A woman traveling northbound on the Bishop Ford Freeway was killed Wednesday morning when she was struck by a tire that came off a vehicle headed in the opposite direction, a spokesperson with the Illinois State Police told NBC Chicago.

First responders had to free Jovanka Mijatov, 64, who was pinned in her white 2011 Nissan Versa by "debris" after the 6:10 a.m. crash, Illinois State Police Trooper David Roman said.

Mijatov, of Schererville, Indiana, was taken by ambulance to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was pronounced dead.

Nearby, a green 1997 Chevrolet Blazer driven by 48-year-old Mariana Blanco, of Hammond, Indiana, was pulled over to the side of the southbound lane without a left rear tire.

Blanco faces three citations: driving without valid insurance, driving without valid registration and driving with unsafe tires.

Traffic on the freeway was backed up for nearly 10 miles, to Interstate 80. Commuters got by the accident scene using just one lane until about 9 a.m.

San Diego Padres outfielder Cameron Maybin has been suspended 25 games after testing positive for an amphetamine, a violation of league policy, Major League Baseball announced Wednesday.

The suspension is effective immediately. He is the first major league player to be suspended this season under the league's drug policy.

"I have been undergoing treatment for several years for a medical condition, attention deficit disorder, for which I previously had a Therapeutic Use Exemption," Cameron said in a statement. "Unfortunately, in my attempts to switch back to a medicine that had been previously OK'd, I neglected to follow all the rules and as a result I tested positive. "I want to assure everyone that this was a genuine effort to treat my condition and I was not trying in any way to gain an advantage in my baseball career. I understand that I must accept responsibility for this mistake and I will take my punishment and will not challenge my suspension."

"Our club fully supports Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," Padres manager Bud Black said in a statement. "Cameron has accepted full responsibility for his violation and apologized to his teammates and coaches. We are all looking forward to his return."

• Read: Search for Driver in Deadly Motorcycle Hit-and-Run Crash

Team President and CEO Mike Dee also released a statement: “I’m disappointed in Cameron’s violation of MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, but am pleased that he’s taking responsibility for his mistake. The Joint Agreement was put into place to protect both the player and the game, and the Padres fully support it.”

The team called up Jeff Francoeur today to replace him on the roster, a move that's expected to be made official on Wednesday.

Maybin has had a disappointing year so far, hitting just .249 with one home run and nine RBIs. He missed nearly all of April with a biceps injury. He has just one hit in hist last eight games.

He's not the first Padres player to face a drug suspension from the league. In 2012, catcher Yasmani Grandal was suspended 50 games after testing positive for testosterone. Last year, All-Star shortstop Everth Cabrera missed 50 games the final 50 games of the season when he was linked to the Biogenesis investigation.

Two brothers fought off and helped detain a 15-year-old armed intruder who tried to rob them early Wednesday morning in New London, police said.

A teen, wearing a hockey mask and carrying a knife and a loaded gun, invaded a home on Crystal Avenue just before 3 a.m. on Wednesday, according to police.

Richard and Kevin Dennis were asleep when the teen broke in, but woke up and acted quickly.

Richard went toward the teen.

"That’s when he hit me in the head with the gun. Then I picked him up and he started wailing on my back with the butt of the gun," Richard said.

Kevin got a gun to help his brother, and told the teen to drop his weapon and stay still.

"I heard my brother say, 'Kevin, I need help. He has a gun.' When I heard that, (I) grabbed my gun and went flying through the door," Kevin Dennis said.

The teen did drop his weapon.

"He dropped it the moment he saw me. I got mine. The fight was over. It was night and day," Kevin Dennis said.

When police arrived, they arrested the intruder.

The teen was charged with home invasion, burglary, second-degree assault with a firearm, first-degree threatening and carrying a pistol without a permit. His name has not been released because of his age.

The resident who was assaulted had minor injuries, but declined medical treatment, police said. 

Two New London brothers say a teen picked the wrong house when he broke in w/ this handgun & a knife @NBCConnecticut pic.twitter.com/Xs7z8SNfKK

— Tara Joyce (@tarajoycenbc) July 23, 2014

Following Wednesday evening's brief preview, Comic-Con makes the jump to light speed Thursday when the first full day of events kicks-off in San Diego.

A celebration of what's hot in comic books, film, TV, video games, costumes and collectibles, the four-day festival is expected to attrack around 150,000 fans to the San Diego convention center and environs.

Fan-boys and -girls will flock to the big events - especially the cast reveals and sneak peeks of highly-aniticipated blockbuster movies. This year's titles lighting up the pop cutlure radar include "Mad Max: Fury Road," "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Antman," Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" and the final installment of the latest Tolkien-based trilogy, "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies."

NEWS Happy 75th Birthday Batman: The Enduring Appeal of the Dark Knight

TV series loyalists can get their fill of "Game of Thrones," "The Walking Dead," "Orphan Black," "The Vampire Diaries" and "Gotham," the Batman-based police procedural from Fox that will debut in the fall.

Check back throughout the convention for updates on what's happening, the hot news and all the latest celebrity pics.

And don't forget to download the official NBC Comic-Con 2014 App to optimize your fan experience.

Here's what we're excited for on Thursday July 24:

Spotlight on Bill Finger, the Co-Creator of Batman

2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the movie "Batman" and the 75th anniversary of character's debut. And Bill Finger, the Caped Crusader's co-creator, would have turned 100 this year. At this special panel, Finger's living descendants Athena Finger ("The Cape Creator: A Tribute to Bill Finger") and her son Benjamin will celebrate his life and achievements. Others on the panel include Bob Kane's biographer Tom Andrae ("Batman and Me"), actress Lee Meriwether ("Batman: The Movie's" Catwoman), author Marc Tyler Nobleman ("Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman") and executive producer Michael Uslan ("Batman," "The Dark Knight film trilogy"). 11:30 a.m. Room 4

USA Network Teases "DIG"

USA's newest series "DIG" will make its debut at Comic-Con. The show follows an FBI agent stationed in Jerusalem, who, while investigating a murder, uncovers a global conspiracy 2,000 years in the making. Series stars, Jason Isaacs ("Harry Potter"), David Costabile ("Breaking Bad") and Alison Sudol ("A Fine Frenzy" will discuss the series' concepts and attendees will be treated to an exclusive preview before "DIG" premieres in the fall. 11:30 a.m. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

NEWS Secrets Behind Comic-Con's Exclusive Toys Revealed

Charles Schulz and Social Commentary in Peanuts

Through the gentle humor and slapstick antics of the "Peanuts" gang, creator Charles Schulz quietly offered up a look at the social and political climate of the changing world around him. This presentation by Corry Kanzenberg (curator, Charles M. Schulz Museum) explores the intersection of "Peanuts" and the topical world, and is followed by a Q & A panel featuring Seth Green ("Robot Chicken," "Family Guy") and Art Roche (content director, Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates). 12:00 p.m. Room 25ABC

NASA's Next Giant Leap

The 45th annual Comic-Con coincides with the 45th anniversary of the moon landing, and to celebrate NASA is making its first official appearance at the San Diego fest. "NASA's Next Giant Leap" will be moderated by actor Seth Green with a panel featuring Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, current NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, NASA Planetary Science Division Director Jim Green, and JPL systems engineer Bobak Ferdowsi ("Mohawk Guy" from the Curiosity rover landing). They'll be discussing NASA's plans to send humans deeper into the solar system than ever before, and the Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System rocket, which will carry humans to Mars. 3:00 p.m. Room 6A

DC Comics: Batman 75: Legends of the Dark Knight

Batman has become one of the most enduring characters in popular culture. To celebrate the Dark Knight's 75th anniversary, legendary Batman creators Neal Adams, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Frank Miller, Grant Morrison, Denny O'Neil, and Scott Snyder will man this historic panel to discuss the great detective's legacy. 3:30 p.m. Room 6BCF

Comic-Con 2014: What We're Geeking Out Over

"Thunderbirds" at 50

5, 4, 3, 2 ... 1 - Thunderbirds are go. The beloved British series featuring marionettes and incredible rescue craft that fueled the imaginations of kids of all ages in the 1960s gets the Comic-Con treatment 50 years since it first debuted. Originally created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, "Thunderbirds" is currently being given a CGI reboot by ITV and will return to screen in 2015 as "Thunderbirds Are Go."  Creators and producers of the new series will discuss the importance of heritage programming and what's next for the Tracy family and their heroic rescues. 4:30 p.m. Room 8

"Hannibal": Embrace the Madness

The creative minds behind the award-winning NBC TV series "Hannibal" are getting together. What's on the menu? Season 3 dish and what goes on behind-the-scenes. Panel speakers include executive producer/creator Bryan Fuller and stars Caroline Dhavernas (Dr. Alana Bloom), Scott Thompson, and Aaron Abrams (Special Agents Jimmy Price and Brian Zeller). 4:45 p.m. Ballroom 20

The Heroes of "Star Wars Rebels"

This new animated series explores the 20-year stretch of "Star Wars" history between Episodes III and IV, and it's a dark time in the galaxy. "Star Wars Rebels" executive producers Dave Filoni and Simon Kinberg as well as series stars Freddie Prinze, Jr., Vanessa Marshall, Steve Blum, Tiya Sircar, and Taylor Gray will offer up a preview of this highly-anticipated series coming to Disney XD in the fall. 6:00 p.m. Room 6BCF

"Sharknado 2: The Second One"

A Sharknado is about to hit the Big Apple! "Sharknado 2: The Second One" stars Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Kari Wuhrer, and Judah Friedlander and director Anthony C. Ferrante discuss the sequel to the SyFy TV movie that became a social media phenom in 2013. 7:15 p.m. Room 6BCF

Testimony ended Wednesday in the trial to determine whether Donald Sterling's estranged wife can sell the Los Angeles Clippers in a proposed $2 billion deal with former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Shelly Sterling, who had testified early in the trial, was expected to be the final witness, but her husband's lawyers decided not to call her back to the stand.

• Read: Doc Rivers to Quit Clippers If Sterling Stays: CEO

Instead, they called Dr. Jeffrey Cummings to discuss the protocol of examinations such as the ones given to Donald Sterling to determine his mental competency and ability to act as owner.

Most of his testimony drew objections from Shelly Sterling's attorneys, and the judge said he didn't see how it would help him reach a decision.

"It's exasperating because he should see that the reports of these people are based upon examinations conducted in circumstances which Dr. Cummings said he's never seen before," Donald Sterling's attorney Max Blecher said outside of court.

"The incompetency is just a ploy, a ruse, a distraction so they can get rid of Donald Sterling who didn't want to sell the team," Blecher said.

Shelly Sterling's attorneys rested their case Tuesday and finished with testimony that the Clippers face oblivion if the team's censured owner keeps control of the franchise.

• Read: "There's Huge Reputation Issues": Clippers' Future Unclear

Clippers Interim CEO Richard Parsons testified on Tuesday that coach Doc Rivers said he will leave if Donald Sterling stays, as well as players and sponsors.

Parsons said he fears there would also be an exodus of key players, including team captain Chris Paul, who also is black and heads the NBA players union.

Parsons was about to give an account of his conversations with Paul but was stopped by an objection by an NBA lawyer who said it would be an invasion of privacy. The judge upheld the objection.

The trial will not be in session for the rest of the week. The two sides are scheduled to return for closing arguments on Monday.

The trial was full of emotion and drama, especially for a probate-court trial to determine technical legal and financial questions.

Most of the fireworks came from Donald Sterling, who shouted at attorneys for both sides, denounced the NBA and its commissioner for trying to oust him from the league over racist recordings, and at one point called Shelly Sterling a "pig" as she left the witness stand.

Donald Sterling also filed a new lawsuit against on Tuesday his wife, the NBA and league Commissioner Adam Silver that alleges fraud, breach of contract, unfair business practices and infliction of emotional distress. He claimed, among other things, that he was tricked into being examined by psychiatrists to establish whether he was mentally competent.

Patrick Healy contributed to this report.

If we had a rare 1938 Action Comic Books #3 featuring Superman for every time someone said Comic-Con International is "humongous" and left it at that, well. We'd be a comic book-owning scion, that's for dang sure.

Because "humongous" and "gargantuan" and "larger than Godzilla" and "bigger than fifteen solar systems smooshed together" are incredibly common descriptions of the world's largest pop culture convention. (Okay, maybe that last one less so.)

But how will those generalities help you when you reach San Diego on Thursday, July 24, which happens to be the everything-made-or-being-made extravaganza's opening date for 2014? Answer: They will not help. Here, however, are some lickety-split tips that might (we said might, so don't get huffy if they don't apply to you, which they probably should).

• Read: Comic-Con Sells Out

1. Celebrities. They should probably rename the San Diego Convention Center "Celebrity Ville" for the duration of the con, since oodles of famous people show up. ("Oodles"=several dozen, at least). Charlize Theron, Quentin Tarantino, and the perfect Betty White are on the "expected to show" list.

2. Masquerade. The weekend's showboaty (said with supreme love and admiration) costume-o-rama love fest gets the mega queue, the huge applause, and the hours and days and weeks of preparation. Seriously, people who gussy up and perform in the Saturday night staple are mega. Extreme effort. Props.

3. Special Guests. So, we heard that your favorite artist and/or writer is totally going to be there. Okay, so that was a guess, but an accurate one, we'll wager, given that comic book biggies Neal Adams, June Brigman, and Eleanor Davis are set to show, as well as oodles of others. ("Oodles"=several dozen, again, for reference.)

4. Everything Else. The shopping, the books, the toys, the t-shirts, the panels -- THE PANELS -- the hobnobbing, the costume-admiring, the walking from one end of the convention center to the other and passing three Hulks, the social aspect, the Comic-Con-o-sity, which is a real thing. Are you ready to queue? To listen? To applaud? To chat? To get your forearm signed because you don't have a piece of paper on you?

Yeah. You so are.

New research suggests not getting a full eight hours of sleep a night may be just fine.

For years, we've been told eight hours is about the healthy amount of sleep for the average adult to get per night.  That seems to be changing.  Multiple recent sleep studies are now showing that the ideal amount of sleep may be closer to seven hours per night.

One of those studies done by the National Sleep Foundation put the number at seven hours and thirteen minutes of sleep per night.  However, even with the lowered number, most people say they're still coming up short. 

In that particular study, most of the adults said they got about six and a half hours per night.  Sixty-nine percent said they got less than the ideal seven hours.

A change from the long-standing standard of eight hours to seven hours may not seem significant, but those are valuable minutes. Some research has suggested that losing even 20 minutes of your ideal sleep can affect memory and performance the following day.

Scientists are trying to get the word out. The Sleep Research Society and American Academy of Sleep Medicine have partnered with the Centers for Disease Control to develop new sleep guidelines and encourage people to get at least seven hours of sleep per night.

They also recommend keeping a sleep diary and keep track of what they call your weekly "sleep debt." Once you have a look at your sleep patterns, you can discuss them with your doctor.

The Sleep Research Society claims that 70 million Americans suffer from some sort of sleep disorder.

The mother of a U.S. Army nurse killed in Afghanistan will not be deported to Mexico, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Wednesday.

“After conducting a comprehensive review of her case, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has chosen to grant Ms. Cordova-Urieta a one-year stay of removal and release her from ICE custody,” ICE spokesperson Lauren Mack said in a statement.

Maria Cordova, 47, was released from Las Colinas Detention Facility Tuesday after serving time for a drug conviction, according to her attorney Danielle Rosche. She was immediately taken into ICE custody and scheduled to be deported.

However, her attorney appealed the order so Cordova could be near the grave of her daughter, 1st Lt. Jennifer Moreno, who was killed in October serving in Afghanistan.

Moreno, 25, graduated from San Diego High School in 2006 and attended the University of San Francisco, where she enrolled in the ROTC program.

The Army nurse died while serving with the Army Rangers as part of a female liaison team. Moreno is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery and was posthumously awarded a Bronze Star for combat valor.

• READ: Escondido Denies Immigrant Children Housing Permit

Rosche said Moreno’s family is overwhelmed by the decision to let Cordova stay in the U.S. and grateful to ICE officials for their compassion.

Cordova can apply each year to have her stay extended, according to Mack.

The Escondido Fire Department is warning local businesses of a scam that involves people posing as fire inspectors and charging for their fake services.

According to officials, the bogus inspection scam works like this: unknown individuals show up at a local business and claim the Escondido Fire Department sent them there to conduct an inspection.

After walking around the premises for the so-called inspection, the scammers give a bill to the business charging them for the service.

The Escondido Fire Department said real inspections by their department are conducted by the agency’s uniformed personnel. If there’s ever a fee involved, officials said an invoice will come directly from the City of Escondido.

Residents or business owners who feel they’ve fallen prey to this scam should contact the Escondido Fire Department at (760) 839-5400.

The bogus fire inspections case is under investigation. No arrests have been made.
 

Two more infants were diagnosed with herpes in New York this month after undergoing ritual Jewish circumcisions, the Health Department says.

In both cases, the infant boys were born to mothers with full-term pregnancies and normal deliveries. They were circumcised using the direct oral suction technique practiced by some Orthodox Jews eight days after their birth, and developed lesions on their genitals shortly thereafter, the Health Department said.

Their conditions Wednesday weren't immediately clear.

NYC to Require Consent for Oral Suction Ritual

There have been 16 confirmed cases of herpes since 2000 in newborn boys after circumcisions that likely involved direct oral suction, including three in 2014, according to the Health Department. 

Two of the infants died and at least two others suffered brain damage.

During the ancient ritual, the person performing the circumcision attempts to cleanse the wound by sucking blood from the cut and spitting it aside. Authorities say the saliva contact could give the infant herpes, which is harmless in adults but could kill newborns.

In 2012, the Board of Health voted unanimously to require anyone performing circumcisions that involve oral suction to obtain written consent from a parent or guardian. The consent form delineates the potential health risks outlined by the Health Department. 

A group of Orthodox rabbis sued in an attempt to block the regulation, but a judge sided with the city.

The parents have to sign a form acknowledging that the city Health Department advises against the practice because of risks of herpes and other infections.

Former Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon was convicted Wednesday on some of the voter fraud and perjury counts against him in a trial stemming from accusations that he lied about where he lived so he could qualify for public office.

Alarcon was convicted on four of 16 felony counts against him for living outside a district he was elected to represent. The jury cleared him on the other counts. His wife, Flora Montes de Oca Alarcon, was convicted of three counts, and acquitted on three others.

• Updates: NBCLA News App

Alarcon, 60, faced seven counts of fraudulent voting, six counts of perjury by declaration and three counts of perjury in an application for a drivers license. His wife was charged with six felony counts: three counts each of perjury by declaration and fraudulent voting in elections in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 10. Richard Alarcon faces up to six years in state prison and would be barred from holding elected public office. Flora Montes de Oca Alarcon faces up to five years and four months in state prison and would be barred from running for public office.

The panel was asked to decide whether the couple lied about where they lived between 2006 and 2009 so that Richard Alarcon could qualify for public office in Los Angeles' 7th Council District.

• Read: President's LA Visit Includes Speech, Fundraiser

Outside of court Wednesday, Alarcon said he had no comment, but added, "I know I'm innocent."

Deliberations in the month-long trial began last week after prosecutors argued that the Panorama City house that Alarcon and his wife claimed as their "domicile" appeared to neighbors, utility employees and mail carriers to be vacant. Prosecutors contended the Alarcons really lived outside the 7th Council District in Sun Valley.

Under state election law, a residence for voting purposes is defined as a permanent home where one intends to remain and return after an absence. The law does not detail how much time must be spent at the address for it to qualify as a "domicile."

The defense claimed that the prosecution had not even come close to proving the charges against the two. Defense attorneys argued that the Panorama City house underwent renovations and remained the couple's permanent residence because they planned to return there after construction.

A San Diego judge will consider Wednesday whether to release a convicted child molester to live in an East County community.

Campo residents near Custer Road say they’re furious about a plan to move a violent child predator to their area.

Law enforcement officials say in the early 1980’s Allen Fields molested four boys between the ages of 10 and 13 years old.

During that time, he was either their caregiver or Boy Scout troop leader. The incidents happened over a five year period and included fondling, mutual masturbation, mutual oral copulation and attempted sodomy.

The woman who lives across the street from the home Fields would move into says she’s nervous and frustrated. She did not want to be identified, but told NBC 7 she has a 12-year-old autistic son and nine grandchildren who often come over to play.

Tessa Dierkop is a mother of four children and the owner of Café B down the road from the home where Fields would live. She says she fears for the children..

“There are kids all day long riding bikes..walking to the cafe or to the park right up the road,” she said to NBC 7.

Fields’ court hearing will take place at 9a.m. at the downtown courthouse. Public comment will still be accepted.
 

The planning commission for the city of Escondido has denied a permit for a temporary shelter for undocumented immigrant children.

Impassioned pleas from Escondido residents filled City Hall late Tuesday as the city’s planning commission considered whether to reverse a recent vote denying a permit to the non-profit organization Southwest Key.

The proposed facility would offer housing for an influx of unaccompanied minors who have entered the U.S. from Central America. San Diego County has limited beds for immigrant children as they await legal proceedings to determine if they can seek asylum from the violence and poverty in their home countries.

Supporters of the shelter took to the podium to urge commissioners to allow it to go forward.

“This is a human issue,” said Effie Collins, who’s changed her own mind on immigration. “Not an issue between haves and have nots.”

• Tempers Flare Over Temporary Shelter for Undocumented Immigrant Children

"What’s happening to these kids has personal meaning for me,” said another woman. “Just before World War I, my Dutch grandmother was determined to get out of Europe with her son: my father."

One by one, people tried to persuade commissioners to allow the now-shuttered Palomar Continuing Care Center to be turned into a 96-bed shelter for undocumented immigrant children.

Despite a pre-meeting, pro-shelter march to City Hall, with protestors chanting at times "We're a community without borders," the planning commission voted not to allow the children's facility in Escondido.

Resident Jack Bennett was happy.

“They need to be with their parents,“ he said about the children the facility would house. “They need to be in their home country with their parents. That’s not being racist. “

Commissioners said they were denying the permit based on inappropriate and too intensive of land use, traffic, noise and safety.

The vote not to convert the facility doesn't just mean the immigrant minors won't be housed in Escondido. It also means the estimated $8.5 million and about 100 jobs the shelter was projected to bring into North County will not be coming.

The decision can be appealed within the next ten days. If it is, the city council will make the deciding vote.

Southwest Key already operates two other shelters in San Diego County.
 

In response to five assaults on women in just the last two months, a martial arts studio in North Park is teaching women how to fight back.

Impact Krav Maga wants to arm women with self-defense knowledge so they don't become the next victim.

“I'm a woman. I'm seen as a weak target. I'm only 5-feet tall, so I need to do what I can to protect myself and my family," said Michelle Pampo, a student at Krav Maga.

“It's definitely scary. I like to go out a lot. The North Park area has a lot of nightlife, but you have to be more cautious these days," said North Park resident Toni Calingy.

• Read: Nearly $500K in Jewelry Stolen in Mall Robbery

One of the most common attacks is when an attacker takes a swing. Krav Maga instructors teach women how to defend themselves by using their weight to lean into the punch and strike the most vulnerable parts of their attacker, such as the nose, throat or groin.

Instructor Veronica Gabarra is the first female in the U.S. ranked as in expert in Krav Maga, a martial arts designed by the Israeli military. The basic self-defense techniques are moves every woman can learn, she said.

“It's a way of fighting back,” Calingy said. ”It's a way of protecting myself. I'm a strong woman. I can defend myself if I need to. It could save somebody's life."

Police recommend trying to run away before ever confronting an attacker.

• Read: Padres Outfielder Suspended 25 Games

Impact Krav Maga is offering a free self-defense class Sunday for NBC 7 viewers. RSVP here

The latest reported attack happened July 20 when a woman was knocked unconscious in the 2900 block of Lincoln Avenue.

Escondido police are looking for two armed men who stole almost $500,000 in jewelry from a North County store.

Three employees were inside the Royal Maui Jewelers at Westfield North County around 8 p.m. Tuesday when two men walked into the store.

The armed men demanded one employee get on the ground while another take items from a display and load them into several black bags.

In all, the store reports 40 Rolex watches and other jewelry totaling $480,000 were stolen.

• Read: Device Helps Women Use Restroom - Standing Up

The suspects ran on foot through the Target parking lot.

Officials said one employee was taken to the hospital for a panic attack. There were no other injuries.

The suspects were described as African American, in their late 20s or early 30s, each about 6-foot, wearing plaid shirts and dark pants. One suspect was described as “very muscular.” Witnesses also said one suspect had a musical note tattooed on his neck.

Escondido police were checking surveillance video and interviewing witnesses.
 

A suburban Chicago man wrongly convicted of murder got a taste of freedom for the first time in 20 years Wednesday.

Rodell Sanders received a new trial and was acquitted after a witness recanted.

"I am happy to be out. I am thankful to be out. I am happy I survived as long as I did. I'm thankful for my legal team. I am thankful for my family that stood by me all this time," Sanders said.

Sanders was serving an 80-year sentence for a crime he never committed. He was identified in a photo lineup by the surviving victim of the robbery, but his attorneys say police doctored the photo.

"Anyone viewing that photo array would know you wouldn't put a photo with errors in it just to be a filler. That to be the suspect's photograph," attorney Russell Ainsworth said.

After he was convicted, Sanders became a student of the law, and acted as his own attorney at the hearing that won him a new trial.

"I took about $1,000 -- asked my sister Virginia to buy me about $1,000 worth of legal books, and I taught myself the law as much as I can, and I took on the justice system," Sanders said.

Sanders was reunited with his children and grandchildren Wednesday.

"I tell him all the time that I can't even believe the things he's done. He's a talker, without a doubt, so yeah, he is unbelievable," Sanders' eldest daughter, Lynette Booth, said.

Sanders is suing the Chicago Heights police department and the officers involved in his case, but he says he's not bitter or angry -- he'd like to work for change by helping others wrongly convicted and serving time.

"I want to go out. I want to work. I love law, love the courtroom. I would love to go on to be a paralegal or a lawyer or something like that," Sanders said.
 

Disturbing new details on the conditions of decaying bodies found in a Fort Worth funeral home emerged Wednesday with the release of arrest warrant affadavits for two of the mortuary's managers.

Police who went to the Johnson Family Mortuary on July 15, weeks after its landlord had evicted it, found a gruesome scene, warrants for Rachel Hardy Johnson, 35, and Dondre A. Johnson, 39, showed.

Officers found evidence of insect infestation, as well as fly pupa on or near the bodies, according to those documents.

One corpse was mummified in a casket, while another that appeared mummified was wrapped only in a sheet and left on a coffee table.

• Eight Bodies Found Unattended in Fort Worth Funeral Home

Two more of the decaying corpses were of children, and of those, one was skeletonized while another was melted to a container.

More corpses were on gurneys, with bodily fluids draining onto the floor and into buckets places underneath to collect it, and with a shop vacuum nearby that had apparently been used to clean some of it. Other corpses were found in a garage area, where there was prevalent evidence of insects.

The warrants said that only one of the eight corpses found appeared to have been cared for properly and was not severely decomposed. That body was from a recent funeral and was being prepared to be shipped to Kenya.

• Johnson Family Mortuary Manager Faces Abuse of a Corpse Charges

Rachel Johnson was arrested July 18, while Dondre surrendered to police at about 2 a.m. July 19.

Each was charged with seven counts of abuse of a corpse, and both were released after paying $10,500 bond each, or $1,500 for each count.

Investigators said they intentionally or knowingly treated seven corpses "in a seriously offensive manner, namely by retaining custody of and storing the human corpse in an unrefrigerated building instead of delivering the said human corpse for proper burial or cremation."

(Read the arrest warrant affidavit here.)

• Co-Owner of Troubled Mortuary Out on Bond

The seven corpses officials say were abused were identified as being those of the following people:

• Baby Girl Booker — DOB April 21, 2012 — DOD April 21, 2012
• Karen Pearl Jones — DOB Nov. 8, 1958 — DOD March 25, 2014
• Helen Jones — DOB Oct. 12, 1943 — DOD April 9, 2014
• Boy Desiree Williams — DOB Unknown — DOD May 1, 2014
• Deborah Whitney — DOB Unknown — DOD May 11, 2014
• Victoria Vasquez — DOB — Aug. 25, 1961 — DOD June 9, 2014
• Patricia Baptiste — DOB Unknown — DOD June 30, 2014

During a discussion with police July 15 outside of the mortuary, Dondre Johnson is quoted in the affidavit as saying he and his wife owned the funeral home but that she was in charge.

He added that the above conditions were not unusual, saying that bodies belong in a funeral home and that the bodies hadn't been there longer than four months. He told police he was not licensed by any state agency and that he merely owns the funeral home.

About an hour after talking with Dondre Johnson, police spoke with his wife Rachel. She told them that she holds a license through the state funeral commission and that she was in charge of the administrative functions of the business.

She told police she had been absent from the business due to recently giving birth but had been at the mortuary only a few days before. She admitted to police that she smelled a stench, but said she was unaware there were bodies inside the funeral home.

Rachel is quoted in the affidavit saying her husband is more about the "pomp and circumstance" and the "show" associated with conducting memorial services and that he was not very good at keeping up with the necessary administrative paperwork needed to properly bury and cremate corpses.

Abuse of a corpse, a Class A misdemeanor, is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000 per count.

A teen was injured Wednesday afternoon after being hit by a vehicle in Lakeside.

The collision happened just after 5 p.m. at Riverford Road and Woodside Avenue in Lakeside. The 17-year-old hit by a vehicle was found unconscious in the roadway, firefighters said.

The extent of teen’s injuries weren’t immediately known. The teen was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating.

Check back here for updates.

A person caught the mosquito-borne virus chikungunya in the United States this month, health officials say — marking the first time mosquitoes in the U.S. are believed to have spread it.

Other cases of the illness, which is relatively new to the Americas, have been reported in travelers returning home to Florida, New York, Texas and elsewhere, often after trips to the Caribbean.

Here is some key information about chikungunya and the virus that causes it.

How do you get chikungunya? Mosquitoes transmit the virus between people. The two species usually responsible, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, bite mostly during the day. In the U.S., they are found in the Southeast and in some parts of the Southwest, though Aedes albopictus also is found up through the Mid-Atlantic and in the lower Midwest.

What are the symptoms? The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain, often in the hands and feet; also possible are muscle aches, headaches, joint swelling and a rash. Symptoms, which can be severe, usually begin three to seven days after a person is bitten. Most people feel better within a week, and death is rare, though joint pain can persist.

How do you treat chikungunya? There is no specific treatment and no vaccine. Medicines like ibuprofen, naproxen, paracetamol and acetaminophen can relieve fever and pain, though.

How do you avoid getting chikungunya? To protect yourself, try to avoid being bitten. Use air conditioning or window screens. Use insect repellant, and if possible, wear long sleeves and pants. Get rid of standing water, where mosquitoes can breed.

Who is most at risk for a severe case? Newborns exposed during delivery, people 65 and older and those with high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease are at the highest risk.

What does the name mean? It is derived from a word in the Kimakonde language, spoken in southern Tanzania, where the virus was first detected. It means to become contorted or bent, describing the stooped appearance of someone suffering from joint pain.

Where has it been reported? Outbreaks have occured in Africa, Asia and Europe and on the islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans. The first case transmitted in the Americas was reported in the Caribbean in late 2013.

How do you pronounce chikungunya? Like this: chik-en-gun-ye.

Source: Centers for Disease and Prevention, World Health Organization

A Long Beach homeowner has no regrets after shooting and killing a woman who said she was pregnant after he got into a confrontation with her and another man who were ransacking his sprawling home.

Tom Greer, an 80-year-old retiree, arrived to his upscale Bixby Knolls neighborhood Tuesday night to find a couple in the middle of a late-night break-in.

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"When I went in there, they tackled me," Greer told NBC4 Wednesday. "Both of them jumped up on top of me."

The intruders, a man and woman, may have underestimated Greer, he said, as they ransacked his safe and yanked the door open right in front of him.

• Read: Wrongly Convicted Man Freed After 20 Years in Prison

"I keep thousands of dollars in there... $22,000, $15,000," he said, adding that the couple didn't appear to be armed.

The intruders threw Greer to the ground, but they didn't know he'd gotten his .22-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver.

• Read: Former Pro Boxer to Stand Trial in Cold Case Murder

"I come back and they see me with a gun, and they run," he said.

The man escaped, but the woman fell after being struck by Greer's gunfire in an alley behind the house.

"She says, 'Don't shoot me, I'm pregnant! I'm going to have a baby!' And I shot her anyway," Greer said.

When asked what he saw happen to the woman after he fired shots, Greer responded: "She was dead. I shot her twice, she best be dead ... (The man) had run off and left her."

• Read: Bodies in Mortuary Were Melting, Mummified, Infested: Warrant

"I've never in my life shot anybody, killed anybody," Greer said.

Greer was being treated at the hospital Wednesday for a severe shoulder and collarbone injury, but he hoped to send a warning to the man who got away.

"I shot her so that's going to leave a message on his mind for the rest of his life," Greer said.

Long Beach police said they were investigating the incident. It was not immediately clear whether any charges would be filed against Greer for the shooting.