no enforcement action was taken. This operation was part of a $100,000 grant from ABC to the Sheriff's Department and $60,000 grant to the Escondido Police Department. These types of operations will continue through the end of the year.

A public paddle-out memorial service is in the works for San Diego’s slain McStay family, according to a website managed by surviving family members.

On Nov. 11 – more than three-and-a-half years after mysteriously vanishing from their Fallbrook home – the skeletal remains of the McStay family were found in and around shallow graves in the high desert outside of Victorville, Calif.

Soon after the disheartening discovery, San Bernardino County officials positively identified the remains as all four missing McStay family members: parents Joseph and Summer McStay, and their young sons, 4-year-old Gianni McStay and 3-year-old Joseph Mateo McStay.

The family disappeared on Feb. 4, 2010, leaving few clues behind in a case that baffled San Diego law enforcement and captured international attention.

TIMELINE: The McStay Family Mystery

Over the years, Joseph McStay, brother, Michael McStay, has managed and updated a website documenting the case and search for his relatives.

Earlier this week, a new update was posted to the website regarding a public McStay memorial service and beach paddle-out at the San Clemente Pier, tentatively slated for Jan. 4, 2014.

The invitation asks “all surfers to paddle out at the San Clemente Pier, light candles, release leis and enjoy the beach, as Joey & Summer, Gianni & Joey Jr. did.”

The post reads, in part:

“We have finally been able to bring the McStay Family Home from the Coroner’s Office and are preparing to have the public memorial service and beach paddle out at the San Clemente Pier. My family is overwhelmed by the love and support friends and strangers have shown us from around the world, including the donations made on the family’s website.”

The post states that organizers are trying to gauge how many people will be in attendance in preparation for the paddle out. The plan is to post an RSVP-style invite to the McStay Family website sometime over the weekend so organizers can begin making accommodations.

Though the grim discovery of the McStay family was a major break for officials, the case remains under investigation. Since the family’s sudden disappearance, the mystery has been filled with twists, turns and dead ends.

Days after the McStay family vanished, a group of four people resembling the McStays was captured on grainy surveillance video crossing into Mexico at the San Ysidro border crossing on Feb. 8, 2010.

This was the same day a white Isuzu Trooper belonging to the family was found illegally parked at a nearby strip mall. At the time, detectives felt it was “a very high probability” that the footage was of the missing family.

When officials showed the video to relatives of the McStay family, some recognized the white jacket the woman in the video was wearing. However, other relatives said they weren’t sure it was the McStays due to the poor quality of the video.

Since the family’s sudden disappearance, the McStays hadn't used their bank accounts, credit cards or cell phones, investigators have repeatedly said.

In April 2013, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department announced they were transferring the case of the McStay family to the FBI.

The sheriff’s department said they had “conducted an exhaustive missing person investigation in an attempt to locate the family” and hundreds of tips had been investigated without success. At that point, the sheriff’s department said they had reached a consensus that the family went to Mexico of their free will.

Until Nov. 11, there had been no major breaks in the case. Now, the investigation has turned from finding the McStay family to figuring out what exactly happened to them.

At a press conference in November, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said investigators had not yet determined the cause or motive behind the victims’ deaths, including if the family may have fallen prey to Mexican cartels.

“It’s too early to tell if it’s cartel-related or any other suspects,” said McMahon.

Last month at a press conference, an emotional Michael McStay vowed to figure out what happened to his beloved family.

“We’re going to find this individual, or individuals. I know the sheriff’s department, the FBI, everybody wants to bring this to justice. And, if it’s the last thing I do – I just want to know when it’s over,” he said.

A red flag warning is in effect in San Diego County this weekend, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The NWS says gusty Santa Ana winds and low humidity could create potential fire conditions in San Diego’s inland valleys. The red flag warning is in effect beginning at noon Saturday through 6 p.m. Sunday.

NBC 7’s meteorologist Greg Bledsoe said high temperatures throughout the weekend should be between 66 to 70 degrees. He said the mid-December warming trend should continue through the middle part of next week.

For now, attention is on those potentially strong winds and dry conditions in inland areas that notoriously create fodder for fire.

Bledsoe said winds are expected to be between 20 to 40 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph.

The NWS says the strongest winds should hit local mountains Saturday night and Sunday morning, but are expected to weaken by Sunday night.

“It’s really dry out there. Even though it’s December, it’s really fire season year-round here,” said Bledsoe.

Bledsoe said it should remain fairly breezy out there, even after the red flag warning expires on Sunday.

According to the NWS, other parts of Southern California, including Los Angeles County and Orange County are also experiencing high winds this weekend and fire weather. Get weather updates here.
 

Two men were killed in a shooting in San Diego’s Lincoln Park area Friday night, the San Diego Police Department confirmed.

The deadly shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. near the 4800-block of Logan Avenue. When officers responded to the call of a shooting in the area, they discovered a 22-year-old man suffering from a gnshot wound to the upper torso.

Medics were unable to revive the man and he died at the scene, police said.

A short time later, a 19-year-old man was dropped off at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his head. Police believed he too was a victim of the Lincoln Park shooting. That man also died Friday night.

The names of both victims have not yet been released.

Police said witnesses reported hearing some sort of verbal dispute and then several loud gunshots in the area. Investigators do not have a suspect description available at this time, but a tan SUV was seen leaving the area near the shooting.

It is unclear if the shooting is gang-related.

Anyone with information on this deadly case should contact the SDPD’s homicide unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
 

If you spotted a vintage aircraft rolling down some of San Diego’s freeways earlier this week, you were not imagining things. It really was a historic Navy plane, making its way to its new home.

Late Thursday night, a vintage Navy FJ-3 Fury aircraft made its move through the county, heading from MCAS Miramar to the USS Midway Museum’s restoration hangar at NAS North Island.

The historic plane was loaded onto the back of an uncovered flatbed truck at around 10:30 p.m. Under a CHP escort, the aircraft then slowly made its way across a route that spanned four freeways, including southbound Interstate 15, southbound Interstate 805 to westbound State Route 54 and southbound Interstate 5.

After exiting the freeway, the FJ-3 Fury could be seen rolling down E Street to Bay Boulevard, then Palomar, back onto southbound I-5 to Palm. From Palm the route hit Silver Strand Boulevard then Ocean Boulevard until the plane arrived at Gate #5 at North Island.

The FJ-3 Fury (see photo below) is 23-feet-wide with its wings folded, and 15-feet-high. Due to its size, the CHP and Caltrans had to create the special route and arrange to transport the aircraft during later nighttime hours.

After the plane undergoes extensive restoration, it will be moved to the USS Midway Museum for display. But it’s not the first time the aircraft has been on the Midway, according to Walter Loftus, USS Midway Museum aircraft restoration manager.

“It was an interim airplane. It didn’t see combat, but it did fly off of the Midway,” Loftus explained. “It’s one of the fighters, so it will be added to our fighter town that we have here on the flight deck.”

The USS Midway Museum said the museum is in the process of trying to obtain two more aircraft in en effort to complete its collection of historic planes that flew off the Midway.

A Marine from Camp Pendleton has reportedly been awarded with the Silver Star for his actions during a Taliban attack in Afghanistan last year that killed two Marines and left dozens of aircraft destroyed.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Maj. Robb McDonald received the Silver Star at a ceremony this week on a coalition airbase in Afghanistan.

The Silver Star is the third-highest military combat decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Armed Forces, according to the Defense Department.

McDonald received the medal for his heroic actions amid an incident on Sept. 14, 2012 in Helmand province when 15 Taliban fighters breached the base's defenses and began destroying aircraft, according to The Times.

At the time, the 37-year-old McDonald, then a Harrier pilot, reportedly maneuvered more than a mile on foot with two other officers through an area exposed to enemy fire.

McDonald later assumed command, after his commanding officer was mortally wounded, and took actions that saved the lives of other Marines and prevented further loss to aircraft, The Times reported.

Citing the Sliver Star citation, The Times reported that McDonald led "a small team out to reconnoiter the flight line" and "he killed one enemy with a rifle he had borrowed and then expertly coordinated two helicopter strikes to destroy all remaining enemy."

McDonald’s Silver Star will be in good company. He has also been awarded two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and eight Air Medals from previous deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, The Times noted.

McDonald, who at the time of the incident was an executive officer of Attack Squadron 211 from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, is now an officer for the 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion.

More San Diego Military Stories:

Military Families Receive Free Holiday Meals

Wreaths Placed on Veteran Graves at Fort Rosecrans

Historic Navy Aircraft Makes Big Move

The holiday spirit was delivered to Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego Saturday for “Wreaths Across America Day” – an event across the U.S. meant to honor and remember veterans this time of year.

Locally, 1,600 volunteers placed big, beautiful holiday wreaths on more than 3,000 veteran graves at Fort Rosecrans following a special ceremony. The wreaths -- delivered to the cemetery early Saturday morning (see photo below) -- are a symbol of remembrance for the vets who sacrificed so much.

The event was attended by representative from each U.S. Service Branch, military families and community members. Retired Army Lieutenant General Claude M. Kicklighter, director of DoD commemorations, was the guest speaker.

The Navy JROTC cadets from Westview High School presented the wreaths.

Providing musical tributes, the Navy Band Southwest Brass Quintet performed and the Francis Parker Lower School Chorus sang several songs, including “God Bless America.”

Wreaths Across America (WAA) is a non-profit organization that lives by the mission: “Remember. Honor. Teach.” The organization aims to remember fallen veterans who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, honor those who serve and teach children about the freedoms we enjoy every day, and the cost of those freedoms.

Each year, with the help of sponsors, donors and volunteers, the WAA lays wreaths in veteran cemeteries across the country in hopes of spreading their message and paying tribute to veterans during this season. To learn more about the non-profit, visit the WAA website.

Lego's are enough to put a smile on any child's face but for 11-year-old Christian Roberts of Denton, Texas, he's having a good time, he just cannot show it.

"We've been seeing a doctor since he was about a year old for facial paralysis," said Christian's mother Molly Roberts.

Next week, Christian and his family will travel to Seattle where doctors will implant muscles from various parts of his body into Christian's face. Hopefully, giving him the gift that he's never had.

"Well he's been pretty excited," Roberts said. "He's been asking for a smile since he was about five [years old], since he could kind of understand getting it fixed. Since he was little, he has held his hands to make a smile for pictures."

Thanks to one surgery, Christian has some movement in one part of his face. Because he is deaf, Christian communicates with his family through sign language. 

"I didn't realize how excited he would get until he got movement the first time," Molly Roberts said. "He came and woke us up and said, 'Mom! Look! My smile's awake now'!"

"It was very exciting. He shows everybody... people in the grocery store, people at work. So I know it's a big deal to him. I didn't realize how excited he would really be about it."

It will take about 12 weeks after the surgery for Christian to start showing movement. The main concern for doctors is the risk of infection, which could keep those muscles from working.

His family is praying for a successful surgery.

"Just excited to get something he wants," Christian's father Darrell said. "I love him no matter what -- so if he smiles or not -- to get something HE wants, I'm excited about it."

So much good stuff came out of the Chargers' 27-20 win in Denver on Thursday night.

The Bolts defense held Peyton Manning's offense to its lowest point total of the year. Running back Ryan Mathews topped the 1,000 yard mark for the second time in his four year career. The Chargers put themselves squarely back in the playoff hunt (although they do need some help).

But, perhaps my favorite development is wide receiver Keenan Allen basically won himself the NFL's Offensive Rookie Of The Year Award.

Don't just take my word for it. After his two-touchdown night, even the likes of Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, Bleacher Report, ESPN and the Sporting News (among others) stopped just short of anointing Allen as the best offensive rookie in this year's class.

Keenan has 63 catches for 931 yards and seven touchdowns with two games to play. Not bad for a guy who did not even see the field for the first game of the year and only had three catches for 30 yards after the first three games of the season.

Injuries to Danario Alexander in training camp, then Malcom Floyd in Week 2 in Philadelphia forced Allen in to the starting lineup.

Now the Chargers are probably scared to ever take him out of the starting lineup.

While he has, at times, played like a rookie (see Thursday night's opening drive, when he ran the wrong way on a route and got a chiding from quarterback Philip Rivers), Allen has looked like a guy who was born to run the Chargers' offensive system. Part of that is God-given ability. Another part is not wasting that ability.

"He's worked extremely hard to get where he's at," said head coach Mike McCoy after the win in Denver. "He's never satisfied. He just wants to keep getting better. He competes. He's responded to hard coaching."

Allen has already gotten to the point where he's drawing extra attention from opposing defenses. Rivers still has not problem throwing it in the rookie's direction. Allen's second touchdown came with a defensive back right in front of him. Keenan just reached right around the defender and made the grab like he was playing against his little brother in the back yard.

"He has the swagger and the confidence you want in a wide receiver," said Rivers, "but, yet, the eagerness and the humbleness to know 'I'm a rookie and I've gotta learn a lot and I want to learn a lot.' He just makes plays, and he believes he's going to make plays."

The biggest play the rookie made was also the signature moment that really sealed his Rookie of the Year status. It came in the second quarter on Thursday night. Allen caught a ball on a drag route and ran 17 yards for a touchdown, leaping over one defender, landing on another and pushing his way in to the end zone. The score tied the game. More importantly, it put all the momentum on the San Diego sideline, and the Bolts never gave it back.

"There's a lot of guys that catch that shallow route and get tackled on the 2-yard line," said Rivers. "He was like, 'I'm scoring.' That's a mind-set that we need all of our young players to have. I think we have a handful that have that and the more we can get of that the more games we're gonna win."

Another young player who has that mind-set is fellow rookie offensive lineman D.J. Fluker. If Allen has not having such a tremendous season, you could make the argument for Fluker to be the Offensive Rookie Of The Year. He has started at both tackle spots and helped to bring the Chargers porous offensive line not to just respectability, but to being an above-average group.

Getting both of those guys in his first draft (along with Manti Te'o, who has improved rapidly over the last three games at middle linebacker and certainly has the mind-set Rivers is referring to), along with signing running back Danny Woodhead, might get another member of the Chargers some buzz for a post-season award. General Manager Tom Telesco won't win it, but he is laying the ground work for a future NFL Executive Of The Year honor.

Chula Vista police officers and local volunteers brightened the holiday season for nearly 300 disadvantaged families during an early morning food and toy drive in Chula Vista on Saturday.

At about 7 a.m., 81 uniformed Chula Vista police officers and volunteers began delivering boxes of food, wrapped gifts, and gift certificates to 262 families, including 832 children.

In all, $5000 worth of toys and food were donated to the families, according to event organizers.

The annual Chula Vista Police Activities League gift-giving event is in its 21st year.

This year's event was put on in partnership with CVPAL community volunteers, the Chula Vista Welfare Council and the Chula Vista Elementary School District.

"This continues to be a rewarding opportunity to help disadvantaged families get help during the holiday season,” said CVPD Chief David Bejarano, who led the effort. “It's also a great opportunity for officers to interact with community members in such a positive setting."