Dallas nurse Nina Pham was declared free of Ebola and discharged from the hospital on Friday, just before she met with and hugged President Barack Obama in the Oval Office.
"I feel fortunate and blessed to be standing here today," Pham said in a brief statement outside the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, just before she headed to the White House. "I am on my way back to recovery, even as I reflect how many others have not been so fortunate."
Tests show that Pham, who contracted the virus while caring for the first patient diagnosed in the United States, has no more virus in her system, Dr. Anthony Fauci of NIH told reporters.
Pham thanked everyone who has been praying for her, and the medical workers who have been caring for her. "As a nurse, I have a special appreciation for the care I have received from so many," she said.
Pham, a nurse with Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, contracted Ebola while helping to care for Thomas Eric Duncan, the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S. She helped treat him from his first day in intensive care at until Oct. 7, the day before he died, NBC5 in Dallas reported.
Pham was flown via charter flight Oct. 16 to Frederick, Maryland's municipal airport and taken by ambulance to the Clinical Center, a hospital located on the grounds of the 312-acre NIH campus in Bethesda.
In her statement Friday, Pham thanked Dr. Kent Brantly, the first American to recover from Ebola, for the "selfless act" of donating his blood, and she asked people to pray with her for her colleague Amber Vinson and for just-diagnosed Dr. Craig Spencer.
In advance of Pham's arrival at NIH last week, Fauci, one of the most highly respected immunologists in the world, announced he would be her admitting physician.
On Friday, while wearing the colors of Pham's nursing school, Texas Christian, Fauci called her a "courageous and lovely person," saying that she also represents the nurses and healthcare workers who put themselves on the line caring for sick patients.
He said they did not administer any experimental drugs to Pham during her treatment at NIH.
Fauci said she was doing well in Texas, and continued to do well at NIH. "We both supported her, so I can't pinpoint in one patient, what was the turning point," he said.
Fauci said it was not possible to pinpoint whether Brantley's donation of plasma was critical in her recovery and that more research is needed.
He said Pham's youth and general health were likely other factors that likely helped, as was the fact that she entered a hospital that was able to give her intensive care early.
Fauci said that Pham communicated with her family via FaceTime during her treatment -- and that she taught him how to use the program, too.
"I gave her my cell phone number just in case I get lonely," he quipped.
Pham's dog, Bentley, tested negative for the virus, Dallas officials announced Wednesday. Dallas Animal Services have been caring for him in isolation. Officials said they'll run one more test before the end of a 21-day quarantine period Nov. 1.
Pham said Friday she plans to return home to Texas and looks forward to reuniting with Bentley.
Pham's Texas hospital said the decision to transfer her to NIH was made in consultation with Pham and her family, adding that many of the medical personnel who would have usually worked in the intensive care unit were themselves "sidelined" for monitoring.
In an emotional video recorded shortly before she left Texas, Pham is shown in her hospital room speaking with a doctor and another medical worker, telling them, "Come to Maryland, everybody!" and "I love you guys."
As medical workers prepared to transport Pham to Dallas' Love Field last week, her coworkers at Texas Health Presbyterian held up signs to encourage her.
The man whose teenaged daughter was found dead on a La Jolla beach 30 years ago said he’s not angry that her accused killers were never arrested.
San Diego Police have identified Ronald Clyde Tatro and Kevin Charles Brown as the suspects in the murder of 14-year-old Claire Hough in August 1984.
Neither man was charged with the crime. Tatro died in a boating accident in 2011 and Brown died of an apparent suicide earlier this week.
“In some ways a trial would have been more difficult than they’re just being gone,” Samuel Hough said.
Hough, who lives in Rhode Island, said his daughter, Claire, was visiting her grandmother who lived near Torrey Pines State Beach where she was found.
On Thursday, Hough received a call from San Diego Police investigators with the news that DNA evidence from the scene had linked Tatro and Brown to the crime.
"I'm glad it's been settled,” he said. “The thing I was concerned about was whether someone was loose and would strike again.”
Hough told NBC 7 that for various reasons the family suspected the man who found Claire's body on the beach. So the names Tatro and Brown surprised him.
He also doubts that Claire knew the two men.
He believes Ronald Tatro certainly sounds like he was capable of the crime but he questioned whether Brown was involved. A feeling Brown’s widow also shares and told NBC 7 on Thursday.
In the end, it doesn’t really matter who committed the crime, Hough said. What matters is Claire and who she was as a person.
“While it’s in a sense a closure, in a sense it doesn’t make that much difference,” he added. “She’s dead. What she represented is still alive and that’s what’s important for us.”
He’s gotten emails and calls from people who knew Claire before her death, something he said proves the spirit and loving that she had didn’t die with her.
After Claire’s death, he said they found her diary with a will written inside.
“In some ways it’s very much a 14-year-old and in some ways, it’s someone who is very emotionally and spiritually advanced,” he said.
He said the teenager wished her brother and her close friends well.
Tatro died in a boating accident in 2011. Brown died of an apparent suicide on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at Cuyamaca State Park.
The retired SDPD criminalist had been under investigation for more than a year according to his widow.
Investigators say they were preparing to make an arrest in the case when they learned of Brown’s death.
Anyone flying into John F. Kennedy or Newark Liberty International Airport after having contact with Ebola-infected patients in one of three West African nations battling an epidemic of the deadly virus will face a mandatory 21-day quarantine, the governors of New York and New Jersey announced Friday.
“We have to do more," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday. "It's too serious of a situation to leave it to the honor system of compliance."
The new measures came one day after a doctor who had recently returned from an Ebola assignment in Guinea was diagnosed with the virus in New York City. In addition to the mandatory quarantine for those who came in direct contact with patients in the Ebola-ravaged nations of Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea, health officials at those two airports have been authorized to actively monitor and quarantine if necessary anyone with a travel history in that region.
Craig Spencer, a doctor just back from a month-long stint treating Ebola patients for Doctors Without Borders, was admitted into an isolation unit at Bellevue Hospital on Thursday, less than a week after he arrived home. In the days prior to his Ebola diagnosis, he made several outings in the city, including coffee in one of Manhattan’s tourist-packed parks, a stop by a meatball shop and a subway ride to Brooklyn for an evening of bowling with friends.
While Spencer followed the self-monitoring protocols issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some experts are now suggesting health workers who return from Ebola-ravaged areas do more to avoid public places.
City officials praised the quick response to his illness and said Spencer, the city's first reported Ebola patient, followed all the proper steps to monitor his health and minimize exposure. But Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said in retrospect those steps weren't enough.
"New Jersey and New York are going to determine the standards of quarantine since the CDC's guidance is continually changing," Christie said.
The governor tweeted that a health care worker who arrived at Newark International Airport after treating Ebola patients in West Africa is now under quarantine and has no symptoms.
The Obama administration also is considering quarantining healthcare workers returning to the United States from the Ebola hot zone of West Africa, Reuters reported.
Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told Reuters on Friday that quarantine was one option being discussed regarding the monitoring of healthcare workers.
"We want to strike the right balance of doing what is best to protect the public’s health while not impeding whatsoever our ability to combat the epidemic in West Africa,” Skinner said. “Our risk here will not be zero until we stop the epidemic there.”
Some public health experts were already urging added extra caution as more doctors and others potentially exposed to the virus return from the front lines of fighting the outbreak in West Africa. Tighter restrictions on such health care workers could prevent mass hysteria and make the job easier on health detectives in the event of a positive Ebola test, they say.
Dr. Joseph McCormick, a professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health who has cared for Ebola patients, said while putting a large number of people in quarantine because of possible casual interaction “is not warranted,” as the virus can only be spread by contact with the bodily fluids of person with symptoms, some situations may merit more prudence.
“I would say that for somebody like a health provider like the physician who clearly was in direct contact with patients, I’m not sure that total quarantine is needed but I think a more cautious approach to traveling around the city probably would be warranted,” McCormick, a former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official who investigated the first Ebola epidemic, said. “We all have to balance our messages here.”
The safeguards followed by Spencer, recommended by the CDC and Doctors Without Borders, included taking his temperature twice daily, watching for fever and other symptoms during the virus’ 21-day incubation period. Living in New York, he was well within the recommended 4-hour radius of a hospital with isolation facilities. When his temperature hit 100.3 degrees Thursday morning, he called health officials and was quickly moved to Bellevue Hospital.
Still, at least one other relief group operating in West Africa has gone beyond the CDC recommendations in light of the heightened public concern following the infection of two nurses treating an Ebola patient at a Dallas hospital, including one who took flights to and from Ohio while she was self-monitoring for signs of the virus.
Samaritan’s Purse is mandating that employees who return from its efforts in Liberia undergo a “self-imposed, no-touch self sequestration” for 21 days that limits even physical contact with family members, according to Kendell Kauffeldt, the Christian international relief organization’s longtime country director in Liberia. Employees of the organization, which made headlines after its own Dr. Kent Brantly survived an infection, are also required to take their temperature four times a day, with the trigger for alerting officials set one degree lower than the CDC's level. They require returning staff, including three who are currently in the incubation period, stay within 90 minutes of an isolation facility for those three weeks.
Kauffeldt, who lived in Liberia for 10 years before returning to the United States with his family in August, stressed that Spencer took all the required steps and the potential of “anyone else becoming infected is almost zero because he followed the protocol.” He said the added precautions enacted for his own colleagues were simply meant to go even farther to ensure general public health, the safety of their employees and peace of mind.
“It was really just in reaction to the situations in Dallas and just recognizing that there is a level of uninformed fear, but we still as an organization have a responsibility to the general public to ensure we were doing everything possible for their safety and their health,’ he said.
The protocols for monitoring and protecting those workers will likely remain in the spotlight, as more are deployed to fight an outbreak that has sickened more than 10,000 since March. Demand for doctors is still high, and thousands have volunteered through an online portal USAID set up in early September to match qualified applicants with aid organizations.
Doctors, nurses and other medical aides are considered at the highest risk for contracting the virus because they deal with bodily fluids from the sickest of patients and the World Health Organization says an “unprecedented” number have been infected in this outbreak. In all, more than 440 health care workers have contracted Ebola and 244 have died as of Oct. 19, the WHO says. Six other American health workers — four who worked in Africa and two from a Dallas hospital that treated a patient from Liberia — contracted Ebola and recovered after receiving treatment in the U.S.
Both New York City Health Commissioner Mary Bassett and National Institute of Health’s Anthony Fauci, who cared for one of the Dallas nurses, suggested Friday that the federal guidelines for monitoring are the subject of active discussion.
Eden Wells, clinical associate professor of epidemiology and director of the Preventive Medicine Residency at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, said she would personally restrict her movements if she were returning from West Africa or had been caring for someone with Ebola. She stressed she did was not criticizing Spencer, who she noted followed the current protocols.
She’d take the more cautious approach “not only just to reassure the public but it is also to aid public health epidemiologist disease detective, because the more contact that’s out there that has to be investigated because someone did leave the home really taxes the system.”
“Whether they’re sick or not sick what happens is any time a case like this happens there’s an incredible amount of resources undertaken to do the investigation to reassure everyone that there’s not then another case as a result of a contact,” she said.
Doctors Without Borders, which did not return multiple interview requests, said in a statement Friday that it will investigate how Spencer contracted the virus. But it acknowledged that even with its “Extremely strict procedures “ for staff, the “risk cannot be completely eliminated.”
"Tragically, as we struggle to bring the Ebola outbreak in West Africa under control, some members of our staff have not been spared," Executive Director Sophie Delaunay said in a statement."Our thoughts are with our colleague in his own struggle right now, and we sincerely hope for his quick and full recovery."
The remains found Oct. 18 on an abandoned property are those of missing University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, the Albemarle County Police Department said Friday.
The suspect in her disappearance, Jesse L. Matthew, Jr., was charged last month with abduction with attempt to defile Graham, 18.
"We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter, Hannah," Graham's parents, John and Sue Graham, said in a statement Friday afternoon. "Over recent weeks Hannah has been described by those who know her as bright, witty, thoughtful, loyal and fun to be around. She was all those things and more."
Graham's parents' statement continued:
Put simply, Hannah lit up our lives, the lives of our family and the lives of her friends and others who knew her. Although we have lost our precious Hannah, the light she radiated can never be extinguished. We will hold it in our hearts forever and it will help sustain us as we face a painful future without her.
Graham's family originally lived in England but later moved to the United States; Graham graduated from West Potomac High School in Fairfax County, Virginia in 2013.
In her second year at UVa., Graham had intended to pursue a career in global public health and wanted to help others, her parents said. They said it is heartbreaking that she'll never get to pursue that dream.
UVa. President Teresa Sullivan released a statement Friday, noting the 18-year-old "brought immense energy and delight to her learning at the university, [where] she was a source of friendship and joy for so many people."
Graham's family thanked Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo and other law enforcement agents for their dedication.
The Albemarle County Police Department announced the medical examiner's results at about 4:40 p.m. Friday, saying on Twitter, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Graham family & Hannah's friends during this incredibly difficult time."
Volunteer searchers found the remains at about noon Oct. 18 in an "abandoned property" in the Walnut Creek Park area of Albemarle County, authorities said.
A day later, investigators interviewed nearby residents, and forensic teams combed the sides of a road for several miles past the site.
Authorities are still asking to hear from people who live along Old Lynchburg Road or those who may have any information; the Charlottesville Police Department's tip line remains open at 434-295-3851.
Matthew's attorney, Jim Camblos, issued a statement Friday, saying the "Carrs (Matthew's family) asked me to convey that they will continue to pray for the Grahams and the Harringtons throughout this ordeal."
Graham was reported missing after a night out with with friends Sept. 12. She was last seen on surveillance videos from the early morning hours of Sept. 13.
The videos show her walking unsteadily, and later running, in downtown Charlottesville. She is also shown with a man police have identified as Matthew, who is shown wrapping his arm around Graham. He is also accused of buying her alcohol.
Investigators believe Matthew, a hospital worker and former taxi driver, acted alone and didn't know Graham before her disappearance.
Matthew was arrested in Texas two weeks after Graham's disappearance, and was extradited to Virginia, where he remains in custody in the Charlottesville area.
He is not due for a court appearance in the case until December, but could appear in a Fairfax, Virginia court earlier to face charges in a separate, earlier case.
Matthew was indicted Monday for attempted capital murder and two other felonies in that case, a 2005 attack on a 26-year-old woman in Fairfax, Virginia.
Police said the victim was walking home from a grocery store in September 2005 when a man grabbed her and forced her into a wooded area, where he assaulted her. He fled after being startled by another person.
On Thursday, a Fairfax judge issued a bench warrant to bring Matthew to Northern Virginia to face charges in that case.
Authorities have previously said DNA evidence links the 2005 Fairfax assault to the murder of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington in fall 2009.
Harrington disappeared after attending a concert at the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville. Her body was found in January 2010, a little more than five miles from where Graham's body was found Oct. 18.
No one has been charged in Harrington's murder. But Harrington's parents have been active in searching for Graham, noting the similarities between the two cases.
"I thought [Graham's disappearance] seemed very similar to Morgan's situation with sort of the question of her maybe being somewhat impaired, someone just picking her up and trying to take care of her," Dan Harrington said earlier this fall.
Virginia State Police said late last month that they believe they have found a link between Harrington's death and Graham's disappearance.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
San Diego County Sheriff’s detectives have implicated another suspect in the death of a man shot several times in Imperial Beach.
Salvador Cuellar, 27, faces one count of murder in the case of Hector Arce, whose body was discovered lying in an alley off Imperial Beach Boulevard on Jan. 28, 2012.
A two-year investigation led detectives to arrest three people – Shelly Villalobos, Reyes Cruz and Adrian Lopez – in early September.
More than a month later, they had enough evidence to file charges against Cuellar with the District Attorney’s office.
Cuellar was already in custody at the George Bailey Detention Facility on an unrelated case.
A student opened fire in a high school cafeteria on Friday, killing at least one person and wounding at least three others before killing himself, officials said.
The shooting at Marysville-Pilchuck High School, outside of Seattle, happened during the lunch period. Witnesses described the shooter walking in with a blank stare before opening fire.
"Just all of a sudden I see him stand up, pull something out of his pocket," Austin Taylor, who had just finished lunch, told NBC affiliate KING.
Taylor said he heard five pops, then saw three kids fall from the table.
The shooting is at least the 11th planned mass shooting at a school since the Sandy Hook massacre in December 2012, when Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 first-grade students and six adult staff members at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, before killing himself. Here's a look at the ten other major incidents.
Reynolds High School, Oregon
June 10, 2014
Parents of 15-year-old gunman, Jared Michael Padgett, were "confused and shocked" when they found out their son was the suspected killer in the school shootings at an Oregon high school that left one student dead, NBC News reported.The shooter concealed his weapons, an AR-15 type rifle, a semi-automatic handgun, a knife and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, in a backpack and guitar case. Padgett killed a 14-year-old student athlete, Emilio Hoffman. He eventually killed himself in the school bathroom, police said.
Seattle Pacific University, Washington
June 5, 2014
The man responsible for the Seattle Pacific University shootings at the beginning of June was off his psychosis medication because he "wanted to feel the hate", the Associated Press reported. Aaron Rey Ybarra, 26, was armed with a shotgun, a knife and nearly 50 shells of ammunition with intentions to attack a mass number of students and managed to injure two people and kill one 19-year-old student before a student security guard subdued the shooter with pepper spray. After being arrested, police learned Ybarra had done extensive research on other mass shootings, and the shooter told police he didn't target anyone but had a "hatred for the world in general," according to the Associated Press.
Berrendo Middle School, New Mexico
January 14, 2014
A 12-year-old boy pulled a sawed-off shotgun from his bag and fired shots in a New Mexico Middle School gymnasium. According to officials, the unnamed seventh grade shooter opened fire in the school’s gym with a 20-gauge shotgun, killing one student and seriously injuring two others. John Masterson, an eighth grade social studies teacher, approached the shooter and talked him into putting down the weapon.
Arapahoe High School, Colorado
December 13, 2013
Karl Pierson, 18, entered Arapahoe High School on December 13th, 2013, equipped with a shot gun, a machete, 125 rounds of ammunition and three Molotov cocktails. Pierson entered the school through a door that was normally locked; he fired his first shot randomly in the school’s hallway, then his second, killing 17-year-old Claire Esther Davis. With his final shot, the gunman took his own life, shooting himself in the head. The teen was likely motivated by a dispute with his former debate coach, NBC News reported.
Sparks Middle School, Nevada
October 21, 2013
A 12-year-old student arrived on the grounds of Sparks Middle School and shot a student in the shoulder, wounding him, then shot and killed Michael Landsberry, a math teacher at the school. The boy’s violent streak ended when he shot himself in the head. The shooter never entered the building and no shots were fired by law enforcement, NBC News reported. A Sparks student, Michelle Hernandez, told the Reno Gazette-Journal that the shooter had complained about being teased.
McNair Discovery Learning Academy, Georgia
August 20, 2013
A young male opened fire at a Georgia elementary school last year. Michael Brandon Hill, 20, was taken into custody after he fired six rounds of gun shots in the main office of the McNair Discovery Learning Academy. Hill was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, terroristic threats, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to officials. No one was injured, NBC News reported.
Santa Monica College, California
June 7, 2013
John Zawahri, a former student of Santa Monica College, went on a mile-long shooting spree that culminated at Santa Monice College. He first set his father's house on fire, then carjacked a vehicle and threatened to kill the driver if she didn't drive him to the SMC campus, officials said. Zawahri killed five people and injured several others before killing himself, according to NBC News. Zawahri’s father and brother were among the victims.
New River Community College (NRCC), Virginia
April 12, 2013
An 18-year-old college student, Neil Allan MacInnis, faces two counts of malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony after shooting and injuring two women at New River Community College's satellite campus at the New River Valley Mall. The Christiansburg Police Department police chief said a year earlier MacInnis participated in the Christiansburg Police Department Citizens Academy program: a 12-week course where citizens observe the department on a regular day, get the opportunity to ride along in police cars, tour the offices and practice with firearms at the shooting range.
University of Central Florida, Florida
March 18, 2013
James Oliver Seevakumaran, 30, planned a massacre at the University of Central Florida -- making a checklist that included instructions like "pull fire alarm" and "give them hell", police told NBC News. He pulled the firearm and pointed the gun at his roommate before the roommate slipped away and hid in a bathroom. When officers arrived, they found Seevakumaran dead in his bedroom, from a self-inclicted gunshot wound. They also found a .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a .22-caliber tactical rifle, ammunition and a backpack with four homemade explosive devices.
Taft Union High School, California
January 10, 2013
A 16-year-old student came to Taft Union High School armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, intent on shooting two students who had bullied him, authorities said. He shot one in the chest, and fired at another but missed the other. Both students survived. Many students described the shooter as a loner and a year earlier, the shooter was suspended for compiling a "hit list", police said.
The suspect leading San Diego police crashed his vehicle into several cars and was even struck by a car himself at one point Friday morning.
The man was taken into custody at approximately 11 a.m. near State Route 163 at 6th Avenue and Washington.
The driver was believed to be a parolee at large, officials said.
Pedestrians in the area where the pursuit ended helped San Diego Police get the suspect on the ground so they could make the arrest.
Officers say several cars were involved in run-ins with the suspect vehicle during the pursuit. At one point a vehicle uninvolved in the chase struck the suspect. The man got back up on his feet and continued to run from officers, officials said.
Officials have not identified the suspect.
A skydiver was seriously injured when he crash landed near the Oceanside Airport Friday afternoon.
Several people called 911 at noon to report the skydiver's hard fall while landing in a field by the airport. It's unclear at this point what caused the man to crash.
Workers with the company Tsunami Skydivers rushed over and called in a medical helicopter to help, according to Battalion Chief Pete Lawrence with the Oceanside Fire Department.
Emergency crews stabilized the man in his 30s before flying him to a nearby hospital for serious injuries.
Cal State San Marcos is warning its students to be on the lookout for a man accused of making sexual advances to female students, including caressing their feet or putting their toes in his mouth, a school crime alert says.
CSUSM police say Emeka Charles Ofoedu has been inappropriately touching students on their campus and at Palomar Community College, although he is not a student at either school.
Victims tell investigators his focus is to caress, massage or place a victim’s foot or toes in his mouth without the women’s permission.
NBC 7 contacted the suspect at his home Friday, and he flatly denies the allegations.
“It didn’t happen,” Ofoedu said. “I personally don’t remember being on campus at Cal State San Marcos because I don’t actually go there.”
He said if he had been to the campus, it’s not to do what they are claiming.
Ofoedu was arrested on suspicion of battery, but according to the crime alert, he has indicated that he will return to the CSUSM campus.
For that reason, police released a picture and description of Ofoedu: a 19-year-old man, 5-feet-10-inches and 180 pounds, who wears glasses.
But Ofoedu told NBC 7 he is not coming back to campus because “if they don’t want me there, I’m not going to be there.”
CSUSM sent the following statement to NBC 7 about the issue:
"We learned that there had been a number of incident reports that had been filed at Palomar. Those reports combined with the incidents at our campus were packaged together to share with the DA. We believe, based on the information and history that we have, that there is an ongoing threat to our campus community, which is why we issued the timely warning. Since issuing the warning there have been additional victims that have come forward."
It is unclear how many incidents Ofoedu has been tied to.
Police say if you see him on campus or have been a victim yourself, call university police at 760-750-4567 or the campus’ SAFE hotline at 760-750-SAFE.
A woman staying with her 4-year-old daughter in a Queens homeless shelter became enraged when she found the girl squirting hand lotion on the floor, then hit her in the face and stomach and threw her against a wall, authorities said Saturday.
Latoya Curry, 35, was arrested Friday on charges of second-degree murder, assault and endangering the welfare of a child, the Queens District Attorney's Office said. It wasn't immediately clear if Curry had a lawyer, and no contact information for her family was available. She could face up to 25 years to life in prison.
Police found the girl, 4-year-old Linayjah Meraldo, Thursday after responding to a call at the Briarwood Family Residence, a temporary housing shelter for homeless families on 134th Street. The child's four siblings were in school when she was found; her mother said she kept the girl home because she wasn't feeling well, according to a source familiar with the case.
Prosecutors said Curry flew into a rage Wednesday night, striking Linayjah so hard that she dislodged a tooth. She then dragged the girl into another room, threw her against a wall and onto a bed, the District Attorney's Office said.
Prosecutors say the girl cried and said her stomach hurt but then fell asleep. In the morning, the girl awoke with a slight fever and later took a morning nap, but she didn't wake up, they said.
An autopsy showed Linayjah died of blunt force trauma to her torso and had internal injuries including multiple recent and healed rib fractures, a torn small intestine, internal bleeding and extensive bruising, prosecutors said. The autopsy noted she also appeared malnourished, prosecutors said.
There were no other adults living in the unit where the family was staying.
The mother initially told police Meraldo was involved in a physical altercation with a sibling -- "a tousling thing," she called it, according to the source. The source said the mother later said the child had fallen, and that the version of events she told investigators kept changing.
The family had lived at Briarwood for nearly a year.
The Department of Health and Human Services called Meraldo's death "terribly disturbing." The agency said in a statement it was working closely with police.
The child's death comes less than a week after a 3-year-old girl was found dead in a homeless shelter in Brooklyn. The medical examiner ruled her death a homicide, saying the girl died from blunt impact to her head and torso. Her 20-year-old stepfather was arrested on a murder charge.
After the Brooklyn girl's death, Mayor de Blasio called for a thorough investigation.
-- Melissa Russo contributed to this report.
A Gary, Indiana, boy was killed Friday after being shot nine times by a neighbor whose home was burglarized earlier in the day, police said.
The 13-year-old boy, Kobe Jones, was reportedly laughing about the home invasion after his neighbor created a scene outside the home on the 1000 block of Polk Street.
Police said the home was burglarized at about 12:30 p.m. Friday. The homeowner and his girlfriend returned home about five hours later and was visibly upset about the discovery, police said.
"I was told that my son was laughing and the guy shot him dead," Jones' father, Kaunda Jones, told reporters.
The teen, one of 12 siblings and described as a funny, outgoing young man, died at the scene and his death was ruled a homicide. Family members said the unexpected funeral would be a financial burden and have created an account to collect donations. Contributions can be sent in the form of a check or a money order to 505 Adams St., Gary, IN 46402 or the Chase account 3005774699.
The neighbor and his girlfriend took off after the shooting and were arrested at about 7 p.m. when they returned to the home, police said. Their names were not publicly released because no charges had been filed by midday Saturday.
Two suspects have been arrested in connection to the robbery and killing of a 38-year-old El Cajon man last month.
John Francis was found dead from a gunshot wound Sept. 18 in an apartment complex at 1499 Broadway in El Cajon.
Police believe he was a victim of a robbery and targeted for his marijuana supply, according to a news release from the El Cajon Police Department.
Investigators served a search warrant on Thursday, one in Chula Vista and the other in San Diego. The search warrants led to the arrest of 24-year-old Paul Julian Sosa III of San Diego and 24-year-old Homero Viscarroa Palomino of Chula Vista.
The suspects were booked in San Diego County Jail on suspicion of murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Police say the investigation is ongoing and anyone who may have information should call the El Cajon Police Department at 619-579-3311 or you can leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
A car involved in a pursuit near a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint ended up on top of a house, agents said Friday.
The chase began near the San Clemente checkpoint around 1 p.m. Wednesday when a man driving a Lexus was referred to the secondary inspection area.
Instead, the driver accelerated and headed north on Interstate 5, agents said.
At one point, the driver left the highway and drove into a San Clemente neighborhood. When he ended up in a cul-de-sac, the driver jumped out of the car and took off on foot, agents said.
At the same time, the Lexus rolled 50 yards down a hill and landed on the roof of a home.
The driver, a 22-year-old U.S. citizen, was arrested and turned over to the San Diego Police Department to face charges of carjacking and evading a police officer, agents said.
One of two defendants in a child pornography case made her first appearance in court on Friday on a number of felony charges.
Jennifer Gastelum pleaded not guilty to two counts of felony child abuse, possession of child pornography and a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child. Bail was set at $500,000.
The charges relate to a child pornography case against Gastelum and her estranged husband, Jonathan Gastelum.
Jonathan Gastelum is accused of sharing child porn images with two different law enforcement officers during online chat room visits.
The images allegedly depicted two girls, ages 4 and 6, FBI agents said.
The Gastelums were arrested on Tuesday after agents executed a search warrant at a granny flat behind Jonathan Gastelum’s home on Skyline Drive.
Prosecutors said the victims are family members of the Gastelums.
A full protective order was imposed barring Jennifer Gastelum from any contact with the girls.
Jonathan Gastelum, who is currently in federal custody, is expected to appear in state court next week.
If convicted on all charges, Jennifer Gastelum could face more than 11 years in prison.
A 78-year-old La Mesa man has died from West Nile virus, the first death from the illness San Diego County has seen since 2007.
On Oct.6, the man checked into the hospital for symptoms of encephalitis, a brain inflammation that can be cause by a viral or bacterial infection, according to the county Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA).
The man died four days later, and a California Department of Public Health (CDPH) confirmed Friday he had West Nile virus.
The victim is counted as the seventh confirmed case in the county this year, while three more patients with suspected West Nile infections are being investigation.
Of those three, one was a recent blood donor who showed no symptoms, and the other two have recovered from mild sicknesses.
Mosquitoes are the little culprits that carry the potentially deadly virus, so the county’s Department of Environmental Health Vector Control inspected the areas were the most recent human cases were reported to check for potential mosquito breeding. County workers have also set up traps around their homes and notified neighbors.
This year has seen an uptick in West Nile cases, for only two human instances were reported in San Diego from 2009 to 2013. However, 2014 has not reached the levels of 2008, when 36 cases were reported.
The HHSA says 80 percent of people who become infected will show no symptoms, but the risk of complications rises for those over 50 years old and people with weakened immune systems.
Those who do have symptoms have headaches, fevers, nausea, fatigue, skin rashes and swollen glands.
California has seen its highest numbers of West Nile in a decade. According to the CDPH, the state has had 608 human cases this year and 20 deaths – the highest number since 2005’s 880 cases.
For more on how to prevent mosquitoes from congregating in your neighborhood, visit the county’s website.
The haunts are coming to San Diego in no time. Are you ready?
Well, we’re here to help you bust those ghosts, or just join them for a frighteningly good time.
FOR THE LITTLE MONSTERS
Zombies, witches, goblins and werewolves will be on parade in the College Area for this free, family event – the only Halloween parade in San Diego. Starting at 10 a.m. on Oct. 25, the spooky floats will travel along El Cajon Boulevard from 59th Street east to Aragon Drive. Organizers encourage you to stick around for the AfterBoo awards ceremony from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the College Avenue Baptist Church, featuring live music, carnival rides, games, drinks and food trucks.
Boomont Park Fall Festival and Haunt:
Why have only one day of Halloween when you can have an entire month! That’s the idea behind Belmont Park’s Fall Festival and Haunt. Each weekend in October (ending Nov. 1) is filled with creepy delights at the Mission Beach park, including zombie laser tag, a super zip line and rock wall, pumpkin patch and painting and the Boomont Manor Haunted House. Kiddos can bring out their jack-o-lantern buckets for free trick-or-treating Fridays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sunday from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dress up in your finest costumes for contests every Saturday at 5 p.m. Entry to the festival is $6.
Balboa Park Halloween Family Day:
See the spine-tingling side of Balboa Park on Oct. 26 for its Halloween Family Day. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., parents and kids can craft creepy projects, walk through scary gallery tours and hear some spooky stories at over two dozen museums and attractions. Some highlights: the San Diego Air & Space Museum’s rooftop pumpkin drop, a doggie costume contest at the Spanish Villages and mini-carnival games. Kids ages 12 and under get in free with a paid adult.
NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART
For those with a stronger stomach, San Diego has a terrifying array of haunted houses, starting with its longest running: the Haunted Hotel. The scariest hotel takes a page out of the Hollywood horror playbook as visitors trek through rooms inspired by Freddy Krueger, “Shutter Island” and “Legion.” Admission is $17 to $28, and terrified patrons will run through the house from 7 to 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The poltergeists leave the hotel, located at 424 Market Street, on Nov. 1. It is not recommended for kids 10 and under.
The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park:
A mile of twisted, scary sights welcomes visitors at the not-so-family-friendly Haunted Trail. Starting at 6th Ave. and Juniper St., the long road ahead is filled with outdoor, anxiety-inducing terrors, and an additional maze, dubbed “the eXperiment,” has lost souls that stalk you as you try to escape. Admission is $19 to $35, and the freak-fest is open Sundays through Thursdays 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Again, maybe not the best option for kids under 10. Balboa Park returns to its normal self on Nov. 1.
Scream Zone at Del Mar Fairgrounds:
Boasting the largest haunted attraction in the county, the Scream Zone will live up to its name. The Del Mar Fairgrounds’ normally beatific beach views turn nightmarish with a dreaded House of Horror, The Chamber, the Haunted Hayride and Zombie Paintball. Keep an eye out for Pennywise the clown and the Exorcist, avoid getting locked up in the Walking Dead Prison and stop for a drink at the Dusk Till Dawn Bar. Until Nov. 2, the frights terrify from 7 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays and run from 7 to 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays. Prices for each attraction range from $18 to $32.
In the middle of Mira Mesa lurks the Ghastley Manor, patrolled by an Undead army that waits for the souls who dare to enter. It may not seem very sinister, but these volunteer ghouls scare up funds for a good cause. The $13 admission ticket benefits nonprofits throughout the county. The Monster Manor runs through Oct. on Fridays and Saturdays from 7:30 to 11 p.m.
LESS SCREAMING, MORE DRINKING
SoundDiego Live Halloween Bash:
For more fun and less fear, turn to a number of Halloween parties throughout the county. First up, NBC 7’s music blog SoundDiego has a frightening amount of good music on All Hallow’s Eve at the Office in North Park. Taking the stage are Halloween-ish bands Death Feather Moon, Ed Ghost Tucker and Zombie Surf Camp. The free monsters’ ball will include a free VIP happy hour from 8 to 9 p.m. for those who get on the guest list (Sign up here).
The adult goblins, fairies, vampires and everything in between shut down streets along the Gaslamp Quarter and East Village on Oct. 31. The huge block party of depravity lures guests in with siren’s songs on five stages and keeps them there with booze, dancing and the Dos Equis Masquerade. And you better dress to your wickedest nines because the Monster Bash’s costume contest winner gets a $5,000 prize. The event stretches across eight blocks downtown and runs from 6 to 11:30 p.m. Admission ranges from $35 to $75, depending if you book your ticket in advance or go VIP.
The Undead come alive for one night and 20 epic parties downtown on Halloween night. With a $75 ticket, the ghostly good time will prowl through clubs and bars like Werewolf, Vin de Syrah, Side Bar, Coyote Ugly Saloon and many more, including an opening party at the new A.D. Nightclub. The crawl includes 13 welcome shots, so plan a ride from a taxi, rideshare or designated driver. The haunts rise at 6 p.m. and go back to the grave at 11:45 p.m.
Things get freaky in Hillcrest on Oct. 25 when all the ghouls and goblins come out to dance! From 6 to 11 p.m., DJs add the beat to fright zones, costume competitions ($1,000 for first place), food trucks and a Thriller flash mob at 8 p.m. Lurking on Normal Street at University Avenue, the dance party features an over 21 area and an all ages section with a soda bar. General admission is $10, and a VIP ticket will run you $50. Proceeds go to the San Diego LGBT Center and Hillcrest Business Association.
A U.S. Marine from Riverside died in Iraq Thursday from a non-combat related incident, the Department of Defense announced.
Lance Cpl. Sean P. Neal, 19, died in Baghdad in an incident currently under investigation, according to a news release Friday from the Defense Department. Marine officials did not immediately have more information about the incident.
Neal was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, which refers to the U.S. military campaign against the Islamic State in the Middle East.
He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command, which officials said deployed from Camp Pendleton around September.
Neal joined the Marine Corps in July of 2013.
An identity mystery surrounds a man found dead in Pacific Beach, and now San Diego Police are reaching out for the public's help identifying this John Doe.
On July 31, an unknown man was found lying face down in the sand at 4800 Ocean Boulevard at 4:45 a.m.
Officers found the man dead, but he did not have any identification on him.
Police released a composite sketch of the man in hopes that someone will recognize him. They included drawings of his tattoos, which you can see above.
If you know who this man is, call the SDPD missing persons unit at 619-531-2277 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
