The hospital at the center of a battle over a brain-dead Oakland teen on Friday sent a letter to the girl's family, saying they can move the 13-year-old to another facility, if her relatives will arrange it.

Chris Dolan, the attorney for Jahi McMath’s family, said Friday afternoon Children’s Hospital Oakland has expressed to him that doctors will allow an outside physician to come to the hospital to perform the procedures necessary to safely transport Jahi to a long-term care facility.

Dolan said the family has been in talks with a facility in Southern California, where Jahi could be moved.

Jahi's uncle, Omari Sealey, also said the family is in talks with additional nursing homes -- another in Los Angeles and one in New York -- that may be willing to take her.

A San Francisco Bay Area nursing home that had agreed to provide long-term care for Jahi backed out after the Children's Hospital refused to insert the breathing and feeding tubes necessary for her long-term care.

The Alameda County Coroner's Office on Friday told NBC Bay Area that it will not block the transfer of Jahi to another facility.

Earlier in the day, the hospital said doctors planned to take Jahi off life support on Monday, barring a court order, according to Sam Singer, president of a San Francisco public relations firm hired by the hospital. Jahi's family is due in court Monday and has already said they will ask the judge for more time.

Children's Hospital Oakland Chief of Pediatrics Dr.  David Durand indicated that until he knows which facility Jahi is going to, and whether it will accept a brain dead person, then the hospital can't do much to help. The letter asks the family to give the name of the facility willing to take Jahi. It also says the family must identify a transportation plan, including the name of the company that will move the girl.

MORE: Hospital Says Surgery to Move Jahi McMath Not  "Appropriate"

"Children's is willing to cooperate in this regard even though Judge (Evelio) Grillo has confirmed that Jahi is deceased and that statutory patient transfer procedures do not apply here," the letter says.

On Thursday, Children's Hospital doctors said they would not perform a tracheotomy or other surgeries, including one to give her a gastric tube for nutrition, on the 8th grader, who was declared legally dead by a judge just before Christmas.

"Children's Hospital Oakland does not believe that performing surgical procedures on the body of a deceased person is an appropriate medical practice," Durand stated earlier.

Friday's letter addressed to the family's attorney, Dolan, brings up this unique legal and medical matter.

"At a minimum, the Alameda County Coroner needs to consent to any proposed transfer since we are dealing with the body of a person who has been declared legally dead," the letter states.

Jahi went in for a tonsillectomy and two other tissue-removal procedures on Dec. 9 in an attempt to cure her sleep apnea. She suffered unknown complications about 30 minutes after the surgery, when she started coughing up blood and suffered a heart attack.

Jahi was first declared brain dead on Dec. 12, and her extended family and Dolan have been fighting in court and the media to keep her alive since then.

Before Children's Hospital sent the letter on Friday, Sealey told reporters that his family was "willing to fight" in court to move her to an unnamed long-term care facility in the Bay Area.

Sealey did not want to say where but added on Friday that there were "several" options open to the family. He also said Jahi's mother, Latasha "Nailah" Winkfield, had been "considering" moving her daughter even without the surgeries.

Jahi's family members are devout Christians who believe the girl is still alive because brain death is not true death and that if her heart is beating, even with the aid of a ventilator, there is still room for a miracle.

Winkfield has launched a fundraising effort to help pay to fly Jahi to a facility out of state. Details can be found on the "Keep Jahi McMath on Life Support" Facebook page.

Jahi's family reached out to Dr. Paul Byrne, a retired neonatologist in Ohio and the former president of the Catholic Medical Association, for help in this matter and formally asked him to speak on their behalf in court.

Byrne has not formally been called in to testify. But in an exclusive on-air interview with NBC Bay Area on Friday, Byrne said he last talked to Dolan on Thursday and last talked to a family member "several days ago."

He declined to detail much of what he knows regarding Jahi, but he did say that his organization, the Life Guardian Foundation, helps people across the world give "respect" to all human life from "conception until his or her natural end."

"Jahi is a living person. She is not truly dead. Her soul has not separated from her body," Byrne said. Three other doctors have said Jahi is brain dead.

"Her kidneys work. Her liver works," Byrne said. "These things could never happen to a cadaver."

Byrne did say, however, that her condition is worsening because she is being fed a diet of "sugar water" at the hospital. He said Jahi needs to receive better nutrition and needs repair on her pituitary and thyroid glands.

"She is a living girl and dearly loved by her mother, her grandmother, her uncle," Byrne said. "And they do not want anything to shorten or hasten her life."

NBC Bay Area's Chase Cain, Kim Tere, Geoffrey Eisler, Kristofer Noceda, Jean Elle and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

It was a very merry Christmas for a 9-year-old SoCal boy who successfully climbed the highest peak this side of the globe, a feat that makes him the youngest person to do so and raises awareness for a type of muscular dystrophy that only affects young boys.

Tyler Armstrong reached the summit of Argentina’s 22,837-foot-tall Mount Aconcagua on Christmas Eve, two days ahead of schedule, according to a post on the “Top With Tyler” Facebook page, which is tracking his progress.

Armstrong and his father set out Dec. 7 on the arduous journey, which the young climber dedicated to those who can’t walk. He’s raising awareness and money for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which affects 1 in 3,600 boys.

Must-See Photos of 2013

“It’s when muscles get smaller every time you use them and by 14 they can’t walk,” Armstrong said of those afflicted with the disease.

Temperatures along the route to the top of Mount Aconcagua typically drop to 20 degrees below zero this time of year. And the pinnacle is just below the elevation where oxygen is mandatory.

Now that he’s summited, Armstrong is the youngest person to scale the towering peak (the record had been held by a 10-year-old climber).

Mount Aconcagua – the highest in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres – is now added to an already impressive list of summits the fourth grader from Yorba Linda has reached.

At age 7, Armstrong climbed 14,505 feet up Mount Whitney, the highest summit in the contiguous United States.

Last year, he scaled Mount Kilamanjaro, the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 19,341 feet. He had to apply for a special permit for that trek because, at age 9, he was a year younger than the age limit.

Armstrong’s Argentina itinerary planned for him to summit between Dec. 26 and 29. It should take him about three days to climb down from the mountain, and is set to be back in the U.S. on Jan. 5, 2014.

To donate to Tyler’s mission, click here.

A brawl at a Brooklyn mall involving a large group of teens Thursday night forced the mall to temporarily close on one of the busiest days of the holiday season and has prompted mall security to start telling customers it is banning anyone under 18 from entering without a guardian.

Video posted to social media sites show hundreds of teenagers scuffling with police and mall security at Kings Plaza Mall the day after Christmas, some violently. Bystanders also appear to get caught up in the apparent roughhousing as they gather to watch or run from the teens. 

Keishawn Gibson, one of the witnesses who shot video of the brawl on his cell phone, said there were multiple fights breaking out at the same time.

"There was another fight in the other section of the mall, the same floor," he said. "There was another fight in the corner. There was just a lot of stuff happening at one time." 

"It was just chaos. Everybody was just running from different directions, everyone was getting bumped, people was falling," he added. "It was madness."

It's not clear what sparked the melee. The Daily News reports it began as a fight among a group of teenage girls. The New York Post says it was a flash mob that gained traction on social media. 

The NYPD says officers were called to the mall for a disorderly crowd and once they arrived, dispersed a large group of teens and escorted them out. No arrests were made and no reports of any stolen items or injuries have been filed with police.

A spokeswoman for the mall said only that a "large group of teens caused an incident at Kings Plaza." After mall security and NYPD responded, the mall was able to quickly resume normal operations, she said. 

It's not clear how long or how much of the mall was shut down. Some merchants chose to close for the day at their own discretion, the spokeswoman said. 

The mall took immediate action to reassure shoppers and security officers were telling customers Friday night it was banning anyone under 18 from entering without an adult. Mall officials didn't return requests for comment after hours on the new rules.

The NYPD also said it will be deploying additional officers to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Gibson, the 17-year-old boy who shot video of the chaos at the mall, is himself now banned as a result of the mall's new policy and he doesn't think it's fair.

"It wasn't everybody's fault, so for you to just ban everybody 17 and under is drastic," said Gibson.

One security expert said he did not think banning teens under 18 would be effective.

"In the short term it's going to be a simple solution to institute, but in the long run that's going to be very difficult and I don't think it's going to be effective," said Sal Lifrieri, president of Protective Countermeasures, a consulting firm.

Police say they've arrested an animal shelter worker for allegedly placing a dog inside a plastic bag and throwing it into a commercial Dumpster on Long Island on Christmas Eve.

Michael Papini, 30, of Lindenhurst is charged with felony aggravated animal cruelty, animal abandonment and other charges in the case, Suffolk SPCA detectives say.

The 1-year-old dachshund mix was discovered in the trash at a gas station early Tuesday. Officials think the dog chewed its way out of the bag.

The female pup was taken to a 24-hour animal hospital, where SPCA officers named her Noelle because she was discovered on Christmas Eve. She was then taken to the Town of Islip Animal Shelter, where Papini was employed as a kennel attendant, according to authorities.

Noelle had severely matted and dirty fur when she was found, but was otherwise in good health.

A gas station surveillance video taken nearly 24 hours before the dog was found showed a person, believed to be Papini, carrying a plastic bag that appears to contain a box and placing it in the Dumpster.

Kevin Zabawski, the man who discovered the pooch in the Dumpster, told NBC 4 New York, "I just happened to look to the side and there was a face looking at me. There was this dog in there, and I thought 'Who the heck would leave an animal like that in the Dumpster?' It's way too much for me."

Papini was released on $250 bail Saturday, according to the SPCA.

A caged Yorkshire terrier was found abandoned on the side of a snowy road in an upstate New York town Friday morning.

A passerby near the intersection of White Pond and Farmers Mills roads in Kent contacted police after spotting the pooch.

Officials say the dog, an approximately 4- to 6-year-old male Yorkie, was found huddled in a small black metal crate in a snowy patch of property just off the side of the road. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Putnam County SPCA at 845-520-6915.

Police are searching for the person who broke into a New Haven, Conn., home, tied and bound a 10-year-old girl and stole more than $1,000 and a computer.

According to New Haven police, the girl was home alone at her apartment in Fair Haven when an unidentified man broke in, blindfolded her and tied her hands and demanded money.

It happened around 10 a.m. Friday, but police weren’t called to the scene until almost 5 p.m.

Police said the robber searched the apartment before stealing money and the computer.

After he left, the girl managed to free herself and went upstairs to report the incident to a neighbor, who called her father around 11:30 a.m. According to police, the victim’s father arrived home around 1 p.m. and waited until almost 5 p.m. to call police.

The state Department of Children and Families and clinical staff from the Yale Child Study Center’s Child Development are involved in the investigation, police said.

A Texas district judge was arrested and charged with family violence assault overnight Friday, NBC 5 has learned.

Early Saturday morning NBC 5 received the mugshot for Judge Carlos Cortez, who was booked into a Dallas jail at about 4:30 a.m.

According to a Dallas police report, Cortez and his girlfriend of 13 months got into an argument over the location of a child's medication while at an apartment on McKinney Avenue.

While talking with police, the woman told officers that they had been drinking alcohol for several hours. The woman then told police that Cortez grabbed her by her throat several times, dragged her by her hair to a balcony and leaned her over the edge while verbally threatening to kill her.

The woman, identified in the report, displayed several marks on her neck to officers before being examined and treated.

According to the report, a juvenile witnessed the entire incident.

Earlier this month, a DallasNews.com report said Cortez has spent more than three years and $135,000 in legal fees fighting to keep certain aspects of his private life from the public.

Cortez, who was arrested and charged in the family violence case, bonded out shortly before 9 a.m. Saturday.

Cortez has presided over the 44th State Civil District Court in Dallas County since 2006.  Earlier this year, Cortez, a Democrat, filed for re-election in the 2014 race, according to the TCJL PAC.

NBC 5's Eric King and Ray Villeda contributed to this report.  An initial version of this story reported that Cortez had been in elected office since 1996 instead of 2006, we regret the error.

It was a happy homecoming for Joey DeMartino at Qualcomm Stadium on Thursday night.

The Mt. Carmel grad and Grossmont College transfer led Utah State to a 21-14 victory over Northern Illinois in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl with a game-high 143 rushing yards, earning himself the game’s offensive MVP.

His 1-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter sealed the game for the Aggies (9-5) who held Heisman Trophy candidate Jordan Lynch to just 39 yards on the ground.

"I couldn't ask for a better senior game to go out on and to be in front of my hometown, my family, my friends and everyone who supported me out here," DeMartino said after the game.

He also set a Poinsettia Bowl record with a 58-yard run in the first half en route to his seventh 100-yard game of the season – all wins for the Aggies.

Lynch finished third in Heisman voting and accounted for two touchdowns (one rushing and one passing) but never got the Huskies (12-2) in a rhythm on offense. They were stymied by safety Brian Suite, who recovered a Lynch fumble and intercepted a pass for Utah State.

The ugly game featured four turnovers and three missed field goals – two by the Huskies. Attendance was only 23,408, lowest in the bowl’s nine-year history. The entire upper level at Qualcomm was empty.

It is the first of three football games in five days hosted at the Q. Next up is Sunday’s Chargers game against Kansas City, followed by the Holiday Bowl on Monday.

A serious collision along a San Diego highway has closed traffic in both directions according to the California Highway Patrol.

When two trucks collided along State Route 94 west of Euclid Avenue, one truck crossed over the center divide into eastbound traffic.

All lanes are blocked in both directions around 1:40 p.m.Friday.

Firefighters and paramedics rescued a man trapped inside a blue pickup with a shell that had been knocked onto its side.

On the opposite side of the freeway, an SUV collided head on with a black sedan.

There were several ambulances on scene and CHP officers could be seen interviewing witnesses.

The severity of the collision prompted some people to stop and watch the rescue from a nearby highway overpass.

As of 2:15 p.m., officers were allowing some drivers stuck on the closed lanes of the highway to pass the crash scene. They were diverting westbound traffic at Euclid Avenue.

An NBC 7 News crew is on the way.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
 

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and safety Eric Weddle were selected to the National Football League’s Pro Bowl on Friday.

It is the fifth time Rivers will be going to the league all-star game in Hawaii and the second for Weddle.

Five other Chargers were named as alternates: Antonio Gates, Nick Hardwick, Ryan Mathews, Mike Scifres and Le’ron McClain.

“Philip and Eric are both deserving representatives of our organization, as are several other players,” said Head Coach Mike McCoy. “Their play speaks for itself, and they are both great leaders and great teammates.  I’m very proud they will be representing the Chargers at the Pro Bowl.”

Rivers leads the league in completion percentage (69.7 percent), is fifth in passer rating (105.5) and has thrown 29 touchdowns. Weddle recorded 102 tackles and is tied for the team lead in interceptions with two.

This season, the Pro Bowl teams won’t be decided by conference. Instead, NFL legends Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders will draft teams in a TV special on Jan. 22. That means Rivers and Weddle could be placed on different teams.

“Well first of all I hope I get to play with him, that would be awesome,” Weddle said.  “I’d love to wreck shop together. But if not it would be fun too to go against him. Whoever picks us will get great players, that’s for sure.”

The Chargers finish the regular season Sunday at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. If they win and both Baltimore and Miami lose, they will make the playoffs.

A San Diego woman is calling for a boycott of next week’s Rose Parade due to a same-sex marriage set to take place atop a special float along the parade route.

Five days ago, Karen Grube set up the “Boycott the 2014 Rose Parade” Facebook page. As of 8:30 p.m. Friday, her page had more than 500 “likes” and many comments.

Grube’s page, now plastered across news reports nationwide, calls for a boycott of the iconic Southern California Rose Parade and its sponsors because a same-sex couple will exchange marriage vows during the event.

“Gay marriage is still illegal in 30 states… Why would the Tournament of Roses promote something illegal like that? Pot smoking is leg in some states too… what’s next for the Rose Parade? A float touting the benefits of smoking pot? With people actually smoking pot as it crawls down the parade route?” Grube writes in a post.

Danny Leclair, 45, and Aubrey Loots, 42, have been in a committed relationship for more than a decade. They decided that 2014 would be the year they tied the knot, since same-sex marriage is now legal in California.

“We want to start a family and we want our child to have two parents,” Leclair said.

But neither expected the ceremony to become quite so public.

“He told me how it happened and I said, 'You’re crazy,' and, 'Yes, let’s do it,'” Loots said with a laugh.
The couple – which owns Santa Monica-based D.N.A. Salon – won a lottery to formally wed on New Year’s Day in Pasadena, on top of a float dubbed "Love is the Best Protection" sponsored by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

"We believe that sanctified relationships, like gay marriage, which is legal in California and 16 other states, will really go a long way to help reduce the spread of HIV and other STDs," said Ged Kenslea, with AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

With the 2014 theme "Living the Dream," Rose Parade has had weddings before, but the response to Leclair and Loots’ wedding has not been universally positive, as seen on Grube’s Facebook page.

It’s a sentiment the to-be-wed couple said they don’t understand.

"We are just getting married. We are having a wedding. We aren't gay marrying and having a same-sex wedding,” Leclair said. “We are two consenting adults who want to make a commitment."

But while they said their public marriage is not about politics, both Leclair and Loots said they hope to send a message to those living in places like Uganda and Russia, which have recently passed anti-gay legislation.

Lawmakers in Uganda have approved the death penalty as punishment for certain homosexual acts.
"That we give those people hope, where there is absolutely no hope at the present," Loots said.

Joining the couple on the float will be Sharon Raphael and Mina Meyer, who have been together for 42 years and were legally married in California in 2008, AHF said in a news release.

The search continues for a San Diego man missing since the deadly Christmas Eve shooting of his girlfriend and brother near Westfield Mission Valley Mall.

According to the San Diego Police Department, Gianni Belvedere, 24, was last seen Monday around 10 p.m. at his home in San Diego’s Tierrasanta community.

Police have now issued a missing person bulletin for Gianni describing him as an Italian-American man with brown hair and brown eyes. He’s 6 feet tall, 165 pounds and likely driving a four-door, dark green 2004 Toyota Camry XLE with the Utah license plate B154VZ.

On Tuesday at around 1:15 a.m., Gianni’s longtime girlfriend, Ilona Flint, and his brother, Salvatore Belvedere, were critically shot in the parking lot of Mission Valley mall, just outside of a Macy’s department store. The store was open to accomodate last-minute Christmas shoppers.

Flint suffered a gunshot wound to the head but despite her injuries, was able to call 911 to report the shooting, telling dispatchers she was near the mall.

Officers located the wounded victims in a vehicle near the 1600-block of Camino Del Rio North. Flint was pronounced dead at the scene shortly thereafter.

Salvatore sustained gunshot wounds to the head and torso and was transported to a local hospital. He remained in critical condition for several days and on Friday, the SDPD confirmed he had died from his injuries.

Paul Donato, Salvatore's cousin, issued a family statement Friday saying that Salvatore had a rare blood type and was an organ donor. A heart transplant was performed after his death.

"But even through this tragedy, his precious heart now beats in someone else," said Donato. "What better way during the Christmas season to give the gift of life."

The statement went on to say that the Belvedere family is still looking for Gianni.

Both Flint and Salvatore were 22 years old.

According to police, the suspect in the deadly parking lot shooting was described as a male wearing tan pants, between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-11. A possible vehicle of interest in the case is a 2008 to 2011 dark gray Honda sedan.

Police said they have not yet determined a motive for the shooting and have warned news outlets not to jump to conclusions about a motive. On Thursday, officials revealed that it does not appear the shooting stemmed from a robbery.

Now, three days later, police have shifted their attention to finding Gianni, who is considered a missing person at this point. Family members said Gianni may have also been at the mall at the time of the shooting.

On Thursday, members of both the Flint and Belvedere families made a public plea asking for Gianni to return home.

“Gianni, we need you to come home,” said his sister, Antoinette Belvedere.

Through tears, Flint’s mother, Inga Flint-Jones, echoed that statement, adding: “Your mom and dad need you. Please call us.”

Police are asking for the public’s help in locating Gianni. Anyone with information related to his whereabouts or the shooting should contact the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Earlier this week, family members said they don’t know why Salvatore was at the mall with his brother’s girlfriend on Tuesday morning.

Andre Briones, a friend who worked with Flint at a vintage shop in La Jolla, said Flint had been dating Gianni for eight years. Briones said the Belvedere brothers would take turns picking up Flint from work because she didn’t have a car.

On Friday night, neighbors in Tierrasanta told NBC 7 they were shocked over the deaths of Salvatore and Ilona and the disappearance of Gianni.

According to neighbors, the Belvedere brothers lived on a quiet street and on Madera Rosa Way. Neighbors said Flint lived with the brothers as well.

A resident who wished to remain anonymous said he saw the brothers every day and even hung out with them last week in their garage.

“Just when I came home, [I] just came over, had a couple beers with them and that was it,” said the neighbor.

Though the neighbor said he wasn’t close with the Belvedere brothers, he said the men were always friendly.

“They were great; they were always cool, always nice,” he added. “It’s weird. Especially seeing them every day, and now never getting to see them again.”

Meanwhile, a memorial for Flint is set to take place at La Jolla Shores on Saturday at 6 p.m. A friend said Flint worked at a vintage shop in the area. Flint's mother is expected to attend the memorial.

A 17-year-old DUI suspect is lucky to be alive after crashing his car into a light pole in Chula Vista, causing his vehicle to split in half on a freeway.

According to Chula Vista police, the crash happened just after 1 a.m. Saturday at San Miguel Ranch Road and State Route 125.

Police said the teenage driver – suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and possibly speeding – was traveling eastbound in his Honda S2000 on San Miguel Ranch Road when he lost control of his car and slammed into a light pole.

The impact from the crash caused his car to split in half, with the front portion of the Honda landing upside down on the freeway lanes below the overpass, with the teen driver still inside.

Police said the rear portion of the vehicle remained on the upper roadway.

The teen was conscious and responsive following the crash and was transported to a local trauma center with head injuries. As of 11:30 a.m. Saturday, police said the teen remained in serious condition.

The crash is under investigation, with speed and alcohol being looked at as possible factors.

No other vehicles were involved in the collision and no one else was injured.
 

Seven-year-old Gavin Thomas is a typical boy. He's full of energy, has an infectious smile and a fascination with trains.

His Oceanside family adopted Gavin from an orphanage in Bulgaria. After just a year of having him as part of the Thomas family, Gavin’s health is now a major concern.

“We always wanted to adopt a child and we never planned to adopt a child with major medical needs or special needs,” said Gavin’s mom, Lindsay Thomas.

Gavin has chronic kidney disease and already had one kidney removed. Now, he needs a new one.

“It's going to take a lot to get all of us through this,” said Thomas.

But the military family of seven is on a mission to help Gavin overcome his health issues. The family has created an online fund in Gavin's name via the website gofundme. The page shares the boy's story and asks for donations to help cover travel funds for Gavin's kidney donor and expenses for the Thomas family as they see Gavin through this difficult period.

“At this point we do need the help. We need the assistance. Gavin is going to be on dialysis for a couple of weeks. We have five children. We need the gas money and daycare costs,” Thomas said.

The family's initial fundraising goal was $10,000. And, nearly two months after starting the account, they're halfway there, with more than $5,500 raised thus far.

“[I'm] totally amazed. It has been so overwhelming,” said Thomas.

Gavin's mom says that for her family, this is about more than money.

It's about sharing Gavin's unique adoption story and giving him a chance at a better life.

The boy does have a kidney donor lined up -- someone near and dear to the Thomas family.

Thomas says the women who helped set up Gavin's adoption has agreed to donate her kidney to the child. The process will take some time to complete, but the boy's family is hopeful that things will go smoothly for Gavin.

To learn more about Gavin and donate to his fund, visit this website.

Officials in San Diego are searching for a Southern California fugitive wanted for unlawful sexual assault on a minor.

According to officials from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and Fugitive Task Force, Matthew Dwayne Greene (pictured above) is also in violation of his probation.

A no-bail warrant for the fugitive’s arrest has been issued from Butte County, Calif.

Officials said Greene is known to hang out in San Diego County, as well as Riverside County. In the past, he has also spelled his last name as “Green,” without the “e” on the end.

Officials said Greene is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who spots the fugitive should not approach him, but rather contact the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200 to report Greene’s whereabouts.

Anyone with information on Greene can also contact the San Diego Crime Stoppers tip line at (888) 580-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
 

Arson investigators will look for the cause of a devastating apartment fire in Everman that destroyed two dozen residences. Everman Police Chief and Director of Emergency Services Randy Sanders confirms the fire was the work of an arsonist.

Everman police said a witness saw a man set a fire on the northwest corner of the building and then run. The fire was first called in shortly after 5:30 a.m. on Thursday.

"We're going to have Tarrant County Arson Task Force coming in here to do that investigation. Whoever that individual was is apparently disappeared at this point. But we're going to follow that lead," Sanders said.

Sanders said firefighters will knock down some walls at the complex to make it safe for investigators and an arson dog to work. They are also putting out hot spots in the still smoldering rubble more than 12 hours after it started.

The American Red Cross said more than 60 people were displaced by the fire after 24 residences were destroyed by the fire at the Oakwood Terrace Apartments on 917 Coury Road.

Residents say many of those who lived on the second floor and to jump from windows to escape the building. Tony Patterson did so and then he had to catch his mother.

"I already jumped out the window, so I could go catch her," Patterson said. "I was trying to catch her, she didn't want to jump with no clothes on at all. I said, 'jump momma you got do this. I ain't gonna hurt you, I ain't gonna let you fall.' And I caught her ."

Strong winds made it very difficult for firefighters to get the upper hand on the fire.

"The wind was blowing very, very hard causing embers to blow throughout the complex," said Sanders. "When firefighters first arrived, it was a tough fight. We're still in a defensive position just trying to attack the flames."

Sanders said the way the building is constructed led to the quick spread of the flames. The building had a false ceiling, essentially an open space above the second floor that allowed fire to quickly devour the entire building.

Carolyn Roney could only wipe away tears as she and other residents watched their homes burn.

Roney said she was focused on getting her 83-year-old mother to safety. The thick, black smoke made getting to door a difficult -- nearly deadly -- challenge.

"I finally got my momma a jacket, and I tried to run back [to my bedroom] but I couldn't even find my jacket or my shoes, so I just ran outside in my pajamas," Roney said, choking back tears. "This is all I have."

"She lost everything. All the Christmas stuff she got for her kid, her grandkid. Just everything she had. Everything is gone," said Roney's brother, Rocky.

Rocky lives nearby and rushed over to bring his sister a coat.

"You can see her apartment there, burning. You can't see nothing but smoke," he said.

Most of the displaced residents escaped the building only to be stranded in the freezing cold wearing nothing but pajamas. Red Cross workers said they are distributing needed items like new shoes, socks and warm clothes to those affected at the Everman Community Center at 212 Race Street.

The shelter was moved to the Highland Hills Community Center in Fort Worth which could house the larger numbers and offered showers. The Red Cross asks anyone interesting in helping the victims to donate cash.

Two of the residents who escaped from the fire say they are lucky to be alive.

"I am blessed to be here," said Terry Pendergraph. 

Pendergraphy, who is in a wheelchair, lives with Dora Burns. Neighbors banged on the door and said there was a fire.

"I grabbed Terry, the wheelchair, and myself and ran backwards down the stairs," said Burns.

Everman police and fire have not yet given a description of the suspected arsonist. But residents have heard a name connected to the suspect and have a message for him.

"You turn yourself in, you ruined a lot of people’s live’s," said Rodney Homer, who lost everything but the clothes on his back. "Lot of people don’t like it."

While no one was seriously hurt, several people were taken to the hospital. Including several people who had to jump from the second floor.

On Thursday night, a person of interest was identified, but no arrests have been made.

NBC 5's Greg Janda, Julie Fine and Chris Van Horne contributed to this report.

San Diego Chargers’ Linebacker Thomas Keiser practiced with the team Wednesday, three days after he was arrested for misdemeanor battery.

After practice, Keiser snubbed reporters as he headed to the locker room. He simply responded, “I have nothing to say.”

Chargers Head Coach Mike McCoy briefly addressed the issue at Wednesday’s news conference.

“We discussed it early Monday morning, first thing we did in the team meeting,” McCoy explained. “Addressed it. Said, ‘Here’s how we’re handling it.’ Moving on.”

When asked if Keiser will be available for Sunday’s playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals, McCoy said, “We’ll deal with everything in-house. We’re going to handle it accordingly in here.”

The football player was arrested Sunday night at barleymash, a bar and restaurant in downtown San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter.

Police said Keiser got into a fight with a barleymash employee. However, bar owners said in an online statement that the incident was “unprovoked” and that Keiser allegedly attacked their employee.

Keiser was placed under citizen's arrest and handcuffed by bar security. He bailed out of jail for $8,000, according to police.

The victim reportedly refused medical treatment at the scene.

“Things like that happen. We just have to overcome it,” Defensive Coordinator John Pagano said. “As the guys understand, it can’t be a distraction. They got to understand and be smart when they’re put in those situations.”

As of Thursday, the incident remained under investigation by the San Diego Police Department. A spokesperson from the San Diego City Attorney's office confirmed that the office has yet to receive the case.

Once that happens, the city attorney's office will file a criminal complaint based on whether or not they decide to file charges against Keiser.

The spokesperson said Kesier's first court date has been set for Feb. 10.

A New Haven man is accused of stabbing the man who gave his wife a New Year’s kiss and punching his wife in the face.

Police responded to 100 South End Road around 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day to investigate a stabbing and found a man whose pants were soaked with blood.

The victim told police that he'd been inside the house for a holiday party and kissed a woman.

That woman's husband took offense to the kiss, grabbed a knife and stabbed him in his thigh, he went on to tell officers, according to police.

He said the man, later identified as Ferdinando Muoio, 25, was still inside and others were holding him.

EMTs treated the victim. Officers found two men holding Muoio down and tried to calm him down.

Muoio told police he’d been drinking and became upset when he walked out back and saw the other man kissing his wife, police said.

Muoio told officers his wife had been in a relationship with the man years ago and said that he didn't remember picking up the knife and stabbing anyone.

Muoio's wife told police the man gave her a New Year's kiss when her husband walked outside.

She said he punched her in the face, used insulting language and went after the man who had kissed her, police said.

Witnesses told investigators it took several other guests to separate the two.

Muoio was arrested and charged with assault in the second degree, assault in the third degree and breach of peace.

A 29-year-old man was taken into custody for suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and felony evading after leading La Mesa police on a high-speed pursuit before crashing into a tree and utility box on Wednesday night, according to authorities.

The ordeal began just after 9:30 p.m. in La Mesa when Matthew Bailey, of Lemon Grove, ran a stop sign at the intersection of Waite Drive and Harris Street, police said.

When an officer attempted to pull Bailey’s white Dodge Charger over, he reportedly failed to yield and a pursuit began.

The chase stretched through La Mesa residential areas and onto westbound State Route 94.

Bailey was said to have reached speeds of 80 mph on SR-94 and 50 mph on city streets as he ran stop signs and red traffic lights, according to police.

The chase ended in the 7800 block of Central Avenue in Lemon Grove when Bailey crashed into a tree and utility box.

Bailey wasn’t injured in the crash and was later booked into San Diego county jail.
 

Florida Congressman Trey Radel will return to work on Capitol Hill next week, ending a leave of absence that began after he pleaded guilty to a cocaine possession charge, a spokesman for him told NBC News Thursday.

"I look forward to getting back to work next week representing my neighbors in Southwest Florida as they face the burdens of Obamacare, a jobless recovery, and a federal government that continues to spend more than it takes in,” Radel said.

The freshman Republican, who represents Florida's 19th Congressional District, has said he will not step down from his House seat.

• Florida's GOP Chair Calls on Radel to Step Down

Radel was sentenced to one year of probation after his November guilty plea for cocaine possession, a misdemeanor. He acknowledged that he bought 3.5 grams of cocaine from an undercover police officer.

Afterward he entered a rehab program for alcoholism in Naples.

He stayed at the Hazelden addiction treatment facility for nearly a month, leaving it on Dec. 19. In a news conference that day, Radel said he planned to keep serving his constituents but would not give a timeframe for his return to the nation’s capital.

“Politics and re-election are the absolute last thing on my mind right now," he said then.