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Some Escondido Customers Ordered to Boil Water

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Customers in Escondido have been ordered to boil their water as the Rincon Del Diablo Municipal Water District checks for harmful bacteria in its sources.

The district says routine samples showed a trace of Coliform Bacteria around 4 p.m. Friday. While the organisms are naturally present in the environment, they can indicate other, dangerous bacteria in the water.

While Rincon undergoes further testing, it is asking residents to boil tap water that they plan to drink or use for cooking as a precaution.

The order is in effect to customers with account numbers starting with 01 through 48, 94, 96 and 97.

If that applies to you, the district says you should bring your water to a boil for five minutes and then let it cool before using it.

If you do not have access to a gas or electric stove, you can use fresh, unscented, liquid household bleach like Clorox or Purex, Rincon officials recommend.

To disinfect the water, add about 8 drops (1/8 teaspoon) of bleach per one gallon of clean water or 16 drops (1/4 teaspoon) per gallon of cloudy water. Mix the liquids thoroughly and allow it to stand for about 30 minutes before using, according to the district.

However, that method may leave the water smelling and tasting like chlorine.

Water disinfection tablets are a third option.

The Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District does not expect this boil water order to last more than 48 hours. For more information, call the district at 760-745-5522 or visit its website.


Girl, 11, Organizes New Mattresses for Fire Station

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A North County fire station received a much needed donation Friday that will help the crew - barring any emergency calls-- get their best night's sleep in months.

And it's not just the donation itself, but who gave it, that makes it more impjressive.

You could call 11-year-old Jessica Carscadden the firefighters' first responder.

Born with a cleft pallet and lip, you'd need two hands to count the number of surgeries she's had. Still, quickly after her adoption, her mother found out this wasn't a little girl who worried about herself.

"She was fully Jessica when we got her at 5, and I wish we could take some credit for her amazing personality and giving spirit, but that is just Jessica," said her mother Kathleen.

Jessica runs a nonprofit that donates teddy bears to law enforcement agencies, whose officers pass on the toys to kids on calls.

About 10,000 stuffed animals later, she's on a roll.

But during the May firestorm in the North County, she stopped by the Rancho Bernardo Fire Station 33 to deliver dinner as a "thank you," only to realize these firefighters needed something else: mattresses.

"They've been around for a while, a lot of people sleeping on them," said San Diego Fire-Rescue Capt. Tony Zens.

He told NBC 7 he'd often wake up from a good night's sleep, only to feel more achy than if he had stayed awake.

So Jessica took it upon herself to call someone who could help. Jerome's Furniture loved the idea.

Fast forward several months to Friday, and Station 33 looks like Christmas morning.

The seven new boxsprings and mattresses -- ranging from pillow tops to memory foam -- were just the start.

Jessica, who put protective covers over every single bed, used her allowance money to purchase new decorative pillows and blankets.

"So I wanted to do something because they need their sleep to be in action," she said.

In the words of the remarkable pre-teen, one little help can make a big change.

Inspired by the girl's idea, Jerome's Furniture is working with other fire stations in the county to get new mattresses as well.

To find out more about Jessica's nonprofit, visit her website WeCareBears.com.

MMA Fighter "War Machine" Arrested

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MMA fighter Jonathan "War Machine" Koppenhaver was arrested at a Southern California hotel Friday a week after an alleged confrontation with his ex-girlfriend, adult film actress Christy Mack.

Koppenhaver was sought by law enforcement for one week after allegedly assaulting Mack in Las Vegas on Aug. 8, according to the Simi Valley Police Department and the US Marshals Service.

He was wanted by Las Vegas police on suspicion of battery by strangulation, domestic battery, assault with a deadly weapon, coercion with force, battery substantial bodily harm, and open and gross lewdness, officials said.

Mack claims Koppenhaver left her with 18 broken bones in her face, a fractured rib and a ruptured liver. She shared photographs of the attack with NBC News and on her Twitter account.

He was arrested about 1:45 p.m. at the Extended Stay America Hotel in the 2400 block of Stearns Street in Simi Valley, police said. Police found cash and pizza inside his room.

"Police came, they used a battering ram to batter down the door," hotel guest Mary Casamento said. "We heard some loud thuds and banging, it sounded like chairs or furniture."

According to the US Marshals Service, Koppenhaver had been hiding out at the hotel for a few days.

Mack took to Twitter about the alleged confrontation.

Koppenhaver tweeted earlier this week about being "cursed" and that police "never believe me." He also tweeted Mack, saying he "can't believe what happened."

A person who identified himself as a Koppenhaver family spokesperson told NBC4, "The family does not have anything to say."

Koppenhaverwas awaiting extradition to Las Vegas. He faces multiple battery and assault charges.

NBC4's Kate Larsen contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Ventura County Sheriff's Department

Garner Video Shooter Pleads Not Guilty in Weapons Case

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The man who shot a video of a fatal police chokehold pleaded not guilty Friday to weapons charges following his arrest earlier this month. 

Ramsey Orta, 22, was arrested Aug. 2 on Staten Island, blocks from where Eric Garner died in police custody.

Police said plainclothes officers from a borough narcotics unit saw Orta stuff a silver, .25-caliber handgun into a 17-year-old female companion's waistband after they walked out of the Hotel Richmond. Police called the location, on Central Avenue, a "known drug prone location."

Police said Orta, who has been jailed since the arrest, had a previous weapon conviction that prohibited him from possessing a firearm. He remained in jail after pleading not guilty Friday.

Orta shot the video of an officer using a chokehold to restrain Garner on July 17. Garner died shortly thereafter, and his death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner's office.

Orta's wife, Chrissie Ortiz, has said she believes Orta's arrest was a "setup" in retribution. 



Photo Credit: AP

Man Shot, Killed in Logan Heights

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A shooting left one man fatally injured in a Logan Heights alley Friday, San Diego Police say.

Witnesses reported hearing an argument between several people before gunshots sounded around 12:25 p.m. Officers soon arrived to the 2100 block of Ocean View Boulevard to investigate.

They found a man in his 30s lying in an alley with a gunshot wound to his chest. Paramedics took him to UC San Diego Medical Center, where the victim later died.

The suspect was last seen leaving the area on foot, police say. He is described as a dark-skinned man in a white t-shirt.

No other injuries were reported. Officials say they know the identity of the man who was killed but are waiting until family is notified before they release it.

The SDPD will continue investigating this deadly shooting.

 



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Chula Vista Police Cite 73 Distracted Drivers

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Dozens of motorists were cited in Chula Vista Thursday evening for using their cellphones while driving.

The Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) conducted a Distracted Driver Operation from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. focused on those talking or texting while driving.

In the end, 73 drivers were cited for using their phones behind the wheel – 19 for texting specifically and 54 for using their phone to talk or do something else.



Police said another seven drivers were stopped and ticketed for either having a suspended license or no license at all. Three cars were impounded during the operation and two other motorists were cited for a red light violation or not having insurance.

The successful Distracted Driving Operation was funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of the continuing efforts to keep our roadways safe.

Over recent years, San Diego has seen several fatal car accidents due to distracted driving.

Back in January, a San Diego Gas & Electric truck fatally struck a mother and injured two children in the Shelltown community. Officials called the incident a case of distracted driving with deadly consequences.

Meanwhile, cell phone use among motorists continues to be a major issue, including with teenage drivers.

New research presented last week showed that more than half of teen drivers use their phones behind the wheel, often times taking calls from their own parents who expect to be able to reach their children at all times.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says 71 percent of teens or young adults admit they’ve written or sent a text while driving, while 78 percent have read a text message while driving.

In 2012 alone, the NHTSA says 3,328 people were killed in distracted driving crashes across the country. Texting while driving, according to the Administration, creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted.
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

High-Tech Tattoo Could Power Smartphone -- Eventually

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Soon your workouts may do more than power up your health. They could also power up small devices like your smartphone.

A team at the UC San Diego has developed an exciting way to harness energy from sweat using a temporary tattoo, according to the American Chemical Society (ACS).

The process is built on lactate – a byproduct of exercise. The UC San Diego group, led by Professor Joseph Wang, placed a small, flexible lactate sensor on a temporary tattoo – which look more business logo than the brightly colored unicorn or Mutant Ninja Turtles shapes of your childhood.

When they peeled the tattoos onto volunteers’ arms, the sensors stripped electrons from the lactate using a special enzyme, and those electrons generated a weak electrical current.

“So we can make this idea of harvesting energy directly from the body in a non-invasive manner,” said Wang in an ACS YouTube video on the topic. “So this is the first example of the biofuel cell that harvests energy from body fluid like sweat.”

The researchers then built a sweat-powered biobattery to harness small amounts of electricity.

Placing 15 tattoo-bearing volunteers on a stationary bike, the team tracked how much power each person generated over 30 minutes.

They discovered people who exercised fewer than once a week produced more power than those who worked out between one to three times a week. According to the ACS, the researchers explained this is because less-fit people get tired faster and produce more lactate.

The maximum amount of energy created by the top volunteer was 70 microwatts per square centimeter of skin – a far cry from the amount of energy needed to power a phone. The average smartphone requires 35 milliwatts each hour, according to Mashable.

“So besides working to get higher power, we also need to leverage electronics to store the generated current and make it sufficient for these requirements,” team member Wenzhao Jia, Ph.D. told the ACS.

Once they figure out how to store energy more efficiently, maybe then they’ll work on tattoo design – at least a flower or star or something.



Photo Credit: American Chemical Society/ Joe Wang

Ex-BP Official Claims Cover-Ups Are "Routine": Report

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The former internal affairs chief at Customs and Border Protection claims the agency has routinely tried to cover up deadly shootings.

In an interview with the Center for Investigative Reporting, James Tomsheck said at least a quarter of the nearly 30 deaths involving Border Patrol agents could be described as "highly suspect."

Since 2010, 170 Customs and Border Protection employees, including Border Patrol agents, have been arrested on corruption-related charges since 2004, according to the report.

One high-profile case occurred in San Diego when two brothers who were employed as U.S. Border Patrol agents were convicted of smuggling undocumented immigrants into the U.S. from Mexico using their official Border Patrol vehicles between 2005 and 2006.

In 2013, Raul and Fidel Villareal were sentenced to serve 35 and 30 years in prison, respectively.

In the article, Tomsheck estimates 5 to 10 percent of the men and women employed by the agency are "actively corrupt or were at some point in their career."

Tomsheck also reportedly alleges that agents claim undocumented immigrants hurt or killed in agent-involved shootings were on U.S. soil when they were not.

The death of a man in San Ysidro, California is still unresolved four years later. A witness videotaped the encounter between Anastasio Rojas and Border Patrol agents in 2010.

Officials said Rojas was uncooperative and defiant as agents took him to the border for deportation and the use of force was justified.

Rojas' family has filed a wrongful death suit and is demanding agents get more training and wear body cameras.

In March, the agency issued new guidelines prohibiting agents from shooting at moving cars or people throwing rocks unless there is a direct threat.

An audit showed Border Patrol agents would unnecessarily step in front of fleeing cars to justify firing at passengers, NBC News reported.

However, union representatives have argued the number of assaults on Border Patrol agents while on the job have increased. In 2012, the number of incidents reported jumped 70 percent over those the year prior.

In the article, Tomsheck also said that in the post 9/11 expansion, the agency hired people not fit to wear a badge.

NBC 7 reached out to a representative for the Border Patrol agents' union about Tomsheck's allegations and has yet to receive a response.

In a written statement, Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) Director Christian Ramírez said that the agency has begun a process to be more transparent but adds, “The administration must take immediate steps to ensure that CBP is held accountable and effective oversight mechanisms are implemented.”

The Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC), is made up of the San Diego Immigrant Rights Consortium (CA), Border Action Network (AZ), Arizona Sonora Border Coalition (AZ), Taskforce for Immigrant Advocacy & Services (NM) and Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network (TX).


Paralyzed Cycling Crash Victim a Hero: Wife

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San Diego's cycling community is rallying around a man who is now paralyzed after pushing a fellow rider out of the path of a wrong-way driver

“He saved his life and he got all the damage,” Emma Irarragorri said of her husband who is in critical condition and paralyzed from the chest down. 

“He’s always been a hero to me,” she said tearfully. “He’s going to be a hero to his kids.”

Juan Carlos Vinolo, 49, of La Jolla, is always obsessed with safety when he rides his bicycle, his wife said as she shared images of him with NBC 7 Friday.

The father of two was with members of the San Diego Bicycle Club Tuesday when a wrong-way driver headed straight for the group of approximately 30 cyclists as they traveled on Fiesta Island earlier this week.

Irarragorri said her husband was second in the pack when he saw the car coming and instinctively pushed the leader out of harm's way.

The impact of the crash shattered the car's windshield and sent at least 10 cyclists to the hospital with injuries ranging from facial cuts to bruised ribs. Other riders suffered bike damage and scrapes and bruises.

Vinolo was the most seriously injured of the group with two punctured lungs, several broken ribs and a left clavicle, dislocated left shoulder, loss of one kidney, laceration of the spleen and six broken vertebras resulting in a spinal cord injury according to an online fundraising effort to help pay for medical costs.

"It’s like you’re sleeping and it’s a nightmare and you cannot get out of it," Irarragorri said.

Irarragorri said doctors at UCSD Hillcrest Hospital are focusing on healing the lungs so her husband can undergo spinal surgery.

“He’s devastated,” she said, adding that Vinolo wants the “opportunity to rebuild our lives, his life, with his kids, with me and get back everything we have lost.”

However, doctors have cautioned the couple that the recovery process will be long.

"It’s not a race it’s going to be a marathon for years and years to come," she said.

In Pacific Beach, Logan Bass has just returned home from two days in the hospital. Cycling is so important to him that he recently relocated to San Diego just so he could ride his bike here.

On Tuesday he was leading his cycling teammates in the front of the pack when a wrong-way driver came around the corner.

"The hood was coming right at me," he said. "Instinct just got me to turn out of the way just enough."

He immediately turned left, knocked another rider into the grass and fell to the ground. After hitting the pavement, he looked back and saw Vinolo on top of the car. Another teammate, Beatrice Dormoy was on the car's windshield. Bikes and riders were everywhere.

Dormoy suffered facial cuts and bruises and was released from the hospital Wednesday.

Bass had been clipped by the front end of the car and suffered a contusion to his ribs, road rash on his elbow and a cut on his foot.

"I looked down and noticed I didn't have a shoe on and noticed there was blood where I was walking," he said.

He was hospitalized for two days while doctors ran tests. They cleared him to return home once they established that he had not suffered a punctured lung.

Bass said he and others involved in the crash are most concerned about Vinolo. 

"I just hope he makes it through. He's fighting for his life right now," he said. 

"Every hour's a battle."

He has donated to Vinolo's GoFundMe page and he wants to encourage others to help.

On Friday, Bass also planned to attend the arraignment for Theresa Lynn Owens, 49, the woman arrested and charged with driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance.

Cyclists have only a helmet and a jersey for protection, he said, and he wants drivers to consider the safety of others on the road when they get behind the wheel.

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.

MMA Fighter Arrested at Calif. Hotel

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A professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter accused of brutally beating his girlfriend and evading authorities was arrested at a Southern California hotel Friday, officials confirmed.

Jonathan "War Machine" Koppenhaver was taken into custody by police and U.S. Marshals at the Extended Stay America Hotel on Stearns Street in Simi Valley, Calif., at 1:45 p.m., the Simi Valley Police Department confirmed.

Koppenhaver is a former resident of Simi Valley, so the U.S. Marshals investigation had been focused on the area, officials said.

Police said he was arrested without incident for a warrant out of Nevada. He was transported to the Ventura County Jail after the week-long manhunt.

Over the past week, the search for Koppenhaver has also zeroed in on San Diego County.

The MMA fighter used to train and teach at Undisputed Gym the downtown area before moving to Las Vegas last year.

Koppenhaver had a reputation for fighting outside the ring.

In July 2010, he pleaded guilty to assaulting a female bartender and bouncer at two bars in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood. The incident was caught on surveillance tape and the fighter received three years of probation, along with a warning not to reoffend.

Now, Koppenhaver is accused of violently assaulting and torturing his girlfriend, adult film star Christy Mack.

Mack claims Koppenhaver beat her on Aug. 8, leaving her with 18 broken bones in her face, a fractured rib and a ruptured liver. She has publicly shared photographs of the attack on Twitter.

Koppenhaver is facing charges of battery, strangulation, gross lewdness and assault in connection with the incident. The search for him was led by U.S. Marshals, with agencies in other cities, including San Diego, also assisting as needed.

NBC 7 spoke with one of Koppenhaver’s friends, Herman Terrau, a fellow MMA fighter in San Diego who said he saw and spoke with the suspect the day before the alleged assault.

Terrau – who’s known Koppenhaver for nine years – said the suspect dropped by the gym last week.
Terrau described Koppenhaver as a pitbull – nice most of the time but with an unpredictable temper.

“He seemed like the regular Jon, joking around, laughing and [he] just talked about the fight up ahead. He didn’t display any emotional anger or anything like that. It was just regular talk,” said Terrau.

He fears the incident has put a negative spotlight on MMA fighters in general.

"For it to be related to MMA, it just kinda sucks because it puts a bad brand on all MMA fighters. We're not all the same. We're different. So one bad apple can make the whole bunch sound bad,” Terrau added.

Duane Chapman, the TV skip-tracer known as “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” was at Undisputed Gym in San Diego Thursday searching for Koppenhaver.

Though Chapman failed to find the fighter before police, he taunted Koppenhaver on Twitter during the manhunt.

On his Twitter page, Koppenhaver posted:

Both Twitter accounts have gone silent since the fighter's arrest.
 



Photo Credit: WireImage

ME Report: UCSD Student Died of Overdose

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A University of California San Diego student found dead in his room just hours after the school’s annual Sun God Festival died of an accidental drug overdose, the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed.

A report obtained by NBC 7 says third-year student Ricardo “Ricky” Ambriz, 20, died of an overdose of 5-APB, a recreational drug commonly referred to as “benzofury.”

Ambriz, who lived in the Village East Tower on campus, was found unresponsive in his room at approximately 1:30 a.m. on May 17 – an hour and a half after the university’s annual outdoor music festival, Sun God, ended at midnight.

Ambriz attended Sun God and reportedly drank alcohol at the festival throughout the day and evening, according to details from the ME report.

Eyewitness accounts said Ambriz had also admitted to taking a drug at some point during the day at the event, the report said.

“After leaving the festival at midnight, his friend noticed him to ‘freeze’ at times during their walk back to their apartment. The friend also stated he was ‘starting to reach out into the air grabbing at stuff,’” the report said.

The friend said Ambriz “had clenched teeth” and was having difficulty breathing.

After leaving Sun God, the student returned to his dorm room with his girlfriend. While in his room, he took an unknown pill, according to the report.

A short time later, Ambriz became unresponsive. He began talking “gibberish,” according to the report, and then collapsed.

Friends called 911 and emergency medical crews arrived at Ambriz’s dorm and began efforts to save his life.

He was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, where he died around 2:30 a.m.

The ME’s office said toxicological testing detected the 5-APB or “benzofury” drug and a low concentration of alcohol in the student’s system at the time of his death.

The autopsy report said the effects of “benzofury” are described as “euphoria, empathy and color enhancement.” Side effects include nausea, vomiting, jaw-clenching and sleep.

The report concludes that the reported symptoms the student was experiencing during the day at the festival and before his death are consistent with the effects of the drug. His death was attributed to an accidental overdose.

Ambriz was an active student in the UC San Diego community.

Right after his death, the UC San Diego News Center said Ambriz was a third-year Revelle College student majoring in computer science. He was also a member of the Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity and the MEChA organization.

The university said Ambriz was involved with OASIS and graduated from UC San Diego’s Summer Bridge program. He also worked in the Climate, Atmospheric Science and Physical Oceanography business office at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

UC San Diego’s Sun God Festival happens every year at Rimac Field and is a highly-anticipated event among students. The event features several stages and live music by well-known artists. In years past, performers have included Drake, Thrice and Kendrick Lamar.

The event is regarded as a time for UC San Diego students to let loose before their Spring Quarter final exams and before they break for summer.

 



Photo Credit: Alex Matthews

Doctor Arrived at Hospital With 0.39 BAC: Board

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A doctor who showed up to work with a blood alcohol content of nearly five times the legal driving limit had “self-medicated” with alcohol to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to an accusation filed by the Medical Board of California.

Jason Lane, M.D., could now lose his medical license because of the incident on Oct. 22, 2013. At that time, Lane was working as a physician and surgeon for Southern California Permanente Medical Group, dividing his time between the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Grantville and Palomar Medical Center in Escondido.

The night of Oct. 21, Lane and his wife got into a fight about his drinking, and before he went to sleep, he drank two bottles of wine, the accusation says. Around 1 a.m., Lane woke up and drank another eight ounces.

The next morning, he arrived at Kaiser so drunk he had to be admitted to the emergency room, says Kimberly Kirchmeyer, executive director of the medical board, in the accusation.

A blood test revealed he had a BAC of 0.39 percent. Three days later, the Permanente medical group fired him.

During the medical board’s investigation, Lane admitted he started binge drinking in college, and later, he had alcohol at night to help him sleep, according to the accusation.

But the problem worsened after he enlisted in the military in 2011 and worked as a trauma ICU physician in Afghanistan for four months.

"Upon his return from that deployment, respondent (Lane) admitted using alcohol to 'self-medicate' issues that he later identified as posttraumatic stress disorder," Kirchmeyer says in the document.

Lane discussed with investigators how he then began drinking at night and on weekends, but never at work. By fall 2013, he admitted to having at least one bottle of wine a night and started to feel withdrawal symptoms – like anxiety and shakiness – while at the hospitals, according to the board’s investigation.

The physician says the morning of the critical incident, he vaguely remembered getting up and being taken to the emergency room, but he does not recall driving to work, the accusation alleges. 

After he was treated for alcohol detoxification, the board lists how Lane became proactive about seeking help.

Lane first checked himself into a week-long treatment program, where he was diagnosed with alcohol dependence and withdrawal. When that program ended, he started a 30-day treatment session at Casa Palmera.

On Christmas Day, Lane joined Casa Palmera’s six-week outpatient program and began attending Alcoholics Anonymous five or six times a week on Jan. 26, 2014, the accusation states.

The medical board filed an interim order of suspension on June 30, 2014 to prohibit Lane from practicing medicine in California, though the board did not say if he had worked between then and the time he was fired.

Kirchmeyer requested a hearing on the accusation, which could allow the medical board to revoke Lane’s license.

Lane has not responded to NBC 7’s request for comment.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Wrong-Way Driver Had Meth Hidden in Genitals: Attorney

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A wrong-way motorist accused of driving under the influence of meth and hitting and injuring multiple cyclists on Fiesta Island in San Diego was found with a baggie of meth hidden in her vagina, a deputy district attorney said Friday.

Theresa L. Owens, looking disheveled and distraught, pleaded not guilty at her arraignment on a charge of felony DUI with injury and possession of a controlled substance.

“Tell them I’m so sorry,” she whispered to her attorney once the judge ordered her bail and set her next court hearing.

Bail was set at $300,000, though Deputy District Attorney Jessica Coto had requested $500,000 bail because of the seriousness of the injuries and the number of people hurt in the crash. Owens’ attorney had requested $200,000 bail, indicating that was the standard amount for those charges.

San Diego police said Owens was driving her vehicle on Fiesta Island Road around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when her car struck about 10 cyclists in a larger group finishing up a training ride.

Six people went to the hospital with injuries, including Juan Carlos Vinolo, who was paralyzed and remains in critical condition.

New details emerged at the hearing.

Coto said Owens was acting “erratically” after the crash and was screaming, running around and rambling. When she was checked out at the hospital, a nurse found a bag of meth hidden in her vagina, leading to the possession charge, Coto said.

Several of the cyclists attended Friday’s arraignment, including Logan Bass, who was clipped by the front end of the car and suffered a contusion to his ribs, road rash on his elbow and a cut on his foot.



“I’m definitely lucky just looking at Juan. That was me for sure if I didn’t react,” he said.

Bass said he normally feels safe on Fiesta Island when he takes part in the weekly Tuesday night cycling runs with the San Diego Bicycling Club.

“This just happened to be an unfortunate night,” he said.

If convicted, Owens could face a maximum punishment 12 years and eight months in prison.

2 Dead, 8 Hurt in Chicago Shootings

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Two people were killed-- including a 16-year-old girl fatally shot on Chicago’s South Side and a 25-year-old man killed a block from the Chicago Police Department headquarters-- and at least eight others were wounded in overnight Chicago shootings.

The teen girl was among two shot in a possible drive-by shooting in the city’s Englewood neighborhood early Saturday morning.

Police said the girl was standing outside around 12:45 a.m. with a man when a car drove by and someone inside fired shots. She was shot in the head and was found unresponsive at the scene and a 20-year-old man was shot in the back and taken in stable condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center, according to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Janel Sedevic.

A 25-year-old man was shot to death late Friday night in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood.

The man was found unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the abdomen about a block of Chicago Police Headquarters in the 3500 block of South Indiana at around 11:35 p.m.

Authorities said someone walked up and fired shots at him before fleeing the scene.
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At least eight people were wounded in shootings since Friday.

  • Just after 3 a.m. Saturday, a 32-year-old man was shot near Grand and Ashland Avenues in the West Town neighborhood. Police said the man saw a woman and a man arguing and attempted to intervene when another man walked up to him and opened fire. The man was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in critical condition.
  • Two people were shot around 1:45 a.m. in the city’s North Austin neighborhood. A 19-year-old woman and a 27-year-old man were standing with a group in the 1600 block of North Mason Avenue when they told police they “heard shots and felt pain.” The woman was shot in the thigh and the man was shot in the leg. Both were taken to West Suburban Medical Center in stable condition.
  • A 22-year-old man was shot around 10:30 p.m. Friday near 103rd and State Streets in the city’s Roseland neighborhood. The man was a passenger a vehicle that was stopped at a stoplight when someone walked up to it and opened fire. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene and police were notified shortly after. The victim suffered a wound to the buttocks and ankle and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in stable condition.
  • Ten minutes earlier, two people were shot in the 8900 block of South Ellis Avenue. A 32-year-old man was shot in the leg and back and a 19-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and buttocks. Both were taken in stable condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center.
  • Around 6:40 p.m., a 20-year-old man was shot in the stomach during a possible drive-by in the 7400 block of South Greenwood Avenue. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.

Suitcase Murder: Woman Hit in Head

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An autopsy has revealed that a Chicago woman, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase in Bali this week, was struck by a blunt object, officials said Saturday.

The body of Sheila von Wiese-Mack was found inside a suitcase in the trunk of a taxi at the St. Regis Bali Resort Tuesday. Her daughter, 19-year-old Heather Mack, and her daughter’s boyfriend, 21-year-old Tommy Schaefer are accused in her murder.

Officials said an initial examination of the victim’s body indicates she suffered a blow to the head and back of the neck with a blunt object, according to NBC News. A defensive wound was also found on her left hand, according to Dr. Dudut Rustyadi, head of the police forensic team.

Local police said Saturday that a bloody towel, bloody vase and bloodied sheets were found at the crime scene.

The new details come just one day after reports that Heather Mack told police she is pregnant.

Mack’s attorney, Michael Elkin, issued a statement Saturday claiming Mack is approximately two months pregnant. He also alleged she has been “seriously physically assaulted while in custody.”

“Heather was told that if she does not speak to the police she will be deprived of food and water,” the statement read.

Local police said the two suspects are not talking and police are waiting for the results of the pregnancy test.

Von Wiese-Mack’s body is expected to be returned to the U.S. on Monday for further investigation, officials said.


Van Explodes at Miami Gas Station

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A South Florida man who was conducting an illegal operation to obtain gas, was arrested by Miami Police after his portable gas pumping van exploded at a Marathon gas station on Friday.

The driver was identified as Onelio Castro, 47. He was charged with first-degree grand theft over $100,000, petit theft and criminal mischief.

The van exploded Friday afternoon at the Marathon gas station at Flagler Street and 72nd Avenue in Miami, sending a cloud of smoke into the air that could be seen from miles away.

The van was part of what Miami Fire said was an illegal operation to obtain gas. The van had the capacity to store upwards of 150 gallons of gas.

"We're trying to determine whether or not the person was in the process of trying to siphon out gas," said Iggy Carroll of Miami Fire. "Did he just finish or did something happen inside of it as a result of the explosion."

Miami Fire rescue said the man who was operating the van took off on foot. A perimeter was set up to look for the driver and Miami Fire investigators and Miami Police investigators were investigating the explosion.

"People that have this type of operation are obviously trying to do something illegal," said Iggy Caroll of Miami Fire. "But they obviously have no regard for their safety and as a result, this could've been deadly not only for the person that was doing this, but for the people in the area."

Castro's bond was set at $23,000. It is unknown at this time if he has an attorney.

Stay with NBC6.com for updates on this developing story.

Victims Jump, Escape Home Invaders

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Three people survived an armed home invasion robbery by jumping out of a window on the second floor of their home Friday night, police said. 

Arcadia Police responded to the 600 block of West Lemon Avenue just before 11 p.m. to investigate sounds of a male and female screaming for help.

The residents told police that three men entered the home through an unlocked rear window, one of whom was armed with a dark-colored handgun.

The residents said the alleged robbers took them to an upstairs bedroom where they were forced to lie face down on the floor while one man pointed a gun at them. The other two alleged robbers ransacked the home.

When the armed robber was not watching, the victims ran to the window, pushed out the screen, jumped onto the roof and then jumped to the front yard where they began screaming for help.

Two of the victims were taken to the hospital after sustaining injuries from the jump.

The three men suspected of robbing the home have not been located. The victims described two of the men as adult males, one wearing a black hoodie and the other wearing a red hoodie.

Anyone with information is asked to call Arcadia Police a 626-574-5150.

San Diego Pastor Works for Peace in Ferguson

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As we've watched what has happened in Ferguson play out on television, one San Diego Pastor felt the need to be a part of the call for calm.

Pastor Terrell Fletcher of City of Hope International is from St. Louis, Mo.

As he watched images of protesters and police officers in riot gear with weapons drawn from thousands of miles away, he decided to act.

“To see that we were in a place of distress, a place where we felt voiceless, I wanted to be a part of helping facilitate a conversation between the police department,” Fletcher told NBC 7 via phone from Ferguson on Friday.

For him, it's personal.

"I connected a lot with the incident itself but also because this is home,” he explained.

Thursday night, when his plane touched down, he went straight to Ferguson and became a part of the action.

Taking photos and posting them to Twitter, saying it was a much different scene than what we all saw just the day before.

"We were really watching the sigh of relief. The breath of fresh air. For what it's worth, it was really electric. It was very positive,” said Fletcher.

By Friday, the name of the officer involved in the shooting was released. Along with surveillance video of what Ferguson Police say is Michael Brown stealing cigars from a convenience store and shoving the clerk.

"It's still a little bit of tension in the air that with the move that the Police Department made today it raised suspicions again, considering the timing of it.”

Pastor Fletcher says now that things have calmed, he’s hoping to help the community he loves take a step toward healing.

“I didn’t come here to St. Louis to make Officer Darren Wilson a criminal. I came to push and promote peace, to allow the system to work itself out, with the hope that justice will ultimately prevail."

Man Stabbed While Urinating in Parking Lot

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A man was stabbed multiple times in the back after leaving a house party to urinate in a parking lot early Saturday morning.

San Diego Police say the 24-year-old Hispanic man left the party in Grant Hill with two women around 1:20 a.m.

As the trio walked along the 700 block of 30th Street, the man broke off to relieve himself in a parking lot.

The women told police they heard a struggle, and when they went to check on the man, they found him lying on the ground with three to five stab wounds to his back.

The victim was too drunk to give officers a suspect description, police say.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital for non-life threatening injuries. The SDPD will continue the investigation.



Photo Credit: NBC10

3 Stabbed at Grand Central Station

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A drunk man getting off a subway Saturday at Grand Central Terminal bumped into a child, then slashed and stabbed three men in the ensuing confrontation, police said.

Witnesses held the 38-year-old attacker until police arrived and took him into custody, according to the NYPD. The bloody altercation unfolded shortly after midnight on the northbound 6 train platform.

A 25-year-old was in critical but stable condition after being stabbed in the chest. A 29-year-old was slashed in the arm and a 27-year-old was wounded in the stomach. None of them knew their attacker, police said.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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