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Movie Theaters Vie to Bring Back Customers

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This has been a tough summer for the movies. 

Not only are fewer Americans going to the movies, but many families feel they have been priced out of the theater.

“The cost definitely has a lot to do with it,” said Melissa Williams, who took her daughter to a dollar matinee Wednesday.

Aaron and Valerie Barlett also look for cheaper times when they take their two children to the movies, or they simply stay home.

“We watch them a lot at home, we watch them on DVD, we watch them on Netflix,” Aaron said.

People in the theater business are looking for ways to attract families back to the movies.  That is often done by lowering prices.

“I’m concerned at times because there are so many options for people to watch movies,” said Julie Bravo with San Diego-based UltraStar Cinemas.

The UltraStar Cinema in Hazard Center is trying to win back families by offering dollar movies for children in the mornings and capping their regular theater prices at $8.

“Attendance is picking up,” Bravo said.  She says it’s hard for families on a budget to pay for luxury seats that sometimes sell for $20 and higher.

As for movies on the screen, there have been few true blockbusters.  Even those most popular films have not passed the $300 million domestic revenue goal.  Also, there are fewer family films this year.  Pixar does not have a new release in 2014.

While there is a constant competition for viewers, Bravo says her theater offers something that tablets and TV screens can’t.

“You can have a beautiful screen at home. You can have a great surround sound, but something about being in a theater, a dark room with 200 people, hearing them laugh, hearing them cry, smelling that popcorn," she said.  "You can’t recreate that with the best home system."



Photo Credit: B Brown, Shutterstock

Thieves Targeting ecoATM Machines in San Diego

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A vending machine may be making it easier for thieves to cash in on your iPhone.

You know that panic when you reach into your pocket or purse and can't find your iPhone. But what if you GPS tracked it and found it some place like here?

“I could see that my phone was traveling South toward Horton Plaza and it stopped!" said Victim Feliz Ventura, indicating the ecoATM, a San Diego company that operates self-service kiosks that provide payments for unwanted cell phones

Feliz said she called the company for weeks and filed a police report. She finally got this phone back.

“It had been shattered the company claims it was released shattered but they won't release the paperwork to me to prove it. The back of the phone didn't match. I thought, ‘Oh well they've sent me the wrong phone,’" Ventura said.

But the company said it’s not the wrong phone.

Police say thieves bypass EcoATM's stringent security in a number of ways including switching parts of phones with other stolen phones to avoid tracking.

EcoATM is equipped with two cameras and requires sellers to provide a driver's license and fingerprint scan.

In a statement the company said: "On the rare occasions when thieves do try to sell stolen propertyto our kiosks, we can be a valuable resource for the police because of our security features and the information we gather. We report all of the information we collect for each transaction to the local police on a daily basis.”

San Diego police says it’s investigating seven other cases similar to Feliz’ case.

“I got something back. It’s not what was taken," says Ventura.

It’s an unintended consequence of the Giving Green Machine.

“You can sell these things and there's no accountability," says Ventura.

Jokingly, Feliz said she might just sell that phone back to ecoATM but at this point she'll just have to buy a new phone.

Here is EcoATM’s full statement:

“This is a very unfortunate situation where a law-abiding citizen was the victim of a crime in which thieves stole and doctored her phone.  We matched this phone to the one in the police report and returned it to the customer, although unfortunately it had been altered by the perpetrator.  We are working with law enforcement by providing the police with a full transaction report and assisting in the investigation.

In fact, we very rarely see stolen property in our kiosks because of our security measures and cooperation with local authorities.  Just a fraction of one percent of the phones we collect are eventually reported stolen.  In contrast, there are countless options to sell stolen phones with no questions asked or records made, including through Craigslist and underground markets.  These methods can be unsafe for consumers and almost completely invisible to law enforcement.

On the rare occasions when thieves do try to sell stolen property to our kiosks, we can be a valuable resource for the police because of our security features and the information we gather.  At ecoATM, a live person monitors every transaction and we take multiple photographs of the seller, scan the seller’s ID and collect their thumbprint.  We report all of the information we collect for each transaction to the local police on a daily basis.  We greatly value our relationships with law enforcement and are committed to helping the San Diego police in any way we can.”
 



Photo Credit: ecoATM

San Diego Transforms for Comic-Con

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The streets of downtown San Diego have transformed into a fantasy world fit for a superhero as 2014 Comic-Con takes over. Check out these photos of the city's transformation in anticipation of the event -- the calm before the Comic-Con storm, if you will.

Photo Credit: Garrett Ng

Comic-Con’s Anti-Harassment Policy Still Criticized

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As costumed fans take over downtown San Diego for Comic-Con this week, one online group claims the event's current anti-harassment policy simply isn’t enough while organizers insist safety is their main concern.

Every attendee with a Comic-Con badge received an email from organizers a few days before the convention outlining policies, including the Comic-Con code of conduct and anti-harassment policy.

The anti-harassment policy states:

Attendees must respect common sense rules for public behavior, personal interaction, common courtesy, and respect for private property. Harassing or offensive behavior will not be tolerated. Comic-Con reserves the right to revoke, without refund, the membership and badge of any attendee not in compliance with this policy.

Persons finding themselves in a situation where they feel their safety is at risk or who become aware of an attendee not in compliance with this policy should immediately locate a member of security, or a Comic-Con staff member, so that the matter can be handled in an expeditious manner.

Security may be contacted by visiting our Show Office in Lobby C. A Comic-Con staff member will be in the office during public hours.

Last month, a group called GeeksforConsent.org publicly criticized San Diego Comic-Con for not doing enough to protect women in costume who attend the annual event.

At the time, Rochelle Keyhan, creator and director of the group, said many costumed women walked away from the convention feeling uncomfortable and violated.

“They’ve been harassed, either sexually with pretty verbal harassment, or physical groping, or being followed around the convention space,” said Keyhan.

While Geeks for Consent says harassment is a problem at many of these pop culture conventions, Keyhan said she believes Comic-Con is perpetuating the problem by not creating a more detailed anti-harassment policy.

The group created an online petition asking for change at Comic-Con. As of July 23 – just one day before the big event – the petition had garnered more than 2,500 signatures. The group planned to deliver the petition to Comic-Con organizers.

According to a recent post on the Geeks for Consent website, the group believes that, as it stands, Comic-Con’s anti-harassment policy is vague and includes no definition of “harassment” and what would warrant an offender getting kicked out of the convention.

The group feels as if Comic-Con is treating this “like a minor issue, radicalized by the ‘few’ people who’ve experienced harassment.”

Last month, Comic-Con spokesperson David Glanzer defended the current policy and told NBC 7 it was “broad by design.”

“The fact of the matter is the broadness of the policy allows us to take more action than if we were specific. If we said ‘A, B, C, D was not allowed, what if somebody tries to circumvent that?’” said Glanzer.

He pointed to the heavy security and police presence at the event as proof that Comic-Con doesn’t take harassment claims lightly.

“The reports we’ve gotten have been few and far between," he added.

On Wednesday, Glanzer reaffirmed that safety has and always will be a "paramount concern" for Comic-Con organizers and said they take any and all claims very seriously.
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Teenager Dies Hiking in Intense Heat

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A teenager died hiking in the sweltering temperatures in San Diego County.

The 18-year-old woman was hiking a trail at Three Sisters Falls in Julian Tuesday. A friend called for help after she started showing signs of “heat-related physical distress,” according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

The teen was flown to the hospital where she died. Her name has not been released.

Cal Fire has received many emergency calls from people not prepared for the heat, according to Fire Captain Kendal Bortisser.

“If you start drinking water when you’re thirsty, it’s too late then,” Bortisser said.

Point Loma resident Borden Hughes, 71, hikes Cowles Mountain at Mission Trails Regional Park several times a week. He said other hikers on the trail don’t bring enough water.

“They will carry a half liter, it will be very hot and they’ll be splitting it with someone else, and it’s not enough,” Hughes said.

“I’ve given water away because I’ve found people in trouble,” he added.

Kinga Jablecki of Eastlake brought visitors from Chicago to Mission Trails Regional Park on Wednesday despite the scorching heat.

“We came prepared, and we all survived,” she said.

Bortisser shared these tips to prevent heat exhaustion:

  • Check the weather report before you go.
  • Have a map and a plan of where you’ll hike.
  • Consider the physical stamina in everyone in the group.
  • Never hike alone.
  • Take plenty of water and protein snacks.
  • Stay on the trail and watch where you step.
  • Bring a whistle. (You may not have cell coverage.)
  • Let someone know where you’re going.

Bortisser said hikers need to recognize the signs of heat exhaustion, which include headache, fatigue, chest pains, cottonmouth and excessive sweating.

Temperatures are continuing to climb. A heat advisory goes into effect at 11 a.m. Thursday for San Diego County mountains and deserts.



Photo Credit: NBC10 Philadelphia

Report Highlights 'Paltry Pay' for Mid-Level Teachers

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Teacher pay is not a new topic, but a new report by the Center for American Progress zeroes in on how little they get late in their careers.

The report outlines the average base salary in each state, the highest possible step on the salary schedule and percentage of teachers who have outside jobs.

While California has one of the higher average salaries for teachers at $51,400, the report pointed out that amount isn’t competitive when considering the high cost of living in the Golden State.

“…This salary is unsustainable in California’s major metropolitan cities. California teachers, including those at the highest step of the pay scale, have low purchasing power when it comes to feasibly affording a home in urban areas,” the report said.

Teacher salaries have long been debated. Many proponents argue that teachers should be compensated for their merit rather than tenure, with teacher unions traditionally oppose that viewpoint.

California’s salary average tops those salaries in states in the south, such as Mississippi and Alabama, as well as the Mid West.

New England states, however, had higher salaries on average than California. For instance, Rhode Island’s average teacher salary is $78,200.

Ulrich Boser, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and author of the report, suspects it’s because Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island are in a concentrated urban setting – whereas California includes rural areas.

Still, California teachers aren’t in as much need for an outside income, the report indicates.

“What is notable about California is that you have fewer teachers with outside jobs than the national average,” Boser said.

That amount is 12 percent, according to the report.

Salvadoran Youth Personifies Immigration Crisis

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Every day in Los Angeles, hundreds of cases are heard at immigration court.

In one day two weeks ago, there were 526 cases on the calendar.

One of those was for a young man who says he works as a waiter in New York City, had to save his money to come to LA for his immigration hearing - and says he's doing everything he can to show he can be a responsible citizen.

John Flores says he came to the US from El Salvador simply because he couldn't find decent work.

He says money is made by the hour in the US. In El Salvador, by the day.

He shared photos of his month-long journey that took him through deserts and rivers with his younger brother, riding the so-called "beast" train though Mexico.

A little more than a year ago, they made it - crossing illegally into Arizona.

"I want to achieve," he said in Spanish. "I want to move forward."

But a law professor at Loyola Law School says Flores' case will likely be tough to fight.

"The law has various categories and forms of relief and your situation needs to fit into one of those categories," said Kevin Lapp, a Loyola Law School professor.

While many of the unaccompanied minors who've crossed in recent months might be able to seek asylum based on persecution back home, Flores will have a harder argument.

"It's not enough to say conditions in my country are bad and I don't want to go back there," Lapp said. "Asylum is meant to aid and avoid human suffering."

Flores says he understands his background will be investigated and he's ready.

He says he was good student, studying electrical engineering at the Thomas Jefferson Institute back home.

He says he has no criminal record, just a need to survive and provide for the family he left behind.

"I left a piece of myself behind there," he said, adding that his faith got him this far.

Now he hopes the judge will let him stay.

His case goes back to court Thursday, for a possible change of venue back to New York, but it's an example of how difficult it can be to navigate immigration court.

He hopes his personal story will sway a judge to give him legal residency.



Photo Credit: John Cádiz Klemack

City of Bell Considers Sheltering Immigrant Children

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The city of Bell has approved a letter of support to open a shelter to house 150 immigrant children who have crossed the border into the United States, as the Bell City Council voted unanimously to do so after more than three hours of public input Wednesday night.

The Bell City Council reviewed an application from the Salvation Army to operate a shelter to house immigrant children in front of a feisty, but not confrontational standing room-only crowd.

Bell Police were on tactical at Wednesday night's meeting in case the debate over sheltering migrant children from Central America boiled over, as seen in Murrieta recently.

"I'm actually ashamed of not bringing my daughter here," Bell resident Norma Saenz said during the forum. "The reason why I didn’t bring her here was because I was imagining there was a lot of hatred, a lot of ugly."

"What I saw in Murrieta was so vicious, and so hateful, and so intolerant. I hope that America can see today that there's still communities that will embrace,” one man said at the meeting.

There was no drama Wednesday night, just residents both for and against the proposal.

"These parents should have the responsibility of protecting their children," Maywood resident Sandra Orozco said. "No. But what they did, is they kicked them in the streets like dogs."

The city’s mayor, Nestor Valencia, says he sees Bell’s effort to help the children as redemption for the years of corruption that tarnished the city.

Valencia also sees a little of himself in the children’s plight -- he was 4 years old when he entered the country illegally from Mexico.

In February the mayor signed a resolution supporting a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that cited the city's ilarge mmigrants population and implementing a pathway to citizenship. 

The City of Bell is 93.1 percent Hispanic, with 46.9 percent of its residents being foreign born, according to the city's website.

Bell has been the center of media coverage for the last several years as its city officials were convicted on corruption charges. 

"I'm at a loss. Other than political publicity, why this is needed? We don't know if this (Salvation Army) facility meets the federal criteria for the approval of this facility," a woman at the meeting said.

The Salvation Army, however, said the offer was not political.

"Our mission has always been to try and meet needs without discrimination," Salvation Army Capt. Grady Brown said.


Samia Khan contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: AP

Sgt. Saves Heroin Overdose Victim With Antidote

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A heroin user found unconscious at his home in east San Diego was saved by a deputy who used an overdose antidote that the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department recently began carrying.

According to officials, the 37-year-old heroin user was found unresponsive by his parents in the 400 block of Bradley Avenue in El Cajon just after 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Sheriff’s Traffic Sgt. Scott Hill, who’s assigned to the Santee Sheriff’s Station, was the first deputy on scene. Hill gave the unconscious man Naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of heroin.

Shortly thereafter, the overdose victim began breathing and taken to a local hospital.

Officials with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department began carrying Naloxone two weeks ago under a pilot program, becoming the first agency in California to carry the overdose antidote.

Officials said Wednesday’s incident is the first known use of Naloxone by a deputy in San Diego County.

Naloxone, a generic form of the drug known as Narcan, is a nasal spray that can be given to victims of an opiate overdose.

The antidote comes in a small kit with an applicator to create a nasal spray. A squirt in each nostril, like a flu vaccine, puts the medication in the bloodstream. It quickly interrupts the opiate response, which restores the addict’s ability to breathe and increases the heart rate.

As part of the pilot program, deputies patrolling the East County communities of Santee, Lakeside and unincorporated El Cajon will test Naloxone for six months to determine the effectiveness of implementing the program throughout the department’s jurisdiction in San Diego County. Deputies will carry Naloxone whenever they respond to 911 calls.

Scripps Health, a nonprofit integrated health system in San Diego, donated $4,500 to purchase the antidote for the six-month trial period.

The pilot program is administered under the direction of County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Director, Dr. Bruce Haynes, who helped develop the protocol, procedures and training necessary for the deputies to safely administer the antidote, sheriff's officials said.

Under the program, deputies – who are the first to respond to a scene – are allowed to administer Naloxone to overdose victims prior to the arrival of EMS units when every second is critical.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Sneak Peek: What to Expect at Comic-Con

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San Diego’s Comic-Con International 2014 officially opens to fans on Thursday and organizers say it will be the epicenter of all things pop culture.

David Glanzer, Comic-Con’s Director of Marketing, told NBC 7 more than 130,000 fans are expected to attend the event at the San Diego Convention Center through Sunday.

That’s a long way from the 300 people that attended the original San Diego Comic-Con 45 years ago in the basement of the U.S. Grant Hotel on Broadway.

“When we started 45 years ago, nobody ever envisioned this,” said Glanzer. “There’s so much going on here now – anything having to do with pop culture, this is the epicenter of it all for the next few days.”

Inside the convention center, lines were already forming Wednesday for preview night.

The very first person in line to get into the exhibit hall was Caroline Sargent, a visitor to San Diego from the United Kingdom.

Clad in a Comic-Con T-shirt, Sargent told NBC 7 this is her fifth year attending Comic-Con but her first time landing that coveted No. 1 spot in line.

“It’ll be exciting to be the first person inside,” she said.

Sargent had been at the convention center since 10 a.m., waiting for the doors to badgeholders at 6 p.m. She said she planned to be back in line Friday night to wait for entry into the big panels planned for Hall H on Saturday.

Just outside, San Diego was transformed into a fantasy world of comics, television and movies, with huge signs covering high rises and endless photo opportunities, including NBC’s “Blacklist” exhibit taking over a local fish restaurant.

“There are a lot of different companies involved with Comic-Con, but NBC has proven to be a really good friend to Comic-Con,” Glanzer said.

Like every year, seasoned attendees know they should keep a lookout for celebrities, who can pop up just about anywhere at Comic-Con.

“One of the great things about Comic-Con is the surprises. There are always surprises at Comic-Con,” said Glanzer.

“We might see Jeff Bridges here; Salma Hayek might be stopping by. I think there are going to be some unannounced guests also,” he added.

Glanzer said the pop culture spectacular will also spill out onto the streets of the Gaslamp Quarter, where outdoor Comic-Con exhibits and interactive displays await fans.

“One of the things you'll see a lot more of this year is outside activations. We don't have enough space in the convention facility so we're moving off site a little bit and this is an indicator of that," he explained.

Though the big-name Hall H panels will continue to be a major draw for fans this year, Glanzer told NBC 7 that the biggest Comic-Con trend of this year has yet to be determined.

“Everybody wants to be the big thing at Comic-Con but the truth of the matter is we won’t really know what the big thing is until Monday because it’s the fans that will go on social media and tell us what the big thing is,” he said.



Photo Credit: Monica Garske

Accused Killer Found After 20 Years

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Almost 20 years after the body of a 17-year-old girl was discovered behind a Connecticut shopping plaza, police have identified the slain teen and charged her father with murdering her and her mother.

Robert Honsch had moved to Dalton, Ohio, and was living under the name Tyree Honsch with his current wife and children, authorities said.

His daughter, Elizabeth Honsch, was found shot in the head near 593 Hartford Road in New Britain on Sept. 28, 1995. Her body had been wrapped in a sleeping bag and plastic trash bags, according to police.

The body of her mother, 53-year-old Marcia Honsch, was found eight days later, 40 miles away near the entrance to a state park in Tolland, Massachusetts. She had also been shot in the head and had been dead for a week when her body was discovered, according to police.

Both women were found without any identifying information and, until Wednesday, were known publicly only as Jane Doe. DNA testing revealed that they were related, and their names were released at a news conference on Wednesday.

Police said they have obtained arrest warrants charging 70-year-old Robert Honsch with murder in both Connecticut and Massachusetts.

He's in the custody of the Wayne County Sheriff's Department in Wooster, Ohio, and will be extradited to New England, authorities said.

The Honsch family was living in Brewster, New York, at the time of the murders. According to police, the Honsches "suddenly lost contact with all other family members" in October 1995, shortly after the bodies were found.

Police released pictures of the clothing and jewelry Elizabeth Honsch was wearing at the time of her death, along with facial reconstruction images.

Police began investigating the disappearance of the mother and daughter when relatives reported them missing in June.

The arrest warrants for Robert Honsch have been sealed and it's not clear why family members waited so long to report the women's disappearances.

Information on an attorney for Robert Honsch was not immediately available.

Photographs of Marcia, Elizabeth and Robert Honsch were released on Wednesday.

Elizabeth Honsch isn’t the only woman to be found dead on Hartford Road in New Britain.

In 2007, the bodies of three other women were discovered in the same area near the intersection of Route 9 and Hartford Road.

Two of the woman have been identified as Joyvaline “Joy” Martinez, of East Hartford, and Diane Cuzack of New Britain. Their deaths are also considered homicides but police have not said whether they're connected.



Photo Credit: New Britain Police Department

Fire Breaks Out at Coronado Home

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A fire broke out at a home in Coronado Wednesday night, officials confirmed.

The blaze sparked around 7:40 p.m. in the 700 block of Glorietta Boulevard, near Miguel Avenue. It was knocked out quickly and no injuries were reported.

The home sustained heavy damage. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
 



Photo Credit: Monica Garske

Did Obama Delay Woman in Labor?

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A pregnant woman was stopped from crossing a Los Angeles street Wednesday afternoon because the road was closed for President Barack Obama’s motorcade.

NBC4 anchor/reporter Robert Kovacik witnessed the woman take shelter at a bus stop bench on the south side of Third Street east of Robertson Boulevard and across from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

The pregnant woman was with her spouse at the time. Witnesses and two LAPD officers on scene said they believe the woman was in labor and told NBC4 an ambulance was called to the location as a precaution.

NBC4 talked to the woman on the scene, and she asked not to be shown on camera. She was out of breath and appeared to be in active labor.

Police on the scene tell NBC4 there were two medical emergencies during the president’s motorcade, the woman’s pregnancy and a man having post-surgical problems.

Kovacik shot video on his cellphone of the woman sitting at a bus stop bench and posted it to his Instagram account.

Read: Man Accused of Killing Daughter, Wife Found Nearly 20 Years Later Living With New Family

Kovacik questioned LAPD Sgt. Kurt Smith at the scene.

"As soon as we can, looks like the motorcade is coming through right about now," the LAPD officer responded. "We’ll be able to open it up for traffic and first we’ll thing we’ll try to get to will be an ambulance, but I can’t guarantee ... the time on that," the officer said.

Obama was in Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon for a 24-hour visit that included two political fundraisers and a speech at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College. Wednesday's fundraisers included a stop at the Hancock Park home of television producer Shonda Rhimes.

Several street closures were announced before the visit.

According to witness Carrie Clifford, the woman waited at least 30 minutes before she could cross the street, she told The Blaze. Clifford tweeted updates and pictures from the location, including: "Ironically, Obama is going to @shondarhimes. This could be #GreysAnatomy - woman in labor can't get to Cedars cuz of O."

The White House has not responded to a request for comment. A spokesman for the Secret Service said the incident is under investigation by the LAPD.

"The Secret Service works closely with state and local police counterparts in planning for and conducting motorcade movements of our protectees," Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said in an email. "It is always our policy to prepare for and facilitate medical emergencies, medical flights, ambulances etc. in the fastest and safest way possible."

NBC4's Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Robert Kovacik

San Diego Explained: Trolley Ridership

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What would it take to get you to use public transportation? Only a small percent of San Diegans do. But we always hear city leaders talk about changing that. In this week's San Diego Explained: Andrew Keatts and Catherine Garcia explain what just might work.

Family Wants Answers in Fatal Hit-and-Run Crash

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Celeste Jackson wipes away tears as she talks about her late husband Jack.

"There's times when I want to share something with him,” she says. “It’s kind of lonely without him."

It’s been nearly three months to the day that Jack Jackson was found dead in front of his San Carlos home.

San Diego police say the driver who struck and killed the 52-year-old husband and father has not yet been found.

That driver might be behind bars today had a system called the" Medina Alert" been in place.

The system launched earlier this year in Colorado, is named after a Denver man who was killed by a hit-and-run driver in 2011 – just days before his wedding.

It works like the state's current Amber Alert system. Medina Alert posts suspect car descriptions on freeway electronic billboards.

The system also sends the alerts directly to app subscribers so smartphone users could help police look for the suspect.

“That’s the big thing for them to get the information right away so they can solve it,” Jackson said. “We had no clues.”

Some California lawmakers are working to bring the system or one similar to it to California.

AB 47, authored by Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Los Angeles, would create an alert system for hit-and-run crashes that involve another person.

Jackson's family hope lawmakers work quickly so no one has to suffer through the unknown like they have this year.

“There's not closure. We don’t know how it happened," said Jackson through tears.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Wrong-Way Driver's Truck Rammed by CHP Officer

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A wrong-way driver on Interstate 8 was arrested Wednesday afternoon after a patrol officer had to ram her vehicle to get her to stop.

The situation started at about 4:40 p.m. when California Highway Patrol received a call about a slow-moving Ford F-150 on I-8 east of Lake Jennings Park Road, according to a news release from the CHP.

An officer tried to stop the truck, but the driver wouldn’t yield to lights and sirens. Then, the driver made a U-turn and then started driving the wrong way on the right shoulder of the freeway, the news release said.

That’s when the CHP officer intentionally rammed the side of the truck to get it to stop. The impact forced the truck onto the hood of the patrol car.

The driver, 53-year-old Linda Faye Bryans of Lakeside, was arrested on suspicion of several violations, including driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.



Photo Credit: NBCSanDiego

Obama Speaking on Economy in LA

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President Barack Obama focused on the economy, jobs and growing the middle class during a speech at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College on Thursday as he wrapped up a 24-hour visit to Los Angeles.

While speaking to the college-aged crowd, Obama took swipes at Congress for not helping middle-class Americans' quality of life.

"The hardest thing in politics is to change a stubborn status quo," Obama said.

Obama started his day at a fundraiser at the Brentwood home of Michael Rapino, the CEO of concert promotion behemoth Live Nation, according to City News Service. The cost for a ticket to the roundtable discussion was a hefty one, reaching $32,4000, the maximum allowable contribution to a national party in a calendar year.

Read: Obamas Buying $4.25 Million Home in California's Rancho Mirage: Report

Following the fundraiser, Obama made a surprise stop at Canter's Deli in the Fairfax area. There he met with four people who wrote him letters, according to the White House.

The president spoke at the  Los Angeles Trade-Technical College in South Los Angeles because it was awarded a Department of Labor skills training grant, which funds projects that train workers to obtain or upgrade employment in high-growth sectors.

Pro-immigration and pro-Palestinian groups were expected to protest outside the college campus, calling for an end to deportations of immigrants, the creation of a Palestinian state and for the U.S. to demand Israel end attacks on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Southern California is the last stop on Obama's three-day West Coast trip, which began Tuesday in Seattle. Obama began Wednesday in San Francisco, where he attended a morning fundraiser benefiting the House Majority Political Action Committee, before arriving at Los Angeles International Airport around 3 p.m.

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Once in LA, Obama stopped in Hancock Park at the home of television producer Shonda Rhimes for a DNC fundraising reception.

Obama is expected to head back to Washington, D.C. following after his speech. Until then, Southland residents could expect traffic delays.

Drivers were urged to avoid the following areas:

  • Beverly Boulevard and North Doheny Drive from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Grand Avenue and West Washington Boulevard from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Sunset Boulevard and Mandeville Canyon Road from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • Sunset Boulevard and Barrington Avenue from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Figueroa Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
     

 



Photo Credit: KNBC-TV

SDPD: North Park Flooded With Police Officers

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At a packed community meeting Wednesday night, San Diego police assured concerned North Park residents that extra officers are patrolling and protecting the streets of the Uptown neighborhood in light of various recent assaults on women.

“I am flooding the neighborhood with law enforcement officers. I have officers on foot. Officers on bike. I have officers in cars,” San Diego Police Capt. David Nisleit told a crowd of more than 100 people gathered at the Lafayette Hotel.

Total, there have been five assaults reported on young women stretching from North Park to City Heights since June.

In addition to more officers on the streets, Nisleit told residents that more is being done to ensure safety. He said businesses like Bark Pink on University Avenue are offering a person to walk someone to his or her car if it’s late at night.

Neighbors brought up the idea of leaving their porch lights on for passerbys.

In addition to residents, City Council President Todd Gloria and Speaker of the Assembly Toni Atkins were among the attendees.

One of the attendees at the community meeting was Ariell Folks who moved into her North Park apartment on Kansas Street four months ago. Her unit is only about a half-block away from where the latest assault happened on Lincoln Avenue near Kansas Street.

She walked with NBC 7 down the alley behind her building.

“Ever since this started happening, I don’t walk here. I don’t even allow myself to do this. If I wasn't with you guys right now I wouldn't be doing this at all,” she said.

According to police, the only confirmed similarities among the assault cases in the area is that the victims were walking alone and they were usually attacked from behind.

Police have provided a sketch of a suspect and a surveillance image of a person of interest. They cannot confidently say all the attacks are connected.

Police are asking people to report any suspicious activity, especially in the North Park/Normal Heights/City Heights areas. They say to call 911 if there’s an emergency and if there is not one to call their non-emergency line at 619-531-2000.

 

 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Patient Kills Case Worker: DA

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A female case worker was killed and a doctor shot when a psychiatric patient opened fire on them Thursday in a wellness center on the campus of a Delaware County, Pennsylvania, hospital, officials say.

Officials say that patient was then shot by the doctor, who returned fire from his own gun.

The shootout took place around 2:20 p.m. Thursday inside a doctor's office in the psychiatric unit at the Sister Marie Lenahan Wellness Center, officials say. The center is located along the 1500 block of Lansdowne Avenue in Darby, Pa. That's located across from Mercy-Fitzgerald hospital, on its campus.

The gunman, identified as Richard Plotts, of Upper Darby, had come to the unit with his caseworker, 53-year-old Theresa Hunt of Philadelphia, according to Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan. They then went behind closed doors in a doctor's third floor office when a confrontation occurred.

“A worker did confirm that he heard some loud arguing going on. They came in and they actually opened the door and saw him pointing a gun at the doctor. They did not notice the case worker at that point. They shut the door very quietly and one immediately called 911," Whelan said.

The DA said a short time went by and then gunfire erupted from Plotts' gun. Plotts has had run-ins with the doctor's and hospital staff in the past, Whelan said.

Both the doctor, identified as Dr. Lee Silverman, and the case worker were hit by the gunfire. The woman was fatally shot in the small office, and the doctor was grazed in the head, Whelan said.

Silverman also pulled out his weapon and fired upon the suspect, the preliminary investigation showed. Plotts was hit three times, Whelan said.

Other doctors and case workers then rushed into the room and tackled the man to the ground, wrestling with him for the weapon.

“We’re not exactly sure what had occurred and what might have precipitated this particular incident," Whelan said. "We do know the psychiatric connection, we have that concern, however we don’t know if there was another dispute that occurred inside that room that led to these shots being fired."

Both Plotts and Silverman were taken to the trauma center at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in nearby Philadelphia. The suspect is in surgery and is listed in critical condition, Whelan said. The doctor's condition has not been released.

Officials say a 911 call came in at 2:19 p.m. with the caller saying a doctor had been shot. The center and hospital was quickly placed on lockdown as police swarmed the campus.

Allen Williams was checking in his father for an X-ray on the center's ground floor when the shooting happened.

"As we were giving the information, they said the hospital is on lockdown and they locked out the doors. They told us to sneak out the back door," he said. “I was hoping everyone was going to get out safe."

Williams slowly led his father, who uses a walker, in a group of 15 people onto a grassy area outside the building. He says police kept them at the scene as they checked the building.

Police arrived within minutes and evacuated the entire wellness center as SWAT officers swept the building as a precaution.

The Sister Marie Lenahan Wellness Center has physician offices and offers outpatient services for ambulatory care, audiology, cardiac rehabilitation, radiology and hearing and balance, according to the health system's website.

A large police presence from Yeadon, Haverford Township and other Delaware County law enforcement agencies remained at the scene for hours as the crime scene was processed.


Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

2 Guilty in Fatal Nightclub Beating

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Two women were convicted of voluntary manslaughter Thursday in the beating death of a 23-year-old woman outside a Santa Ana nightclub.

Vanesa Tapia Zavala, 26, and Candace Marie Brito, 27, were also found guilty of assault with force to produce great bodily injury in Annie Hung "Kim" Pham's fatal beating, but were acquitted of felony second-degree murder.

They each face up to 11 years in prison.

The two are accused of killing Pham by kicking her in the head as she was on the ground fighting their friend outside the Crosby Restaurant and Nightclub on Jan. 19, officials said.

Friends of Pham told police that three women attacked her without provocation after the two groups bumped into each other outside the nightclub. Another witness said Pham instigated the fight by shouting obscenities and throwing the first punch after she and her friends bumped into another group exiting the bar.

Portions of the attack were captured on cellphone video as the victim's friends and a security guard unsuccessfully attempted to intervene, officials said.

Pham was hospitalized after the attack and taken off life support Jan. 21.

 

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