Domestic violence was one of the most common causes of homicide in San Diego County last year, according to a new study released by SANDAG Thursday.

The report — “San Diego Violent Crime Victims and Suspects in 2013” — concluded that one in five homicides in San Diego County in 2013 were the result of domestic violence, up from the year before.

Domestic violence was the second most common cause of homicide, right behind argument but before gang activity, which ranked third.

Key findings in the study included that 83 percent of female homicide victims in San Diego were murdered by a spouse, intimate partner or family member, compared to 16 percent of male homicide victims.

“Countywide, females were more likely to be murdered as a result of domestic violence, while males were more often a homicide victim due to an argument, robbery, or gang-related incident,” explained Dr. Cynthia Burke, SANDAG Criminal Justice Research Director.

One such female victim was Rocio Duncan, 36, who was stabbed to death by her estranged husband in front of the Imperial Beach Sheriff's Station as she dropped off their two children — a court-ordered exchange.

"'If you don't belong to me, you don't belong to anyone' is what the message was," said Duncan's father Juan Medina. "He told her, 'You're going to meet your maker.'"

Medina told NBC 7 Duncan did everything she could to get away from her husband, including going to a shelter.

Her father said the community must have more outreach to potential victims, more monitoring and more awareness.

"The only way we're going to be more proactive is to get the word out. The word has to be sent out to the community. This thing is starting to stink and the best deodorizer is sunlight," said Medina.

According to Burke, deadly domestic violence trends have been fairly consistent over the years.

Over the past several years, there have been some variations in the rate of homicide linked to domestic violence, ranging from a low of 16 percent in 2008 to a high of 30 percent in 2011.

In looking at ethnicity, the study notes that domestic violence was the primary factor leading to homicide in 29 percent of cases involving a Hispanic victim and in 36 percent of cases involving an “other” race or ethnicity. It was a factor in 9 percent of homicides involving a white victim.

The report also shed light on some rape statistics. Though women ages 18 to 24 only make up 12 percent of the regional population, they comprise 34 percent of rape victims.

The study said 42 percent of rape suspects are between 25 and 39 years old, though this age group makes up only 22 percent of the region’s population.

To read the full report, click here.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

Traffic was blocked on a busy street in North Park Thursday after a truck plowed into a power pole, officials said.

The accident happened just before 10:40 a.m. in the 4500 block of Illinois Street. A large truck doing asphalt replacement work in the area struck a power pole, downing power lines in the area.

Some of those lines fell right on top of the driver’s vehicle.

Fire officials instructed the driver to remain inside the truck, to avoid injury, while they shut the power off.

Fire Capt. Mike McBride said the crash caused a few live wires on the ground and pulled power lines from some apartments and residences in the area.

Traffic was shut down on Illinois Street between Madison and Meade avenues while crews worked on freeing the driver and securing the scene. SDG&E officials were called to repair the pole and lines.

No injuries were reported.

SDG&E reported a small, unplanned power outage in the North Park area around the same time as the accident, though it’s unknown if it was directly related to the crash. That outage impacted nearly 50 customers, with SDG&E expecting to have power fully restored by 1 p.m.
 

Two window washers were plucked from the side of a downtown Oakland high-rise in a dramatic rescue Thursday, an hour after an equipment malfunction left them stranded almost 20 stories up.

NBC Bay Area's chopper flew over Oakland City Center, at 1111 Broadway, a 24-story structure near 11th Street, capturing images of a rescue that conjured up images of Spider-Man. A firefighter rappelled down the glass exterior and hoisted the workers into a basket, as emergency crews peered over the roof of the structure.

Oakland Fire Battalion Chief Coy Justice said the department had trained for something like this, but never had to deal with such a real-life operation.

Firefighter Brian Fukuhara was one of the crew members who actually rescued the workers. "They were very thankful," he said.

A security officer said the men got stuck because of either a motor or cable problem with their equipment. The worker did not want to be named. The men got stuck at about 10:48 a.m.

Attorney Neal Parish was inside the building at the time, when firefighters told him the workers got stuck somewhere between the 19th and 20th floors. Parish went into a colleague's office and snapped a photo. "I was just lucky on the timing," he said.

The 1st window washer being brought to the roof looked happy to be rescued - pic from inside 24th floor at 1111 B'way pic.twitter.com/M8evfRXhtm

— Neal Parish (@NAParish) October 2, 2014

Police shut down Broadway between 11th and 12th streets while first responders figure out how to rescue the men.

The high-profile high-rise is home to many prominent law firms, including Wendel Rosen Black & Dean LLP, DeHay & Ellison, and other corporate tenants including Merrill Lynch and HNTB.

2nd window washer getting rescued!Dozens of worried spectators. Broadway at 11th closed for short stretch #oakland pic.twitter.com/OhZ77vBZSk

— Stephanie Chuang (@StephChuang) October 2, 2014

Unfortunately, I didn't get a good pic of the fireman walking up the building, since he went past a different window. pic.twitter.com/niocPBOoOv

— Neal Parish (@NAParish) October 2, 2014

Bay City News contributed to this report.

The man who led police on a wild 90-minute pursuit that ended Thursday when he flew off a freeway embankment is the suspected "Hills Bandit," wanted in a series of bank robberies from Santa Barbara to Orange County, police said.

Stephen Richard Bartlett, 53, was arrested after the pursuit ended at 1 p.m. off the 210 Freeway in Rialto, police said.

He led police on a pursuit after allegedly stealing $12,000 in steel from a commercial business in Santa Fe Springs, police said.

He sped up to 85 mph along Southern California freeways -- at some points in opposing lanes of traffic -- before flying off an embankment, climbing out of the upended truck and surrendering to police, officials said.

When asked by NBC4 whether he was trying to hurt anyone, he said, "Of course I didn't want to hurt anybody," he said while sitting in the back of a police car, his neck in a brace.

All lanes on the westbound 210 Freeway were closed as authorities took the suspect into custody and handled the crash.

The wild pursuit wound through the cities of Santa Fe Springs, Whittier, La Habra and Brea. At one point, he allegedly threw what appeared to be a gun from the truck, but which turned out to be a replica gun, Whittier police said in a statement.

At another point during the chase, the suspect stopped his car on the shoulder of a freeway in opposing lanes and tried to scale a fence, but when he saw police, he got back into the truck and made a U-turn on the freeway.

The truck crashed into a car when a CHP patrol vehicle appeared to crash into the back of the truck.

The suspect was treated at a hospital for minor injuries before being he was expected to be booked into jail.

He faces charges including, felony theft, felony evading, felony vehicle embezzlement, two hit and run collisions and numerous warrants including bank robbery, police said.

Authorities say they believe Bartlett is the so-called Hills Bandit who's robbed more than a half-dozen banks in San Diego and Orange counties since May.

Andrew Lopez and Rosa Ordaz contributed to this report.

The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward to find and arrest one of San Diego’s most wanted cyber fugitives.

John Gordon Baden, 38, is accused of operating an enterprise to hack private information from a mortgage broker. He allegedly stole the identities of 40,000 people and then used the stolen information to siphon funds from their brokerage or bank accounts. He also allegedly bought expensive electronic items with their credit, prosecutors said.

The losses are estimated to be millions of dollars, according to a news release from the FBI.

Prosecutors said Baden worked with two co-conspirators hacked into the company’s computer servers to access mortgage applications that contained names, dates of birth, social security numbers, addresses, assets, tax information and driver’s licenses.

The three allegedly operated this enterprise in Tijuana, Mexico, but the victims lived throughout the United States, prosecutors said.

The co-conspirators, alleged to be Jason Ray Bailey and Victor Alejandro Fernandez, were arrested in February and remain in federal custody.

Baden is described as white, 5 feet 8 inches, 195 pounds with light brown hair and hazel eyes. He may be in Tijuana, FBI agents said.

Anyone with information should call the FBI at 858-320-1800 or submit a tip here.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

The Toronto company that won Atlantic City's Revel casino at a bankruptcy auction is facing financial problems at a Hard Rock casino it owns in Las Vegas.

Brookfield US Holdings LLC owns the Hard Rock and the Atlantic Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

In an August filing with securities regulators, the company said it did not have the money to make an interest payment due that month, and was trying to work things out with its lenders.

The filing said lenders could demand immediate payment of nearly $1 billion in debt.

Brookfield spokesman Andrew Willis says the negotiations underway for the Hard Rock property will not affect its ability to complete the Revel purchase.

Brookfield will pay $110 million for Revel, which cost $2.4 billion to build.

Details of Brookfield's financial problems in Las Vegas were first reported by Philly.com.

An SDG&E truck driver and another motorist were flown to the hospital after a serious crash Wednesday night, according to Oceanside police.

The accident happened around 11:30 p.m. at the intersection of State Route 76 and Douglas Drive.

According to police, a Toyota Corolla turned left and was broadsided by an oncoming SDG&E utility truck. Witnesses told police the SDG&E truck had a green light and the sedan drove into its path.

The drivers of both vehicles were flown to Scripps La Jolla for “major” injuries, police said. A passenger in the SDG&E truck was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.
 

Only a handful of the 100 or so people identified as having had contact with Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with the Ebola virus in the Unites States, or his family's home, will need to be monitored for exposure to Ebola, health officials said Thursday.

Members of Duncan's household and healthcare workers who had been in contact with him were among those being monitored, said Tom Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during a conference call.

Not all of the 100 or so identified have been interviewed yet, and the CDC does not have a specific number of people who will be monitored, he said.

Dallas health officials are currently only looking at 18 people who have had close contact with Duncan, though Zach Thompson, the director of Dallas County Health and Human Services, said he expects that number to increase and that it may include a second diagnosis for Ebola.

"I would not be shocked if we see that second case, but to date there has not been any indication that any of the contacts that we have been tracking show any signs or symptoms," Thompson said. "The only close contact that we're aware of [with] this patient was with his immediate children and his wife. So now we're looking at close friends."

Officials are investigating Duncan's background and trip from Liberia. Liberian officials now say they intend to prosecute the 42-year-old for allegedly lying on his airport screening questionnaire before flying to the U.S.

Dallas County health officials have ordered four of his family members to stay home and to accept no visitors to prevent potential spread of the disease, according to a news release.

Officials expect the list of 100 "potential or possible contacts" to narrow as they "focus in on those whose contact may represent a potential risk of infection," a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services said Thursday.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we're starting with this very wide net, including people who have had even brief encounters with the patient or the patient's home," spokeswoman Carrie Williams said in a statement. "The number will drop as we focus in on those whose contact may represent a potential risk of infection." ​

Hospital officials, meanwhile, said they’re optimistic that Duncan, a Liberian national, will recover. He is listed in serious condition at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

Duncan tested positive for Ebola less than two weeks after he arrived in the U.S. from Liberia, health officials confirmed Tuesday. He initially sought care at a hospital Sept. 25, shortly after showing symptoms, but was released. He returned Sept. 28 and was flagged as a potential Ebola case.

The timing has raised questions about why Duncan wasn't treated as a possible Ebola patient sooner, given his recent travel.

Duncan's nephew Josephus Weeks told NBC News he had reached out to the CDC out of fear that he might infect other people. He urged doctors to give Duncan the same experimental drugs credited with saving the lives of American aid workers, including Dr. Kent Brantly of Fort Worth.

"He's doing all right. He's in our prayers. We are really rooting on him," Weeks told NBC News. "I'm hoping that he can get the same kind of treatment that was given to the four other patients that survived, and that's my concern."

Officials Focus on Those Facing Exposure Risk

Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Zach Thompson initially said that up to 80 people came into contact with Duncan or Duncan's family. A spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services later said they are "working from a list of about 100 potential or possible contacts and will soon have an official contact tracing number that will be lower."

Officials did not say whether Duncan was symptomatic during the interactions. Not all had close, physical contact. Officials previously confirmed that several school-age children came into contact with him.

Ten CDC officials are looking at Duncan's trip from Liberia to Dallas, which spanned more than 9,000 miles and included stops in Brussels and a major airport servicing the Washington, D.C. area. Officials said they'll determine whether fellow passengers need to be contacted.

Family Under Legal Order

After previously being told to stay home and isolated, Duncan's relatives could now face legal action if they don't comply.

Texas and Dallas County health officials issued a legal order requiring the four family members to stay home and not have any visitors until Oct. 19, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a news release.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said Thursday that the four "were noncompliant with the request to stay home, " though he did not specify where they went.

“We have tried and true protocols to protect the public and stop the spread of this disease,” Dr. David Lakey, Texas health commissioner, said in the release. “This order gives us the ability to monitor the situation in the most meticulous way.”

The order also requires the family to provide blood samples, agree to any testing required and immediately report any symptoms. The family members do not have symptoms at this time.

Symptoms include fever above 100.5 degrees, headache, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Texas law allows the health officials to issue such control measures. If a person does not follow these orders, they can be enforced by the courts, and the person can face criminal charges.

Dallas ISD Children Being Monitored

Five Dallas Independent School District children had contact with Duncan and are being monitored at home, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday, though the school district says they are not showing any symptoms.

Two students at Sam Tasby Middle School possibly came into contact with Duncan, and one student each at Dan D. Rogers Elementary, L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary and Emmett J. Conrad High School, according to DISD Superintendent Mike Miles.

The students are being advised to stay home and are being closely observed by the Dallas County Health and Human Services Department, the school district said in a news release.

"Since the students are not presenting any symptoms, there is nothing to suggest that the disease was spread to others including students and staff," it said.

The district has launched a recorded hotline to provide updates to parents. The hotline number is 972-925-5810. Parents can also visit www.dallasisd.org/healthupdates for information.

Nephew: Patient Not Properly Treated

Duncan's nephew Joseph Weeks said his uncle was not properly treated during his initial visit to a Dallas hospital.

Health officials acknowledged that Duncan was initially sent home from Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital after complaining of fever and abdominal pain. He returned days later in an ambulance.

"I called CDC to get some actions taken, because I was concerned for his life and he wasn't getting the appropriate care," Weeks said. "I feared other people might also get infected if he wasn't taken care of."

Weeks said the CDC referred him to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, which took appropriate action. He added that he hoped "nobody else got infected because of a mistake that was made."

"I called the CDC and they instructed me of the process, and that got the ball rolling," Weeks said.

A CDC spokesman told NBC News the agency could not comment on Weeks' claim. The hospital did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hospital officials said they'll review why Duncan was allowed to leave during his initial visit.

Neighbor Witnessed Patient Vomiting

Two days after initially being sent home from the hospital, neighbor Mesud Osmanovic said he saw Duncan vomiting on the ground outside an apartment complex in the 7200 block of Fair Oaks Avenue as he was loaded into an ambulance.

"His whole family was screaming," Osmanovic said. "He got outside, and he was throwing up all over the place."

Three paramedics took Duncan to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital by ambulance. At the time, though, they had no idea they were dealing with a patient with the Ebola virus.

“What our paramedics saw was this could be a contagious person, not knowing what it would turn into,” said Lieutenant Joel Lavender with Dallas Fire-Rescue.

The three paramedics are currently at home being monitored for 21 days. Health officials are also keeping a close eye on anyone who they have confirmed has been in contact with Duncan after he showed symptoms of the disease about a week ago.

A San Diego mother charged with the murder of her 9-month-old son maintained her innocence in an exclusive jailhouse interview with NBC 7 Wednesday night, saying she did not kill her baby.

Guadalupe O’Campos, 32, sits at the Las Colinas Detention facility charged with the Sept. 5, 2013, murder of her baby boy, Kevin Machado. She was arrested last week, more than a year after the death.

O’Campos agreed to a jailhouse interview with NBC 7. Minutes into the interview, she broke down crying saying she is not a killer.

“I haven't done anything. I didn't do anything to my son,” O’Campos, who speaks only Spanish, said through a translator.

O’Campos said her son’s death, to her understanding, was an accident. She said she’s also confused by some of the findings revealed in her baby’s autopsy report.

NBC 7 obtained that report of baby Kevin’s death.

It shows O’Campos and the baby’s father reported two falls - one on Sept. 3, 2013, and one on Sept. 5, 2013, which is the day the baby died.

According to the family, the baby fell off a bed both times in their City Heights home and later passed away at Rady Children’s Hospital.

The autopsy report also mentioned: “The other short distance fall reported to have occurred days prior is also inconsistent with the acute and organized hemorrhages, with areas of organization estimated to be a few weeks old.”

Those details combined with inconsistent reports from O'Campos and the baby's father led a deputy medical examiner to determine the death was a homicide.

The mother said she still doesn’t understand how that conclusion came about.

“That's what I want to know because I want to know where did they get that information?” O’Campos told NBC 7. “Where did he get that head injury? I want to know.”

During the jailhouse interview, O’Campos admitted to the earlier fall but said her son never hit the ground.

“The baby didn't fall completely. He got stuck between the closet and the bed. He never hit the floor. That was the first time. We always put a pillow next to the bed,” she explained.

O’Campos’ teenage daughter, who was at the home during the alleged second fall, told NBC 7 it was actually the baby's father who was on the bed with the child. She said O’Campos was in the kitchen.

O’Campos confirmed her current husband was there when the baby fell both on occasions. She said they remain married and he is currently at home.

O’Campos is now eight months pregnant with her seventh child.

“I have suffered a lot. I have suffered my son's death. God knows how I've been living with this,” she said, sobbing. “That's why I got pregnant again - to ease my pain.”

NBC 7 reached out to the San Diego County District Attorney’s office about O’Campos’ case. In an email, officials said:

"Since this is a pending case, we are not able to comment directly on the case. The District Attorney's Office can only file criminal charges when we believe we can prove them beyond a reasonable doubt."

O’Campos pleaded not guilty to the murder charge at her arraignment last month. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 9.

The mother said she’s prepared to explain everything in court.
 

An ex-counselor is now facing multiple charges for allegedly sexually exploiting a 6-week-old baby and exchanging sexually graphic photos and videos of the newborn with the baby’s foster father.

According to the United States Attorney’s office, a federal grand jury indicted Stephen Schaffner, 34, of Greensboro, Maryland, on Wednesday for the sexual abuse of the baby boy, who was born prematurely.

The document alleges Schaffner conspired with San Diego-based pediatric nurse Michael Lutts, 50, to sexually abuse the infant. Lutts allegedly sent photos of the abuse to Schaffner digitally, via cellphone and a messaging app.

Lutts was the baby boy’s foster parent. He brought the child home on Aug. 4 and, according to the indictment, texted Schaffner that evening images of the infant.

Over the next several hours, investigators say Schaffner allegedly exchanged numerous graphic and sexually explicit messages with Lutts about engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the baby.

Lutts sent Schaffner videos with the infant, including images of an adult performing oral sex on the baby, according to the document.

The 10-count indictment says Schaffner allegedly directed Lutts to sexually abuse the baby in order to produce the images and send them his way.

In April 2014, authorities obtained a federal search warrant for an email address of a person who was distributing child pornography, which led to other suspects doing the same.

On Aug. 26, officials obtained a search warrant for Lutts’ San Diego home and seized a cellphone containing images and videos of him allegedly sexually molesting the baby boy.

Lutts is currently facing federal charges stemming from the abuse in San Diego. A grand jury indictment filed on Sept. 26 alleges Lutts may have also abused another child in the same manner – an 11-month-old girl.

Meanwhile, Schaffner faces between 15 and 30 years in prison for his charges, plus a lifetime of supervised release. He appeared in U.S.District Court in Baltimore Wednesday.

The indictment said Schaffner was a clinical professional counselor in Maryland but had his license suspended on June 14. He was also a licensed associate counselor in Arizona until his Arizona license expired in 2011.

Anyone with information related to Schaffner’s case should contact the FBI at (410) 265-8080.
 

Severe thunderstorms packing winds of up to 90 mph tore through the Dallas-Fort Worth area Thursday, ripping a roof from a college building in Arlington, toppling a brick wall in historic Fort Worth and leaving thousands in the dark.

The fast-moving storms left widespread damage and power outages in the their wake Thursday afternoon across North Texas, as winds downed utility poles and large tree limbs.

Winds ripped the roof from the girls' dorm on the Arlington Baptist College campus. Lt. Lee Tovar with the Arlington Fire Department said one person was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Many of the students had gone home for the weekend, but those who were there said they ran into the lobby as the roof started to peel away. The debris damaged several cars in the parking lot.

Until the building is fixed, no one will be allowed to stay there. Family, friends and churches in the area are helping the displaced girls until a long-term solution is found.

Chopper 5 also spotted major damage at JD Higgins Company in the 1600 block of Industrial Court in Arlington. The roof was ripped off exposing the inside of the building to the elements.

Storms also triggered a building collapse in the Stockyards in Fort Worth during the height of the storm, the fire department said.

The back wall of the old Stage Coach Hotel at 2408 North Main Street collapsed during the storm. The collapse sent nearly 100 old bricks smashing down onto eight cars parked below.

Fort Worth Fire is concerned the other three walls may not be stable and have evacuated neighboring buildings, including the Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Maverick Fine Western Wear, Elephant Saloon and Love Shack.

North Main Street is closed between NW 23rd Street and NW 25th Street. It’s unclear how long the closure will be in place. No one was injured, but eight vehicles were damaged, some totaled.

Numerous sheet metal sheds were mangled, and a limb crushed an unoccupied car in eastern Fort Worth.

The Dallas County Sheriff's Office says wind is to blame for power lines and a fiber optic line being torn down across Interstate 20 at Cockrell Hill Road. No injuries were reported, from Chopper 5 one car could be seen with the power line across its hood.

The lines came down around 4:25 p.m. and the roadway was closed for nearly four hours. NBC 5's Amanda Guerra reported the roadway reopened around 8 p.m. but not before mothers and their children abandoned their cars on the highway to go to a nearby gas station for food, water and restrooms.

In Dallas, traffic lights were out for a large section of Lake Highlands and along Greenville Avenue, east of US-75 Central Expressway, Thursday evening.

The stop arms at several DART light rail crossings were down for hours, including the crossing at Audelia Road, just south of I-635, causing lengthy traffic delays.

NBC 5 crews came across two massive trees that were uprooted buy the storm. Power poles and large street signs were knocked down in the area around Southern Methodist University.

Frisco firefighters said a house fire in the 12200 block of Blue Ridge Drive may have been caused by lightning. The City of Frisco said a neighbor who called 911 reported seeing lightning strike the two-story home at around 4:25 p.m. No one was at home at the time of the fire. One firefighter was treated for a minor injury.

Denton County got hit early in the storm seeing heavy downpours and up-to baseball sized hail reported in some areas. Besides some flash flooding and tree damage though, the area dodged the worst of the storm.

Police named a second person of interest in the disappearance of two young Maryland sisters decades ago and said there's a good change their bodies are buried in a remote area of Virginia.

The Lyon sisters -- Sheila, 12, and Katherine, 10 -- vanished March 25, 1975, from a Wheaton shopping center.

Montgomery County, Maryland, authorities have been searching a property located in Bedford County, Virginia, between Lynchburg and Roanoke since last week. It was once owned by the family of 57-year-old Lloyd Lee Welch Jr., who is also known as Michael Welch. He was named a person of interest in February.

His uncle Richard Allen Welch Sr. of Hyattsville, Maryland, was named a person of interest Thursday afternoon. He worked as a security guard in the 1970s, and police believe he owned and may still own the property being searched.

Half a dozen people have come forward and talked to police since Lloyd Welch was named, News4 learned. Each told similar stories of being approached at the Wheaton Plaza shopping center by a man with a badge accusing them of stealing something and attempting to grab them and lead them to a parking area.

Investigators believe all of those who came forward were teenagers when they were approached, and at least one of the reports happened two years after the Lyon sisters disappeared, sources close to the investigation said. Investigators are looking at that pattern of behavior.

Police want anyone who had a business in the area of Wheaton Plaza in the mid-1970s to check their records to see if they employed a security guard named Richard Welch.

At his Hyattsville homeThursday evening, a woman refused to answer questions, but neighbors told News4's Jackie Bensen police were at the house for several hours Sept. 19.

A grand jury will be called in Bedford County Friday.

Police zeroed in on Taylor Mountain, where they are looking to recover evidence "that will hold those that harmed those girls responsible in a court of law." They believe the Lyon sisters are on the mountain.

Detectives have not found any remains, sources said, though neighbors in the area think police are searching for remains at a nearby cemetery. 

The Bedford County Sheriff's Office confirmed that officers were assisting Montgomery County Police "with a homicide investigation."

They've said they're "very confident" they're close to finding out exactly what happened to the sisters.

The Bedford County Sheriff's Office also said cold case investigators had traveled to the area last week to meet with Bedford County authorities and Virginia State Police.

The Lyon sisters' case is etched into the memories of several generations of Washington-area families. It shattered a sense of safety in the D.C. suburbs and made parents afraid to let their children out of their sight.

• Lyon Sisters' Disappearance Rocked Maryland Neighborhoods

On March 25, 1975, the Lyon sisters had planned a day at a local shopping center. They were on spreak break and wanted to get some pizza for lunch and see the Easter decorations at Wheaton Plaza, now known as Westfield Wheaton Mall.

With less than $4, they left their home in Kensington, Maryland, and walked the half-mile or so to Wheaton Plaza.

There, a friend saw the girls outside the Orange Bowl restaurant with an older man who had a tape recorder and a briefcase, according to news and missing persons reports.

The girls were later spotted walking home, but by their 4 p.m. curfew, they hadn't arrived. By 7 p.m. that night, police had been called.

Later, a composite sketch was distributed of the man who seen talking to them. Tips flowed in, but to no avail.

Sheila and Katherine were never seen again.

• Break in Decades-Old Disappearance of Lyon Sisters: PD

In February, police identified a person of interest in connection with their disappearance. Lloyd Lee Welch Jr. is a convicted sex offender who has been in prison in Delaware since 1997 on a rape conviction. Welch was noticed paying attention to the sisters the afternoon they vanished, investigators said.

"Even though so much time has passed, we have not forgotten that those young girls deserve justice, and their family deserves closure," said Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger in February.

Welch is originally from the D.C. area. Between the 1970s and the mid-1990s, he traveled extensively through the United States while working for a carnival company with his girlfriend Helen Craver, police said.

Welch was charged with raping juveniles in Virginia and South Carolina. He was also arrested in a burglary not far from Wheaton Plaza. He was known to hitchhike throughout the D.C. area.

Many people who grew up in the area remember the disappearance of the sisters, and how deeply it shook their sense of safety.

"It was just stunning. It could have been anybody's kids," said Charleen Merkel earlier this year while shopping at Westfield Wheaton.

"It brings back a lot of memories of being scared growing up," said another shopper, who did not give her name.

In an era when children frequently walked to school and elsewhere alone, parents started keeping their children inside.

"The Community Just Held Its Breath"

In 2005, 30 years after the girls' disappearance, police spoke about the frustration of never being able to solve a case that struck such an emotional chord for the community and for themselves.

The Lyon sisters' older brother, Jay, became a police officer.

"It's a hit-home case," Philip C. Raum, a longtime law enforcement officer in Montgomery County who headed the police's Major Crimes Unit for four years, told Montgomery County's Gazette newspaper in an article on the 30th anniversary of the disappearance.

The girls' father, John Lyon was a performer and a popular radio personality on WMAL in Bethesda. 

Radio personality Chris Core had just started working with him at WMAL when the girls disappeared.

"It's in that group of moments where the community just held its breath," Core told the Gazette in 2005.

"Partly because John was a well-known celebrity and partly because here are two innocent little girls going to the mall and disappear off the face of the earth, never to be heard from again."

Baltimore author Laura Lippman wrote a 2007 novel, "What the Dead Know," after being inspired by the Lyon case.

"The story... happened when I was a teenager, not much older than the girls who disappeared (the Lyon sisters) and living in a similarly 'safe' suburb," Lippman wrote in a chat on GoodReads.com. "It resonated very deeply with me."

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

Thousands waited hours in the sun to see Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Thursday in South Florida.

Clinton was signing copies of her new book "Hard Choices" at Books & Books at 265 Aragon Ave. in Coral Gables.

There, she spoke about her book and about becoming a grandmother just a few days ago, saying, "I highly recommend it!"

Earlier on Thursday, Clinton spoke at the Crew Network Convention & Marketplace at the Loews Hotel in Miami Beach.

Her message for the 1,200 professional women at the event was one of empowerment.

"You can't get tied into knots by what others say and think, because we all know women sometimes get judged by different criteria -- even powerful women in powerful positions," she said.

Karyl Argamasilla, with the Miami Crew chapter, said she took Clinton's message to heart.

"At the end of the day, she's someone who has broken all the glass ceilings," Argamasilla said.

At one point, a woman in the audience shouted out, "2016!" -- the only mention of a possible presidential run during Clinton's Miami stops. But those in attendance said they don't doubt she'll be joining the race.

"She's already been to Iowa," said Steve Sails. "She's running."

A suspect accused of using a police scanner to find officers to shoot is being held without bail as federal prosecutors crack down on gun crime in San Diego.

Corey Steven Middaugh, 30, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in federal court Thursday.

On Sept. 12, the San Diego based Fugitive Task Force received a special “Be on the Lookout” bulletin for Middaugh, warning that he was armed with a shotgun, and “wanted to shoot a law enforcement officer,” according to a federal complaint unsealed Thursday and obtained exclusively by NBC 7.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden told NBC 7 the suspect had been using a police scanner to find, and allegedly try to shoot, an officer.

Taskforce officers quickly found Middaugh’s pickup truck in a hotel parking lot on East Main Street in El Cajon.

Because Middaugh was considered armed and dangerous and has a prior felony conviction for manufacturing and possessing a dangerous weapon, officers decided not to storm the hotel room, but instead waited for the suspect’s next move.

They arrested him two hours later at a parking lot on North 2nd Street.

According to the complaint, officers found a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with four rounds in Middaugh’s pickup truck.

Middaugh was arrested and charged in state court. But when federal prosecutors learned about the allegations, they worked with the District Attorney’s office to transfer Middaugh’s case to the federal system.

Haden says gun charges can carry longer prison terms if a suspect is convicted in federal court.

“That kind of allegation is extraordinarily serious,” said Haden, “and when it’s directed at law enforcement, federal (prosecutors) in this case decided to get involved.”

Middaugh made his first appearance in federal court Thursday morning. Haden urged the magistrate judge to hold Middaugh in jail without bail, due to the seriousness of the alleged crime and Middaugh’s criminal history, which includes at least four felony convictions in the past seven years.

Magistrate Judge Ruben Brooks agreed.

Middaugh pleaded not guilty and will have another hearing next week, during which his attorney can argue for bail.

A San Diego woman’s cat, Malik, was mauled to death by a dog and now a Clairemont rescue group where she adopted the cat is suing her for the tragedy.

The rescue group, The Rescue House, took Margaret McLean to small-claims court on Thursday because the group claims McLean violated terms of the adoption contract. The group is seeking $1,000.

The Rescue House wanted the cat to remain indoors, which they said was laid out in the contract.

An avid animal lover, McLean said she tried her best.

“I tried my best to keep this cat indoors with screens, chicken wires, doors,” McLean said. “At what point do I let an animal express his true individuality?”

After months of fighting it, McLean trusted her instincts and started letting the cat out of the house. She said Malik was happy, even following her on walks.

It was on walk that a freak accident killed the cat. A dog across the street escaped its leash and attacked Malik.

When The Rescue House found out about Malik’s death, the group’s founder, Joan Star, said it felt like a betrayal.

“That’s the point of doing that – saying we’re really, really serious about this,” Star said. “If this isn’t something that you feel you can commit, please don’t commit.”

Rescue House workers said it’s not about the money, and in 15 years, they’ve only taken legal action a handful of times. They say McLean should have just given the cat back.

McLean said the legal action felt “punitive.”

“A thousand dollars seemed punitive to me,” McLean said. “It didn’t seem like something I was paying them back for.”

The small-claims court judge on Thursday took the case under advisement and will make a decision in 30 days.

This weekend’s forecast can be summed up in three words: Hot, dry and windy.

On Thursday, temperatures were 10 to 20 degrees warmer than Wednesday, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue a heat advisory early, according to NBC 7 meteorologist Dagmar Midcap.

On Friday, temperatures will be around 89 degrees at the coast and 99 degrees inland.

“We’re going to see high pressure build in this region, and that will dominate the weather pattern at least through the weekend,” Midcap said.

Cal/OSHA has issued a high heat advisory, which means employers must provide workers with plenty of water and a shaded spot to take breaks. Also, there are more than 100 designated “cool zones” across San Diego County for people without air conditioning.

The heat advisory remains in effect until 8 p.m. Sunday, according to NWS.

Besides the hot temperatures, moderate winds and single-digit humidity in some areas mean risk of wildfires. October is typically the most dangerous time of year for wildfires in San Diego County.

This weekend, Cal Fire has extra crews on equipment and at stations around the county. An extra air tanker is on loan from Northern California. They'll also have round-the-clock staffing on five water tenders and bulldozers, according to Cal Fire.

A small brush fire was reported on Camp Pendleton Thursday evening. Smoke could be seen in Bonsall and Fallbrook, according to North County Dispatch.

Cal Fire is asking residents to use common sense this weekend, for instance, not using power tools outside and being mindful of where you toss cigarette butts.

County health officials are warning Grossmont High School students and staff about tuberculosis after a person there started treatment for it.

GHS is trying to notify people who may have been exposed to the infectious disease between Sept. 2 and Sept. 17, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.

Potentially vulnerable students can get a free TB test on Oct. 14 on the GHS campus, located at 1100 Murray Drive in El Cajon.

Symptoms of the illness include a fever, night sweats, persistent cough, chest pain, chills and unexplained weight loss.

“Most people who are exposed to TB do not develop the disease, but when it does occur, it can be treated and cured with medication,” said County Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten. “That’s why it’s important to identify those who have been exposed.”

TB, which usually attacks the lungs, is spread through the air, often when an infected person sneezes or coughs. People who catch the disease but show no symptoms have latent TB, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, some infected with latent TB can develop the actual disease weeks or even years later if their immune system becomes weak.

The disease is not uncommon in the San Diego area, the HHSA says. In 2014, 132 cases have been reported.

Last year saw the lowest number of cases – 206 – since a peak year in 1993, which had 469 cases.

For more on potential exposure, the HHSA recommends calling the County TB Control Program at 619-692-8621.

A charter bus caught fire Thursday night, sending 27 passengers running onto the side of Interstate 5 near La Jolla. Riders reported smelling fumes as soon as they started on their trek to Los Angeles.

Passenger Tessa Cardwell told NBC 7 cars started honking at the bus driver, gesturing for him to pull over as they neared Gilman Drive. He did pull to the side, stepped out and started yelling for everyone to get off.

“It was just really terrifying because we could smell fumes, and me and a few other people were in the back so we had no idea what was going on," said rider Shayan Lavi. 

Everyone escaped the flames with no injuries reported, fire officials say, but the passengers were left standing on the side of the freeway until they can get alternate transportation.

The vehicle was coming from the San Diego Greyhound station and was headed for Los Angeles.

Cardwell said a pregnant woman warned her she smelled fumes as soon as the group took off.

"She could be in danger with her baby because she inhaled all of that the whole way," she said.

Everyone was forced to leave their luggage aboard the smoldering bus.

Officers shut down the westbound transition from State Route 52 to I-5 north — a span of about a quarter mile — until the fire was completely out and the bus removed.

It's unclear what caused the fire, but firefighters have opened an investigation.

The scuba diver who drowned in the Mission Bay Channel Wednesday evening had a great deal of experience with his gear, living “for the water and his family,” according to his wife.

Joining friends for lobster fishing, Jeffery Logandro, 38, jumped in the bay but immediately started struggling with his gear. Suddenly, he sank.

By the time lifeguards fought against his heavy equipment and pulled him out, Logandro had been underwater at least four minutes without access to his compressed air. He was pronounced dead an hour later at the hospital.

Now, his wife Michelle, their two young daughters and the rest of his family are waiting for answers on what caused his death.

“Because it doesn’t make any sense that it would be equipment or any type of action on his part,” said Michelle’s sister Mary Pat Paulson. “He was really safe. He did this on a regular basis and loved it.”

She said Logandro and his family moved to Carlsbad to be closer to the ocean, where he would dive or surf almost every day with his own equipment.

Michelle, who is expecting another child, sent NBC 7 pictures of her “love” fishing, spending time by the beach and teaching his 1-year-old to balance on a surfboard.

“He lived for the water and his family,” she said in an email Thursday.

Paulson believes it may have been a medical emergency that caused Logandro to go under without oxygen.

In the midst of a tragic day, Paulson recalled one important moment: Michelle got to say goodbye.

“She came home special yesterday early from work with her girls just to say bye before he went diving. You know, that was just a miracle thing that she got to do that,” said Paulson.

Michelle told NBC 7 the community is invited to a Carlsbad State Beach paddle-out in Logandro’s honor on Saturday at 10 a.m.