One of Puerto Rico’s top 10 most wanted suspects was arrested in Norwich today, according to police.

Norwich police said 24-year-old Pedro A. Salcedo is wanted in connection with an attempted murder in San Juan.

He was taken into custody after police stopped his car in Norwich on Monday, Feb. 17. The arrest was made following a joint investigation by Norwich police and Puerto Rican authorities.

Police said Salcedo is wanted for attempted murder with a gun in Puerto Rico. He’ll face extradition following a Tuesday court date in Norwich and will be charged with two counts of conjugal abuse and aggravated conjugal abuse of a minor in San Juan.

In Norwich, he’s charged as a fugitive from justice and faces an additional charge of interfering with police.

Salcedo was held on $1.5 million bond.

Giant Food has recalled its Hot Pockets Philly Steak and Cheese products after a recall of meat products used to make the frozen food were produced without required inspections.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a recall of nearly nine million pounds of Rancho Feeding Corporation's meat products on Feb. 8. 

The meat did not undergo proper food inspection and "because it processed diseased and unsound animals and carried out these activities without the benefit or full benefit of federal inspection," according to the news release.

After the USDA recalled the Rancho Feeding Corporation's meat products, Giant Food decided to recall select batches of its Hot Pockets.

The following products were affected by the recall:

Hot Pocket Philly Steak & Cheese, 9 oz., UPC4369507107, Batch numbers:
3021544512 with a best before date of March 2014
3029544512 with a best before date of March 2014
3197544512 with a best before date of September 2014
3240544512 with a best before date of October 2014

Hot Pocket Croissant Crust Philly Steak & Cheese, 9 oz., UPC 4369505634, Batch numbers:
3211544512 with a best before date of September 2014
3248544512 with a best before date of November 2014
3283544512 with a best before date of December 2014

Hot Pocket Philly Steak & Cheese, 54 oz., UPC 4369507520, Batch numbers:
3022544513 with a best before date of March 2014
3191544512 with a best before date of September 2014
3224544512 with a best before date of October 2014
3254544512 with a best before date of November 2014
3268544512 with a best before date of November 2014

The Maryland-based company has not reported any illnesses associated with the recall. The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service has not reported any illnesses associated with the meat recall either.

Gary Huddleston, with Ohio-based The Kroger Company, told NBC 5 that the affected batched have been pulled from store shelves.

If anyone has purchased the listed Hot Pockets above, please bring any unused portions and receipt to Giant Food for a full refund.

NBC 5's Julie Fine contributed to this report.

Whether you’re looking for a new cultural experience or just want to kick back with friends, it’s all happening this weekend in San Diego.

Thursday, Feb. 20

Cocktails and Culture
6 p.m. in Balboa Park
Don’t just visit the San Diego Museum of Art’s South Asian Art exhibit. Totally immerse yourself in the culture with a Bollywood performance, Henna body art and Mumbai Mule cocktails.

Friday, Feb. 21

La Mesa Food Truck Fest
5:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. in La Mesa
Bring your appetite to what’s become a weekly tradition in La Mesa. To find out which food trucks are participating this week, check out the fest’s Facebook page.

Saturday, Feb. 22

San Diego Winter Brew Fest
7 p.m.- 10 p.m. in Balboa Park
San Diego is known for its craft beer. Discover your signature brew at the Winter Brew Fest, which is taking place at the San Diego Hall of Champions.

Sunday, Feb. 23

Silver Bay Kennel Club Dog Show
8 a.m.- 3 p.m. in Del Mar
Beagles and dachshunds and corgis, oh my! Dozens of breeds compete for the title of “Best in Show.” Parking is $10, but admission is free.

The owner of an El Cajon-based meat company that’s received numerous complaints for its sales tactics and product quality responds to critics.

Special Section: NBC 7 Investigates

Farm Fresh Foods’ sales representatives travel door-to-door, selling what they call “restaurant-quality” beef, chicken, and seafood, at supermarket prices.

The salesperson initially offers a “great deal” which supposedly gets even better every time a potential customer says “no.”

Ben Chouinard, the owner of Farm Fresh Foods, told NBC 7 his business offers products and excellent value direct to buyers at their doorstep.

San Diego resident Dottie Garton, an experienced cook, doesn’t agree.

She shared her bad experience with Farm Fresh Foods with our NBC 7 Investigates Team.

After purchasing beef from Farm Fresh Foods, including one selection labelled as “bacon-wrapped filets,” she said, “I cooked one…then tried to eat it. And I couldn’t chew it even… I actually spit it out and looked at it. I thought, ‘Are you kidding’?”

Farm Fresh Foods claims another of its beef products is “all natural chopped steak,” but Garton, who describes it as the worst meat she has ever tasted, filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of San Diego County.

The complaint is one of nearly 40 filed with the BBB against the El Cajon company.

“We see the same complaint over and over and over again without the business fixing it,” said President-CEO of BBB Sheryl Reichert.

NBC 7 Investigates also found that Farm Fresh Foods lost its BBB accreditation in 2012 and has a “D” rating on a scale of “A” to “F.”

“The meat was horrible quality,” wrote one customer. “They are selling inferior meat for an outrageous amount of money.”

Another customer wrote, “All are tough and full of gristle.”

Garton admitted that she let her guard down when the Farm Fresh salesperson knocked on her door.

She said, “He looked like a good person, and somebody’s son.”

According to Garton, the salesperson offered her a special deal and a special discount and pressured her into taking it on the spot.

He offered her the meat for $179 rather than the usual price of $279, and he said the deal would only be good that day.

According to the BBB’s Reichert, high-pressure salespeople often push inferior products.

“It’s always been a bad experience for consumers,” she said.

“Yelp!” reviews of Farm Fresh Foods also include complaints of bad experiences from unhappy customers.

One customer’s review described the meat as, “somewhere between mystery meat and ‘what the (blank) is it’?”

Another reviewer said Farm Fresh’s filet mignons were the “worst tasting, toughest and [nastiest] meat I’ve ever had.”

NBC 7 Investigates contacted Farm Fresh Foods, where an employee named David Allen initially refused our request for an on-camera interview and would only answer our questions in writing. However, he changed his mind later that week.

NBC 7 Investigates found that ‘David Allen’ was actually an alias used by Ben Chouinard, the owner of Farm Fresh Foods.

Chouinard admitted he had panicked when we first contacted him about all of the customer complaints and BBB ratings problems.

Chouinard said, “The BBB report and the NBC inquires has sort of cast a wake-up call for me to take an honest and unfiltered look at how we do business.”

Chouinard plans to turn his company around by requiring his salespeople to read and sign an Ethics Code that prohibits “high pressure tactics” and “fast-talking sales jargon.”

“We will not accept that in our organization,” he said.

Chouinard is also giving customers a new “Bill of Rights” urging them to contact him directly if they do not receive the answers they want from his salespeople.

“I will go to the depths of wherever I need to, to make sure these customers are happy,” he said.

As for the quality of the meat, Chouinard acknowledged that some of the Farm Fresh steaks failed the customer “taste test.”

He said he is planning to meet with his suppliers to correct this issue.

Despite all of the changes, Chouinard said he has no plans, at least for now, to change his “no refund” policy, which allows dissatisfied customers to exchange their product for different cuts of meat, fish or chicken, but does not allow for cash refunds.

Garton told NBC 7 Investigates she exchanged most of her original purchase, but she was not satisfied with her exchange. “The chicken breast was dry, tough. It was all bad,” she said.

The BBB advises against buying products at your front door or from a van in a parking lot.  

“We consider it inherently bad and we will discourage all consumers from during business with bulk itinerant door-to-door sales people,” they said.

Chouinard disagrees with the BBB’s warning. He believes his company, and others, offer good products and excellent value direct to buyers at the doorstep.

San Diego’s top cop wants to keep his job and see the city and his department through an intense scandal sparked by the arrest of another alleged “rogue cop.”

Police Chief William Lansdowne told NBC 7 Monday that he’s one of just a few police chiefs with the experience to manage the department through a scandal like the one that involves convicted crooked cop Anthony Arevalos and the recent arrest of Officer Christopher Hays.

Arevalos was convicted on multiple sex crimes while on the job and in uniform. He is serving an eight year prison sentence.

Officer Hays is on administrative leave, accused by several women of sexual misconduct on the job, including giving improper pat downs.

The chief will meet Tuesday with San Diego’s Mayor-Elect Kevin Faulconer to discuss the department’s direction.

The newly-elected mayor released a statement Sunday that spoke of “rebuilding the police department” and an independent audit.

Lansdowne supports the idea of an external audit on recruiting, background search process, ethics training and the internal affairs investigations.

“It may take 6 months to a year or so but during the process they would advise us if they saw something that needed immediate attention and we would implement that quickly,” Lansdowne said.

Also, the department’s nine divisions will begin a review process next month in which calls are reviewed to see if an officer was professional and provided the right service, the chief said.

At 69, Lansdowne has been leading the SDPD for 10 years. That’s longer than the three year average term of most big city police chiefs, he said.

“I would like to stay. I’m excited about this police department and everything they do but I also understand it’s his decision to make,” he said referring to the mayor-elect.

Lansdowne said he has been approached by a couple of smaller cities but he’d like to stay at the helm of the SDPD through the investigation and audit.

“I can lose my job at any day for any reason but you can’t make decisions and you can’t move forward if you’re worried about losing your job,” he explained.

Hays, 30, was taken into police custody Feb. 9 after the District Attorney's Office and Hays' attorney negotiated a self-surrender.

He posted $130,000 bail.

Chief Lansdowne said Hays was expected to be arraigned Tuesday. The San Diego County District Attorney's Office has not released details on pending charges.

Jurors convicted Arevalos in 2012 for preying on young, female drivers during traffic stops made in the Gaslamp Quarter from 2009 to 2011.

The city has been sued by several his victims in civil court. Most of the cases have been settled.

One remaining case, filed by a victim known only as "Jane Doe" claims the city didn't do enough to prevent the crimes because the department failed to control Arevalos.

After the arrest of Arevalos, Lansdowne implemented immediate changes in the department including faster and more thorough investigations of alleged wrong doing, better training, a hotline to report misconduct and a special "wellness unit" to help officers get counseling before problems happen.
 

America broke out of a couple of historic ruts on Monday in Sochi. 

The first came in the two-man bobsled.

The second was in ice dance.

American women's hockey also had a historic day, ensuring it would once again win an Olympic medal.

Here's a look at some of those highlights from day 10, and others.

Americans make ice dance history …

Perhaps no other American athletes shouldered more of the country’s medal hopes than ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

Anything short of gold for the world champions would have been considered a defeat.

They didn’t stumble in their portion of the team figure skating competition, in which the U.S. won bronze, and dominated their individual event.

Then, on Monday, Davis and White, who have skated with each other since they were kids, outscored their closest rivals and friends, defending gold medalists Tess Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada. Their 195.52 was a record for international competitions.

… and bobsled history, too

Steven Holcomb and Steve Langdon rode their two-man bobsled to a third place finish on Monday, becoming the first Americans to win a medal in that event since 1952.

The finish gave the U.S. its fourth medal in sliding events (bobsled, luge and skeleton) in Sochi, a significant improvement from the combined three medals won by Americans in the prior two Winter Games.

Holcomb was part of a history-making four-man team that ended a 62-year American drought in Vancouver four years ago.

He’ll have a shot at a second gold in that event this weekend.

Skating’s next showdown

The Olympic’s signature figure skating competition, women’s singles, is shaping up to be a star-studded event that will feature several gold medal contenders.

On Monday, the skating order for the opening short program was announced.

Defending champion Yuna Kim of South Korea, viewed by many as the favorite in Sochi, will skate 17th in a field of 30 on Wednesday.

Her closest rivals, Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia and Mao Asada of Japan, will skate 25th and 30th, respectively. Another top contender, Carolina Kostner of Italy, will skate 26th.

Gracie Gold, the top American, will skate 22nd, while her teammate Ashley Wagner will follow in the 27th slot. A third American, Polina Edmunds, will skate 12th.

While Kim is considered the top skater in the world, winning the 2013 world championships after a lengthy absence, Lipnitskaia has already made a mark at the Olympics.

The 15-year-old delivered a pair of spellbinding performances that led the Russians to gold in the team figure skating competition. In the short program she beat Kostner and Asada, who did not compete in the long program. Gold finished second to Lipnitskaia in the long program.

A guaranteed medal for U.S. hockey

The American women hockey team earned a berth in the gold medal game against its perennial rival, Canada.

The showdown comes as a result of the U.S.’s dominant 6-1 semifinal win against Sweden on Monday.

No matter the result of Thursday’s championship game, the U.S. will have made history. They’ve won medals in every Winter Olympics since women’s hockey was added in 1998. Only once have they failed to reach the gold-medal game.

But winning gold is another story entirely. The Americans haven’t beaten Canada at the Olympics since the sport's debut in Nagano.

Russians take first

The U.S.’s two medals — one gold, one bronze — on Monday allowed it to remain in second place in the medal race.

But Russia did the same, and passed the Americans to take first place by a narrow margin.

Both countries have 18 total medals, and five golds, but the Russians have more silvers.

The Netherlands, which had been in the lead, was shutout on Monday, and fell to third.

With reporting by the Associated Press

A skydiver went unconscious after making a hard landing Monday afternoon, according to Cal Fire.

The incident happened around 4:15 p.m. at the Otay gliderport in Jamul in San Diego's East County. 

A helicopter flew the skydiver to Scripps Mercy Hospital. The extent of that person’s injuries is unknown.

Aerial video showed several fire engines and rescue vehicles at the scene.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
 

The biggest winner of Monday night's ice dancing competition never even laced up her skates for the event.

But viewers may recognize her face. She was the brunette with bangs who greeted America's first gold medal winners in the event, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, the moment they stepped off the ice. She sat with them as they awaited their scores, alternatively squeezing their hands and waving at the camera. 

She did the same with Canadian silver medal winners Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, and again with 9th place American siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani. 

It's not just that she's friendly. Marina Zoueva coaches them all.

The 57-year-old, who runs an elite Michigan skating school, could bask in the triumphs of each medal winner of the night — even those of Russian ice dancers Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapo, who clinched the bronze.

Born in St. Petersburg, Zoueva once competed on the Soviet ice dancing team before eventually relocating to Canada and later the U.S. In preparation for her homecoming of sorts, Zoueva planned each routine with Russia in mind. 

"It was important for me to do a special programme for my mother land country," Zoueva said, according to Reuters."I chose a Russian story for each programme. I wanted to touch the heart of the people."

Davis and White, you may recall, skated to the Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade, the story of a sultan's clever wife. Virtue and Moir skated to music by Alexander Glazunov, while the "Shib Sibs" skated to another artist beloved in Russia — Michael Jackson.

"He's really, really popular for Russians, as well. I learned myself the Thriller movements," Zoueva told USA Today. "All my skaters in Russia, they learned Thriller."

The results couldn't have been better for Zoueva, who never made it to the Olympics during her own competitive skating career. Before a home crowd, her carefully constructed routines and trained skaters rose to the top of the podium with fellow Russians coming in third. 

Still, she admitted on the eve of competition, that even the best case scenario — one of her teams place first, another second — she would feel some sorrow for the silver medal-winning pair.

“I always so much enjoy for the team that wins and am very sorry – sometimes cry – for the team that lost,” Zoueva said, according to NBC Olympics. “For me they are individuals, I keep in my heart both of them.” 

In foggy, rain-soaked conditions, Slovenia's Tina Maze won the women's giant slalom on Tuesday, narrowly defeating Austria's Anna Fenninger. It's 30-year old Maze's second gold of these Games, having already netted an historic first place tie in the downhill last week. 

You may be familiar with traditional pairs figure skating, but ice dancing has become increasingly popular as the 2014 Winter Games progress, even here in San Diego.

So what's the difference between the two skating sports? 

San Diego Ice Arena coach Justin Ross, a former ice dancer himself, said pairs figure skating is mostly known for its throws and jumps, while skaters in ice dancing are judged more on their footwork and how well they move as one.

Ice dancers have to become masters of spinning on one foot in perfect unison.

If one dancer spins at a different speed or at a slightly different angle, it can cost the pair huge points.

"Ice dancing is more about the quality of the edges. It's about the character, the passion of just the pure ice skating," said Ross. "There's also the compulsory dances, where it's set pattern dances and it's all about the chemistry between the two partners."

Ross explained that pairs competitions are all about the strength of ice skating, the over-the-head lifts, the triple jumps, the side-by-jumps and the throws that you won’t see in ice dancing.

Ice dancers also have different requirements for lifts than in pairs figure skating; there are no overhead lifts in ice dancing, and the dancers are not supposed to separate more than two arm-lengths during their routines.

Ross and his former partner Kassy Kova competed for six years in the sport, making it all the way to U.S. Junior-Level National Championships.

"It's really exciting," said Ross. "I remember the first time we ever got first place. It was a compulsory dance actually, and we gave each other the biggest hug ever. It was so exciting because you don't expect it as you're, like, going up the ranks at first."

At the time of their rise, no other ice dance teams from Southern California could compare. 

But their last competition came in 2011 at the Pacific Coast Sectionals, where the crucial "twizzle" move cost them.

"The twizzle is the kiss of death," Ross said. "If those twizzles are not together, it's as if you fell. It even cost us going on to the next round one time."

Ross retired after an injury, but now he has set his sights on becoming an ice dance choreographer.
 

Police are looking for the vehicle involved in a deadly hit-and-run accident in Southcrest.

Just before 9 p.m. Monday, San Diego police say a truck hit a pedestrian on National Avenue at South 39th Street.

According to police, the pedestrian was pinned underneath another vehicle when rescue crews arrived. It appears the victim was run over by several other cars.

The victim was pronounced dead at the UCSD Medical Center. The person’s name has not been released.

The suspect’s vehicle is described as a dark colored Ford F-150 extended cab, possibly with a toolbox in the back. The pickup truck was last seen driving west on National Avenue.

Check back for updates.
 

Hundreds of stray and abandoned dogs are waiting for adoption at the San Diego Humane Society.

The population problem is caused, in large part, by the cost of spaying and neutering to prevent unwanted births.

"Being able to very safely and cheaply neuter most male dogs, that can make a huge difference in the number of dogs that roam the streets,” said Dr. Holly Mullin of the VCA Animal Hospital in Hotel Circle.

It costs hundreds of dollars to neuter a male dog, but a new injectable solution called Zeuterin could change that.

It stops sperm production forever with a simple, single dose.

"Big difference is no surgery, no incision. It's a single injection into each of the testes," Mullin explained.

"It has the potential to really revolutionize the way spay and neuter is done," said Dr. Cindy Mitchell, the medical director at the San Diego Humane Society,

Zeuterin is a simple chemical composition. Starting today, it’s being shipped to animal clinics and shelters.

Ark Sciences says its new product can help reduce necessary animal deaths around the world, including in Sochi, where thousands of stray dogs were reportedly killed to clear the area for Olympic construction.

At the Humane Society, veterinarians will study Zeuterin's progress and could use it soon, potential cutting costs and freeing up doctors to care for sick and injured pets.

“So animals that are ill for other reasons, it would become the focus, rather than just spay neuter, spay neuter, spay neuter," Mitchell said.

A spokesman for Ark Sciences told NBC 7 that veterinarians are charging from $60 to $150 for the procedure. The cost depends on what part of the country you live in and the level of service your vet provides. In all cases, it is expected to be must cheaper than surgery.

A lawsuit alleges officers from the Hawthorne Police Department beat a deaf man and shocked him with a Taser as he tried to sign that he couldn't hear.

The Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness filed the lawsuit this week on behalf of a deaf man from Manhattan Beach, claiming the officers committed a civil rights violation under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act during a confrontation last year.

According to the man's lawyer, the incident happened Feb. 13, 2013, when Jonathan Meister made arrangements to pick up a few belongings from his friend's home on the 3550 block of 147th Street in Hawthorne, east of Los Angeles International Airport.

A neighbor apparently mistook Meister for a thief and called police. The neighborhood, according to a police report, had experienced a recent rash in burglaries.

When officers responded to the area, Meister allegedly motioned to the officers that he was deaf.

"It's my understanding he was doing something like," said John Burton, Meister's attorney, as he pointed to his ear and mouth the words, "I can't hear."

"(It was) to try to indicate that he couldn't hear," Burton said.

Meister was unable to explain to officers exactly what he was doing at the home before officers grabbed him by the wrists, according to the lawsuit.

Because Meister is deaf, he depends on using his hands and reading lips in order to communicate, Burton said. That is why Meister tried to break free of their grip, he said.

"They wound up tackling him, tasing him, choking him, and punching and kicking him on multiple occasions," Burton said.

The suit alleges that Hawthorne police failed to take appropriate steps to communicate effectively with him or furnish appropriate auxiliary aids throughout the course of the confrontation.

Deaf advocates feel the incident involving Meister shows the need for law enforcement to be better trained in areas such as understanding sign language.

In a statement, the Hawthorne Police Department would not comment on this case specifically, but said in part:

"Hawthorne Police Department officers are trained to deal with incidents where communication, for various reasons, can sometimes be difficult. Officers make every effort to communicate effectively and bring every one of these incidents to a peaceful resolution.

"In almost all cases, it is the person’s behavior and actions who we contact that dictate police response rather than the communication barriers present. That is certainly the case in this specific matter."

The lawsuit comes in the wake of another suit filed against the city of Hawthorne and three of its officers in the fatal shooting of a man's pet Rottweiler.

A semi-truck carrying thousands of live chickens crashed Monday in San Diego County, sending chickens running wild.

A big rig coming from a Potrero chicken farm overturned just before 9 p.m. in the 17300 block of Highway 94 in Dulzura. The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert for the area.

According to CHP, the driver told officers that he saw a deer and swerved, flipping his truck and trapping him inside. The accident also started a brush fire.

Two witnesses rushed to rescue the driver. One of the men smashed the side window with his foot so they could pull out the man.

The driver suffered minor injuries, according to officials.

CHP said the truck was carrying approximately 2,600 chickens.

Animal Control was called to wrangle the 20 or so chickens running free. Officials confirmed that some chickens did die in the fire.

The fire could have been a bigger problem, considering the dry brush and nearby homes. However, there was a fire station just down the road from the crash site.

View 17300 California 94 in a larger map

A 23-year-old man has been arrested for breaking into two apartment units in San Marcos and standing over two little girls and one mother as they slept.

Drops of blood left at the scene led deputies to Dwayne Farrell, San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore announced Monday.

"It was just a matter of time before we could match it to our DNA in our own data base," Gore said.

On Sunday morning, the sheriff’s department got calls from two families, reporting their little girls had awoken to a strange man in their bedrooms at the Terra Cotta Apartments, located in the 500 block of Rush Drive .

In the first incident, a 7-year-old noticed the man kneeling by her bed, and when they made eye contact, he ran through a sliding glass door in the living room, according to sheriff’s department spokesperson Jan Caldwell.

Less than half an hour later, an 8-year-old girl woke her mother up to say, “There’s someone down there,” pointing to the ground by the bed she and her daughter were sharing. The woman screamed and chased the intruder as he jumped from the second-story balcony to escape

That mother, who does not want to be identified, told NBC 7 she believes the man got in through a sliding door she left unlocked on her balcony – a mistake she will not make again.

She found a small trail of blood outside her balcony, so she thinks the man injured himself when he jumped off.

Sheriff Gore said investigators worked through Sunday night to develop a DNA profile for the suspect, and then they compared that with the DNA they had on file for Farrell from a previous felony.

It was a positive match. 

As investigators obtained search and arrest warrants, deputies kept Farrell's residence under surveillance overnight, Gore said. 

They arrested Farrell outside his home around 2:30 p.m. Monday on a burglary charge. 

Meanwhile, worried parents have been looking under beds, combing through closets and double checking locks at the apartment complex where this all happened.

The mother in the second incident said she’s now suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from the ordeal.

She is having a difficult time sleeping, and she doesn’t like to think about what the suspect’s motives were.

"I'm going through a lot of emotions right now," the mother said. "I couldn't make it through work today. It's one thing if they're coming in to rob you, but it's pretty apparent they were coming in because they had other intentions because of the other incidents."

The unease carried over to other neighbors in the complex.

Evelyn Varela, who lives next door to one of the apartments broken into, felt like the complex was being watched.

“My guess is maybe it was somebody who has been watching and kind of knows who lives where and who has kids,” said Varela. “So that's what's scary.”

She and her two children, ages 8 and 10, have been afraid since they heard about the incidents.

“I feel really unsafe now,” said Varela. “It could happen to anybody, and everybody would just assume you’re upstairs, nobody’s going to climb all the way up here and try to break in. That happened to the neighbor. Now I’m extra paranoid.”

On Sunday, the apartment managers sent out a notice to remind all residents to lock their doors.

Farrell was transported to the Vista Jail.

Sheriff Gore said he expects more charges to come out of these two incidents and is encouraging any other potential victims to come forward.

A Maryland man has been charged with the murder of his adopted 3-year-old son, Montgomery County police said Tuesday.

Brian Patrick O'Callaghan, 36, of Damascus has been charged with first degree murder and child abuse.

In court, O'Callaghan's lawyer said the suspect worked for the National Security Agency as chief of its Korea division; the boy had been adopted from Korea in October.

Police say O'Callaghan told investigators he was caring 3-year-old Hyunsu for two days, adding he hadn't bonded much with his new son. O'Callaghan said he helped give Hyusnu a shower Jan. 31, during which he said the 3-year-old had slipped in the bathtub, falling backward and hitting his shoulder.

O'Callaghan told police the next afternoon, Hyunsu was unresponsive following a nap and had mucus coming from his nose. O'Callaghan said he took Hyusnu to a Germantown emergency room several hours later, where he was deemed to be in critical condition, possibly brain dead. 

Hyunsu was pronounced dead two days later. Investigators say he had impact trauma on his body, as well is internal bleeding. 

O'Callaghan was arrested Feb. 16 and is being held without bond.

At his hearing Tuesday, O'Callaghan's attorney also said O'Callaghan was a Marine veteran who had been involved in the rescue of Army POW Jessica Lynch. O'Callaghan served in the Marine Corps from 1997 through 2004 as sergeant.

According to his service record, O'Callaghan was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom for nine months in 2003 and served in Al-Wasit Province, An Nasiriyah and Al Kut. During the An Nasiriyah deployment, O'Callaghan worked with the Civil Affairs Group -- he was tasked with keeping civilians away from battle. 

His awards include: Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat "V," Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Unit Commendation, Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Kosovo Campaign Medal with 1 star, Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with 1 star and Armed Forces Reserve Medal.

An obituary posted on the web site of the Frederick News-Post gave the child's full name as Madoc Hyeonsu O'Callaghan and said he was born in South Korea. He was described in the obituary as a "smiling, content, and loving son and brother.''

"He loved his dogs, his big brother Aidan, and anything his parents made for him to eat. He wasn't dealt the simplest hand in life, but he found something to love in it every day,'' the obituary said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A San Diego-area woman accused of fatally shooting her son-in-law in a home they shared told police she would kill him again if she could, prosecutors revealed in court Tuesday.

Cynthia Cdebaca, 63, is facing one count of first-degree murder for the killing of her daughter’s husband, Geoward Flores Eustaquio, 53.

On Feb. 11, which happened to be Cdebaca’s birthday, she allegedly shot Eustaquio multiple times inside the home they shared on Braemer Terrace in the gated community of Peppertree Park in Fallbrook.

At Cdebaca’s arraignment on Tuesday, a deputy district attorney said Cdebaca allegedly told police she would kill her son-in-law again if she had the chance. The prosecutor said Cdebaca – who shot Eustaquio 15 times, stopping twice to reload – told police her son-in-law had made a comment about her dress just before the shooting.

According to the prosecutor, Cdebaca visited Pechanga Resort & Casino after the shooting to gamble.

The deputy DA also said Cdebaca had purchased the gun used in the murder two weeks prior to the deadly shooting and had planned to kill Eustaquio.

On the day of the shooting, residents reported hearing multiple gunshots coming from the family's home around 8 a.m. When deputies arrived, they found Eustaquio – a father of four – dead inside the house.

Cdebaca, who lived in a granny flat above the home’s garage, was found at a Fallbrook business on Main Street shortly thereafter and arrested in connection with the slaying. Deputies said they had recovered the gun used in the crime.

At the time of Cdebaca's arrest, deputies did not release information regarding the motive behind the shooting.

The adult sons of the victim, Jordan and Keanu, spoke exclusively with NBC 7 last week about the fatal shooting of their father. They said Cdebaca often disagreed with Eustaquio’s “tough love” parenting style and his opinions on raising children may have led to the violence.

Eustaquio’s sons described him as a military reservist who “may have been stern” and was “set in his ways.” The sons said Eustaquio worked as a real estate agent and a rugby coach for local children.

Jordan told NBC 7 his father did a lot for the family and his community, but could be a difficult person to get along with due to his strong personality. Keanu told NBC 7 their father was hard on them whenever he thought his children weren’t doing what they should be doing.

Keanu said at times, Cdebaca would take Eustaquio’s parenting methods personally. This created tension in the relationship between Cdebaca and her son-in-law.

A judge set Cdebaca’s bail at $5 million during her arraignment. The woman’s family left the courtroom crying. In the hallway, a family member told NBC 7 “my mom is not a monster.”
 

The trio competing for the U.S. in women's figure skating -- the crown jewel of the Olympic Games -- each has a legitimate shot at making it to the medal podium. But to get there, American skaters Ashley Wagner, Gracie Gold and Polina Edmunds first must outdo an accomplished and hungry roster of competitors.

Thirty women compete in the individual event Wednesday and Thursday, including a 15-year-old Russian figure skating phenom, an Italian late bloomer and the reigning Olympic gold and silver medalists.

Here's your guide to some of the best of their competition: 

RUSSIA'S JULIA LIPNITSKAIA
Lipnitskaia is the youngest skater in the competition but also one of the favorites. She dominated the women's individual portion of last week's team event, helping Russia to its first gold medal of the Sochi Games (and earning an approving pat on the head from President Vladimir Putin). She was the top scorer in both parts of the event, beating Wagner in the short program and Gold in the free skate.

Since those performances, she has ducked out of the spotlight, heading back to her home gym in Moscow to finish polishing her routines. Meanwhile, her name has been on everyone's lips, with skating analysts Scott Hamilton, Tara Lipinski and teammate Evgeny Plushenko calling her everything from "special" to "genius."

What she's got: The home crowd advantage.

Gold medal motivation: If Lipnitskaia clinches the gold, she will be the first Russian to do so in the history of the women's individual Olympic skating event. (No pressure.)

SOUTH KOREA'S YUNA KIM
Kim stunned pretty much everyone who watched her 2010 Olympic performance, including the judges. Her programs were flawless and earned her the highest score ever given out in a women's Olympic figure skating contest. After clinching the gold, she moved back home to South Korea from her training base in Canada and scaled back her competition schedule for two full years. When she returned to the ice full time, however, it was apparent that the period of rest hadn't slowed her down. She took the gold at the 2013 world championships in a performance sure to send shivers down the spines of other Sochi medal hopefuls. 

What she's got: Lots of experience handling Olympic pressure and massive fame back home.

Gold medal motivation: Kim has announced that she is retiring after the Sochi Games. If she defends her title, she'll become just the third woman in Olympic history to notch two individual figure skating golds. 

JAPAN'S MAO ASADA
Asada has been competing against Kim for years, trading victories with her at a long list of competitions, including the 2010 Games. There, she took the silver, a good distance behind Kim, but has vowed to set things right at Sochi. “In Vancouver, I had the gold medal as my goal,” Asada said in an interview last year, according to Olympic.org. “I'd worked for it since I was a child, and afterwards I really regretted my mistakes. In Sochi, I'd like to erase those memories by doing everything perfectly. That’s what I've been working for these last three years.” 

What she's got: Asada can do what no other female figure skater has ever managed to do: land a triple axel in competition. This is among the hardest jumps in the sport, requiring enough power, height and fearlessness for a skater to complete three and a half rotations in the air. She failed to land the jump in the Sochi team event but has had time to regroup since then.

Gold medal motivation: Like Kim, Asada has announced that she will retire from competitive skating after the Sochi Games. 

ITALY'S CAROLINA KOSTNER
Kostner has had the longest career of any of the top contenders and has developed slowly over time. It took her 10 tries before she won her first world championship title, but she eventually did in 2012, when she was already in her late 20s. Now, at 27, she's competing in her third Olympic Games, and anyalysts say this could finally be her year to reach the medal podium. She's already off to a good start, having finished third in the women's individual portion of the Sochi team event.

What she's got: Zen. Kostner is older, has been through many competitions -- including two Olympics -- and is under less pressure than some of her competitors to win the gold. While the other top contenders talk in interviews about winning that title, Kostner talks more about enjoying the experience.

Gold medal motivation: Just as it is for Kim and Asada, this is also Kostner's last chance for the gold -- or medal of any color.

A Santee woman who died suddenly may be the second person in a week to contract meningitis in San Diego County.

Santee resident Jackie Lerma Billings, 52, died Monday and showed strains of meningitis according to the San Diego County medical examiner's office.

Billings' brother talked with NBC 7 Monday night and said his sister was admitted to Sharp Memorial Hospital Friday with flu-like symptoms.

"We thought she had the simple flu. Simply coming down with a cold," Greg Lerma said.

After getting antibiotics, Billings’ request to go home was granted by doctors and she was feeling better at first, even laughing on Saturday, Lerma said.

But she soon became sick again and was hospitalized Saturday. By Sunday, she was in a coma.

Lerma told NBC 7 doctors put her on life support while they determine if her organs can be donated.

Her husband received a kidney transplant, so the family understands the importance of organ donations.

Meanwhile, Billings’ relatives began saying their goodbyes Monday.

“It happens so quickly,” said Lerma. “It’s too late before they even figure out you even have it, and at that point, there’s nothing you can do. There’s nothing you can do.”

Remembered as a loving mother and grandmother, Billings’ family said she was a fixture at a Starbucks where she worked, a one-time cheerleading coordinator at Santana High School and a major influence in the City of Santee.

“Trying to stay strong for the family, as strong as I can, but I was very close to my sister, too,” said Lerma. “I talked to her on a daily basis, and this is just so unreal.”

If tests confirm meningitis, Lerma would be the second person in a week to contract the disease in San Diego County.

Lerma said doctors were waiting on tests to determine if it was meningitis that sickened Billings and if so, whether it was the same strain that is suspected of killing 14-year-old Jewelean Pimentel.

The Patrick Henry High School 9th grader last attended class Feb. 11 - the day she began feeling sick.

Lerma said he feels for the Pimentel family during this tragic time.

Symptoms of meningococcal meningitis include a sudden fever, headache and stiff neck.

Another meningococcal risk is bloodstream infection which can result in fatigue, vomiting and other symptoms including a purple rash. 

Symptoms typically develop 3 - 7 days after exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A vaccine is available to prevent certain strains of meningitis, and it's recommended for children 11 to 18 years old. Shots are available through county public health centers.