Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was billed in his college football days as the breakout star from the University of Florida. But there were early signs of trouble when he fell to the fourth round of the 2010 draft because of his admitted marijuana use and possible gang affiliation in his hometown of Bristol, Connecticut.

Cut to 2014, Hernandez is embroiled in two high-profile legal battles where he has been implicated in a double homicide from 2012 and the June 2013 slaying of a semi-professional football player found dead near the ex-footballer's home in Massachusetts. 

Here is a timeline of events in the two investigations:

July 16, 2012. Two men, Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, are shot to death in a car as they wait for a red light in Boston's South End neighborhood.
    
Aug. 27, 2012. Hernandez signs a five-year, $40 million contract with the Patriots.
    
February 2013.  Alexander Bradley, a Hernandez associate, is shot in the face in Florida.
    
June 17, 2013. A jogger running through an industrial park finds the body of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez's girlfriend, about a mile from Hernandez's mansion in North Attleborough, Massachusetts.

June 18, 2013. Hernandez greets his Twitter followers with a "good morning" tweet. This is the last tweet Hernandez sends before his legal issues arise. By the end of the day, police descend on Hernandez's home, while another group of officers search the industrial park where the jogger discovered Odin's body.

good morning

— Aaron Hernandez (@AaronHernandez) June 18, 2013

June 19, 2013. The Bristol County district attorney's office says the state medical examiner ruled Lloyd's death a homicide. Separately, Bradley files a lawsuit claiming Hernandez shot him in the face after they argued at a strip club in Miami in February.

June 21, 2013. Muscle Milk maker CytoSport says it is ending Hernandez's endorsement contract because of the investigation. The Hernandez investigation leads officers to a Providence strip club, but police won't say what they were doing there. Family members say Hernandez and Lloyd were together the night Lloyd died.

June 22, 2013. State police return to Hernandez's home with dogs to conduct an additional search.

June 23, 2013. Officers in wetsuits search the woods near Hernandez's home.

June 24, 2013. Authorities arrest Hernandez take him from his home in handcuffs. The Patriots release him hours after his arrest.

June 27, 2013. A judge denies Hernandez's request for bail.

July 6, 2013. Hernandez's friend Ernest Wallace is arraigned on a charge of accessory of murder after the fact. Prosecutors say Hernandez, Wallace and another man drove with Lloyd to an industrial park where Lloyd was fatally shot.

July 25, 2013. A judge releases to the press sealed documents that include surveillance photos  showing Hernandez in basement holding what authorities said is a gun. The images were captured hours before and minutes after Lloyd was shot.

August 22, 2013. A grand jury indicts Hernandez on a murder charge in connection to Odin's killing.

September 6, 2013. Hernandez pleadst agai not guilty to a first-degree murder charge. He firmly pleads "not guilty" to six charges total, including murder and weapons and ammunition possession charges.

October 15, 2013. Hernandez's former fiancée Shayanna Jenkins is arraigned in Massachusetts on a perjury charge related to the testimony she gave the Bristol County grand jury hearing evidence in the Lloyd case. Evidence showed that Jenkins was in the house that she shared with Hernandez when he called and asked her to remove and discard a box that was in their basement.

December 16, 2013. Odin Lloyd's family files a wrongful death lawsuinst Hernandez.

January 8, 2014. A newly released search warrant indicates that Boston authorities identified Hernandez as a suspect in the 2012 homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, who were killed shortly after they left a nightclub with three other friends. Surveillance footage shows Hernandez and Bradley at the same Boston nightclub, The Hartford Courant reported.

February 3, 2014. Bradley is shot again, this time outside a Connecticut nightclub.     

May 1, 2014. Hernandez is indicted in an alleged jail assault in February and an alleged threat to do bodily harm last November.

May 15, 2014. Hernandez is indicted on two counts of first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the shootings of Abreu and Furtado. His lawyers say he is innocent of the charges.

June 21, 2014. Hernandez is taken to St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford for an undisclosed problem.

June 24, 2014. Hernandez is due in court for the Abreu and Furtado murder case.

By the train loads, thousands and thousands of young children are fleeing danger in their home countries for a life of freedom in the United States.

But the influx at the border with Mexico has reached what President Barack Obama has called a “humanitarian crisis.”

Democratic Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents the 32nd District that includes Claremont and Pasadena, said Sunday “This has to stop and the young people have to have somewhere to go.”

In the shadow of the Washington D.C. mall, local representatives including Chu stood firm on new legislation that could turn the tide on unaccompanied minors crossing into the U.S. illegally.

• Read: Naval Base Warehouse Converted Into Shelter for Immigrant Children

The bill would help those coming across the border with legal representation for their individual immigration cases, if it passes.

“People would be shocked to know that there is actually now legal representation for these young people and they are often times in immigration court facing an ICE prosecution attorney and they’re just defending themselves,” Chu said.

Chu was one of a group of Democrats who introduced the Vulnerable Immigrant Voice Act of 2014.

Rep. Karen Bass, D-California, said the bill was the right thing to do.

“These are children. And children, no matter where they come from, need to be taken care of,” she said. “That they would leave their countries with fear of their life on their own the least we can do is provide them legal assistance."

• Read: Boy's Immigration Story Signals Hope for Children

There has been a massive increase in the number of children and adolescents making the dangerous desert trek alone, without family, officials say.

In 2013 the federal government housed about 25,000 minors who were going through deportation proceedings along.

This year, that number is expected to swell to 60,000.

Many of the children, some as young as five years old, have been left to stand alone in those moments, and yet those with the means for an attorney tend to create stronger cases for asylum.

“At the very least there should be some entity that is advising these kids of their rights,” Chu said.
Opponents point to the cost of providing lawyers to those who arrived in the U.S. illegally.

Chu says it’s a topic she’s discussed with other congressional leaders, saying the move could actually save federal dollars.

“They’re detained for a long time and actually detention is longer and more costly than it is to have them go through some sort of legal procedure.”

• Watch: SoCal Naval Base Home to Immigrant Children

Some opponents argue it's not a fair system.

The people that are here in California that get caught should be processed in California. The people in Texas should be processed in Texas. The people in Arizona should be processed in Arizona," Murrieta resident Tony Boyd said. "I think that's a more fair system."

Fifteen-year-old Bryan Alvarez of Bell Gardens made the dangerous trek alone from El Salvador. He got lucky, he said, when local immigration attorney Nelson Castillo took his case pro-bono as part of the nonprofit KIND or, "kids in need of defense."

“When immigration got me, that was the only scary part I remember,” Alvarez said.

Castillo said the VIVA bill is an immediate remedy to a very long process that becomes more complicated when kids can't defend themselves.

“We have seen it coming for some time,” Castillo said of the growing problem.

“The key is for us not to rush to judgment for political expediency and not give an opportunity to somebody to voice their story in a proper way,” he said.

The first of two public hearings on proposed regulations for a state law that directs the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants living in California began  Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Assembly Bill 60 requires the DMV to issue a driver's license to applicants who cannot submit proof that their presence in the United States is authorized by federal law. The applicant must meet all other qualifications for a driver licenses in California, including written and driving tests required by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The bill was approved by lawmakers on the final day of the legislative session before it was signed into law in October by Gov. Jerry Brown. The original draft of the bill provided licenses to anyone who could prove they work or pay taxes in the United States, but the final version left it up to the DMV to determine required documentations.

• Read: DMV Proposal on Document Requirements

The public hearings on Tuesday in Los Angeles and Thursday in Oakland will focus on what documents will be accepted from applicants attempted to establish identity and California residency. The identity requirements proposed by the DMV provide four options for applicants, all of which are outlined here. The proposal includes a second review process by which an applicant unable to comply with Options 1, 2 or 3 can interview with a DMV investigator, who will try to verify identity.

More than a dozen options are available to applicants to satisfy the California residency requirement, including a lease agreement, mortgage bills, home utility bills, tax returns, federal government-issued IDs and other documents.

About 100 people attended Tuesday's hearing, according to the Associated Press. Speakers urged the DMV to consider providing translators for non-English-speaking applicants and coordinating with consulates to ensure that immigrants who live outside major cities can obtain documents.

"I have full concern that the DMV doesn't have a way to verify," Newport Beach resident Denise Aliberti said.

DMV officials told NBC4 the agency has a process to determine the authenticity of the documents.

"The documents have to be secure enough, according to DMV standards," said Armando Botello, of the California DMV. "They're not very easily forged."

An estimated 2.5 million undocumented immigrants live in California, according to a 2010 Pew Research study. The DMV estimated that about 1.4 million individuals will become licensed with the enactment of AB60.

After the public hearings, the department will deliver its final recommendations to the Office of Administrative Law for review. The law requires the DMV to begin issuing licenses to undocumented applicants by Jan. 1.

• Read: SoCal Girl Pushes Immigration Reform in DC

Cards provided to approved applicants will indicate on the back that they are only IDs for driving. The cards do not establish eligibility for employment, voting or public benefits. Approved drivers also become eligible for insurance and training, including written and driving tests required by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Some beachfront property owners may soon face fines as Gov. Jerry Brown signs a new bill into law that would regulate the illegal blocking of beach access.

The law grants the California Coastal Commission the power to fine those who block beach access to the public. Homeowners could be fined $1,250 a day – no court order needed. Under the new law, the California Coastal Commission can also fine those who destroy habitats or build without a permit.

• Read: Public Access to All California Beaches May Become Reality

At Strands Beach in Orange County’s Dana Point, the gates adjacent to a development of beachfront homes are only open during certain hours – 8 a.m to 7 p.m. during the summer, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the winter. The new law could mean that the gates would be open around the clock. The only alternate way to access the sand has been described as "two football fields away."

"It’s pretty inconvenient parking up here and going all the way down there. So I think it’s better (the gates) be open as often as they can," beach goer Thomas Konogeris said.

According to Chad Nelson of the Surfrider Foundation, there have been nearly 2,000 cases where the Coastal Commission had its hands tied until the new rule went into effect.

“Strands is a case in point as to why we need this enforcement,” Nelson said. “If they want to limit the hours, it’s simple. They should follow the law like everybody else and go seek a permit with the coastal commission, which is very clear.”

• Read: Catalina Island Beach Parties

Nelson said that the housing developer in the area promised “maximum access” but then limited that access based on time of the day. The Surfrider Foundation is now suing the city of Dana Point for approving the gates.

According to an NBC4 report, it is unclear whether the new law would affect Strands Beach or others where there is both public and private beach access.

NBC4 reached out to both the developer of the property and to the city manager. Both referred NBC4 to their attorneys, who had not replied by the time of publication.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday unanimously voted to approve staff recommendations that the probable cause of the crash of Asiana flight 214 at SFO last July was pilot error.

The board agreed that the flight crew of the Boeing 777 did not appropriately understand the airplane's cockpit automation systems, and did not appropriately respond when the plane started flying too slow and too low to land safely during final approach.

• Crash of Flight 214: Stories from NBC Bay Area's Investigative Unit

The flight crew of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 “over-relied on automated systems that they did not fully understand," NTSB Acting Chairman Christopher A. Hart said at a public hearing in Washington, D.C.

"As a result, they flew the aircraft too low and too slow and collided with the sea wall at the end of the runway,” Hart added. The Korea-based crew "over-relied on automated systems that they did not fully understand," Hart added.

That was the major conclusion of the NTSB hearing into the July 6, 2013 crash at SFO, which caused the deaths of three teenage girls and injuries to about 180 passengers. Aside from that over-reliance, federal investigators also found that pilot mismanagement, lack of training, confusion regarding technology, and the complexity of the Boeing 777's autothrottle contributed to a "cascade of errors" that day.

• NTSB Report on Asiana Flight 214 Crash

In a statement, Asiana Airlines agreed with the findings of the NTSB, writing, in part: "We believe the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has properly recognized the multiple factors that contribued to the accident." The written statement added that Asiana has already implemented the training reccomendations mentioned in the hearing and has hired an outside safety specialist, Akiyoski Yamamura.

However the manufacturer of crashed jet, Boeing, took issue with the NTSB's findings.  In a written statement, a Boeing spokesperson wrote that the company "respectually disagrees with the NTSB's statement that the 777's auto-flight system contributed to this accident". The spokesperson pointed to the track record of the auto-flight system, which "has been used successfully for oer 200 million flight hours" and said that "all of the airplane's systems performed as designed."

The crash was the only fatal passenger airline accident in the U.S. in the last five years.

And the goal of the federal hearing, Hart said, was to answer the question of why the plane crashed "while executing a visual approach on a clear day" and offer recommendations "to prevent similar accidents." A preliminary hearing was held in December, where similar findings were released.

The Boeing 777 carrying 219 passengers was on approach to runway 28L at SFO when it struck the seawall at the end of the runway. The hearing revealed that two of the three girls who died after being ejected from the plane had not been wearing safety belts. One of the girls was the one who had been later run over by a San Francisco fire truck.

• Special Coverage: Flight 214 Crash Landing

While Hart said “automation has unquestionably made aviation safer and more efficient," pilot error and lack of experience led to the fatal crash in this instance. There were no apparent mechanical problems with the plane officials confirmed. The pilot, Captain Lee Kang Kuk, 45, had eight years of experience, but was new to flying the 777.

NBC Bay Area's investigative team first reported in August 2013, that NTSB investigators were focusing on over-reliance on the cockpit automation systems by the three experienced pilots who were in the 777's cockpit at the time of the crash. The investigative team found that the problem is found throughout the industry and has long concerned both the FAA and the NTSB.

#Asiana pilot admits he was uncomfortable flying into SFO and dealing with automation systems in cockpit says #NTSB experts @nbcbayarea

— Stephen Stock (@StephenStockTV) June 24, 2014

Data recovered from the airplane's black boxes after the crash showed that the three pilots in the cockpit did not respond for a full 26 seconds after the plane dropped below the safe speed and safe altitude to land safely.

 #NTSB No evidence any of 3 pilots of #Asiana were aware throttles were in idle as plane went too slow and too low pic.twitter.com/42bokKuKhf — Stephen Stock (@StephenStockTV) June 24, 2014

Evidence from the black boxes showed the pilots may have incorrectly programmed the computer, setting the plane's altitude higher than it actually was during final approach to land.

• FAA Report: Pilots Addicted to Automation

The NTSB also addressed the San Francisco Fire Department’s role in the death of one of the victims who was run over by a San Francisco fire truck, but agents mentioned that two of the girls who were killed were not wearing their seat belts when they were ejected from the plane.

The NTSB also found that in two discrete incidents, SF firefighters identified the girl lying on the ground after she was ejected from the plane but before she was run over.  On each occasion, the firefighter identified the girl has deceased and did not further check on her condition. NTSB recommended better victim triage to prevent this from happening in the future.

NTSB's report also faulted the fire department for a lack of training in aircraft rescues for those who were coordinating the resopnse.

"These individuals had no previous experience working at an airport, nor had they been involved in an airport disaster exercise," said Jason Fedok, NTSB investigator.

The fire department said changes have been made in response to the Asiana plane crash at SFO, including mandatory aircraft rescue training for everyone in the department above the rank of lieutenant.

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

Clinton’s book “Hard Choices” was released on June 17 and the former First Lady scheduled a book tour to promote sales. A local signing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at Warwicks in La Jolla.

The event is sold out.

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.

Chicago has come out on top in the intense competition for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

City Hall officials confirmed that the city has beat out San Francisco and Los Angeles for the museum, which will host more than 500,000 pieces of art and movie memorabilia from "Star Wars" director George Lucas' personal archives. The museum was initially supposed to be called the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum, but the name change was announced Tuesday, along with the decision.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proposed building the museum on two parking lots located near Soldier Field and offered to lease the land to Lucas for $1, a similar arrangement other large cultural institutions have with the Chicago Park District.

Emanuel said in a news conference Tuesday that the museum will serve as a partner with the city's schools and an opportunity to create jobs.

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"I can't thank George and Mellody enough for choosing Chicago," Emanuel said. "This will be a tremendous opportunity, a significant step for the city. No other major American city has these types of cultural and educational institutions, with a great Northerly Island creating a vibrant, green museum campus unparalleled in the United States."

The proposal still needs to go through the Chicago Plan Commission and the earliest it would open is 2018.

Museum officials say the facility will be dedicated to narrative art -- the telling of stories visually, and that the key objective will be to inspire and educate future generations.

Chicago received the nod "because of the quality of the site proposed by the city's task force," and the "unparalleled visitor access" on the 17-acre site.

"Choosing Chicago is the right decision for the museum, but a difficult decision for me personally because of my strong personal and professional roots in San Francisco," said Mr. Lucas, a native of Modesto, Ca.

San Francisco was pushing a piece of property near the water in its downtown area after city officials rejected the first targeted location.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti promoted the use of a #WhyLucasInLA hashtag to build support through social media. The museum would have been located near the University of Southern California, where Lucas attended film school.

Emanuel lobbied hard for the museum to come to Chicago but family ties likely played a part in the decision. Lucas' wife, Mellody Hobson, is from Chicago and the two share a home in the city.

A 16-year-old high school sophomore in New Jersey is accused of breaking into his school's computer system to change grades and attendance records for as many as 24 students.

Prosecutors in Essex County say officials from Orange High School alerted police that someone without authorization had gained access to the school's computers. Cyber crimes investigators were then notified.

Authorities say the teen used a faculty member's password to get into the system and changed the grades and attendance records. 

"This is not a case of sophisticated computer hacking by any means -- this is really the oldest trick in the book," prosecutor Robert Laurino told NBC 4 New York. 

One 18-year-old student told NBC 4 New York that the teen charged kids for the work. Laurino confirmed prosecutors are looking into that.

"I think they probably didn't think that they would get caught," said Scott Thelusma, 18.

The district disciplined several other students who were allegedly involved, prosecutors say.

The teen is charged with several counts of second-degree computer theft and has been released. The case will proceed in Family Court and his identity is not being released.

The school's graduation is Thursday.

Police are looking for a woman, believed to be in her 70s, who grabs purses off the backs of chairs in Brooklyn restaurants.

The elderly thief with white hair and dark-rimmed glasses is suspected of stealing a handbag at Mullanes Grill on Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene, and another at a location in Park Slope, according to a law enforcement source.

She may also be linked to other thefts, the source said. 

Surveillance video from Mullanes shows her walking past tables and slipping a bag from a chair where a woman is sitting with a child on her lap.

She then walks calmly out of the restaurant.

Police ask anyone who recognizes her to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

The fiancé of 21-year-old Kayla Mendoza, accused of killing two women in a wrong-way crash while drunk, said the now-infamous "2 Drunk 2 Care" tweet she sent minutes earlier was directed at him.

A tearful Javier Reyes can be heard on interrogation tape telling Florida Highway Patrol investigators the couple had gotten into an argument about her driving his car and not coming directly home after work.

• Police ID Man Who Fell Into Wood Chipper, Died

"It was all my fault. It was all my fault," Reyes says in the tape. "I should have just been like, 'It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. Just go eat, have fun. Just come home to your baby.'"

Instead, Mendoza allegedly drove the wrong way on the Sawgrass Expressway, slamming head first into another car.

FHP's investigative report says that Mendoza, 20 at the time, was driving a white Hyundai the wrong way on the highway last November when she slammed into a red car being driven by Kaitlyn Ferrante and her best friend Marisa Catronio. Both Ferrante and Catronio, who were 21 at the time, died.

• Teen Killed Grandmother at Nudist Community, Drove Body Around: Police

Authorities said Mendoza had gone out to a bar after work with her colleagues from a T-Mobile store before the crash.

Reyes told investigators during the interrogation that Mendoza rarely drank alcohol.

FHP: So you've never seen her drink any alcoholic beverages?
Reyes: I mean, once or twice, like on her birthday, but it was home. It was safe. No vehicle or anything.
FHP: What type?
Reyes: Just beer?

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Mendoza, who called herself the "pot princess" on Twitter, tweeted "2 Drunk 2 care" just minutes before the crash, according to FHP. Authorities said she was driving with a blood alcohol level twice the legal limit.

Mendoza faces charges of DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide for the accident. She pleaded not guilty during her formal arraignment in May.

An Escondido woman is in critical condition after fire broke out inside her home Tuesday, officials confirmed.

The blaze began around 8:15 a.m. at a two-story single-family home in the 3800 block of Violet Glen. When crews arrived on scene, the house was well-involved in flames.

One neighbors said the flames were as high as 20 feet.

"I thought it was the gardener. It sounded like people raking leaves actually. Then the sound got louder and louder, and it sounded like people were stepping on bubble wrap. I thought it was raining for some reason," Shane Sandberg said. "I came out to the balcony and that’s when I saw the flames."

Fire officials said the elderly woman inside the home suffered smoke inhalation and burn marks. She was taken to Palomar Hospital then flown to the UC San Diego Burn Center for treatment, according to officials.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but officials believe it began in the kitchen.
 

The family of the man accused in San Diego’s Christmas Eve triple homicide case is responding to news of his arrest, apologizing for any pain the victims’ families have suffered through this ordeal.

Michael Berg, attorney of suspect Carlo Mercado, 29, released this statement to NBC 7 Monday night on behalf of Mercado’s family:

“On behalf of Carlo Mercado, we would like the community to know how sorry we are for any pain the Flint and Belvedere family have suffered and are suffering. We have only had limited contact with Carlo since his arrest and have not been made aware of any evidence against him. We remain fully supportive of him and ask the public to respect our privacy during this difficult time.”

Mercado is being treated at UC San Diego Medical Center for injuries suffered after he was booked into jail over the weekend. His attorney did not want to elaborate on the incident but said the suspect’s family is shocked their brother/son is behind bars facing three first-degree murder charges.

• Read: SDPD Chief Hopes Arrest Brings Closure to Victims' Families

“He's loved by his family and never been in trouble before…He's adamantly denying any involvement whatsoever,” Berg told NBC 7.

Mercado is accused of gunning down Ilona Flint and Salvatore Belvedere on Christmas Eve in the Macy's Mission Valley parking lot. He's also accused of killing Gianni Belvedere.

Court records show Mercado was stopped by law enforcement on January 18, one day after Gianni’s body was found, in Riverside. Mercado's lawyer says the suspect was returning from target practice.

In May, months later, Mercado was charged with three weapons-related felonies, and a misdemeanor. All charges were dropped except one. He pleaded guilty for possessing a loose silencer. These charges have not been linked to the homicide case.

Mercado’s lawyer says his client is single and lived with his sister and brother-in-law in Mira Mesa. The suspect’s mother and other sibling live in the Bay Area. Mercado works at Target. Berg says he had no prior criminal history before the weapons charges.

• TIMELINE: Brothers, Fiancee Killed in Triple Homicide Mystery 

“You will see he's a very quiet, unassuming soft spoken individual. He clearly does not fit the mold you would suspect would be guilty of these crimes and I fully believe he will be acquitted once we have the evidence and can go into court to fight it,” Berg said.

Late Monday night, the Belvedere family also released a statement:

“We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. We stand united with the Flint family in the pursuit of justice. In the near future we will be updating our website with a detailed personal letter thank everyone for everything they have done to help us in getting justice for our loved ones. We look forward to creating a non-profit charity in Gianni, Sal, and Ilona's name that will help families who lose loved ones to violence. It's our goal to not let this tragedy define the legacy of our children instead we plan on giving them the legacy they deserve by helping other people.”

Mercado is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday where, Berg says, he will plead not guilty.
 

After shutting down last year, Escondido’s Palomar Continuing Care Center could soon be transformed from an old nursing home into a youth care facility for immigrant children but some nearby residents aren’t happy at all with the plan.

“I think it’s a bad thing for the city and the area, “said local Bill Durney.

“I’m not happy about it,” exclaimed Andrea Garro.

All the concern and the anger stems over a youth care facility that would serve as a 24-hour, 96-bed facility housing immigrant children ages 6 to 17.

But some residents said the facility seems like it would be more of an immigration detention center, and they don’t want that in their backyards.

The facility would be located on the 1800 block of Avenida Del Diablo, right in a residential area. Del Lago Academy sits in the shadows of the proposed site.

Durney and his family walk by the structure daily.

“Our daughter walks our dog through here every night and I’d be very concerned for her safety," he said.

Southwest Key, a contractor with the Department of Health and Human Services is spearheading the project. Approval from the Escondido Planning Commission could go through as early as Tuesday with a vote scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

To ease traffic concerns Southwest Key agreed to restrict intake times.

They're also planning to build a 6-foot fence to ease worries about immigrants escaping.

But at a weekend meeting with residents the company sparked more concern for children at play in the community when residents said Southwest Key talked about another need for the fence.

“The fence isn’t for the kids leaving but for drug trafficking or situations coming into the facility,” said Durney.

According to the Department of Homeland Security 9,000 children crossed the U-S Mexico border last month, fueling Escondido residents to wonder if there are more facilities to come. According to documents, Southwest Key says they have not expanded any of their California facilities.

If the vote for the facility is approved, it can be appealed and go to a vote of the city council.
 

San Diego International Airport has opened its first-ever meditation room, located post-security in Terminal 2.

Airport officials said the nondenominational space, called The Spirit of Silence and also known as Reflection Room, is a “serene place for travelers to contemplate, meditate or pray” in a quiet setting before or after flights.

The design was created by Seattle-based artist Norie Sato and is meant to evoke “the undefinable and changing edge” between water and sky. Officials recently marked the opening of the facility with an invocation ceremony at the airport. 

The Business Journal is the premier business publication in San Diego. Every day online and each Monday in print, the Business Journal reports on how local business operate and why businesses leaders make the decisions they do. Every story is a dose of insight into how to run a better, more efficient, more profitable business.

A Coronado-based Navy SEAL died parachuting Monday in El Centro, according to Naval Special Warfare Public Affairs.

The Navy has identified the victim as Chief Special Warfare Officer Bradley S. Cavner.

Cavner was taking part in parachute jump training when he was killed.

The fatal accident is under investigation.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
 

The families of the victims of a triple homicide case that has captivated San Diego since Christmas Eve 2013 said they will continue to “stand united” in their quest for justice and plan to help other families impacted by violence.

Late Monday night, the Belvedere family released the following statement regarding the killings of their loved ones, brothers Salvatore and Gianni Belvedere and Ilona Flint:

“We want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. We stand united with the Flint family in the pursuit of justice. In the near future we will be updating our website with a detailed personal letter to thank everyone for everything they have done to help us in getting justice for our loved ones.

We look forward to creating a non-profit charity in Gianni, Sal, and Ilona's name that will help families who lose loved ones to violence. It's our goal to not let this tragedy define the legacy of our children. Instead, we plan on giving them the legacy they deserve by helping other people.”

Earlier on Monday, the San Diego Police Department held a news briefing detailing the arrest of San Diego resident Carlo Mercado, 29, the man accused of killing all three victims. Homicide Lt. Mike Hastings said the case had been turned over to the San Diego District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

• Read: Family of Triple Homicide Suspect Breaks Silence

According to police, Mercado was arrested on June 20 in the 8700 block of Westmore Street in connection with the triple homicide case that had remained unsolved since Christmas Eve 2013. He was booked in San Diego Central Jail on three counts of first-degree murder.

News of Mercado’s arrest first broke Saturday. At that time, Antoinette Belvedere – sister of the slain Belvedere brothers – said the family felt a sense of relief, but was still processing the shocking new developments.

Mercado is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday. His attorney, Michael Berg, said his client will enter a not guilty plea.

The suspect was previously arrested earlier this year on four gun-related charges, Berg confirmed. Public records show Mercado had pleaded guilty to them, with his sentencing for those charges scheduled for July 9.

• Timeline: Triple Homicide Mystery

As for the victims of this triple homicide case, Flint and Salvatore were gunned down in a parking lot outside a Macy's department store at Mission Valley Mall in the early hours of Dec. 24, 2013. Flint died at the scene, while Salvatore died a few days later from injuries sustained in the shooting.

Gianni -- Salvatore's brother and Flint's longtime boyfriend-turned-fiance -- went missing immediately following the shooting of his loved ones. The San Diego Police Department launched a missing person search for Gianni over the next several weeks.

Finally, on Jan. 17, 2014, Gianni's body was discovered in the trunk of his car in Riverside, Calif., about an hour-and-a-half north of San Diego County. He, too, had been fatally shot.

Until Mercado’s arrest over the weekend, a suspect had not been caught in connection with the killings.

The Belvedere family runs a website titled "Justice for Sal, Gianni and Ilona" which is frequently updated with new information and personal stories of the victims, as shared by their loved ones.
 

San Diego's new downtown main library, which opened to the public September 30, 2013, apparently will wind up costing a million dollars more than originally expected.

The reason, as city officials phrase it? "Changes in scope and unforeseen conditions encountered during construction," according to a report to the City Council.

Documents indicate there were additions and "change orders" shortly before the iconically domed library opened and shortly afterward.

In 2005, the nine-story East Village project's estimated price tag rose 24 percent, to $185 million, because of escalating steel, concrete and oil costs.

The city’s contract with Turner Construction called for a timeline of 912 calendar day, but all the changes and setbacks pushed the library's completion forward another 167 days.

Now, city staff and the builders have reached a $1 million settlement on the cost of construction delays.

Officials say the money will come from outside contribution funds left in the "capital improvement" project's budget.

The settlement is scheduled to go before the City Council's Infrastructure Committee Tuesday, a preliminary step toward approval by the full Council.