Mozilla's newly-appointed CEO Brendan Eich has stepped down following calls for him to resign over his support for California's anti-gay marriage bill Prop. 8.

Mitchell Baker, Mozilla's board chairman, announced Eich's resignation in a blog post on Thursday.

"Brendan Eich has chosen to step down from his role as CEO. He’s made this decision for Mozilla and our community," Baker said.

Eich -- who created the JavaScript programming language -- came under fire for a $1,000 donation he made in 2008 to support Prop. 8.

Eich's donation came under intense scrutiny over the last two weeks, and a number of people -- including Mozilla employees -- took to Twitter to criticize him. The dating site OKCupid joined the protest, calling for a boycott of the FireFox browser.

• Mozilla Is Investing in a "Faster" Internet

"Mozilla prides itself on being held to a different standard and, this past week, we didn’t live up to it," Baker's post said. "We know why people are hurt and angry, and they are right: it’s because we haven’t stayed true to ourselves. We didn’t act like you’d expect Mozilla to act. We didn’t move fast enough to engage with people once the controversy started. We’re sorry. We must do better."

The Guardian reported that Eich has "repeatedly refused to discuss his donation to the Proposition 8 campaign, saying that to do so would violate Mozilla’s principle of inclusiveness."

“I agree with people who say it wasn't private, but it was personal,” he said of the donation in a Wednesday interview. “But the principle that I have operated by, that is formalised in our code of conduct at Mozilla, is it's really about keeping anything that's not central to our mission out of our office."

The Guardian also reported that Eich donated thousands of dollars to Right Wing Republicans such as Ron Paul and Pat Buchanan in the 1990s.

In a March 26 post on his website, Eich addressed lingering concerns about his stance on marriage equality.

"I am deeply honored and humbled by the CEO role. I’m also grateful for the messages of support," Eich said. "At the same time, I know there are concerns about my commitment to fostering equality and welcome for LGBT individuals at Mozilla. I hope to lay those concerns to rest, first by making a set of commitments to you. More important, I want to lay them to rest by actions and results."

Eich went on to detail Mozilla's commitment to inclusiveness, adding that he was committed to ensuring that "Mozilla is, and will remain, a place that includes and supports everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, economic status, or religion."

In her post, Baker underlined the importance of "diversity and inclusiveness."

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"Mozilla supports equality for all," she said. "While painful, the events of the last week show exactly why we need the web. So all of us can engage freely in the tough conversations we need to make the world better."

Twitter immediately reacted to news of Eich's resignation, with some asking asking whether the resignation was the best way to address the issue.

Others hailed the power of "clicktivism," praising OKCupid for its call to action.

NBC 7 has uncovered evidence that local law enforcement is using secret cell phone surveillance technology capable of pinpointing your exact location.

Civil liberty advocates call this kind of tracking highly intrusive and completely unregulated.

 A 2009 federal grant application obtained by NBC 7 shows the City of San Diego was interested in purchasing cell phone tracking equipment.

It’s called the Harris Corporation “Stingray II” cell phone tracking system and is described as a device “capable of tracking the signal of cellular telephones even if the person has disabled GPS capabilities.”

Court documents reveal in September 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice made the grant funding available.

The ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties calls the use of this technology “highly intrusive and completely unregulated.”

However, they say the bigger issues are a lack of government transparency and potential for 4th amendment rights violations.

“We don't know if they're seeking warrants when they're using the devices and the ACLU has real questions whether this device could ever be used in a way that is constitutional,” said Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, the Policy Director for the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties. “[There’s] a fear of what the government will do when it's not transparent and not able to be held accountable.”

• Read: Your Mac Could Be Spying on You

NBC 7 reached out to numerous local law enforcement agencies. The San Diego Police Department would not comment sending us this statement:

“It is a standard operating practice of the department to not disclose certain investigative tools and technology used to combat crime due to a variety of factors including compromising ongoing criminal investigations and revealing tactics used to gather intelligence information.”

The FBI provided a similar statement.

Special Agent Darrell Foxworth wrote, “As a general matter, the FBI does not discuss specific techniques used by law enforcement to obtain location information, as they are considered Law Enforcement Sensitive, the public release of which could harm law enforcement efforts at all levels by compromising future use of the technique.”

“The FBI only collects and maintains information that has investigative value and relevance to a case,” he added.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department told NBC 7 they do not have Stingray technology.

However, after filing a public records request, we found the San Jose Police Department sought feedback from our sheriff's department about the devices.

A sheriff’s spokesperson was not able to clear up the confusion.

“It's a big concern that this appears to be a widespread, a commonly used technology that there is no public information about,” Dooley-Sammuli told NBC 7.

• Watch: Hackers Now Targeting Smart TV's

This issue extends far beyond San Diego.

ACLU affiliates across the country continue to submit public information requests to law enforcement agencies to see who’s using Stingray devices and under what kind of restrictions, if any.

An MTA worker who stripped down to his underwear for the annual No Pants Subway Ride staged by Improv Everywhere was written up and reprimanded by a supervisor for engaging in "conduct unbecoming" even though he was off the clock when he participated in the January event, according to a published report.

More than 4,000 people in New York, along with MTA motorman Christopher Chase, participated in the 13th Annual No Pants Subway Ride Jan. 12, according to Improv Everywhere. The event, where random passengers board trains in the middle of winter with gloves, hats and scarfs but no pants, is held in more than 60 cities worldwide each year, and New York city officials have continued to sanction it.

According to the Daily News, a co-worker saw a picture of Chase on the 14th Street subway platform wearing a hooded sweatshirt, socks and green, white and blue briefs on Facebook and complained. The 39-year-old subway worker then was scolded by an MTA boss and told to vow in writing that it would not engage in similar conduct -- conduct that could tarnish the agency's reputation -- in the future.

Chase, a 13-year MTA veteran, also had to review the MTA's code of conduct, the paper said. Within that code is the rule that he is alleged to have violated. It states employees must “avoid behavior which would tend to create adverse criticism of the Authority or of the System. Their conduct, whether on or off duty on System Property, is required to be such as to merit the confidence and respect of the public and their superiors.”

But since Chase was off-duty -- he told the News he was on vacation -- when he participated in the event, union officials want any mention of a reprimand erased from his employment record. Transport Workers Union Local 100 lawyer Betzabeth Sanchez complained in a letter to the MTA that him getting written up was "plainly unreasonable" and violated his right to free speech, the News reported.

MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz confirmed to the News that Chase was written up, but said he "was not disciplined." He had no further comment to the paper other than, "We received a complaint and had to look into it."

A man identified by officials as a sexually violent predator may soon be released to a home in Borrego Springs.

Terry Stone was convicted of abusing five boys between the ages of 6 and 11.

In 1994, he was sentenced to 19 years in prison, and in 2003, he was committed to the state hospital as a sexually violent predator.

After a court determined that Stone could be released into the community for continued treatment and supervision in December, the Department of State Hospitals has been looking for an appropriate location. 

The agency announced it's considering moving Stone to a home in the 2600-block of Frying Pan Road in Borrego Springs.

A previous location in Spring Valley was considered earlier this year.

The public can comment on Stone's placement at a court hearing on May 2 at San Diego Superior Court, Department 53.

A memorial will be held for the UC San Diego graduate student struck and killed Friday in a Del Mar hit-and-run crash.

Rachel Morrison, 27, will be remembered by family and friends at the Scripps campus Thursday afternoon.

Morrison was walking with a friend, at the intersection of Camino Del Mar and Coast Boulevard, when a car ran a stop sign, struck and killed her.

Her friend managed to dodge the car and was not injured.

Christopher Stockmeyer, 41, has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence.

Morrison was a PhD student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, her adviser Stuart Sandin confirmed to NBC 7.

Her focus of study was fisheries management, a topic she became interested in while doing her undergraduate degree at Boston University, according to her autobiography on UC San Diego's Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation page. 

Stockmeyer faces charges including vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

A former Miramar car dealer pleaded guilty Thursday to eight counts of defrauding customers who bought and sold exotic cars from him.

In 2011, NBC 7 Investigates first reported on John Mussari and allegations of fraud.

• Read: Former Miramar Car Dealer Charged with 16 Felonies

The former car broker entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors who alleged that Mussari had scammed his victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in bad car deals.

As part of the agreement, prosecutors said Mussari also paid another $30,000 in restitution to victims, bringing the total paid back to $112,000.

Prosecutor Luis Mendez said that more is owed to victims but total amount won't be known until Mussari is actually sentenced.

One victim, Dave Baker, told NBC 7 that he has received $45,000 from Mussari, but is still owed $15,000 in restitution. 

Baker believes the sentencing is light, given the amount of money lost. 

"[Mussari] thought we were all in the wrong here, you know, and it was all our fault and we were liars. And he couldn't get away with it," Baker said. "And I hope he realizes it, and in the future, it doesn't happen again."

Mussari's lawyer, Anthony Columbo, told NBC 7 that his client apologizes to his victims for his bad business decisions, which he says were a result of the economic downtown of 2008.

"He would like his former clients to know that he made a mistake and that he's doing everything he can to provide them back with the restitution that's owed," said Columbo.

Mussari's sentencing will be in June, and he faces up to one year in custody. Mendez said Mussari's crimes are serious enough that he should serve time in custody. 

However, his attorney is expected to argue for probation with GPS monitoring and/or work furlough instead. 

In all, eight victims were involved in the case against Mussari, and Columbo said only three victims are owed restitution.

NBC 7 Investigates first revealed the complaints from customers about Mussari Motors in 2011. According to prosecutors, Mussari took pre-owned Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Mercedes on consignment, failed to pay the original owners, sold single cars to multiple buyers and defrauded finance companies and banks. 

His scheme resulted in a total loss of more than $100,000 but less than $500,000.

 A South Bay man accused of running a chop shop operation aimed at taking advantage of auto insurance policies was officially charged Thursday afternoon.

William Joslin, 43, pleaded not guilty to operating the chop shop out of his Paradise Hills home and to ten more counts of defrauding insurance companies.

Deputy District Attorney Luis Mendez said Joslin recruited people who were behind on their car or truck payments -- and wanted to get out from under them -- to support his scheme.

From Nov. 2012 to this year, Joslin is accused of convincing the owners to park their cars at a previously agreed-upon location and then call 911 to report their vehicle had been stolen.

Mendez said Joslin would then take the cars to a chop shop, strip them for parts, sell them for personal profit and get rid of the vehicle’s shell.

The owners would collect their insurance company payouts to cover their "losses." 

This scheme was repeated at least ten times with BMWs, Acuras and Nissans, prosecutors said, and the fraudulent payouts could be in the ballpark of $100,000.

Since the case is still under investigation, the vehicle owners could also face criminal charges in the future.

Mendez said this sort of crime has direct public costs because everyone who has vehicle insurance will most likely have to pay more due to these fraudulent claims.

“It’s causing losses when they didn’t really occur, and so therefore they’re artificially inflating the rates by causing the insurance companies to cover more losses than they normally would,” said Mendez.

Joslin's defense attorney said that claim is nonsense, adding that if your insurance rates go up, it won't be because of Joslin. 

Multiple businesses operating out of the same building in San Diego’s uptown area are now under investigation for fraud and allegedly scamming victims out of thousands of dollars, the San Diego Police Department said Thursday.

On Wednesday, detectives from the SDPD’s Economic Crimes Unit served search warrants on four alleged businesses located at 4715 30th St. after several investment fraud complaints were reported against the businesses, which are known as North Park Toyland Parade, American Asian European Corporation (AAEC), United Family Corporation (UIFC) and Victoria House Corporation (VHC).

Detectives said victims reported being scammed by a suspect associated with these businesses.

In the scheme, the suspect represents himself as a wealthy investment consultant who is a retired medical doctor and supposedly manages several nonprofit enterprises.

During investment seminars, the suspect claims he can set up investment corporations that can void state and federal income taxes, according to investigators.

Through the investment fraud scheme, victims have been charged up to $30,000 for these services.

The investigation into this case is ongoing, but police believe there could be other fraud victims out there.

Anyone who feels they may have fallen prey to this scheme should contact the SDPD’s Economic Crimes Unit at (619) 446-1031 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
 

For the first time in more than a decade, windsurfing will be allowed at Lake Hodges, City Councilman Mark Kersey announced Wednesday.

Lake Hodges stopped allowing windsurfers in 2003 due to the construction of a pump station, according to Kersey’s office. Project delays and city financial issues kept windsurfing from returning to the lake until now.

Windsurfing at Lake Hodges has new rules this time around. Windsurfers must sign personal liability waivers, wear flotation devices and have their boards inspected for quagga mussels.

As of April 2, windsurfers are welcome on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. There is a $7 launch fee.

Lake Hodges is located between Rancho Bernardo and Escondido in San Diego’s North County.

Thousands of rowers from around the world will make their way to San Diego’s Mission Bay this weekend for the 41st Annual San Diego Crew Classic – the first major regatta of the year.

It all begins Friday with the arrival of athletes from more than 100 universities, clubs and high school programs across the United States. Rowers will practice all day at Crown Point Shores and spectators can watch the boats practice on the course, for free, all day.

From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., there will be a Sierra Nevada Beer Garden open in the area. At 5 p.m., after a day of rowing, a pasta party will be held at the Champions Pavilion, a big tent on the hill. The cost of this dinnertime shindig is $15 at the door.

On Saturday, the competition begins.

At 5 a.m., a free shuttle service for spectators begins between Ski Beach and Crown Point Shores.

The main gate opens for spectators at 6 a.m. and racing begins at 7:20 a.m. The course begins near SeaWorld and the Ingraham Street Bridge, then heads north along Mission Bay for 2,000 meters before finishing at Crown Point Shores.

The beer garden opens at 10 a.m. for spectators who like to watch the races with a brew in hand. The races wrap up at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

On Sunday, the schedule is similar, with a shuttle service beginning at 5 a.m. and the races starting at 7:20 a.m. Racing concludes at 3:30 p.m.

Tickets to the San Diego Crew Classic cost $12 per spectator if purchased in advance or $15 at the door.

Besides racing, the outdoor event will also include live music, a trade show, a kids’ zone, artist’s booths and alumni tents from racers’ schools. A Jumbotron will provide an up-close view of the races.

According to organizers, the rowers participating in the Crew Classic range in age from 14 to 84. Over the course of the year leading up to the competition, the rowers compete in more than 100 races in various divisions in preparation for the premiere rowing event.

Organizers say the “master level” – rowers over 21 years old – is the fastest growing segment of the sport. While many master level rowers are still novices to the sport, others are reliving their college and club experiences by participating in the Crew Classic year after year.

To get more details on this event, visit this website.

A baby hippopotamus born at the San Diego Zoo this past Sunday has died, zoo officials confirmed Thursday.

According to the zoo, animal care staffers found baby animal dead Thursday morning during routine observations. The cause of the hippo’s death is unknown at this point.

Zoo officials say the newborn’s mother, Funani, is an experienced mother and very attentive to her young. Mother hippos are known to be very protective of their babies.

Funani and the little one spent time together Wednesday in the 150,000-gallon pool inside their habitat at the zoo. She kept the baby so close that keepers were unable to tell the gender of the newborn during their interaction.

Funani has birthed five calves at the San Diego Zoo since her arrival in 1995. Besides her, other hippos at the zoo include Otis, an adult male who was brought to the San Diego Zoo from the Los Angeles Zoo in 2009 specifically to breed with Funani.

The pair wound up having Adhama, a baby hippo born in Jan. 2011. Adhama moved to the Los Angeles Zoo in June 2013.

Following Adhama’s birth, Otis and Funani were separated. Then, after spending two-and-a-half years apart, the pair was reunited in July 2013. Otis fathered this new little hippo with Funani shortly thereafter.

The San Diego Zoo says the river hippopotamus is a threatened species.

The zoo’s first hippopotamus was born at the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago in July 1935 and arrived in
San Diego in August 1936, becoming the first hippo to be exhibited by a zoo on the West Coast, according to the zoo website.

In 1940, hippos Rube and Ruby arrived in San Diego from the Calcutta Zoo in India. Together, the pair had 11 offspring, helping the exhibit grow. Ruby and Rube died in 1982 and 1988, respectively.

 It’s the winning chance to see a cursing Jerry Sanders alongside a foul-mouthed Kevin Faulconer that we never thought we’d get – and in flight suits to boot.

Sanders, Faulconer and Todd Gloria – who have all served as San Diego’s mayor – flew in to the “Danger Zone” to spoof the 1986 classic “Top Gun." They were promoting the 19th Annual Golden Watchdog & Fleece Awards Dinner on behalf of the San Diego County Taxpayer Association, which produced the video.

The annual affair honors and shames the best and worst use of taxpayer money. It also gives a nod to the media outlet that best reports on behalf of the taxpayers.

This year’s event is June 19 at the San Diego Marriott Marquis, as the video explains (though you may be distracted as the onesie-clad trio walks toward the camera and Faulconer takes off his aviators in slow motion).

Inside in the video are a snarky reference at Todd Gloria’s height and a short flash to a recent mayor obviously left out of the fun: Bob Filner.

And the most memorable line comes from Sanders: “If you don’t show up, you’ll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog s*** out of Hong Kong.”

Check out the video, and then debate: Is Faulconer the Goose to Gloria’s Maverick, or is it the other way around?

Condé Nast has announced that SELF magazine is getting a new editor-in-chief. The announcement comes just one week after a huge public backlash over the magazine bashing a cancer survivor’s tutu.

In a news release Thursday, Condé Nast announced that Joyce Chang will take over as editor-in-chief of SELF on May 1. Chang, who was previously executive editor at Cosmopolitan, will replace Lucy Danziger.

The company did not give a reason for the change.

Danziger led the magazine’s public apology to San Diego runner and cancer survivor Monika Allen.

In the April issue of SELF, a picture of Allen running a marathon in a tutu appeared on the magazine’s “BS Meter.” Allen gave SELF permission to use the photo, which also pictures friend Tara Baize, not knowing the magazine would use it to poke fun.

What the magazine did not mention is that Allen makes the tutus and sells them to benefit the Girls on the Run charity in San Diego. Further, Allen has brain cancer and ran that L.A. marathon, dressed up as Wonder Woman, while going through chemotherapy treatments.

• READ: Magazine Makes Fun of Cancer Survivor's Tutu

After what Twitter dubbed as #tutugate, Danziger issued several apologies promising change. She said SELF would be getting rid of the "BS Meter" after the May issue.

The public outrage started after NBC 7 San Diego first reported Allen's story on March 26. Angry readers took to Twitter and inundated SELF magazine's Facebook page.

Allen's tutu company Glam Runner went from a little more than 1,000 Facebook likes from before the story broke to now nearly 37,000.

Vice president and publisher Laura McEwen will also be leaving the magazine, according to Condé Nast.

The daughter of an El Cajon man accused in the beating death of his wife is upset about allegations that she may have been involved in the killing according to her attorney.

Fatima Al-Himidi, 19, testified Thursday about finding her mother's beaten body in the family’s home. The shocking crime was initially believed to be a hate crime.

The teenager was home when Shaima Alawadi, 32, was beaten in a violent attack on March 21, 2012.

It was her voice that jurors heard Wednesday when the 911 call was played in court as part of opening statements in the trial of Kassim Al-Himidi.

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

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

Attorney Ron Rockwell spoke exclusively to NBC 7 and described Fatima as an intelligent young woman who has struggled emotionally in the two years since her mother’s death.

“There are days when she tries to block this whole thing out, just frankly for survival,” Rockwell said outside the county courthouse in El Cajon.

“She’s had the most difficult time with the press which in some cases has been devastating if not cruel to her and her brothers and sisters,” he said.

Rockwell has represented Fatima and a friend of hers over the years and said his client has visited her father while he's been in custody on murder charges.

When asked if Fatima believes her father committed the crime, Rockwell refused to answer.

“It’s a very, very sad time,” he said. “Her father is on trial for the murder of her mother. For that reason, she’s devastated.”

Because the defense strategy may try to direct blame toward Fatima, Rockwell said he asked the district attorney for immunity for his client. The DA refused the request, he said.

In the defense opening remarks, Al-Himidi’s defense attorney told jurors about Fatima’s relationship with a Chaldean boyfriend and the problems that caused in her Muslim family.

He also described a suicide attempt by the teenager after she had been found in a parked car with  21-year-old Rawnaq Yacub.

Officers contacted Alawadi, who went to the incident location. As Alwadi was driving her daughter away from the area when Fatima said "I love you mom," then jumped out of the car while it was moving at 35 mph.

NBC 7 obtained warrants in the investigation that suggest Fatima was upset about the family's plan to have her marry one of her cousins.

On Thursday, an El Cajon police officer who acted as a translator on the day Alawadi was found beaten testified that Fatima had accepted a promise ring while in Iraq. The officer said that when the family returned to the U.S. the daughter had changed her mind.

Fatima has not been charged in the case. She has testified at the preliminary hearing and was called again to testify in the trial.

Prosecutors allege that Kassim Al-Himidi killed his wife because he was angry over an impending divorce.

Defense attorneys dispute that theory and point to lack of blood evidence connecting their client to the crime scene.

San Diegans will recall the high-profile case because it was initially believed to be a hate crime after first-responders found a note in the home that read, "This is my country, go back to yours, terrorist."

The family – which includes as many as five children – moved into the rented home in El Cajon about two months before the beating.

El Capitan High School in Lakeside was placed on lockdown Thursday after deputies were called to an area near the school to investigate a shooting.

Officials arrived in the 12500-block of Lakeshore Drive at around 1:45 p.m. and discovered an injured person down in the street, near an alley. Medics were called to tend to the person, who was suffering from a gunshot wound.

By 2 p.m., officials confirmed that person had died.

Meanwhile, officials placed El Capitan High School and a nearby elementary school on lockdown as deputies secured the scene and launched their investigation. The high school is located at 10410 Ashwood St. The scene of the shooting is near an apartment complex and laundromat, several blocks away from the school.

A helicopter circled the scene following the shooting and on the loudspeaker officials could be heard saying they were “looking for a male between 20 and 30 years old.”

By 3 p.m., deputies said they could not disclose details of the case just yet, and called the shooting a "death investigation." An update is expected within the next couple of hours.

El Capitan student Markase Carter told NBC 7 that a lot of high school students walk through the alley where the body was found, often using it as a shortcut on their walk from school.

Carter didn’t hear or see what happened, but he said he saw the body on the ground as he was walking home from school.

“There was blood on the ground, and blood on his hand,” he recalled

By 4 p.m., school district officials confirmed the lockdowns on both schools had been lifted.

No other injuries were reported.

Check back for updates on this developing story and watch NBC 7 News at 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. for the latest details from the scene.

 A police search has spread onto the El Cajon High School campus as officers look for three people involved in a fight. 

The confrontation happened around 6:40 p.m. in the 300-block of N. 1st Street. 

Police said the suspects then ran into a sporting event at the high school as officers started searching for them. 

 The San Diego Police Department released new details Thursday about a "weird case" in Linda Vista, where a man's body was found lying in the middle of the road. 

San Diego resident Juan Carlos Bautista-Barrera, 20, was found face down in the 2600 block of Ulric Street just after midnight Wednesday. 

He was pronounced dead on the scene in what police said was a suspicious death. 

Now, they believe his death was accidental. 

Investigators said Bautista-Barrera had an argument with family members, after which his family drove off in their vehicle southbound on Ulric Street. 

Bautista-Barrera ran after the vehicle and fell, causing trauma to his head and neck. 

His official cause of death won't be released for several weeks until a toxicology report is completed.

Police said the driver of the vehicle was not drinking and will not be charged in the case.

Officers were interviewing people from the apartment complex adjacent to where Bautista-Barrera was found.

Resident Daniel Leon said he met the victim this week and, as far as he knew, the man was moving in to the complex with a wife and child.

“He didn't look like a bad guy. He looked like a normal person with a big smile on his face --you know -- normal,” Leon said.
 

A day after health officials said at least eight cases of the most dangerous form of meningitis hit Los Angeles County since January, officials reported that three men died from it.

The three men, between 27 and 28, who died, contracted meningitis through sexual contact with other men, officials said. They were HIV positive.

Half the confirmed eight cases were among gay men, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

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Of the remaining five, four have recovered. The condition of one is still unknown.

• List of Meningococcal Vaccination Clinics

Invasive meningococcal disease, or IMD, is highly contagious and is the most severe form of meningitis, health officials said.

• Calif. Student Dies From Suspected Meningitis

The health department came under fire when asked why officials hadn't reported that three men had died in the rash of cases this year.

"If people at home knew that these infections ended in fatalities, I think it would ramp up their interest, and perhaps urgency, of seeking out information about the disease," said Ged Kenslea, a spokesman for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

Health officials said they were not hiding anything. They said they only wanted to urge gay and bisexual men to get the meningococcal vaccine regardless of HIV status, especially those who share cigarettes, marijuana or use illegal drugs, officials said.

• New Arm for OC Meningitis Survivor

Symptoms may include:

• High fever
• Stiff neck
• Altered mental state
• Skin rash
• Severe headache
• Low blood pressure
• Aversion to bright lights
• General muscle pain

Symptoms usually occur within 5 days of the exposure, but may present as many as 10 days after exposure. The disease progresses rapidly and officials urge immediate diagnosis and treatment.

People who do not have health insurance can get free vaccinations through the health department beginning Thursday.

For a listing of clinics, call the LA County Information Line at 211 or visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/.

A downstate Illinois soldier was among the victims killed in Wednesday's Fort Hood shooting.

U.S. Army Sgt. Timothy Owens, 37, an Effingham native, was fatally shot in the chest during the attack. He was working as a counselor at the time of the shooting.

Owens' mother, Mary Louise Muntean, said she called Owens' wife when she first saw news of the shooting on TV. She was initially told her son was in the hospital, but later learned the terrible news that he had passed.

"I can't believe this has happened. I just can't. I just talked to him Sunday night," Muntean said.

Owens had recently remarried and was the father of two teens.

Muntean said she always worried that her son would get hurt when he was stationed in places like Kuwait, but never dreamed he'd be a victim of violence on home soil.

"I'm very proud of him because he was fighting for our country," Muntean said.

Three people died and 16 were wounded when an Iraq war veteran who suffered from mental health issues opened fire on fellow service members before committing suicide, authorities said. The attack was the latest mass shooting at the post since a 2009 massacre that left 13 people dead.

Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee identified the shooter as Ivan A. Lopez. But the congressman offered no other details.

Officials said there was no indication the shooting was terrorism-related. The gunman's motive remained unknown, officials said, although NBC News reported that the rampage may have resulted from an argument with other soldiers in the motor pool.

Fort Hood covers a total of 340 square miles and supports multiple units, a corps headquarters and a robust mobilization mission. It is home to two full divisions, the 1st Cavalry Division and 4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and 12 additional units.

Around 50,000 soldiers work at Fort Hood, and there are an additional 150,000 civilians who support the base.

The post is about 60 miles north of the capital city of Austin, 50 miles south of Waco, 160 miles south of Dallas and 150 miles north of San Antonio.

A new Caltrans report finds California's roads are in their best shape since 2001.

Officials said 84 percent of the state's roads are in good, operating condition thanks to voter-approved bonds and federal stimulus money totaling to nearly $4 billion.

"It was good that we had it. A lot of projects that had been waiting for funding got funded," Caltrans spokesman Bob Haus said. "And we took care of them  and they'll be good for years to come."

Several motorists said they were surprised to hear of the report's claim.

"Well, there've been times I've driven on 101 where you kind of hit divots in the ground," Ben Campi said. "It feels like your windshield is going to break or something like that."

Rebecca Carter's said her drive on Interstate 880 can be scary because the lane lines are fading.

"It becomes confusing in the turn around Oakland -- what lane is where?" she said. "It's a free for all."

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State Sen. Jim Beall, who has spent years working on transportation issues, said California highway projects were given one-time funding. He doesn't expect the condition of the state roadways to last.

"That money is gone. You don't have that money anymore," Beall said. "If we don't maintain the expenditures of maintenance money, things will slip back and things will get worse and worse."

The Caltrans report does not take into account local roads, which local governments cannot afford to fix.

"The local governments are far worse than the state," Beall said. "Really bad."