Officials initially detained a man after fire sparked at a home in Encanto but then released him from custody when the fire’s cause was determined to be accidental.

San Diego firefighters arrived to the home on Merlin Drive when fire was reported around 5:22 a.m. Monday. Fire crews said it looks like the fire started outside the home and made its way inside.

The son of one of the residents usually sleeps in a car outside the home. He was briefly detained but then released.

The residents were at a beach home in Imperial Beach at the time the fire started, officials said.
 

Attorneys for an ex-Navy SEAL could not persuade a judge to reduce their client’s $1 million bail as he awaits trial on allegations of stealing from his military comrades.

Jason Mullaney, 42, was described by supporters as “a standup guy” after his court hearing in downtown San Diego Monday.

Prosecutors say Mullaney convinced 11 active and retired Navy SEALS and a family friend to invest in his money-lending business Trident Financial Holdings and Acquisitions.

A former friend says he invested $50,000 but received nothing in return.

At a pretrial hearing, an FBI investigator claimed Mullaney also transferred money from his business account to his personal account.

However, the ex-Navy SEAL denies the allegations and entered a not guilty plea Monday to the 29 felony allegations against him.

The defendant’s friend, Nick Hawks, said the case is all just a misunderstanding.

“He's always been a super hard charger. He’s always been a really good guy, always been the guy who can do everything and people look to as ‘Hey, can this guy help me out,’” Hawks said. “I think guys just got caught up in that and it went south”.

Mullaney’s attorney argued the military veteran was not a flight risk and served honorably in the U.S. Navy but the judge denied a bail reduction request.

Trial is set to begin September 2.

 Health officials are testing local mosquitoes and warning residents to avoid them after a Santee man becomes the first to test positive for West Nile virus in San Diego County since 2012.

The 43-year-old patient had no symptoms, but a routine blood screening from donated blood detected the virus in his system, according to county Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) officials.

The man told officials he did not recall being bitten by a mosquito recently, but he said he had been camping outside the state the week before his blood was drawn.

“Even though it’s most likely this individual acquired West Nile outside the county, we know the virus is here in San Diego County,” said County Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten in a release.

Last week, a dead crow in the city of San Diego also tested positive for West Nile.

As a precaution, the county’s Department of Environmental Health Vector Control Program began inspecting possible mosquito breeding location near the man’s house. Workers have also set up mosquito monitoring traps in areas around Santee.

While West Nile is a potentially deadly disease, county health officials say 80 percent of people who are infected show no symptoms.

One in five will feel mild signs like a headache, fever, nausea, fatigue, swollen glands or skin rash. Less than 1 percent develops serious neurological complications that can be deadly, and the risk for complications rises for those with weak immune systems and people over age 50.

Last year, 15 people died from West Nile virus-related causes in California, but of the 11 cases reported so far this season, no one has died, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Officials say a typical West Nile season lasts from June to October and peaks in August and September.

To prevent catching the virus yourself, health officials recommend preventing mosquito breeding around your home by dumping out any backyard items like buckets and garbage cans that can hold water.

Protect yourself from bites by staying inside when mosquitoes are most active – between dusk and dawn – and use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of eucalyptus.

Finally, reports dead birds and green swimming pools to the Vector Control Program at 858-694-2888.

The only surviving suspect in last week's bank robbery, police chase and deadly shootout in Stockton that left three dead, including one hostage, was charged Monday with three counts of murder.

Jaime Ramos, 19, was also charged with 22 counts of attempted murder of police officers involved in the pursuit, as well as additional counts for the dozen homes struck by bullets. He faces a total of 35 felony charges.

Joaquin County Chief Deputy District Attorney Ron Freitas said police continued their investigation over the weekend while his office drafted the charges stemming from Wednesday's bank robbery and hour-long running gun battle.

The charges, including kidnapping, robbery and being a gang member, could make Ramos eligible for the death sentence if convicted.

• "What Happened to Misty Is a Nightmare": Stockton Robbery Victim's Family Speaks Out

Ramos appeared before a packed courtroom Monday, which included the son of 41-year-old Stockton mother Misty Holt-Singh, who police say Ramos used as a human shield during a gun battle. The confrontation left police cars riddled with bullet holes and an entire community reeling.

Authorities are still trying to determine who fired the bullet that killed Holt-Singh. An autopsy may be able to answer that.

The other two suspects who were killed have been identified by the coroner's office as Gilbert Renteria Jr., 30, and Alex Gregory Martinez, 27.

Investigators say Martinez robbed the same bank back in January.

Police continue their search for the driver who took the robbers to the bank.

The robbery suspects were known gang affiliates with deep criminal pasts and no qualms with taking human life amid their "reckless and chaotic" crimes, police said.

Holt-Singh left her 12-year-old daughter Mia in the car when she ran into the Bank of the West building for what she thought would only be a minute or so.

• Misty Holt-Singh, Hostage Killed in Stockton, Left Daughter in Car Before Fatal Bank Heist

After that, all hell broke loose, resulting in the kind of crime Stockton police say they haven't witnessed in recent history.

Holt-Singh's family said Friday they are launching their own investigation into the incident.

At times in tears, the family thanked friends, family, community members and even strangers from all across the country for the outpour of love and support they have received.

“What happened to Misty is a nightmare,” Holt-Singh’s husband Paul Singh said. “It’s something I would never want to happen to anybody.”

The family urged law enforcement agencies to be transparent with sharing information -- including dispatch logs and video -- about the incident, including protocols followed during the deadly police chase and gunfight.

Bank robber/murder suspect Jaime Ramos in court. #kcranews #Stockton pic.twitter.com/djd9gdHODw

— Melinda Meza (@KCRAMelindaMeza) July 21, 2014

KCRA-TV and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

It’s that time of year again, when the haves and have-nots of the baseball world come together for some wheeling and dealing before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

With the Padres sitting 11 ½ games behind the division lead, even the most optimistic of fans has to admit they are sellers in the market and looking to deal some key pieces for prospects and parts that could make them better in the future.

Closer Huston Street was the first to go, as he was dealt to the Anaheim Angels over the weekend. It was generally regarded as a good deal for the Padres, as they got four solid prospects in return.

Who else could be out of a Padres uniform before next week’s deadline? Let’s look at the feasibility for some of the most talked-about names.

Chase Headley: The veteran third baseman seems to be the most likely position player to go. After a dreadful start to the season that included a trip to the disabled list, Headley has really come on as of late, hitting .323 in July. He is a free agent after this season, so suitors would basically be renting him out for the rest of the year. Still, American League contenders like the Blue Jays and Yankees would be more than happy to get a veteran guy like Headley.

Chris Denorfia: Another free agent, Deno offers some flexibility in that he can play all three outfield positions. He doesn’t have the power most AL teams would covet (he set a career high with 10 homers last year) but offers a solid career .275 batting average and a wealth of experience. The Blue Jays are also looking long and hard at Denorfia and would probably be his destination when he is dealt. The question is whether Toronto would want both of these guys and if they have enough to give up in return.

Carlos Quentin: He might be the biggest name in the lineup, but that doesn't make him the most desirable. His injury history and no-trade clause make Quentin a bit tougher to move. He hasn't done himself any favors even when healthy, putting up a paltry four homer and .176 batting average in 47 games this season. Potential suitors would most likely come from the American League, where they can DH his bad knees and fielding. Perhaps the Royals?

Ian Kennedy: What an interesting situation this rotation has become. Kennedy has turned it on over the past two months, showing the form that made him a 21-game winner a few years ago. That has also coincided with rookies Odrisamer Despaigne and Jesse Hahn earning spots in the rotation with some quality outings. There’s no shortage of contending teams who would love to have another solid starting pitcher. The Miami Marlins and Seattle Mariners, among others, have shown interest. The question is if it’s in the Padres’ best interests to give him up.

Joaquin Benoit: Here is another intriguing option. It wouldn’t make sense to deal away your closer, then turn around and trade away the heir to the ninth inning – and only guy in the bullpen with any real closing experience. But the asking price is high for Benoit, who is owed $8 million this year and next. Will a team like the Pirates or Indians pay for a solid back-inning guy to solidify their bullpen? Or will the Tigers swoop in and deal for the guy they let go in the offseason? Can the Padres afford to lose another top-line reliever? The way this bullpen has been shutting opponents down, they might be able to afford to take a chance with some unproven guys and regroup in the offseason.

Agnes McKee's birthday celebration wasn't just a first for her. It was also a first for Major League Baseball.

At 105, McKee threw out the first pitch before Sunday’s San Diego Padres game and became the oldest person ever to throw out a ceremonial first pitch.

“I haven’t thrown a ball in years,” she said before the game.

“I do Wii Bowling which we do like this,” she said gesturing. “So it’s the same thing.”

“Other than that, nothing on this scale have I ever done before,” she said.

McKee said she was a bit nervous about the throw, but said all pitchers have trouble with control.

She used a walker to make it to the pitchers’ mound and tossed a respectable underhanded throw to catcher Rene Rivera.

The Padres say the idea to have McKee mark her July 16 birthday with the first pitch was sparked by the staff at her retirement living community.

It may have been her first Padres game (her husband was the baseball fan in the family) but it wasn’t her first memorable birthday celebration.

Five years ago, she went skydiving at an indoor facility.

As far as the future, McKee said she’d like to achieve another “first.” Her new goal is to bowl a perfect game on Wii Bowling.

A hit-and-run driver left behind a mess and a key piece of evidence in Santee Monday.

A collision between a vehicle and a hydrant just before 10 a.m. left a geyser of water gushing high into the air.

Victoria Rose lives on Amino Drive in Santee and said she heard a loud crash early Monday.

When she went outside, there was water everywhere.

"Everything was soaking wet," she said.

A driver had slammed into a fire hydrant right in front of the home and drove away.

Victoria Rose immediately called 911. About a half hour later, she said emergency personnel arrived and found a geyser of water shooting up into the air.

By then, the damage was done. Her garage and a back patio with gym equipment were flooded and there was damage done to the side of the home, she said.

Homeowners insurance should repair the damage but she's very upset that someone would leave the scene.

"I'm just mad he took off," Rose said. "There could have been a disabled person in there, or children. To just leave."

"If it's an accident, it's an accident," she said.

Troy Rose captured the spout of water caused by the crash. In the video, it shows water going well above the roof of the home and flooding the street, sending a river of water toward homes.

Victoria Rose said the driver’s license plate fell off after the crash, so she hopes investigators will find the suspect soon.

"I guess he's in for a surprise," she said.

San Diego authorities are searching for a fugitive who fled New York with her 12-year-old son and is believed to be in San Diego County.

San Diego County Crime Stoppers is looking for 49-year-old Lisa Marie Lavigne, who left New York on July 14 with her son, Tyler Lavigne.

She was last seen driving a red 1997 Toyota four-door sedan with California license plate 3XBM759 and is believed to be in the San Diego area or may have crossed the border into Mexico.

She is described as white, 5 feet 6 inches, weighing 125 pounds and with blue eyes and blond hair. She may be using the alias Lisa Bullard.

Anyone with information can leave a tip with Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477.

A recently discharged Marine who volunteered at a horse ranch with the missing pregnant wife of another California-based Marine has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a destructive device, authorities said Monday.

But they wouldn't say whether the cases of Christopher Brandon Lee, 24, and Erin Corwin, 20, are connected.

Lee, then a Marine corporal, was arrested July 4 after a search warrant was served at a home in Yucca Valley and then released on bail two days later, the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said in a statement.

A day after that, he was honorably discharged after six years in the Marine Corps, the Desert Sun reported.

The arrest came about a week after the last time Erin Corwin was seen leaving her home apparently bound for Joshua Tree National Park while three months pregnant. Corwin disappeared under suspicious circumstances, authorities said. Two days later, her car was found outside the gate of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, where her husband, Marine Cpl. Jonathan Corwin, is stationed. Both are from Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Corwin and Lee both volunteered at the White Rock Horse Rescue Ranch in Yucca Valley, the Desert Sun reported.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller said Lee was arrested as a result of a search warrant in an ongoing investigation, but would not say give more details, nor say any more about the destructive device Lee is suspected of possessing.

It was not immediately clear whether Lee had hired an attorney, and current contact information in his name could not be found.

He was in the Marines for seven years, last serving as a rifleman in the Individual Ready Reserve.

A number of people have been interviewed in Corwin's missing-persons case, Miller said, but no specific person of interest or suspect has been named.

Several law enforcement agencies and hundreds of volunteers searched a broad swath of desert for Corwin, but there have been no reported sightings. The search was significantly scaled back last week, but it continues, officials said.

Israeli and Palestinian Americans in San Diego are anxious for any information on the conflict in Gaza, so they have turned to unique apps to check on their family back home.

An app called Red Alert sends users real-time notifications every time sirens goes off, warning of rocket fire in Israel.

 Israeli-American Nicole Patolai’s hands were shaking after hearing the same sirens in Israel.

“It’s hard to hear that and think about what that means,” said Patolai. ”Every time that goes off, my family is running to a shelter, so I can silence my phone, but they don't have an app they can silence. That's a reality for them,”

The Red Alert app sends users on everything from rocket fire to reports of injuries and casualties.

Lacking a similar system, Palestinian-Americans say their family back home rely on a free international text messaging app called WhatsApp--where they can get information over WiFi when phones or power in the country goes down.

“My cousin's husband was beaten by vigilantes, so of course I have to ask her and find out what's going on,” said Palestinian-American Lenna Odeh. "And I get this information through Facebook and WhatsApp."

Odeh and Patolai constantly check their phones, both scrambling for information.

“To see people die, no matter what side they're on, is tragic,” said Patolai.

“Just to make sure they're OK because a lot of times we don't know who's hit, who's not hit,” said Odeh. “It's scary, it's nerve racking."

Both Red Alert and WhatsApp are free for iPhones and Androids.

It is the end of an era for the iconic convenience store chain. Media, Pennsylvania-based Wawa is closing its very first location after 50 years in business.

• PHOTOS: Wawa Celebrates 50 Years

"Store #1," located at MacDade Boulevard and Swarthmore Avenue in Folsom, Delaware County, will shut its doors in spring 2016. Around the same time, the company plans to open a new state-of-the-art location about a half-mile away.

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"It is emotional yet exciting for all of us," said Lori Bruce, Wawa spokeswoman.

The newly constructed store will open at MacDade Boulevard and Kedron Avenue in the spring of next year, Bruce said.  Current employees will not be affected by the change, she added.

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"With the same Wawa associates and customer connections traveling to this new store," Bruce said, "for us this will still be store number 1."

As many as 60 people will work at the new store, double the number of workers staffing the older locations.

Wawa -- a Native American word for the Canada goose once found in the Delaware Valley -- is symbolized by the store's logo of the bird in flight.

In the Philadelphia area, the chain has achieved cult status and draws in hordes of people hungry for their classic hoagies.

The well-known and well-liked convenience store got its start in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products. Today Wawa has more than 645 locations in six different states, including New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida, according to its website.

With a stroke of his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown made it legal for some California college students under the age of 21 to taste alcohol in class.

While that sounds like many students’ dream come true, the law, AB 1989, applies only under very specific circumstances.

First, the students have to be enrolled in an accredited winemaking or beer-brewing course. Second, the taste can only be a taste, so students can’t actually swallow the drink.

The latter provision earned the bill the moniker the "sip-and-spit" bill as it moved through the legislature.

• Watch: Study Reveals Risks of Niacin

With the governor’s signature, California joins 12 other states, including New York and Oregon, to legalize underage alcohol tasting for educational purposes.

The University of California, Davis, which is renowned for its viniculture and brewery program, was a major supporter of the legislation.

Andrew Waterhouse, a professor in department of viticulture and enology at UC Davis, said the bill allows his students to taste wine while its getting made, a critical skill for those learning how to craft fine wines.

"It’s an experience they can’t really get any other way," said Waterhouse, who testified in support of the bill. "And it’s much better if they do it in an educational setting where they can ask a lot of questions."

• Read: FDA: Powdered Caffeine Can Be Lethal

Tara Pattison, 19, who studies brewing science at UC Davis, said she is happy that the law is finally on the books. 

"You are learning about the process in theory, but when it comes to actually doing it, it’s not as simple as the books make it look," Pattison said. "If you cannot test the final products you will never know what mistakes you have made or, in a perfect world, didn’t make."

Sheriff’s deputies serving a search warrant in Julian found more than 220 marijuana plants on Monday afternoon.

Deputies were serving the warrant in the 3400 block of Slumbering Oaks Trail at about 12:30 p.m. when they found a greenhouse containing the large grow of marijuana plants, according to a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department news release.

No one was found at the property and the investigation is continuing.

Anyone with information should call the sheriff’s department non-emergency line at 858-565-5200.

The internet is a black market for exposing and selling personal information, and NBC 7 Investigates reveals one website that is hiding it in plain sight.

Stories consistently come out about massive amounts of personal information hacked from retail computers, stolen from hospitals or accidentally leaked, but where does it go?

To make real money from stolen information, thieves sell identities in bulk.

NBC 7 Investigates found one place where thousands of people's personal, identifiable information is blatantly advertised for sale: a website called Pastebin.

Law enforcement is not monitoring it, but you can.

Some victims live privately in San Diego, but their personal information is worldwide.

One woman, who asked us to identify her as “Lisa,” is disabled and does not venture much past her front steps. Instead, she does all her shopping online.

Lisa fears that is how her social security number, date of birth, phone, number and credit card ended up on Pastebin.

“I'm shocked right now my stomach. I feel sick to my stomach. It's really upsetting,” Lisa said as NBC 7 Investigates told her all her information was on the site.

Another victim, long-range trucker Steve, had his personal information posted on Pastebin one year ago.

He said since then, someone tried to steal his social security checks and used his personal information in an attempt to route his retirement money to another account.

“I made a fast trip to IRS and identified myself and said, ‘No, I had not,’” Steve said.

His personal information has also been used in attempts to open a T-Mobile account in Houston and make a purchase in an Apple store, he said.

NBC 7 Investigates approached more than 20 San Diego residents whose personal information was easily found on Pastebin, but thousands more identities of ordinary people all over the country can be found there as well.

Few officials wanted to discuss it with NBC 7 Investigates, but Pastebin has grabbed the attention of internet security expert Jim Stickley.

“Everybody uses it from the black market standpoint to sell credit cards, medical records – anything that is illegal,” Stickley said.

A Pastebin post from last March shows social security numbers for sale, while user "Yym- Card- Fresh-9" offers to sell credit cards including card verification value numbers (CVVs).

There is even a price list, on which a U.S. credit card goes for as low as $6.

“There is just so much of it happening at such a low level, it’s just impossible to keep up,” Stickley said.

In the frequently asked questions section, Pastebin creators write, “The idea behind the site is to make it more convenient for people to share large amounts of text online.”

Stickley said criminals know the site well, and so should you.

Pastebin offers only an email address for reaching administrators. NBC7 Investigates emailed three questions concerning the material on their website but have not heard back.

As for ways to take victims’ information down, Pastebin offers two ways to request removal from the site, according to the FAQs.

NBC 7 Investigates showed victim Craig where his information was posted.

“To have it in what looks like a database with my name address and the full credit card number and pin codes and the whole yards -- that was pretty startling,” Craig said.

Craig, whose information was located in the “Christmas Credit Card Mix Paste” section, emailed Pastebin, asking it be removed.

The website's policy of reading all its emails and acting within 24 hours apparently works, for his information was removed a day later.

“As it turned out this is not a card I currently use, so that was naturally a sigh of relief,” Craig said.

Whether the account is still active or not, contact all your creditors and let them know what has been posted on Pastebin if you become a victim. They may issue you a new card.

Also, notify your bank and make sure to check your credit, which is free once a year with each of the three credit reporting agencies.

A hacker’s careless use of personal information should not be at your expense, so do not wait for a knock on your door from NBC 7 Investigates. Check it out yourself because prevention is the best protection.

Credit watch services can catch fraudulent activity on your accounts, but they do cost money.

Traffic congestion through the Interstate 5 commuter bottleneck at Sorrento Valley Road won't be easing up any time soon.

After six years of studies, city-retained consultants are asking for more time to explore possible solutions.

They’ve already looked at dozens of ways of unsnarling rush-hour backups on I-5 and at 40 intersections on surface streets, and now they say only two “potentially viable” alternatives are left.

City officials told NBC 7 those options likely will require moving the COASTER station to the north or south of its current location at the northwest corner Sorrento Valley Road and Sorrento Valley Boulevard intersection. They would also have to build a rail overcrossing above the intersection.

After all, the rail line not only contributes mightily to major delays at the intersection, but also increases the cost and logistics of escape routes that would necessitate flyover ramps.

"You know, when the train stops here, we're talking 15 minutes to come up a block,” said Jeff Jackson, an attorney who works in an office mall at the southeast corner of that main intersection. “And I've been late to work by 15 minutes when I would have been on time because the train stopped, and the traffic just doesn't keep moving."

That traffic averages around 20,000 vehicle trips on weekdays and is projected to double by the year 2030.

Thousands of workers at hundreds of businesses in the valley are affected.

So are residents of nearby suburban neighborhoods such as Pacific Ridge and countless drivers on I-5 and even I-805.

It's probably a wonder the place hasn't become a hotbed of road rage.

"There's definitely a lot of people trying to pass each other, going outside of their lanes to go around and go straight, where people are trying to turn,” said Alex Skirvin, who works for a biomedical firm west of the railroad tracks . “So there's a lot of horn-honking that goes on."

Said Robert Pontecorvo Jr., whose Hozho Health & Welfare clinic is a neighbor of Jackson’s law office: "I do an acupuncture business where people try to stay calm. But more people are stressed out coming in. So it's a little hectic.”

He added, with a wry smile: “Makes for good business, though."

Given the pace of continuing commercial and industrial development on many streets that lack outlets to wider thoroughfares, Sorrento Valley workers can only keep praying for prompt work-arounds.

"If they're doing all this research and spending all this money on it, they should be able to change it at least a little bit,” said Gianna Wright, a colleague of Skirvin’s. “There's so many more businesses coming up here. Our company actually just opened another building on this street. There's lots going on here. It's not something I think should be neglected."

The consulting firm, AECOM Technical Services, is asking the city to extend its six-year, $3 million contract, which expires next month.

The experts only want more time -- not money – to completely evaluate the concept of an above-grade rail crossing over Sorrento Valley’s main intersection, coupled with relocation of the COASTER station.

Otherwise, Jackson said, "You'd need to go back and rebuild the way the streets are done and the place the train crosses and how traffic gets on the 5. And that's not something they can just fix, unless they want to go back and rebuild all the roads."

 A woman dubbed the “Bombshell Bandit” by the FBI may be responsible for three bank robberies in the Southwest region, including one in San Diego.

The suspect doesn’t get her nickname from her striking looks, but instead from the bomb threats she makes in her heists.

The FBI says she has held up three banks by passing the teller a demand note, stating she has a bomb and will detonate it if she does not receive cash.

Investigators have tied the “Bombshell Bandit” to a robbery on June 6 at a Bank of the West in Valencia, California and one at a Wells Fargo Bank in Lake Havasu, Arizona on July 8.

She is also suspected of robbing the Comerica Bank at 3361 Rosecrans Street in San Diego on July 14.

No one has been injured in those heists.

According to the FBI, the “Bombshell Bandit” is described as a woman between 20 to 25 years old, about 5-foot-3 and weighs between 120 and 140 pounds.

In bank surveillance video, she is shown possibly wearing an auburn or brown wig, but officials believe her natural hair color is black.

She has been seen wearing a long, multi-colored scarf on her head and neck, dark sunglasses with large lenses, flip flops, a blue long-sleeved jacket with a front zipper or a dark long-sleeved sweater and a long black shirt.

If you know anything about this series of heists, call the San Diego FBI at 858-320-1800, the LA FBI at 310-477-6565 or San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-540-8477.

Maryland parents John and Janice Land are accused of locking their 22-year-old sons with autism inside a basement room of their Rockville home for six years.

According to documents obtained by NBC Washington, Montgomery County police uncovered a room in the basement locked by a deadbolt when they were executing an unrelated search warrant at the Lands' home on Crawford Drive last Thursday.

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Inside, officers found twin brothers Darnell and Derrick Land living in a urine-smelling "bedroom" with no furniture, little light and a single comforter on the floor. 

Police said Janice and John Land told them their sons are non-verbal and require constant attention.

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According to a probable cause document, John said one of his sons had previously caused some water damage to the home, and to prevent it from happening again, he admitted to installing a deadbolt and padlock on the outside of the bedroom with the "sole intention" of locking his sons in the basement room.

John told officers he would lock his sons inside the room around 10 p.m. and would come back just before 5 a.m. to "let them out." According to the document, John said his wife, along with others, had also locked the twins in the room in the past.

Documents said when investigators asked John how he and his wife would communicate with their sons if something went wrong or they needed something, John said his sons would "eventually make enough noise that he would hear them and go see what was wrong."

He said there was no furniture in his sons' bedroom because they had soiled it the week before police arrived, and they had the furniture removed.

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According to the documents, Janice Land told officers she had no knowledge of her sons being locked in the room for six years despite being one of their primary caretakers and sharing a home with them.

“If someone locked them in the room, I didn’t know about it," she told investigators. 

A neighbor, Sharon Drennan, told NBC Washington she heard about the twins being locked in the basement three years ago.

"I reported it to the authorities, and nothing's ever been done. [Those] children stayed in there three years longer? That's sad. I can't believe it's come to this," Drennan said. 

Officers said there was a small window in the room, but not large enough to allow the two to escape had there been an emergency. According to the document, John told police he was aware of this problem.

John and Janice Land are facing two counts each of false imprisonment and two counts each of vulnerable adult abuse of a family member. 

 Rancho Bernardo resident Fred Montazeri lives on a golf course and is required by his homeowners association to keep his backyard lush and green.

But that’s easier said than done with state and local water restrictions.

Since his last water bill hit $718, Montazeri figured it was time to figure out how to conserve water and save money at the same time. He’s taken advantage of a free residential water survey offered by the city of San Diego.

The surveys are completed by a water conservation specialist who takes a closer look at irrigation systems, toilets, faucets, washers and other areas.

“The whole point of this is just be conscientious of where your water is going and just be a good water steward,” said Kevin Farrer. He says it takes him about an hour to conduct the survey.

In Montazeri’s case, the specialist found that his toilet needed a new flapper to prevent seepage from the tank into the bowl.

The water pressure coming from a bathroom faucet was also a little high, and his irrigation system needed to be adjusted to cut back on outdoor watering.

Montazeri did get high marks for having drought resistance plants in his front yard and a drip water system.

Other tips include installing artificial grass and smart irrigation systems.

“These controllers will actually adjust the water scheduling based off the climate conditions all by themselves, so they don’t wait for you,” said Farrer.

If you’re interested in a free residential water survey, call the city at 619-515-3500 or log on to its website. Current wait times are about two to three weeks.

A Southern California man accused of trying to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey, with a fake passport so he could allegedly join Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, rebels pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges.

Adam Dandach, 20, of Orange, remained in custody without bail and is expected in federal court in Santa Ana on Aug. 25.

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Dandach was arrested by FBI agents assigned to the Orange County Joint Terrorism Task Force on July 3. He sought to leave on a flight out of John Wayne Airport in Irvine.

According to federal court documents, he told investigators that "he was traveling to Syria for the purpose of pledging his allegiance to ISIS, a known terrorist organization, that he would assist ISIS with anything that ISIS asked him to do, and that he believed the killings of U.S. soldiers are justified killings."

ISIS is the al-Qaida splinter group leading Sunni militants in Iraq.

Dandach had applied for an expedited replacement passport in June, explaining in the application that he had accidentally thrown the original in the trash while cleaning.

Authorities said his mother actually hid the original passport in a closet to stop him from flying to the Middle East in December.

Dandach's attorney, Cuauhtemoc Ortega of the Federal Public Defender's Office, as well as Dandach's family members declined comment to NBC4 after Monday's hearing.

Jason Kandel contributed to this report.