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Deadly Summer for Kids Left in Cars

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When police in Connecticut announced this week that a child had died alone inside a hot car, it was the latest in a string of such deaths across the nation over the past month.

Six children died in June under similar circumstances in the U.S. The case receiving the most national attention is unfolding in suburban Atlanta, where a father is charged with murder for intentionally leaving his 22-month-old son alone in the back of the family SUV. The father, Justin Ross Harris, wanted a "child-free life," according to authorities. Harris claims he was unaware his son was in the back seat when he drove to work.

The six reported deaths last month are down from nine deaths that occurred last June. Still, advocates say the rate remains troubling and more should be done to educate parents and protect kids.

So far in 2014, 15 children have died from heat stroke because they were left in hot cars, according to KidsAndCars, a national nonprofit that works to prevent harm to children in and around vehicles. By their count, 44 children died of vehicular heat stroke last year, up from 33 in 2012.

Advocates say studies have not identified why some years see more deaths than others.

“Out of sight can mean out of mind,” said Janette Fenton, founder and president of KidsAndCars.

On Tuesday, Connecticut State Police sent a public message warning drivers to be attentive to their own children as well as others they see unattended in cars.

"We wanted to ensure that people understood the dangers involved in not only leaving a child unattended in a car, but even in leaving a car unlocked," Lt Paul Vance of Connecticut Police's department of emergency services and public protection said. He added that kids in the summer play outdoors more often, where they have increased access to cars.

There have been six reported incidents of children being locked hot cars in Connecticut in the last two weeks, the one in Ridgefield on Monday resulting in death. Up until last month, Connecticut had a record of only four reported hot car child deaths since data began being collected in 1990, according to KidsAndCars' data.

"This is a parent's worst nightmare," said Amy Jones, a 32-year-old Connecticut mother and middle school teacher. Her child turned 2 in May.

"It's sad no matter what their age, but especially when you hear about a child of similar age to your own," Jones said.

Twenty states have unattended child in vehicle laws on the books, according to Golden Gate Weather Services. Connecticut's law charges guardians who endanger their children in hot cars with a felony depending on the circumstances. Tennessee, which already had a law in place, added a good Samaritan bill in June that allows a stranger to break into a car if they see an unattended child in danger.

"What we are truly asking is for the public to be our eyes and ears," Vance said. "When you pull into the supermarket and see a child locked in a car, contact law enforcement. We can determine if it's a true emergency, especially in these days of hot, humid, horrific weather."

But even in milder temperatures children are still at risk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warns that even on days with temperatures in the 60s, a car's internal temperature can rise above 110 degrees, and children's bodies warm faster than adults.

"Studies on thermal injury to children show that 'dry heat' temperatures, within a closed vehicle, can become dangerous to small children and infants in only minutes,” Connecticut State Police said in Tuesday's statement. "A high level of humidity can reduce that time by one half."

Could Technology Fix the Problem? 

Fenton wants to see more proactive approaches to the issue.

“The child should never be left there in the first place. You’re waiting and hoping for a perfect stranger to help your child,” she said. “It is going to take technology to change this.”

Cars alert drivers and passengers when their seatbelt is unbuckled, when their door isn’t fully closed, or when the gas is running low, Fenton said. But they don’t alert you when you leave a child in the car.

“If you back away and look at it, it’s more important to save a dead car battery than a dead baby,” Fenton said.

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has found that current warning systems to detect children left in cars are unreliable, according to research from July 2012.

"I don't know if there's technology that will ever exist," Jones said. She suggests parents should get into the habit of leaving things that are important to them, such as a phone or wallet, in the backseat of the car so the driver won't leave the car without looking in the back. 

"Leave something that belongs to you, not something for your child. You can just as easily forget your diaper bag," Jones said.

That's the message that CarsAndKids and similar organizations, including SafeCar.gov, are spreading through the awareness campaign Look Before You Lock. They are encouraging drivers with children in the car to adopt simple routines, such as leaving an object in the back seat that the driver will reach for before leaving the car.

"There have been 15 deaths this year. We don't want to contribute to that," Vance said. "We want people to understand that defenseless children need to be taken care of, they need to be remembered, they can’t be forgotten. Certainly that keeps them out of harm's way."



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Family Runs to Locked Room as Homeowner Fights Off Intruder

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A man who claimed to be under the influence of PCP broke into a home near Fallbrook through a bedroom window.

A man, his wife, daughter and an aunt were inside the home at 1st Street and Huffstatler Road when the man entered the home around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The homeowner fought off the intruder even though the suspect was beating him with a flashlight and threatened to have a gun, officials said.

The family locked themselves inside a bedroom while they called 911. A dispatcher told them to stay locked in that room until deputies could arrive.

Once San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies got to the home, they found the man and suspect still fighting.

Then the suspect turned on the deputies and began to fight them.

Deputies say they tased the intruder multiple times.

Officials have identified the man arrested as 33-year-old Michael Duitsman of Fallbrook.

Duitsman was transported to a nearby hospital for minor injuries.

He was booked on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and under the influence of a control substance.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Neighbors Rescue Couple in House Fire

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A Carlsbad couple and their dog were awakened by neighbors when an explosive fire sparked in their garage Wednesday.

A BMW and a Mazda were burnt to a crisp when fire tore through the garage at the home on Pannonia Road around 1:30 a.m.

Neighbors heard the fire alarm, jumped out of bed, called 911 and began banging on the homeowners’ front door to wake them up.

Neighbor Wanye Cowie said the couple slept through the fire.

“As they were coming out, things were exploding in the garage. It was pretty dramatic,” Cowie said. “The door melted and the flames started rolling out over the roof.”

“Kind of unreal to hear that smoke alarm and not knowing what it was or where it was coming from and all of sudden see the flames just burst out of the garage door,” he said.

No one was injured.

Fire crews were able to contain fire to garage thanks in part to closed doors and firewalls are built into garage so it wouldn't spread to other parts of the house.

The doggie door that connects the garage to the home brought some of the smoke inside the house and caused some damage, officials said.

Hours later, fire investigators were sifting through the rubble and charred remains of what's left in the garage to determine a cause.

Firefighters said there were propane tanks and ammunition inside garage that caused the small explosions.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

"Free" Written on Abandoned Dog

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An abandoned dog was found with the words "free" and "I need a home" written on it in permanent marker in a typically dog-friendly Northern California community last week.

Shannon Bettencourt just finished her shift at the Chill Wine Bar in downtown Benicia on July 3 when she saw the dog standing by a tree.

"She was scared, shaking and kind of whimpering," Bettencourt said.

She couldn't believe someone just left the dog on the side of the street with words written directly on it.

"I was heartbroken, it was really sad," Bettencourt said. "Nobody wants to see an animal like that ever."

Bettencourt took the dog home, where her fiance, Chris Franco, was waiting.

"(The dog) was obviously well taken care of. You could have easily found a home for a dog like this if you really gave it half an effort," he said.

The couple tried to find clues as to what happened through Facebook, with no luck. So they kept her.

"The first night I let her sleep in the bed with me because I knew she needed something, and she just slept on my stomach the whole night," Bettencourt said.

Bettencourt named the dog Libby, short for Liberty. She thought it was appropriate since she found Libby the day before the Fourth of July.

She says Libby is well-mannered and likes to play with other dogs. Libby also seems to like Bettencourt, too.

"She's super well-trained, and it just doesn't make sense why somebody would dump her," Bettencourt said.

Bettencourt plans to formally adopt Libby this week. The Benicia Police Department says the original owner could face dog abandonment charges. They're asking witnesses to call them.

2-Year-Old Dies After Trundle Bed Collapses on Her

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The death of a 2-year-old who slipped away from her babysitter in Highland Park Monday evening has been deemed an accident, police said.

Neighbors on the 5200 block of Glenn Ellen Place searched frantically for the toddler throughout the apartment complex in which she lived. She was found just after 7 p.m. under a bed in the apartment unit she lived in.

"I tried to give her CPR but she was like, she didn't move," neighbor Ruby Pineda said.

A 19-year-old neighbor who lives in the apartment complex was babysitting the child while her mother was away at work.

"The child got underneath the lower half of a trundle bed that is able to collapse. And it did collapse on the 2-year-old," LAPD Lt. Craig Herron said.

The child passed away at the hospital.

Though it was initially reported as a suspicious death, police said it appears to be an accidental death and no criminal charges will be filed.

 

No Drowning at La Costa Resort

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A possible drowning was reported in Carlsbad Wednesday afternoon, North County Dispatch confirmed to NBC 7. However, it turned out to be a routine medical call.

Emergency crews were called to the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa at 2100 Costa Del Mar Road around 1 p.m.

No other details were immediately available.

 

Giants Fan Attack Case Decision

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The Los Angeles Dodgers organization must pay millions of dollars in damages after it was found negligent Wednesday in the beating of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow, severely injured when he was attacked by two men in the Dodger Stadium parking lot after the 2011 opening day game.

A lawsuit filed on behalf Stow accused the Dodgers organization and the team's former owner of failing to provide adequate security on the night of the attack. Payment of the $18 million in damages will be divided among the Dodgers organization and the two men who accepted plea deals in the criminal case.

Former owner Frank McCourt was absolved by the jury.

"I think it's going to be good," said Stow attorney Tom Girardi after the decision was announced. "It's going to take some pressure off his mom and dad. We're going to get some help for that."

The jury's decision means the Dodgers organization will pay about $14 million in economic losses and a quarter of the pain and suffering sum, adding about $1 million more, according to Girardi.

The verdict was reached after nine full days of deliberations that included testimony from Stow's friends and family members, Dodgers security officials and McCourt. Stow's parents said they were appreciative of the time and consideration jurors gave the case.

"I don't even understand what happened in there, but Bryan will understand that he got some help today," said father David Stow.

Jurors told the judge last Wednesday that they were deadlocked and could not reach a decision, but the judge asked them to continue deliberations. The panel told the judge members were unable to reach a consensus of at least nine jurors on the question of whether there was negligence by former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt.

The case appeared headed for a possible deadlock, until jurors indicated late Wednesday morning that they reached a decision.

"It's an amazing turnaround," said NBC4 legal analyst Royal Oakes. "There are dozens of questions they had to answer when it comes to damages, and that's probably why it took so long to do this.."

Girardi asked in closing arguments that Stow be paid $36 million for his lifetime care and double that amount for pain and suffering. That figure would cover his out-of-pocket medical and other expenses and help relieve the family's burden of care, Girardi said.

"This is a solid thing for us," Girardi said of the final amount.

A lawyer for the team and McCourt said Stow should get nothing and claimed the only people to blame are the two men who pleaded guilty to assault in the case's criminal trial.

Stow, 45, did not testify at either trial. He was in a wheelchair when he appeared in court twice during the civil trial.

The case drew strong reaction from players and fans, including members of the Stow family, who called for an end to violence at sports venues. That "culture of violence" and failures by the Dodgers organization to control it led to the parking lot attack, according to attorney's for Stow.

"Dodger Stadium got to a place where it was a total mess," Girardi told jurors during his closing argument. "There was a culture of violence. Beer sales were off the charts."

But an attorney for McCourt and the team countered that there was more security than at any other Dodgers opening day in history. He also said Stow helped set the chain of events in motion, citing testimony that Stow's blood-alcohol level was .18 -- more than twice the legal limit for driving -- and a witness account of Stow yelling in the parking lot with his arms up in the air.

"There were things Mr. Stow did that put these things in action," attorney Dana Fox said.

Stow's lawyer countered that the only thing Stow did was wear a Giants jersey on a day when emotions were running high among fans. The jury found that Stow was not liable in the attack.

Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood, who were not named in the lawsuit, accepted plea deals in February. Sanchez, 31, pleaded guilty to a felony count of mayhem and was sentenced to eight years in prison for the attack on Bay Area paramedic and father. Norwood, 32, pleaded guilty to assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury and was sentenced to four years in prison.

As part of the plea agreement, all other charges against the men -- whom a judge "complete cowards" at their sentencing hearing -- were dropped.

Norwood and Sanchez were arrested after a man initially identified as the prime suspect was exonerated months after his arrested in connection with the attack. A lawsuit against the LAPD by Giovanni Ramirez, held on a probation violation involving access to a firearm, was dismissed in January 2013.



Photo Credit: KNBC-TV

"Pillowcase Rapist" Released in CA

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A convicted serial rapist whose pending release spurred protests across a Southern California community arrived in Lake Los Angeles on Wednesday to live in his court-assigned home, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Christopher Evans Hubbart, 63, admitted to raping more than three dozen women between 1971 and 1982. He was dubbed the "Pillowcase Rapist" because he muffled the screams of his victims with pillowcases.

He will now live in a home in the 20300 block of East Avenue R, east of Palmdale, officials said.

Video from his arrival about 1:40 p.m. shows him walking to the door as neighbors yell, "Be afraid! Be very afraid! Because we won't let you scare us! We want you out! Get out!"

Residents, some of a group called the Ladies of Lake LA, said they would try to force Hubbart out of the area.

"I will stay until he wants to leave. I will stay here until he asks the judge that he wants to leave," resident Norma Valenti. "We don't want him here. We don't want him in this community. We don't want him wandering around our town, our children, our mothers, our grandmothers, our wives. We don't want him around."

Hubbart's release was postponed last week from July 7 to July 21 by a judge after a norovirus outbreak at the state hospital where he was in custody.

It was not immediately clear why he was released before the postponed date.

"The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has been extremely persistent in its advocacy for the community and has exhausted every possible legal recourse to prevent the release of this predator," LA County Supervisor Michael Antonovich said in a statement.

"Once again, the State’s criminal justice system failed to uphold its responsibility to protect the public’s safety," the statement read. "The Santa Clara County Judge’s decision to dump a convicted serial rapist in our community is dangerous and reckless."

Hubbart will be released under a program that contracts with the state to place and supervise sexually violent criminals. Hubbart must wear a GPS ankle monitor and will be transported to individual therapy sessions twice per week.

He will be accompanied by a supervisor when he goes out in public for the first six months to a year, according to terms of his release.

Assemblyman Steve Fox, who represents the 36th District which includes Antelope Valley communities as well as Lancaster and Palmdale, said he was not pleased with the decision to release Hubbart.

"Words cannot express my frustration at Christopher Evans Hubbart’s release to Lake Los Angeles. In the last year I’ve heard a great deal about Mr. Hubbart’s Constitutional rights," Fox said in a statement.

"However, I believe the court that ordered his release has put the rights of this one rapist above the rights of the families of the Antelope Valley -- especially women and children. This fight is not over. Serial rapists and pedophiles belong in prison, not next door."

Hubbart was ordered to Los Angeles County because of a state law that states a judge can send a sexually violent predator back to his "alleged county of domicile."

Michelle Valles contributed to this report.


Man Trapped in Chicago Jail

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Authorities are investigating after a man was accidentally trapped inside Cook County Jail for more than 30 hours while attempting to visit his son over the weekend.

The man was visiting his son, who is awaiting trial on a drug case, early Saturday evening and was taken to a part of the Chicago jail he'd never been after his son was moved.

After being directed to "go down the hallway and turn to the right," he entered a door that had been propped open and shut it behind him, according to Cook County Jail spokesperson Cara Smith.

The man thought he was entering the visiting area to see his son, but the room is reportedly where people visit the “highest classification” super-maximum security prisoners and is not used on the weekends, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The door was propped open because contractors were installing cameras, Smith said.

Smith called the incident “the perfect storm” and said “a set of bizarre circumstances” allowed it to take place.

The man was stuck in the room for roughly 30 hours. He was rescued after he broke a sprinkler head and was found by firefighters with the Chicago Fire Department around 1 a.m. Monday.

The man needed stitches on one of his thumbs from breaking the sprinkler and was treated at Rush University Medical Center.

“I met him at the hospital and he was exceptionally gracious and grateful to be out of the room,” Smith said. “We expressed how sorry we were and gave him a ride back to his vehicle [at the jail].”

Smith said an incident like that has never happened before and hopes it never happens again.

The Cook County Department of Corrections says its facility is one of the largest of its kind in the country. It covers eight city blocks and houses about 9,000 inmates.


 



Photo Credit: Getty Images / Scott Olson

Paul McCartney to Play Petco Park

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Sir Paul McCartney will bring his world tour to Petco Park in September.

The Beatles/Wings frontman/music god is currently on the second year of his "Out There" tour. McCartney, 72, just resumed the tour this week, performing in Albany, N.Y., on Sunday after taking a two-month break to recover from a viral infection, the Los Angeles Times reported. McCartney last performed for the public in San Diego while on the Wings Over America tour in 1976.

It’s no secret that the park’s operators have wanted to program more music events at the ballpark, which can handle more than 45,000 ticketed guests.

"We could not think of a better way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Petco Park than with Paul McCartney’s first show here," said Padres President and CEO Mike Dee.

Tickets for the Sept. 28 concert go on sale to the general public on July 18 at 10 a.m. through the Padres website and all Ticketmaster locations. American Express cardholders, however, can snap up seats starting at 10 a.m. on July 14.

In the past, music icons like the Rolling Stones and Madonna have played the site, and Aloe Blacc, the voice behind "The Man" and "Wake Me Up," headlined the Rock & Roll Marathon concert following the race last month. Looking ahead, MTV will host Linkin Park there later this month during Comic-Con.

Coincidentally, the only other surviving Beatle, Ringo Starr, is in San Diego this week himself, performing on Friday at Humphrey’s Concerts By the Bay. That show’s sold out, folks.



Photo Credit: MJ KIM/MPL Communications

Border Agents' Union: More Boots Needed on the Ground

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Agents and officials with the San Diego sector of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection hope some of the $3.7 billion requested in emergency immigration funds will trickle down to them.

After three waves of Central American undocumented immigrants have been flown into San Diego, caring for the women and children has proven to be taxing on agents, union representative Gabe Pacheco told NBC 7.

“We are spread thin,“ Pacheco said Tuesday.

At least $433 million is being requested by the Obama administration to step up border enforcement and drone surveillance.

But with more than 400 women and children who've already flown through San Diego’s Lindbergh Field to be processed at area CBP facilities, Pacheco said forget the drones. Boots on ground is what's needed.

“I'm not saying another 20,000, but we need more on the ground to fill places where they’re being reassigned. For the ones that are babysitting you need someone out there taking their place,“ he said.

Agents complained about needing simple things like bleach and alcohol to help clean up and fight infections when the union met Tuesday night at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Mission Valley.

Pacheco said that’s why they’re also hoping funding will go towards providing special safety suits.

Officials confirmed one agent contracted scabies after coming in contact with undocumented
immigrants being moved from Texas to Southern California.

The wave of undocumented immigrants transferred to San Diego began July 1 and is scheduled to continue with planes arriving every third day.

Relocating the women and children has been part of the federal government's plan for dealing with a recent surge of unaccompanied minors arriving to the U.S. from poor and violence-stricken countries in Central America.

More Border Crisis Coverage:

 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Dumanis Regrets Writing Letter for Azano's Son

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Hours after a deadline given by a San Diego media coalition, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis releases a controversial letter of recommendation written for the son of a man accused in an expanding campaign finance scandal.

“I’m the only one that was open on this from the beginning,” Dumanis told an employee of a local television station. “I think it’s time to move on.”

The district attorney appeared on KUSI-TV Wednesday and discussed the letter written on District Attorney’s letterhead for Edward Susumo Azano, who had applied to the University of San Diego.

The applicant’s father, Mexican millionaire Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, is accused of violating federal election laws by donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to at least three local politicians, including Dumanis.

She stated that her longtime friend former SDPD detective Ernesto Encinas asked her to write the letter.

Encinas is another key player in the campaign finance scandal. He pleaded guilty, admitting that he funneled money into local campaigns on behalf of Azano.

"Ernie is somebody I knew and I've always said I've known for a long time as a law enforcement officer," she told the news station.

Dumanis said she signed a letter prepared by someone else.

Azano Jr.'s attorney, Knut Johnson, said the information released today confirmed exactly what his client had been saying all along.

"Edward Azano didn't request the District Attorney to write this letter. That was done by Mr. Encinas without my client's prior knowledge and that fact is essential to this case," Johnson said.

Those monies contributed by Azano went to independent campaign efforst on behalf of Dumanis.

The KUSI appearance was the first time the letter has been seen publicly since it was brought up in a heated primary campaign by opponent Bob Brewer.

Dumanis described Edward Susumo Azano as a “bright, energetic, compassionate” Political Science major who participated in political campaigns in Mexico.

Attorneys for NBC 7 San Diego and ten other local media outlets and journalism groups urged Dumanis to release a copy of a recommendation letter.

In the text of the letter, she offers the main phone number for the Office of the District Attorney’s Office to the recipient to discuss her recommendation further.

Three weeks ago, Dumanis denied a Public Records Act request filed by NBC San Diego. She claims the letter is a standard recommendation letter and is not a public record.

"Because in this case everybody is so distracted by the letter," Dumanis told KUSI. "In this case and in this case only I will release it in my individual capacity."

Dumanis has downplayed her relationship with the Azano family but refuses to answer any questions about why she wrote the recommendation letter for Azano’s son.

When asked if she regretted writing the letter, Dumanis laughed and said "Well what do you think?"

She continued, "If I had known when I wrote the letter what I know today I certainly wouldn't have wanted to write the letter but this was just another letter in the context of a lot of people and there was no reason not to write the letter at the time." 

Attorneys for the media outlets sent a letter Monday afternoon to Deputy District Attorney Brooke Tafreshi asking that Dumanis voluntarily release a copy of the letter by 5 p.m. Tuesday.

If Dumanis didn't meet the deadline, NBC 7 and the ten other media outlets intended to file a legal action against the district attorney in Superior Court.

It's important to note, KUSI was not a member of the media coalition urging Dumanis to turn over the letter.

Also, Dumanis refused to respond to questions from an NBC 7 News crew outside the television station after Wednesday's interview.

Search Narrows for Missing Pregnant Marine Wife

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Crews in southern California looking for pregnant Marine wife Erin Corwin have narrowed their search to specific areas in the San Bernardino County desert.

“Before, we were searching literally the entire desert for clues. We’ve been able to develop through investigations some specific target areas that we are now looking at,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Morongo Basin Captain Dale Mondary in an interview with KMIR, the NBC affiliate in Palm Springs.

More people were expected to join the search Wednesday.

The 19-year-old woman was last seen June 28 when she left her home on the Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms. Corwin was reportedly going to visit Joshua Tree National Park.

Her husband Jon didn’t report her missing until the next morning, but officials told KMIR there is no evidence of foul play at this time.

"He (Corwin’s husband) believed he had to wait 24 hours to report a person missing," Mondary told KMIR.

Corwin's blue 2013 Toyota Corolla was found in Twentynine Palms near base two days after her disappearance.

"It was near the base and the desert, yes, but keep in mind that's a very large base," Mondary said.

Mondary said there are no official search efforts on base. He said the “target areas” are in Joshua Tree National Park and other parts of the Morongo Basin, but would not specify where.

Corwin is described as 5-foot-2 and 120 pounds with light brown hair and blue eyes. She is three months pregnant.

The Tennessee native was preparing to visit San Diego with her mother and had bought tickets to SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo, according to the Praying for Erin Corwin Facebook page.



Photo Credit: Locate Erin Facebook page

Dog Dentristry: How Healthy is Your Pup's Mouth?

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Does your dog have a healthy mouth? Odds are against it – no matter how cute that doggie smile might be.

At least that’s according to world-renowned veterinary dental specialist Dr. Brook Niemiec.

“Current studies are that 90 percent of dogs at just one year of age already have gum disease,” Dr. Niemiec told NBC 7.

Dr. Niemiec, who is based in San Diego, said the problem with dogs and dental disease is that the dogs suffer in silence.

“When they get an infection they simply don’t show us that they hurt, or when they get an infection it comes on slowly and gets worse and worse,” he said.

If not spotted early bad teeth can lead to big problems. According to Dr. Niemiec, oral problems in
dogs can also result in eyesight loss, cancer, diabetes and other serious health issues.

So what can dog owners do to help keep their pet’s mouth healthy?

For starters, brush your dog’s teeth. Brush daily and start brushing when your dog is a puppy.
Dr. Niemiec said another important aspect is to find a veterinary dental specialist.

“What most pet owners don’t understand about dentistry in their animals is that clients’ perception is just cleaning, scaling and polishing. However, a true dentist is scaling above and below gums, giving a full mouth evaluation and charting the mouth. It’s a full on medical procedure with X-rays, without X-rays you miss a lot,” he explained.

What kind of toys and treats you give your pet also play a huge part in their oral health.

To see which popular doggie toys and treats are good for pooches and which may be a risk, watch this video.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Sterling "Will Never Ever" Sell

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Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling took the stand again Wednesday and continued to taunt his wife's attorney as he proclaimed that he would "never, ever, ever sell this team" and would sue the NBA until the day he dies.

The trial will decide whether his wife Shelly was within her rights when she negotiated a sale of the NBA team to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

"She has no rights whatsoever," Sterling testified Wednesday. "She may be a trustee, but she has no stock, no authority to make a sale."

He went on to proclaim his commitment to keeping the team under his ownership.

"I'm not a racist. I love all people, but I was the poster boy!" Sterling said in court Wednesday. "Make no mistake today. I will never, ever, ever sell this team. And until I die, I will be suing the NBA."

"This is the worst corporation in America, and everyone will find out how terrible they are," Sterling said.

Attorneys agreed last week to focus the case on whether Sterling was induced into mental examinations by doctors arranged Shelly without being told that they could be used to remove him as a trustee of the Sterling Family Trust, which controls the Clippers and provides the framework under which the team can be sold.

Sterling's testimony often crossed into insults toward his wife’s attorney and the doctors that ruled him mentally incapacitated, claiming one of the doctors was drunk and implored Sterling’s attorney to "stand up and be a man."

He continued his combative attitude toward his wife's legal team on Wednesday and went on further about his feelings toward his wife.

"She deceived me. I trusted her. I believed her. I never thought a woman wouldn't stand by her husband," Sterling testified.

When Shelly's took the stand Wednesday, she was ask whether she is separated from her husband, to which she replied, "Uh, sort of."

Under cross-examination earlier in the trial, a neurologist and a psychiatrist both testified that they had found Sterling mentally incapacitated, but also admitted they did not tell him their exams could be used to remove him as an administrator of the trust. Sterling's attorneys continued with cross-examination of the neurologist Wednesday.

During her testimony, Shelly denied claims by Donald that the neurologist who examined him was drunk.

Shelly approached Donald after leaving the stand.

"Stay away from me, you pig," he said to Shelly. "How could you lie?"

Shelly's attorney then asked the judge to remove him from the courtroom. The judge asked Sterling not to speak and called his remarks disturbing.

"Emotions were really high in the courtroom today," Sterling's attorney Bobby Samini said. "Sixty years married, I know that Donald felt very upset watching her testimony. I think he felt betrayed by it."

"Today he was rude to his own lawyer, he was rude to the court, and then to turn to his wife that he has pretended he loves...she walks off the stand and he says, 'You pig,'" Shelly's attorney Bert Fields said,

"That's who he is. Sometimes he's combative, sometimes he's witty, sometimes he's charming, sometimes he's funny," Samini said. "It's not a vaudeville act. That's who he is."

Ballmer's attorney said the testimony by Sterling shows why the team needs to be sold.

"It was a shameful display by a seriously demented tyrant, and he proved today he absolutely has to go," Adam Streisand said.

Shelly’s attorneys assert she organized the medical examinations under terms of the trust that indicate incapacitation can be determined by two licensed doctors without ties to the family who are specialists in their field. A trustee must cooperate with the exams.

"The judge has ruled he's only going to look into whether there was proper certification so I don't want to get into whether he's competent but you guys can draw your own conclusion," Shelly Sterling's attorney Bert Fields said. "Is this a guy you'd employ to sell hamburgers?"

Attorneys for Donald Sterling counter that he was “blindsided” by the exams and agreed to them under false pretenses.

The $2 billion deal to sell the Clippers was negotiated with Ballmer after after the NBA moved to oust Donald Sterling because of racist remarks made during a recorded phone conversation.

In order for the deal to proceed, a judge must find that Shelly Sterling acted in accordance with the trust and that the deal is part of a "winding down" or the trust's affairs, as her attorneys claim.

NBA owners are scheduled to meet July 15 to vote to approve the deal. Ballmer's offer is set to expire on the same day.

If the sale isn't completed by Sept. 15, the league said it could seize the team and put it up for auction.

Christina Cocca contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Bill Robles

Pedestrian Hit by Vehicle in El Cajon

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A pedestrian was seriously hurt Wednesday afternoon after being hit by a vehicle in El Cajon.

The collision involved an AT&T truck, though it was unclear if it was the AT&T that hit the pedestrian, fire officials said.

The incident happened at about 5:45 p.m. at the intersection of Graves and Broadway.

The pedestrian suffered serious injuries, officials said.

Check back here for updates on this breaking news story.

Rainbow Flags Displayed Downtown for Pride Month

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Downtown’s 5th Avenue will look more colorful this month.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer marked the 40th anniversary of San Diego Pride by hanging rainbow pride flags above the streets.

The celebration took place Wednesday afternoon on the corner of 5th Avenue and L Street. The mayor climbed into a scissor lift and helped raise the 124 flags in support for gay rights.

Faulconer, a Republican, is chairman for the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry coalition.

With help from the Gaslamp Quarter Association and San Diego LGBT Pride, the ceremony aimed to celebrate the “diversity and inclusiveness in the heart of San Diego’s Historic Gaslamp Quarter,” according to a news release from the mayor's office.

San Diego hosted its first gay pride event in June 1974. Gay rights advocates marched from the Center for Social Services over to Balboa Park. The group was ordered to march only on the sidewalks because they lacked a parade permit.

Four decades later, flags wave above the streets of Downtown San Diego to support gay pride.

This year's Pride Parade will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 19 in Hillcrest.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

WATCH: Panda Cub Slurps a Fruit Pop

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Bao Bao is back and cuter than ever.

As if being a roly-poly panda cub wasn't enough, footage has emerged of her adorably slurping down a frosty treat.

The Smithsonian's National Zoo has released a YouTube video of giant panda Mei Xiang and her cub Bao Bao enjoying what they call a "fruitsicle."

The video description says that the zoo gives the pandas a frozen treat every day during the summer and that Bao Bao is "showing more interest in solid foods."

Bao Bao was born at the zoo Aug. 23 last year and is Mei Xiang and mate Tian Tian's second surviving cub.

Watch the video above, or click here to watch it on YouTube.

Supporters Donate Toys, Supplies to Immigrant Families

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Supporters of undocumented immigrant mothers and children rallied Wednesday, handing out supplies and teddy bears to the families being released from the federal building in downtown San Diego.

The San Diego nonprofit, Border Angels, gathered outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office with signs in hand, hoping to welcome undocumented families.

Thanks to an influx of donations for the immigrant families, volunteers with the organization brought teddy bears, toys and backpacks to give to them as they were released from the ICE office.

Since July 1, three chartered airplanes carrying undocumented women and children have been flown from Texas to San Diego as part of the federal government’s plan to address the nation’s border crisis.

In exclusive interviews with NBC 7, many of those women have said they left Central American countries like Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala due to extreme violence and poverty. Many said their best chance of survival was immigrating to the U.S., even if they had to do it illegally.

An estimated 400 undocumented immigrants are currently being processed at facilities in San Diego County. Federal officials have said this process involves the interviewing, photographing and fingerprinting of each immigrant.

Each immigrant also undergoes a background check and medical examination. The immigrant is then transferred into ICE custody and officers with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) decide if the immigrant will be released with a pending date in front of an immigration judge.

According to CBP officials, the undocumented immigrants in San Diego are “instructed to report to an ICE office closest to their final destination within 15 days” of release.

Many of those families have been released in downtown San Diego, which is why supporters chose to meet there for Wednesday’s event.

Volunteers planned to leave stuffed animals outside the federal building all night for the families to see.
They hoped the children would be comforted by the sight of teddy bears.

“So people can know just how there are mean people out there, there are nice people that can get together and can organize and donate their time as well to show support,” said immigrant rights advocate Dulce Aguirre.

Meanwhile, the San Diegans for Secure Borders Coalition, a group opposed to the current immigration policies, said it is concerned about how the immigrants’ health issues are being handled.

Coalition leaders said Border Patrol agents told them sick immigrants are being treated and then added back into large groups where they get sick again. The group also claims Border Patrol agents working with the immigrants are not protected from catching the same diseases.

Earlier this week, President Barack Obama requested $3.7 billion in emergency funds to tackle the border crisis. Agents and officials with the strained San Diego sector of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection hope some of those funds will trickle down to them.

According to the Murrieta Police Department, the U.S. Border Patrol said there would be no flight of undocumented immigrants flown into San Diego Thursday, as originally anticipated.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

San Diego Explained: Drones

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Drones have been in the news a lot lately but what you may not know is that San Diego is considered a drone industry hub. NBC 7's Catherine Garcia and the Voice of San Diego's Lisa Halverstadt share all the drone details in this week's San Diego Explained.
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