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San Diego to Pay for Good Ideas

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The City of San Diego wants to find the "right idea" - one  that can save taxpayer money and make City Hall more efficient.

The program, called San Diego Works, aims to pay city employees for those ideas – up to $5,000 per individual.

“City Hall should be as effective as possible,” Mayor Kevin Faulconer said Tuesday. “The money saved from these ideas can be put towards things like new street lights, freshly paved roads and increased public safety.”

“There’s literally tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, I believe, that we can save when we unleash this creativity,” he added.

Starting August 15, city employees will be able to submit ideas on how to do things differently and save money in the process.

Rewards will depend on the savings. An employee and their team get to share in 10 percent of the savings anticipated from their idea - up to $100,000 for the team to share equally among its participants and up to a maximum of $5,000 per person.

The good idea doesn’t have to save money. If an employee comes up with a way to improve customer service, they will still be eligible for a $50 award.

City Councilmembers will vote Thursday on whether to approve the proposed initiative.
 


No Birthday Cake at Texas Schools?

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Birthday parties in one North Texas school district may not be as sweet this coming school year.

Frisco ISD leaders are discouraging parents from bringing in cupcakes, cookies and other sweet treats to celebrate birthdays and other big occasions, in an effort to promote a healthy lifestyle, prevent distractions from learning and protect kids with allergies.

The district will still have three designated "party days" when parents and grandparents may bring treats the district describes as having "minimal nutritional value."

The following guidance is being drafted for the student handbook for the 2014 to 2015 school year, district spokeswoman Shana Wortham said:

"Beginning with the 2014-15 School year, birthday celebrations at school will not include food and drink items. Children's birthdays are acknowledged in a variety of ways at the elementary schools and this will continue. In the last few years, schools have encouraged alternatives to food, such as donating a book to the library in your child's name on his/her birthday."

The district said it made its plan in an effort to simplify the patchwork of policies in place at different schools. The topic of birthday treats has remained an issue for several years, it said in a letter to parents.

While some parents are sympathetic to the district's concerns, they say it's hard to break with tradition.

"It's hard for birthday parties when parents want to come in," said Laura Culley. "You want your kid to feel special."

"I wish they would do a pre-approved list — like you can bring in cookies but not cupcakes," said Shirley Wright, who has a son entering first grade.

In Texas, because of a rule known as Lauren's Law, it is technically impossible to ban families from sending treats to school to celebrate birthdays or other functions.

Frisco ISD tells NBC 5 it will be working in compliance with the law but will only allow the food to be handed out after school hours.

They encourage parents to send non-edible hand-outs, like pencils or stickers, to celebrate the milestone.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/Brian Ach

Man Shot Kitten Up With Heroin: PD

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A Chester County man has been arrested after police say he shot his kitten up with heroin, choked it with a rope and slammed it to the ground.

James Paul Myers, 24, has been charged with cruelty to animals, drug possession and other related offenses.

A police officer patrolling Dunwoody Drive in West Whiteland Township spotted Myers parked in the middle of the street with his car door open around 4:40 a.m. on Sunday, according to investigators.

A small black kitten was underneath the door, investigators said. Its neck was bound tightly with rope, its face was bleeding and several teeth of its teeth had been knocked out, according to police.

Police say the phrase “SLAM IT YOU [expletive]" was spray painted on the roadway near the vehicle, and the kitten appeared to have been dragged and slammed to the ground.

Police executed a search warrant of Myers’ vehicle, where investigators say they found bundles of heroin, hundreds of used bags of heroin, 46 hypodermic needles, a rope that matched the one used on the kitten and a small box containing cat feces.

The 2 to 3-month-old kitten, which was lethargic and unresponsive and suffering from head trauma, was taken to the HOPE Veterinary Clinic in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

The kitten was examined by Dr. Jennifer Magilton and determined to have been given heroin. Dr. Magilton gave the kitten Narcan, a heroin antidote commonly given to humans.

The kitten, renamed Hope, is recovering at the veterinary clinic and eventually will be transferred to another facility for adoption.

"I would think in the next few days or a week or so he'll be back to nearly a normal kitten, up and ready for a permanent home," said Dr. Gary Puglia of HOPE Veterinary.

Myers was taken into custody and charged with cruelty to animals, drug possession and other related offenses.

“There is no excuse for cruelty to a defenseless animal,” said District Attorney Tom Hogan. “The West Whiteland Police Department should be commended for intervening to stop this abuse. Dr. Magilton should be praised for her quick thinking to save the kitten’s life.” 



Photo Credit: Chester County District Attorney's Office

Corn Thieves Strike Conn. Farm

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Thieves deliberately picked and stole 200 dozen ears of corn worth $1,200 from Green Acres Farm on Perkins Street in Bristol over the weekend.

“It is with a very sad heart that we report for the first time in all our years of operation someone has stolen produce from our farm,” the farm posted on Facebook.

Green Acres has been in business since 1950 and said nothing like this has happened before. The stalks are stripped along 20 rows – the criminals left only small ears not yet ready to be picked.

"This is ridiculous how you can steal from a farm," said Green Acres' Whit Betts. "It would be very, very hard for the average person to do that."

It comes at the height of sweet corn season, which runs from July through September.

Farm staff members are asking customers to serve as extra sets of eyes and – naturally – ears when they are traveling by the fields and to report any suspicious activity.

Dozens of people have been sharing the farm's Facebook post, and Betts said the community is showing support and promising to keep a sharp lookout.

He said he doesn't expect the crooks to be caught but promises the corn will keep coming.

"You try not to get too absorbed by this," Betts explained. "I've had 24 hours to get through my anger and now you just look at the future and what we have going."

If you see anything, send a private message through Facebook or call the farm directly at 860-583-5700.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Vigil to Be Held for El Capitan Boat Crash Victims

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A vigil will be held Tuesday for two men killed last week in boating accident at El Capitan Reservoir.

Russell Mendez, 20, and Jeffry Ingram, 21, were fishing in the Tree Hole area of the reservoir when their boat was struck by an oncoming boat.

According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner, the men were traveling northeast at a slow speed as a boat traveling south at a high rate of speed failed to see them and hit the side of their boat.

Mendez and Ingram were killed in the collision. Two people in the other vessel were injured.

No word on if the driver or passenger in the other boat who suffered minor injuries will face any charges.

The investigation is in the hands of the Northern Division of the San Diego Police Department.

On Monday, the El Capitan Reservoir was open but it was fairly quiet. No water sports were allowed on the lake.

Boaters also told NBC 7 more fishermen are heading out to the crash area because of the drought and lower water levels.

The area sticks out into the lake and going around it is like going around a difficult street corner, they said.

The victims’ relatives say Mendez and Ingram enjoyed fishing at Lake Murray so they have planned a memorial there beginning at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

There is a fundraising website set up by Michael Ingram asking for donations to help pay for memorial services and pay off the loan for a new truck that one of the men signed just before the crash.



Photo Credit: GiveForward.com

Colossus Roller Coaster Ending With Marathon Rides

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Six Flags Magic Mountain's Colossus -- the iconic white, wooden roller coaster seen from the Golden State (5) Freeway in Valencia -- is shutting down for good, but not before giving some riders a final few hundred rides.

To celebrate the end of an era when the 36-year-old ride closes Aug. 16, the park invited 24 roller coaster enthusiasts to ride Colossus for 36 straight hours starting 9 a.m. Monday. 

As of noon Tuesday, six people were still riding the roller coaster.

Riders get a 15-minute break each hour. The winner of the last-man-sitting competition when the marathon ends at 9 p.m. will get annual VIP park passes to Magic Mountain. 

Hundreds of people vied for one of the 24 seats when Six Flags announced the competition.

One of the marathoners said she rode Colossus for the first time when she was six years old.

"My mother cried and I laughed and it's been my favorite ride every since," Nicole Bledsoe said Tuesday.

Each ride, about two minutes long, covers about a mile of track and features two 100-foot drops, reaching up to 62 miles per hour.

Colossus took the media and Southern California by storm when it opened in June 1978. It was the world's fastest and tallest wooden roller coaster, and the first to feature two drops that are more than 100 feet steep. 

"It's an iconic coaster that everybody knows," said Caesar Deharo, a marathon ride participant. 

Six Flags said it's closing the "granddaddy of all roller coasters" to offer new thrills.

"We have an amazing collection of coasters so we're always trying to take it to the next level," said parks spokeswoman Connie Lujan. 

Deharo said he is both excited to see a new roller coaster and sad to see the classic one go.

Six Flags will announce the ride's replacement Aug. 28.



Photo Credit: KNBC

'The Hills Bandit' Wanted in String of Robberies

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Police are searching for a man nicknamed “The Hills Bandit” who robbed a U.S. Bank in Carlsbad Tuesday and is behind a string of robberies in the Los Angeles area.

The man robbed the U.S. Bank at 7700 Carlsbad Village Drive at 10:30 a.m. by walking up to the teller and displaying a note indicating he had a gun.

No gun was seen and no one was hurt, FBI authorities said.

FBI authorities say this same bandit is behind three robberies in the Los Angeles area. The first robbery occurred May 16 at a Wells Fargo Bank in Laguna Hills. Then the robber hit a Citi Bank also in Laguna Hills on July 16 and another Citi Bank branch in Lake Forest on July 25, FBI authorities said.

While committing the robberies, the man wore a baseball cap with either a Raiders or Chargers logo and black-rimmed glasses and was carrying a blue merchant bank bag.

He was described as white, 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches tall, between 45 and 50 years old and about 190 pounds.

Anyone with information should contact the FBI at 858-320-1800 or 310-477-6565. You can also leave a tip with the Carlsbad Police Department at 760-931-2197.

Monkey Bites Woman at Pizzeria

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A former veterinarian has surrendered her monkey to animal services officials after the capuchin bit a woman at a Southern California pizzeria over the weekend.

Officials said the victim was outside Antonious Pizza in Beaumont on Sunday afternoon when the pint-sized primate named Baby G bit her in the forearm. The 38-year-old woman was treated at the hospital.

Baby G’s owner, Wendelin Ringel of Cherry Valley, turned the monkey over to Riverside County Animal Services and Fish & Wildlife officials Tuesday afternoon.

Officials said it was unlikely that the monkey has rabies, but they planned to quarantine it for six months to be sure.

It was unclear what provoked the attack. The incident was under investigation.

"These are wild animals and even folks that have them as pets, they can be sometimes unpredictable," said Riverside County Animal Services spokesman John Welsh. "They don't need to be outside a pizza restaurant."

Baby G's age and sex were unknown.

Ringel was aslo in possession of two other monkeys – a tamarin and another capuchin – officials said. They were impounded as well because Ringel couldn’t provide a permit showing that she legally owned the exotic pets, officials said.

Ryan Bourgard contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Riverside County Animal Services

Amber Alert Sounds Success in its 12 Years

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Another Amber Alert ended in success Monday night in San Ysidro.

A Santa Barbara 6-month-old girl was abducted by her father, who was arrested and the girl was safely recovered.

The first Amber Alert sounded in August 2002 and since then 96 percent of children reported missing through that system have been recovered -- perhaps the most successful citizen participation law enforcement program out there.

In all, 287 children were reported missing through Amber Alert since its inception and 276 of them were returned home.

The California Highway patrol reports there's an average of five to seven tips hourly during state alerts.

A year ago, the first wireless emergency alert surprised  cell phone users: It was the Amber Alert for  the missing Hanna Anderson and her brother Ethan.

What's aided in the success? Wireless communication and social media have exponentially increased the odds of child recoveries.

“Everyone has a smartphone these days. Everyone has a Facebook page. Everyone has a social media account where people are always getting updates and they are always sharing and the word gets out,” CHP Officer Kevin Pearlstein said.
 

The highest number of children reported missing through Amber Alert in a one year period is 32. So far this year, there have been 22 child abductions reported.
 

Friend: Boat Crash Victims Fishing in Heaven

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Friends say two bass fishing buddies died doing what they love.

Jeff Ingram, 21, and Russell Mendez, 20, were killed after two boats collided Thursday along the north arm of El Capitan Reservoir in the East County.

On Tuesday, a memorial vigil was held at Lake Murray.

One friend said the pair loved fishing so much, Mendez recently purchased his own boat and Ingram took out a loan on a new truck so they could tow the boat.

“I'm sure they're up in heaven fishing, catching double-digit bass every time and having the best time of their lives that those two boys could have together fishing,” said bass fishing guide Joe Marshall.

Marshall created a touching tribute -- a video of his two friends -- that he hopes will help the families heal.

“It was very hard for me to find the proper song to play in the memorial video. Every song that I thought was appropriate made me cry, made me bawl,” Marshall said. “At first, I was heartbroken, devastated, angry, all those emotions all at once."

Friends said Ingram was always happy and highly motivated. Marshall said he will never forget Mendez’s elephant-sized smile.

Ingram’s brother set up an online fundraising page to pay off Ingram’s new truck. However, the loan financing company offered to rewind the deal and take back the truck. So now, the families plan to use the donations to cover funeral costs.

Anything left over will be given to a non-profit fishing organization for kids in San Diego.

‘Ho-Hum Bandit’ Gets 6 Years in Prison

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A serial bank robber known as the “Ho-Hum Bandit” will have plenty of monotonous days ahead now that he’s been sentenced to nearly six years behind bars.

Adam Lynch, 37, of Corte Madera, Calif., will spend the next 70 months in prison for his role in seven bank robberies across San Diego County, a federal judge ordered Tuesday. Lynch must also pay restitution to the banks that he targeted during his spree.

Lynch, nicknamed for his reportedly nonchalant, unassuming manner of robbing banks, admitted to committing seven bank robberies in San Diego between Feb. 27, 2010, and June 5, 2010.

During his spree, he even robbed the same bank branch twice within just one week.

According to the FBI, Lynch’s modus operandi was almost always the same: he would enter a bank, walk up to the counter, pass a note to a teller, say he was armed and demand cash.

After getting what he wanted, the bland bandit would flee the scene. He never injured anyone in the humdrum heists but did manage to steal a combined total of $25,094.

Investigators say Lynch’s San Diego bank robberies weren’t his last. He also robbed several banks in Denver in August 2010, December 2010 and March 2011 and struck at a bank in Cheyenne, Wyo., in November 2010.

At one point, the FBI suspected Lynch was responsible for at least 16 bank robberies across different states.

Lynch’s crime career came to an end in April 2011 when he was arrested by authorities after his girlfriend turned him in. Sources said the jilted woman was seeking revenge because Lynch had allegedly cheated on her.

Lynch has been in custody ever since.

In April 2013, he was sentenced to more than five years in prison for the robberies in Denver and Wyoming.

With this latest sentence, the Ho-Hum Bandit will wind up spending a total of about 10 years in custody for his offenses, the office of U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy confirmed.



Photo Credit: FBI

San Diego Still in Race to Host America's Cup

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The San Diego County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution Tuesday supporting a bid to host the America’s Cup in 2017.

Supervisor Dave Roberts says San Diego already “has the infrastructure in place.” There is a new 12-acre waterfront park where shoreline events could be held for up to 8,000 people, the port district building where receptions could be held and the San Diego Bay where the boats could race.

Roberts says rather than a burden to taxpayers, the America's Cup would be an economic boon to San Diego, filling hotels and restaurants, creating jobs.

“This could actually generate over a billion dollars in economic revenue, and over 8,000 jobs could be created, so I just think this has tremendous potential,” he said.

No doubt that's what officials in the Bay Area thought would happen when San Francisco hosted the regatta last summer. The race reportedly did not have as much of an economic impact as was hoped. It ended up costing taxpayers $5 million, taxpayer money some critics say was spent on a sport for billionaires.

For now, the race for host is down to two: San Diego and Bermuda. Bermuda is a British territory. Only twice has the America's Cup been held outside the country of the winning yacht club -- which last year was Oracle Team USA, backed by the Golden Gate Yacht Club.

San Francisco did bid for the race again, but added a number of financial demands to its bid, which apparently knocked it out of the race.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Lonely Recidivist Stowaway Arrested

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A woman who tried unsuccessfully several times to stow away aboard planes at San Francisco International Airport has breached security at another Bay Area airport. This time the plane took off with her on board.

Marilyn Hartman, 62, managed to navigate through security at Mineta San Jose International Airport on Monday night – without a proper boarding pass – and got on Southwest Airlines Flight 3785 to Los Angeles International Airport, NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit has learned. She apparently bypassed a document checker after a couple of failed attempts.

Hartman, who has previously breached security at SFO, has been trying to board planes bound for Hawaii.

Her wits are sound, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe previously he told SF Weekly: she is "articulate" and clean. "She just strikes me as a very lonely person," he added.

Southwest flight attendants noticed something was wrong after the plane landed at LAX. The crew did a head count and realized it did not match their records, according to the airline.

After being taken into custody by airport police, Hartman was arrested by LA County's Sheriff's deputies at LAX and faces misdemeanor trespassing charges. Bail was set at $500.

The San Francisco woman has a history of trying to get on flights without a ticket. Three times in February, twice in March and at least once in April she attempted to board flights at SFO. At least twice she was able to breach Transportation Security Administration security and make her way into the boarding area.

San Mateo County Sheriff's spokeswoman Rebecca Rosenblatt said police at San Francisco's airport are familiar with Hartman.

“She showed up there several times, indicating that she wanted to go to Hawaii, where it was nice and warm,” Rosenblatt said. “She never actually had a ticket to get on the plane to take her there, but that did not deter her from trying several times.”

TSA says it has already made minor changes to the document-checking process at SJC. "Following an initial review by TSA at San Jose International Airport, the agency has initiated minor modifications to the layout of the document checking area to prevent another incident like this one," TSA said in a statement.

In a statement, Southwest said it is “actively investigating” the incident and is cooperating with authorities.

“Upon arrival in Los Angeles, a Southwest Employee became aware of the un-ticketed passenger and immediately notified local authorities,” the statement said. “Our number one priority remains the Safety and Security of our Customers and Employees. In addition to investigating this internally, Southwest continues our work with all relevant regulatory agencies, including the TSA. To respect the integrity of the investigation, we do not have additional details to share.”

Monday’s arrest comes about three months after a South Bay teenager hid in the wheel well of a Hawaiian Airlines plane at San Jose International Airport. Officials say he jumped a fence at the airport and hitched a ride on a flight bound for Hawaii back in April. The 15-year-old survived sub-zero temperatures during the five-hour flight.

The teen is not facing any charges.

Congressman Eric Swalwell, who is on the Homeland Security committee, is calling this latest stowaway case a "security failure." He released a statement Tuesday afternoon:



“Passenger safety in the sky relies upon effective security on the ground.  That means only a screened and ticketed passenger should ever be able to board an airplane.  Yesterday's incident, of an unticketed passenger successfully taking a flight from San Jose to Los Angeles, was an apparent failure by both airport security and the airline of protecting passengers from a potential threat to their safety.  Fortunately, this ticketless passenger was harmless.  However, we may not be as lucky next time and must do everything possible to protect the traveling public.”

Stone to Host 18th Anniversary Beer Bash

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San Diego’s Stone Brewing Co. will celebrate its 18th anniversary this month with the ultimate beer bash: nearly 200 craft brews, more than 80 breweries and two sessions for beer connoisseurs to tap into.

The Stone 18th Anniversary Celebration & Invitational Beer Festival takes place on Aug. 16 at California State University San Marcos on South Twin Oaks Valley Road.

Attendees can sip and savor suds at two different sessions, one from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or one from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission to each session is $45 per person and includes a commemorative 18th Anniversary Celebration tasting glass, plus 15 beer samples. A designated driver ticket can also be purchased for $10.



As the craft brew flows, Stone brews will also be available on cask, as well as free home-brewed soda’s and samples of Mike’s Beer Cheese.

The Stone beer list at the fest includes fan favorites such as Arrogant Bastard Ale, Stone IPA and Stone Saison, among many others. The guest brewer lineup includes Ballast Point Sculpin IPA with Grapefruit, Coronado Islander IPA and Green Flash West Coast IPA, just to name a few.



The annual beer fest will also double as a fundraiser. All proceeds will benefit local charities including the Surfrider Foundation, The Boys and Girls Club of San Marcos, The Palomar Family YMCA and Fight ALD. To buy tickets, visit this website.

Escondido-based Stone Brewing Co. has come a long way in its 18 years as one of San Diego’s most recognizable and successful craft breweries and the company shows no signs of slowing down.

Last month, Stone announced plans to hop international borders and expand into Europe. The company plans to open a brewery in a suburb of Berlin, Germany, by late 2015 or early 2016.

Earlier this year Stone said it planned to expand its beer empire to the East Coast, though the exact location for that facility has not yet been announced.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Driver in Times Square Double-Decker Bus Crash Arrested

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One of the drivers of the two double-decker buses that collided in Times Square Tuesday afternoon, injuring 14, has been arrested, police say.

Gray Line bus driver William Dalambert of Irvington, New Jersey, was charged with driving while ability impaired following the crash at Seventh Avenue and West 47th Street. 

Police charge drivers with driving while ability impared if they get behind the wheel after using prescription or illicit drugs or they appear to be impared by alcohol but have a blood-alcohol content lower than the minimum limit for the charge of driving while intoxicated.

The 58-year-old will be arraigned sometime Wednesday. It's not clear if he has an attorney.

Thirteen pedestrians and a tour guide were hurt when the two buses collided near the famous red staircase of the TKTS booth in the middle of one of the most heavily trafficked areas in the city. It's not clear what caused the collision.

Most of the pedestrians were injured 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 crash site 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.



Photo Credit: @OfficialJoelF/Instagram

San Diego-Born Panda Gives Birth to Twins

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Try to cage your excitement: A giant panda born in San Diego is now the mother of twins.

Nine-year-old Su Lin gave birth to two panda cubs on Sunday, according to the China News Service. Su Lin lives at the Giant Panda Protection and Research Center of China in Chengdu, the capitol of Sichuan province.

Researchers said one cub is a boy who tipped the scales at 6 ounces. They don’t know the other cub’s gender or weight because mama bear hasn’t put it down since birth, the China News Service reports.

Su Lin (which translates to “a little bit of something very cute”) was born at the San Diego Zoo in August 2005. Her mother, 22-year-old Bai Yun, still lives at the zoo and is the oldest actively breeding female in captivity. Bai Yun has given birth to six giant panda cubs: Hua Mei, Mei Sheng, Su Lin, Zhen Zhen, Yun Zi and Xiao Liwu.

The San Diego Zoo’s giant pandas are on a research loan from the Chinese government, which can recall the pandas to their native land after they turn 3 years old. Su Lin returned to China in 2010.

So who is the panda twins’ father? That’s not so black and white. Su Lin mated naturally with Yuan Yuan, but was then artificially inseminated by Lu Lu, according to the China News Service. The cubs are expected to take a paternity test in a year or two.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Brazen Graffiti Vandal to Pay $17K: Judge

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A San Diego teenager busted for vandalism after tagging the inside of a courthouse will spend the next three years on probation and will have to pay nearly $17,500 in restitution, a judge ordered Tuesday.

Francisco Canseco, 18, is linked to dozens of cases of graffiti in San Diego County including the brazen tagging of the very courtroom in which he was being prosecuted for vandalism.

According to officials, the investigation into Canseco began on April 25 when a deputy noticed fresh graffiti of a moniker tagged at several locations inside the San Diego Superior Courthouse.

The deputy used a Graffiti Tracker System to document the vandalism and check for other related cases and found that the San Diego Police Department had arrested Canseco in the past in connection with more than 60 cases of graffiti involving the same moniker.

Officials obtained a search warrant to search Canseco’s home and there discovered evidence tying him to graffiti vandalism, including the bold courtroom incident. He was arrested again on June 12 on five new felony counts.

On Tuesday, a judge sentenced the prolific vandal to three years of formal probation. He’ll also be remanded for 180 days, the San Diego District Attorney’s office confirmed.

Additionally, the teen will have to pay restitution in the amount of $35 per month. In the DA’s case, Canseco owes $1,470 in restitution and in the City’s Attorney’s case, he owes $16,071.75.
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Small Plane Flips Near Oceanside Airport

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A small airplane flipped upside down in a field Tuesday after an emergency landing near Oceanside Municipal Airport – but its occupants luckily emerged relatively unscathed, officials said.

The Pitts biplane went down north of State Route 76 near Airport Road just before 11:30 a.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The pilot had taken off from McClellan-Palomar Airport and was planning to return there when he reportedly experienced engine failure, FAA officials said.

As he tried to divert to Oceanside, the plane flipped upside down, ultimately landing in a field just east of the runway and Foussat Drive.

Two occupants, pilot Lance Murray and passenger Daniel Harabagiu, were able to free themselves from the plane with only minor scrapes, Oceanside police said.

There was no fluid spill or fire as a result of the emergency landing, police said.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will continue to investigate the incident and determine the cause of the aircraft malfunction.

According to registration records, the owner of the plane is listed as San Marcos-based Lance Murray Aviation, LLC.

This marks the second small airplane crash in San Diego County in just one week.

A single-engine Mooney M20L crashed in the busy parking lot of a Kearny Mesa shopping center on July 30 after experiencing engine trouble, in a crash one witness said could have cost far more lives but for the pilot's skill.

The pilot, Devon Logan, 52, survived, while her mother and passenger, Joy Gorian, 78, suffered serious burns and later died at the hospital.

The crash was witnessed by dozens of San Diegans, many of whom jumped in to try to rescue the women from the wreckage.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

SDPD Officers Sought Drugs From 12 Doctors: Warrant

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A newly obtained search warrant provides new details about two married San Diego police officers accused of unlawfully selling and administering hydrocodone.

The search warrant indicates Jennifer Charpentier, 41, and Bryce Charpentier, 32, had allegedly sought prescriptions to sell from 12 different doctor’s offices from La Mesa to Poway. The officers were arrested on suspicion of felony charges last month.

Jennifer Charpentier had obtained seven different drugs in 71 prescriptions from seven different doctors and then filled those prescriptions at 17 different pharmacies, according to the search warrant.

Husband Bryce Charpentier went as far as Oakhurst near Yosemite to fill his prescriptions and used six different doctors and 79 prescriptions, the search warrant alleges.

The couple used 10 of the same pharmacies, according to the warrant.

Within hours of posting bond and being released from jail, Bryce Charpentier is accused of trying to fill another prescription. A pharmacist then alerted San Diego police.

The case came to light after a confidential drug informant alerted investigators that the Charpentiers had supplied the informant with drugs, according to the warrant.

The Charpentiers were charged June 12 with two felonies each, one for selling and furnishing a controlled narcotic substance and another for possession of firearm by a felon or addict. The criminal complaint against them alleges that the defendants are addicted to opiates.

They have pleaded not guilty to the charges, and deny the accusations. A hearing to check their readiness for trial is scheduled for next Friday.

The Charpentiers have also been placed on leave from the San Diego Police Department, pending the outcome of the criminal investigation.

Ex-Marine Found Guilty of Killing Sergeant, Wife

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A former Marine known to his comrades by the nickname “Psycho” was found guilty Tuesday in the 2008 robbery, torture and execution-style slayings of a fellow Marine and his wife in Southern California.

A Riverside County Superior Court jury found Fallbrook resident Kesaun Sykes, 27, guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in the violent killings of U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jan Pietrzak, 24, and his wife, Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak, 26.

Sykes, an ex-lance corporal, is the fourth and final suspect to be found guilty in the case. The three others – also former Marines – were sentenced for the brutal murders in June 2013.

The jury also found Sykes guilty of special circumstances of murder during the commission of a robbery, burglary and rape by an instrument, the Riverside County District Attorney’s office confirmed. The jury deliberated less than two hours before reaching the guilty verdict.

Sykes faces the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole for his crimes. The penalty phase of his trial begins Aug. 11 in which jurors will hear testimony to decide Sykes’ fate.

In October 2008, the Pietrzaks were found gagged, tied and shot in their home near Murrieta, Calif.

Sgt. Pietrzak, a helicopter airframe mechanic at MCAS Miramar near San Diego, was found bloodied and beaten to death. His wife's body was discovered naked. Investigators said she had been sexually assaulted before the couple was murdered.

Both victims were also found bound and shot in the head.

Investigators said racial slurs were found spray-painted throughout the Pietrzak’s home and fires had been set in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Prosecutors said robbery was the motive behind the murders. The four suspects went to the Pietrzak home with the intention to steal and forced their way inside.

Jewelry, including the couple’s wedding rings, as well as Pietrzak's dress uniform were found at the suspects' homes, authorities said.



The three other former Marines sentenced in the killings last summer were Lance Cpl. Emrys John, 24, Lance Cpl. Tyrone Miller, 26, and ex-private Kevin Cox, 26.

John, Miller and Cox all worked with Sgt. Pietrzak at one time as Marines while stationed at Camp Pendleton.

John and Miller were both sentenced to the death penalty, while Cox was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Sgt. Pietrzak, who was born in Poland and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., joined the Marines in 2003 and served in Iraq from July 2005 to February 2006. Relatives of the victims said Quiana was from San Bernardino and was a 2005 graduate of San Diego State University.

The couple met in San Diego through a mutual friend who also attended SDSU. Quiana was studying to become a doctor.
 

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