Ventura County water officials may have a prize for drivers who skip the car wash this month.

Over the month of July, Ventura County water is hosting a dirty car contest to send a messy message about water usage across the state.

California is currently in the midst of a withering drought, resulting in state officials urging citizens to cut back on their water usage. But in May, water usage actually went up by one percent, prompting state water officials to approve fines of up to $500 a day for people who waste water on landscaping, washing vehicles and other outdoor uses.

Drivers are encouraged to post a picture of their car on Ventura Water's Facebook page, and the three vehicles with the most dirt, and the most likes, at the end of the month will be rewarded by a complete car detail.

A free car wash is also being offered to the top two dirty car pictures every week.

Water conservation officials in the county have branded July "Don’'t Wash Your Car" month to educate car owners on the way to save water while keeping your car clean.

Officials say taking a car to a professional car washing operation can save up to 100 gallons of water over home washing.

Additionally, officials say commercial car washers often recycle the water they use.

While spring rains helped increase water levels, those gains have been limited by some of the warmest summer months on record, officials said.

Ventura Mayor Cheryl Heitmann has gotten into her ride grimy, she said she hasn't washed her car since June.

"Here in Ventura this is exactly the right kind of community to do this, people get engaged in what we're doing and really want to help," she said.

The dirty car contest ends on July 30, the same night as a planned community forum to teach residents how they can better conserve.

John Cádiz Klemack contributed to this report.

California has the oldest and most liberal compassionate care law among the 23 states plus Washington, D.C. that allow the use of medical marijuana. So why are the state's youngest -- and arguably most needy --patients not getting it?

"Charlotte's Web" is a marijuana strain that won't get you high, but parents say it has had a profound effect on the lives of many children who suffer severe seizures.

At 8-months-old, Oceanside infant Connor Dalby began seizing 50 to 75 times a day.

“There was no joy. There was no smile. There was no laugh,” Connor’s father Randy Dalby said.

Near Chula Vista, the Benavides family was struggling with their son Robby. Robby’s multiple "drop attack" type seizures came without warning at a similar daily rate.

“He loses all muscle tone and just falls, falls hard to the ground. He’s had stitches on his eye, even bit off his tongue,” Robby’s mother Allison Benavides said.

Both families say they tried every mainstream medicine drug treatment and every combination available. Nothing worked.

Somehow, Charlotte's Web Oil, made from a marijuana strain of the same name, has changed their lives.

“My son is seizure free. He is four months seizure free today,” Benavides said.

Dalby recorded Connor sitting up on his own for the first time just a few months ago.

“We're watching a miracle. We have almost lost him a couple times,” Dalby said.

The Dalbys and Benavides get Charlotte's Web through the California Chapter of the "Realm of Caring."

Chapter Director Ray Mirzabegian hosted the first fundraiser for the non-profit organization at the Universal Hilton in Los Angeles just last month.

In the crowd were some guests you might not expect at a cannabis event. At one table were members of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. At an adjacent table were UCLA's top pediatric neurologists.

Assistant Clinical Professor Dr. Shaun Hussain with frank honesty in a somewhat defeated tone shared his frustration.

“I feel like a carpenter without a hammer. We don't have medications that are good enough,” Hussain said.

However, Charlotte's Web is hardly a universally accepted treatment.

The American Academy of Pediatrics opposes the use of marijuana to treat children. Chief Policymaker Dr. Sharon Levy says she gets a lot of hate mail for it, but that medical marijuana has not been FDA approved or even tested.

“Instead of that rigorous testing and the Federal Drug Administration, we're just approving it by state ballot initiative,” Levy said.

The cannabinoid or CBD holds the therapeutic benefits to these children. Charlotte's Web is a marijuana strain high in CBD and low in THC. THC is the psychoactive part of the plant that makes you high.

“That is the moneymaker in a dispensary, high THC strains, not what Charlotte's Web is,” Dalby said.

Only Realm of Caring is selling Charlotte's Web. The group charges patients what it costs to make it. Still, state law requires Mirzabegian’s organization to operate like a dispensary.

Local laws restrict the number of dispensaries in an area, so Mirzabegian can treat only 27 patients. He says the waiting list is 1,000 families.

“Every month, I have a parent or two calling me and saying, ‘Ray take my child off the waiting list. He didn't make it,” Mirzabegian said.

While California has no such legal limits, medical marijuana advocates say keeping more than six mature plants and a half pound of processed cannabis per patient could invite a police raid.

Marijuana remains on the federal government's controlled substance list. If you are in possession of more than 99 plants, the punishment is a five-year mandatory prison sentence.

“Who cares if you have 1,000 sick children dying? You have to grow 99 plants only is that logic. It doesn't make sense to me,” Mirzabegian said.

While the American Academy of Pediatrics opposes the use of medical marijuana, Dr. Levy says as a mother, she would not discourage parents from trying it if their children are suffering life-limiting illnesses.

After a treacherous journey from Guatemala, one undocumented family says they found themselves in harm's way once again after they were placed in a Santee shelter, where they allege their daughter was sexually assaulted.

Like many other undocumented immigrants she fears deportation. Still, that did not stop this 39-year-old Guatemalan mother and her family from coming to the U.S. illegally.

She does not want us to disclose her identity but told NBC 7 that her family was escaping violence when they crossed the San Ysidro border crossing.

She said gangs threatened to kill her sons if they did not join them, that they nearly beat her husband to death and that they even gang raped her daughter.

“The night that happened we knew we had to leave,” said the mother of four.

For nearly a month, the mother, father, their three sons and daughter traveled by train across Mexico.

Originally hoping to cross into Texas, they had to take a bus to Tijuana after being robbed in Mexico City. She told NBC 7 they turned themselves into customs agents at the San Ysidro border crossing.

They said their biggest risk yet came when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) referred them to a shelter in Santee.

That is where the mother claims her 23-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted while sleeping.

"I don't know what happened or if they gave us something to make us sleep, then not tell us what happened," said the mother. "All I remember is that my daughter felt the man touching her, then the man took off running."

The evangelical pastor who oversees the home told NBC 7 the allegations are false.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department says detectives have been assigned to the case and that the investigation is ongoing.

“This facility was totally inappropriate, “said Enrique Morones, who heads up Border Angels, a San Diego-based immigrant rights group.

The family reached out to Border Angels after the alleged incident, and for nearly two weeks, they have been staying with a host family in Lemon Grove.

"For a lot of these families, it really is a humanitarian crisis. They cannot be sent back [to Guatemala], they'll be killed,” added Morones.

Although they are grateful to have a place to stay, their only hope now is that they will not have to return to Guatemala.

“Leaving Guatemala has been the most difficult part. But I just hope we can be reunited with my husband and my son soon. We just need to be together so we can move on with our lives,” said the undocumented Central American immigrant.

As of Monday, the father of the family and their oldest son, an 18-year-old, are still being held in detention centers in El Centro and Otay Mesa.

A spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement admits the agency does partner with non-governmental organizations.

She also says that they will refer some families to those organizations if they need a place to stay.

NBC 7 is still waiting to hear from ICE about whether the shelter in Santee is through one of their partnerships. The family is seeking legal counsel to fight their case.

 A free CPR smartphone app aims to help San Diegans take a beat and save victims of sudden cardiac arrest, one of the leading causes of death in the country.

City and county officials teamed up Monday to launch the PulsePoint app, which alerts anyone with CPR training when someone in their area needs help.

Despite their best efforts, first responders often cannot get to a victim in time to save their life.

Because cardiac arrest has a small survival rate of 8 percent and time is of the essence, the app is designed to send a volunteer to a victim before paramedics can reach him or her.

The American Medical Response says you can triple a patient’s survival rate by doing CPR before an ambulance arrives.

The regional PulsePoint app informs users when and where paramedics urgently need help, gives basic CPR training and shows where the nearest automated external defibrillator (AED) is.

It also uses GPS to track and alert users of emergencies within a quarter mile.

“You’re gonna get the alert, you’re gonna respond, you’re gonna start those chest compressions, and then once the emergency responders get there, they’ll take over, and that’s going to increase survival,” said Mike Rise with the American Medical Response.

Residents can learn how to use the app and how to do compression-only CPR at the County Administration Center’s waterfront park until 3 p.m. or at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas until 4 p.m. Monday.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last December to adopt PulsePoint.

Other cities and counties across the country have activated the PulsePoint app, so if you’re on the road and you’ve signed up for the app, you may still get alerts when an emergency is within a quarter mile.

You can download the free app for your iPhone or Android phone. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, sudden cardiac arrest is so deadly because it is a fast, complete loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. It is different from a heart attack, which happens when a portion of the heart's blood flow is blocked. 

However, heart attacks can sometimes trigger sudden cardiac arrest. 

A 20-year-old man who died after being struck by lightning in Venice Sunday is being remembered by his family as a "remarkable young man of incredible character."

Nick Fagnano was among several people who were in or near the water next to the pier when bolts touched down around 2:20 p.m. He was taken to Marina Del Rey Hospital where he later died, coroner’s officials said.

The Los Angeles native graduated from Notre Dame High School in 2012 where he was a pitcher for the baseball team, family members said. He continued playing when he attended Santa Barbara City College.

"Everyone was proud of him, everyone thanked him, he was just the happiest kid ever," former baseball teammate and friend Payton Milone said.

"(He was) very kind-hearted, affected people," Milone said. "He did nothing wrong, said nothing wrong, he was the kid in our group of friends that always emphasized doing the good thing instead of the bad. It's just...it's unreal."

Fagnano's former baseball coach at Notre Dame said the school and team was "devastated."

"Anyone who taught or coached Nick would say he was one of the sweetest kids you could ever meet," Tim Dill said.

After finishing up some general education requirements at Santa Monica College, Fagnano was accepted to USC where he planned to attend in fall.

"Nick was a remarkable young man of incredible character," said Dan Shanahan, Fagnano’s uncle. "The three most important things to him in life were his faith, family and friends."

In a statement Monday, Fagnano was described as a "bright light" in the world.

"Nick was the friendliest young man you'd ever meet. He was an only child. The kind of kid every parent would want their son to grow up to be. Hard-working, ambitious, and truly kind-hearted. Always happy. Great sense of humor. He had many friends, but was also very close with his mom, dad and extended family," the statement read in part.

Seven others were hospitalized after the lightning strike, including one with critical injuries.

A swimmer who was released from the hospital Sunday night said he doesn't remember the lightning strike, but recalls being rescued by friends from the water after suddenly losing consciousness.

"The next thing you know I was struggling to get my head back above the water," said the swimmer, who identified himself only as Paul. "Thank God they were brave enough to just jump in and not hesitate."

"I understand one person didn't make it. I just want to say that my thoughts go out to that person's family," Paul added.

The number of gonorrhea cases in San Diego County jumped 10 percent last year, mainly infecting men, according to a county STD report released Monday.

Last year, 2,865 gonorrhea cases were reported in the county, compared to 2,597 cases in 2012, according to the county Health and Human Services Agency. More than two-thirds of the cases were men.

Primary and secondary syphilis cases increased slightly, from 347 in 2012 to 333 in 2013, according to the report. The majority of those cases were also men.

Despite the rise in gonorrhea and syphilis, San Diego’s most common STD – chlamydia – appears to be on the decline. Chlamydia cases dropped 4 percent last year, from 16,538 to 16,042 countywide, the report read.

Teenage girls and women in their early 20s are most likely to contract chlamydia. Women age 25 and younger can receive free home kits that test for chlamydia and gonorrhea. The county also runs four clinics that test for and treat most STDs.

A study by the Centers for Disease Control found San Diego has higher STD rates than the rest of the country.
 

A Coronado sex assault suspect was killed Monday in a shootout with two U.S. marshals and a New York police officer in Greenwich Village, authorities said.

The suspected shooter, Charles Mozdir, had been wanted by the Coronado Police Department for two years in connection to a child molestation fugitive case. He was fatally shot as officers in New York tried to apprehend him, police said.

The officers were shot shortly after 1 p.m. in Smoking Culture, a smokeshop on West Fourth Street, where officers were acting on tip that the fugitive was working there. The NYPD detective entered the store between Jones and Cornelia streets and confirmed that suspect was alone.  When the detective returned with U.S. Marshals to make an arrest, Mozdir immediately opened fire with a 32-caliber revolver.

The NYPD officer was shot twice in the stomach below his bulletproof vest, according to a senior law enforcement official.  One marshal was shot in the leg and the other struck by a bullet in the elbow, the official said. The officers are now in stable condition.

Mozdir had been wanted by San Diego authorities since 2012 and a bail bondsmen had been assigned to his case, according to court documents.

He was accused of lewd acts against a child in Coronado and was arrested in June 2012 and booked in jail on $250,000 bail. Upon executing a search warrant at his San Diego residence, they found images of pornography and bestiality on his computer, police said.

A family member posted bail for him the following day, authorities said.

The 32-year-old fugitive from San Diego had failed to appear in court and a $1 million warrant was issued for his arrest. He had made threats to take his own life and threats to the victim’s family, according to a Crime Stoppers bulletin.

Police now believe Mozdir immediately fled the area. They found his vehicle abandoned six days later, hidden in some bushes in Georgia.

He had a handgun registered to him and had been seen with a second handgun. The bail bondsmen began searching for Mozdir in July 2012. He contacted Mozdir's sister, who lives in San Diego. She said the last time she saw him was at her son's birthday party in Coronado in August 2012.

In December 2012, the bail bondsmen said he had tracked down information leading him to think Mozdir living in Northern California, Georgia or Mexico, according to court documents.

"I believe if given the extra time to investigate these new and promising leads on this case that we will be successful in apprehending the defendant," the bail bondsmen said in court papers.

The case, however, went cold until CNN aired Mozdir's case last week on "The Hunt" and police received numerous new tips, including a creditable one from someone who saw Mozdir 10 months ago.

That tip led authorities to New York. After Mozdir opened fire and officers returned fire, Mozdir was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

His weapon was recovered at the scene. Mozdir had 20 more rounds in his pockets, police said.

Got an idea on how to speed up security checkpoints at U.S. airports?  If so, that idea could be worth as much as $15,000.

The Transportation Security Administration is offering an award for the best plan to improve the TSA's PreCheck program.

Due to the expanding roster of approved passengers, a new plan is needed to expedite the screening process for low-risk passengers.

The challenge is to create a modeling concept that can form the basis of a plan and design by the deadline, Aug. 15.  The best submission is guaranteed at least $2,500 but could be worth as much as $15,000.

So far, 441 people have already submitted ideas.

Current employees of the TSA are prohibited from taking part.

Read more here.

If you drive the Interstate 8 corridor through the City of San Diego, traffic analysts are looking for your ideas and feedback.

The San Diego Association of Governments, Caltrans, the city of San Diego and the Metropolitan Transit System will hold a public meeting Tuesday, July 29 to solicit ideas about the I-8 from 70th Street all the way to Sea World Drive/Sunset Cliffs Blvd.

Traffic and gridlock in this area has become more common because of the connections to freeways including Interstate 5, State Route 163, Interstate 805 and Interstate 15.

There’s also been an increase in people using the corridor because of the addition of hotels and retail stores in the area.

Members of the public can come to the meeting to give advice and input on how to improve the traffic, transit services and also make it easier for pedestrians and bikes in the area.

The feedback will go into a study SANDAG is doing along with Caltrans, MTS and the City of SD for the future changes to I-8.

The meeting will be held from 5:30 to 7 :30 p.m. at 6600 Montezuma Road in the College-Rolando Library.
 

A family is pleading for witnesses to come forward with information about a hit-and-run crash that killed their son. 

 Alnabil Aming had served in the Army for more than seven years, including deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.

The 28-year-old returned home in January, hoping to making a better life for himself.

On July 22, while riding his motorcycle to school, his life was cut short by a hit-and-run driver, who still has not been found. His family is making a plea for that driver to come forward.

“If the driver has a good faith in God and his conscience, he or she must come forward,” said Rosalinda Aming, while clutching a photo of her son.

According to the CHP, Aming was struck around 5:40 p.m. while riding his 2011 Yamaha R-1 Motorcycle northbound on Interstate 15. He was splitting traffic between two lanes at approximately 30-35 mph.

An unidentified, cream-colored sedan was changing lanes and struck Aming. He was ejected and then struck by a box truck. Aming died at the scene.

“We know he’s in a better life and he’s happy watching us right now, and telling us also, 'Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine,'” said his brother Allin.

Alnabil Aming, who has a wife in Germany, was studying to become a diesel mechanic.

He was attending a technical school in Rancho Cucamonga and was making a two-hour drive to school every day. The long drive concerned his brother.

“I even told him if he wants to get a room up there, I can help him find it. He said 'no, I’m okay,'” said Allin Aming.

Right now, the CHP says no one has come forward with any clues and are asking anyone with information to call the Oceanside office at (760) 757-1675 or the CHP Communications Center at (858) 637-3800.

Two New Jersey high school football players riding in the back of a friend's Mustang convertible were killed in a crash in Randolph Saturday, authorities say. 

Jack Timmerman and Calvin Verduga, who were about to enter their senior year at Randolph High School, were riding in the back of the new car when the driver crashed near on Ironia Road around 1:30 p.m., according to the Morris County prosecutor's office.

The driver and a front-seat passenger survived. 

Friends said Monday that the driver got his license last month and had only been driving the car for a few days prior to the accident. It's not clear what caused the crash, but teens gathered at the crash site said they believed the driver was speeding. 

Timmerman's girlfriend said he often told friends to slow down.

"I know that he doesn't like fast driving. Never has," said Kerry Eberly, in tears as she wore a necklace bearing his name. 

Timmerman's last words to Eberly, whom he'd been dating since eighth grade, came in a text message just before the crash: "Driving in a roofless convertible." 

The school district's superintendent opened Randolph High School Monday to make counseling services available to students. 

"Our entire school community is in mourning and our thoughts are most certainly with the families and friends of the two students, beloved by so many," Superintendent David Browne said in a statement. 

Grieving friends gathered at the crash site Monday and left photos and messages for Timmerman and Verduga. 

Football teammate Brad Davis said, "They always cared for everyone and they always wanted our school to come together as one."

"Everyone had a different connection with them," added friend Jacqueline Zolla. "I don't know how this will work when school starts. It's going to be really hard." 

Slowly but surely, the Padres are starting to get healthy again.

Shortstop Everth Cabrera was activated from the disabled list today after missing all of July with a hamstring injury. Second baseman Jedd Gyorko returned to the lineup on Monday after missing 44 games with plantar fasciitis in his foot. Yonder Alonso was back at his post at first base over the weekend after spending more than a month on the shelf with a sore wrist.

Perhaps most importantly, staff ace Andrew Cashner threw a successful bullpen session and could be back in the next few weeks. He has made just 12 starts this season after two stints on the disabled list.

Of course, with the Padres looking at a 12 ½ game hole in the National League West after dropping three of four to the Atlanta Braves over the weekend, it’s more a case of too-little-too-late. It also makes you think what could have been if everyone had stayed healthy all season.

But speculating about that won’t do any good. Instead, the team has to focus on the St. Louis Cardinals, who come to town for a three-game series this week. It’s the first time back at Petco Park in nine days for the Friars, who will spend all week at home.

Can the new additions to the lineup help put some runs on the board against a streaking Cards team? Let’s find out.

Matchups:
Tuesday, 7:10 p.m.: Tyson Ross (R, 9-10, 2.65) vs. Lance Lynn (R, 11-7, 3.05)
Ho-hum, another quality start from Ross, who has seven straight outings allowing two runs or less. Lynn just had a three-game win streak snapped, despite going six strong against the Tampa Rays over the weekend.

Wednesday, 7:10 p.m.: Jesse Hahn (R, 6-2, 2.12) vs. Kelly (R, 2-1, 3.90)
Hahn continues to impress, putting up six quality starts – including three in a row – since his call-up last month. He battles Kelly, a SoCal native who went to UC Riverside. He has pitched six or more innings in just two of his six starts this year.

Thursday, 12:40 p.m.: Odrisamer Despaigne (R, 2-2, 1.66) vs. Miller (R, 7-8, 4.20)
It was the shortest start of the season for Despaigne over the weekend, as he went just 3 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and five walks and took the loss. Miller hasn’t won since June 6.

What’s at stake: As usual, the Cardinals are right in the thick of the playoff race. They trail the Milwaukee Brewers by 2 games in the National League Central and are out of the wild card by just a half-game.

This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams. They meet in St. Louis next month.

Who to watch:
Padres: Outfielder Seth Smith is hitting an astounding .471 over the past week and leads all Padres in home runs (11), average (.295), doubles (21) and walks (44). Tommy Medica is 8 for his last 20. Yangervis Solarte has hits in four of his first six games with the team since coming over in the Chase Headley trade.

Cardinals: Shortstop Jhonny Peralta leads the team with 14 homers and has a hit in five of his last six games. Outfielder Matt Holliday shook off a first-half slump and leads the team with 53 RBIs. He also has three home runs in his past five games. First baseman Matt Adams has hit over .300 in every month except for July (.289). He had a four-RBI game against the Cubs on Saturday.

Coming up: The Atlanta Braves come to town for a rematch of last weekend’s series where they took three of four from the Friars.

When 2-year-old Kayden Kinckle took his first steps on prosthetic legs, he didn’t want help.

“I got it, I got it, I got it,” Kayden said with each step. A YouTube video documenting the milestone for the Englewood, New Jersey, kid's family and friends has since been viewed more than 800,000 times. 

His parents say he has always been this confident despite doctors' doubts. 

"If he wants something, he will get it and that could be good sometimes and bad sometimes," Kayden's father, Kevin Kinckle, told NBC. "He's always been a warrior." 

Kayden was diagnosed in utereo with omphalocelea, a birth defect in the abdominal wall that causes an infant’s intestines, liver and some other organs to grow outside the body. Kayden also had a band wrapped around his legs in the womb — causing deformities that required him to have his left leg and right foot amputated in January. One out of 7,000 children are born with opmhalocelea, and nearly half of all babies born with opmhalocelea also have other birth defects, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 

The numbers of children living without limbs are unclear because of doctor's confidentiality agreements, according to the Amputee Coalition. Nearly 2 million people across the United States have limb loss.

Kayden's mother Nikki Kinckle said doctors had advised her to consider whether to carry her baby to term. She said the suggestion didn't make her angry, because it was a "fact" that her baby would face serious challenges. 

"The nurse asked me if my house was wheelchair-accessible, and that was hard," Nikki said.

The proud parents have received a volley of messages online from people who have been inspired by Kayden's can-do attitude and charisma. NFL athlete Michael Vick shared Kayden’s video with the caption, “Luke 1:37- For with God nothing shall be impossible… 'I got it, I got it' lol.” Vick's post contributed to the video going viral around the Fourth of July. Messages of support have included those from other amputees, cancer patients and people who are paralyzed, his mother said. 

Kayden still uses his walker but insists on independence, his father said. The fiery 2-year-old is antsy to stay off the couch. He crawls "very well" without his prosthetics and loves playing basketball with his parents. Kayden even tries to teach his 9-month-old sister, Cherish, how to crawl. After the surgery in January, Kayden still didn't slow down.

"The day after the surgery, he was shooting baskets with me and his mother," Kevin Kinckle said.

The family continues to raise money on GoFundMe.com, which had $73,839 donations as of July 29. The family's first goal was $50,000 to cover past medical expenses such as the surgery and his first pair of prosthetics. After Kayden's viral video success, the couple pushed the goal to $500,000.

"We were made aware that prosthetics are an ongoing thing for life, physical therapy is once a week. He may need more walkers or crutches as he gets olders and his weight changes," Kevin Kinckle said. "We need to adjust as he grows and as technology grows we want the top-of-the-line stuff for him."

The couple talks about Kayden's future all the time. They feel Kayden has proven that he can do anything.

"He is a face of adversity," Kevin Kinckle said. "Whatever he wants to do, we are confident he can do it, whether it's a lawyer or doctor or athlete." 

Jurors on Tuesday convicted a Southern California man of second-degree murder in the slaying of his former roommate, an Army veteran and Cal State Fullerton student with whom prosecutors said he was desperately in love.

Kwang Choi "KC" Joy, 55, was found guilty in the death of 36-year-old Maribel Ramos, whose body was found badly decomposed near Modjeska Canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains last year.

Joy's sentencing was scheduled for Sept. 12. He faces 15 years to life in state prison.

Prosecutors said Joy got surgery to make his eyes look younger, paid to take Ramos on a cruise, and panicked when she told him to move out of their apartment when he couldn't pay the rent.

"Maribel was his life, and the opportunity for him to be with the love of his life was coming to an end," Orange County Deputy District Attorney Scott Simmons told the jury last week.

Ramos was last seen through surveillance footage, dropping off a rent check for her apartment in Orange on May 2, 2013, officials said.

She got into an argument earlier that day with Joy over rent, prosecutors said. They contended that the fighting, and Ramos' demand that Joy move out, led to her slaying.

When Ramos disappeared, Joy told NBC4 that Ramos was his "only family."

"She's my best friend, and I want her to come back," he said.

Her decomposed body was found later that month near Modjeska Canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains, prosecutors said. Her cause of death has remained unknown.

Eleven days before her disappearance, Ramos made a 911 call, saying she was "afraid" after an argument with Joy.

Earlier in the trial, Simmons showed video of Joy walking into a public library. His search history there showed that he looked up how long it takes for a human body to decay, and the location where Ramos' body was later found, prosecutors said.

Four people were charged with capital murder on Tuesday in the beating death of a 24-year-old USC graduate student, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Jonathan DelCarmen, 19, Andrew Garcia, 18, Alberto Ochoa, 17, and Alejandra Guerrero, 16, are charged with one count each of murder with the special circumstance of murder during an attempted robbery, prosecutors said.

Capital murder charges make Garcia and DelCarmen eligible for the death penalty. Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek that penalty.

Ochoa and Guerrero, who were charged as adults, face life in prison without the possibility of parole, DA's officials said. They are not eligible for the death penalty because they are under 18.

Garcia, Ochoa and Guerrero are also each charged with using a dangerous weapon -- a bat -- to attack Xinran Ji, officials said.

The attack happened July 24 when Ji, an engineering graduate student, was walking home from an off-campus study group about 12:45 a.m. near 29th Street and Orchard Avenue, Los Angeles police said.

Ji was beaten and struck in the head with a bat before he walked back to his apartment in the 1200 block of West 30th Street, leaving a trail of blood, police said.

Ji's roommate found his body about 7 a.m., police said.

After the attack near USC, the suspects allegedly drove to Dockweiler Beach where they allegedly robbed a man and woman. The man managed to escape and flagged down police, officials said.

LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith said during a press conference on Monday that the suspects had done "unspeakable things" that "shocked everyone in the department."

Garcia, Ochoa and Guerrero are also charged with second-degree robbery, attempted second-degree robbery and assault with a deadly weapon -- a bat -- in the second incident, DA's officials said.

USC officials said a memorial service was planned for later this week when Ji's parents arrive to the US.

In a statement that was read outside court by a family friend, the victim's parents, Songbo Ji and Jinhui Du, said they are "extremely angry about this horrific act of violence."

"The only thing in our mind is our son. We want to see him. We would be extremely grateful to the U.S. if they can help us to get visas," the man's parents said in the written statement, noting that they have been forced to cancel airline tickets several times because of delays in obtaining their visas.

The victim's parents added that they "do not want to see another incident like this" and said they "hope that USC can enhance security and guarantee the safety of USC students."

Ji's killing marked the second deadly attack on USC graduate students from China in recent years.

Ying Wu and Ming Qu -- who were also engineering students and were both 23 years old -- were shot to death April 11, 2012, as they sat in a double-parked car on a rainy night in the 2700 block of Raymond Avenue, near the USC campus.

One of two men charged in their killings pleaded guilty Feb. 5 to a pair of first-degree murder charges and admitted the special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a robbery and multiple murders, along with an allegation of personally using and discharging a firearm.

Bryan Barnes, then 21, was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, sparing him a potential death sentence. Co-defendant Javier Bolden, 21, is still awaiting trial in connection with the killings.

City News Service contributed to this report.

Actor BD Wong, familiar to many for his work on stage and television, is appearing in La Jolla as part of the case in a world premiere play he describes as a "juicy revenge tale."

"The Orphan of Zhao" has been described as the Chinese "Hamlet" and this production has gotten some impressive reviews including this in the LA Times.

"It's full of murder and suicide and royal politics. It's super exciting and very moving," Wong said.

"It's a very satisfying eyeful of theater."

Even though he may be best known for his Tony-award winning performance in "M Butterfly", NBC viewers will recognize him for a recurring role in the "Law & Order" franchise.

"The Orphan of Zhao" runs through August 3rd at the La Jolla Playhouse.

Police are looking for two men they say followed an 18-year-old woman into a Brooklyn apartment building elevator, then punched and kicked her before running away with her purse.

The robbers followed the woman into her Midwood building after 9:30 p.m. Sunday, video shows, and then into the elevator. The woman appears to try to get off the elevator, only to be stopped by the men, who drag her out by her hair, throw her to the floor, then punch and kick her repeatedly. 

They then run out of the building with her purse, and one of the suspects tosses the bag as they flee.

The victim was treated for bruising around the eyes at Coney Island Hospital. 

Records show felony assaults are up year over year in the 70th Precinct, where the assault took place: there were 160 reports of assaults in the last year, compared to 141 at this time last year.

Robberies, however, are down: there were 157 reported in the last year compared to 178 at this time last year.

Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. 

-- Gus Rosendale contributed to this report

A young woman who injured her head while hiking near the El Capitan Preserve was flown to a nearby hospital Tuesday.

The injured hiker was airlifted off of a remote trail at the end of Blue Sky Ranch Road around 9:30 a.m.

The woman described as in her 20s was found about two miles into the preserve from the parking lot, officials said.

A friend said the hiker fell and hit her head but officials would not confirm any details about the injury.

Heartland firefighters and San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the call for help just after 8 a.m.

Cal Fire’s Copter 10 flew the woman to Barona Casino’s landing zone. From there, she was transported to Sharp Memorial by ambulance.