Have cabin fever after being cooped up inside two weekends in a row? Next weekend’s forecast is all sun, so get out there and enjoy it.

Thursday, Aug. 7

Santee Summer Concert Series
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Town Center Community Park East in Santee
Bring lawn chairs or a picnic blanket to this free outdoor concert, but you won’t be sitting long. It’s impossible not to get up and dance while listening to the upbeat Caribbean music of Upstream. Check out the full Santee Summer Concert Series lineup here.

SoundDiego Suggestion: Juicy J
8 p.m. at the House of Blues
If you’re not familiar with the iconic, Grammy-winning Southern hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia (of which Juicy J is a founding member), you’ve most definitely heard Juicy J on the radio – especially since his “Dark Horse” collaboration with Katy Perry is absolutely everywhere. Don’t let that song’s sugary pop sheen fool you though -- Juicy’s one of the best rappers in the game and has been for quite some time. Do yourself a favor and head to the House of Blues for this all-ages show.

Friday, Aug. 8

Summer of Seuss
6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the Stephen Clayton Gallery
Hop on over to Coronado Friday night for a look at all things Dr. Seuss. Before becoming arguably the most famous children’s author of all time, Theodor Seuss Geisel was a PhD student, political cartoonist and more. Some of his most famous and lesser known works will be on display.

Saturday, Aug. 9

Dog Days of Summer
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. in Cardiff-by-the-Sea
Do you and your Yorkie look alike? Prove it at the 9th Annual Dog Days of Summer Canine Festival and Contest. Six blocks of the quaint Cardiff community will be blocked off and lined with vendors selling pooch products. There will also be awards for Best Dressed Dog and Best Kisser. Pucker up!

SoundDiego Suggestion: Counting Crows
4 p.m. at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
It’s been 20 years, but we can still hear the opening notes to “Round Here” by Counting Crows clear as day. Of course, the band didn’t stop writing great music after their “August and Everything After” debut album – after all, some of our favorite tunes came off of 1996’s “Recovering the Satellites” and “2002’s “Hard Candy,” among others. Regardless, be prepared to hear a boatload of hits come Saturday at the racetrack.

Bollywood SD Launch Party
9 p.m. – 2 a.m. at Bombay in Hillcrest
Welcome to Club Bollywood. DJ daNda will spin a mix of Bollywood, South Indian, Top 40 and more. Guests are asked to come dressed in head-to-toe white.

Sunday, Aug. 10

30th Annual Philippine Cultural Arts Festival
11 a.m. – 5 p.m. in Balboa Park
Magandang araw! Celebrate this Southeast Asian country with San Diego’s vibrant Filipino community. You’ll enjoy Filipino dance and martial arts performances, and even learn to speak a little Tagalog.

CityFest
12 p.m. – 11 p.m. in Hillcrest
Meet 150,000 of your closest friends under the Hillcrest sign for this fabulous event. Come early for hundreds of street vendors and kids’ activities, and stay late for a huge dance party.

SoundDiego Suggestion: Crocodiles
8:30 p.m. at the Casbah
San Diego’s own Crocodiles, an experimental noise pop band who rose to worldwide fame in 2009, return home for an intimate show at the always-fun Casbah. Guitarist/vocalist Brandon Welchez, who is married to Dum Dum Girls frontwoman Dee Dee Penny, used to play in the now-defunct, local punk/noise band the Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower – which we included in our recent list of bands we’d love to see reunite. Read about them here.
 

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer broke his silence Monday on his pending purchase of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Ballmer said that the sale has yet to been approved by the National Basketball Association and he is waiting on the judge's final approval.

"It's not my team yet," Ballmer said in an interview with NBC-affiliate, King5.

Ballmer negotiated a $2 billion deal to buy the Clippers with Shelly Sterling to the objections of her husband Donald Sterling.

The purchase, which would be the priciest team acquisition in the league's history, must be approved by the 29 other team owners.

"It was my dream to have a team in Seattle," Ballmer said. "This was probably the best path for me to take."

Last week, a Los Angeles judge tentatively ruled against Donald Sterling and in favor of his estranged wife Shelly, in the trial over whether she had the authority to negotiate a $2 billion deal to sell the Los Angeles Clippers.

At issue was whether the embattled Clippers owner's wife had acted within guidelines established by the Sterling Family Trust when she negotiated the potential record-setting deal with Ballmer.

Ballmer said he dreams of having an NBA team in Seattle, but said he plans on keeping the Clippers in Los Angeles.

To see the full interview, click here.

Less than a day after it became a hurricane, Bertha weakened back to a tropical storm as it continued to head north out over the Atlantic Tuesday.

Bertha had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph as it moved at 22 mph about 475 miles west of Bermuda, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect and no hazards affecting land.

Bertha became the second hurricane of the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season Monday. It's expected to continue to weaken over the next 48 hours as it stays away from the east coast.

The exclusive club that is the Padres Hall of Fame is getting a little bigger.

Longtime closer Trevor Hoffman, who is Major League Baseball’s all-time saves leader and spent parts of 16 years with the Padres, will be the ninth person to join the hall.

He will be inducted before the August 30 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I’m thrilled to be inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame,” Hoffman said in a statement. “To be able to join a group of people whose contributions have not only shaped our organization, but also strengthened the game of baseball, is an honor."

The Padres Hall of Fame committee voted unanimously to induct Hoffman. It is comprised of members of the local sports media and San Diego Padres front office.

Hoffman finished with 601 career saves in his 18 years in the big leagues, 552 of them with the Padres. He compiled a 54-64 record with a 2.76 ERA and 1,029 strikeouts in 902 appearances.

He is still in the Padres’ organization, serving as the upper-level pitching coordinator.

Other members of the Padres Hall of Fame: Buzzie Bavasi, Nate Colbert, Jerry Coleman, Tony Gwynn, Randy Jones, Ray Kroc, Dick Williams and Dave Winfield. 

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro on Monday released a list of 33 restaurants where stolen data from credit and debit cards used at those locations was compromised in a security breach, including eight stores in California.

The popular chain restaurant announced in June an on-going investigation found thousands of customers who dined at certain locations were at risk for having information stolen after paying with their credit or debit cards.

"The potentially stolen credit and debit card data includes the card number and in some cases also the cardholder's name and/or the card's expiration date," according to a statement released by the restaurant Monday.

The 33-location list includes addresses of the restaurants impacted and dates when the security breach may have happened.

"This was someone that was able to hack into our computer processing systems and gather that information," said Latisha Thomas-Roberts, a P.F. Chang's manager.

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro asked customers to be "vigilant" and to check their credit card and bank statements, as well as report any suspicious activity to the bank.

Seven of the eight restaurants affected in California were in Southern California:

Customers who have further questions or believe they may have been affected can call a hotline set up by P.F. Chang’s at 877-412-7152.

NBC4's Randy Mac contributed to this report.

The Escondido Police Department held funeral services Monday for a rookie police officer who was shot and killed in a domestic violence incident.

Family, friends and colleagues of Officer Laura Perez gathered at CSU San Marcos in the University Student Union building to remember the slain officer described as a "rising star" in the department. She had been a candidate for rookie of the year after just nine months on Escondido's force.

She also was a devoted mom of a 4-year-old, Suzette. As an officer, she had been inspired at a very young age by her own mother's efforts to keep peace in the neighborhood.

Riverside County homicide investigators found the 25-year-old officer’s body in a storage locker in Moreno. Murrieta Police had arrested her husband, Freddy Perez-Rodas, and charged him with murder.

Around 8:30 a.m. a large funeral procession left the police department on Centre City Parkway to accompany a white hearse and other vehicles carrying the officer's close family.

Among those waiting for the procession to begin was Lt. Al Owens who helped train the rookie officer and prepare her for her job interview.

When thinking back on her death Owens says it still seems like a “bad dream.”

He described Perez as “definitely a rising star.”

Not only was she the second female ever to get honors at the Palomar Police Academy in 2013, but she was a consummate professional, he said.

“She did everything the right way and probably one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen,” Owens said.

He says Officer Perez' four-year-old daughter was the world to her. She was big on education so the department hopes to raise as much as they can to help support the officer's daughter.

Palomar Police Academy Director Shannon Dreyer said Perez's death was a reminder of police officers' vulnerability to the same crimes for which they protect us.

"It is tragic and there are no words to describe the feeling when you lose somebody you know and somebody who is just an amazing person like Laura," Dreyer said.

Dreyer spoke during the emotional memorial service. Perez's brother also spoke for the first time since his sister's death.

"I'm not surprised to hear the stories that she was always being a hard worker," said Perez's brother, Gerardo Rios. "She always did everything with the beautiful smile of hers that we will all miss now."

A pharmaceutical company in San Diego is behind a groundbreaking medicine given to the two Ebola victims from America.

The secret drug cocktail, called Z-Mapp, has not been tried on humans before, but has shown effective signs of improving symptoms in monkeys. The medicine was developed at Mapp Biopharmaceutical in Sorrento Valley and development of it has been in the works for 10 years.

Three experimental samples of the drug at subzero temperatures were flown to Liberia last week to save the two Americans infected with Ebola, according to CNBC.

Dr. Kent Brantly was given a dose and by the next day was showing signs of improvement – he was able to shower on his own and was taken back to the United States. After two doses, American patient Nancy Writebol’s condition also was improving.

Writebol will be taken to Emory University on Tuesday to receive more treatment where Brantly is being treated.

The drug, developed from antibodies in mice fighting the Ebola virus, was credited with saving four monkeys infected with Ebola after it was given to them 24 hours after infection.

On Monday, the death toll in the worst Ebola outbreak in history had hit 887. In total, there have been 1,600 Ebola cases this year, according to the World Health Organization.

Mapp Pharmaceutical has been operating for 11 years. In all, there are nine employees.

Z-Mapp is not FDA-approved. Use of it was granted under the FDA's "compassionate use" clause only given in extraordinary circumstances. There are only a handful of doses available.

There is more trauma for the pilot of a small plane that crashed last week near Montgomery Field, killing her passenger.

Two sources confirmed to NBC 7 that an unidentified visitor, posing as a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigator, questioned the pilot in her hospital bed at Sharp Memorial Hospital.

Those sources said it happened the day after the fatal crash.

The pilot, 52-year-old Devon Logan, only learned about the phony visitor when an actual FAA investigator arrived later to interview her.

An FAA spokesman told NBC 7 that the agency's security division is aware of what happened.

A family member told NBC 7 they do not blame the hospital for what happened, but are upset that anyone would do some like that after a tragedy.

The passenger who died in the crash, 78-year-old Joy Gorian, was Logan's mother.

The fixed wing single-engine Mooney M20L crashed in a parking lot between Target and the Costco Business Center off Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa on July 30.

When asked for comment, a spokesman for Sharp Health said, “We are unable to comment due to patient privacy laws under HIPPA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.]”

A baby girl who prompted an Amber Alert has been found safe, along with her alleged abductor, in San Diego County, according to Santa Barbara police.

The 6-month-old was abducted by her father, 28-year-old Joshua Ivan Martinez, following a domestic violence incident Sunday night in Santa Barbara, according to officials.

An Amber Alert was issued for San Diego County because police believed Martinez was taking the baby to Mexico.

The manhunt ended around 7 p.m. Monday in San Ysidro, located on the U.S.-Mexico border. A SWAT team surrounded a mobile home in Rancho Del Rio Estates. Martinez handed over the baby and was taken into custody without incident.

The suspect was hiding in the home of the family member, officials said.

Authorities set up a command post in the 4200 block of Camino De La Plaza, across the street from Las Americas Premium Outlets.

In the Amber Alert, the infant was described as having black hair and brown eyes and weighing 17 pounds. She was wearing a white onesie with black polka dots when she was taken.

Her potential abductor was described as 5-foot-8 and 187 pounds with black hair, brown eyes and a beard. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, black shorts and green, black and white DC shoes.

People were asked to be on the lookout for a black 2013 Ford Focus with a temporary paper license plate that read “Garcia Auto Sales.”

There is no word yet what charges Martinez will face.

Authorities say an Albany woman who was allegedly drunk and in possession of marijuana crashed her car into a Long Island firehouse — and had a stolen snake wrapped around her neck.

Nassau County police say Sarah Espinosa was driving west on Jericho Turnpike Monday when her car crossed the median and struck another vehicle.

They say she continued through the front door of the New Hyde Park firehouse and collided with two fire trucks. The station's garage door was badly damaged as were the fire trucks, one of which has to be taken out of service for several months, according to New Hyde Park Fire Chief Steven Waldron.

"We heard a bang and a few seconds later, a louder bang," said Waldron. "We went to the vehicle to render aid and there was a small python sitting on her chest."

Waldron says a medic took the snake as firefighters tended to Espinosa. Authorities said the snake had been stolen from a nearby pet store shortly before the accident. The pet store wouldn't confirm that the snake pictured below is the snake that was stolen, but said it has several ball pythons, including this one.

"Weird, very weird. You don't think someone's going to be driving around with a snake on their chest," he said.

Police say Espinosa appeared to smell like alcohol and had watery eyes and slurred speech after the crash. She was taken to a hospital for treatment and asked to provide a blood sample, which police say she refused to do. She faces charges including reckless endangerment and driving while intoxicated.

A clear bag with a glass pipe inside that appeared to contain marijuana was recovered from a backpack on the front passenger seat of Espinosa's car, police said.

It wasn't immediately clear if she had a lawyer.

An NYPD officer was arrested on burglary and assault charges Monday, accused of breaking into a Bronx woman's apartment early one morning last month and punching her repeatedly, police say.

Eugene Donnelly, 27, is suspected in the June 11 attack in which he allegedly broke down the woman's door and punched the victim, hours after receiving a prestigious award at the annual NYPD Medal Day Ceremony, according to police. The woman did not know the officer. 

Donnelly, who's been on the force for four years, had been awarded the Police Combat Cross, the department's second-highest honor, for taking down a gunman who fired at him while he was off duty in May 2012. After the ceremony, Donnelly went out to celebrate and wound up staying at a friend's apartment in the victim's building in Woodlawn, according to the Daily News,

When Donnelly woke up, he wandered out of the apartment in his underwear, the newspaper reported, citing police sources. He couldn't find his way back into the apartment, and ended up breaking into the 30-year-old woman's apartment, which was on the same floor.

Donnelly wandered into the victim's bedroom and when she was startled awake, he allegedly said to her, "Shhh. It's OK, just put a shirt on," according to the criminal complaint. 

He went into the kitchen and then ran to the foyer, grabbing the woman and throwing her to the ground, the complaint said. He hit her in the face multiple times, saying, "I'm a good guy, but sometimes I'm a bad guy."

The officer then allegedly dragged the victim to the bedroom, where he continued to punch her face and head, causing her head to the hit floor with each punch, the complaint stated. 

The woman suffered cuts, bleeding, pain, swelling and bruising, according to the complaint. 

Donnelly turned himself in on Monday, aware of the charges he faced, according to his attorney, Mike Marinaccio.  He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and was released on his own recognizance. He is due back in court on Aug. 20. 

The officer has been suspended and stripped of his gun and badge. 

Marinaccio told NBC 4 New York his client is a "hero" with no blemishes on his police record. 

"When we have the opportunity to present all the factors in this case, it will shed a different light on these allegations," said Marinaccio. 

"This case is far more complicated than what one reads in the complaint," he said. "We're confident when all the facts come out, people will have a different view of the case."

-- Brynn Gingras contributed to this report

A man pulled a drowning mother and her two children out of a motel pool in Hollywood Monday and performed CPR he learned a week earlier until first responders arrived, according to authorities.

The victims, including an 11-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl, remained hospitalized Tuesday morning in "grave condition." The children were playing with two other children when they wandered into the deep end of the 7-feet-5-inch-deep pool, Los Angeles Fire Department Spokesman Peter Sanders said.

Their mother, 36, went to pull them out, but neither she nor the children can swim, Sanders said. There was no lifeguard on duty.

"Nobody in the family was a strong swimmer or had any swimming ability at all," Sanders said.

The woman and children became submerged, and a good Samaritan who heard screaming scaled a fence, jumped into the water and pulled them out, officials said. They had no pulse, so he performed CPR until LAFD personnel arrived.

Investistigators said the man used CPR training he had just learned last week.

"A CPR class definitely save lives, or help extend the chain of survival here," Sanders said. "Bystander CPR is an amazing thing. We encourage everyone to learn how to do CPR."

Paramedics found all three near-drowning victims in cardiac arrest.

"Although it is early in this investigation, it appears now that this is just a tragic accident," LAPD Sgt. Barry Montgomery said.

Los Angeles police confirmed to NBC4 Monday evening the woman was the mother of the children. The woman's two younger children had stayed in the shallow end of the pool and were found unharmed by responders, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The woman's male companion and her two uninjured children left with police.

It is unclear whether the woman, the man and the children were guests at the motel or if they were just visiting.

NBC4's Beverly White and Samia Khan contributed to this report.

A missing skipper, whose salmon boat washed ashore near Ocean Beach, California, may likely be hiding - not dead - according to a prosecutor's investigator who said there's an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

San Francisco District Attorney Investigator Hansen Pang did not immediately disclose more details on why he believed Timothy Lybrand was possibly running from authorities. But he did say that he thought the skipper made it to shore because he only had 25 yards to swim.

However, Santa Clara County Sheriff Sgt. Kurtis Stenderup said that Lybrand, 51, was arrested in 2010 on drug charges, and a $75,000 warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to appear in court in 2012. He also has a case stemming from Santa Cruz, but those exact charges aren't known.

NBC Bay Area obtained copies of Lybrand's booking photos from Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Authorities also said they searched two possible addresses for Lybrand on Monday night - in Morro Bay and Santa Cruz.

Virginia McDermott used to live in the house where Lybrand lived on Escolona Drive in Santa Cruz. She told NBC Bay Area that three police officers came her home on Monday night looking for Lybrand. "It was serious," she said.

The new information came to light on Tuesday, as crews were poised to haul away his boat, the Paloma, from the shores of San Francisco near the Cliff House. The vessel carried a 400 gallon tank of gasoline, and crews were also worried about leaking diesel spilling into the ocean.

Coast Guard officials said Lybrand called a friend on another boat - the Sunrise - about 3:30 a.m. on Monday to say he had just hit rocks and was planning to jump ship about 25 yards from shore.

But after scouring the shoreline and the waters for Lybrand for nearly eight hours on Monday, the Coast Guard suspended the agency's search at noon.

Originally, San Francisco Battalion Chief Denise Newmann said Lybrand could have died of hypothermia if he was still in the water, and the search had become a recovery mission. "It's very cold out there," she said, noting temperatures were in the 50s.

The only way Lybrand could have survived, Newmann said, was if he had somehow swum to shore.

Lybrand's friends stood by, hoping for the best.

"We're all worried," said Larry Collins of the San Francisco Community Fishing Association. "Timmy's good people."

Anyone with information regarding the Paloma or Lybrand is asked to contact the Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Command Center at 415-399-3547.

NBC Bay Area's Mark Matthews and Stephanie Chuang contributed to this report.

The Encinitas Little League made history Monday by earning a spot in the semi-finals for the West Championship.

Fans celebrated a win by the boys last night against Pacifica Little League in San Benardino. The team won 9-to-7 Monday night, clinching a spot in Friday's semifinals.

Monday’s action was not only part of a double header, but also one for the history books.

“Just to make it this far is exceptional. To be in this venue is incredible,” said Little League Coach Ken MacDonald.

MacDonald has been coaching in Little League for the last 5 years and worked with Chaz Gagne, coach of the All-Star team.

“It's truly historic. It's been 55 years and these kids are a special group of kids,” MacDonald said. “It's amazing."

The next game against Nevada will be Wednesday but it shouldn’t affect the team’s appearance in semi-finals on Thursday.

Clarence Haseyama was wearing a team jersey and hat as he watched his grandson play.

“Very proud, very proud,” Haseyama said of his grandson, adding that he believes his success may be attributed to the blood line of male baseball players in the family.

The roster for the Encinitas All-Stars includes Austin Machado, Ethan Workinger, Finlay Lumsden, Izuru Sakata, John Kraus, Kai Haseyama, Luke Berardi, Nicholas Sando, Nikola Ortega, Peter Gagne, Ryan Martinez, Shane Telfer, Spencer Jones and Wyley Sharp.

All pool play is being live streamed on ESPN3.
 

Fourteen people were injured when two double-decker buses collided in Times Square Tuesday afternoon, causing a traffic light pole to topple over and smash onto the ground, authorities say.

The buses crashed at Seventh Avenue and West 47th Street, near the famous red staircase of the TKTS booth in the middle of one of the most heavily trafficked areas of New York City. It's not clear what caused the collision, and the NYPD said officers were still on the scene investigating.

Thirteen pedestrians were injured, mainly by the falling light pole and from flying debris from the pole and the bus, FDNY officials said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

A tour guide aboard one of the buses was also injured when she was thrown forward and her head became lodged in the dashboard, officials said. She's expected to be OK.

Neither bus driver was hurt.

A witness said he was walking on the sidewalk near one of the buses when he heard what he first thought was some sort of explosion.

"It was only sound, and a lamppost fell down," said Sanjay Shah of Wayne, New Jersey. "Nobody can imagine a bus going on the sidewalk and hitting the lamppost."

Officials said emergency responders initially had difficulty getting to the scene because of heavy traffic in the area, and some firefighters rushed to the scene on foot.

All of the injured victims were treated on the scene. Some were later taken to area hospitals in stable condition and were expected to be released later Tuesday.

"We are very, very fortunate there weren't many more injuries," said an FDNY official.

The NYPD blocked off the area as they investigated the crash, and the closure caused gridlock and heavy delays through the evening rush.

The daughter of Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson has been accused of interfering with the police investigation into a shooting that wounded seven people outside a nightclub in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in her father's jurisdiction.

A not guilty plea was entered on behalf of 29-year-old Michelle Hodgson, who was arraigned on a witness intimidation charge Tuesday.

"I think it's very unfair," said defense attorney Scott DeMello. "This is about her, this is not about the sheriff."

Thomas Hodgson is defending his daughter, telling NECN her behavior was prompted by the actions of an officer that she deemed inappropriate.

"I feel completely confident that the court will exonerate her," he said.

Four men and three women were shot early Saturday morning outside Jalice Cafe. New Bedford Police say Michelle Hodgson was outside the cafe with another woman after the shooting.

Officer Ronald Guerin reported that one of the women kicked a blood-soaked boot belonging to one of the victims. Prosecutor Bill Connolly later told NECN that the unidentified woman with Michelle Hodgson is not accused kicking the boot.

Guerin says he told the women they were disturbing evidence in a crime scene.

In the police report, Guerin wrote that Michelle Hodgson asked, "Do you know that my father's the sheriff?"

"She then asked me for my badge number. She then informed me that she would have my job," Guerin explained in the report.

"Michelle did nothing wrong that night," said DeMello. "She's very confident that once the facts come out, that she'll be completely exonerated. And we're not going to try it in the press, but we do want things to play out, but she will be completely exonerated."

Police believe the incident began when one man walked outside the nightclub, found a drink on his vehicle and slapped it away, hitting another patron with it.

According to authorities, this led to people shoving each other and shots being fired.

None of the injuries were considered life-threatening, but all seven shooting victims were treated at area hospitals.

Thomas Hodgson recently led a delegation of sheriffs to the U.S.-Mexico border in opposition to the nation's handling of immigration.

A Queens couple allegedly beat and starved their now 12-year-old daughter for two years, depriving her of food and water and hitting her with baseball bats and broom handles so severely that in one case, the little girl was found lying in a pool of blood with a wrist cut so deep her tendons were visible, prosecutors say.

Sheetal Ranot, who is the girl's stepmother, was arraigned Aug. 1 on first- and second-degree assault and child endangerment charges. Her husband, Rajesh Ranot, the child's biological father, was arraigned the same day on unlawful imprisonment and lesser assault charges.

Prosecutors allege the Ozone Park duo terrorized the child from December 2012 to July 2014.

According to a criminal complaint, Sheetal Ranot repeatedly hit her stepdaughter, causing bruising and pain, locked her in her bedroom and starved here for extended periods of time during that two-year span. In one case, the 31-year-old woman allegedly kicked the then 10-year-old girl in the face while wearing shoes.

Six months later, Ranot allegedly repeatedly hit the girl with a broken metal broom handle, leaving her with a cut near her knee and a cut so deep on her wrist that her tendons were exposed and she needed to have surgery.

Rajesh Ranot also allegedly starved the girl for years, and prosecutors say he forced her to take cold showers while he beat her with his fists and other household objects, including a baseball bat.

In April, Sheetal Ranot allegedly hit her stepdaughter in the face with a wooden rolling pin. The girl had to be taken to the hospital, and doctors there saw she was painfully thin -- weighing 58 pounds -- and wearing dirty clothes. It wasn't clear if they contacted authorities.

Over the next three weeks, prosecutors allege Rajesh Ranot continued to beat his daughter with a baseball bat. The girl was taken to the emergency room, where doctors noticed various bruises, marks and scars in different stages of healing all over her body. An investigation was launched and the stepmother and father were arrested shortly afterward.

"Despite the bruising and scarring on her body which served as a silent testament to the violence and cruelty she purportedly endured, it is alleged that for a long time this emaciated child was fearful of disclosing the true nature of her injuries or those responsible for her suffering for fear that her younger step-siblings would be taken away by authorities and placed in foster care," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement. "Fortunately, she found the courage to speak up.”

Administration for Children's Services Commissioner Gladys Carrión, whose agency filed an abuse petition against the couple in family court, said, “I am deeply grateful to the Child Protective Specialists and Investigative Consultants whose diligence and professionalism saved the life of this young girl and ensured that she and her siblings were removed from this home and are now safe from further abuse."

It wasn't clear how many other children were in the home during the period of alleged abuse.

Sheetal Ranot is being held in lieu of $60,000 bail. She's being represented by Queens Law Associates; her lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.

Rajesh Ranot remains in jail in lieu of $25,000 bail. He is being represented by Legal Aid, which does not comment on pending litigation.  

Don’t put away those brooms just yet, Padres fans. There could be more sweeping on the way.

After taking three straight from the Atlanta Braves over the weekend for their second series sweep of the season, the Friars head to the Twin Cities to face the last-place Minnesota Twins for a quickie two-game series starting Tuesday.

Things are pointing up for the Friars: A lineup that’s suddenly clicking after months of ineptitude, a hot pitcher in Jesse Hahn throwing the opener, a Twins team that has lost more than it’s won at home (24-29).

Most of all, it’s the fact that the Padres – yes, the Padres – are the hottest team in baseball, having won five of six and 10 of 15. That’s the best mark in baseball over that time. Can you believe they have cored the most runs in baseball (78 in 16 games) since the All-Star break?

Maybe the addition by subtraction strategy will keep on working. After dealing away a ton of talent before the trade deadline, the Padres just lost Vice President/Assistant General Manager A.J. Hinch, who quit his job on Tuesday. The move comes amid a drawn-out search for a new GM.

Hey, if losing a bunch of players on the field leads to some wins, maybe the same will be true in the executive offices, too.

Either way, a five-game road trip starts out on a high note – and maybe a little more sweeping by the Friars. Here’s a peek at what to expect from the upcoming series.

Matchups:
Tuesday, 5:10 p.m.: Jesse Hahn (R, 2.01) vs. Phil Hughes (R, 10-8, 4.12)
After a shaky MLB debut, Hahn has been untouchable. He has allowed more than two  earned runs just once in his last eight starts, winning seven of them. Hughes has lost three straight starts, despite walking just two batters in that span.

Wednesday, 10:10 a.m.: Odrisamer Despaigne (R, 2-3, 2.68) vs. Kevin Correia (R, 5-13, 4.96)
You could really call OD’s start against the Cardinals (5.2 IP, 9 hits, 6 runs) his first bad start since getting called up. He still have five quality starts in his first seven outings. Correia joins Eric Stults as the only two pitchers in baseball with 13 losses.

What’s at stake: From a playoff perspective, both teams more or less lost hope long ago. They each trail the wild card race in their respective leagues by 8 ½ games. That’s not insurmountable, but come on.

The Padres look to build on what has been their hottest run of the season. This is a team that has lost just one series since the All-Star break, but must play 15 of its next 18 games on the road.

This is the last time the two teams will meet this year. The Twins won a pair at Petco Park back in May.

Who to watch:
Padres: Tommy Medica just punished the Braves, tallying three homers and 18 total bases, including a five-hit game on Friday. He is 16 for 35 (.457) since the break, good for second in the NL. Outfielder Seth Smith leads the team with 11 homers, 32 RBIs and a .289 average. He has hits in four of his last five starts. Infielder Yangervis Solarte has been a shot in the arm since coming over from the Yankees. He has 14 hits and a pair of homers in his first 12 games as a Padre.

Twins: All-Star second baseman Brian Dozier has been one of the rare sources of power in this lineup, conking 19 home runs and driving in 49. He’s also struck out a whopping 92 times this year. Dozier has nine hits in his last five games. Outfielder Josh Willingham has 11 long balls but is hitting just .218 on the year. Closer Glen Perkins is fourth in the league with 27 saves.

Coming up: The wide open road awaits, as the Padres head to Pittsburgh this weekend. They return home for three against the Colorado Rockies next week before embarking on a 10-game road trip.

Supporters of a proposed shelter to house undocumented and unaccompanied minors in Escondido are fighting a recent decision by city planners to refuse a permit for the project.

The American Civil Liberties Union has filed an appeal on behalf of Southwest Key, hoping the Escondido City Council will reverse the planning commission’s denial.

Two weeks ago they voted to uphold a decision not to allow Southwest Key to turn Palomar Continuing Care Center into a 96-bed facility for undocumented immigrant children.

Too many children, parking and safety were cited as concerns.

"We think the Escondido planning commission got it wrong on every count," explained ACLU’s San Diego Legal Director David Loy.

Loy argued the case for why the now-vacant nursing home should be repurposed into a shelter for unaccompanied immigrant children ages 6 to 17.

The children are screened by Border Patrol and Immigration Customs Enforcement
before being housed in the facility, Loy said.

“In an unlikely event that any of kids or teens present safety or security risk, they are not housed in this kind of facility. They are housed in a more restrictive setting.”

He also noted the company’s record saying that in housing more than 9,000 children less than 40 have walked away.

Iris Siefert is one of the many Escondido residents who oppose the facility that would be located just a block away from where she lives.

She notes that when it comes to granting conditional use permits for facilities like the immigration
Shelter, it's the city's responsibility to ensure the community's safety.

“How can the city ensure in these thousands of children that come through this neighborhood there won't be a couple of bad apples that come through the screening process and misrepresent themselves,” argued Siefert.

The council has 30 days to hear the ACLU’s appeal.

Several Escondido council members are reserving comment until a future hearing.

A hit-and-run driver was arrested in north San Diego after the victim’s husband followed the suspect on his bike and was able to get a license plate number, officials said.

On Monday, just before 8 a.m., a white Nissan pickup truck driving at an unsafe speed hit and seriously injured a woman riding her bike on North Rancho Santa Fe Road at Calle Santa Catalina in Encinitas.

Deputies from the Encinitas Sheriff’s Station said the driver of the Nissan – later identified as Alejandro Uriostegui, 36 – was turning on Calle Santa Catalina and swerved to avoid a rear-end collision with another car.

As Uriostegui swerved, his truck hit a 57-year-old bicyclist riding southbound in the bicycle lane. Her husband was riding his bike near her and witnessed the collision.

Deputies said Uriostegui drove up on the curb after striking the victim and then took off. The victim’s husband quickly followed the vehicle on his bike and was able to get the license plate number.

He reported it to investigators who were then able to trace the plates to Uriostegui’s address in Fallbrook. Less than 12 hours after the incident, Uriostegui was arrested for felony hit-and-run.

He was booked into the Vista Detention Facility and is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

Meanwhile, officials said the hit-and-run victim suffered unspecified but serious injuries and remained hospitalized as of Tuesday afternoon. Her name was not released.