Residents of a Temecula apartment complex were reeling after an aspiring rapper was gunned down inside his home late Monday morning.

The killing was reported just after 10 a.m. at the Portofino Apartments at 30000 Rancho California Road, where residents said they heard about six rounds fired, yelling and a car peel out before learning that their 23-year-old neighbor had been slain.

The victim was identified Tuesday by the Riverside County Coroner's Office as 24-year-old Justin Triplett. Friends told NBC4 he went by the stage name Yung Trip the Pretty.

"I didn't really want to stick my head out because in case anything happened I didn't want anything directed toward us,” said Anthony Roskepamaran, who grabbed his 1-year-old daughter and took cover inside their home.

Riverside County sheriff’s investigators said the shooter quickly left the apartment after opening fire.

Three nearby schools were placed on lockdown as a precaution for about an hour as deputies searched for the gunman. No one was found.

Friends and family members of the victim arrived at the scene hoping to learn about his killing. They said the victim was an up-and-coming rapper.

Residents standing near a grassy area where children usually play said they were in disbelief over the deadly violence.

"I was just telling my husband who just came home that I'm scared now to live here," said Liz Harper.

A Coronado resident opposed to the city’s chopping of some old Eucalyptus trees has been protesting since Monday from atop one of the trees, making his stance known.

For more than 24 hours now, Dan’l Steward has been living in a Eucalyptus tree on E Avenue near the San Diego Bay. Steward said he’s up there for his wife, Amy Steward, a former park ranger who is also against the trees being chopped down.

But even Amy was surprised by her husband’s climb into the tree.

“He called and said, ‘I’m in the tree. Call who you want,’” Amy told NBC 7 upon learning her husband had climbed one of the Eucalyptus trees in protest. “I was sort of shocked because he had his badge on, he was ready to go to work, I made him his lunch – everything was normal.”

Coronado residents were told that four of about 12 Eucalyptus trees were unhealthy and, for safety reasons, needed to be cut down by city crews.

Steward made his way into one of the massive trees Monday morning as crews prepared to chop it down. He feels the city should’ve discussed the plan with residents in the neighborhood before getting rid of the trees so abruptly.

"I'm up here actually not as a protest, but to draw attention to the need for the city of Coronado to have a dialogue with the citizens guarding the disposition of these 100-year-old trees,” said Steward.

Many neighbors have shown their support for Steward. Another man even joined him by climbing into another tree that’s in danger of being cut down.

Some residents believe preserving the old tree is important.

“I’m not as old as they are but definitely they’ve been here since my birth, and they mean a lot,” said neighbor Catherine Gill.

Residents feel there was a lack of communication with the city of Coronado.

“[They should’ve done everything to] make sure there was nothing that could be done to preserve them. Obviously, if there was a danger to the homes, [to] the people living here, it's the safest thing to do. I don't agree with it. And I think they made a very quick decision," Gill said.

Still, some residents believe chopping down the large trees is in the best interest of the neighborhood, as they cause damage and get in the way of the view.

“Though they’re very beautiful, they’re very big. They’re raising the sidewalks – the roots are too big, they’re incredibly messy. And some of these trees block the view of the beautiful bay,” said Maria Villalobos.

In the end, Steward said his intentions are not to cause harm in his neighborhood, but rather to convince the city to hear what residents have to say.

"The city here is a wonderful city. The city leadership is good. The mayor is wonderful. It's just that reasonable people need to sit down and talk about it way ahead. And that conversation hasn't been had," he said.

For now, Steward doesn’t plan to climb down. So far, two of the four Eucalyptus trees in line to be chopped down have been cut down successfully. The other two still have Steward and another neighbor in them.
 

A car stolen from a woman in New Haven earlier this month is back in good hands after the suspect drove it to a probation meeting, where officers were waiting with an arrest warrant.

Gary Harding, 26, of New Haven, is accused of stealing a Honda CR-V from a 23-year-old Stamford woman outside the grocery store on Sept. 13.

According to police, Harding approached the woman from behind while she was loading groceries into her car in the Stop & Shop parking lot at 112 Amity Road. Police said it had begun to rain heavily and the woman was rushing to get into the car.

That didn’t happen. Instead, Harding warned her he had a gun and lifted his sweatshirt to reveal an object tucked into his waistband, police say. Police said he crawled in through the passenger door and left the victim standing in the parking lot as he drove off.

A store employee told police he had ridden the bus with Harding, who had boarded at Whalley and Sherman avenues prior to the robbery.

New Haven police and Stop & Shop loss prevention officers combed through surveillance footage that showed Harding leaving the bus. According to the video, Harding first confronted a man in a parked SUV, but dropped what he was doing and followed the Stamford woman when she rushed by, police said.

Authorities began circulating Harding’s image throughout the law enforcement community in an effort to track him down. Police said probation officers recognized him and contacted New Haven police.

Harding’s probation officer set up a meeting with the suspect at the Adult Probation Office on State Street in New Haven on Monday morning, where police said Harding showed up driving the stolen car.

He was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree larceny.

New Haven police said the Honda CR-V may have been used as a getaway car in a recent Wallingford bank robbery. Wallingford police are investigating.

An 83-year-old kayaker was rescued Tuesday afternoon from Oceanside Harbor after she was spotted floating unconscious in the water, officials said.

Oceanside Police Department harbor officers were alerted at about 1 p.m. to a report of a person floating in the water.

The woman had apparently fallen out of the kayak and the kayaked overturned, according to a news release from the Oceanside Police Department.

Lifeguards swam to the woman and officers responded by boat. That’s when they saw the kayaker, who was wearing a life vest, floating unconscious.

They brought the woman onto the boat and brought her back to shore, where she was breathing, semi-conscious, but still unresponsive.

The woman, an 83-year-old known to frequent the harbor, was taken to Tri City Medical Center. Her condition there wasn’t immediately known.

Abusing a deadly mix of prescription drugs and soft drinks– a combination nicknamed “sizzurp” or “drank” – has stewed up trouble for 20 suspects, according to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.

A multi-agency crackdown called Operation Purple Haze targeted a ring of drug dealers in the South Bay and Southeastern neighborhoods.

Since 2013, investigators have tracked suspects who forged and filled more than 50 prescriptions stolen from a doctor’s office to get promethazine with codeine cough syrup.

The medicine is a Schedule V controlled pharmaceutical drug used as a depressant. However when abused, it can lead to respiratory failure and death.

Teens and young adults often mix the drug with soda such as Mountain Dew and Sprite to create a purple drink called “sizzurp” or “drank,” among other names, according to Dumanis.

The dangerous, addictive cocktail is frequently referenced by popular rap and hip-hop artists like Lil Wayne, as the LA Times reports.

Dumanis said most of the illegal prescriptions were filled by people ranging in age from 18 to 24.

“We hope that operations like this one will increase awareness that prescription drug abuse continues to rise at an alarming rate with devastating effects to our community,” she said.

The drug ring started dismantling in March 2013, when 16 suspects surrendered themselves to National City Police.

As of Tuesday, 18 of the 21 people tied to the scheme have pleaded guilty to related crimes like prescription fraud and burglary.

One of the suspects, Barwar Barwari, 19, was convicted of a February hit-and-run crash that killed pedestrian Cris Ringor Dano in National City. Barwari is expected to be sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for hit-and-run causing death and prescription fraud.

One last suspect, 23-year-old Tanesha Brown, is still at large, Dumanis said.

A dog that was seen tossed over a gate and then abandoned in extreme heat in Ramona has a new, loving home.

Dolly, a black pit bull puppy, was rescued by San Diego County Animal Services after being abandoned outside an office building in Ramona on Aug. 28.

Animal Services officials said Tuesday that a resident, Bruce Phillips, came forward to adopt, Dolly, and shared photos of Phillips snuggling with the dog.

It was a very sweet ending to an otherwise sad story.

Surveillance cameras captured an unknown man approach the right side of a building in front of a gate. He then looks around again and then quickly picks up the puppy, tosses her over the gate and leaves, according to surveillance video. The puppy appears unable to get up after the fall.

An office worker later discovered the dog and Dolly, who wasn’t injured, was taken to the Carlsbad animal shelter.

Officers made an arrest Tuesday in the crash that caused a yellow truck to fly off the freeway, fall 50 feet and crumple in a Mission Valley parking lot, nearly killing the driver.

The incident started Sunday afternoon as Navy mechanic Kenneth Freudenvoll drove his truck onto the westbound Interstate 8 off-ramp to northbound Interstate 805.

The CHP says San Diego resident Jose Uribe, 20, drove up alongside him in a brown 2000 Ford Excursion, and the two vehicles collided.

The crash forced Freudenvoll to spin off the transition ramp. His truck broke through the guardrail, struck the Dave and Busters building below and crashed to the ground.

The Excursion driver took off, while Freudenvoll was rushed to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he is still in serious condition after getting back surgery Sunday night.

At about 5:15 p.m. Monday, CHP officers tracked Uribe to his San Diego home. He was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run, a probation violation, false imprisonment with violence and destroying or concealing evidence.

The suspect is scheduled to be arraigned on those charges Thursday.

Freudenvoll had no fault in the accident, according to the CHP.

A teenager was groped Monday morning in a Fontana park by a man she approached to invite to church, police said.

The 18-year-old woman approached the man at Jack Bulik Park and, after inviting him to church, sat next to him on a park bench to pray.

While the victim’s eyes were closed, the man began groping her and pulled his pants down. She tried to run away and called 911, but the suspect held her down and threatened to hurt her if she didn’t cancel the call, according to the Fontana Police Department.

She hung up, but again broke free and ran through the park until she ran into another person, when the man fled the park.

The suspect is described as a 19-year-old man with brown eyes and brown hair. He is about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a black and white shirt and black shorts.

He has a rosary tattoo on his left hand and "t" or cross tattoo on his chest.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Fontana Police Department at 909-356-8477.

"I've been to this park many times," said Angie Zecena. "It seems like a safe neighborhood. It's just a scary thought that you can't really trust people. I'm definitely not coming to the park by myself." 

Tony Shin contributed to this report.

The Chargers made a flurry of transactions today, shoring up a roster depleted from injuries.

The biggest move might be the signing of running back Shaun Draughn. The veteran comes to the team after his release from the Chicago Bears last week. The team was expected to sign a running back after placing Danny Woodhead on the reserve-injured list with a season-ending broken fibula.

Draughn also spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, playing in 22 games over his four-year career. He has 63 career carries for 235 yards and two touchdowns and 24 catches for 158 yards.

The North Carolina product, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent, also has experience returning kicks on special teams.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Chargers signed linebackers Kevin Reddick and Cordarro Law. Both will be called upon to replace Melvin Ingram and Manti T'eo, who will miss significant with injuries.

The Bolts also signed running back DJ Adams, tight end David Paulson and linebacker Colton Underwood to the practice squad, releasing Adrian Phillips and Marcus Cromartie.

A man is dead after a driver failed to see traffic stopping in front of him and slammed into a car at the Interstate 5 Border Patrol Checkpoint.

Three men in a 2014 BMW slowed to a stop at the checkpoint Tuesday just after 6 p.m.

But the truck behind them did not follow suit. The 24-year-old driver from Camp Pendleton in a 2008 Ford F-250 crashed into the BMW at full speed, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The impact caused a chain reaction that damaged two more vehicles: a 2008 Toyota Tacoma and a 2011 Toyota Corolla.

The person sitting in the right rear seat of the car, a 32-year-old man from Canada, was fatally injured.

The BMW's driver and front passenger were airlifted to Scripps La Jolla Hospital for moderate head and neck injuries, but they are expected to survive.

A Modesto woman driving the Corolla suffered minor injuries.

The CHP says neither alcohol or drugs were a factor in this crash. It remains under investigation.

President Barack Obama is taking some heat for what some people are saying was a somewhat less-than-respectful salute as he disembarked from Marine One in New York City.

As he descended the stairs, he gave a half salute to the Marines outside the helicopter, using the same hand that was holding his coffee cup (or was it a tea cup?). The moment was captured in a 6-second video posted on the White House's official Instagram feed. 

The Instagram video received thousands of likes and comments, quite a few of them negative.

"I'm retired military and this man is a disrespectful joke. Wow. Shameful," said one commenter.

"Wow what an embarrassment," added another.

"Complete embarrassment to the office," one commenter said. "You can't even give a proper salute to men whose job it is to die protecting you."

Some on Twitter countered criticism of Obama's salute by resurfacing photos showing former President George W. Bush having once stepped off a helicopter and saluted while holding his dog.

The tradition of presidents returning salutes is said to have originated with Ronald Reagan in 1981.

What's your take on the president's coffee cup salute?

The Texas girls who vowed to give their homecoming crown to a bullied friend went one step further on Tuesday, asking the entire student body at Grand Prairie High to sign a pledge against bullying.

Anahi Alvarez won the title of homecoming queen, but she didn't want to crown.

"We're going to make Lilly feel better. We're going to let her know that she deserves the crown," she said. "People are going to be seeing it all over the world. They're going to be realizing that people will stand up for bullying and it's going to stop."

Alvarez said she and her friend Naomi Martinez learned that some of their classmates were pulling a cruel prank on Lillian Skinner by telling her she, too, was nominated for homecoming queen. So they made a pact to give their crown to Skinner if either of them won.

When Alvarez won, she knew what to do.

"What happened was what we did from the bottom of our hearts," she said.

Their story made national news, and the picture of all three of them, with Skinner in the middle wearing the crown, went viral.

"We didn't expect any of this at all. It was just so crazy how it went so viral so quick, but at the same time, that's a good thing," said Alvarez.

The girls' selfless act of kindness meant the world to Skinner.

"When she had the crown on her head she said to me, 'This is the best senior year ever,'" said Martinez.

Martinez also said wearing the crown gave her friend new found confidence.

"She volunteered to read the other day in front of the class. She's never done that," Martinez said.

Skinner recalled the days when kids used to bully her.

"They made fun of my teeth, my hair. I had short hair, and people would call me Chucky," she said.

But Skinner also said friends like Alvarez and Martinez inspired her to reach for her dreams. "I'd like to be an actress," she said. "I always keep going for it, you know? Help my mom out. You know, make my mom proud."

At the end of Tuesday's rally against bullying, Principal Lorimer Arendse called on every student to make a pledge.

"When you sign something, you're making a commitment. You're taking an oath. You're saying, 'I'm going to stand up against bullying,'" he said.

Martinez hoped their efforts will continue to send a strong message to others to act kindly. "Just think next time you have something that means a lot to you, maybe it means more to someone else," she said.

Former USC football cornerback Brian Baucham is suing the college and ex-coach Lane Kiffin, alleging he was forced to play despite having had a concussion and being told by doctors that he was in no condition to play.

Baucham, 24, a high school standout in Torrance, suffered a concussion during a game in July 2012.

Two months later, during a game against California, he collapsed and was taken to a hospital where he was put on a ventilator, according to the suit. A CT scan revealed bleeding on the brain. Baucham has no memory of the second half of the game, according to his lawsuit.

"They played him in the third quarter. They played him in the fourth quarter," Bruce M. Brusavich, Baucham's attorney, said. "When he got to the sidelines, he just collapsed.

"He just never fully recovered."

Baucham, a fifth-year senior in 2012, didn't play for the Trojans again and will never be able to pursue a career in the NFL, he alleges.

The lawsuit also claims USC tried to revoke his scholarship after his injury, but Baucham and his family fought the school until he graduated.

USC athletic director Pat Haden declined to comment about the case, but said in a statement: "I will say that I am confident that we provide excellent medical treatment to our student-athletes and that their health is our primary concern ahead of any athletic competition."

Kiffin declined to comment.

Kiffin was fired early on Sept. 29, 2013, hours after a 62-41 loss to Arizona State dropped the Trojans' record to 3-2. He is now Alabama's offensive coordinator.

Former USC tailback Stafon Johnson sued the school and a former assistant strength coach for negligence in 2011, 16 months after Johnson's throat was crushed in a weightlifting accident. The suit was settled in January 2012.

NBC4 Wire Services contributed to this report.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

Plague-ridden squirrels prompted a classic hiker’s reminder from health officials: Don’t feed the animals.

During routine monitoring, county officials discovered two squirrels that tested positive for plague in the Palomar Mountain area. The little creatures were trapped last week in the Doane Valley Campground.

County Environmental Health Director Liz Pozzebon has some tips on how to keep yourself and pets safe from the disease while hiking and camping.

“People need to remember not to feed or play with squirrels when you come across them outdoors,” she said.

She recommends avoiding squirrel burrows when you play or set up your tent, and report dead squirrels to camp rangers when you find them. Never touch a sick or dead animal.

As for your pets, keep them on a leash, use flea controls or just leave them at home.

Warning signs in the area help hikers keep that in mind.

The bacteria that causes plague, Yersinia pestis, is not as rare as you may expect in San Diego’s higher elevations, county officials say. While it mainly affects wild rodents, it can spread to humans if fleas feed on infected animals and then bite people.

Plague can also be transmitted if people like hunters touch an infected animal’s tissue or body fluid.

Environmental Health Vector Control crews have dusted the animals’ burrows to kill fleas that transmit plague from rodents to people.

Symptoms of the disease include sudden onset fever, chills and tender lymph nodes. If a person contracts plague, he or she can become seriously ill and possibly die unless treated quickly with antibiotics.

Health officials say you should immediately call your doctor if you become sick within a week of visiting an area with plague.

A contentious and sometimes hostile debate between District 52 Congressional candidates Scott Peters and Carl DeMaio addressed America’s most pressing issues Tuesday night.

Voters were able to see what sets the two apart during NBC 7’s hour-long Conversation with the Candidates.

Incumbent Congressman Peters, a Democrat, and former San Diego City Councilman DeMaio, a Republican, are racing for California’s 52nd Congressional District, which stretches from Coronado to La Jolla and reaches inland to Scripps Ranch, Poway and up to Rancho Bernardo.

Registered voters in the district are split 34 percent Republican, 32 percent Democrat and 29 percent unaffiliated, which means it is anyone's race.

The first issue debated Thursday was ISIS. The U.S. began airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria Monday, but some military experts say without ground troops, we will not see an end to the terrorist group.

Both candidates were asked at what point they would support U.S. boots on the ground to fight ISIS.

DeMaio said the crisis would have to pass two key tests: make sure it is an issue of national security and ensure there is a thoughtful, common sense strategy to win.

He believes ISIS has clearly established itself as a threat to national security, but as to the second point, he said, “I don’t believe the president has laid out an adequate strategy.”

DeMaio expects the U.S. will find that airstrikes are inadequate.

“If we have to build a case for an expansion, that has to be something that the American people will support,” DeMaio said, “and that’s where the administration and Congress should not treat this as a Democrat issue or a Republican issue. This would be an American issue.”

In response, Peters described ISIS as a tremendously dangerous force with better equipment, funding and tactics than Al Qaeda.

“And we know that around the world, not just in the Middle East, there are people in dark rooms and even caves planning to hurt our country and our families, and we have to go to those places and stop them,” he said.

He supports a multi-strategy plan laid out by the Obama administration and military commanders. The effort starts with airstrikes to degrade the enemy, the congressman said, and continues with developing a stable political system in Iraq.

Allies in the area and international governments equally interested in the region’s security must also take part in the fight, according to Peters.

“Part of it is the equipment and training of some Syrians who will be carefully vetted on the ground,” he said.

THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE

Next, the candidates took on the issue of immigration – a topic especially important to Mexico-bordering San Diego.

Peters and DeMaio were asked if they have any policy ideas or initiatives that would break the gridlock.

Peters countered the assumption that nothing gets done on the issue by saying the Senate passed on a bipartisan immigration bill last summer, though the House has yet to put it up for a vote.

In the measure, he claimed he supported its increased border security and tenants aimed at deficit reduction and economic growth.

According to Peters, the undocumented workers in the U.S. should pay a fine, start paying their taxes and earn a path to citizenship while staying here.

“In biotechnology, we’re sending people home who we educate to cure diseases and start jobs in other countries instead of keep them here,” said Peters.

DeMaio’s issue with the immigration bill is its complexity, thousands of pages filled with special interest agendas, he said.

What gets crowded out are the points everyone agrees on, like border security, he said.

By tightening up our borders, DeMaio claims we can prevent a system that allows people get to run to the front of the line while improving national security.

“But members of Congress constantly want to put poison pills in these bills that become thousands of pages long, and they sit there and they point fingers at each other,” said DeMaio.

ABOUT THE CANDIDATE: SCOTT PETERS

Scott Peters earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University and attended New York University School of Law. He was an environmental lawyer before going into politics.

The attorney-turned-politician served on the San Diego City Council from 2000 to 2008, becoming the first council president after the switch to a strong-mayor form of government.

Peters lost his bid for the city attorney's office in 2008, and he was termed out of office as a councilman the same year. In 2009, he became a commissioner of the San Diego Unified Port District.

In 2012, he successfully challenged then-Rep. Brian Bilbray for the 52nd Congressional District.

He lives with his wife in the La Jolla. They have a son and daughter.

ABOUT THE CANDIDATE: CARL DEMAIO

Carl DeMaio attended Georgetown University where he earned a degree in International Business and Politics.

Before running for office, DeMaio started The Performance Institute, a for-profit think-tank that provides training for government officials.

He later founded the American Strategic Management Institute, which offered financial and management training to corporations. Both companies he later sold.

DeMaio moved to San Diego in 2002 where he began speaking publicly and backing efforts aimed at city government reform.

In 2008, he ran and won a seat on the San Diego City Council representing District 5 as an openly-gay man and a self-described government watchdog, later backing Proposition B which put before voters a plan aimed at drastically re-tooling city worker's retirement benefits along with changing the cost to taxpayers.

After one council term, DeMaio ran for mayor, advancing to the run-off before losing to Bob Filner.

DeMaio's partner is Jonathan Hale, the owner of a San Diego based marketing firm targeting the LGBT community.

The woman on trial for killing her husband said he routinely abused her and that it all came to a head on Aug. 7, 2012.

Julie Harper, 41, took the stand for the second day on Tuesday. The Carlsbad woman said she shot her husband Jason in self-defense after enduring months of sexual and verbal abuse.

Jason was “in an absolute fury” the morning he died, Harper told the court. She said he was throwing clothes and boxes around the bedroom looking for his computer.

“He grabbed me and began yanking my top off…Then he began pulling my bottoms down and somewhat simultaneously pushing me onto the chaise, the couch,” Harper said.

Harper said she managed to wiggle free and grabbed her gun from under her pillow. She told her husband to stay back, she said, but he kept coming toward her and threatened to kill her.

“I was shaking. I was holding onto my gun tightly,” Harper said.

“Next thing I knew, I felt my hand jerk and heard a loud noise, and he was still coming forward at me. All of a sudden he froze completely. Just like a tree in the forest fell forward at me.”

Harper filed for divorce on Aug. 2, four days before the murder. She moved her pistol from the safe to under her pillow around the same time. She said she packed an emergency bag with money and passports in case she had to leave on a moment’s notice, something she learned to do on a domestic violence website.

Harper had been keeping a daily planner to track her husband’s abusive behavior. Defense attorney Paul Pfingst asked Harper to read from the planner in court on Tuesday. She shared multiple incidents of rape and verbal abuse, including one argument that she said lasted for more than 10 hours.

Carlsbad police discovered Jason’s body buried in a pile of clutter. Harper said she covered her husband’s dead body with blankets and boxes so her children wouldn’t see him that way.

Harper faces 50 years to life in prison if found guilty.

Three 18-year-olds who vandalized American flags in a senior living community are now behind bars, according to the Oceanside Police Department.

Officers arrested Daniel Moran and Breanna Serrato on Tuesday. The pair implicated a third person, Reuben Jimenez, who was already in custody for an unrelated crime, police said.

Moran, Serrato and Jimenez are accused of defacing three American flags on July 18, two in a senior community on Rosemary Way and one on Mesa Drive.

The vandals wrote “F*** USA” in light blue spray paint on one of the flags.

The trio was caught on surveillance video at one location. Two young men are seen holding and spray painting Old Glory, while a young woman appears to take a photo with a cellphone.

Officers found “evidence consistent with the vandalism” when they arrested the suspects, according to OPD.

A Ramona couple whose home was raided by agents with guns drawn has filed a lawsuit against San Diego law enforcement, alleging their rights as medical marijuana patients were violated.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court is the latest example of the ongoing debate over the rights of medical marijuana patients in California – how their treatment is regulated and how, according to their attorney, these type of cases are perceived by law enforcement.

The home of Deborah and Dennis Little, both seriously ill and qualified medicinal marijuana patients under California law, was raided in October 2012 by narcotics agents.

Agents claimed they seized hundreds of pounds of useable marijuana, while the Littles disputed that claim saying they had 29 plants. They also denied allegations that they had planned to sell the drug.

Deborah Little, 61, suffers from HIV and her 66-year-old husband battles depression and neuropathy, according to their attorney.

The couple was tried in March 2014 on possession of marijuana for sale and unlawful cultivation of marijuana. A judge dismissed the cultivation charge and they were acquitted by a jury of possession.

The lawsuit names San Diego Police Chief Shelly Zimmerman and San Diego County Sheriff William Gore as well as members of the San Diego County Integrated Narcotics Task Force.

When reached for comment, a spokesman for San Diego police referred questions to the city attorney. A chief city attorney declined to comment.

The lawsuit alleges that the search of the Littles’ home was not supported by evidence in a warrant affidavit. They also allege unreasonable search, excessive force and that the tactics by police violated their right to due process.

“Upon information and belief, the NTF officers’ conduct was motivated by evil motive and intent, including discrimination against all users of marijuana, regardless of legal status and California law,” the suit alleges.

The suit seeks an unspecified amount of damages to be determined at trial.

It will be impossible to forget the San Diego County Fair next summer – especially given its theme.

On Wednesday, fair organizers, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and the 22nd District Agricultural Association announced the theme for the 2015 San Diego County Fair in Del Mar: “A Fair to Remember, A Celebration of the World’s Fairs and Balboa Park.”

Organizers said the theme will commemorate the centennial anniversary of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition held in Balboa Park. Thus, the theme will unite the fair with the 2015 celebration of San Diego’s iconic landmark.

The fair will also highlight the major role agriculture has played and continues to play at all fairs and expositions around the globe.

The 24.5-day fair season is scheduled to run June 5, 2015, through July 5, 2015.

Mayor Faulconer said folding the Balboa Park centennial into the fair theme is a winning combination.

“The 2015 centennial celebration will bring our city together through events that celebrate, elevate and promote Balboa Park. This partnership with the San Diego County Fair is a perfect fit for the community-focused centennial. It celebrates Balboa Park’s history, elevates the centennial to a regional event and promotes San Diego’s crown jewel on whole new a level,” said Faulconer.

Organizers said 2015 San Diego County Fair theme exhibit will include special displays that showcase the 1915 Exposition and Balboa Park as it stands today as well as the history of the world’s fairs.

The San Diego County Fair is one of the 10 largest fairs in the United States, drawing more than 1.4 million visitors to the Del Mar Fairgrounds each year.