A bicyclist nearly killed by a driver accused of road rage is slowly recovering from her injuries, and authorities have arrested the driver.

Ambika Sundaresan is a single mother living in Carmel Valley. She spoke exclusively to NBC 7 about the accident and how it’s changed her and her family’s lives.

Last October, Sundaresan participated in the Pedal for the Cause San Diego cycling fundraiser. She was doing it in memory of her father, who died of non-hodgkins lymphoma in 2001.

While riding on State Route 67 just north of Poway Road, investigators say a man named Douglas Kent Lane cut off another motorist in a fit of road rage using the bike lane. He struck Sundareson, breaking her neck, collar bone, fibula and ankle.

According to court documents, Lane was so angry at the other driver, he didn’t see Sundaresan on her bicycle and didn’t even know he had hit her.

Sundaresan is slowly recovering, but can barely move her neck. She says the accident has impacted her family a great deal.

“It’s been life altering not just for myself, but for my kids,” she said. “Every parent would like their child’s life to be this carefree, and I know it’s not been for my kids now.”

The suspect was arrested on Saturday. Two witnesses helped investigators build their case against Lane, who has a prior criminal conviction. He is charged with felony reckless driving, resulting in serious injury. If convicted, he faces three years in state prison.

His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 13.

On Jan. 1, California became the first state in the country to enact a law protecting the rights of transgender students.

Students who identify as the opposite sex can now choose which restroom to use, which locker room to use and whether to play on boys’ or girls’ sports teams.

New Laws of 2014

The San Diego Unified School District says it has already been doing this on a case-by-case basis.

“We don’t anticipate a lot of change at San Diego Unified,” school board member Richard Barrera said. “We’ve been doing this work for a number of years. The point is we care about each student. We feel everyone is stronger when we have a chance to participate and fully engage.”

The district already has anti-bullying and anti-discrimination policies in place to accommodate a few transgender students, according to board president Kevin Beiser. Beiser says there is a process involving counselors, parents and staff to determine who is eligible for the accommodations.

A coalition of conservative groups is collecting signatures to put the issue on the November 2014 ballot. If the referendum to repeal the law qualifies, the law could be suspended.

One of those opponents is Finn Laursen, Executive Director of the Christian Educators Association International, a group that represents Christian teachers. He says the law goes beyond anti-bullying and sex equality policies, where he says it’s clear who the boy is and who the girl is.

This law, Laursen says, is based on self-determination of gender.

“It doesn’t say there is a process to go through to identify with sexual orientation you believe you have,” he said. “It’s wide open. I think there are enough challenges in our schools without warring the sexes.”

“I think it’s unfortunate there’s a lot of fear and hysteria whipped up around this policy because this is really about doing what’s right for kids,” Beiser said.

San Diego Unified is currently making small language revisions to its existing policies. The board will consider the changes at a school board meeting Jan. 14.

A Sig Alert has been issued for State Route 67 at Slaughterhouse Canyon Road in Lakeside.

California Highway Patrol officials were diverting traffic in the area just before 6:30 a.m., but have since opened up the roadway.

At 6:45 a.m. CHP officials said the Sig Alert would remain in place for at least another 30 minutes as heavy traffic in the area continued.

The search continued Tuesday for a driver involved in a fatal hit and run collision that took the life of a man attempting to cross an intersection in El Cajon.

The deadly incident happened just after 10 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Main Street and the 200-block of Jamacha Road.

According to police, a man was crossing the roadway between intersections when he was struck by a truck traveling northbound. The truck immediately fled the scene, leaving the pedestrian lying in the middle of the street on Jamacha Road.

Shortly thereafter, a second car approached the area and ran over the victim again. Police said the occupants of that car remained on scene and waited for police to arrive, fully cooperating with the investigation.

Despite efforts to resuscitate the victim, officials pronounced his death at the scene.

According to police, the initial hit and run vehicle remains at large and is believed to be a white 2008 to 2010 Ford F-350 to F-550 utility work truck. The truck has a decal or logo on the front door and is equipped with a personnel bucket life or crane and a utility bed. Police said the suspect truck should have sustained damage to the right headlight in the collision.

Police do not believe speed or alcohol contributed to the hit and run, though the collision remains under investigation, with officials actively searching for the driver.

The victim’s name has not yet been released. A report released by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office said the man lived a transient lifestyle in the El Cajon area at the time of his death.

Anyone with information on the hit and run or the suspect vehicle should contact traffic investigators at the El Cajon Police Department at (619) 441-1632.
 

A driver being pursued by police slammed his car into a wall and continued to evade officers on foot in Chula Vista Tuesday.

At around 12:50 p.m., police officers attempted to pull over a car in western Chula Vista. The driver failed to comply and sped off, with officers in pursuit headed eastbound from Hilltop Drive and L Street.

As the suspect drove into a residential area, officers stopped chasing him due to safety concerns, officials said.

Minutes later, police received a 911 call reporting that the suspect had slammed into a wall in the 600-block of Douglas Street. The driver, also accompanied by a female passenger, fled the scene on foot.

Officers headed to the scene of the crash and began searching for the driver and passenger. A helicopter from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the search, making announcements overhead.

As of 2:20 p.m., officers had still not located the man and woman.

Police said officers had attempted to pull over the driver for a traffic violation but it's unclear why he refused to obey orders.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

A nearly 8,000-square-foot , $4 million home is being raffled off for a $150 ticket next month as part of a local charity event.

For the past ten years the Dream House Raffle has been giving away multi-million dollar homes located in pricey zip codes across the county.

As a grand prize this year, someone will win a 7,685 square foot home that sits atop 0.65 acres in Rancho Santa Fe.

The five bedroom home was built in 2002 and features 5.5 bathrooms, a pool, spa, and a theater that sits nine people.

Proceeds from tickets bought in the raffle will go toward the Ronald McDonald House Charities which provides services to families with critically ill or injured children being treated at local hospitals.

Tickets for the raffle are available online. The grand prize raffle will take place on May 17.

Ticket information and additional photos can be found at sdraffle.com.
 

A suburban jewelry store that offered thousands of dollars in refunds if it snowed three inches or more New Year’s Day was robbed Tuesday.

"We will not be open today, burglars broke into our store this morning," PK Bennett Jewelers posted on their Facebook page. "The police have been here, insurance has been here now we are waiting for the cleanup crews."

Mundelein Deputy Police Chief John Monahan said the incident was a typical "smash and grab."

Two thieves smashed the store's front door around 7:15 a.m. and took off with an unknown amount of jewelry, police said.

The thieves were caught on video, but officials could not detail what was seen on the cameras.

"It's an ongoing investigation," Monahan said. "Some evidence is still being reviewed."

The store's owners said they are cleaning up the mess but "will probably reopen [Wednesday]."

It was not immediately clear if the robbery was related to the promotion the store recently ran.

The store announced plans to refund more than $150,000 to customers who made purchases between Black Friday and Christmas Eve if it snowed more than three inches between midnight and noon on New Year's Day.

But the owners of the jewelry store said the insurance company that wrote the policy claims only 1.1 inches of snow fell at O’Hare International Airport and therefore will not be refunding customers.

“Although we are extremely disappointed in the outcome of this promotion, we are very thankful for the support and fun it has brought to our customers and our business,” the jewelers posted on their Facebook page. “We are in the process of using several resources at our disposal to verify the measurement. If anything changes you will be the first to know.”

Reports showed O’Hare Airport recorded a total of 4.8 inches of snow Wednesday night.

Rich and Peggy Bennett said they were looking forward to the snow and a chance to give something back to their customers.

They even planned a “cash and champagne” event if the snow forecast came true.

“We are also going to a take a few days to digest this and will have more information to come,” the jewelers said on their Facebook page.

It’s been two weeks since a deadly Christmas Eve shooting outside Westfield Mission Valley Mall took the lives of two San Diego residents – and two weeks since the disappearance of the man closest to the shooting victims.

According to Lt. Mike Hastings of the San Diego Police Department, the search continues for missing San Diego man, Gianni Belvedere, 24, last seen at his Tierrasanta home on Dec. 23.

On Dec. 24, at around 1:15 a.m., Gianni’s fiancée, Ilona Flint, and brother, Salvatore Belvedere, were critically shot in a parking lot outside a Macy’s department store at Mission Valley Mall.

Flint was shot in the head but still managed to call 911 to report the shooting, telling dispatchers she was injured near the mall. Salvatore was shot in the head and torso.

Officers located the wounded duo inside a vehicle in the 1600-block of Camino Del Rio North. Flint was pronounced dead at the scene shortly thereafter, while Salvatore was transported to a local trauma center with life-threatening wounds. His death was confirmed by the SDPD and Belvedere family on Dec. 27.

Both Flint and Salvatore were 22 years old.

Two weeks later, San Diego police have yet to name a suspect or reveal a motive behind the slayings, though investigators have said it does not appear the incident was tied to any sort of robbery.

Following the shooting, police released a vague description of a possible shooting suspect described as a man 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.

Adding even more mystery to the case is the unexplained disappearance of Gianni, who hasn’t been seen or heard from since the shooting.

On Tuesday, Lt. Hastings confirmed there is still no trace of the missing man. Gianni’s cell phone and credit cards have not been used since he vanished, according to investigators.

Lt. Hastings told NBC 7 San Diego this is one of the most unusual cases he’s seen in his 20-year career. He said police have been in constant contact with the Belvedere family as investigators continue searching for leads.

Though the Belvedere brothers and Flint are originally from Utah, Lt. Hastings said he has no reason to believe that Gianni has left California. He said investigators have been in touch with police departments in other states, but did not reveal specifics.

Meanwhile, Paul Donato, uncle of the Belvedere brothers, told NBC 7 on Tuesday that the search for Gianni is ongoing. He said the family is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to Gianni.

In previous statements, the Belvedere family has said Gianni may have also been at the mall at the time of the deadly shooting.

NBC 7 also spoke with Andre Briones, Flint’s former employer and friend, who said Gianni adored both Flint and Salvatore, and his disappearance has been difficult on loved ones.

"Anybody who knew Gianni knew how much he loved both of them,” said Briones. "I can't speak about Gianni; I don't know anything about his whereabouts, I don't know if something happened to him. Honestly, none of us know. It’s as big a mystery to us. What I do know is that Gianni loved Ilona and Gianni loved his little brother."

Briones said Ilona didn’t have a car and the Belvedere brothers – along with other friends and family members – would take turns giving her rides to work.

“She was always getting rides. I would give her rides, my mother would give her rides, Gianni would give her rides, Sal would give her rides -- basically every one of Gianni's siblings would give her rides,”
Briones explained. “It was not unusual at all for Ilona to be getting rides from anybody, particularly Sal. Sal was just doing his older brother a favor by giving his fiancée a ride.”

Briones said he often spent time with Flint and the Belvedere brothers after work, grabbing food or playing pool. He said Gianni was never aggressive, and said the Belvedere brothers were inseparable.

Like the Belvedere family, Briones wants answers and justice to prevail.

"I want whoever is responsible to be brought to justice and I want the world to know how beautiful and amazing my friend Ilona was,” added Briones.

For now, Lt. Hastings said he will not be doing interviews with local media outlets unless there is a major development in the case. He said investigators are still digging into the backgrounds of Flint and the Belvedere brothers, trying to piece together the puzzle.

The SDPD has 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 Friday, a private funeral service was held for Flint in her hometown of Provo, Utah. In San Diego, loved ones held a candlelight vigil for Flint on Dec. 28.

A private funeral service was held for Salvatore on Dec. 31. Then, on Jan. 1, about 100 loved ones gathered for a public memorial for Salvatore at Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach – one of Salvatore’s favorite surfing spots.

At that vigil, Donato begged the public for help finding Gianni, saying:

"If you've seen the car, seen him, think you've seen him, please report it to Crime Stoppers, San Diego PD, to the news media, anybody. We need any clues we can get our hands on to bring him home to put a little closure to this whole nightmare that we're living right now."

Valley View Casino & Hotel in Valley Center has embarked on a $6 million construction project that will close the venue for 11 days.

Casino operators said on Jan. 5 that their “extreme casino makeover” will expand the venue’s buffet, upgrade hotel rooms and casino restrooms, replace carpet, add new chairs and paint the parking garage. There will also be changes to the back of the house.

“None of these enhancements had to be done, but at Valley View Casino & Hotel, we never want to wait until anything has to be done before making things look better and improving our guests’ experience,” said Bruce Howard, the venue’s general manager.

Valley View plans to reopen Jan. 17.

The casino has expanded several times since its opening in 2001 and added a hotel in 2011.

Valley View has 2,000 slot machines and 21 table games, and its hotel has 108 rooms. The complex employs 1,000 people. The San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians owns the casino, running it through the San Pasqual Casino Development Group Inc.

Nearby, the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians is adding on to its Harrah’s-managed casino-hotel, planning to open its second hotel tower in April. The 402-room tower will bring the venue up to 1,065 rooms.

There are nine casinos on American Indian reservations in San Diego County.

The Business Journal is the premier business publication in San Diego. Every day online and each Monday in print, the Business Journal reports on how local business operate and why businesses leaders make the decisions they do. Every story is a dose of insight into how to run a better, more efficient, more profitable business.

After being postponed one day, sentencing was to be held Tuesday for a San Diego fugitive who tweeted “Catch me if you can” when she skipped bail early last year.

Last January, 61-year-old Wanda Podgurski was supposed to be in court to hear the jury’s decision on her 29 felony convictions relating to insurance fraud. However, Podgurski, who was free on bail during the trial, never showed.

A search was launched for Podgurski and six months later U.S. Marshals caught up with her in Mexico. During her time on the run, Podgurski sent off the now infamous tweet.

According to prosecutors, Podgurski faked a disability in 2006 and scammed six insurance companies out of nearly $700,000.

After a two-month trial, jurors determined Podgurski faked bad-health and injuries, and used other tricks to defraud insurance companies for over a decade.

While she was allegedly disabled, prosecutors say Podgurski took several active vacations, including a 16-day tour of China and road trips to Key West, Eureka, CA and the Berkshires.

Prosecutors said Podgurski now faces as much as two years and eight months more in jail time tacked onto the 20 years, four months she was facing for the insurance fraud case.

Four men were arrested in the Black's Beach area Tuesday morning in connection with a human-smuggling incident involving jet skis, according to authorities.

Border Patrol agents report they spotted two jet skis crossing the US-Mexican border in an apparent human-smuggling incident at around 11:30 p.m. Monday evening.

Hours later at 1:30 a.m., an Office of Air and Marine helicopter witnessed the same jet skis unloading passengers in the surf near Black's Beach, according to Border Patrol officials.

Agents responded to the scene and subsequently arrested four Mexican nationals, officials said.

San Diego police assisted the agents as they took the men into custody, according to police.

Agents said the drivers of the jet skis fled back to Mexico.

One person was stabbed during a home invasion and robbery involving four masked men at a residence in Oceanside early Tuesday morning, according to Oceanside police.

The crime began at about 1:30 a.m. at a home in the 1400 block of Dubuque Street when a man opened his door and was confronted by four masked suspects, one holding a shotgun, police said.

After forcing their way into the home, the suspects reportedly stabbed the man in the leg.

A woman who was in the house at the time was not injured.

According to police, the intruders took a wallet and keys before driving off in the victim’s 2004 black Ford Mustang.

Due to their masks, police said they were unable to provide a description of the men, and there was no indication that the victims knew the suspects.

An investigation into the home invasion was underway.

We will update this story once more information becomes available.
 

A South Florida woman accused of injecting people’s buttocks with Fix-a-Flat and other substances in an alleged black market business turned herself in to authorities Tuesday to begin serving her prison sentence.

Oneal Morris, 33, surrendered to authorities in Miami-Dade court to begin serving a one-year sentence on one count of practicing medicine without a license.

Morris, wearing a Nike hoodie, was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs.

The sentence was part of a plea deal reached with prosecutors in October.

Morris made national headlines when she and Corey Eubank were arrested in 2011 after several victims alleged Morris had injected their legs and buttocks with a mixture that included Fix-a-Flat, cement and superglue.

Prosecutors said in October that they were unable to determine the "mystery substance" that was injected into the victims.

In late July 2012, Morris, who police say is a transgender woman, was also arrested on two charges including manslaughter in the death of Shatarka Nuby, 32.

Morris still has a pending case in Broward. Eubank pleaded no contest to two counts of culpable negligence in July and was sentenced to one year of probation.

The man accused of kidnapping a 7-year-old Antioch girl at gunpoint in front of her house spoke from jail on Tuesday, telling NBC Bay Area that he spent three days looking for the "easiest kidnap victim" and "came close" to trying to kidnap three others.

In a sometimes tearful jailhouse interview at the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez, 43-year-old David Douglas, of Antioch, called the kidnapping a cry for help, claiming people from the government have been following him for years and told him to do it.

"I did take this little girl, but it was not to hurt her in any way shape or form," Douglas said. "I took her because it was arranged for me to take her. I didn't know what I was going to do with her but I know it was not to harm her in any way."

Douglas said he "welcomes a psychological evaluation," while he also told NBC Bay Area that he has "been under surveillance by some department of the government by the United States" for the last four years.

Douglas was arrested on kidnapping charges stemming from the abduction Friday of a 7-year-old girl after he followed her home from Wal-Mart, where she had been shopping with her mother.  Police say he took her from her mother at gunpoint.

"As you can imagine her mother was clearly upset, I was upset," Douglas said, before wiping away tears talking about his own family. "I want it to be known I have a 7-year-old son myself."

MORE: Abducted 7-Year-Old Antioch Girl Found Safe, Suspect Arrested

Douglas is being held on $4 million bail and has not yet been assigned an attorney. How his mental state will play into the case has yet to be revealed.

The girl was eventually found later Friday night with Douglas, who was arrested on Marina Place about a block away from the police department.

Douglas said Tuesday that he had given the girl a blanket and a pillow for her to lay down and had been just about to ask her what she needed when the police arrived.

Douglas began to describe what he did the night the girl was kidnapped, and then broke off into sentences that didn't completely make sense.

"I followed them to their house," Dougals said. "When the situatuon presented itself to me that was most easy because all the situations they presented to me before that were way to difficult I refused because I didn't want to harm anybody I didn't want to scare anyone."

He did show empathy, however, and shared some of his own feelings during the kidnap.

"When I picked her up she told me she was scared, and I said, 'I'm scared, too,' '' Douglas recounted tearfully. "We were both shaking, we were both shaking."

So, to calm both of them down, Douglas said he tried to talk about the same things he would talk about with his son, cartoons and food, and he took her to McDonald's while waiting for "another sign from 'them' on what I was supposed to do next."

While he said he didn't intend to make the girl afraid, he did acknowledge taking her.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” Douglas said, “but I need some help too.”

NBC Bay Area's Monte Francis contributed to this report.
 

One person is dead after a head-on collision in Deer Springs.

The accident happened at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday on Champagne Boulevard, just north of Deer Springs Road.

According to the California Highway Patrol, a Honda driving southbound hit a curb, lost control and crossed into oncoming traffic on the other side of the road. That’s when a Cadillac struck the Honda, killing the Honda driver.

The victim, identified by CHP as a 60-year-old woman from Escondido, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The 70-year-old Cadillac driver and her 98-year-old passenger was taken to Palomar Hospital with minor to moderate injuries, according to CHP.

A Sig Alert was issued. Both lanes of Champagne Boulevard/Old Highway 395 were blocked by emergency vehicles.

CHP, Cal Fire and the San Diego County Medical Examiner responded to the accident. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

A young woman already behind bars for her involvement in a violent October 2012 crime spree will now also stand trial for allegedly assaulting a deputy at the Las Colinas Detention Center.

Cindy Garcia, 19, is accused of attacking a San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy at the women’s detention facility in San Diego’s East County. According to officials, the assault happened in Oct. 2013 and involved Garcia and one other inmate.

On Tuesday, a preliminary hearing was held for Garcia in connection with these assault charges.

On the stand, a fellow inmate and witness claimed Garcia talked openly about her plans to attack a deputy with her girlfriend, allegedly stating her girlfriend was going to “smash on a cop," while she allegedly planned to "slap or punch a deputy."

The witness said Garcia's reason for the assault was allegedly to secure more jail time for her girlfriend, so they could stay together behind bars. The witness said Garcia believed the assault would result in officials housing her alongside her girlfriend in a certain part of the jail.

In the end, a judge bound Garcia over for trial on three charges, including conspiracy to commit a crime, assault with force and battery against an officer. Garcia is scheduled to appear in court again on Feb. 10 to face trial for those counts.

These charges are the latest on a laundry list of counts against Garcia, who was already in jail for allegedly taking part in a two-day crime spree involving her much older husband, Phillip Hernandez.

Timeline: Violent October 2012 Crime Spree

According to officials, the couple’s violent rampage across San Diego County began on Oct. 29, 2012, and included a series of armed hold-ups, a carjacking, car fire and the execution-style shooting of veteran off-duty San Diego police officer Les Stewart.

Hernandez was killed in a gun battle with police in Barrio Logan on Oct. 31, 2012. Garcia was arrested at the scene for her involvement in the crime spree and ultimately slapped with 18 charges, including the attempted murder of a peace officer. She’s scheduled to appear in court on Mar. 3 to face those counts.

Scientists believe they may finally know why more than 1,000 sea lion pups turned up sick on Southern California beaches over the last year.

The phenomenon seemed to begin in January 2013 when a large number of pups began washing ashore injured, dehydrated and malnourished.

Scientists looked at environmental factors, such as algae growth and wind pattern changes. But they now believe a dramatic drop in the sardine population was the culprit.

The cold water conditions in the Pacific Ocean have caused a crash in the number of sardines, according to scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

Man Intentionally Runs Over Dog in Alley: Police

Sea lion mothers depend on the oily fish to pack on pounds before giving birth, but the sardine population has been dwindling as a result of cold water and a population increase in predators.

With sea lions no longer able to depend on sardines for nutrition, they may be forced to eat less nutritious prey. That leaves them unable to feed their pups enough milk, scientists believe.

In April, scientists said the epidemic appeared to be slowing down.  

A peacock that escaped from a suburban Chicago zoo Tuesday and had its feet frozen to a tree while spending 90 minutes in below-zero temperatures has died from the cold, zoo officials said.

Blue, a male peacock that lived at the Randall Oaks Barnyard Zoo for at least five years, flew out of his heated pen and on top of a nearby pine tree Tuesday after he was fed and cleaned, according to Randall Oak’s park and division manager Brian Mangiaracina.

Staff attempted to rescue the bird but ultimately called the West Dundee Fire Department, which brought in a 100-foot ladder for the rescue.

The Assistant Zoo Manager Kristin Wuestenfeld was lifted up to the bird, whose feet had become frozen to the tree in the negative 12-degree temperatures, Mangiaracina said.

Once the bird was pulled from the branch, officials warmed his feet and put him under watch in a heated building for quarantine, Mangiaracina said.

But despite the attempts to save Blue, he passed away overnight, zoo officials said.

Officials believe Blue died from fluid buildup in his lungs developed during his time outside.