FBI officials are asking San Diegans to be on the lookout for a missing Seattle boy and his father who may pass by the area on their way to Mexico.

They believe Billy Ginger Hanson, 9, has been abducted by his biological father, Jeffrey Ford Hanson, 46, who may have taken to the high seas with the boy.

Law enforcement is concerned for the child’s safety because they say Hanson is extremely volatile.

Billy was supposed to return to his mother in Pennsylvania on Sept. 4, but he never boarded the flight.

The FBI says Hanson, a known drug abuser, may be illegally taking his son to Mexico, the San Juan Islands or Tahiti in a 1976 Cooper sailboat with a 6-inchy red stripe along the side. The vessel named “Draco” has a Washington license plate of WN6783NZ.

In case they pass by the California coast, the agency has raised alarms here.

Billy is described as a Caucasian boy with brown hair and brown eyes, weighing 90 pounds and standing 4-feet tall.

Hanson is a Caucasian man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He stands 5-foot-5 and weighs 160 pounds. The FBI has issued a warrant for his arrest, accusing him of violating the international parental kidnapping statute.

If you know anything about the Hansons' whereabouts, call the San Diego FBI office at 858-320-1800, the Seattle FBI office at 206-622-0460 or 911.

A recent audit found major inefficiencies in the Environmental Services Department's Waste Reduction and Recycling Programs.

With 1.3 million tons of waste being deposited there a year, the Miramar Landfill will likely completely fill up and have to close by 2025, the audit states. For taxpayers, that means a more than triple-fold increase to the amount for hauling trash away from the city's residential and business areas.

Because San Diego is prohibited from charging residents or businesses directly for trash collection as a result of the 1919 People's Ordinance, the city department is hamstringed from using incentives like rebates or lower trash fees to encourage people to recycle.

"So, making it more convenient is a critical component," said Stephen Grealy, the Deputy Director Waste Reduction and Disposal Division. "The other piece is education, and also ultimately enforcement - that's something that we need to do because we don't have the price signals that other cities are able to do."

Among the audit's key findings:

• Some 30,000 people don't even have recycle bins.
• Some city libraries and other city-run facilities don't even meet the minimum recycling requirements outlined in the mandatory recycling ordinance.
• 27 percent recycling rate at some city facilities, only slightly better than the 26 percent rate for commercial and multi-family facilities.

City Auditor Eduardo Luna said there's quite a bit of room for improvement.

The inefficiencies aren’t just affecting the landfill. Because the city has 12 different trash-haulers operating in the city, many of their routes overlap. Like one alley in University Heights, where Audit Manager Matthew Helm found four different trash companies doing weekly pick-ups within 20 yards of each other in a small alley.

With trash trucks causing 9,000 times the impact on city streets of an SUV, these patterns can cause significant damage, according to the audit. The city is currently spending $70 million to slurry seal it’s streets.

Finally, because trash haulers get the same rate whether they make one trip to the city dump or two trips – one to the recycling center and one to the landfill – there may be an immediate financial
penalty for haulers to encourage residents to recycle.

“We will be bringing forward to council, a plan that requires that waste-haulers recycle graduating and increasing percentages of the trash they handle,” Grealy said. “So, I think that will be the ultimate solution for us.”

Now that the busy summer tourist season has wrapped up, San Diego residents looking to venture on some fun outings will find fewer crowds around the city. Here are some places locals might want to visit.

San Diego Waterfront Park:
Summer may almost be over, but the heat is still on in San Diego. Cool off at the new, free Waterfront Park at Pacific Highway and Harbor Drive, in downtown’s picturesque Embarcadero area. The family-friendly park opened back in May and has been packed with visitors all summer. The park spans 12 acres and boasts large, open grassy areas, a playground, shaded sitting areas, gardens and an expansive interactive fountain. Also, don’t forget that breathtaking, waterfront view.

Open-Air Seafood Market:
San Diego’s new open-air seafood market opened at the beginning of August and now runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. until the fresh fish, crab and other seafood runs out. Each week, local fishermen set up pop-up canopies on the pier at the downtown waterfront near Tuna Harbor and Seaport Village and sell their finest fresh catches to customers in a setting reminiscent of Seattle’s Pike Place Market. San Diego fishermen get lots of business and locals get great deals on seafood in this win-win scenario.

Balboa Park:
Anytime is a good time to visit Balboa Park, but at least now you don’t have to battle extreme crowds. Take a walk along a trail, treat yourself to an outdoor picnic, visit the Japanese Friendship Garden or visit one of the landmark’s many museums. If you plan to visit a lot the museums, you may consider investing in the cost-efficient Balboa Park Explorer Pass.

The Headquarters at Seaport District:
Do a little shopping and dining at The Headquarters near Seaport Village, the new plaza that includes tiny shops and gourmet eateries, all a stone throw’s away from some killer views of the San Diego Bay. The Headquarters is built on the site of the former historic San Diego Police Department headquarters that closed in 1987. To that end, some fun SDPD artifacts remain on site, including some old jail cells shoppers can actually walk into, plus historical photos and mug shots. The mini museum is free for those who want to browse.

Mission Beach:
There are so many great beaches to choose from in San Diego but locals may want to visit Mission Beach in particular, since it’s currently celebrating its centennial. The popular beach community is highlighting 100 years with a Centennial Museum Booth open through Sept. 27 at Belmont Park, which boasts vintage relics and memorabilia. While you’re at Belmont Park, take a ride on the iconic Giant Dipper roller coaster, which celebrated its 89th birthday at the height of tourist season in July.
 

A native San Diegan known as “The History Lady” is using stories of the past to spark interest in listeners young and old – and jog special memories that perhaps haven’t surfaced in years.

La Mesa resident Jeanette Alessio-Way, 73, is a history buff hired by nursing homes and schools across San Diego County and Southern California to present lively, one-hour lectures on historic events.

At every presentation, she not only tells history, she shows history, bringing along a large haul of unique artifacts to help paint the picture for her listeners.

Her lessons span a wide range of topics and time periods. Her collection of historical memorabilia includes everything from snuff bottles from the 1800s to Native American headdresses.

As she tells her stories – especially at nursing homes and senior living facilities – The History Lady can often see her listeners taking special notice and connecting the dots.

Alessio-Way said she’ll never forget the time she brought an antique sled, the kind an adult would’ve pulled a child in, to a presentation at the Alzheimer’s unit at Fredericka Manor Care Center in Chula Vista.

“They had a lady who hadn’t spoken in three years and she said, ‘My father pulled me,’” Alessio-Way recalled.

Another time, she did a program for patients on hospice and got a memorable reaction from one very ill man.

“I took a shell that had been polished and I brought it in his room and I touched his face and he went, ‘Ohh,’” she said, smiling.

“This is how it is every day. It’s such a touching thing,” Alessio-Way told NBC 7.

She feels there's a type of healing that can come from delving into history.

“It’s medicine in a whole different way. When you come to my history program, you don’t leave the same way you entered.”

The History Lady said she gets equally unforgettable reactions from young students at her lectures, too. Instead of dozing off during her lessons, she said kids look at her artifacts and ask lots of questions.

“I’ve seen them sitting slouched in a chair to sitting up straight and listening. If that doesn’t prove something, I don’t know what does,” she said.

Fittingly, there's a history behind how Alessio-Way actually became The History Lady.

Her path to the past began 20 years ago after her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

She cared for her mother for many years, but eventually had to place her in a nursing home in Lemon Grove. Alessio-Way said she visited her mother there every night there for four years. Her mother had stopped speaking, but Alessio-Way was determined to spend as much time with her as possible.

At that facility, she saw firsthand what seniors with Alzheimer’s endured on a daily basis – and what they were missing.

“When I would go at night and look at these people they would just share at each other; there was no stimulation,” Alessio-Way explained.

Suddenly, she had an idea.

“I thought, ‘What can I do to stir some interest?’ And, you know, I’m not a small person in stature, so I got two hula skirts to go around me, I got a coconut bra, which I wore on my blouse, my cousin’s surfboard and a ukulele and I did the history of Hawaii for one hour and nobody moved,” she said.

Still, this didn’t discourage her. At that moment, Alessio-Way said she felt as if giving these types of presentations was something she was meant to do, and thus, began her work as The History Lady.

The first place that hired her was the Sun & Sea Manor in Imperial Beach. To this day, Alessio-Way still lectures there.

“They don’t know my name because it’s a low-functioning community of 32 beds, but they say, ‘She’s the lady with the stuff, and she tells us stories,’” she said.

Alessio-Way said she never repeats a history lesson and stays inspired by living amongst history.

A visit to her home is more like a visit to a mini history museum -- a true treasure trove of artifacts.

Every corner, nook, table and shelf is covered in memorabilia. Of course, Alessio-Way knows the story behind each trinket.

“As you know, in the 1800s and before, people used snuff because there weren’t any deodorants and when something was not so nice to smell, they would put a little snuff in their nostrils or in the air and this was so that a woman could carry it with her and not be obvious,” she explained, holding up a snuff box and snuff bottle.

“This is such a find, you wouldn’t believe. And to think somebody gave it to me,” she added.

Alessio-Way said she finds many of her treasures at antique stores. Some, however, are donated to her program by people who strongly support her work.

“People believe in this so much, you cannot believe what people donate to this program. One of the gentlemen at one of the facilities, La Costa Glen, had a brother who was in the military and his brother went to Egypt and he bought that hookah pipe in 1935,” she said, pointing to the hookah.

“Things that people donate, they say, ‘You know, our children would throw it away, but I know that you’ll show so many people, and they’ll appreciate it.’ And it’s the truth. Every single thing that somebody has donated has touched someone,” Alessio-Way added.

Holding a vintage Hershey’s chocolate tin, she also shared this story:

“The month of September is the birth of Mr. Hershey, Milton S. Hershey. The fascinating part is that he didn’t start by making chocolate, he made caramels in Chicago. And nobody wanted caramels. And he and his wife lost a fortune. They got in the car, piled what they had left and drove to Pennsylvania and started making chocolates.”

With stories and artifacts galore, The History Lady shows no signs of slowing down.

She said her ultimate goal is to take her work nationwide, offering her presentations across senior living facilities, schools and home schooling programs.

To learn more about The History Lady's work, visit her website.
 

Police say the mother of a toddler found dead in an Oceanside home has admitted to drowning her child after suffering depression over a custody battle.

Detectives arrested Veronica Rivas, 28, on Friday in the death of her 22-month-old son Elijah. She was booked into the Vista Detention Center on a first-degree murder charge. 

Officers were called to Rivas' condo on Woodpark Way Wednesday night when the child's grandmother called 911.

When Oceanside Police arrived, they started CPR on Elijah until paramedics could arrive. However, they were unable to save him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rivas was discovered unconscious in a room downstairs and was rushed to Tri City Medical Center. Police say she was treated for a medical emergency but could not say whether it was an attempted suicide, as neighbors have speculated.

Detectives arrested Rivas at the hospital on Friday and transferred her to the Oceanside Police Department.

Investigators say during questioning, Rivas confessed to drowning her son.

A nanny for Elijah told NBC 7 Rivas has been in a custody battle with the boy's father, a Marine, for the past two months.

She often saw Rivas crying, upset and deeply depressed over the estranged relationship.

The caretaker said she visited Rivas in the hospital Friday, talking with her for less than a minute.

The only thing the suspect said was, "My baby is gone," according to the nanny.

The investigation is ongoing, and police are still trying to determine if more charges will be leveled against her.

Rivas is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.

A neighbor of a woman who is accused of concealing the death of three infants in her vermin-infested home in Blackstone, Massachusetts, said she had seen children outside the house always underdressed for the weather and piles of trash in the backyard.

"I don't know how many times I've seen those children outside no shoes, no clothes on, eating out of a cracker box and drinking soda. This was 6:30, 7 o'clock in the morning," Marie White told NECN in an exclusive interview. White and her husband moved to Florida two years ago after living in their Blackstone home for a decade. The couple still rents out their house, located next-door to 23 St. Paul Street.

Erika Murray, 31, was arrested Thursday night after detectives investigating a case of reckless endangerment of children found the bodies of three infants at the home infested with vermin and littered with soiled diapers. Four other children, ages 13, 10, 3 and 6 months old, were removed from the house on Aug. 28 after a neighbor notified police about their living conditions.

Murray was arrested on charges including fetal death concealment, witness intimidation and permitting substantial injury to a child. Not guilty pleas were entered Friday on her behalf and she is being held without bail.

Her attorney, Keith Halpern, suggested that Murray struggled with mental illness, The Associated Press reported.

White says she never saw the infants, but she did see piles of dirty diapers among other trash out in the backyard.

She said she called the Board of Health in Blackstone to see if the trash could be removed.

“Maybe a week or two went by when I saw a dumpster in that yard and they were loading it," White said.

But soon after, White said the trash in the backyard piled up again.

One day, she said she observed something odd through a tattered piece of cloth hanging over the home's basement window.

"I saw that man, which I thought was her husband, didn't know it was the boyfriend, but he lived there with her all the years I've been there, rocking on a rocking chair, banging his head on the wall," White recalled.

White said that for the most part, she minded her own business, but after becoming upset with the smell of dog feces from her neighbor's backyard, she called the animal control officer. The odor became so bad that she had to keep her windows closed.

"The smell behind there was so bad, that it almost knocked me off my feet," White said.

She said she assumed it was a dead “dog or a human.”

Blackstone Police said skeletal remains of several animals, including cats and a dog, were also found inside the home. During the investigation, police and crews have been wearing hazardous material suits while they sift through the small home.

White says she regrets never putting her complaint to the Department of Health in writing.

"I went to the town hall, asked for the health department," she said. "I told them the situation and they said 'write it up.' Unfortunately, I never wrote it up and that's one thing I regret."

NECN was unable to reach both the animal control officer and Department of Health for comment on Friday.

White said she is haunted by the fact that investigators have not disclosed information about the woman's alleged boyfriend's whereabouts or involvement.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

In a sadly familiar scene, San Diego police found several razor blades in the grass at a park in the Mariner's Point area near Mission Bay Saturday, possibly planted there on purpose.

Police were called to investigate a playground at Mariner's Point around noon. Officials said two razor blades were discovered in the grass, facing up, about 10 feet away from a park bench.

San Diego Police Department Lt. Eric Hays said a man was walking near the playground when he spotted some shiny objects in the grass. When he looked closer, he found two rusty razor blades sticking up out of the grass and called police.

Officers, along with Parks and Recreation staffers and lifeguards, roped off the playground area and began scouring the grass and sand with metal detectors.

Lt. Hays said their search yielded one more razor blade, for a total of three. No one was injured by the blades.

Officials said the playground area at Mariner’s Point would remain closed for a while.

This is not the first time this has happened at parks in the Mariner's Point area, including Bonita Cove Park.

On April 30, two children were cut by razor blades while playing in the grass. In that case, nearly 20 razor blades were found scattered in the area. Detectives suspected they were left there intentionally to hurt people on a hot day when many families were headed to Mission Bay to cool off.

In September 2013, at least 20 razor blades were discovered on the grass near a playground across the street from Bonita Cove Park near West Mission Bay Drive and Mission Boulevard. Lifeguards and police searched the playground for more using metal detectors. Some of those razor blades were positioned so they were facing straight up.

Also, at the end of August 2013, a woman was injured by razor blades left behind in an east playground at Bonita Cove Park.

Saturday’s incident comes amid very hot temperatures that have locals flocking to beaches and bays for respite. There were several families with children playing at the parks in the area.

Police said there is no suspect in this case, but if someone is caught that person could face felony charges.

Officials are still trying to determine if the razor blades were freshly planted, or if they were leftover from a previous similar incident.

La Mesa resident Michele Nugent was at the park with her family, including her young grandson. She said the notion that someone might have put the razor blades out on purpose is very disturbing.

She said her grandson had been playing barefoot in the sand and grass all morning, enjoying the play area that's much cooler than their East County neighborhood.

“How often do children come and enjoy the sand without shoes? It’s kind of sad. It’s a sad statement on someone’s condition that they would want to do that," Nugent told NBC 7.

"For what gain? There’s no joy in harming others,” she added, saying she will reconsider visiting that park with her family in the future.

Nugent later discovered a paper sleeve in the sand that could've been used as a container for the razor blades. She reported it to police, who dusted it for possible fingerprints.

The Massachusetts doctor who contracted Ebola in Africa is steadily improving, and doctors have Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream to thank.

Rick Sacra is getting his appetite back, according to health officials at the Biocontainment Unit at The Nebraska Medical Center.

“He really wanted some ice cream,” Sacra’s wife Debbie said in a statement released by the hospital on Friday. “He’d tried a few different kinds over the last several days, and none of them were all that appetizing to him. But we finally found something in the hospital convenience store that really hit the spot — a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.”

The Holden resident was able to consume an entire pint of the ice cream. As patients lose fluids to vomitting and diarrhea, Rick Sacra's doctors wanted him to consume 1,000 calories a day.

Debbie Sacra says the ice cream has helped him exceed those orders.

Rick Sacra was flown to Nebraska from Liberia last week for treatment.

Three people were injured when a suspected drunk driver veered off a road in Fallbrook and slammed into a boulder, California Highway Patrol officials said.

The crash happened just after 2:30 a.m. at the intersection of Olive Hill Trail and Olive Hill Road.

CHP officials said the driver took a bend in the road too fast, rolled his vehicle and crashed into a boulder. The motorist – suspected for driving under the influence – was airlifted to Sharp Memorial Hospital.

Two passengers in his car sustained moderate injuries and were taken to a local hospital, CHP officials said. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
 

As the investigation at a home in Blackstone, Massachusetts, where three infants were found dead earlier this week continues, NECN has learned that police have responded to the home in the past.

Thirty-one-year-old Erika Murray was arrested Thursday on charges that included fetal death concealment after the disturbing discovery. She is currently being held without bail.

According to police documents, officers have been called to 23 St. Paul Street in the past for various issues, including several reports of animal abuse.

In December of 2012, a caller reported seeing a dog on the back porch so cold that it could not sit down.

In a 2007 incident, officers responded to the house after an unnamed woman who lived there told Murray that she wanted to hurt herself.

The report states Murray didn't live at the home in 2007, but down the road at 3 St. Paul Street.

Officers responding to that call said they saw two children, ages 4 and 7 at the time, sleeping on couches - the room littered with dirty clothes. A report was filed with the Department of Social Services.

The report also said the unnamed woman bit a Blackstone rescue officer, but no charges were filed.

Residents of the town still can't believe what police say was going on inside the home.

"In Blackstone, we are a very loving, caring family," neighbor Le-Anne Defaut told NECN. "And I'm just blown away by this."

A former neighbor described the odor of dog feces behind the home in an exclusive interview with NECN.

"The smell behind there was so bad that it almost knocked me off my feet," said Marie White, who moved to Florida two years ago.

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families removed four children from the home two weeks ago, but didn't find the infant bodies until this week.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

Fire officials believe the Silverado Fire, which has burned an estimated 1,500 acres and caused mandatory evacuations in Orange County, began in someone's backyard.

Details about the origin of the fire were limited.

"The fire got started off the forest, and because of the terrain and the fuels and because of the prevailing winds, it took the fire into the forest," said Chon Bribiescas of the Incident Command Team for the U.S. Forest Service. "Right now we don’t know what activity caused that."

Firefighters doubled the number of personnel fighting the Silverado Fire Saturday morning in anticipation of the triple-digit heat that could further spread the flames.

A smoke advisory was issued throughout Orange and Riverside counties, including Irvine to the west, Corona to the north, Lake Elsinore to the east, and San Clemente to the south.

The fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. Friday in the 30500 block of Silverado Canyon Road in a remote part of the Cleveland National Forest, about 20 miles east of Santa Ana, officials said.

By Saturday morning, firefighters said the blaze was about 10 percent contained. The fire acreage estimate fluctuated between 1,500 and 1,600 acres.

Mandatory evacuations had been issued at 6 p.m. Friday for residents living from 30500 Silverado Canyon Road east to the end of the canyon, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Evacuations remained in effect through Saturday night.

Fire officials counted 217 homes in the canyon. Those living in the lower canyon were allowed to return home Friday night. The uppermost 30 homes were subject to mandatory evacuation.

"I’m just going to pack up and go and be on the safe side," resident Melissa Maddy Jacobs said. "We’ll feel a little bit safer being on a different part of town."

An evacuation center was set up at El Modena High School at 3920 E. Spring St. in Orange.

The blaze was initially reported at about 15 acres, burning in Silverado Canyon near the Orange/Riverside County border, but grew to more than 1,000 acres by the afternoon, according to the U.S. Forest Service, which was leading the firefight.

The fire had stopped at 1,600 acres Friday night thanks in part to a change in humidity and the arrival of a down canyon wind. For the most part, the fire had been burning uphill during the day.

Because of the triple-digit heat expected Saturday, firefighters planned to nearly double the number of people fighting the fire. As of Friday night, 280 personnel were helping fight the blaze.

Three firefighters were hospitalized with heat-related injuries overnight, but all were expected to be battling the blaze Saturday.

"Tomorrow morning we’re going to be gearing up early, we’ll have aircraft up at first light – that includes fixed wing and rotary wing. The goal is to hit it hard and as quickly as we can in the morning, and hopefully get as much line constructed before it really warms up in the afternoon,” a fire official said.

Temperatures started off in the upper 60s in Orange County Saturday morning, but temperatures were expected to heat up later in the day.

"By this afternoon we are going to be in the triple-digit territory," NBC4 meteorologist Elita Loresca said.

Firefighters were expected to be helped by a lack of Santa Ana winds, Loresca said.

A resident at a mobile home park in Riverside County noticed something disturbing inside a dumpster when throwing out their trash Saturday morning: an abandoned Chihuahua with big brown eyes staring up from inside.

The resident notified a manager at the mobile home park in the 6000 block of Mission Boulevard in Jurupa Valley. Riverside County Animal Services was called to the scene.

The 3-year-old Chihuahua mix was taken to a nearby shelter, and aside from a slightly high temperature, was deemed healthy by veterinary team members. Officials said the small dog appeared to have a “pleasant temperament.”

Animal service officials believe the black-and-brown furred pet was likely put in the dumpster overnight. The mobile home park manager said the trashed is picked up every day except on Saturdays and Sundays.

"It is a sick act to treat any animal in this manner," Riverside County Animal Services Director Robert Miller said in a statement. "A dog is a living creature. It is not trash. We can always work with pet owners to rehome their pet. To do something like this to a dog is despicable."

Anyone with information about the abandoned dog is asked to email the Riverside County Animal Services at shelterinfo@rcdas.org.

A missing Maryland mother has been found and taken into custody -- but there is still no sign of her two missing children.

Police said Catherine Hoggle has indicated to police that the children are alive, saying, "kids are safe," but has not revealed where they are.

Meanwhile, police are unable to verify Hoggle's statements. Hoggle, who authorities say has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had stopped taking her medication, has told varying stories about the children's whereabouts since their disappearance.

Saturday, Hoggle was formally charged with two counts of child neglect and with obstruction and hindering the investigation into the children's disappearance. Police said when she was spotted late Friday -- after a desperate search -- she tried to flee from officers.

Police also said Hoggle has altered her appearance by cutting her hair. They think she has been spending the last few days and nights on the streets, looking very disheveled when she was located.

• Baby Born on NYC's George Washington Bridge

Hoggle Update: Catherine Hoggle remains in police custody and detectives continue to interview her. The children have not been located.

— Montgomery Co Police (@mcpnews) September 13, 2014

Police had been searching for Hoggle for days, after her husband realized her children, Jacob, 2, and Sarah, 3, had not been seen for days.

Catherine herself had disappeared from a fast-food restaurant as she and her husband were on the way to report her children's disappearance to police.Late Friday, Montgomery County police tweeted that, at about 11:18 p.m., a tipster called 911 and said that Catherine was walking in the area of Century Rock Boulevard and Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown -- a location about a block away from the Chick-fil-A where she disappeared.

Police took Catherine Hoggle to police headquarters for questioning. They remained on the scene, searching the area and a nearby apartment complex with dogs.

BREAKING: Catherine Hoggle Located in Germantown and Taken into Custody.

— Montgomery Co Police (@mcpnews) September 13, 2014

Police are still searching for her two young children. Late Friday, police released a statement saying they "remain concerned for the children’s welfare."

The children, Sarah and Jacob, are not with her and have not been located.

— Montgomery Co Police (@mcpnews) September 13, 2014

Earlier Friday, Montgomery County Police had released surveillance video of Hoggle walking slowly through a Germantown office building around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

That would be just hours after she slipped out the back door of the Chick-fil-A. Police say she later boarded a county bus near the restaurant, which is in the area of Route 118 (Germantown Road) between Interstate 270 and the Germantown Commons shopping center. She rode the bus to the transit center at the Lake Forest Mall in Gaithersburg and got off.

After that, the next sighting was on the videotape recorded early Tuesday. Police also found the contents of her purse in a bathroom in that building.

"We're working with the owners of that building, we're working with the people in that building to try and determine what it is that Catherine did inside there," said Montgomery County police Capt. Darren Francke. 

Meanwhile, family and friends are planning a candlelight vigil in the Chick-fil-A parking lot Saturday night.

Candelight vigil for #CatherineHoggle and missing children Sarah and Jacob 8pm Saturday Chik-Fil-A Germantown Center @nbcwashington

— Jackie Bensen (@jackiebensen) September 12, 2014

Troy Turner, the children's father, said he's been looking for the three himself and passing out fliers around the clock. Family and friends have handed out more than 10,000.

Turner said he doesn't think Hoggle would hurt their children.

"Her thinking, in her right or her wrong mind, wouldn't do anything on purpose to harm the children," he said. "Whatever she's doing, she has a skewed version of reality. She believes she's protecting our children."

Police tweeted late Friday that they "remain concerned for the children's welfare" for the children. They planned to spend the day reviewing and discussing search efforts. There were no new searches planned for Friday unless authorities get new information. They plan to resume searching Saturday.

Police released a statement that reads in part:

Based on data and information gathered during the investigation, detectives have focused on areas of the County that they believe Catherine may have visited recently. Officers have searched these areas, looking for evidence that could assist detectives in locating the Hoggles. The search process is highly organized and systematic, conducted by police officers, and is overseen by the Montgomery County Police Department Search Team.

Before she disappeared, Catherine Hoggle told a convoluted story of where the children went.

Turner told police that while he was at work Sunday afternoon, Hoggle's father drove the family to Hoggle's mother's home in Gaithersburg. Hoggle then borrowed her father's car, a gray 2012  Nissan Rogue, and told her parents she was taking Jacob to get pizza.

She returned to the house three hours later without her son or any food. Hoggle told her parents she dropped off Jacob at a playmate's house and went back to her own home with her daughter.

Police determined Monday night that Jacob had never been at a friend's home.

Hoggle's daughter, Sarah, was last seen around 5:50 a.m. Monday, when Hoggle left their Clarksburg home with the little girl, telling Turner that she was dropping off the child at a daycare center.

When she returned home at 8:30 a.m., she told Turner that she had taken both Jacob and Sarah to the unknown daycare.

Police say that Turner, who works nights, hadn't known that Jacob had never come home after visiting his grandmother's house.

Later Monday, when Turner asked Hoggle about picking up their children from the daycare, Hoggle would not tell him where they were.

"We are about 1,300 strong on the police department, of men and women on the street," said Montgomery County Asst. Police Chief Russ Hamill. "We need the eyes and ears of the community to help us find these little children and bring them safely home."

Catherine Hoggle is 5-feet-6-inches tall and weighs 160 pounds. She has brown eyes and black hair. She was last seen wearing blue jeans and a black tank top.

Sarah Hoggle is biracial, 3-feet-6-inches tall and weighs 40 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair. Her brother, Jacob, is also biracial, and is 3 feet tall and weighs 25 pounds. He has brown eyes and a blond afro.

If you have seen Catherine Hoggle, Jacob Hoggle or Sarah Hoggle, police ask that you call 911 immediately. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or the police non-emergency number (301-279-8000).

Family and friends have created a GoFundMe.com fundraising page to raise money for a reward for any information that leads to the return of the children.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

Russian authorities have told the US government that three members of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's defense team falsely identified themselves as FBI employees.

The allegation was made in a court filing in Boston on Friday.

The incident occurred while the defense was in Russia, allegedly to investigate the case.

The Russian government says that the lawyers told them "the official purpose of [their] visit [was] tourism."

Tsarnaev's lawyers allegedly refused to produce documents confirming their legal status and identified themselves as employees of the FBI.

Tsarnaev, 21, could face the death penalty for his alleged role in the bombings.

The finish line of the Boston Marathon was bombed on April 15, 2013, killing three people and injuring more than 260. 

A Chicago teen has been charged after a pregnant Chicago State University student was attacked and forced into the trunk of her car earlier this week, police said Saturday.

The 17-year-old from the 600 block of East 100th Street, was charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated criminal sexual assault with a weapon, and armed robbery.

A 24-year-old criminal justice student was parked on the 9800 block of South Indiana Avenue and was trying to load something into her trunk when a man approached with a knife and ordered her into her car, the woman's father, Robert Perkins, told NBC Chicago. The attacker drove to an alley and sexually assaulted her before forcing her into the trunk of her car.

"She was in the trunk and she said the first thing that popped in her head was [me telling her about the] trunk release," Perkins explained. "And she looked up and saw the trunk release and that's how she was able to get out.'

The victim, who is four months pregnant, was eventually able to pop the latch to the trunk and a neighbor spotted her trying to get out of the trunk. The neighbor then called authorities, who were still searching for the attacker on Thursday morning.

"The trunk popped open and the young lady was screaming 'Help me," said witness George Simpson.

Perkins said his daughter was able to provide a good description of the attacker.

In a statement, a Chicago State University official said the administration was "saddened" by news of the attack and that their "collective hearts go out to the victim."

Thomas Wogan said the university has offered counseling and support services to the victim and her family and was working with campus and city police to help bring the attacker to justice.

The teen was charged as an adult and is expected to appear in bond court Sunday.

Just days after a 27-year-old autistic man was robbed of his birthday money in Stamford, Connecticut, police have pitched in to raise $800 for the victim and will deliver it to his family next week.

Police said the man was approached near Veterans Park on Tuesday afternoon.

The suspect tricked him into handing over the money, then pretended to put it back in the victim's pocket but instead ran away with $100 cash, according to police.

Stamford police officers and members of the local police union have banded together to collect money for the victim and plan to surprise him with it on Monday, according to the police department.

The family is "overwhelmed by the community's generosity and support" and police said they will only accept donations until Monday, Sept. 15 at the department to respect the family's wishes, according to a news release from the department.

Meanwhile, police are still searching for the robber and are asking for the public's help in tracking him down.

Police said he was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt with a white rectangular design on the front and black pants with white stripes down the sides.

Surveillance footage shows him running from the scene.

Stamford police said that they have already received several tips and have leads thanks to several members of the public who shared and viewed the video police released.

Anyone with information is urged to call Stamford police detectives at 203-977-4417.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

“Honestly and truly, I’m not asking you to spare me,” said convicted murderer James Herard. “Go ahead and do what you gonna do. I pretty much dare you to give me the death sentence because I’m innocent.”

Those were the words Herard spoke Friday during the sentencing phase of his trial. Herard was convicted of murdering two people during a string of Dunkin’ Donuts robberies in 2008. The jury recommended the death sentence.

“I’m actually hoping you give me the death penalty because I know the Supreme Court won’t allow me to die for something I didn’t commit,” Herard said Friday.

Herard, 25, was convicted on 18 of 19 counts by the Fort Lauderdale jury in May. The same jury that convicted him has recommended the death penalty for Herard.

Prosecutors say Herard didn’t pull the trigger in the 2008 murder of 39-year-old Eric Jean-Pierre. But, they say he, along with other members of a gang, were part of a “body count competition” and Herard pushed Tharod Bell to murder Jean-Pierre.

“They’re claiming I encouraged Tharod Bell to shoot someone, and how I did that, I don’t know,” Herard told the court.

Throughout Friday’s hearing, Herard’s defense team brought up numerous people, many convicted felons, who say Herard is a motivator, tutor, and counselor to them. The testimony brought Herard’s mom, who was in the courtroom to tears.

Herard was previously convicted of the murder of 58-year-old Kiem Huynh in 2008. He received sentences of life imprisonment for Huynh’s death.

Herard made national news when he barked like a dog during an appearance before Broward Circuit Judge John Hurley after his arrest.

A power outage occurred at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey Sunday afternoon. Jackson Township Police say the outage occurred after a transformer blew around 2 p.m.

"Paramedics started running through the park," said Al Moore, a visitor at the park. "Then ambulances and fire trucks showed up in the parking lot."

• Pregnant Woman Dies After Being Shot in Face

The park staff told visitors that the electricity went out, however the lights were still on in restaurants and shops, according to Moore.

"The staff also was telling people to stop taking pictures and video on their cellphones," Moore said.

Moore also told NBC10 a section of the park was roped off near Skull Mountain.

• Group Attacks Gay Couple in Center City: Police

No one was stuck on any rides and no one was injured, according to police. Police also say that while parts of the park have power, they're unsure if its been restored to the rides.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.