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Body Found Near Missing Woman's Car

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A body found in a thickly wooded area on Long Island is believed to be a 21-year-old woman who went missing a week ago, and police are investigating the death as a homicide, a law enforcement source tells NBC 4 New York.
 
The woman's body was found Thursday evening, nearly a week after Sarah Goode vanished. The medical examiner is working to confirm the woman's identity.
 
Detectives found the body within a mile of where Goode's car was found earlier this week, about a mile from her home. 
 
Goode, the mother of a 4-year-old girl, was last seen a week ago, when she was out with friends in Shirley on the night of June 6, according to police. 
 
Her 1999 BMW was found parked on the street about a mile from her home in Medford. Police said it is unusual that it was found there, but did not elaborate on what, if any, evidence of her disappearance was found inside.
 
A woman who lives on the street where the car was found told NBC 4 New York the car's license plates were bent, obscuring the numbers. Neighbors thought it was stolen and reported it to police.
 
Police officers and about 60 family members and friends had been searching the woods near where the car was found.
 
Goode's family said calls to her phone went straight to voicemail. 

 



Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

Armed Homeless Burglar Found Under Child's Bed

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A 56-year-old homeless man is accused of breaking into a New Jersey home, where police say they found him hiding under a child’s bed with a knife.

Officers say they found Kenneth Webb Thursday at a home in Fair Lawn after Darla Donohue, the homeowner, called police.

Donohue says she heard the piggy bank in her 6-year-old Joshua's room being rattled before dawn. Joshua and a babysitter were sleeping in her bedroom.

"I felt my heart beating out of my chest and knew I had to do something, so I just got up out of the bed, he might have heard me," she said. "I got the phone, turned the light on in the hallway between the bedroom I was in and the bedroom he was in."

She grabbed a billy club she keeps at her nightstand table for emergency situations and after calling the police raced down the hall to let them in.

Webb allegedly had stolen jewelry along with the cash in the piggy bank. Police believe he cut a window screen in order to get into the house.

"He was trying to steal my money but I don't think he got anything," said Joshua.

Webb is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and two counts of burglary. He’s being held on a $35,000 bond.

Information on a lawyer for him was not immediately available.

Stanford Students Protest Over Sex Assault Decision

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A vocal protest took place at Stanford Thursday over the university’s decision to allow a student accused of rape to return to campus.

After a five-month investigation, the university decided the student is not a threat to the campus and will allow him to finish his senior year.

University administrators will withhold his undergraduate degree for two years and have ruled to deny him entry into graduate school until 2016.

Students, including assault survivor Leah Francis, spoke out to express their shock after Francis’s appeal was denied.

Francis and her supporters say that Stanford should expel the student who they say has been already found responsible for forcibly sexually assaulting Francis while they were back home in Juno. Alaska.

“He's walking away from his undergraduate career with almost complete lack of consequence for forcible raping another student,” Francis said.

Protesters held signs chanting and demanding action outside a faculty senate meeting.

Francis said that she felt like Stanford had “failed her and every survivor of sexual assault.”

“I feel like If students are sexually assaulted, the university won’t protect them,” she said. "Losing a Stanford degree is like the most minimal of consequences for something as horrible as rape.”

Since Francis and her alleged attacker dated before, she says the school ruled the circumstances did not show he was a continued danger to campus.

"A person who commits a sexual assault by force is by definition a danger to the Stanford community,” said Stanford law professor Michelle Dauber.

Dauber says she believes Stanford may be violating federal civil rights laws.

"I think that is a terrible road for Stanford to go down, it’s a giant step backwards,” she said.

NBC Bay Area has not heard from the alleged attacker, He has not been charged with a crime.

"He's a danger to whole Stanford community." Francis said.

Students who watched the protest had mixed opinions.

"I definitely think that the school should be very sensitive to how she feels and the situation she's been put in, but I also think that he deserves an opportunity to receive an education as well, so it's just a difficult situation." said Erin Ashby.

Last week, hundreds of students rallied behind Francis demanding better services for sex assault victims, and mandatory expulsion for sex assault attackers after she sent out an email to garner support.

A petition on Change.org by Francis, which calls for mandatory expulsion for individuals found responsible for sexual assualt, has received 3,000 signatures.

Stanford says it can't comment on this case, but take every assault case seriously.

“We will be working with students and others in the coming months on ways of further strengthening our approach to sexual assault cases,” the university said in a statement.

Missing Poway Teen Didn't Show For Graduation Practice

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Sheriff’s deputies are searching for a missing Poway teen after he didn’t know up for his graduation ceremony practice on Thursday morning.

Atticus VanArsdale, 18, was last seen at his home on Hickory Court at about 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Deputies said there are no signs of foul play and consider it a voluntary missing person case. VanArsdale did not take a car and is believed to be walking.

He is described as standing 6 feet 1 inch, 175 pounds and has brown eyes and a long dirty blond hair worn in a ponytail halfway down his back.

Anyone with information on VanArsdale’s whereabouts, should call the sheriff’s department at 858-565-5200.

12 Displaced by Vista Apartment Fire

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A dozen people are temporarily without a home after units in their Vista apartment complex were completely engulfed in flames Thursday evening. 

The fire started in a unit in the 100 block of Pala Vista Drive and quickly spread through the complex's attic just after 7 p.m. 

San Diego County Sheriff's deputies helped evacuate people in adjacent units in case the fire moved farther. 

Firefighters worked to quickly control the blaze, and they have not yet determined the cause.



Photo Credit: Reggie Synatra

Trolley Stabbing Suspects Fled Near SDSU

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A man is hospitalized in critical condition after a stabbing aboard the San Diego Trolley late Thursday.

San Diego Police Lt. Paul Rorrison said officers were looking for two suspects – a man and a woman – who got off an eastbound trolley at San Diego State University Thursday night.

Officers say the male suspect stabbed another man in the upper chest. The fight began just after 11 p.m. and may have started because the suspect didn’t like the way the 22-year-old victim was looking at his girlfriend, officers said.

A trail of blood can be seen on the sidewalk at the Rio Vista trolley stop in Mission Valley where the victim ran off the trolley.

The man sought in the stabbing was wearing a baseball cap with tattoos on the back of his neck, officials said.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

California Native Can't Come Home: Attorney

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Oscar Olivas is aching to come home to California but he can't despite the fact his birth certificate shows he was born in Los Angeles.

Despite the document, a complaint filed by the American Civil Libertis Union (ACLU) notes U.S. Customs and Border Protection won't let Olivas leave Mexico and go home to L.A.

"It’s terrifying to think this could happen to a U.S. citizen and the government is willing to turn a blind eye to it,” said ACLU attorney Gabriela Rivera.

That's why the ACLU filed a suit against top immigration officials caiming they're unconstitutionally keeping the 45-year-old man born and raised in California from crossing the border as he'd done many times before.

Olivas' exile began in August 2011 around the time he went to Mexicali to live with his wife and child while his wife applied for a US visa.

The complaint notes officials called his birth certificate a fake then intimidated his mother--who illegally immigrated to the U.S. but later became a citizen---into signing a document confirming his
birth certificate was a fraud.

"They told her that she would lose her citizenship and she and her son would be prosecuted for fraudulently obtaining birth certificates," Rivera claims.

Two CBP officials who weren’t familiar with the case noted they typically don’t comment on pending litigation.

The ACLU is eager to prove immigration officials turned their backs on a US citizen without due process.

"Border patrol agents should not be able to act as judge, jury and executioner in determining citizenship
status of an individuals,” noted Rivera.

In the complaint it shows Olivas served jail time in the past for importing a controlled substance.
His citizenship wasn’t questioned in that incident.

The complaint also notes Olivas was born at home and his mother was able to get a delayed registration of birth five months after he was born.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

1 Killed in SR-52 Rollover Crash

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A man was killed Friday when his car drove off a San Diego highway and rolled several times down an embankment, officials said.

California Highway Patrol officers say the driver was traveling eastbound in a 2013 Lexus G35 on State Route 52 around 1 a.m. when he crashed near the Cuyamaca Street exit.

Officials found the car off the road with the driver trapped inside.

The unidentified man had to be extricated from the wreckage. Emergency personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.

He was described by CHP officers as a 45-year-old Lakeside man.

The Lexus was traveling at "a high rate of speed" officials said and the driver was unable to negotiate a left turn in the highway.

Officials say they are looking into whether alcohol and drugs were a factor in the crash.


 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Charges Dropped for Libby Lake Suspect

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Charges have been dismissed against a teenager accused in two high-profile murders in Libby Lake Park.

NBC 7 has learned the San Diego District Attorney's Office has decided not to charge Brian Bodden, 19, in the deaths of Edgar Sanchez Rios, 16, and Melanie Virgen, 13.

The two teens were gunned down in the Oceanside park on March 13, 2013.

Prosecutors told the judge in the case that although evidence implicated Bodden in the shooting, they were not confident they could prove the case against him beyond a reasonable doubt.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled July 7 for the four defendants Martin Melendrez, 23, of Vista; Santo Diaz, 20, of Oceanside; Michael Zurita, 20, of Vista and Kevin Brizuela, 18.

Each faces two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Prosecutors claim the four suspects killed Vergen and Sanchez in relation to gang activity.

 

 

 

 

Local Book Signing for Hillary Rodham Clinton

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Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will be in San Diego to sign copies of her newest book. 

Clinton’s book “Hard Choices” will be released Tuesday, June 17 and the former First Lady has scheduled a book tour to promote sales. 

A local signing is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25 at 8:30 a.m. at Warwicks in La Jolla.

However, anyone hoping to get a signed copy of the book is urged to come to the book store and pre-purchase what’s called a wristband reservation.

There will be a limited amount of wristbands handed out around 6:30 a.m. on the day of the event – first come, first served.

Clinton is considered by many to be the leading Democratic contender for the upcoming 2016 presidential race if she chooses to run for president again.

Republicans have aggressively challenged her record at the State Department in anticipation of another campaign.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

O-Negative Blood Donors Needed

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The San Diego Blood Bank is looking for O-negative donors to give blood amid a serious shortage, blood bank officials said.

According to blood bank spokesperson Jackie Vella, O-negative donors are urgently needed to give blood at San Diego Blood Bank donor centers and bloodmobiles.

The current shortage is being caused by a combination of factors, including a patient suffering from severe trauma and low donor turnout over the last few weeks.

“This is a very risky situation since O-negative is the universal donor, the only type safely given to any trauma patient when there is not time to identify their blood type,” Vella said.

To donate blood, visit the San Diego Blood Bank website or call (800) 469-7322.
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

SD Humane Society Offering Pets For Free This Weekend

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What better way to celebrate Flag Day than to adopt a new best friend?

The San Diego Humane Society is waiving fees on all cats and dogs June 13-15 as part of its Pets for Patriotism event.

There are 1,000 animals at the humane society and 250 of those are adult animals in need of homes.

From Friday until Sunday, adoption fees for all adult animals (7 months and older) will be waived. Adoptions include spaying/neutering surgery, microchipping, vaccinations and a sample bag of pet food.

Here’s where you can adopt a pet:

San Diego campus: 5500 Gaines Street, San Diego

Oceanside campus: 2905 San Luis Rey Road, Oceanside (dogs only) or 572 Airport Road, Oceanside.

El Cajon Petco: 540 N. Second Street, El Cajon.

Oceanside Petco: 3875 Mission Ave., Oceanside

For more information, visit the humane society’s website: www.sdhumane.org.

Alleged Christian Mingle Rapist: Accuser Is Crazy

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 A former Navy lieutenant accused of raping two women he met through online dating sites told police his alleged victim was “crazy” and treated him as if he was Jesus, according to a police interview played during his trial Thursday.

Sean Banks, 38, was heard in the interview recorded before his arrest, insisting he never committed any sex crimes against a woman he met on the Christian Mingle dating website , referred to in court as “K.K.”

He told police he saw K.K. for the first time at her La Mesa home in 2012, when he went to watch a movie with her.

After he entered her apartment, he felt he wanted to bolt soon after because she had misrepresented herself online and was heavier than he expected, he said.

But he said if he left suddenly, it would hurt her self-esteem.

"It's late, it's lame to her, I'm not going to do anything else with my time, I don't want to her to feel bad, so I stayed and we just had drinks,” Banks told officers.

Instead, the two began kissing, he said, and they both consensually moved to the bedroom. But when things moved too far, she yelled “stop.”

"I immediately got off of her and if she said anything otherwise, she is lying to you. I want to you know that,” Banks said in the interview.

He told investigators he believed K.K. was deeply disappointed that a man who professes to know God and lead a Christian life would want to have intercourse in a first meeting.

"That I failed her representation, her vision of what a man of God is,” the defendant said. “And in fact, she probably put some of the actions of Jesus on me. So me kissing and doing these things with her was tantamount to Jesus doing that.”

The account is far different from the one given by K.K. herself, who continued her testimony for the second day Thursday.

She said Banks –who told her his name was Rylan – was sexually aggressive during their first date and forced himself on her in her bedroom and ignored her pleas to stop.

After answering tough questions from the defense attorney, K.K. told the prosecutor she actually feared for her life.

“You testified that as the defendant was pulling you towards the bedroom, you were afraid he might kill you?” the prosecutor asked.

“Yes,” K.K. responded.

“Did you feel like that in the bedroom?” the prosecutor asked.

“Yes,” K.K. said.

The jury also heard a phone call the alleged victim made to police. In it, she expressed concern that no one will believe her because her alleged rapist would insist he was never at her place.

Banks told police he was there but left when she ordered him out.

He said she then started sending him a series of threatening text messages that made him believe “she’s done this to another guy because she seemed very pro about what she was doing.”

Eventually, he blocked her from his online profile, he said.

“Look, she’s crazy, guys, she’s crazy. What would you do?” he told officers.

In the interview, Banks admitted to using the name Rylan on his online dating profile, saying he was planning to make that his legal name.

Prosecutors said he also went by the aliases Rarity, Rylan Butterwood and Rylan Harbough.

The defendant is accused of raping a second victim – known as R.O. – in 2009 after meeting in May 2009 on Match.com. That alleged victim came forward after hearing about Banks’ arrest in Feb. 2013.

Banks faces 44 years to life in prison if he is found guilty of the charges against him, which include forcible rape, rape of an unconscious person, sex with a foreign object and burglary.

Campers Once Again Welcome at Kumeyaay Lake Campground

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A bonfire and marshmallow roast will celebrate the reopening of a local campground that's been closed for three years, a victim of city budget cuts.

The City of San Diego closed overnight access to the Kumeyaay Lake Campground in Mission Trails Regional Park in 2011.

Now that funds have been restored, campers will fill the spaces for overnight camping beginning Friday.

“The entire region is within just a stone’s throw of this park and when you get here in this park you don’t realize you’re in the middle of the city,” said San Diego City Councilmember Scott Sherman – District 7 who said he spent a lot of time as a child in the park catching tadpoles and crawdads.

The park 46 campsites available Friday and Saturday on a first-come, first-serve basis as well as a catch-and-release lake.

“Also my wife is making some gestures to remind me that there are also some very nice bathrooms and showers,” Sherman added.

Reservations can be made online. Overnight stays are $20 a night per campsite.  Parking for additional vehicles costs $4 per car. Also, pets are allowed at the campsites for an additional $3 fee.

At the event at 8 p.m. Friday, Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation staff will host a marshmallow roast and members of the Kumeyaay Nation will share traditional stories.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Kmart Closes, Nonprofit Loses Layaway Items

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It’s only June, but a San Diego-based nonprofit organization is feeling like the Grinch came early this year after a Kmart store abruptly shut down, taking layaway merchandise with it that the nonprofit planned to give as presents to children in need this Christmas.

Aaron Reynolds runs Skate Everyday, an organization that, among other things, holds a “Breakfast with Santa” event each year where gifts are given to local children.

He said he was already in the process of preparing for this year’s holiday event and had put nearly $300 worth of merchandise on layaway at the Kmart at 5405 University Ave. when he learned the store was suddenly closing. That merchandise was intended for the kids’ holiday event.

Reynolds said he never received any notice about the closure and had already put $100 down on the merchandise and was going to make another payment on Wednesday when he found out the news.

“We had hats, beanies, scarves, school supplies, backpacks actually on layaway at this Kmart. This Kmart closed its doors on us [and] they did not give us a call,” he explained.

Reynolds said this will cause a major snag in his organization’s plans.

"At this point in time our event is in jeopardy because a lot of our products were going to come from this Kmart,” he said. “We pretty much need help. We're a small organization but we like to do big events for the actual public. [We’re] hoping at Kmart will give us a call and a miracle can happen.”

NBC 7 received a statement from Kmart Thursday regarding the closure of the University Ave. store.

Spokesperson Howard Riefs confirmed the store closed to the public on Wednesday. The location employed 73 associates both part-time and hourly. Riefs said associates who are eligible will receive severance.

Riefs also said refunds will be given to all customers – including Reynolds – who may have put items on layaway at that Kmart store.

The spokesperson said that specific location was losing money, so the company had to make the decision to close it.

“Store closures are part of a series of actions we’re taking to reduce on-going expenses, adjust our asset base, and accelerate the transformation of our business model. These actions will better enable us to focus our investments on serving our customers and members through integrated retail – at the store, online and in the home,” Riefs said in his statement issued to NBC 7.

Another retailer has signed a contract to take over the lease of the former Kmart building, but that retailer has yet to be formally announced.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Border Agents Warned About Journalists: Report

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The surge in immigrant children caught crossing the southern border in Texas that has dominated headlines and risks becoming a political crisis for President Barack Obama and Congress includes a new threat facing Border Patrol agents: reporters.

An assistant chief patrol agent, Eligio "Lee" Pena, warned more than 3,000 Border Patrol agents that journalists looking for information about what Obama has described as a humanitarian crisis are likely to ask for information and "may try to disguise themselves."

The email, obtained by The Associated Press, said agents should not speak to reporters, on or off duty, without advanced permission and warned that anyone who does could be charged with a crime or disciplined administratively.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske told the AP on Friday he was not aware of Pena's email warnings but said generally, "I am not a fan of telling people not to talk." Kerlikowske, who has pledged greater transparency since taking over the agency earlier this year, did not formally disavow the directive but added that Border Patrol agents should be focused on their jobs while on duty.

Pena's email was issued as national news organizations descended on the border to cover the immigration surge, especially children crossing the border alone from Central America. The problem has overwhelmed the Border Patrol. More than 47,000 children traveling alone have been found at the border since the start of the budget year in October.

Pena did not describe what sorts of disguises could be employed by reporters.

The issue has fueled the political debate in Washington about U.S. immigration policies, which contributed to this week's stunning election defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va. Cantor's opponent had said the Republican leader supported "amnesty" for immigrants in the U.S. illegally, and said the surprise election outcome effectively dooms any prospects for legal changes to American immigration laws. Obama has disputed this and urged Congress to act this summer.

Agents in Texas' Rio Grande Valley have made more than 173,000 arrests so far this budget year. Like the child border crossers, most of the immigrants trying to cross illegally are from Central America. The crush of children traveling alone and would-be immigrants traveling as families has prompted the Homeland Security Department to move both children and families to other Border Patrol sectors for processing.

The children are later handed off to the Health and Human Services Department, where officials typically try to reunite them with parents or other relatives already in the United States. DHS has released an unspecified number of families with notices to appear at Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices near their final destinations within the United States.

The Obama administration has declined to say how many people have been released and how many have reported as ordered. Kerlikowske said Friday he did not know those figures.

The latest instruction to border agents in South Texas is not the first time the Border Patrol has directed officials not to speak with reporters.

Last year, the then-head of the Border Patrols' Southwest border media division told public affairs officials that the agency would "no longer provide interviews, ride alongs, visits, etc., about the border, the state of the border and what have you." In his Feb. 1, 2013, email, Bill Brooks advised that border officials should tell reporters that "you will have to see what you can do to get back to them" and then notify him.

The most recent information lockdown has made the local representatives of the Border Patrol agents' union the agency's de facto spokesmen on conditions inside overcrowded stations and the logistical challenges of processing so many immigrants.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Dodgers Owner Testifies in Trial

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Former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt provided testimony Friday in the civil trial stemming from an attack on Giants fan Bryan Stow during opening day in 2011 at Dodger Stadium.

Attorneys for Stow claimed in the negligence lawsuit that McCourt and the Dodgers failed to provide adequate security at the March 31, 2011 season opener when Stow was beaten by two men in the stadium parking lot.

David Lira, a lawyer for victim Bryan Stow, asked McCourt whether he had hands-on involvement in security matters. McCout testified that he was committed to fan safety, but was not involved in the details of the safety operation at Dodger Stadium.

He also testified that he suggested the drafting of a fan code of conduct, which was adopted.

"I appreciated the opportunity to be able to address the jurors today regarding the Bryan Stow matter," McCourt said outside court. "Like all Dodgers fans, I was appalled at the criminal behavior of (Louis) Sanchez and (Marvin) Norwood. Make no mistake, they're the parties resposible for this tragic incident."

He was referring to the two men who accepted criminal responsibility for the attacks in February and received prison sentences. 

Stow suffered brain damage and is permanently disabled. His lawyers say his lifetime care could cost $50 million.

Stow's father was asked what he thought of McCourt's testimony.

"Not much," said David Stow.

During opening statements in the civil trial, a lawyer for the Dodgers and McCourt aggressively argued that it was intoxication and flared tempers that caused the fight, and that the team provided adequate security at the stadium. The attorney also said Stow inflamed the situation with comments and gestures toward the two men who later pleaded guilty to beating him.

Stow, 45, was in court when jurors in the civil case were selected, but has not appeared since last week.

Jurors Thursday heard the 911 call placed by one of Stow’s friends immediately after the altercation.

Earlier in the week, doctors testified that the beating also caused long-term loss of intellectual capability.

McCourt paid $430 million in 2004 to buy the team, Dodger Stadium and 250 acres of land that includes parking lots, from the Fox division of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., a sale that left the team with about $50 million in cash at the time.

The Dodgers went into bankruptcy protection in June 2011 and the next year McCourt sold the team for $2 billion to a group that included former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson. The group vowed to restore dignity to the storied franchise after the era of McCourt, who was widely reviled by Dodgers fans for driving the Dodgers to the brink of bankruptcy.

In bankruptcy filings, attorneys for Major League Baseball said McCourt looted more than $180 million in revenue from the club.

NBC4's Jonathan Lloyd and Patrick Healy contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Should There Be a Police Officer at Every School?

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Oregon school resource officers are being hailed as heroes for being on-campus and preventing further massacre in this week's most recent school shooting.

More locally, in Chula Vista, police officers were able to respond within three to five minutes to reports of a gun on campus at Hilltop High School last month.

Chula Vista Police Department Officer Tom Craft told NBC 7 the relationships he builds with students and school staff helped prevent another tragedy.

"They can come up to us and ask us anything," Craft said, "or tell us anything - something that's wrong." 

Craft is a school resource officer assigned to Hilltop High. Last month, he was the first to respond - within three minutes - and help take the Hilltop freshman, who brought a loaded .44-caliber revolver, into custody.

No one was hurt.

"That incident could have been a very, very sad, unfortunate incident that happened," said Sweetwater Union High School District spokesman Manuel Rubio. "As it is, it is an unfortunate incident that happened, but we were able to control the situation, deal with the situtation immediately."

Craft said there should be a school resource officer on every school campus in the United States.

"Ideally, if there were resources, I think that would be a great thing to happen," Rubio said. "As it is and the way it's structured now, I think we do have a pretty good handle on what's going on."

Sweetwater schools pays $745,000 a year to four different law enforcement agencies for 14 officers, which works out to about one officer for every two schools.

Craft told NBC 7 that is a small price to pay for police officers to be able to build relationships with students that make schools safer.

"The culture's changed. They come up and give us hugs. They give us handshakes," Craft said. "They say, 'Hi officer, Do you have a sticker? What's that on your belt?' Not like, 'Oh, no, we're in trouble. Why are the police here?'" 

A recently graduated Chula Vista High School student told NBC 7 the police presence on campus can feel oppressive, but in this day and age, that's what it takes to feel safe at school.

"Sometimes it can be annoying because it feels like everyone's constantly being watched or questioned. It's kind of enclosed all the time and it makes us feel like, I guess, not really free," said 18-year-old Valeria Ymaz. "But, I honestly feel like it's for the best for the safety of the school."

In 2001, a school resource officer was the first to respond to a shooting at Granite Hills High School in the Grossmont District. Grossmont now spends $1.2 million a year from its general fund to provide police protection on its nine high school campuses.

Ymaz said she did feel safer with a police officer stationed on her high school campus.

"Just because, anything could happen anywhere. It's not just a specific school. It could be anywhere," Ymaz said.

NBC7 wants to know what you think. Leave us a comment below this article about whether or not you believe a police officer should be stationed at every school campus.

World Cup Fever Takes Over San Diego

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World Cup fever has hit San Diego!

Mexico sporting fans lined up outside Princess Pub in Little Italy at 8 a.m. Friday to watch Mexico play against Cameroon. Inside the pub was packed with dozens of people wearing Mexico's green jersey.

After a few disappointing off-sides calls from officials, Mexico's Oribe Peralta scored in the second half to go on to defeat Cameroon 1-0.

Southbay resident Miguel Martinez is a big Mexico fan. He said he called Princess Pub five times to make sure they were open for the game. He's optimistic that Mexico will make it to the fifth game this World Cup.

Mexico's next match-up is against the host country Brazil. The first game for the United States is Monday, when they play Ghana.

The World Cup kicked off Thursday and will run until July 13, with plenty of venues around San Diego to catch a game.

Over in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood, dozens of bars and restaurants will showcase the World Cup, too, including 30th Street hot spots such as Caffe Calabria, Bar Pink, The Office, Coin-Op, Toronado and True North.

Other businesses partaking in the community’s month-long “World Cup North Park Soccer Fan Zone” (WCNP) event include End Zone Sports Bar & Grill on University Avenue and Hess Brewing Company on Grim Avenue.

Here's a full list of other venues hosting World Cup-watching events.

 

Caught on Tape: North Park Bar Arsonists

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San Diego police released surveillance footage Thursday of two unknown men wanted in connection with breaking into a popular North Park bar and restaurant and setting fire to the property last month.

In the videos -- which can be seen here and here -- two suspects carrying a rag and gas can are seen climbing over the rear patio fence of The Ritual Tavern, Kitchen and Garden at 4095 30th Street. With their faces covered, they lurk around the business.

According to investigators, The Ritual Tavern was broken into two times – once on May 19 and again on May 22. Both break-ins occurred at around 12:30 a.m.

In the first incident, the suspect hopped over the fence and broke the window of a door that leads from the patio to the restaurant. However, the suspects were unable to get inside the restaurant because the window was reinforced by metal bars. After failing to get inside, the suspects fled the scene.

In the second incident, the two suspects returned to the business and again climbed over the patio fence. They then forced their way into the restaurant through a window on a rear door.

Police said one of the suspects was carrying a gas can. The suspects poured gasoline in several spots throughout the restaurant. They lit the gas on fire and then ran from the burning building.

Fire crews were able to extinguish the fires before there was any major damage to the restaurant. No one was injured.

Nearly one month later, however, the arson suspects remain at large.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information on the identity or whereabouts of these suspects seen on the surveillance videos should contact the Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST) at (619) 236-6815 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. Tipsters may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in this case.
 



Photo Credit: SDPD
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