A woman accused of making more than 400 non-emergency 911 calls -- sometimes calling six times per day -- during the past two years was convicted Monday of making a false emergency report and other charges.

Linette Young, 43, allegedly made the hundreds of false 911 reports since January 2011. The calls included 220 requests for paramedic assistance between January and September 2013, according to the Los Angeles City Attorney's office.

Young was convicted on 12 counts of annoying or harassing 911 calls and 13 counts of making a false emergency report. She was sentenced to three years probation, 180 days in jail and mandatory psychological counseling, according to the city attorney's office.

CHP: When to Call 911

She also was ordered to have no contact with the Los Angeles Fire Department and stop using the emergency 911 service for non-emergencies.

Young sought medical aid at a West Slauson Avenue fire station, but firefighter-paramedics who treated Young determined she had no medical issues, according to the city attorney. A restitution hearing at which the costs to the city will be determined is scheduled for February.

Images: 2013's Top Surveillance Photos

The call resulted in multiple emergency responses.

"This conviction is part of our work to ensure that the public's lifeline is not abused," said LA City Attorney Mike Feuer.

Read: Robber Asks Police to Stop Chasing Him

KPCC obtained one of the phone calls used as evidence in the case (audio posted below). The caller can be heard complaining about a medical issue and lack of response before telling the dispatcher to cancel the request for service.
 

East County residents will have to wait until January to find out if they'll have a sexually violent predator as a neighbor.

A handful of Jacumba residents voiced their concerns about sharing their hometown with 39-year-old Mikel Marshall.

Marshall spent 14 years in prison for molesting four young boys between 1992 and 1994.

In August, Marshall was deemed safe to be released into society.

Judge Howard Shore has postponed any decision until he is able to drive to the proposed address where the sexually violent predator would live in Jacumba.

Residents argued the backcountry has become a dumping ground for sexually violent predators the city doesn't want.

They say Jacumba has little to no services, delayed response times, and only one store which is near a school.

“There are no services out in this area. Little to none. And to continue to place the sexually violent predators in our rural backcountry is not only short sighted, it’s foolish,” said San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob.

Residents argued that Marshall would be able to see children playing from his yard if he's allowed to live at the proposed address.

Despite the concerns, attorneys on both sides recommended Marshall be placed at the proposed address.

A representative from the company that would be monitoring Marshall explained he would seldom be alone, would be tracked by GPS and would be accompanied to places like the store and therapy appointments.

The judge said once he checks out the residence himself, he will issue his decision.

A hearing has been scheduled for January 13.

What started as a hike along a Utah ski trail turned into a rescue of one of the country's most majestic creatures.

“We saw a bird just struggling to fly. Within a few seconds of us getting close, we could tell it was a bald eagle, so it was pretty shocking,” said Taylor Schulte, a Connecticut native who spoke to NBC Connecticut via Skype.

He helped to pick up the bald eagle. Schulte and his father-in-law wrapped it in a coat and took it to safety, not knowing what was wrong with the bald eagle.

“You just feel for it," Schulte said. "The bird clearly was injured or sick, something was wrong with it. You could tell it wasn't at 100 percent, so we initially thought, you know, what could be wrong with it? They had a run a story not too long ago, here locally, about the birds getting injured or getting sick."

They took the bird home and waited for wildlife experts to come to collect the eagle and give it the proper care.

“There's no doubt that that bird wouldn't have even had a chance if we weren't there. With the cold temperatures and the predators in the area. If we hadn't been there, that bird, there's no way it would be alive right now. It definitely needed help,” said Schulte.

Schulte says he was happy to give the bird the help it needed.

“To have an opportunity to save our nation's bird was incredible,” he said.

A little girl's letter to Santa launched by a red balloon was found miles away by a stranger who, sensing a connection with its author, wanted to find her and make her Christmas wish come true.

Joie, 5, had written the letter, tied it to a balloon and set it free last week along with the rest of her kindergarten class in Chula Vista, just south of San Diego.

“Dear Santa, I would like to have a mermaid doll with a bow for Christmas. Thank you, Love, Joie,” the letter read.

Defense contract negotiator Terry Hardin was leaving work on Dec. 17 when he noticed a red balloon with something tied to it floating down from the sky.

He watched it travel to the ground and into the parking lot. It took three to five minutes, he said.

“I walked over, so interested and intrigued as to what it was,” he recalled.

He said when he noticed the name of the child at the end of the letter, he paused. His mother, Joie Britt, had passed away in August 2012.

“It put a chill up my spine,” Hardin said.

He and his mother weren’t on the best of terms at the time of her death. He now admits he was very angry with her.

Now, he believes that in some way the kindergartner’s letter was meant for him.

“This literally came from Heaven to make things right,” he said.

Hardin’s wife, Angel, went to work trying to track down the little girl so the couple could fulfill the wish.

She sent emails to news organizations, including NBC 7 San Diego, asking for help.

“We don't know who this girl is or how this balloon got to be over downtown, but somehow I feel like I really want this girl to get her doll,” she wrote.

San Diego-area talk show host Mike Slater enlisted the help of his listeners and soon, the author of the letter was found.

On Thursday, Hardin met Joie face to face in her classroom at St. Rose of Lima.

He handed her the gift – a "Little Mermaid" doll complete with bow. Joie was shy, but with encouragement from her classmates, she quickly unwrapped the gift.

She and her family later posed for a picture with Hardin, who said he is enjoying the enthusiasm the story has generated around the U.S. and even overseas.

He appreciates the nice comments he’s seeing posted beneath the news articles online.

Watch the video of the classroom receiving gifts below:

Two suspects are in custody and one man is in the hospital after a shooting on the street in the 3800 block of Nipoma Place in Point Loma.

According to Captain David Nisleit, two males were detained by police after shots were fired from a semi-automatic handgun resulting from an attempted robbery on Monday afternoon, hitting one man in his chest.

The suspects fled the scene after the shooting, but their car became disabled and they fled on foot. At least one of the suspects was taken into custody in the 3500 block of Browning Street.

Police are still determining if either suspect will be charged. Nisleit said it would be either attempted murder or assault with a deadly weapon.

The victim is in surgery at UCSD Medical Center and has a very good chance of surviving, Nisleit said.

A group of elected representatives and business leaders met at the San Ysidro Port of Entry Monday to call on Congress to fund the remaining portions of a project to expand the border crossing. Local leaders are calling it the single most important project for our region.

If you visited the area, you'd find a huge construction zone as workers complete phase one of the project - which involves easing traffic into the United States.

President Obama included in his budget money to ease traffic into Mexico, but the house appropriations committee apparently still needs some convincing.

Enter a pre-Christmas plea from our local politicians.

"We're asking the Congress to put in their budget the money to continue to expand the border here and the great thing is we're all in unison, we're all together on this," said U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas.

"This is a wonderful opportunity to help stimulate our economy, when folks are able to cross back and forth easily, in a smarter way, we know that San Diego businesses and California in general benefits," said San Diego Interim Mayor Todd Gloria.

Mexico completed its side of the border project last year.

It's estimated at least $226 million will be needed to complete the improvements on the U.S. side. An estimated 50,000 cars move northbound through the port of entry from Tijuana into San Ysidro every day.

The project is set to be completed in three phases.

In Phase 1, an east-west pedestrian bridge, a southbound pedestrian crossing and reconditioning 24 single inspection lanes to 25 double inspection lanes are complete. Ongoing work for metal and cable shading for the 25 lanes and a new head office building is included in Phase 1, according to Jason Wells, head of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce.

Phase 3 would expand southbound lanes and improve a western pedestrian crossing, as well as realigning I-5 to lead into El Chaparral, the completed Mexico project.

A Naval corpsman surprised his girlfriend with a wedding proposal a day before she expected him home on leave.

Robert Everhart drove from Fort Sam Houston in Texas to surprise his girlfriend, Michelle Gungon, a nurse in a San Diego hospital.

"She likes surprises. I figured that’d be the best way,” Everhart said.

Gungon was shocked when her boyfriend walked around the corner at Sharp Memorial Hospital in uniform and carrying a bouquet of purple flowers Monday.

Gungon thought she was picking him at the airport on Tuesday morning, just in time for Christmas.

Instead, Everhart surprised her with something she never expected - a ring.

Her co-workers cheered and applauded.

“I never thought he would ever do something like this,” Gungon said.

“He’s such a great guy. I don’t know, I just love him,” Gungon said. “He takes good care of me and his family, and I really like that.”

Everhart said his girlfriend has always been there for him, always supportive of him.

“I never would’ve gotten into rock climbing or hiking or all that other stuff without her being there,” he said.

After the proposal, Gungon said she has been thinking of a summer wedding, likely in the week between their birthdays.

Since Everhart’s birthday is July 7 and her birthday is July 21, she said she is thinking 7/14/14 sounds like a good wedding date.

Multiple agencies are battling a house fire in Alpine.

The fire started at 8:15 a.m. Christmas Eve in the 400 block of Arnold Way.

The house was fully engulfed when crews arrived. Aerial pictures showed flames shooting through the roof and smoke pouring into the sky.

Heartland Fire told NBC 7 that downed power lines were spotted near the house.

Police officers and sheriff’s deputies were called to provide traffic control.

There is no word yet on injures.

Check back for updates.

View 400 Arnold Way in a larger map

A Southern California dog owner said she plans to file a complaint with UPS to try to recoup the $450 in vet bills she paid to save her dog’s life after it chewed into a box of chocolates she believes was thrown over the fence by a deliveryman.

Linda Taylor said her German shepherd, Sarge, nearly died on Monday after tearing into a box and eating several pounds of chocolate -- poison for dogs -- that was inside.

When Taylor contacted UPS to complain, she said they denied responsibility and said the driver followed company protocols.

"Chocolate eclairs, chocolate truffles, chocolate brownies, chocolate cake," said Taylor, of Phelan. "They told me they weren't going to cover it. They don't cover perishables. They don't cover vet bills…”

Read: Woman Jailed for Placing More Than 400 False 911 Calls

She took Sarge to the vet when he started acting strangely and it was touch and go for a while, she said. After 24 hours she was able to take her pet home.

Once there, she called UPS and demanded the company pay the $450 dollar vet bill.

Read: Widow's "Closure" Comes Six Decades After Korean War Veteran's Death

UPS spokeswoman Rhoda Daclison-Dickey said the driver placed the package over the fence to keep it out of the sun because it was labeled "perishable.”

Daclison-Dickey said the driver didn’t see the dogs, even though Taylor said she has surveillance video showing a truck pulling up to her home and the dog tearing up the chocolate box in the yard.

Read: Person Detained in Connection With Woman's West LA Stabbing

"They're standing behind their driver and saying the driver did nothing wrong, but I ended up with a dog that was in the vet’s office and could have died,” Taylor said.

If customers have any special delivery requirements, all they need to do is contact UPS, the Daclison-Dickey said. But Taylor said she did that after her dogs chewed up a package delivered the previous week.

A female tiger was fatally mauled at the San Diego Zoo by a potential mate, officials confirmed Monday.

Tiga Tahun, a large Malayan female Tiger, was introduced to Connor on Saturday, and zoo staffers hoped it would be the beginning of a breeding process to help protect the endangered species.

But the zoo's staff said the interaction turned violent, and they were unable to separate the two tigers.

No visitors saw the attack.

Tiga Tahun died Saturday of neck injuries and breathing difficulties.

She was born in 2009 at the Bronx Zoo, but was owned by the Omaha Zoo.

Connor was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2011.

"Large carnivores often mix aggressive behavior with breeding interactions and this sometimes results in injury or death," zoo officials said in a statement.

In August, a rare set of Sumatra cubs were born successfully at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

The San Francisco Zoo also welcomed a new Sumatran tiger cub this year.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park announced it was in the midst of a baby boom over the summer with babies available for park visitors to see.

The zoo has celebrated new lion cubs, a new elephant transferred from another zoo and the birth of a critically endangered lizard.

An instructor at a karate studio in Tierrasanta has been arrested for child molestation.

Juan Melesio Flores, 38, is charged with 15 felony counts, including lewd acts with a child and oral copulation, according to Deputy District Attorney Wendy Patrick.

Flores is co-owner and lead instructor at Z-Ultimate Studio in the 10600 block of Tierrasanta Blvd. He was arrested outside the studio last Thursday.

According to San Diego police, an investigation started last week after one male student came forward. This led investigators to another possible victim. The two boys apparently do not know each other.

Patrick says the alleged abuse took place between 2012 and Dec. 2013 at the studio, or dojo.

“They did things like ‘Ninja Nights,’ where lots of the kids would sleep over and play video games all night at the dojo," Patrick said. "As they spent time together, what happened, this defendant would make advances toward these two victims.”

Patrick says Flores knew the two boys for years and that their relationships escalated from being "good friends, to massages, to oral copulation."

Classes took place as usual on Monday at Z-Ultimate Studio. One longtime student, who calls Flores "a role model," says he's shocked by the allegations.

“I’ve known him since I was 14 years old. I’m 23 years old now. He’s always been a fatherly figure to me," Steven Lundberg said. "I’ve never had any inclination anything like this would have been happening. My whole life, he’s been there for me."

Flores pleaded not guilty to the charges during a court appearance Monday afternoon. Despite his defense attorney's argument that Flores is not a flight risk and very involved in the community, the judge set bond at $350,000.

“Our concern at this point is we have two victims. Worse case scenario, there are additional victims," Police Lt. Chuck Kaye said. "We want to make sure the public is aware of the arrest."

Anyone with additional information is asked to call the police department's Sex Crimes Unit at 619-531-2210.

One person died after a car went off the side of the road in the Cleveland National Forest, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The accident happened just before 5 p.m. Monday on eastbound Interstate 8, just past Willows Road, in Alpine. The crash happened near a scenic viewpoint.

According to CHP, the car went down an approximately 200-yard drop, trapping the driver inside.

Cal Fire confirmed that the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The viewpoint was closed while firefighters worked to recover the body.

There is no word yet on the person's identity or what caused the accident.

Check back for updates.

San Diego police are investigating a deadly shooting outside a department store that was open overnight for last-minute Christmas shoppers.

A man and a woman were shot at 1:15 a.m. Christmas Eve outside the Macy’s at the Westfield Mission Valley Mall on Camino Del Rio North east of downtown.

Investigators say the woman was able to call 911 to report the shooting despite suffering a gunshot wound to the head and the torso.

She wasn’t sure of her location but told the dispatcher she was near the mall.

Officers found her inside a car in the mall parking lot with a second victim, a man who was shot in torso and probably in the head as well, officials said.

The woman, described by officials as in her 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second shooting victim, described as a man in his 20s, was transported to Mercy Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition.

The suspect description according to police is a man wearing tan pants and described as 5-foot-9 to 5-foot-11.

A possible vehicle of interest in this case was a 2008-2011 dark gray Honda sedan officials said.

Police tape was still cordoning off a large area around the crime scene, but officials said there was plenty of other parking at the mall.

Security say the mall opened at 7 a.m. and some stores were already open.

Investigators were also working to attain surveillance video and are interviewing witnesses.

Anyone with information can call the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
 

A judge ruled Tuesday that a 13-year-old Oakland girl who has been on life support since suffering bleeding and a heart attack following a tonsillectomy "meets all the criteria of brain death."

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo made the ruling Tuesday after he heard testimony from a court-appointed neurologist who examined the eighth grader as part of an ongoing bid by her family to keep her on life support. This was the third doctor to reach that conclusion since Jahi McMath was first declared brain dead nearly two weeks ago.

Although the judge ruled he could not force the hospital to continue the teen's care, an existing restraining order keeps Jahi on life support until 5 p.m. Monday, giving the family time to appeal his decision.

The judge said he doubts that he will be the final word on the matter and has expressed his condolences to the family. He also said he respects the family's religious beliefs and hopes that those beliefs will help them through this difficult time.

The decision came the same day Stanford School of Medicine Chief of Pediatric Neurology  Dr. Paul Graham Fisher, who was appointed by a judge to be an independent reviewer into the case of the eighth grader, presented his findings before the court. Children's Hospital of Oakland, where Jahi received the tonsillectomy, has argued in court papers that the teen "should be taken off life support" if Fisher returned with a determination that she is brain dead.

"Because Ms. McMath is dead, practically and legally, there is no course of medical treatment to continue or discontinue," the hospital's paper stated. "To be blunt, Children's is merely preserving Ms. McMath's body from the natural post mortem course of events. There is no legal, ethical or moral requirement that it continue to do so or that the family consent in the decision to stop doing so."

McMath's mother, Latasha "Nailah" Winkfield, had secured a court-ordered stay, which means Jahi was to remain on a ventilator until at least Dec. 30. The judge did not immediately rule on what will happen after that at the time.

Much of Tuesday's court hearing was closed to the public, as some of the testimony involved the medical history of a child.

Jahi's family wants an additional evaluation by Paul Byrne, a pediatric professor at the University of Toledo. They say they are devout Christians and their faith leads them to believe that because the girl’s heart is beating, she is alive -- even if she is on a ventilator. They say they are still waiting for a miracle.

Jahi underwent three surgeries at once on Dec. 9: An adenotonsillectomy; a uvulopalatopharyngloplasty, or UPPP, which is tissue removal in the throat; and submucous resection of bilateral inferior turbinates, which is nasal obstruction. The family has previously said the surgery was to help fix Jahi's sleep apnea. About 30 minutes after the surgery, Jahi started coughing up blood and suffered a heart attack. She was declared brain dead for the first time on Dec. 12.

Byrne, the past president of the Catholic Medical Association, presented testimony on "life issues" to nine state legislatures and opposed Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the late medical pathologist who became a leading figure in the assisted suicide movement, on the television program "Cross Fire," according to the website, RenewAmerica.com.

In a phone interview, Byrne told NBC Bay Area on Monday that he was not comfortable speaking about the matter because he hasn't been formally contacted by Jahi's family or their attorney.

Children's Hospital argued in court papers filed on Tuesday that Byrne should not be used as a second independent expert because it's "unnecessary and Dr. Byrne, who is neither a neurologist nor a California physician, is not qualified and has already taken a position on this matter."

NBC Bay Area's Kris Sanchez and Vince Cestone contributed to this report.

A pedestrian was killed on southbound State Route 163, prompting part of the freeway to close Tuesday afternoon.

SR 163 South was closed from Interstate 8 to University Avenue for several hours, creating a big traffic jam on the busy Christmas Eve shopping day. Traffic was backed up from Hillcrest to Friars Road.

The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert and diverted drivers at the University Avenue/6th Avenue off-ramp.

Check traffic conditions here.

The accident happened around 2:20 p.m. According to the California Highway Patrol, the male victim was hit by at least one car. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

CHP officers reopened the highway by 4 p.m. 

If you’re used to getting into Balboa Park via the Laurel Street overpass, you should know that a construction project will close that route to vehicles for several months.

The Cabrillo Bridge is undergoing a $38 million rehabilitation and retrofit project.

The renovation will bring the bridge up to current earthquake standards, officials said.

They also plan to repave the road used by many San Diegans to access the museums in Balboa Park.

To allow work crews access to the bridge, vehicle traffic will be rerouted from January to April.

Caltrans is planning to keep a narrow walkway for pedestrians and bicyclists who walk their bikes.

The project is expected to be completed before The Balboa Park 2015 Centennial Celebration.
 

The Arroyo family had an unexpected and unpleasant discovery early Wednesday morning when they discovered thieves took most of the family’s Christmas presents, including two new scooters and two new tablets.

A 48-inch TV, jewelry, and a gun were also stolen, but those were not part of the gifts swiped from under the family's Christmas tree.

The burglars forced their way into the home through a sliding class door when the family was out. The family discovered the theft around 1 a.m. when they returned home from a Christmas Eve party.

WATCH: Grinch Steals Christmas Decorations From Family's Lawn

Upon the discovery, the family’s 13-year-old daughter Emily was in tears, saying that that the crime ruined her Christmas. The family's other children are ages 9, 5 and 4.

"My neighbor said they saw the bathroom light on, they thought it was us, but it wasn’t us," Emily said, while holding back tears. "Why would (burglars) do this to little kids?"

READ: $15,000 Worth of Christmas Lights Stolen

The burglars also went upstairs and took jewelry, watches and a gun.

San Diego residents should report any sighting of a mountain lion in Lemon Grove by calling 911, officials said.

San Diego County sheriff’s deputies were called to a parking lot near the Food 4 Less grocery store on Broadway around 9:00 a.m. Tuesday.

A person who met with deputies reported a mountain lion sighting around 7:30 a.m. that morning in the bushes of a parking lot near the store.

The witness captured an image of what appeared to be a mountain lion in the vacant lot, deputies said.

Deputies notified the state Department of Fish and Game about the reported wildlife sighting.

There have been no other reports of a mountain lion in the area, officials said.

Anyone who sees the mountain lion is asked to immediately dial 911 to report the sighting, officials said.
 

After the giving and unwrapping, candy and cookie consumption, you may be wondering what to do with that Christmas tree?

San Diegans have a number of options. Sixteen to be exact.

The City of San Diego is offering 16 drop-off locations for residents as well as curbside pickup to help recycle that fresh Christmas tree.

Chris Gonaver, director of the Environmental Services Department, suggests residents recycle their “clean trees” to avoid filling up the landfill.

“By recycling trees, residents help reduce the amount of material in the landfill and give holiday trees a second life as compost, mulch or wood chips,” Gonaver said in a county news release.

You can drop off your tree during daylight hours from December 26 to January 23. The free pickup is for residents who already have curbside yard waste collection.

Be sure to take off all ornaments, tinsel, lights and tree stands before dropping off your tree at the locations or leaving it out for the curbside pickup. Flocked trees are also accepted.

Artificial trees will not be accepted.

See the list of residential drop-off site locations below. More information is available by calling Environmental Services Department Customer Service at 858-694-7000.

• Carmel Valley: Carmel Valley Recreation Center, 3777 Townsgate Drive
• Encanto: Cielo Drive at Woodman Street
• Golden Hill: Golden Hill Recreation Center, 2600 Golf Course Drive
• La Jolla: Kate Sessions Memorial Park, Soledad Road and Loring Street
• Logan Heights: Memorial Recreation Center, 2902 Marcy Avenue
• Miramar: Miramar Landfill at Greenery, Convoy Street north of State Route 52
• Mission Bay: SeaWorld Drive at Pacific Highway
• Oak Park: Chollas Lake, 6350 College Grove Drive, in Gloria’s Mesa parking lot
• Ocean Beach: Robb Athletic Field Recreation Center, 2525 Bacon Street
• Otay Mesa/Nestor: Montgomery Waller Community Park
• Rancho Bernardo: Rancho Bernardo Recreation Center, 18448 W. Bernardo Drive
• Rancho Penasquitos: Canyonside Recreation Center, 12350 Black Mountain Road
• San Diego State University: Parking Lot D off Alvarado Road
• Scripps Ranch: Scripps Ranch Recreation Center, 11454 Blue Cypress Drive
• Tierrasanta: De Portola Middle School, 11010 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
• University City: Swanson Pool, 3585 Governor Drive

A driver struck and killed a woman walking in the middle of the road in Valley Center on Christmas Eve.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the collision that occurred after 9 p.m. on Lake Wohlford Road just north of Oakvale.

Officers said the driver, an Escondido man, was driving a 2010 Toyota Yaris southbound on Lake Wohlford Road when he saw someone walking in the road.

The man tried to swerve to the left but struck the woman with the right front of his vehicle, officials said.

On Christmas Day, officials identified the woman as Talenna Lucy, 40, of Escondido.

The driver was not injured in the collision. No charges were expected to be filed according to the CHP.