A seasoned skydiver who died after a midair collision near San Diego was the brother-in-law of NASCAR champion driver Jimmie Johnson, a team spokesperson confirmed Monday.

Jordan Janway, 27, of San Diego, is being remembered by friends and fellow jumpers as an easygoing guy who was friends with anyone he met.

Janway was also the brother of Chandra Janway Johnson, Jimmie Johnson's wife.

• Read: Skydiving Instructor Found Dead Near San Diego

"The Johnsons are saddened by the tragic passing of Chandra’s brother, Jordan Janway, 27," a statement on the NASCAR driver's website read Monday.

"Jordan was an incredible son, brother, uncle and friend and will be dearly missed. Please keep the Janway family in your thoughts and prayers. The family asks for privacy at this time."

Janway was reported missing around 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the John Nichol's Field, a small gliderport on Otay Lakes Road in the Jamul area of San Diego.

By 5:15 p.m., a sheriff's helicopter found Janway dead, the victim of a midair collision and a free fall without a chute.

• Images: Skydiver Instructor Jordan Janway

Skydive San Diego operates out of that field. The company's owner Buzz Fink said Janway was training other skydiving employees. 

Fink told reporters that the victim was practicing a maneuver called tracking when he collided with his jump partner. At this point, Fink believes Janway may have been knocked unconscious and unable to open his parachute.

The other jumper involved in the midair collision was not injured and was able to safely land in the drop zone.

Three skydivers jumped out of the plane prior to Janway's jump. All jumps occurred at 13,000 feet, according to Fink.

The physical collision between Janway and another skydiver happened between 10,000 and 6,000 feet. 

• Read: Marines Stabbed in Brawl Between Dodgers, Angels Fans

Fink said there is a chip at the top of the parachute bag that will automatically deploy the chute if the jumper is falling too fast.

However, he said Janway's chip was undergoing maintenance and not in his parachute Sunday.

Because he had more than 1,000 jumps under his belt, Janway was not required to jump with the chip and chose to skydive without it, Fink said.

"We do well over 100,000 jumps a year, and we pride ourselves on our safety and everything we do as far as our equipment, our airplanes," Fink said. "However, it is skydiving and things can happen and generally you do everything we can to prevent it."

"I liken it to driving down the road. You have a safety belt, an air bag. The bottom line is, you’re still at a risk if someone crosses that line and hits your car,” he said.

• Read: New GM Recall Involves 1.3 Million Cars

San Diego County sheriff's deputies are investigating the incident.

The FAA was called immediately after the collision, according to Fink. Skydive San Diego will also review its safety protocol, he said.

Granite Hills High School alum Jimmie Johnson has won 5 straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Championships.

He and his wife Chandra have visited San Diego as part of their work with the Jimmie Johnson Foundation.

A missing 13-year-old boy has been found safe in Chula Vista Monday, his father told NBC 7.

Brandon Templeman, described by police as a high-functioning autistic boy, ran away from his home at 301 Nocturne Ct. around noon Monday. 

After getting in a fight with his father, he rode off on a gray "Mongoose" bicycle with orange decals, Chula Vista police said. 

He just moved to the city from Utah a few days ago, so he is not familiar with the area. 

According to the CVPD, Brandon has run away in the past while in Utah. 

March 31 was the day.

The last day to enroll in a health insurance plan on the federal and state Obamacare exchanges has officially past.

If you procrastinated, or if you're just wondering what happens next, here's what you need to know.

What if you didn't sign up by the deadline?

If you live in a state that uses the federal exchange and you haven't signed up by Monday night, not all is lost. An honor-system deadline extension may be available.

If you need extra time, explain that you tried to enroll during the open enrollment period but were not able to finish the process in time. (Initiating the online process before midnight or leaving your number on the phone hotline, for instance, would fulfill this requirement.) 

You can also request an extension based on qualifying life events. And some state-run exchanges have also extended the deadline further and have their own sets of rules.

But I didn't even try to sign up. What will happen to me?

If you can't say you tried to get a plan in time and didn't get health insurance by the deadline, you will have to pay a fee of $95 or 1 percent of your annual income — whichever is greater — on next year’s tax return.

I signed up for insurance. When will I be covered?

You must apply by April 15 in order to receive coverage starting in May. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the consumers who are "in line" on the exchanges will still be enrolled, though, provided they pay their first month's premium in time.

What if I can't afford insurance at all?

The penalty for not buying health insurance only applies to people who can afford insurance but don't get it. If you didn't sign up by the deadline because you can't afford health insurance, you won't be charged the fee.

If that's the case, you should call (800) 318-2596 to explore your Medicaid options. If you live in a state that is not expanding Medicaid, you will not have to pay the fee — but you probably won't receive any insurance.

What happens next year?

If you didn't sign up for an insurance plan this year, the enrollment period for next year will start Nov. 15 and continue through Feb. 15, 2015.

 Bitcoin – a digital form of currency – is trying to turn your smartphone into your new wallet, and a growing number of San Diego small businesses are embracing the online payment form.

For its users, Bitcoin works much like cash. One bitcoin is worth about 450 USD, and once you buy one online, you can use it to pay for a wide variety of services or products directly over the internet without going through a bank or credit card company.

“It's lower rates because it's not charging as high as 3 percent, which you would with Visa and Mastercard,” said Ping Wang with Pangea Bakery. “It's less than 1 percent usually. Also there's not a lot of coins and change you have to deal with and count, so it's actually time saving."

In the San Diego community, you can currently rent office space, pay for a dentist visit and even buy a pastry with bitcoins.

Wang believes they are safer than credit cards because the online account does not link back to your personal records, which prevents identity fraud like in the Target credit data breach.

But it does come with a few risks. The value fluctuates wildly; it fell about 7.5 percent in the last 24 hours after the IRS ruled it as a taxable property, not a currency.

"The biggest reason why it’s volatile is it's so young, and even though it's fairly volatile right now, when you look back in history when it didn't have much adoption, it was even more volatile, so over the course of time, we're actually just getting more stable," said Paul Puey, a North Park resident who created an app called Airbitz that helps users find business that accept bitcoins nearby.

Another downside: Bitcoins are susceptible to hacking. Last month, a big exchange called Mount Gox filed for bankruptcy after hackers stole half a billion dollars’ worth of the digital coins.

Additionally, an IRS notice last week will force users to keep a thorough record of every purchase they make with the bitcoins and then account for their changing value.

Despite the risks, many more businesses are joining the digital revolution.

In less than a year, Puey said 50 or 60 more merchants have adopted the online currency – with more coming on board every month.

“I foresee in a few years, there won’t be a person in San Diego that hasn’t heard of Bitcoin,” Puey said.

Eric Chavez would like to come face-to-face with the driver who struck his pit bull, Clementine, about six months ago.

He says he’d like to tell her his dog survived the accident and he holds nothing against her.

“I'm sure it's a lot of weight to be carrying around to think she killed our dog,” Chavez said. “I want her to feel better and have peace of mind.”

The accident happened near 6th Avenue and Spruce Street along Balboa Park. Chavez says Clementine got loose and bolted after him across the busy street.

Chavez heard a screech and a thud and says he knew it was his dog.

Chavez’s girlfriend, Kristin Rice, who was also there told NBC 7 that complete strangers jumped into action.

“There was this guy running and he comes over. He just took his shirt off and put it around Clementine as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. Then a nurse came over and told me where to hold her leg. Another person was on her phone looking for a place for us to take her. It was amazing,” Rice told NBC 7.

The situation was so chaotic, neither Chavez nor Rice had the chance to talk to the driver who hit their dog. Clementine had to have one of her back legs amputated. She now has five screws in her jaw and evidence of massive road rash along her body.

Overall, Clementine is happy and healthy.

Chavez and Rice also want to thank the community for helping with Clementine’s vet bills. They totaled nearly $10,000 - $7,500 of which was covered by donations.

They say Pokez in Downtown helped a great deal.

Chavez says he received $1,000 in cash in the mail from an anonymous donor. The only thing written on the envelope was “To: Clementine.”

If you are the driver involved in the accident and want to reach out to Chavez or Rice, e-mail candice.nguyen@nbcuni.com.
 

There’s one April Fool's Day prank that officials with U.S. Geological Survey aren’t laughing about.

A hoax letter is circulating on the Internet claiming Southern California residents should brace themselves for a 7.4 magnitude earthquake.

USGS issued an official statement on their Facebook page Monday night, warning people about the alert marked with the USGS letterhead:

“USGS is aware of a letter circulating on the Internet that uses our logo and warns of an impending sizable earthquake in Southern California. USGS had no part in this letter or any alleged alert. USGS does not predict earthquakes. USGS distributes reliable and timely scientific information on earthquakes and makes it all available to the public.”

Understandably, many California residents are worried about “The Big One” hitting after a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck La Habra on Friday and a score of aftershocks followed.

It’s important to note, USGS says it does not predict earthquakes.

Seismologists did say on Sunday, however, that a magnitude 7.5 earthquake along the same fault line from Friday and Saturday’s quakes could kill 3,000 to 18,000 people and cause up to $250 billion in damage.

USGS advised residents to check its website for information after an earthquake.

Here's the complete statement from the agency:

"USGS is aware of a letter circulating on the Internet that uses our logo and warns of an impending sizable earthquake in Southern California. USGS had no part in this letter or any alleged alert. USGS does not predict earthquakes. USGS distributes reliable and timely scientific information on earthquakes and makes it all available to the public. The message of being prepared is always valuable."

Baseball season got off to a painful start for Angels hitting coach Don Baylor, who suffered a leg injury when he caught the ceremonial first pitch before Monday's Opening Day game at Angel Stadium.

Baylor, 64, is scheduled for surgery Tuesday after he fractured his right femur as he caught the pitch from former Angel Vladimir Guerrero. The fracture might take up to six months to heal, according to team officials.

• Watch: Fight Between Angels, Dodgers Fans

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Don right now," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Obviously it's (a freak accident), and we'll just see how it turns out. He's obviously in a lot of pain."

Baylor's right leg buckled as he stooped from a catcher's position behind home plate to catch Guerrero's low and wide pitch. Baylor, a survivor of multiple myeloma, struggled to get up and was helped off the field by Guerrero and the team's training staff.

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He was transported to UCI Medical Center.

Assistant hitting coach Dave Hansen will take over the team's hitting coach duties as Baylor recovers.

Guerrero and Baylor represent the only two Angels to win American League MVP awards.

The Angels lost to Seattle, 10-3.
 

The body of a 73-year-old man reported missing last week was discovered in a rural area of San Diego County.

El Cajon Police started searching for David Daniel Marquez on March 27 after he was last seen by friends and family on March 23.

Marquez had been diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer’s and with diabetes, so his family became concerned when they couldn’t find him at his El Cajon home.

On Sunday morning, Marquez was found dead about two miles from his vehicle, which was parked on the shoulder of Interstate 8 near the Crestwood exit, according to police.

Investigators believe Marquez may have run out of gas and left his vehicle on foot to find help. There are no signs of foul play, officers said.

Marquez is now being remembered by family and friends for his time as a retired senior volunteer with the El Cajon Police Department.

His family released a statement to NBC 7 on Monday, saying in part “Please know that David really enjoyed the time that he spent volunteering with the El Cajon PD and that he was honored to serve them for the five years he was able to do so.”

They say Marquez is loved and missed.

Back-to-back aftershocks, the largest measuring magnitude-3.0, were reported Tuesday in the same Southern California region rattled by last week's magnitude-5.1 earthquake.

The mid-day quakes -- magnitudes 2.5 and 3.0 -- occurred within about one minute late Tuesday morning in the La Habra area. A magnitude-2.5 quake was reported earlier Tuesday morning in the same northwestern Orange County area, where aftershocks have occurred steadily since Friday evening's quake.

"I live in La Habra and I'm sick of all these aftershocks," Brittney Paige Blanke wrote on NBCLA's Facebook page.

• Earthquakes: Prepare, Myths, Resources

NBCLA Facebook page visitors reported shaking in La Habra, Long Beach, La Mirada, Anaheim, Buena Park, Whittier and other locations.

Friday's quake and the hundreds of aftershocks that followed have been along the Puente Hills thrust fault. The fault is directly beneath downtown Los Angeles and several other densely populated areas.

In 1987, the fault was the cause of the magnitude-5.9 Whittier Narrows quake. Eight people died in that quake, which caused more than $350 million of damage.

The Puente Hills thrust fault was discovered in 1999 and seemed to be in a lull state before Friday.

• Download: NBCLA Mobile App

Friday's La Habra quake caused thousands of power outages, displaced nearly 100 people, caused a rockslide in Carbon Canyon in Brea and several small water main breaks. An elementary school in  Brea remains closed as crews assess damage.

Note: The USGS system initially reported a second magnitude-2.5 quake Tuesday but later revised the number.

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The push to raise the federal minimum wage will be back in the spotlight Wednesday, as President Barack Obama continues to stump for proposals to raise the rate to $10.10 an hour. 

The president's planned stop at the University of Michigan comes less than a week after Connecticut made headlines by becoming the first state to adopt a law to raise the minimum wage to $10.10. The wage hike, estimated to affect about 60,000 workers in the state, will be phased in over several years.

• Connecticut Governor Signs Historic Minimum Wage Bill

The debate over the minimum wage is heating up in statehouses and campaign trails across the country, as Democrats seek to make the proposal a driving issue in the upcoming midterm elections. In Michigan, a campaign coalition is collecting signatures in hopes of putting a proposal to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 in front of the Legislature or on the ballot. Obama, who has called on Congress to raise the federal rate, made a similar stop in Connecticut prior to the Legislature's vote on the issue.

Supporters say the time is right to increase wages for the lowest-paid workers across the country. Critics of the increases argue that such measures create hardship for businesses -- possibly leading employers to hire fewer workers --  and the economy as a whole.

Here's a look at some key figures in the debate over wages in America:

$7.25 - The current federal hourly minimum wage. 

3.6 million - The number of hourly workers age 16 and up making at or below the federal minimum wage in 2012 -- about 4.7 percent of the United States' 75.3 million hourly paid workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 2 million of those workers make below the minimum wage because their jobs qualify for one of a number of exemptions.

$15,080 - The annual salary, before taxes, of a minimum-wage worker who logs 40 hours a week.

$1,256 - Monthly salary, before taxes, for that same worker.

$21,008 - The annual salary, before taxes, of a worker logging 40 hours at an hourly rate of $10.10.

$1,616 - The monthly salary, before texas, for that same worker.

$879.20 - Average monthly cost of food for a family of four, according to USDA estimates for January 2014.

$2,912 - Annual cost of gas for the average U.S. household in 2012, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

$3,816 - The average rent for a Manhattan apartment in February 2014, according to Manhattan Rental Market Report. The median monthly cost of rent nationwide was $845 in 2011, according to the American Housing Survey.

500,000 - The estimated decrease in jobs nationwide if the federal minimum wage is bumped to $10.10 an hour, according to a February Congressional Budget Office report. The report also found that 16.5 million workers could see their wages increase by 2016, lifting an estimated 900,000 people out of poverty.

21 - The number of states with a minumum wage higher than $7.25 on the books (Washington, D.C., also exceeds the federal minimum), according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Nineteen states have a minimum wage that is the same as the federal level, while four have set a rate below the federal minimum. Five states have no minimum wage.

34 - The number of states considering legislation to raise the minimum wage in 2014, according to NCLS.

$9.32 - The hourly minimum in Washington state, which is home to the highest base wage currently in effect. The rate is adjusted for inflation annually. 

$5.15 - The lowest state minimum wage for hourly workers, a rate on the books in Georgia and Wyoming (some states have lower rates in place for workers in professions with tips).

43.8 - the percentage of minimum-wage-or-less earners with jobs in food preparation and serving related occupations, according to BLS figures. More than 1.5 million workers in the field are paid salaries at or below the minimum wage before tips.

1938 - The year the federal minimum wage was instituted. At the time, it was set at 25 cents an hour.

The Padres are hungry for wins this season. From the looks of the new food options at Petco Park, fans will be leaving games with full bellies no matter the outcome.

The club gave media a preview of the new dining options in the ballpark, and man they are good.

Let’s start with Lucha Libre Taco Shop. The wildly popular Mission Hills Mexcian joint hits the stadium’s Toyota Terrace (near Section 215) with Cali burritos that will knock your calcetines off.
Owner Diego Rojano said his Petco plans have been a long time coming.

• Photos: Where to Eat and Drink at Petco Park

“It’s kinda been in the works for three years now,” he said. “We wanted a little more control of the kitchen. We wanted to make sure it was our guys in the kitchen.”

Now he has what he needs, which means good things for those willing to venture to their spot upsta. Rojano said he loves the space they have, and it’s just the beginning. They hope to add a Champions Booth, much like the eclectic restaurant. Rojano joked that they might also change the décor of their area to look like the restaurant as well.

“When the Padres aren’t looking, we’ll paint the walls pink,” he said. Maybe he’s not joking?

• Read: Coach Breaks Leg on Opening Day First Pitch

Other new options include Rimel’s Rotisserie, which will be serving up chicken and fish tacos on the roof of the Western Metal Supply Co. Building – that area is open to the public this year.

Seaside Market will also be in the park this year, with a salad and juice bar along with a flatbread station in Section 107.

Stone Brewing opens up a mini-version of their bistro in the Upper Deck Terrace. It’s just beer for now, but food will be served later in the season.

Ballast Point will also have a full tap room, adding to what has to be the widest selection of beers in any ballpark. Inside, you can get burgers from Hodad’s, the iconic Ocean Beach spot with a second location downtown.

Hodad’s has been in the park for the past few years, which still makes owner Mike Hardin smile.

“I’m so happy to be here,” he said. “If people ask me what I want to return as in another lifetime, I tell them I want to come back as me.”

• Watch: Yacht Racer Rescued from Pacific Ocean

For wine options, check out Copa di Vino, an Oregon-based vineyard that will be serving a variety of wines in convenient plastic glasses with resealable lids. It might not satiate the most ardent wine snobs among us, but hey, it's a ballpark. It could be worse.

On chillier days you’ll want to check out Ryan Bros. Coffee, which has a cart and a stand in the park this year. They’ll have basic coffee and tea, plus some specialty drinks with a kick.

Get the Sombrero – tequila, Mexican chocolate, coffee and whipped cream. Or try the Nutty Umpire, another coffee-and-whipped-cream delicacy served with Jamson whiskey and white chocolate.

“We’re super excited,” said Harry Ryan, one of the café’s co-owners. “The Padres need a little Irish luck.”

For dessert, you will be kicking yourself if you don’t head up to the Baked Bear, an ice cream sandwich shop in Pacific Beach that makes its own cookies and ice cream, then smashes them together for a ridiculously decadent treat.

Shane Stanger, one of the owners, said they had a test run in the park at the end of last year that went well enough to come back again.

“It was pretty good last time. I’m feeling really good about it,” he said. “It’s as cool of a second location as I can think of.”

They will be located in right field, but not until the next homestand starting April 11.

An intense fire quickly swept through a two-story building in downtown San Diego Monday.

Jimm Jenkins evacuated his apartment just before midnight Monday thinking the threat of the fire was going to be temporary.

"I was still kind of thinking oh, they'll just come and, you know, burnt toast. They'll air out the room or something and everything will be okay," Jenkins.

It wasn't until he was outside of the building at Broadway and 9th that he saw the real damage.

"I saw the flames coming out and, okay, that was obviously more than I was expecting," he told NBC 7.

Flames shot from the second-story window when fire crews arrived to the building that houses apartments on the top floor and businesses on the ground floor.

A couple having dinner nearby stopped to watch firefighters at work. The man and woman told NBC 7 the fire was “raging pretty good” when they first saw it.

They said the San Diego Fire-Rescue crews appeared to be concerned at first.

“It looked like perhaps the roof was going to cave in on them so they were really cautious, they were really, really careful,” one witness said.

• Watch: Fire Rages at Downtown Apartments

Zainab Adam was on the way to her 9th Avenue apartment after getting some ice cream when she first saw the blaze.

“It was huge, it was on top of that,” Adam said referring to the apartment building.

One person was taken to UCSD Medical Center to be treated for smoke inhalation. A Chihuahua died and a cat was saved officials said.

It took fire crews more than an hour to knock down the fire.

San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson Lee Swanson told the San Diego Union-Tribune that the fire started in an apartment on the second floor and spread to another unit.

• Images: Firefighters Battle Apartment Fire in Downtown San Diego

There was water damage to the first floor businesses and some smoke damage to units on the second floor.  The businesses on the first floor include a tattoo shop, wig parlor and beauty salon.

Approximately 20 residents were left without a place to stay overnight.

The cause is under investigation. A damage estimate wasn't immediately available.
 

A British sailor survived 90 minutes in the freezing Pacific Ocean after he fell overboard Monday while sailing from China to California in the Clipper Round the World Race.

Andrew Taylor, 46, of London, was being treated for severe shock and possible hypothermia and said he endured “horrible” hailstones during the rescue mission on the high seas, NBC News reported.

“I didn’t know if you were looking for me or not – didn’t know if you’d seen me,” he told crew members in footage posted to YouTube. “You just got further and further away.”

Taylor was on the tenth leg of the race from Qingdao, China to San Francisco when he landed in the freezing seas.

Derry Londonderry Doire’s skipper credits three things with the successful rescue: Taylor's dry suit, his personal locator beacon and the training of the crew.

According to the race website, Clipper Race organizers reminded sailors to take a moment to clip on and check the connection.

"Human life is far too precious to be thrown away by a moment’s forgetfulness," wrote race chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston.

• Read: NASCAR Driver's Brother-in-Law Killed Skydiving

Sailing races by nature are inherently dangerous.

British-born Andrew "Bart" Simpson died in May 2013 while training for the America's Cup in San Francisco. Simpson's catamaran, "Big Red," took a "nosedive" catching Simpson under the water for about 10 minutes.

In March 2013, a San Diego man died while competing in the Southern California Islands Race. Silver Gate Yacht Club member Craig Williams was found unresponsive in the water after the 30-foot sailboat was ripped apart by rocks and waves in an 8-foot surf.

In April 2012, a sailboat taking part in a race from Newport, Calif. to Ensenada, Mexico, disappeared from the online race tracking system. Four people died when The Aegean struck North Coronado Island. 
 

A roaming group of pit bulls is responsible for three separate attacks Tuesday morning in Bay Terraces, according to San Diego police.

An officer ended up shooting all three dogs. Two dogs died at the scene, and the third dog had to be euthanized, officials said.

One of the victims, 60-year-old Norma Williams, told NBC 7 she was walking to church in the 1600 hundred block of Dillard Street. That’s when she said the three pit bulls surrounded her and attacked, ripping her pants and biting her ankle.

Williams used an umbrella to fend them off and escaped by jumping over a neighbor’s fence.

“I’m so scared,” she said after the encounter.

• READ: San Diego Dog Bites by Neighborhood

Resident Michael Ward, 19, heard the woman screaming and went outside to help.

“When I saw the dogs, they immediately came after me,” Ward said.

The dogs bit Ward on his torso and thigh before he managed to get back inside his house.

Officials said a third victim, a 79-year-old man, was taken to the hospital after he was bitten on the face and arm.

According to San Diego police, the dogs charged toward the officer when he arrived on scene. Fearing for his life, he shot all three dogs, instantly killing one of them. Police said one of the injured pit bulls was suffering, so the officer was given permission to end that dog's life, too.

The third dog was injured and had to be euthanized by a veterinarian, San Diego County Animal Services Lt. Kalani Hudson said.

Officials do not know who owned the dogs. They will be tested for rabies.

The attacks were first reported around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Check back for updates.

A mountain lion was killed Sunday afternoon in Orange County after it stalked a mother and her two young children who were hiking.

Ten minutes into the family's hike on the Borrego Canyon Trail, the mother heard a rustling sound in the bushes before seeing a male cub six feet away from her. That was when she said it honed in on her 5-year-old son.

• READ: National Zoo's Panda Cub Ventures Outside

"When he moved to come back towards me, the mountain lion crouched down," said the mother, who asked to be identified only as Madison. "(He) had his little beady eyes focused on my son, showed his teeth -- definitely very aggressive and wanted my son."

Her instinct was to run. A nearby hiker yelled at the woman to stop and throw rocks at the cub.

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Madison was amazed that the 1-year-old, 60-pound mountain lion came as close as he did.

"That lion should have been scared and ran away and it was definitely out to hurt somebody," she said.

It didn’t take officials long to locate the cub.

• READ: Mountain Lion Reportedly Kills Llama at San Bernardino County Ranch

Within 30 minutes, he was shot by California Fish and Wildlife agents who said the difficult decision to kill the mountain lion was made because he became an issue of public safety.

There were several mountain lion sightings last month. A big cat attacked and killed a family’s German Shepherd in Fontana. Another one was caught on surveillance video in the Hollywood Hills roaming the narrow streets at night.

Officials warn if a mountain lion encroaches in an area you are in to not run but throw rocks and sticks and appear larger by waving your arms in the air.

A study from UC Davis found that middle and high school students higher up on the popularity "food chain" are at risk of being harassed and gossiped about just as much as their less connected classmates.

Researchers say as kids climb higher up in their social hierarchy, they face a greater risk of being bullied.

“Most of these adverse consequences were worse for high-status targets,” researcher Robert Faris with UC Davis said in a university article.

“A single bullying event may be particularly psychologically and socially damaging for popular students who feel that they have farther to fall,” he continued.

Researchers warned that parents should not assume everything is fine at school if their kids seem to have a lot of friends.

The study suggests the only students who may be virtually safe from bullying are the top 5 percent of the school - those students who may be considered so popular that they are out of the reach of any potential rivals.

"The very top rung offers a safe perch above the fray," Faris is quoted in the study summary.

The study, titled “Casualties of Social Combat,” was published in the latest edition of the American Sociological Review.

The first person highlighted in President Barack Obama's town hall on the Affordable Care Act Tuesday was a Solana Beach man.

Sean Casey was thrilled to get a call from the White House alerting him to the fact he would be profiled by the president, according to Casey's son.

"He seemed to be real excited," Fearghal Casey said.

From what his father knew he was going to be highlighted in a blog.

Fearghal Casey says his father didn't know about being mentioned in the President's speech.

The young Casey's reaction, "That's pretty cool."

President Obama told the nation that the Casey family paid $30,000 for insurance coverage because of a pre-existing condition.

Under ACA, the family's health care costs dropped to $9,000 according to the president.

Fearghal Casy said the family will benefit from Covered California the state's program under the Affordable Care Act saying, "We're saving a whole lot of money. We are being covered more broadly than before with lower deductibles."

Sean Casey was unavailable to talk to NBC 7 because he was serving jury duty.

The Sierra snowpack in drought-stricken California measured at 32 percent of normal Tuesday at a time of year when it's supposed to be at its peak, the state's Department of Water Resources announced.

Even the storms now dousing California are expected spell little relief this coming summer for farmers and many communities already facing restrictions, said Mark Cowin, the department's director.

``We can hope that conditions improve,'' he said. ``But time is running out, and conservation is the only tool we have against nature's whim.''

• Download the NBC Bay Area app

State surveyors travelled up the High Sierra on Tuesday to take their monthly measurements of the snowpack. They went up with low expectations for what they would find despite falling snow and weather hitting Northern California.

Rain fell in San Francisco on Monday afternoon, bringing with it lightning that struck several planes and damaged at least one home in nearby Sausalito. More lightning and thunder were expected on Tuesday.

By Monday evening, snow also began blanketing the Sierra Nevada in a system that is expected to deliver up to a foot by early Wednesday. Two school districts in El Dorado canceled class on Tuesday, KCRA-TV reported. Forecasters for the National Weather Service said some places at high elevations may get 2 feet of fresh snow.

Yet those closely monitoring California's drought aren't impressed and hold little hope that the snowpack surveyors will report back any good news.

``Expect it to be really, really abnormally low,'' said Peter Gleick, president of the Oakland-based Pacific Institute. He spoke in a conference call Monday with reporters in anticipation of the state releasing its official snowpack figures.

California is in its third consecutive dry year, and in January Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency. Before the recent storms, California's snow-water content was estimated to be at 25 percent of normal.

The California Department of Water Resources measures the snowpack monthly during the wet season. The Sierra Nevada snowpack is important because it stores water that melts in the spring as runoff. Communities and farmers depend on it during California's hot, dry summers.

The April 1 survey is critical because it marks the peak of the snowpack. There's just one month remaining of the rainy season.

• Special Coverage: Bay Area Drought Watch

Some farmers in the parched Central Valley have been told they will receive no irrigation water from California's two vast systems of reservoirs and canals this summer, and many have left fields unplanted. Updated estimates on irrigation water from state and federal officials for farmers won't be ready for days or weeks.

Nancy Vogel, a spokeswoman for California's Department of Water Resources, said the state water levels remain in flux, given the current wet weather. Another weaker system is forecast to hit California late Thursday and into Friday.

``It'll take some time to quantify the results of the storms,'' she said. ``Hopefully, it'll still be snowing.''
 

An El Cajon man, accused of killing his wife in a crime that was initially thought to be a hate crime, wept openly in court as his trial began Tuesday.

Prosecutors set the scene in the trial of Kassim Alhimidi by describing the day his 32-year-old wife, Shaima Alawadi, was found brutally beaten.

El Cajon police originally investigated the woman’s death as a possible hate crime because of a note found at the scene.

Investigators played the 911 call their daughter placed after finding Alawadi unconscious and bleeding on the downstairs floor.

As the jury listened to the call, Alhimidi wailed and sobbed uncontrollably.

• Listen to Part I of 911 Call
  
• Listen to Part II of 911 Call

Judge William J. McGrath called for a ten-minute recess and asked the jury to step outside.

He warned the defendant to quiet down and asked the defense to provide him with a handkerchief to muffle his sobs.

“Mr. Alhimidi, please understand that these jurors need to hear all this evidence. They’re not going to be able to hear the evidence if you’re being louder than the testimony or, in this case, the 911 tape. You need to do your best to stop this,” McGrath said.

Alhimidi, a 49-year-old Iraqi immigrant, is accused of beating his wife to death after she asked for a divorce.

Police arrested him on Nov. 8, 2012, after they ruled out a possible random hate crime.

First-responders found a note in the home that read, "This is my country, go back to yours, terrorist."

The couple's 18-year-old daughter, Fatima, testified during a preliminary hearing last year that a similar threatening note was found at the family's door step eight days before her mother was attacked.

Alawadi had at least six head wounds and died three days later of brain trauma.

Alhimidi's defense attorney described his client as a peaceful man who was an elder at the neighborhood mosque.

He also said the fact that the couple had marital problems was not in dispute. There were also divorce records in the van parked outside the family's home.

However, the defense contends that Alhimidi did not want the divorce but that he did not attack his wife because he loved his wife and wanted to keep the marriage together.

"Kassim had no history of domestic violence. The kids will say the parents argued but he never raised his hand," the attorney added.

Alhimidi used an interpreter to understand the trial, since English is his second language.

On Wednesday, jurors will hear from the couple's daughter Fatima, who was home at the time of the alleged beating.

The winner of a $425.3 million Powerball lottery ticket sold in Milpitas, Calif. said that he plans to use the money to travel, fight child hunger and promote pediatric health.

B. Raymond Buxton claimed his prize on Tuesday from the California Lottery headquarters in Sacramento, more than a month after realizing he was the sole ticket winner.

According to California Lottery, Buxton, a retiree, purposely chose April 1 to come forward, wearing a shirt with a picture of Yoda that read "Luck of the Jedi I Have."

Buxton bought his ticket at the Dixon Landing Chevron in Milpitas while he was getting lunch at the Subway inside the convenience store located there. Dixon Landing Chevron received a $1 million bonus for selling the winning ticket.

• "Fortunate" Cookie Wins California Woman $421K

Buxton had already bought a ticket for the Feb. 19 draw, but because the jackpot was so large, he wanted to try his luck again. So he bought a $2 Quick Pick ticket.

His winning Powerball numbers: 17, 49, 54, 35, and 1, with a Powerball number of 34.

“’Unbelievable!’ is all I could muster,” was how Buxton described the moment he found out he had won. “I sat in front of the computer for hours in disbelief, frequently checking and rechecking the numbers across multiple sources. Once the initial shock passed I couldn’t sleep for days."

According to California Lottery, Buxton was so excited he couldn't bring himself to share the good news with anyone. 

"... Sitting on a ticket of this value was very scary," he said. "It’s amazing how a little slip of paper can change your life."

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Buxton deliberately took a long time to come forward, validating the winning numbers and putting a legal and financial team together to plan for the future.

Buxton consulted the "I Won! Now What? Winners Handbook." He opted for the cash version of the prize, which amounts to $242.2 million before federal taxes.

Buxton plans to use some of his winnings to travel. He also wants to give back.

“I’m going to enjoy my new job setting up a charitable foundation focused on areas of pediatric health, child hunger and education,” he said.

• Winning Milpitas Powerball Store Owner Finds Out He Won $1M

The $425.3 million Powerball jackpot is the largest jackpot ever won in California, according to California Lottery. It's the sixth largest in U.S. history and the fourth largest Powerball jackpot of all time.