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1 Dead After Dangling Truck Pulled Onto Overpass

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One person was killed and another hospitalized after the box truck they were in crashed and was left dangling off the side of a South Florida highway overpass early Wednesday.

The incident occurred at5:25 a.m. on the State Road 84 westbound on-ramp from Interstate 95 in Fort Lauderdale.

WATCH: Video of the Dangling Truck

Two people were in the 2001 Isuzu Tracy Bakery truck when exited I-95 northbound and tried to make a left turn and head west on State Road 84, Fort Lauderdale Police Det. DeAnna Garcia said. It struck a barrier wall along the State Road 84 overpass, authorities said.

"As a result, the truck was suspended over the side of the overpass, partially off of the roadway," police said in a statement.

Somehow, the truck's front end was leaning against a pillar.

Congestion on South Florida's Roads 11th Worst in Nation: Report

Fire Rescue workers responded and secured the truck before sending up a ladder. Firefighters were able to pull the driver from the truck and walk him down the ladder, Garcia said.

The driver was transported to Broward Health Medical Center where he was in stable condition, Garcia said.

Hospital officials identified the driver as 43-year-old Buenaventura Fernandez, Jr., from Miami. He was treated for a small knee laceration and later released.

The passenger remained inside the truck and had been unresponsive, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue spokesman Matt Little said.

VIDEO: Watch as the Driver is Pulled From the Truck

Three tow trucks were brought to the scene and were able to pull the truck back onto the overpass about an hour and a half after the crash.

The truck's passenger, who was not immediately identified, was later pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Garcia said the driver showed bravery in escaping the dangling truck.

"It appears that he's a very strong-willed and a very strong person mentally and physically to be able to overcome such a tragic accident and then to be able to walk himself down a very high ladder to safety," Garcia said.

Debris from the truck fell onto a car that was driving on I-95 below, but no one was injured, officials said.

A woman who answered the phone at Tracy Bakery said she doesn't know the people who were inside the truck or where they were going to or from when the crash happened.

The crash left the two right lanes to the State Road 84 on-ramp blocked and two northbound lanes of I-95 just south of State Road 84 closed and caused traffic delays in the area.

Florida Department of Transportation officials said the bridge was being inspected and the ramp would be closed periodically throughout Wednesday and Thursday as crews clean up the debris and repair the 10 feet of concrete barrier wall that was damaged.

Engineers are also inspecting the pavement and the column that was struck by the truck.

Police are investigating the cause of the crash, Garcia said. Anyone with information is asked to call Fort Lauderdale Police at 954-828-5754.

Check back with NBC6.com for updates.

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Photo Credit: NBC6.com

Passengers Injured in SF Cable Car Accident

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A cable car accident in San Francisco left ten people injured Wednesday morning. 

The injured included eight passengers and two cable car workers.

One of the injuries was originally considered life-threatening, according to San Francisco fire officials. That passenger, an elderly man, is now listed in serious condition.

The car's conductor and gripman also suffered minor injuries.

In the end, seven people were taken to the hospital and three were treated on the scene.

The cable car was at the corner of Washington and Powell streets when it made an abrupt stop because of a bolt stuck in the tracks at about 10:15 a.m.

One person fell off of the cable car during the hard stop.

NBC Bay Area's helicopter flew over the scene and showed the cable car upright and surrounded by maintenance workers. It was being towed to the maintenance yard at 11:30 a.m.

It was unclear just how the bolt got stuck in the tracks.

Calif. Tour Bus Crash Survivor: "Worst Minutes of My Life"

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Julio Vallejo is recovering at a friend’s home in southern California after being treated for numerous injuries he suffered in Sunday's deadly bus crash in the mountains east of Los Angeles.

"This was the worst minutes of my life," Vallejo told NBC 7 San Diego in an exclusive interview.

Groggy from a long day sightseeing at Big Bear Lake, Vallejo was sleeping on the bus ride home when his friend told him to wake up.

He recalls looking at his friend's terrified face and hearing, "the bus, I think there's something wrong, I think the bus don't have brakes."

The friend explained that as the bus approached a curve, passengers smelled smoke and heard a grinding sound when the bus driver pressed on the brakes.

But the bus wasn't slowing down.

Vallejo was seated in the last row of seats, which was perched a little higher than the others.

"I can see all the seats," he said. "All the people was praying."

Vallejo said people gripped each other tightly and many cried as the bus continued down the two-lane mountain road, gaining speed with every second.

For approximately five minutes, he said, the bus swayed left and right as the driver dodged cars and tried to keep the bus from crashing. The driver tried to avoid guardrails separating the road from steep cliffs.

At one point, desperate passengers screamed at the driver to stop the bus any way he could.

"Some people say, ‘Crash with something, the rocks, with anything,'" he said.

Moments later the bus slammed into a car and then a truck, causing the bus to flip twice according to Vallejo.

He gripped the seat in front of him but quickly found himself tumbling with others like clothes in a dryer.

He was ejected through a window onto the roadway, landing on his hands knees and face.

"I touch my legs my arms, my head, and I say, 'Thank you, God,' because I'm alive," he said.

Vallejo suffered several bruises on his face and said he believes the people killed in the crash would still be alive today if the bus were equipped with seatbelts.

Right now, laws do not require large tour buses to have seatbelts. Vallejo said that needs to change



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Students Claim They Were Misled by University

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Albert Anarwat, 24, worked as a nurse in his home country of Ghana, Africa. His passion was helping others.

“If you look at where we are coming from, we have a lot of problems, health issues,” he said. 

Raised by farmers in a small mud hut, Albert dreamed of a better life.

“I wanted to help my family, put them in a better position.”

Last September, Albert decided to come to the United States to get his Master's degree in Public Health. A friend told him about Aristotle University in Carlsbad. The program cost $25,000 for a two-year course.

He sold everything, used his entire life savings, about $10,000 to move to the United States. He says he’s paid $3,000 to Aristotle University. But, when Albert arrived in September, it was nothing like he had envisioned. Instead of a large sprawling campus, the entire University was in one room, in an office building.

Albert told NBC7, “It’s just an office. There’s no library. There is nothing. Just a few chairs.”

Albert says the director of admissions said they would help him find a job and assist with housing, while he was a student. But, Albert was dropped off at a motel and the job never came. He was thrust into a classroom with other international students, into a course that was already eight months in progress.

Albert says class is held once a week. He says most of the time they watch educational videos and use old textbooks. At one time there were more than 20 students, Albert says less than a dozen attend now.

“The issue is, if we are paying at the end of the day what am I going to get from it? I am just going to get a mere paper that cannot take me anywhere? And I cannot defend the course because they are not giving me the best and you go home and they say you have Masters in public health and you have nothing.”

On its website, Aristotle University claims it is licensed by the Bureau for Private Post-Secondary and Vocational Education, but a spokesperson from that bureau told us there is no record of it ever being licensed by the state.

The spokesperson also says it has begun a preliminary investigation of Aristotle's claim, based on our inquiry. The University's website says Aristotle is also a law school. But the school is not registered with the State Bar of California.

NBC 7 checked to see if Aristotle had a business license in the City of Carlsbad and found none.

Lisa Robinson works for a nursing agency and befriended 8 of the students.

“I went to the police department, who referred me to the city code enforcement, who referred me to business and licensing," Robinson said. "It was just this big circle.”

She tried desperately to get them help from nearly 30 different agencies or elected officials. She says no one will help her.

“I just hate injustice and I just can’t believe this is happening , you know I can’t believe this is happening to human beings.”

Albert isn't the only student who has complaints about Aristotle University. We received e-mails from other Aristotle Students.

One student from Cameroon wrote an email that stated in part, “There are no professors, classes are held once a week on Monday and if Monday is a holiday then no class for that week. The situation is not anything I had anticipated, not even in my country had I seen such meaningless education offered to students.”

This was an email from a student from Ghana: "I claim to be pursuing public health, but unfortunately I cannot speak on public health related issues. This is because I am studying fiction. There is no doubt that, Aristotle University have lured us immigrants into the USA only to use as money making machines at the expense of our future."

Another email provided to NBC7 by a student shows that if tuition payments are late, the schools’ Dean and co-founder, Xanthi Gionis says they will be stripped of their student Visas and Deported. This is the reason students are scared to speak out.

“So because of that, most of us are paying the fees not because of the school. Because we are just paying to live in the United States. Because we don't want to get immigration problems,” said Albert.

NBC 7 reached out to the co-founders and deans Dr.Thomas Gionis and Xanthi Gionis, to get reaction to the accusations. NBC 7 called the number listed on Aristotle University's website, but there was no answer or voicemail. Meantime NBC 7 sent Xanthi Gionis an email asking her to respond, within minutes, the school's website was taken down.

NBC 7 went to the classroom on Palomar Airport Road. No one was there. We did get a response by email from Xanthi Gionis on Friday. She told us the school had been sold, but she wouldn't give us the name of the new owner. A public records search didn't provide any indication it had been sold.

Sunday night, students received an email from Xanthi Gionis stating that classes has been relocated to a new office building on Carlsbad Village Drive. She told one student to bring a tuition check to that location for $1,000 dollars.

Monday morning, NBC 7 went to the school's new location. Xanthi Gionis was there, but closed and locked the office door when NBC7 asked for a comment. Then Xanthi Gionis called the police.
But Carlsbad police officers said NBC 7 crews were acting within their legal rights.

Meanwhile, Albert says all he wants is a real education and to get his Master's degree in public health.

“I cry every day," he said. "I weep every day. I never knew there could be something like this happening in the nation like United States.”

He wants to feel like someone in the U.S. cares about him, just as much as he cares about helping others in his home country.

“Sometimes I look at the world and say it’s very unfair.”

Family Protests Police Shooting

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Dozens of people gathered outside the Hall of Justice on Wednesday morning to protest the fatal shooting of a man in Mira Mesa last year.

In June, Victor Ortega was suspected of punching and kicking his wife. After a brief foot pursuit by police, he was shot and killed by a San Diego police officer.

Police said Ortega, 31, had confronted one of the officers and grabbed his gun. After a scuffle, police said the officer shot Ortega. 

The family said a recently released autopsy reveals that Ortega had been handcuffed before he was shot.

“I know my son didn’t deserve to get shot like that,” said Ortega’s mother.

The family members of Ortega have filed charges against the officer and police department. This is their second visit to the district attorney’s office asking for help. 

“Bonnie Dumanis has met with the Ortega family. The District Attorney’s office is currently reviewing this officer-involved shooting, just as the DA’s office does in all cases,” said DA spokesperson Steven Walker.

The family said they will continue to seek justice for Ortega's death and have gathered 1,000 signatures on a petition for the case.



Photo Credit: Brandi Powell

Building Evacuated Following System Malfunction

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A commercial building in Carlsbad was evacuated after what authorities believed may have been a chemical reaction, authorities said. 

HazMat crews responded to the building on Rutherford Road and Farnsworth Court in Carlsbad at about 2:40 p.m., according to fire officials in Carlsbad.

When they arrived, they learned the building's fire supression system malfunctioned. It was quickly mitigated. 

There were no injuries reported.

The building is located in a business park near Palomar Airport. 


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Trespassing at Md. High School Leads to Weapons Seizure

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A high school trespassing incident in Maryland has led to a weapons seizure at a man's home — though school officials stressed that no threats were made against students.

On Monday, 25-year-old former student Justin Matthew Beaumont came onto the grounds of North County High School in Glen Burnie, a suburb of Baltimore, at around dismissal time, according to police.

School staff alerted school resource officers, who grew suspicious after talking to the man. They called police.

Lt. J.D. Batten of Anne Arundel County Police told NBC Washington News4 that Beaumont mentioned he had been bullied when he was a student at the school and that he seemed curious about the school's security.

"My understanding from police is that the man, who spent two months at our school in 2002, made some comments ... that warranted further investigation," Principal William Heiser said in a letter to parents obtained by News4. "As a result, the man's vehicle was searched and police later conducted a search of the man's home."

At Beaumont's home, police found several guns: An AK-47, which was loaded with a 30-round magazine; an unloaded Uzi; two unloaded, 8-millimeter bolt-action rifles; an unloaded .22-caliber handgun; a loaded .380-caliber handgun with a laser sight; a 9-millimeter barrel and silencer; and numerous boxes and magazines of ammunition.

All these weapons appear to be legally owned by Beaumont, who did not have weapons at the school or in his car. The weapons were seized for safekeeping pending his evaluation by mental health professionals, police said.

Beaumont is charged with trespassing on posted property, a misdemeanor. He is currently undergoing medical treatment, police said.

"While this is alarming, I want to be emphatically clear that at no time did the man speak to any students and at no time did he make any threats whatsoever toward our school, our employees, or our students," the letter from Heiser read.

Check back for more on this developing story.

Family of SUV Driver in Stroller Crash "Heartbroken"

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The woman accused of running a red light and striking a nanny and her charge is heartbroken over the incident.

San Diego resident Monserrat Mendez was killed when an SUV struck her as she was pushing a stroller carrying a toddler in the 14700 block of Camino Del Sur and Via Verrazzano.

Preliminary findings in the investigation suggest that the driver, who officials have not named, ran a red light before driving into the stroller.

Mendez, 41, was pronounced dead at the hospital. She was working as a nanny for a Santaluz family at the time of the accident. She leaves two teenage children of her own.

The 14-month-old toddler was critically injured. The boy was hospitalized in intensive care where he is recovering from a fractured femur, pelvic fracture, broken rib, broken leg and a skull fracture according to his parents.

In a statement sent to NBC 7 San Diego Tuesday, the driver’s family said they “wish to express that our hearts are broken by the horrific circumstances of this accident.”

While the driver does not want to speak to NBC 7 San Diego in person, her family said they are keeping the victims’ families in their hearts and prayers.

“The profound sorrow that we feel pales in comparison to the suffering of Ms. Mendez's family as well as young Bryan and his family,” the statement read.

The driver was not cited because of the pending investigation, said Sgt. John Saflar with San Diego Police Department Traffic Division. It is unknown how fast she was driving.

After running a check on the vehicle’s license plate, NBC 7 learned the car was registered to a Jeffrey Padilla who lives near the scene of the accident.

A man who identified himself as a Mr. Padilla answered the door of the home and said his wife was too distraught to issue a statement.

“Please, she’s gone through enough,” Padilla said Friday. “There’s no way we can give a statement right now. We have a one-day-old baby.”



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Bandit Robs 3 Bank Tellers at Once

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On Feb. 4 at around 5:10 p.m., an unknown man robbed the Wells Fargo bank located at 2701 Vista Way in Oceanside. The suspect waited in line before making verbal demands for money from three different tellers inside the bank.

Car Crashes Into Building, Traps Driver

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A car was suspended more than 10-feet in the air after it collided into a children's hospital outpatient clinic in Kearny Mesa, fire authorities said.

Firefighters were working to rescue the driver trapped inside the car, which crashed into the clinic on Frost Street at about 9:45 a.m., according to the San Diego Fire Department.

The car's front and back bumpers were hanging onto the curb above a stairwell which descended below the ground. The car accelerated straight through a gate blocking off the stairwell.   

Click here to see images of the crash

The parking attendant said the driver was having trouble pulling a ticket from a toll booth several yards away. He was rolling backwards in neutral, then hit the gas, speeding at about 30 miles per hour into the clinic, witnesses said. 

"Oh it was very scary, I was scared too," said Parking Attendant Mulugeta Lemlem. "He hit the gas and went all the way down. The people was running, and the road was clear."

Some bystanders said they had to dive out of the way to avoid getting hit by the car. No one was injured though. 

"I would've been right in front of his car," said Witness Jody Taylor. "So, he flew through. Almost hit a van pulling out...and then went right into the building."

Taylor described the moment she witnessed the crash, and the shock that followed. 

"Instantly it was just like adrenaline kicked in because you see this guy barreling through the thing and it's like you're frozen for a second wondering what's happening."

She said the driver started to unbuckle his seatbelt to get out of the car as it was suspended 10 feet above the ground, but she yelled for him to stay in his car.

"Then you could see the glass in the windows below cracking," Taylor said. "So the security guard, I looked at him, and I said get everyone out of that building, cause you don't know what's going to happen."

The driver was pulled out of the car on a stretcher, and is said to be okay, according to officials on the scene. They added he may have had some underlying medical problems. His daughter arrived to the hospital to take him home Wednesday afternoon. 

"Six inches more and he would've gone straight down or through the window, because they said that's an exam room right there," Taylor said.

No one was in exam room directly behind crash at the time. All appointments on that first floor were cancelled for the day, but business will resume Thursday. City engineers inspected the building and cleared it for occupancy, so people on other floors were able to return.

The man's car was removed later Wednesday afternoon.

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Photo Credit: Jody Taylor

Meth, Cash Seized at 'Chicken Ranch'

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Nearly $44,000 in property, firearms, explosives, stolen vehicles, meth and thousands of dollars in cash was seized during a sweep in Ramona Tuesday morning, Sheriff's detectives said. 

Detectives served a search warrant at a Ramona residence known as "Chicken Ranch" after a two-month-long investigation.

They had evidence linking the owner of Chicken Ranch to over 20 burglaries over the course of last year ranging from early morning hot prowls to commercial burglaries, according to a statement from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Chicken Ranch was allegedly used by the burglary ring, which operated in the east county and aimed to dismantle stolen property, detectives said. 

The Girl Scouts of America office was reportedly one of those targeted in the burglaries. 

Thirteen people were arrested during Tuesday's sweep, Chicken Ranch's owner Mark Ertman was booked into county jail for allegedly possessing stolen property, a stolen vehicle and a firearm. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

College Sweeter for 'Sugar Babies?'

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With the high cost of college, now more than ever, college students are turning to a controversial website for help with tuition.

Seekingarrangement.com counts many San Diego women as members who sign up to find a "Sugar Daddy" to pay for their education.

UCSD was named one of the fastest growing schools for "sugar babies." According to the website, within the last year, the number of female members attending UCSD has jumped 338 percent. The college is ranked 69th out of 75 schools.

These are mostly women looking for a free ride through college, and many men are willing to pay. Lauren, a 22-year-old student at San Diego State University is currently using the site. She didn’t want to be identified, but said she’s practically getting a full-rid, courtesty of her Sugar Daddy.

Her so-called Sugar Daddy lives halfway around the world and pays her $3,000 a month.

“He's a 63-year-old man who owns his own business,” Lauren said. “He owns a soccer team out in West Africa.”

They met online a year and a half ago via seekingarrangement.com. The website is a social network dedicated to connecting people who want a relationship where compensation is key. Both Sugar Daddies and Sugar Babies create profiles. The Sugar Daddies include how much they make per year, plus a budget for his Sugar Baby.

“I paid my car off. Most of my school loans I paid. Child care is paid. Anything. Bills. All of it is taken care of,” Lauren said.

Brandon Wade is the founder and CEO of the website. He says these arrangements are not prostitution.

“There's really nothing wrong with spending money to pamper someone or even helping them out,” he said. “This is purely a romantic relationship. We do not allow escorts or prostitutes to use the website. Exchange of money for sex is prostitution and that's not legal.”

Lauren says she hasn't slept with her Sugar Daddy even though they've met several times on vacations. She says he has no family to share his wealth with, so instead, Lauren says he gives it to her as a mentor.

“He doesn't make me feel like I need to repay him in sexual favors,” she said.

Lauren said she plans on moving for dental school in the fall and wants a better future for her 3-year-old son. She works two jobs while getting her monthly Sugar Daddy payment.

“I feel like maybe other single mothers in my case would judge me because of what I'm doing,” she said. “But I'm doing what I need to do to support myself and my son.”

But even Lauren admits: the perks don't hurt either.

“We go shopping all the time. Walk in the store, anything you want you got it,” she said.

And she prefers her lifestyle over that of her peers at SDSU.

“I know that I'm getting mine, while they're still eating cup o' noodles,” she said.

UCSD did not respond to a request for a comment. SDSU had no comment.

Need a Job? Home Depot Is Hiring

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When you’re a home improvement company, the first day of spring could be compared to Black Friday for other retailers.

The Home Depot and its several San Diego locations are preparing for the onslaught of do-it-yourself'ers by hiring a surge of new employees.

Spring is the company’s annual peak season and as a result the company plans on filling more than 80,000 new associates.

That number is 10,000 more than last year’s season hire according to the company’s website.

Job opportunities range from part-time to full-time.

If you’re interested in applying, you can go to the company’s website.



Photo Credit: Getty

Eighth Victim Dies After Tour Bus Crash

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An eighth person involved in a tour bus crash on a two-lane mountain road east of Los Angeles has died three days after the bus collided with two other vehicles near Yucaipa before flipping onto its side on an embankment.

The death toll increased to eight after 72-year-old Fred Bailey Richardson, of San Bernardino, was pronounced dead at 6:39 a.m. Wednesday.

Richardson, hospitalized at Loma Linda Medical Center since Sunday, was driving a pickup that was struck by the tour bus on Highway 38 near Yucaipa.

Seven other victims were pronounced dead at the scene. They were identified earlier this week as 61-year-old Guadalupe Olivas, of San Diego; 40-year-old Elvira Garcia Jimenez, of San Diego; 13-year-old Victor Cabrera Garcia, of San Diego; 38-year-old Aleida Adriana Arce Hernandez, of Tijuana, Mexico; 34-year-old Rubicelia Escobedo Flores, of Tijuana; 32-year-old Mario Garcia Santoyo, of Tijuana, Mexico; and 24-year-old Liliana Camerina Sanchez Sauceda, of Tijuana, Mexico.

At least 15 people were hospitalized after Sunday night's crash. The bus driver,  Norberto B. Perez, 52, of San Ysidro, was among the hospitalized victims with severe injuries.

Passengers told NBC4 he told them before the 6:32 p.m. crash that that the brakes were not working and asked them to call 911. The bus struck two vehicles, including a sedan and Richardson's pickup, before flipping and coming to stop on an embankment.

One of the injured passengers, Julio Vallejo, spoke to NBC 7 from his friend's home in Oceanside, where he is recovering. He described the crash as "the worst minutes of my life."

Aerial video after the collision showed Richardson's damaged landscaping service pickup on the side of the road near the tour bus.

The California Highway Patrol, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Carrier Safety Administration are investigating the crash, according to an NTSB spokesman.

Federal records show the carrier -- Scapadas Magicas, which has officers in National City -- has history of brake-maintenance problems. Investigators will inspect the bus at an Ontario tow yard as part of a probe that might require months to complete.

The tour bus' passengers were returning from a trip to the Big Bear area. Thirty-eight people were aboard the bus when it left Tijuana, Mexico Sunday morning for the daylong trip.



Photo Credit: AP

Obama's Legacy: Who'll Carry His Torch?

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Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed remembers visiting President Barack Obama’s re-election headquarters in Chicago last year and noticing how young everyone was — not just the entry-level volunteers, but seasoned aides in their 20s and 30s who ran the meetings and made key decisions.

He left thinking he may have witnessed the future of the Democratic Party: a new generation of leaders who’ve molded themselves in Obama’s image, and could one day represent the president’s legacy, either behind the scenes or as elected officials.

For full politics coverage, visit NBCNews.com.

"I can give you name after name of people (from Obama's campaign) who for the next 30 years will be influencing the political process," Reed said. "You have a political operative class that won what was probably the most difficult modern election for a sitting president. So a lot of people in America are going to want to speak with them about what they did and how they accomplished it."

As Obama embarks on his second term, he is looking for ways to make a lasting impact on American life: not only by shaping its policies and politics, but also by creating opportunities for potential torchbearers who share his ideological focus on center-left pragmatism.

Some of this is done explicitly, as in Reed’s example, with the president recruiting a bench of young talent to join his campaign or White House staff. There are also established politicians whose aspirations have become more plausible with Obama's rise. Finally, there are countless others who have been moved to seek public office one day.

Historians and political analysts caution that with four years still left in Obama's presidency, it is too early to judge how well he is cultivating this aspect of his legacy. But the results could help determine whether the first black president, already a breakthrough leader by virtue of who he is and what he represents, ends up a transcendent political figure as well.

"One of the things people think about when they consider great presidents is whether they created people in their mold," historian and writer Jelani Cobb said.

Take Ronald Reagan. Whether you agreed with him or not, Reagan was a president "who produced this whole generation of people inspired by what he did," Cobb said.

"I don't think we can tell with Obama that quickly," he added, "but I think that will be a measure of whether he goes down as a good president or… someone who was a great president."

Obama represents a new political model because he came to power without feeling beholden to the black civil rights-era politicians, said Michael Dawson, director of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at the University of Chicago.

Those older leaders adhered to progressive ideologies framed by the experiences of poor and working-class African-Americans, Dawson said. Obama, by contrast, appeals to a more middle-class demographic, including people, black and white, who are willing to embrace centrist or even slightly conservative policies, such as charter schools.

There are already several politicians who fit that mold and whose profiles have risen during Obama's time in the White House. They include Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, California Attorney General Kamala Harris, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and Reed, the Atlanta mayor.

Some of these politicians have been nurtured by Obama, but most were already well into their careers by the time he ran for president and are now benefiting from his appeal.

At the same time, there are many others, much younger, who have worked for Obama and can be considered his protégés.

Among the names offered by people interviewed for this story were Michael Blake, who helped organize Obama's campaign in Iowa and worked in the White House Office of Public Engagement; Tharon Johnson, a former Reed operative who assembled Obama's southern strategy; Michael Strautmanis, a longtime Obama confidante who worked in the White House Office of Public Engagement; and Chicago Alderman William Burns, who's been working on Obama campaigns since his 1995 run for Illinois state Senate.

Maya Rockeymoore, a political consultant and policy analyst, said that Obama's greatest impact won't be known for many years, as younger Americans, particularly black ones, grow up wanting to follow the president's footsteps.

"We will probably never be able to quantify the number of individuals across the country who have been inspired by a man who overcame great odds to become the first African-American president in history," Rockeymoore said. "There are children across the country who see they have the capability to do that, and consider it."

That sense of widened opportunity for minorities and women was a key aspect of Obama's successful re-election strategy, and will be fundamental to his political legacy, Reed said. "Fundamental fairness and inclusion: that is the ideology that is going to prevail over the next decade. The cadre of leaders who emerge in Obama's wake will be people who believe in this 'politics of addition.'"

Andra Gillespie, a political scientist at Emory University who has written extensively about "post-racial" black leaders, pointed out that in 2008, when Obama was first elected president, many African-American officeholders who seemed poised to rise — former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr., former Alabama Rep. Artur Davis, former Washington, D.C., Mayor Adrian Fenty — lost re-election campaigns in part because in their attempts to appeal to voters of other races they failed to pay enough attention to blacks.

There are many critics who believe Obama committed the same sin in his first term — but that didn't hurt him at the polls in November.

Nonetheless, Gillespie said, Obama will likely motivate more minorities and women to take a chance at politics, and that is a profound legacy unto itself.


Lawyer for Accused "Sniper" Killer Wants Psych Evaluation

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Attorneys for Eddie Ray Routh, the Marine reservist accused of murdering former Navy Seal and best-selling author Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield, want Routh to have a court-appointed psychiatric evaluation to see if he's fit to stand trial.

Routh's mental health is critical to his defense. His attorneys said just days before he was arrested for shooting Kyle and Littlefield to death at a north Texas gun range, Routh was discharged from inpatient care for mental health issues at the Dallas VA Hospital over the objections of his family.

"My client served his country exactly like Mr. Kyle did," said Routh's attorney, Warren St. John. "My client is still a Marine reserve. He's still actually part of the U.S. military and, for some reason, because of his possible mental health issue, he was kind of pushed to the side where other folks might not have been, and that really bothers me quite a bit."

Routh's mental stability has already impacted him while an inmate at the Erath County Jail.  His decision to not to return a dinner tray to jailers led to officers using a stun gun on him and placing him in a restraint chair. That was followed by a "suicide watch" being placed on him and Routh continues to be held in segregated housing for his safety and the safety of other inmates.

Routh has had a mental health evaluation since arriving at the jail and has access to prescribed medication to help with his mental and emotional health. 

The Erath County Sheriff, Tommy Bryant, said Routh refused to take his medication Wednesday and Tuesday, refused to meet with his family and attorney St. John.

"The case is new, and he's got some things he's dealing with, so we agreed with the sheriff's office that it wasn't anybody's best interest to try and compel him to talk to us," said St. John. "Which he doesn't have to do anyway, but he will have to eventually."

St. John said he's hopeful that meeting will take place sometime next week. 

Saturday, funeral services will be held for Littlefield. A public memorial service for Kyle is scheduled for Feb. 11 at Cowboys Stadium at 11 a.m. A trust fund for the families of both victims has been established. The public can make donations at http://www.thecraft.com.

Routh continues to be held on a single count of capital murder and two separate murder complaints. His bond is set at $3 million.



Photo Credit: NBC 5

High School Sports Stars Commit to Local Universities

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More than 100 local high school athletes gathered at the San Diego Hall of Champions Wednesday to sign their National Letters of Intent committing to the colleges of their choice.

The local athletes hailed from 12 different sports, including girls’ and boys’ soccer, football and cross country and track.

The sports with the most signees Wednesday were football players and girls’ soccer players, with 32 athletes in each sport signing letters of intent.

While a few local athletes signed letters of intent to attend far-off universities such as Harvard and Yale, many student athletes committed to staying in San Diego with local universities such as San Diego State, Point Loma Nazarene and University of San Diego.

Star athletes who plan to stay local include:

  • Christian Courtnie Marshall (Girls’ Soccer -- Point Loma Nazarene)
  • Carlsbad’s Erika Leal (Girls’ Soccer -- SDSU)
  • San Pasqual’s Victoria Manfredonia (Girls’ Soccer -- USD)
  • Mira Mesa’s Ariel Oriarte (Girls’ Soccer -- Point Loma Nazarene)
  • Westview’s Danielle Gonzales (Girls’ Soccer -- USD)
  • Del Norte’s George Liang (Football -- USD)
  • Calvary Christian’s Justin Harrison (Football -- USD)
  • Mira Mesa’s Trey Lomax (Football -- SDSU)
  • Lincoln’s Fred Melifonwu (Football --SDSU)
  • Cathedral Catholic’s Michael Turner (Boys’ Soccer -- USD)
  • Cathedral Catholic’s Parker Price (Boys’ Soccer --USD)
  • Valhalla’s Andrea Hughes (Girls’ Cross Country/Track -- USD)

In total, the SDSU Aztecs landed two dozen recruits from all over the country during National Letter of Intent Day. This includes 21 incoming freshmen and three upperclassmen.

Among those recruits SDSU’s head coach Rocky Long said they signed a half-dozen defensive backs, five linebackers and a trio of tight ends, wide receivers, a runningback and offensive lineman.

Coach Long said the new recruits are from 12 different states, including Florida and Hawaii.

One of SDSU’s top local recruits is Lincoln High School’s Fred Melifonwu.

 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Former Officer Wanted in Connection With Double Murder

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Detectives are looking for a former LAPD officer, apparently disgruntled over his termination from the force, in connection with the double murder of a newly engaged couple last weekend, Irvine Police Chief David Maggard said Wednesday evening.

Maggard said that Christopher Jordan Dorner implicated himself in a "multi-page manifesto" that was published online but has since been taken down. A source inside LAPD gave NBC4 the manifesto, which is about 11,300 words long and appears to lay out a plan for targeting those involved in his firing.

In the manifesto -- addressed to "America" and titled "Last Resort" -- Dorner writes that the "horrendous murders" are "a necessary evil."

"I know I will be villified (sic) by the LAPD and the media," he writes. "Unfortunately, this is a necessary evil that I do not enjoy but must partake and complete for substantial change to occur within the LAPD and reclaim my name."

Dorner goes on to say, "There will be an element of surprise where you work, live, eat, and sleep."

Authorities asked for the public's help in finding Dorner, whose last known address is 4931 Sharon Dr. in La Palma. Dorner is described as 6 feet tall, about 270 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

He may be driving a blue 2005 Nissan Titan pickup truck with California license plate 7X03191, and is "likely armed and dangerous," Maggard said.

A resident in the La Palma neighborhood where Doran lived told NBC4 that police advised her to "stay inside or leave the neighborhood." Sgt. Paul Morales with La Palma police said the agency is beefing up patrols in the area.

Pictured below in a photo from a 2006 LAPD newsletter, Dorner was on the force until 2009 and was a reservist in the U.S. Navy, according to Maggard.

In a statement released late Wednesday, LAPD said it is "implementing all measures possible" to protect the department's personnel and their families, some of whom were threatened in Doran's manifesto. LAPD said Dorner was was employed as a police officer from Feb. 7, 2002, until Sept. 4, 2008.

Monica Quan, 28, and her fiancé, Keith Lawrence, 27, were fatally shot Sunday while sitting in their car on the top level of a parking structure in the 2100 block of Scholarship Drive, according to Irvine police.

Quan's father was the first Asian-American to become an LAPD captain, and also worked on the Asian Gang Task Force.

In his manifesto, Dorner repeatedly refers to a Randy Quan as being involved in his firing.

"I never had the opportunity to have a family of my own, I'm terminating yours. Quan, ..., and BOR members Look your wives/husbands and surviving children directly in the face and tell them the truth as to why your children are dead," the manifesto read, in part.

Quan and Lawrence died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to autopsy results released Wednesday. Before the release of the autopsies, it was not reported that the victims were each shot multiple times.

The recently engaged couple was last seen in Winnetka at a Super Bowl party, and lived in the apartment complex attached to the parking garage. The couple left the party about 7 p.m. and were found slumped over in their car about 9 p.m.

Officials would not say where on their bodies the pair was hit.

Quan worked for two years as assistant basketball coach at Cal State Fullerton. Her team will observe a moment of silence Saturday when CSU Fullerton is set to take on UC Riverside.

Dorner's identification and the autopsy results come a day after family and friends pleaded for the public's help in finding whoever is responsible for the fatal shootings.

Anyone with information can call Irvine Police at 949-724-7192. Police said if anyone sees Dorner, they should not approach him and immediately call 911.

NBC4 staffer Nyree Arabian contributed to this report.

Big Cuts Coming for Navy

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NBC 7's Military Reporter Lea Sutton explores how Navy cuts impacts the local community.

Fired L.A. Cop's Charred Truck Found Amid Manhunt

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Authorities are conducting door-to-door searches in their manhunt for a former Los Angeles police officer suspected in a spate of shootings, hours after they found his burned-out truck in the woods of a mountainous area east of Los Angeles.

Christopher Dorner, a fired LAPD cop accused of a revenge plot against law enforcement and their families, is wanted in connection with the ambush-style slaying Thursday morning of a Riverside officer and another shooting involving LAPD officers in Riverside County, according to police.

His charred vehicle was found in the woods in the mountainous Big Bear Lake ski area east of Los Angeles, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon confirmed at Thursday afternoon.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of officers injured and killed this morning," McMahon said. "It's truly a sad and tragic day in all of law enforcement."

For full U.S. news coverage, visit NBCNews.com.

Deputies, assisted by local, state and federal police and forestry experts, combed through the moutain neighborhoods as sunlight faded and cold set in. Up to 20 additional deputies were expected to patrol the area around the clock to "make sure the community's safe," McMahon said. Extra officers were also posted at the bottom of the mountain checking vehicles coming down and going up, he said.

Deputies will search until they either capture him or determine he's no longer in the Big Bear area, McMahon said.

"He could be anywhere at this point," McMahon said. "That's why we're searching door to door. We’re doing everything we can to search the area in an attempt to find him."

Earlier Thursday, three officers were shot — two in Riverside, one in Corona. All of the shootings are likely connected to Dorner, a fired LAPD cop wanted in connection with a double slaying last weekend in nearby Irvine. The homicide involved a former LAPD officer's daughter and her fiancé.

During a Thursday news conference, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck characterized the rampage as a "vendetta against all of Southern California law enforcement." He said Dorner was believed to have multiple weapons, including an assault rifle.

Dorner was identified as a suspect Wednesday in the slayings of Monica Quan, 28, and her fiancé, Keith Lawrence, 27, who were fatally shot Sunday while sitting in their car on the top level of a parking structure, according to Irvine police. The couple left a Super Bowl party at about 7 p.m. and were found slumped over in their car about 9 p.m.

Quan's father was the first Asian-American to become an LAPD captain and also worked on the Asian Gang Task Force. He is now retired. In Dorner's online manifesto, he repeatedly refers to a Randy Quan as being involved in his 2008 firing.

"The attacks will stop when the department states the truth about my innocence," Dorner states in the manifesto. Every officer mentioned in the document was provided with police protection, said LAPD Sgt. Rudy Lopez.

Dorner's identification as the suspect in the Irvine slayings prompted a statewide "Blue Alert" — an alert system involving criminals who kill or seriously injure law enforcement officers. Dorner's vehicle was described as a gray Nissan Titan with California license plate 8D83997. The license plate number was displayed on freeway signs Thursday morning in Southern California.

The search led to Riverside County early Thursday after two LAPD officers — part of a security detail assigned to one of the families mentioned in the Dorner manifesto — encountered Dorner in Riverside, Lopez said. The LAPD officers were flagged down by someone who recognized Dorner's vehicle at Magnolia Avenue near the 15 Freeway.

The gunman exited the vehicle and opened fire on officers with a "shoulder-type" weapon, said Lopez. One of the officers was shot, suffering what was described as a "minor" graze wound.

"It's extremely intense," Lopez said. "We're trying to identify where he's been, where he's going. In this case, we are the targets. He's brazen. He's on a hunt to do whatever havoc he can.

"In my 22 years, it’s unusual that this many officers have been targeted."

About 20 minutes later, two Riverside officers responded to Magnolia and Arlington avenues after receiving a call for assistance. Both Riverside officers were shot and transported to a hospital, where one was pronounced dead.

The second officer remained in surgery late Thursday morning, but authorities said the officer is in stable condition.

"By all accounts, it appears they were stopped at a red light and just ambushed by the suspect," said Riverside Lt. Guy Toussaint. "The suspect did flee the scene, and we're in the process of trying to identify and apprehend the suspect at this time."

The LAPD confirmed officers are looking for Dorner in connection with both shootings. Officers said it's a "safe bet" he is armed with a semi-automatic rifle.

"We're hoping to wake up and find out this is a bad dream," said Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz. "He has made it clear he considers police officers and their families fair game."

Meanwhile, police on protection detail guarding another person listed on Dorner's manifesto shot and wounded two people in a vehicle in Torrance that matched the description of Dorner's vehicle.

The individuals suffered minor injuries and were being treated for their wounds.

"Tragically, we believe it may be a case of mistaken identity on the part of the officers," Beck said during a press conference on Thursday morning.

Dorner also is believed to be connected to an attempted boat theft in the San Diego area. San Diego police were called to the Southwestern Yacht Club for an apparent boatjacking around 10:26 p.m. Wednesday.

The 81-year-old boat owner was on his 42-foot sundeck cruiser when a "heavy-set man in his 30s dressed in black clothing" robbed him, tied him up and pulled the boat out of the slip officials said. The man could not start the boat so he took some items from the vessel and left according to police.

Authorities asked for the public's help in finding Dorner, whose last known address is 4931 Sharon Dr. in La Palma. Dorner is described as 6 feet tall, about 270 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Also early Thursday, the San Diego Harbor Police Department confirmed a badge with Dorner's picture identification was found at about 2:27 a.m. in the center divider on Harbor Drive, near San Diego International Airport.

Irvine Police Chief David Maggard said Wednesday evening that Dorner implicated himself in a "multi-page manifesto" that was published online but has since been taken down. A source inside LAPD gave NBC4 Los Angeles the manifesto, which is about 11,300 words long and appears to lay out a plan for targeting those involved in his firing. 

In the manifesto — addressed to "America" and titled "Last Resort" — Dorner writes that the "horrendous murders" are "a necessary evil."

"I know I will be villified (sic) by the LAPD and the media," he wrote. "Unfortunately, this is a necessary evil that I do not enjoy but must partake and complete for substantial change to occur within the LAPD and reclaim my name."

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