The company that owns SeaWorld San Diego disclosed a drop in park attendance and expected revenue Wednesday, triggering a 35 percent drop in shares for the company’s stock.

Fewer people are visiting the parks owned by SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc., a fact the company discussed earlier this year.

On Wednesday however, the company reported that it missed second-quarter earnings estimates and projected a decline in revenue for the full year, CNBC reports.

In a report to its shareholders, SeaWorld Entertainment reported that the company’s revenue for the first half of 2014 was $617.4 million, a decrease of $32.5 million, or 5 percent when compared to the same period in 2013.

"Its stock was hit really hard today, it lost nearly a third of its value so that shows investors are worried about the company's future," said Alan Gin, University of San Diego Economics Professor.

Gin said that in comparison, a good gain for a stock in one year would be considered 10 percent.

It’s been a challenging year for the local theme park.

The park has launched a new publicity campaign to combat the effects of the documentary “Blackfish” and its management lobbied California state lawmakers after a proposed bill that would ban using killer whales as performers was discussed then shelved.

In June, dozens of riders stranded for hours hundreds of feet off the ground in the park’s iconic SkyTower ride. Then, in July, a controversial anti-SeaWorld ad was unveiled in time to greet Comic-Con crowds.

Don’t forget the recent decision for Southwest and SeaWorld to end to a 25-year marketing partnership. with Southwest.

The company cited publicity “surrounding proposed legislation” in California as one of the reasons park attendance was down.

"In addition to missing the earnings by such a large amount, the fact that the company acknowledged the protests are having an effect is troubling to the investing community," Gin said.

The report also listed other factors including competing theme parks, a new attraction being delayed and a late start to summer break in many key markets.

While revenue for the year to date has dropped 4.3 percent, CEO and President Jim Atchison credited the timing of Easter and favorable weather for helping increase park attendance in the second quarter.

In comparison, CNBC reports that Disney saw an 8 percent increase in revenue from its parks and resorts division in June.

The company will also launch a share repurchase program beginning Jan. 1, 2015 as well as work with an international entertainment and media company to develop parks in Pan-Asia, India and Russia.

Atchison described the latter as “exciting opportunities to extend our brands beyond our domestic borders" in the shareholder report.

Some analysts have projected the stock price will double, Gin said.

"If you're a gambler, if you think this may be a temporary thing, this might be a good time to pick up some SeaWorld at a very low price," Gin said.

A man caught with two unresponsive immigrants in his trunk told border officials he would receive $3,500 for smuggling them into the U.S., according to a complaint filed in federal court Wednesday.

Nicholas George Zakov was scheduled to make his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon. Zakov is charged with “bringing in illegal alien(s) without presentation."

"It’s a felony offense and potentially charges will carry up to life in prison or the death penalty depending on what the sentence the court decides," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Wheat.

The complaint identified the two men in the trunk as Tarcisio Casas-Blanco and Jose Aurelio Quiroz-Casas, both Mexican citizens.

Read the complaint here

Zakov was taken into custody Tuesday after trying to cross into the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. According to the complaint, he confessed everything to border officers. The suspect said he had been instructed to drive to Denny’s in Chula Vista with the two men in the trunk. There, he would receive further instructions. He said he coordinated the smuggling operation with three different men in Mexico and was promised a payment of $3,500.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), officers at the border stopped an orange 2012 Dodge Challenge around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. They opened the trunk and found two men inside – a 28-year-old and 20-year-old – both unconscious and not breathing. The men were pronounced dead at the hospital, CBP officials said.

The recovery process continued Wednesday for victims injured by a wrong-way driver who plowed into a group of 30 bicyclists on Fiesta Island as the cyclists finished their weekly group ride.

On Tuesday at around 6:30 p.m., driver Theresa Lynn Owens, 49, drove into the group of cyclists along Fiesta Island Road. She was arrested on the spot for driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance.

Ten of the bicyclists were injured in the collision and taken to local hospitals, six with serious injuries. Two victims were thrown against the windshield of Owens’ car and pinned in the shattered glass.

Cyclist Logan Bass was among those who took the brunt of the impact.

Bass told NBC 7 he suffered a contusion to his ribs and he's having a hard time breathing deeply.

Another one of the victims, Beatrice Dormoy, has been released from the hospital and was recovering at home Wednesday.

Dormoy sustained deep cuts and bruises and told NBC 7 she’s lucky she didn’t break any bones.

The avid cyclist was just getting back to riding after suffering another cycling injury this past May and was slated to race in Ontario in just two weeks. Now, those plans might change.

“To think she might not ride anymore because she’s fearful to do what she loves to do. Imagine doing something you love to do and you can’t do it anymore because you’re afraid you might die. That’s a shame – that’s sad,” said Brandon Ewers, another member of the cycling group involved in the crash.

Ewers was in lead position riding with the group and would’ve been in the line of impact if his friend hadn’t pushed him out of the way. Instead, his friend went flying into the windshield.

The Del Mar resident said he hopes the incident is a wake-up call for Owens.

“I hope she learns from this. If she does have a past and a history, that this does straighten her life out,” he said.

During her arrest Owens argued with first responders as she was cuffed and led away. NBC 7 obtained court records that show she had a criminal history dating as far back as 2006 that includes possession of illegal drugs, disturbing the peace and intent to commit theft.

According to police, investigators suspect Owens was under the influence of both alcohol and drugs, possibly methamphetamine, at the time of the crash. A forthcoming toxicology report will confirm whether that’s the case.

For now, she's being held at Las Colinas Detention Facility and is scheduled to appear in court Friday.

Most of the cyclists involved in the crash are members of the San Diego Bicycle Club. They meet every Tuesday to ride about 30 miles together and had been finishing their final laps when the collision occurred. The group said the incident is especially unfortunate because Fiesta Island is supposed to be a very safe place for them to ride.
 

Faced with a growing backlash from hundreds of parents up in arms over a sex education book they say is too explicit, a Northern California school board has agreed to hold off on allowing the students to read passages some parents say exposes them to "sexual games, sexual fantasies and sexual bondage."

At a Fremont Unified School District board meeting Wednesday, trustees voted 3-2 to work with Publisher McGraw-Hill to revise the controversial book, "Your Health Today," that was slated to be 9th grade reading material this coming school year.

District employees must report on those change to the board in January. Meanwhile, Fremont students will use the district's old health book instead, which is ten years old.

More than 2,000 parents signed an online petition describing their gripes with the book, noting that the material was not "age appropriate," as its pages apparently discuss "sexual bondage with handcuffs, ropes, and blindfolds, sexual toys and vibrator devices."

NBC Bay Area has not reviewed the book in question.

But Slate reports that some of the sexual topics are described "in the most boring prose imaginable."  To explain sexual bondage, for example, the next passage reads: "Most sex games are safe and harmless, but partners need to openly discuss and agree beforehand on what they are comfortable doing." Students are also cautioned to only do "what they are comfortable doing."

The book touts itself as being "truly inclusive and socially responsible." Its authors are doctors and PhDs from UC Davis, SUNY Buffalo and the University of Northern Colorado.

Other chapters include information on nutrition, fitness, stress and body weight. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the book is being used in a handful of Texas districts, but none in California.

Parents came out at the board meeting to make sure their voices were heard, loud and clear.

"I don't trust you as board members, I don't. I do not trust you with my child," Parent Jim Schultz told the board. "I'm sorry, I cannot see anything that a child needs to know in ninth grade about bondage. What are you teaching them?"

In an interview earlier this month, School Supt. Jim Morris said the teachers reviewed several books and chose "Your Health Today" out of several choices. “The teachers really said ‘what’s the best up-to-date material,’ and this was their recommendation – and I supported that recommendation,” he said.

But not everyone agrees the book should be removed from the lesson plan - it was a decision trustees first made in June. Some parents support their children opening up their eyes to what's going on around them.

"If you listen to popular music, if you read popular books, if you see popular movies -- none of the content in the book contains anything our kids haven't already been exposed to," parent Dianne Jones said.

NBC Bay Area's Marianne Favro contributed to this report.

The Pope himself said he is likely coming to the City of Brotherly Love.

NBC News correspondent Anne Thompson told the "Today" show Thursday that she spoke to Pope Francis during his recent flight to South Korea.

Thompson said she asked His Holiness in Italian if he would be attending the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia next year.

“He said 'yes,' and he mentioned World Family Day,” said Thompson.

The Vatican has yet to officially confirm a papal visit to the United State but all signs point to it being likely that he will visit Philly. In the past months, a group of Philadelphia representatives went to Rome and a contingency from the Vatican visited Philly as the Catholic Church prepares for the event.

Normal policy keeps the Vatican from making anything official at this time, according to the Philadelphia Archdiocese.

"We still expect that any official confirmation will come approximately six months prior to the event and we remain confident that the Holy Father will be present with us," said archdiocesan spokesman Kenneth Gavin. "This confidence is based on Archbishop Chaput’s personal conversations with Pope Francis and previous comments by the Vatican Press Office regarding Pope Francis’ 'willingness to participate in the World Meeting of Families.'"

Pope Francis also has kept his word about travel desires. During a visit to South America he stated that he wanted to go to Asia. He is currently in Korea and has upcoming travel plans to Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

The World Meeting of Families will take place Sept. 22 to 27, 2015.

The cousin of a 62-year-old woman and her 10-year-old foster daughter who were mysteriously found dead in their New Jersey home earlier this month has been arrested and is charged with strangling them.

Prosecutors say Brian Farmer, a 58-year-old registered sex offender convicted of burning down a someone's house in 1996, also faces child pornography charges in connection with the 10-year-old victim, Veronica Roach.

The bodies of Roach and her foster mother, Joan Colbert, were found Aug. 1 in their Lippincott Avenue apartment in Long Branch. Authorities did not say at the time how they died, but the medical examiner ruled their deaths homicides. Prosecutors said Thursday they had been strangled.

Prosecutors say Colbert allegedly discovered Farmer taking pornographic pictures of the 10-year-old girl at the apartment July 30. A confrontation ensued, and Farmer allegedly killed them both. Their bodies were found two days later.

According to a criminal complaint, detectives found pornographic pictures of Roach on Farmer's phone. He allegedly made the girl engage in a "prohibited sexual act" while photographing her, as well as sexually abusing the child himself.

Roach's uncle, Brett Roach, called Farmer "an animal." He said the suspect came to the funeral for the little girl and her foster mother, gave him a hug and asked how he was doing.

Farmer was arrested Wednesday night and is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, as well as multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted of the top charges, he faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

It wasn't clear if Farmer had an attorney.

Farmer served 13 years in East Jersey State Prison after being convicted in 1996 of aggravated sexual assault for "engaging in sexual penetration" with a 15-year-old girl while armed with a knife.

Prosecutors said Farmer tied up the girl and her mother and held them in their home for three days before the two escaped, after which he burned down their home. Farmer was also convicted of arson and aggravated assault in that case. He was released from prison in 2009.

A freight train derailed at Cesar Chavez Parkway and Harbor Drive, closing the main route in Barrio Logan for about 12 hours.

An investigation has been launched to determine what caused the BNSF freight train to derail around 10 p.m. Wednesday, a company supervisor told NBC 7.

The train was supposed to deliver cars to Clovis, New Mexico but never left the train yard off Cesar Chavez Parkway.

Rail crews removed wheels that had unhinged off the train, then used a crane to get the freight car back upright. Crews are now working to fix the broken tracks.

The road reopened to traffic around 9 a.m. Thursday, three hours earlier than expected. 

No one was injured. Toyota said that eight of its cars were damaged in the derailment.

According to Federal Railroad Administration’s website, BNSF Railway Company has had 116 derailments this year. In 2013, there were 118 and 111 in 2012.

In comparison, Union Pacific RR Co. has had 146 derailments this year.

There have been 18 derailments in California this year among all the major railroad companies.

Family members of a college hazing victim say they are sharing their story to prevent another senseless death as college students return to campuses this fall.

“It was such a waste, such a waste of life," said Carolyn Castro of Pacific Beach. "You can’t help but cry."

Castro poured herself a glass of wine and sat down Wednesday night to watch a one-hour television program called “College Nightmares.”

The show included a reenactment about a Chico State student killed in a hazing ritual nine years ago. For Castro, it was the most painful experience of her life.

Castro’s nephew Matthew Carrington died in February 2005 after collapsing in an off-campus fraternity basement.

The unsanctioned fraternity was known for its big parties, but alcohol had nothing to do with Matthew’s death.

He died after being forced to chug gallons of water from a condition known as Hyponatremia, or water poisoning.

“It was like a shock. Matthew? What on earth? Why? Why?” recalled Castro, the tears quickly running down her cheek as she remembered the day she received the news.

“Matt was a sweetheart, he was a love. He was good kid, he wasn’t a punk," Castro said.

With college campuses filling up again in the coming weeks, hazing will undoubtedly find its way into the lives of students.

Matthew’s family worked to stiffen anti-hazing laws, but they say more education is still needed.

Some people might think it cruel torture to see something so awful reenacted on television, but Matthew’s family welcomed and participated in the making of the documentary as part of their ongoing effort to prevent other families from experiencing their same heartache.

"You have tears because Matthew was a sweetheart” said Castro.

Matt's Law, giving prosecutors the ability to charge hazing suspects with felonies and for the first time the ability to seek hazing charges against non-students, was signed into law in 2006.

Find more information about the family's efforts and advice on how to prevent college hazing at this website.
 

Landmark Aviation of Houston has completed a $39 million fixed-base operations facility at San Diego International Airport, designed to serve smaller private aircraft.

The facility at 3300 Terminal Link Road, near the intersection of Sassafras Street and Pacific Highway in downtown San Diego, began operations on Aug. 1 and replaces the company’s former FBO facility off Pacific Highway, company officials said.

The new campus includes a 19,000-square-foot terminal, a 250,000-square-foot ramp and five hangars on 12.4 acres. Amenities include office space, a VIP lounge, fitness center, viewing deck, gourmet café and an executive conference room.

Turner Construction Co. led construction of the project, with several national and local engineering and design firms. Landmark officials said the San Diego facility has been designed to achieve Platinum certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

The facility is part of ongoing improvements taking place on the northern side of the airport, being overseen by the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, which will later include a new consolidated rental car facility.

Landmark Aviation, a portfolio company of The Carlyle Group, operates a network of fixed-base operations facilities throughout the United States, Canada and Western Europe.

The Business Journal is the premier business publication in San Diego. Every day online and each Monday in print, the Business Journal reports on how local business operate and why businesses leaders make the decisions they do. Every story is a dose of insight into how to run a better, more efficient, more profitable business.

Two adults and a child escaped injury in a fire that involved flames shooting out of the front windows of a home in Southcrest Wednesday.

When San Diego Fire-Rescue crews were called to Acacia Street around 8:30 a.m., they found the home’s kitchen and living room on fire.

The fire was knocked down in about 11 minutes, said Battalion Chief Ben Castro.

A woman suffered some minor smoke inhalation according to emergency personnel at the scene.

There will be an investigation into the cause of the fire.
 

A Queens man has been accused of posting for-rent ads on Craiglist for properties he didn't own -- and then renting them out to unwitting "tenants."

Terrence Hill was charged with grand larceny and burglary after his arrest Wednesday.

Authorities allege he collected more than $5,000 in payments from three renters in a scheme in which he identified empty homes on Long Island and put them up for rent on Craiglist even though he didn't own them.

Hill allegedly posed as the owner of a home on Elm Street in Valley Stream and agreed to rent it to two people who responded to his Craigslist ad. Police say he allegedly accepted a $1,600 down payment from them last Friday. On Wednesday, the rightful homeowner went to the home to do a routine check and found the two "tenants" in the house. The homeowner then called police.

When Hill went to the home later Wednesday, allegedly to collect more money from the two people who responded to his ad, he was arrested.

A subsequent investigation revealed Hill had allegedly rented another unoccupied residence -- this one on Cerenzia Boulevard in Elmont -- to another Craiglist ad respondent on Aug. 1, and collected $3,800.

It wasn't immediately clear if Hill had an attorney.

Anyone who thinks he or she may have been victimized by Hill is asked to call 516-573-6453.

Millions of children are born with a condition that affects their eyesight. Some cases are so severe, it’s difficult for the child to walk and impossible for them to learn.

Seven-year-old Grace Nasser suffered from nystagmus which resulted in an uncontrollable shaking of the eyes.

"She didn't look at us and her eyes rolled into the back of her head," Grace’s mother Athena Nassar said.

Grace said she sometimes had trouble reading and doing other things.

"If a child cannot keep their eyes still on a word, they're not going to be able to see that word clearly," ophthalmologist Robert Lingua said. 'So they learn to see the world in a blur."

In the past, doctors may have tried taking a muscle of the eye and reattaching it elsewhere. According to NBC4’s Dr. Bruce Hensel, however, that approach would not have solved Grace’s problem completely.

Dr. Lingua, who works at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute on the University of California, Irvine campus, tried a unique approach. Under Dr. Lingua’s care, Grace underwent a procedure that would change her life.

"What we did with Grace was to remove the forward portion of the primary muscles that dealt with shaking," Lingua said. "By removing them and not allowing them to reattach to the eye, we were able to quiet the eye."

According to Grace, the results were immediate.

"I had to go to the bathroom, I'm all like, ‘no I don't need anyone to carry me or my wheelchair,’ I just walked over," Grace said.

Her mother called the results "unbelievable."

"She's happy, she's healthy, she's in school, she's doing many things she could never do before," Lingua said.

Grace has gone from walking with a cane to now learning how to surf.

"We're just ecstatic. We feel so blessed and just so happy for her," Grace’s mother said.

A Bay Area mother is hoping to raise awareness after her son died from a college fraternity hazing incident.

Lifetime's television show "Campus Nightmares" on Wednesday night focused on the death of Matt Carrington, who died in February 2005 during hazing at Chi Tau fraternity at Chico State University.

"I got really angry because they killed my son," said Debbie Smith, Carrington's mother.

Carrington on his last night was made to chug gallons of water for hours until he was vomiting, while fans blew on his cold, wet body. He also had to do hundreds of push ups.

The college student eventually collapsed and went into seizure.

"I am never past the pain -- sometimes I cry all day," Smith said. "But I know that I've been out of the darkness, so I know that I can be."

Smith, a Pleasant Hill resident, has helped pass Matt's Law in California, which toughens the law prohibiting hazing. She is now hoping to start a fund in her son's name to set up a national hotline for people to call when they see a hazing in progress.

"We would have a place to call and you're not going to get in trouble if you do," Smith said. "You could be helping save a life."

Smith hopes her son's story will get the message out of the dangers with hazing.

"I don't care where you send your children, or what they say," she said. "Hazing is the best-kept secret. That's why it continues."

Looking to cool off with a sweet treat?

Here’s a guilt-free reason to indulge and you’re actually doing something altruistic: Thursday is Miracle Treat Day at Dairy Queen, meaning that every $1 you spend on a Blizzard treat will go toward benefiting children’s medical treatments.

This is the 30th year Dairy Queen has partnered with Children Miracle Network Hospitals. Since it started, $100 million has been raised to help kids in need.

If you’re trying to figure out the closest Dairy Queen, look no further than this handy list. There are 11 locations in the greater San Diego area.

A Philadelphia Police sergeant is under investigation by the department’s Internal Affairs division after he allegedly hid his identity while turning in several guns to the force -- including one that was reported stolen.

But that officer says he was simply trying to make the community safer.

Sgt. Brandon Ruff, who served in the 16th District, is now on desk duty as the probe is carried out.

On the evening of August 3, Ruff walked into the 35th District in North Philadelphia carrying a bag containing three guns. He tells NBC10.com that a community member, in a different part of the city, needed help getting them to authorities.

Ruff, who himself runs the nonprofit Devoted Dads Inc., said the man had been buying the weapons from neighborhood kids in an effort to get them off the streets.

“I was working with this guy. He said he was interested in submitting firearms to me because he’d rather the kids have money to eat,” he told NBC10.com. He would not identify the man.

In plain clothes and failing to identify himself as an officer, Ruff tried to anonymously turn in the guns. However, he says district police on-duty that night repeatedly asked for his information and where he obtained the weapons.

“I said ‘You don’t need my information.’ I asked for a supervisor. I was not acting as a police officer at the time,” he said. “I’m just doing this anonymously in good faith.”

The 8-year police veteran says he then went to leave the district headquarters at Broad and Champlost Streets to get the information when several officers approached him from behind outside.

“One officer says ‘I’m f-ing tasing you.’ I said, ‘If you tase me, I’m going to sue you,” he said with two Tasers pressed up against his body.

Ruff said he identified himself as an officer, but that the proof was in his pocket, which he could not reach.

Officers then noticed the man’s personal firearms on his hip and disarmed him. Ruff said he was brought back into the precinct and treated poorly during questioning. He claims one officer called him a “piece of s---” and “disgrace to the job.”

Ruff said he was detained for seven hours until, around 1:30 a.m. that Monday, Internal Affairs detectives told him he was being investigated and taken off the street. He was stripped of his police firearm, as is protocol, and sent home.

“I just started crying uncontrollably,” he said. “I couldn’t believe that the people that I call my brothers would treat me this way.”

Law enforcement sources tell NBC10.com that ballistics showed one of the guns was reported stolen during a past burglary. The other two guns are said to be undergoing testing to find out where they came from.

A Philadelphia Police spokesperson confirmed that Ruff was the subject of an internal investigation, but would not elaborate on the details citing department policy. Officials would not say whether Ruff is suspected of any wrongdoing. The Fraternal Order of Police, the officer’s union, did not respond to a request for comment.

Illegal guns have been a major issue for Philadelphia, like many large U.S. cities. Last year, 1,128 people were shot and 201 died at the end of a gun barrel.

Those numbers were down 11 percent from 2012, however. City leaders have made a big push in recent years to crack down on illegal guns with tougher prosecution and new policing tactics.

Still, police say buying firearms on the street, despite good intentions to get them out of the hands of teens, is illegal.

Ruff believes he and the community member were simply doing the responsible thing. Asked why he chose to turn in the guns as a civilian and not a member of the law, Ruff said he didn’t want the teens involved to be “blacklisted” for life.

“I’m thinking, ‘He’s coming to me in confidence. Let’s get these guns off the streets,’” he said.

Philadelphia Police do not have a policy requiring citizens turning over firearms to provide a name, contact information and how they obtained the weapon. But a police spokesperson says officers use their own discretion as to whether to question individuals. They say in Ruff’s case, officers were suspicious about the situation and thus asked for information.

The man said had this situation happened at his district, the 16th, he would have never treated a person the same way.

“If an 80-year-old grandmother had come down to my district and tried to turn in a gun, I wouldn’t be hounding her,” he said.

Ruff says he’s been traumatized by the entire experience and has not been able to return to work since the investigation began. He’s not sure about his future with the department.

“I just want them to investigate it fairly,” he said. “Helping the community has been my passion since I’ve been on the job.”

NBC10 investigative reporter Harry Hairston contributed to this report.

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

His mother says there are very few things that will quiet 11 year old Andre. Riding a bus is one of them.

The bus is calming for him.

So since the age of 4 the boy, who has autism, has been climbing aboard Orange County buses to travel from his Mission Viejo home and back again.

Monday he took a trip with his grandfather, but before it was over the pair say they were told to get off the bus. According to Moises Sanchez, the driver had had enough of Andre's outbursts.

Sanchez says the driver ordered them to get off at Saddleback College, about half a mile from their home.

Sanchez and Andre walked the rest of the way.

"I know that I'm not the only one this has happened to," Sanchez said. "I'm sure it has happened to others."

Andre's mother, Lluvia Carillo, is livid.

She says Andre acts out at times, which can't be controlled, but that she'd never put anyone else in danger.

"He has impulses to where he gets really excited," she said. "Sometimes it's one of us. Sometimes it's the wall."

Orange County Transit Authority officials say their drivers are trained to deal with the disabled and are investigating the incident.

The OCTA released the following statement:

"We are aware of a complaint that was filed Tuesday and are thoroughly investigating what transpired. That process takes time and we will respond to (Carillo) as quickly as possible, as she requested.

"While we can’t discuss the specifics of this complaint until we fully understand the details, we can say that Orange County Transportation Authority cares about all of our customers, serving nearly 1 million bus passengers weekly. The safety and security of our passengers is the top priority for OCTA."

Carillo wants her son to feel safe on the bus as everyone should -- which is why she has filed a formal complaint with the transit authority.

"My son can't express in his own words what he went through," she said. "Anyone out there can advocate and make a difference."

A former La Jolla High School football standout has been arrested, accused in a robbery at a California university fraternity.

Dominique Love, 19, was one of five Cal Poly San Luis Obispo football players arrested for robbery in a plot that may include drugs.

Love was star player at The Bishop's School in La Jolla. NBC 7 contacted his mother who lives in Oceanside. She would not comment on her son’s arrest but said she was “saddened” by the news.

Love’s Cal Poly teammate Cameron Akins, 19, was arrested early Sunday at Delta Sigma Phi, San Luis Obispo Police said.

Investigators claim that Akins came to the fraternity with a gun and resisted arrest to the point of biting a police officer.

Later Sunday morning police arrested Jake Anthony Brito, 18; Kristaan Sterling Ivory, 20; Cortland Josiah Fort, 20 and Love.

Investigators aren’t sure of a motive but believe drugs may be involved.

“The information came forward to us during the course of our interviews so it's certainly something we have to look at to find out if that's part of the reasoning for the motive of this particular investigation,” said Chief Steve Gesell.

Love faces a robbery charge although it is not clear what role he played in committing the crime, officials said.

The Tribune reports it’s the second time in less than a year that the university’s football program has been linked to crime involving a gun.

A football and basketball standout at Bishop's, Love was the starting defensive back and wide receiver two years ago.

During his senior year in high school, he recorded 58 catches for over 1300 yards, according to Cal Poly's football website.

A suspicious device found in a play area in Carmel Valley turned out to be harmless, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue.

However, the investigation shut down business at a gas station and nearby shopping area for several hours Thursday morning.

The device was discovered just after 8 a.m. on a bench near the playground behind the Shell station in the 3800 block of Valley Centre Drive, officials said.

Crews cordoned off the area with yellow caution tape while the bomb squad retrieved the device.

Fire officials did not reveal exactly what the device was, but told NBC 7 that it could have harmed someone.

No injuries were reported. The area was reopened before 11 a.m.
 

"Emergency call me now!"

It was the text message William Enloe always feared.

"You know it's life or death when someone says that,” he said.

Enloe got the text message from a friend Tuesday night after a wrong way driver plowed into a group of cyclists on Fiesta Island.

Among those rushed to the hospital was Enloe's wife Beatrice Dormoy.

The Santee cyclist was one of at least two riders who went airborne. The impact of the collision shattered the front windshield of the car.

"When you're walking up to hospital door, your heart is beating fast,” explained her husband. “You’re just wondering what condition she's going to be in. Because really, especially with a car crash like that, cars usually win.”

Enloe remembers the first moment he saw his wife at the hospital.

“I kissed her lightly when she was on the stretcher. I didn’t want to cause any harm."

After barking orders at emergency crews, 49-year-old Theresa Owens was taken into custody. She will face charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

"You deserve whatever the law throws at you,” exclaimed Enloe. “You almost took my wife's life."

Even though this is the second biking accident Dormoy has suffered in the past three months, she didn’t suffer any broken bones this time around.

Enloe is hoping the accident helps raise awareness.

“For drivers, that there are cyclists around, and you need to keep your eyes open and focused," he said.

The militarization of law enforcement has been happening for decades.

By most accounts, the Ronald Reagan-era War on Drugs started the buildup of military weapons and tactics in local police departments.

Weighing the right police response to a particular emergency can be delicate, and there are police managers around the country keeping tabs on the blowback from police tactics in Ferguson, where unarmed African American teen Michael Brown was shot to death by an officer.

A lot of time and effort is devoted to training San Diego-area law enforcement to respond appropriately for that very reason.

Across the county, agencies work with 11 special weapons and tactics units (SWAT teams). They wear helmets, fatigues and bullet resistant vests, and they carry higher powered weapons to carry out specific missions.

“A SWAT team would not be appropriate for deploying for crowd control unless, of course, it was an issue of life and death,” Chula Vista Police Captain Lon Turner said.

Chula Vista has its own SWAT team but uses it "mobile field force" for crowd control.

“A mobile field force member would likely be carrying a baton and a shield,” Turner said. Members look more like police officers and less like soldiers.

Ferguson protestors-- some of whom were armed with bricks and bottles -- faced flash bang grenades, rubber bullets and tear gas from officers with battle-hardened appearances.

“Depending on how they're dressed can have an impact on how folks relate to them,” Turner said.

His mobile field force is dressed defensively with helmets and chest and knee pads.

“They have special gear, special training to either help disperse crowds that might be forming to commit unlawful activity or to help deny areas,” said Turner.

They can also help in evacuation and wildfire emergencies. The mobile field force mission is to control, not conquer.

Decommissioned military gear has been handed down to police departments for over 20 years. Some departments have gotten armored vehicles resistant to explosive devices and mines, while others have gotten get automatic weapons, fatigues and ballistic armor.

Military style gear has also been purchased with homeland security grants from the federal government since 9-11.