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Uncle Arrested in Man’s Death

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The uncle of a 23-year-old man found dead on the Campo Indian Reservation has been arrested in connection with the killing, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Saturday.

Patrick Pablo, 48, is suspected in the death of his nephew, Teddy Pablo.

On Friday, at around 6:40 p.m., deputies were called to a home at 36,626 Highway 94 on the Campo Indian Reservation to assist the fire department with a medical aid call. When deputies arrived, they found Teddy dead at the scene.

Investigators said he had suffered traumatic injuries and a homicide investigation was launched.

On Saturday at around 6:30 a.m., Patrick was arrested as a suspect in this case. Detectives said Patrick lives at the residence where Teddy was found dead. The motive for the killing has not yet been determined, as the case remains under investigation. Patrick will be booked into San Diego Central Jail on one count of murder, officials said.

Deputies did not release Teddy’s manner of death. Those details will be released by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office at a later time.

Anyone with information on this case should contact the sheriff’s homicide detail at (858) 974-2321 or (858) 565-5200. Tips on the case can also be called into Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
 



Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Shriners File $20M Suit Against BLM Over Chariot Fire

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A San Diego County Shriner group is seeking $20 million from the federal government, claiming it is responsible for the destructive brush fire that burned their Mount Laguna camp last July.

The Al Bahr Shriners filed a complaint against the Bureau of Land Management Friday to recoup losses caused by the Chariot Fire.

That blaze scorched 7,055 acres and destroyed or damaged 150 structures at the Al Bahr Shrine Camp, which included an 87-year-old lodge, two dormitories, five rental cabins and a dining hall, the complaint says.

Last month, Cal Fire announced investigators had determined the cause of the Chariot Fire: a BLM vehicle.

According to the court complaint, BLM employee Jason Peters – who is listed as a defendant in the suit – negligently failed to clear debris from underneath the Jeep he was driving while on duty on July 6, 2013.

The vehicle ignited brush stuck in its undercarriage, and as Peters drove on and off road near Highway S2, the fire ignited material in at least four “general origin areas,” the complaint says.

A burned fuel line in the Jeep also drained liquid from the fuel tank, helping the fire to grow.

Two days later, those flames had spread to the 25-acre Shriner community on Mount Laguna, which was used by the Shriners and other groups for activities like weddings, camping, parties and more.

Now, the land can no longer be used.

“Defendants knew or should have known that the Jeep posed the threat of and created the dangerous condition in and around an area that was extremely susceptible to wild fire,” reads the complaint.

The plaintiffs claim the BLM is responsible under California Health and Safety Code, which says if a person willfully or negligently allows fire to spread to the property of someone else, either privately or publicly owned, then that person is liable to the owner for any damages.

The complaint also alleges that the BLM was negligent and should have known Peters was “unfit” to perform his work because “Peters’ previous work performance and previous incidents on and off duty gave notice to the BLM of his unfitness and incompetence for the position for which he was retained,” it says.

According to the court documents, the Shriners served a claim for damages to the BLM last December, but the government agency did not take any action on the claim during the six month period to respond, which ended Thursday.

That allowed the Shriners to file their multi-million dollar complaint in federal court Friday.

In it, they seek $20 million for the loss of their property, current and future use and business income from the camp. They also want repayment for attorneys’ fees, costs of the suit and other relief a court may deem fit. 

The BLM has not responded yet to NBC 7’s request for comment on this story.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 News

Man Treks U.S. Meeting Facebook Friends in Person

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A Minnesota man is on a mission to get real social with his social media friends: he’s driving across the U.S. in an effort to meet all of his Facebook friends in person, some for the first time ever.

“For me, I started to realize that as my Facebook friends number grew, I knew less and less of them very well. I had some free time and I thought, ‘This might be an interesting experiment for me,’ and a fun one as well to see if I could connect with people on a basis that didn’t involve a computer screen in front of us,” Mikel McLaughlin, 35, told NBC 7.

McLaughlin began his social experiment road trip on April 2 from his hometown of Bloomington, Minnesota.

By Friday, he was on day 74 of his trek and had made it all the way to San Diego where he planned to meet with an old high school friend he hadn’t seen in 18 years.

“When I started this, she actually reached out to me and invited me out, which is great. A lot of times I’m the one kind of inviting myself so it’s always nice when somebody invites me,” McLaughlin explained.

So far, McLaughlin has met 156 of his Facebook friends face-to-face and traveled through multiple states including Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Oregon, Colorado, California and Iowa. On his way back home, he plans to visit friends in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

McLaughlin said that when he began his project – aptly dubbed “We’re Friends, Right?” – he had 302 friends on Facebook. He now has more than 500 friends and though he’s not sure he’ll be able to meet all of them, he plans to keep trying.

The friends he has visited so far have included everyone from old childhood pals, including a friend he hadn’t seen since he was 8, to distant relatives, friends of friends, and friends of his wife.

About 15 to 20 of those people have been friends he had only previously met through Facebook, but never in person until now. He said those meetings haven’t been too awkward, and he’s enjoyed becoming better friends with people.

“Just about every time I leave somebody I feel like I’m a little bit closer to them than I was. I’m not making best friends necessarily while I’m out here, but I’m making a lot of first steps towards better relationships,” he explained. “I’m trying to build relationships, create memories and also, I like to write about it on my website, so it’s been a lot of fun.”

McLaughlin said he’s had some very fun, unexpected adventures with friends on this trip, too, including the time one of his Facebook friends -- a police officer in Rigby, Idaho -- took him on a ride-along.

“I got to turn on the siren during a funeral procession, even. It was a busy day,” he laughed.

Another friend took McLaughlin to Yellowstone National Park for the first time ever, while another showed him around the hometown of late Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain, in Washington.

While most meetings with friends have involved lunch or coffee somewhere, McLaughlin said he’s really enjoyed the travel aspect of his project and the times when his friends have showed him around their hometowns.

And, after more than two months on the road, McLaughlin can say he’s gotten great response from most of his friends and not many rejections to his meet-in-person friend requests.

“Nobody so far has given me a hard ‘no,’ though in fairness, I have gotten some non-responses and some people that have come up with some brilliant excuses which may or may not be true. But nobody has actually said no [to meeting] so far,” he said. “I’ve been surprised by how receptive and open people have been to it. For the most part everybody is saying, ‘Yeah, come on over, let’s do something.’”

After each encounter with a friend, McLaughlin writes a post on his Facebook page and website as a way of chronicling his journey. He also tries to take a selfie with each and every friend and posts it to his Facebook timeline.

He said the most surprising thing about this trip, at least so far, is how nice people have been to him, proving that the human connection is still really there.

“People have been good to me. They’ve treated me really well – they’ve been generous with their time,” he said. “That’s the main thing. I was starting to get rather cynical with my approach to people, and it’s changed quite drastically since I’ve been doing this.”

McLaughlin intends to make his way back home to Minnesota by July 3. After that he plans to spend time with his wife and maybe map out another leg of his trip, if time allows.

McLaughlin said he graduated from law school last year and is currently waiting to get licensed, so this seemed like the perfect time in his life to hit the road and attempt this project.

As for his growing pool of Facebook friends, McLaughlin said he’s still accepting friend requests and will try to meet as many new people as possible in person, perhaps down the road.

“I’ll go [and do this] until I feel like it’s over. I don’t know when that’ll come,” he added.

To follow McLaughlin’s travels and Facebook friends endeavor, visit his website or, of course, his Facebook page.
 



Photo Credit: Monica Garske

Deputies in Helicopter Spot Dead Body

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 El Cajon Police were sent to investigate a dead body discovered at Gillespie Field Saturday and find out how the person died. 

Deputies inside a San Diego County Sheriff's helicopter spotted the body 5:45 p.m.

NBC 7 crews on the scene say the deceased person was lying partially under the propeller of a plane in a hangar. 

Officials later confirmed that a 93-year-old man had died from natural causes while working on his plane. 



Photo Credit: Vanessa Herrera

2 Killed in North County Crash on Old Hwy. 395

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Two people died and one other was hospitalized after a truck struck a car in the North County Saturday. 

According to the California Highway Patrol, a male driver and female passenger were traveling in a red Hyundai Azera north on Old Highway 395 around 2:55 p.m.

The 81-year-old Palm Desert man decided to make a U-turn onto the southbound side of the highway just as 64-year-old Fallbrook resident Makoto Kubota drove his green Toyota Tacoma up behind him. 

As the car started to turn, Kubota tried to swerve to his left but was not able to stop the front of his truck from crashing into the driver's side of the Hyundai, the CHP say. 

The Azera was pushed off the roadway and slid down the embankment.

 The man and woman inside, both 81 years old, were taken to the hospital, but they later died from their injuries. 

Kubota was also hospitalized after he complained of chest and knee pain. 

For now, the medical examiner's office is withholding the names of the couple killed because their family must be notified. 

The crash is still under investigation.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Body Found in NY Woods Identified

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A body found in a wooded area on Long Island has been identified as Sarah Goode, a 21-year-old woman who went missing a week ago, and police are investigating the death as a homicide.

The woman's body was found Thursday evening, nearly a week after Goode vanished.

Detectives found the body within a mile of where Goode's car was found earlier this week, about a mile from her home. 
 
Goode, a medical technician and 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.
 
"I think we all kind of knew it was her,” said Joe Pronti, a friend of Goode’s who was part of the search party that found the body. “Such a sad thing to happen."
 
Police say Goode was the victim of a violent crime and her death is being treated as a homicide.
 
So far investigators have not released a possible motive and have made no arrests.
 


Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

Rare California Condor Spotted

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After 110 years, a California condor has returned to San Mateo County.

The first California condor spotted in San Mateo since 1904 is a three-year old female that flew over 100 miles from San Benito County to Pescadero, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Condors are big birds with wing spans of up to nine feet, according to wildlife experts. They're also breeding again "on their own" after hunting and habitat loss cut the condor population down to 22 in 1982.

All 22 of the condors were captured and made to breed in captivity. About 195 condors live at zoos, but 238 of their offspring, like the condor that decided to visit San Mateo, are now breeding in the wild.

Most condors are in Big Sur or Pinnacles, if not in Mexico or Utah, the newspaper reported.

 

27 Shot in Chicago Over Father's Day Weekend

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At least two people have been killed and 25 others wounded in shootings across Chicago over Father's Day weekend.

The weekend's latest homicide took place on the city's West side just after midnight Sunday.

Police said a 17-year-old boy was shot while standing with a group in the 3100 block of West Polk Street.

The teen was shot in the head and transported to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County where he was pronounced dead.

On Friday, a 28-year-old man was shot killed in an apparent drive-by shooting.

The shooting, which also took place on the West Side, occurred just after midnight in the 1300 block of South Central Park Avenue.

Police said a dark-colored sedan drove by and someone inside the vehicle opened fire on the man.

He suffered gunshot wounds to the back and was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

At least 11 others were wounded in shootings Saturday evening and into Sunday.

  • Around 4:20 a.m. a 20-year-old man walked into Jackson Park Hospital with gunshot wounds. Police said the man told officers he was walking near 79th Street and Maryland Avenue when he got into an argument with a group of people and was shot. He was last listed in stable condition.
  • Around 4 a.m., a 37-year-old man was shot while walking in the 9300 block of South Greenwood Avenue. The man told police he was walking home and did not hear or see anything before he realized he was shot in the elbow and back. He was being treated at Advocate Trinity Hospital.
  • Just before 3 a.m., police said a 21-year-old woman was shot in the knee near Lyndale and Sacramento avenues. The woman was transported to Norwegian American Hospital for treatment but her condition was not immediately known.
  • Ten minutes earlier, two people were shot in the 1700 block of West 18th Place. The two were sitting in a car when someone approached the vehicle and opened fire. One man was shot in the side and was listed in serious condition at Stroger Hospital. The other man was shot in the shoulder and was listed in good condition at Stroger Hospital.
  • Around 11:10 p.m. Saturday, a 23-year-old man was shot in the leg in the 2900 block of South Poplar Avenue. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, but details surrounding the shooting were not immediately available.
  • About 20 minutes earlier, a 33-year-old man was shot while standing on a sidewalk near 57th Street and Racine Avenue. The man was standing on the sidewalk when a light-colored truck drove by and fired shots, police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition.
  • At 2:45 p.m., a 38-year-old man was shot in the buttocks in the 400 block of West 118th Street. The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in stable condition.
  • At the same time, a 22-year-old man was shot in the leg in the 1600 block of South Indiana Avenue. The man took himself to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was listed in stable condition, police said.

At least 14 other people were wounded since Friday afternoon.



Photo Credit: Brad Bartley/NBC Chicago

Woman Falls on Ice After Game

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Not everyone can be as graceful on ice as professional hockey players.

Following the Stanley Cup victory at the Staples Center, NBC4's Mario Solis was reporting live when one woman was caught on camera attempting to cross the ice in heels, a feat that proved just as difficult as it sounds as she slipped and fell during a live television broadcast.

Someone rushed over and immediately helped Hannah Hunsinger up.

Hunsinger, a member of the Kings ice crew, caught up with Solis following her spill.

"Yes, I am OK," Hunsinger said. "You'd think that after skating on the ice, I'd be OK with walking on it but that wasn't the case."

Though a little embarrassed, Hunsinger tweeted reporters in good spirits after the video quickly went viral.

“Thank you @Deadspin and @NBCLA for capturing such a fantastic fall,” she tweeted. “At least I got a good ending pic out of it.”

The Kings beat the Rangers 3-2 in double overtime Friday night.

Man Stabs Sister, Father with Steak Knife: Police

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 A woman screamed for help from her balcony when she and her father were stabbed by her brother in Encanto, neighbors and police say.

NBC 7 crews say a trail of blood led up to the home in the 6500 block of Eider Street where the stabbings happened Saturday around 10 a.m.

According to San Diego Police, 39-year-old Arthur Freeman II was inside when he got into an argument with his family.

Investigators say arming himself with the 8-inch steak knife, Freeman punched his sister in the eye and then stabbed her twice – once in the abdomen and once in the right side of her chest.

He then turned to his 71-year-old father and stabbed him in the stomach, officials say.

Neighbor Susan Dumas told NBC 7 she heard the sister come screaming onto the balcony, calling for help and 911.

She later saw the woman collapse in the home’s driveway as the father emerged, clutching his side.

The victims were taken to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Police arrested Freeman and booked him into jail for attempted murder and causing harm to an elder/dependent adult.



Photo Credit: Liberty Zabala

@HiddenCash Originator Stashes Envelopes in Chicago

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The man who originated the "hidden cash" Twitter craze that started in San Francisco and sparked copycat events across the nation has made his way to Chicago.

Anonymous benefactor and San Francisco real estate investor Jason Buzi, who started the Twitter handle @HiddenCash, has been making his way to various cities this weekend, dropping money-filled envelopes around New York and Houston.

On Sunday, he targeted the Windy City.

Within 10 minutes, one envelope had already been found and the first clue started a mini-gold rush in the city's Millennium Park.

Fernando Fernandez spent his morning searching for the hidden money and his hunt eventually paid off when he found an enveloped tucked underneath a bench.

"I found $60 from Hidden Cash on Twitter," he told NBC Chicago. "It's been a great time. It's fun, really fun."

Fernandez said he has been following the movement since it first gained popularity on the West Coast.

"I'm definitely going to help people out now when I get the chance," he said. "All because [@HiddenCash]."

Employees working in the area said they were surprised by the scavenger hunt.

"We came to work and were setting up the concession stands and a man was screaming he was happy, really, really, happy," said Park Grill Concessions employee Cyara Tanon. "We went to go see what it was and he picked up an envelope and then he pulled out the money."

Tanon said the man found the envelope on a set of stairs.

"It looked like a lot," she said. "Big bills."

But not everyone was quite as lucky.

"We've been looking for like an hour," said Sydney Lenzini. "It's getting a little annoying, but it's money."

According to the Twitter page, the green gifts in Chicago may not end with Father's Day.

 



Photo Credit: NBC Chicago

Boy Injured in Small Plane Crash Dies

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An 8-year-old boy who was critically injured in a small plane crash in San Bernardino County earlier this week has died, coroner’s officials said Saturday.

Sebastian Joshua Grewal of Frazier Park was clinging to life at Loma Linda University Medical Center after the crash at El Mirage Dry Lake.

The pilot, Brian Lee, a 25-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department, also died.

Lee, who was an LAFD helicopter pilot and firefighter paramedic, was flying with Grewal in a single-engine Grumman AA-1A on Monay morning when it struck the ground and flipped several times, leaving a trail of debris more than 30 yards long. Sheriff’s officials said something caused the aircraft to nosedive.

Lee and Grewal were airlifted to hospitals following the crash.

Lee died of his injuries at the hospital Monday.

Grewal sustained trauma to the head and upper body. Coroner’s officials said he died Friday.

Whooping Cough Epidemic in Calif.

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The number of whooping cough cases in California has officially reached epidemic proportions, the California Department of Public Health reported.

Whooping cough, known to doctors as pertussis, has experienced a resurgence this year with more than 3,400 new cases reported between January 1 and June 10, according a statement released by the department.

The department said whooping cough is cyclical, peaking every three to five years. The last big spike in cases was in 2010.

Los Angeles County has experienced around 350 new cases so far this year with Long Beach being hit especially hard. The city has seen more than 90 new infections, making up nearly 20 cases per 100,000 people.

Pertussis is a highly infectious bacterial disease that can be spread by coughing. Symptoms of the disease vary by age group.

Adults can find themselves beset with respiratory problems that can last for weeks, while infants who are too young to be vaccinated are in danger of serious illness or death. The common name for the disease comes from the “whooping” sound children can make when experiencing the violent coughing attacks associated with the disease.

Infants may not have typical pertussis symptoms and may have no apparent cough. Parents describe episodes in which the infant’s face turns red or purple.

The organization said two-thirds of pertussis hospitalizations have been in children four months or younger. Two infant deaths have been reported.

“Preventing severe disease and death in infants is our highest priority,” said Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the department, in the statement. “We urge all pregnant women to get vaccinated. We also urge parents to vaccinate infants as soon as possible.”

The Tdap vaccine, which also guards against tetanus and diphtheria, can be administered to pregnant women to protect infants who are too young to be vaccinated.

In addition, the department said infants should be vaccinated as soon as possible, which can be as early as six weeks of age.

Older children and adults are also recommended to be vaccinated especially if they are regularly around newborn babies.

While Chapman said vaccination does not offer lifetime immunity, he stressed that it was still the best defense against the potentially fatal disease.



Photo Credit: NBCNewYork

Chargers Show Love on "Thank You SD Day"

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As Chargers Fans count down the days to the start of the NFL season, their team will show them some love Monday when players surprise people across the county for “Thank You San Diego Day.”

The team is reprising its winning event started last year when players, Chargers Girls and organization members spread out to Mission Beach, the San Diego Zoo and other spots to show their appreciation.

This year’s “thank you” playbook will remain a secret, but organizers did reveal the surprise visits will be between noon and 3:30 p.m.

To find the exact locations and times, check the Chargers TwitterFacebook and website for play-by-play action.

“Last year’s ‘Thank You San Diego Day’ was such a hit that we’re heading out again on Monday to say thank you to Chargers fans and get them ready for the season,” said A.G. Spanos, the team’s chief executive officer. “We can feel the optimism in the air about this season and the possibilities that lie ahead, and we want our fans to feel that same excitement.”

The Bolts have a lot to be thankful for after they saw the county rally around them in their exciting playoff appearances last season.

After defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in the first post-season game, the team made it to AFC Divisional Playoffs, falling to the Denver Broncos (and we all remember how the ensuing Super Bowl turned out).

The Chargers kick off this season on Aug. 7 at Qualcomm Stadium with a pre-season game against the Dallas Cowboys. 

3 Dead in Ill. Sports Bar Shooting

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A high school reunion turned deadly Saturday night in East Peoria after a man walked into a bar and shot a woman and another man before being fatally shot by an off-duty police officer.

According to NBC affiliate WEEK News 25, the shooting happened around 7:50 p.m. at The Fifth Quarter Sports Bar and Pizzeria.

Lori A. Moore, 33, of Morton, Ill. and Lance E. Griffel, 36, of Peoria, were pronounced dead just minutes apart at St. Francis Hospital with gunshot wounds to the head.

Police said the incident is believed to have been domestic violence related as the shooting suspect was identified as the ex-husband of Moore, WEEK reported.

East Peoria High School Class of 1999 was holding its high school reunion at the time of the shooting, but no other injuries were reported.

Several law enforcement agencies were reportedly present at the scene including East Peoria Police, Fondulac Park District Police, Creve Couer Police, Tazewell County Sheriff's Department and Illinois State Police.

Police have not released the names of the gunman or the off-duty officer involved.

 

 



Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Second Victim in Moonlight Beach Rescue Dies

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A man rescued by two teenagers after getting caught in a riptide has died, the San Diego County Medical Examiner confirmed.

The ME's report said Bacilio Manuel-Tomas, 39, died Saturday, more than two weeks after he and his nephew were rescued at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas.

His nephew, 17-year-old Geraldo Cruz-Manuel, was pronounced dead June 2.

On May 29, the two were swimming in the ocean and swept away by the tide. Meanwhile, a group of Santa Fe Christian students were celebrating the last day of school at the beach. Two of the students, who happened to be junior lifeguards, pulled the unconscious swimmers from the water.

According to a fundraising page set up by the students, both victims are from Guatemala; Bacilio was working in the U.S. to support his family back home, while Geraldo had just arrived in the U.S. to go to school.

So far, the students have raised more than $17,000 to send to the victims’ families in South America.
 

Brush Fire Burns 3 Acres in North County

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Fire crews spent all night battling a difficult brush fire that burned at least three acres in the North County.

The fire sparked around 10 p.m. Saturday close to State Route 78 and Haymar Drive, which is near the border of Oceanside and Carlsbad. 

The area is covered with thick trees and bushes, making this a hard fire to fight, officials say.

Firefighters were able to create a control line surrounding the flames, but they don't expect to have it fully out until midday Sunday. 

The fire was not posing a threat to buildings or people. 

Fallbrook Residents Grill Deputies Over Rapist's Home

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 Tension radiated through a Fallbrook community meeting as residents grilled law enforcement on how a convicted rapist was able to move in without public notice.

San Diego County Sheriff's officials faced a tough crowd at a volunteer fire station in De Luz Saturday as they answered questions about Barrett Littleton, who served time in prison for attacks on seven women in 1986.

“I've never been afraid to live in my home and sleep in my home, but now I'm petrified. I keep a loaded gun next to my bed,” said Torie Smith, who lives in front of the sex offender.

Smith’s property has a legal easement for the driveway, which means Littleton has the right to drive and walk up and down it to get to his home.

“I’m a single woman living alone, and this man rapes single women that live alone. I don’t know why he was put on my property,” Smith said.

Deputies told the packed room that Littleton was released from prison on parole a year ago and moved through six San Diego County locations before settling in on Daily Road in De Luz on May 27, registering as a sex offender each step of the way.

Littleton is required to list his specific address wherever he goes, which remains public knowledge under Megan’s Law, deputies say. He has also been fitted with a GPS monitor.

But Lt. Art Wager admits he discovered Littleton had moved into the area around the time enraged residents found out.

“When I said I was uninformed, that was the truth. I didn’t know about the specific individual,” said Wager. “However, there were no errors made in this particular case. Parolees move all the time.”

When Littleton was first released, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) decided the public would not have to be notified every time he moved.

Residents at the community meeting strongly disagreed with that policy.

“I’m not protected. I feel like bait,” Smith told the deputies as the crowd cheered her comment.

The biting backlash is forcing the sheriff’s department to rethink its policies on when to notify the public that a sex offender has moved to their neighborhood.

“Active notification outside of the Megan’s Law website,” Wager said. “That would entail in some cases going door to door in the neighborhood, flyers, that type of thing, publicity, going through the media.”

As for specifics about how Littleton is being monitored, deputies referred questions to the CDCR, which was invited to the meeting but did not send a representative.

Luis Patino, a spokesman for the CDCR, sent the following response to NBC 7’s request for comment:

“CDCR is keenly aware of importance of handling the sex-offender residency issues very carefully. That is why we followed the legally prescribed process to the letter. All required notifications to law enforcement agencies were made. We have carefully verified that Barrett Littleton served his full term in state prison - as defined by law. When Littleton was paroled he was fitted with GPS monitor and sent back to San Diego County, the county of his last legal residence, our parole agent made sure that the location of the residence in Fallbrook complies with state laws. The agent also verified that Littleton went to the local law enforcement office and registered as a sex offender. As a result of that registration the public can get important firsthand information about Littleton' s residency on the Megan's law website at http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/.”

NBC 7 reached out to Littleton for comment on this story, but requests were denied.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Gaslamp District Fight Leaves Man Dead

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San Diego Police have opened a homicide investigation after a man died from a fight outside a Gaslamp District restaurant early Sunday morning.

Witnesses told police a 28-year-old white man got into a verbal and physical fight outside the Encore restaurant on F Street after leaving another business in the area. 

Just after 1 a.m., a concerned citizen flagged officers down to tell them the man was unconscious, lying on the sidewalk. 

Paramedics took him to a nearby hospital, where he died shortly after. 

Police say they are looking for the suspect they believe was involved in the confrontation and left the scene in a hurry.

He is described as a dark-skinned man between 28 and 30 years old, weighing 170 pounds. Witnesses told police the suspect was wearing a green shirt, sagging pants with white underwear exposed and had long dreadlocks. 

The name of the 28-year-old victim will not be released until his family has been notified. 

An employee at Encore said part of the fight was captured on their surveillance camera, and they are handing over the footage to the SDPD. They are not releasing the video to the media. 

Investigators are still looking for information about what happened before and during the fight, so if you have any details, you are asked to call the homicide unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.



Photo Credit: Andrew James

NY Mayor Set to Sing "I Love LA"

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The Los Angeles Kings may have closed out the New York Rangers in five games to win the Stanley Cup, but apparently the series isn’t over until the mayor of New York sings.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is scheduled to perform a rendition of the Randy Newman anthem, "I Love L.A.," on an upcoming episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” because of a bet made with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti over the results of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Another stipulation of the bet means de Blasio also has to supply the Jimmy Kimmel audience with hot dogs from New York’s famed “Gray's Papaya.”

If the Rangers would have won, Garcetti would have had to perform the Frank Sinatra classic “New York, New York,” on the late night talk show and provide franks from Los Angeles icon “Pink’s Hot Dogs.”

The wager between the two mayors is only one of a string of cross-country challenges put forward by luminaries of California and New York. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton offered deli sandwiches to the winner of their bet.

The governors of the two states also made a wager for similarly delicious stakes.

California Gov. Jerry Brown bet a box of rice cakes and a California history book, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo put up a “Taste of New York” gift basket and a commemorative hockey puck.



Photo Credit: AP
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