Robin Williams' former Napa Valley estate is back on the market.

The 640-acre "Villa of Smiles" is for sale for $25.9 million, 13 percent cheaper than when it hit the market prior to the actor and comedian's death, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The villa is 20,000 square feet and sports five bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a library, a bell tower, a theater and "safe rooms," according to the newspaper.

There's also a 65-foot-long swimming pool, a ranch and "more than 18 acres of vineyards," the newspaper reported.

No word on what grapes are planted.

The villa was built specifically for Williams, who died at his Tiburon home in August.

Moments after President Barack Obama announced his immigration reform plan on Thursday, members of the gay community began fretting aloud about how the executive order would affect LGBT families.

Specifically, many wondered how Obama is defining families, as the centerpiece of his immigration order allows about 4 million people to become eligible to defer their deportations and allow them to work legally if they pass background checks and pay taxes. But the plan focuses on undocumented immigrants who are the parents of United States citizens. 

Just what defines a parent and a marriage? asked  Caroline Dessert, a self-described "queer Latina" from El Centro, Calif., who is also executive director of Immigration Equality.

If it's DNA and a municipal marriage certificate, Dessert pointed out that would leave out roughly 267,000 undocumented members of the LGBT community who could likely be excluded from Obama's intended relief. While the order is a "historic moment," she said, "once again, it appears as though the LGBT community has been excluded from a law designed to protect vulnerable people."

"If family relationships through marriage, or blood, is the only way that you can seek deferred action, or you can seek recognition or seek to come into status, " said Kate Kendall, with the San Francisco-based National Center for Lesbian Rights - another group worried about the same issues. "That will leave out tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of LGBT families."

Specifically, Dessert, Kendall and other lesbian, gay and transgender activists are worried about a few things that Obama has yet to address. Many lesbian and gay groups were part of a White House conference call on Thursday ahead of the president's announcement, but there was no time to ask the questions many in the LGBT community wanted to ask.

Emails to White House representatives were not immediately returned on Friday.

Specifically, Dessert and other LGBT immigration advocates have these questions:

• About half the states in the United States don't recognize same-sex marriage. How will Obama define families if the parents aren't legally married?


• LGBT parents often don't have biological children. Will this be count against them as Obama outlined the relationships between fathers and mothers who adopted their sons and daughters.


• Being gay is a crime in about 80 countries around the world. Will Obama deport gay undocumented immigrants to these places if they've fled them recently?


• The transgender community has historically been targeted by police and arrested? Will these "crimes" and arrests count as Obama's program would not allow criminals to be eligible to stay in the country.

Activists are hoping that if they express their concerns publicly, then Obama will heed their worries as the order won't formally be implemented for another 180 days.

 "In the past, you needed a blood relationship," Dessert reiterated in a phone interview. "We hope that won't be the case, here."

More than two weeks after Election Day, final numbers are in for the razor-thin races for Imperial Beach mayor and Chula Vista City Council District 1.

Thursday's last tally from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters has Serge Dedina ahead of two-term incumbent Jim Janney by 43 votes.

And in historical race, John McCann is exactly tied with Steve Padilla in the race for Chula Vista City Council's District 1 seat. Both have 18,450 votes.

The results will not be certified until Dec. 2.

The Chula Vista City Clerk told NBC 7 a tie has never happened in the city's history, and the winner could now be determined by a coin toss.

According to the Chula Vista charter, election ties will be broken by drawing lots, which could be a flip of a coin or some other game of chance. The exact method has not been determined.

But first, the registrar has 12 days to make sure all the votes were counted accurately. Both McCann and Padilla say they'll wait until Dec. 2 to determine whether they will ask for a recount.

In this and the Imperial Beach races, every single vote mattered.

Of the roughly 11,000 voter in Imperial beach, about 4,000 people cast ballots. That is just slightly higher than the countywide voting average of one in three registered voters.

Dedina said as a longtime resident of the city, the win is an exciting one.

"I've lived here since I was seven years old, hung out on this pier since I was a kid," said Dedina. "I'm still here and it's really exciting, really rewarding."

He said he ran a grassroots campaign based on helping kids and families, walking door-to-door for five months. In that time, Dedina said he reached more voters than Janney did.

For his part, Janney blamed his loss partially on the hotel workers union that backed his opponent.

“I’m disappointed in the way the race went. To lose is not a problem; to lose this way doesn’t feel good,” said and small business owner Janney.

Still, he said he is proud of where Imperial Beach is today and that it will be able to move forward.

Before the results were released, Dedina told NBC 7 he is ready to move on.

“Really, I ran to support neighborhoods and kids in IB, and that’s what we will be doing,” he said.

New allegations against a San Diego-area doctor facing sexual assault and battery charges surfaced in a lawsuit filed by five women who were clients of the only free health care clinic in the East County.

According to a civil lawsuit filed Nov. 13, patients to the clinic Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) in El Cajon had to see Dr. Jeffrey J. Abrams before being referred to other doctors or specialists.

One of the plaintiffs in the case said that she initially went to the clinic to get a referral to a psychologist and a therapy group. Another woman requested a fertility specialist to help her conceive. A third woman said she went to VIM for a rash on her hand.

All say they were instructed by Abrams to remove their clothes so they could receive a vaginal exam. In some cases, the women were given rectal exams.

Abrams, 67, posted $1.5 million bail after pleading not guilty to 15 felony counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious victim, eight counts of sexual battery of an unconscious victim and one count of possession of child pornography.

Through the suit, the plaintiffs - identified as Jane Does 1 - 5, allege that the health clinic was negligent in allowing Abrams "unfettered and unsupervised access to all female patients.”

“VIM knew or should have known that Defendant Abrams was sexually harassing, battering and assaulting female patients and it was not safe to be in an exam room alone with him,” the documents allege.

The clinic's CEO Maureen Hartin told NBC 7 that the staff has followed professional medical standards of care since they opened in 2006.

Hartin said female patients are given gowns and drapes while undergoing gynecological exams.

Also, she said that in the primary care clinics, an RN and LVN are available to the medical provider when doing a physical exam of female patients.

Two of the plaintiffs - women we'll refer to as Jane Doe 3 and Jane Doe 4 - sought treatment at the clinic in 2010.

When she went to VIM for medication refills, a rash and a vaginal tear, Jane Doe 4 said Abrams would watch her dress and undress before and after exams over the course of the year. At one point, she said Abrams told her she needed to clean her clitoris and then cleaned it for her.

She recalls no other VIM employee in the room during her exams with Abrams.

Jane Doe 3 was seen by Dr. Abrams for a rash on her hand. She said the doctor told her that given her family history of Lupus, he would need to check her entire body for rashes as well as perform a breast and pelvic exam to check her lymph nodes.

He took approximately 24 photos of her over the course of four years, the documents allege. Jane Doe 3 also claims Abrams called her from his personal cell phone, asking when she would be coming back into the clinic.

In 2011, a woman we'll refer to as Jane Doe 5 went to VIM for a referral to a psychologist. She was scheduled for a physical exam with Dr. Abrams first, the suit alleges.

In court documents, Jane Doe 5 said her boyfriend was in the exam room with her when Abrams showed him how to stimulate her to climax.

In her final visit with Abrams, approximately 2013, Jane Doe 5 claims a medical assistant was in the room as Abrams took images of her naked butt. She also claims Abrams called her home number from his personal phone.

In 2011, Jane Doe 2 went to VIM for help with infertility. Even though she says she requested a female gynecologist, she said her request was denied and she was scheduled to see Dr. Abrams.

According to court documents, Abrams told Jane Doe 2 he needed to take images of her pubic hair to monitor her hormone levels.

On her last visit in May 2012, she claims Abrams stood in front of her with his legs straddling hers while she was on the exam table.

The plaintiff alleges that while Abrams was doing a breast exam, she “felt his hard penis against her leg.”

Approximately 36 images were taken of her while she was seen at VIM, according to court documents.

The most recent incident involved a woman we'll refer to as Jane Doe 1. On Jan. 4, 2014, Jane Doe 1 went VIM for treatment of what was believed to be a hernia. Since she spoke limited English, she brought her minor son to help her translate.

During the exam, Abrams asked her son to leave, court documents allege.

The lawsuit claims Abrams inserted his finger into Jane Doe 1's vagina twice – once while she was laying on her back and again while she laying on her stomach.

When he sat in front of her naked body and began to take pictures, the patient asked “Radiographa doctor” to which Abrams allegedly replied “I need one pintura for me,” the lawsuit claims.

It was in this incident that Jane Doe 1 said her son translated her questions, asking VIM staff why Dr. Abrams took naked images of his mother.

According to the claim, Abrams showed one image to a nurse of Jane Doe 1's stomach and explained it was for before and after comparison. 

Abrams' medical license has been temporarily suspended by the State Medical Board, and he has been ordered to surrender his passport.

If convicted, he could face 40 years in prison. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 5.

VIM's CEO said the need for the free clinic is great in the East County.  The county estimates that there are over 90,000 uninsured residents in East County and the clinic cares for more than 3,000 per year, Hartin said.

As soon as President Barack Obama announced his new proposal to allow millions of undocumented immigrants the chance to stay in the U.S. legally, immigration advocacy groups in San Diego were warning of something known as "notario fraud." 

Undocumented immigrants wanting to apply for government deportation relief but not understanding the process are targeted by individuals and businesses looking to make money. They call themselves notarios, the title given to attorneys in Mexico.

Delia Borrayo found herself victimized by numerous notarios when she came to the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant. She was a young widow and mother to three boys.

“He told me ‘I’ll fix your papers. You start paying down payments. It’s okay, don’t worry about it,’” Borrayo told NBC 7. “I started paying and paying. He sent me the bills, and I sent them the money and never see my papers. Never.”

Borrayo said this happened to her three times. In the end, the process cost her $6,000.

“We don’t have any money, but I’m working so hard to get my papers for my kids,” she said.

“A lot of times these notarios in the U.S. are not attorneys, so that gets [undocumented immigrants] into a lot of trouble sometimes,” explained Daniel Alfaro with Alliance San Diego.

One thing people need to know right now, Alfaro said, is there is no deportation relief application yet. The White House does not anticipate having an application available until spring 2015, he added.

“For now, just wait. Don’t pay anyone. Don’t sign any contracts. Be very careful of going to notarios,” he warned. “Some people have gotten deported. Some people have gone to notarios, gave them thousands of dollars and ended up getting deported.”

Alfaro said it’s important to go through the process properly and to be patient. That’s something Borraya agreed with, and admitted, she learned it the hard way.

“They need to wait. Don’t trust people that say ‘Give me money I’ll help you.’ Don’t give your money to nobody,” she said.

Alliance San Diego will be holding four informational forums on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. They’ll be held at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, Vista Library, Fallbrook Library and Spring Valley Library.

A probationary NYPD officer is being placed on modified duty after he apparently accidentally shot and killed an unarmed 28-year-old man in a dimly lit stairwell while on foot patrol at a Brooklyn housing project late Thursday, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said Friday.

The officer, Peter Liang, and another officer, both with less than 18 months on the force, were part of a violence reduction overtime detail on vertical patrol, which is when police conduct floor-by-floor sweeps of a building, at the Louis H. Pink Houses in East New York around 11 p.m.

They had gone to the eighth floor, the top floor, via elevator to check the roof when they noticed that there were no lights in the stairwell leading to the roof, Bratton said. Given the location and lack of light, Liang drew his weapon and a flashlight for safety reasons, Bratton said. The other officer kept his service weapon holstered.

As the officers were entering the eighth-floor landing, Akai Gurley emerged on the seventh-floor landing. He heard a noise, turned and was shot once in the chest, a law enforcement source said. Bratton said it appears Liang's gun accidentally discharged. He said no words were exchanged.

"All indications are this was an accidental discharge," Bratton said, calling the shooting "an unfortunate tragedy."

Bratton said Gurley and his girlfriend apparently had opted to take the stairs because they didn't want to wait for the elevator, and law enforcement officials say the girlfriend was a flight of stairs or so ahead of him at the time of the shooting. She didn't see the officer's gun fire.

The officers headed down the stairs after the weapon went off, Bratton said, and found the girlfriend on the fifth floor trying to administer first aid to Gurley, who apparently had stumbled down to her after being shot. A 911 call had already been made.

Gurley was pronounced dead at a hospital. Gurley, who has multiple previous arrests on robbery and other charges, was not armed when he was shot, authorities said. He lives in Red Hook and has a 2-year-old daughter, though it's not clear where the child lives. Gurley's mother lives in Florida.

Mayor de Blasio called his death a "tragic mistake."

The Brooklyn district attorney's office and the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau are investigating. The New York City Housing Authority said it was cooperating. 

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson called the shooting "deeply troubling."

"Many questions must be answered, including whether, as reported, the lights in the hallway were out for a number of days, and how this tragedy actually occurred," Thompson said in a statement.

Both officers were taken to the hospital for ringing in their ears, according to the NYPD. The housing project they were assigned to patrol has seen several serious crimes over the last month, including two robberies and two assaults. Two people were killed there this year, Bratton said.

Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, said in a statement that the Pink Houses are among the city's most dangerous projects.

"Dimly lit stairways and dilapidated conditions create fertile ground for violent crime while the constant presence of illegal firearms creates a dangerous and highly volatile environment for police officers and residents alike," Lynch said. "Only time and a thorough investigation will tell us what transpired in this case."

Community leaders blasted the NYPD and called for immediate reform. 

"The senseless killing of another unarmed African-American male by the NYPD should shock the conscience of all New Yorkers and the nation," Democratic New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. "At this point, talk is cheap. The community demands action. Our Mayor and the Police Commissioner must commit to a systematic change in the law enforcement culture of this City. Anything less will not be tolerated."

The shooting comes as the department is changing how rookie cops are used fresh out of the academy to give them more training and time with more senior officers.

Bratton is implementing a program that pairs less experienced officers with veteran officers on vertical and other patrol, but the program has had to be a roll-out process rather than an immediate overhaul due to staffing constraints, law enforcement officials said.

Lori Bordonaro contributed to this report.  

Heavy rain fell on San Diego County early Friday bringing precipitation just days after the region was under a red flag warning.

A storm front swept through the county dropping most of the rainfall in the foothills and mountains but there were pockets of moderate rain in the valley overnight.

As of 4:45 a.m. PT, Poway had received a third of an inch of rain, San Marcos received nearly a quarter of an inch with Del Mar getting slightly less. Less than one-tenth of an inch of rain was measured at the Oceanside airport, according to the National Weather Service.

The heaviest ban was pushing out to Imperial County as of 6:30 a.m. There was potetntial for a thunderstorm until approximately 8 a.m.

Clouds will push through Friday with possible showers forecasted through 10 a.m.

The wet roads were slick with several spin-outs and crashes reported on highways around the county including Interstate 15.

The rains triggered mudslides in an area of the Los Angeles-area foothills scorched bare by a wildfire earlier this year.

LA County fire officials say a 4-foot-high flow of debris went through a home in the suburb of Glendora before dawn.

A flash flood warning was posted for that section of Southern California after a storm dumped hail and heavy rain in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains from Pasadena to as far east as Claremont.
 

A settlement in the long-fought Miramonte sex abuse civil case has officially been accepted by both sides, with Los Angeles Unified School District paying a record $139 million to more than 70 victims of sexual abuse.

Each child will receive about $1.7 million, according to counsel for the plaintiffs. The total will be $139,250,000, according to the district.

The case was to be the first trial of lawsuits stemming from the sex abuse scandal at Miramonte Elementary School.

Attorneys for LAUSD and former students of teacher Mark Berndt -- who was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading no contest to 23 counts of lewd conduct with a child between 2005-10 -- have been meeting all week in an effort to reach a settlement.

"In 2012, the school district shared in the shock and disgust upon learning of the misconduct committed by one of its teachers at Miramonte Elementary School," a statement issued by the district reads. "Even though the school district didn’t know about Mr. Berndt’s behavior, we have an obligation to protect the students we serve. We are truly sorry that these students had their trust violated by this sick individual."

Read the full statement and fact sheet here.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John Shepard Wiley has been urging the attorneys to try to resolve the case without a trial, but with no settlement in place, jury selection began Monday morning.

The lawsuit involves former Miramonte students, with dozens of other cases are still pending. The district has already settled more than 60 claims for about $30 million over the abuse, and this settlement will largely end all current litigation stemming from the Berndt case, the district said in its statement.

Earlier in the week, attorney Luis Carrillo, who represents some of the Miramonte students and their families, said he wanted to take the case to trial.

"We're anxious. We want to get in front of a jury, a representative jury so that the community can see 30 years of abuse," he said.

Attorneys contended the district should be held responsible for Berndt's actions, alleging district officials were aware of complaints about his behavior for years.

In a written statement, Superintendent Ramon Cortines said the settlement struck a balance between sparing the students and Miramonte community the pain of a trial and the financial burden to the district.

"Throughout this case, we have shared in the pain felt by these children, their families and the community. Each day, we are responsible for the safety of more than 600,000 students. There is a sacred trust put in us to protect the children we serve," Cortines said in the statement.  "While we know Mr. Berndt went to extreme lengths to hide his conduct, we know that our job protecting students is never done. While we are proud of the steps that we’ve taken to enhance student safety, the only way we can have the safest schools is through partnerships with parents and the community."

Read Cortines' full statement here.

The district will self-fund the settlement, according to General Counsel Dave Holmquist. The district hopes to recoup the settlement through its insurance company. Since the Miramonte scandal broke with the arrest of Berndt, the district has been putting aside a reserve fund in anticipation of any pay out.

Sheriff's officials said the investigation of Berndt began when a film processor turned over more than 40 photographs of children in a classroom, with their eyes blindfolded and mouths covered in tape. Some of the pictures showed Berndt with his arm around the children or with his hand over their mouths, according to the Sheriff's Department.

A sheriff's sergeant said some of the photographs "depicted girls with what appeared to be a blue plastic spoon, filled with an unknown clear/white liquid substance, up to their mouths as if they were going to ingest the substance."

Some photos also showed children with a large roach on their faces, sheriff's officials said. Sheriff's officials said detectives found a blue plastic spoon and an empty container in the trash in Berndt's classroom.

Both items tested positive for semen, and DNA testing matched it to Berndt, according to the Sheriff's Department.

Patrick Healy and Kelly Goff contributed to this report.

Big rig crashes on the 210 Freeway, including one that involved a fire engine and CHP cruisers, closed lanes during a wet Friday morning drive.

In Rancho Cucamonga, a big rig crashed into a fire engine that was responding to a three-vehicle crash on the westbound 210 Freeway. The engine was empty at the time of the crash, but four firefighters suffered minor injuries.

The crash was reported at about 1 a.m. near Haven Avenue. Two CHP cruisers were also badly damaged in the crash.

Road conditions were wet at the time of the crash. The original three-vehicle incident occured at around 12:30 a.m. 

Another crash involving a big rig blocked lanes on the eastbound 210 Freeway in the San Dimas area. Crews expected to have that crash cleared by 7 a.m.

Up to seven feet of snow wasn't going to stop the Buffalo Bills from flying out to Detroit for Monday’s game against the Jets — even if some players needed a novel way to get to the Bills’ stadium and a bus to the airport.

“Just texted with a Bills player who was picked up on a snowmobile to head to his game,” tweeted Albert Breer, national reporter for the NFL Network. “So in 10 years of covering the NFL, that’s a first.”

The game was supposed to have been played in Buffalo on Sunday, but was moved to Detroit because of the deadly storm.

On The MMQB, Peter King describes the planning that went into the "snowmobile rescues."

"I have covered the NFL for 30 years, and I must say I have never heard an NFL executive say he hoped a snowmobile would come up big for his team in advance of a game with big playoff implications," he wrote.

A new exhibition opening tomorrow in Balboa Park will let Dr. Seuss fans young and old sink their teeth into his lifetime of work.

"INGENIUOUS! The World of Dr. Seuss" features never-before-seen artwork in addition to classic children’s books from Theodor Seuss Geisel, like Cat in the Hat and Horton Hears a Who, in a colorful and interactive exhibition.

The world-famous author had a significant connection to San Diego.

"When you look at what he was doing here from 1948 to the end of his life in 1991, he made most of his children's books here, at least half of them and he also painted artworks during that entire time," said curator Bill Dryer.

The materials are drawn from public and private collections, including the Dr. Seuss Archives at UC San Diego, the LBJ Presidential Library and the Dr. Seuss Estate.

The exhibition also includes secret art the artist created for himself at night, Dryer said, work that few people have seen because they were rarely if ever exhibited during his lifetime.

"The World of Dr. Seuss" opens Nov. 22 and runs through December 31, 2015 at the San Diego History Center on El Prado in Balboa Park.

Admission for adults is $8 and is free for children under the age of 6.
 

San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System is on pace to have a record year of bus rides.

MTS buses and trolleys saw more than one million more trips from July through October compared to the same time period last year.

Ridership is on pace to increase nearly 100 million trips over the course of the year, MTS CEO Paul Jablonski said in a news release.

MTS officials credit more transit options; specifically the new “Rapid” buses, which have limited stops; for the surge as well as the frequency of bus rides.

“Combined with its other services, riders are finding MTS more convenient than ever before,” Jablonski said in the news release.

The most notable increase came in October, when MTS buses logged 5,426,882 trips, which officials said was the highest ridership of any single month in the agency’s history.

That same month, MTS unveiled the new Rapid 237 and Rapid 215 buses – the Rapid 215, which connects San Diego State University to downtown San Diego – averages more than 6,000 daily trips.

A San Diego company’s blood-filtration system was named one of Time Magazine’s best inventions of 2014 yesterday.

The Hemopurifier, made by Aethlon Medical, Inc. and used to treat a patient with Ebola in Germany in October, made the magazine’s annual list of “best inventions making the world better, smarter and-in some cases-a little more fun.”

The dialysis-like device has an antiviral and an immunotherapeutic affect, according to Aethlon Medical, Inc. CEO Jim Joyce.

The Hemopurifier works to remove an infectious virus before cells and organs can be infected and eliminates the proteins viruses released to suppress the immune system.

“We know the majority of the times, the immune system loses the battle against Ebola. This device is designed to tip the balance in favor of the immune system,” Joyce told NBC 7.

The device can also work with dialysis and CRRT machines already in hospitals around the world.

A Carlsbad woman is seeing red after receiving a traffic fine that she calls excessive.

The red light cameras hardly registered with Andrina Campbell as she failed to stop fully at the intersection of Encinitas Boulevard and El Camino Real.

“I made a right-hand turn, and I didn’t even think about it, and about a week later, I got a ticket that says I did not. I ran a red light,” Campbell told NBC 7.

But it wasn’t the action she disputes. It was the cost: $490

When she went to court to request her fine be reduced, the judge refused. Instead, she was offered a payment plan for an additional $30.

“I’m not upset that I received a ticket. I understand what I did,” said Campbell. “But it's that the fine is too high. The fine should reflect the violation.”

She told NBC 7 she wanted to know what her nearly $500 fine would be going to, so we asked Mike Roddy with the San Diego Superior Court.

He said most of the money goes to fees and penalties.

The base fine for failing to stop at a red light is $100. Added to that is a penalty assessment and surcharge of $310, a court operations fee of $40, a criminal conviction fee of $35, an emergency medical program fee of $4 and a night court fee of $1.

Most of that money will go to state and county programs.

“They fund everything from DNA identification systems, fingerprint tracking systems, courthouse construction funds,” said Roddy.

Court officials do not control the fines, and the fees are voted on by the California legislature.

“If the public’s got a concern about the cost of traffic citations, you need to contact your local legislator,” Roddy said.

Still, Campbell does not believe the crime fits the fine. Paying it will cause her family a degree of financial hardship, she said, but for others who are worse off, the fine could be crippling.
 

The Medical Board of California has filed new allegations against a La Jolla doctor accused of using drugs in his office, writing illegal prescriptions for narcotics, and having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a patient.

Dr. Brad Schnierow’ s medical license was suspended in June. He was arrested in July, following a lengthy investigation by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the Medical Board.

Schnierow and his former girlfriend now face a 21 count criminal case, that includes allegations of prescription fraud and possession of controlled substances.

Schnierow was one of several doctors profiled in a recent NBC 7 Investigates story about drug abuse and negligent prescribing by San Diego County physicians.

A 24-page accusation made public Nov. 20 by the Medical Board provides the following new details of Schnierow’ s alleged misconduct:

• The DEA opened its investigation in April 2013, when an informant told investigators Schnierow “would often be late for appointments and sometimes would not show up at all.” That source allegedly saw a “meth pipe” and other “drug paraphernalia” in Schnierow’s La Jolla office and told DEA agents that Schnierow “nodded out on the patients, acts like someone in college, like a frat boy.”

• In May, 2013, another source – this one a former employee of the doctor – told investigators Schnierow had a long-standing drug problem, and recalled one instance in which he was “unkempt, could not complete his sentences, and was swaying while he walked.” That source had to call another doctor for help after Schnierow allegedly passed out in his office

• A computerized report of Schnierow’s prescription history obtained by the DEA revealed the doctor wrote 48 prescriptions for controlled substances for a former girlfriend over a one-year period. The DEA says most of those prescriptions were for a “powerful combination of (three) controlled substances and dangerous drugs known as “Houston cocktail,” “trio” and/or “holy trinity.”

• The property manager at the building where Schnierow maintained his medical office sent DEA agents photographs of “what appeared to be glass ‘crack pipes’” found in Schnierow’s office. (The doctor had earlier been evicted from the building for failure to pay rent, and “irrational” behavior.) During a May 28 search of Schnierow’s Del Mar home, DEA agents and Medical Board investigators found “evidence of improper prescribing and diversion of controlled substances and dangerous drugs” including a zip-lock bag of marijuana, a “bong” made of a pill bottle, “15 glass pipes with methamphetamine reside and a myriad of other pills, substances and injectables.”

• In July, a month after Schnierow agreed to stop practicing medicine, he allegedly went to a local emergency room, dressed in medical scrubs and showing his hospital ID badge. Schnierow told the ER doctor he had scratched his eye and needed a prescription for oxycodone, a powerful narcotic. According to the accusation, the ER doctor was “unaware of (Schnierow’s) sordid history” and prescribed the drug. Schnierow allegedly returned to the ER the next night, again dressed in scrubs and carrying his hospital ID. He once again requested – and received – another oxycodone prescription.

The Medical Board accusation lists 14 causes for discipline against Schnierow, including practicing medicine under the influence of narcotic, use of controlled substances, furnishing drugs to an addict, dishonesty or corruption, sexual relations with a patient, and practicing medicine during suspension.

The Medical Board seeks to revoke Schnierow’s license.

Court records indicate that Schnierow also faces a preliminary hearing in January on the criminal charges filed against him in July and amended in September. He has pleaded not guilty to those allegations.

His lawyer, Paul Pfingst, has not returned our phone call or replied to an email seeking a response to the Medical Board’s accusation.

An arrest has been made in alleged online threats that led to two school lockdowns Thursday at Torrey Pines High School and Canyon Crest Academy, according to a post on the school district's website.

The San Dieguito Union High School District's website has a statement that was posted at 8:15 a.m. announcing a suspect was in custody.

In a media briefing at 8:45 a.m., San Diego Police Acting Capt. Stephanie Rose had no information on that report only to say the department was investigating.

“We take threats like this very seriously,” Rose said.

Nearly two hours later, SDPD issued a press release confirming a 17-year-old had been taken into  police custody Thursday in connection with the threat made against TPHS.

According to the release, the unidentified juvenile was not a student at the high school. An investigation is ongoing to determine if there were any other suspects, officials said.

District officials said TPHS administrators were made aware of a threat toward the school posted on a social media site.

The campus north of San Diego was locked down at approximately 10:25 a.m. with students and teachers told to shelter in place and police officers using patrol cars to block entrances.

Officers went room to room in search of any potential threat.

TPHS Principal David Jaffe said he first learned of the threat through one of the school's parents. He showed a screenshot of the alleged threat and showed it to a San Diego police officer before putting the school on lockdown.

“The best way to prevent these types or any kind of tragedies is being connected with your students,” Jaffe said. “And really encouraging students, parents, faculty that if you see it, say it. That’s what happened yesterday.”

Jaffe said the school used emails and phone calls to keep parents informed throughout the day.

Just before 1 p.m., students were first spotted leaving classrooms.

At nearby Canyon Crest Academy sophomores Madison Klaire and Cameron Colleran hid underneath their desks in dark classrooms for 45 minutes waiting for police to give them the all clear.

A school secretary called police just before 3 p.m. reporting a threat received through an online source. 

Klaire says a message was sent through Yik Yak that read "on the way with three guns."

The school was placed on lockdown as well.  CCA began releasing students at 3:37 p.m.

Yik Yak is a smart phone app that promises anonymity to its users wishing to send messages within a small geographic area.

However, the SDPD Internet Crimes Against Children unit is investigating the source of the threat. Capt. Rose said that perceived anonymity on the internet ceases when someone makes a threat.

In part of a statement emailed to NBC7, Yik Yak spokesperson Jack Bunting wrote:

"Currently, we are finding a best course of action is developing a sincere and responsive dialogue between parents, app creators and the younger generations. An open dialogue allows for the educating of younger generations on the responsible use of social media."

Thursday evening, TPHS and CCA canceled evening activities. However, classes will go on as scheduled Friday.

A window washer fell screaming about 11 stories from the top of the Sterling Bank and Trust building in San Francisco Friday, landing on a car in the middle of a busy street, police and witnesses said.

The man suffered critical injuries, but he was conscious, and the driver was not injured, police said.

San Francisco Police Lt. Ed Del Carlo said the worker was getting ready to work when he "fell off the apparatus" and landed on a car about 10 a.m. after falling from the building at 400 Montgomery Street, near the intersection with California Street. The roof of the car, a green Toyota Camry, was smashed in, and the rear windshield shattered.

"The driver didn't know what happened," Del Carlo said.

The window washer was taken to the hospital. Del Carlo said the worker's condition appeared critical, with a possible compound fracture and other injuries. He was with a partner, who was not hurt. Julia Bernstein, a spokeswoman for Cal-OSHA, said a safety engineer was on scene, trying to determine what happened.

The man worked for Century Window Cleaning in Concord. A man who answered the phone there on Friday had no comment. 

Witnesses nearby began taking photos of the scene. One image taken by Instagram user RadioPadrac showed a green car with broken windows and a damaged roof, apparently from the worker's fall.

The intersection of Montgomery and California was closed to traffic as police investigated.

Sam Hartwell, who was on his way to a meeting, saw some of what happened: "I saw a blue streak out of the corner of my eye," and then that "streak" hit a car with a great "thud." Soon afterward, Hartwell realized that "streak" was a person.

Hartwelland about 20 other people ran to the man, who was on his back. The man was lucid, though he was bleeding.

"He understood we were with him,'' Hartwell said.

The bystanders, who included a nurse, put clothing on the man as they waited for the ambulance.

Hartwell said of his reaction, "It was utter, immediate shock. How do you react to something like that?''

The fall comes about two weeks after two window washers were stranded on top of the World Trade Center in New York City. On Nov. 12, two workers were rescued in dramatic fashion after scaffolding collapsed.

Last month in Irvine, California, two window washers stuck for hours near the top of a 19-story high-rise were pulled to safety by members of a search-and-rescue team.

Window cleaning is one of the safer industries, according to Stefan Bright, the safety director for the International Window Cleaners Association based in Zanesville, Ohio.

Among the 15,000 to 20,000 professional cleaners working on high-rises each year, there are typically fewer than three fatalities a year, he said.

While figures for window washers specifically were not available, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that seven workers in the janitorial or cleaning professions died as a result of on-the-job injuries sustained while working with scaffolding from 2011 to 2013.

The Associated Press and NBC Universal's Noreen O'Donnell and Torey Van Oot contributed to this report.

How did a kitten travel all the way from New Mexico to Maine? It's a mystery to her owner and the shelter where she's been staying.

According to the Animal Refuge League in Westbrook, "Spice" was put inside a duffel bag and someone dropped her off at a thrift shop in Portland. A shopper found the bag and brought Spice home for a few days before bringing her to the shelter.

At the shelter, they scanned for a microchip and discovered not only did Spice have an owner, but her home was over 2,000 miles away in New Mexico!

According to Jeana Roth at the Animal Refuge League, "We were in disbelief when we called the microchip company and they told us. They were in disbelief too to see a cat from New Mexico came to Maine in just five days."

Spice apparently escaped from her house on Halloween when her owner was opening
the door to trick or treaters. How she managed to get from there to Maine, no one has any idea.

The kitten's owner doesn't have the money to pay for Spice to return to New Mexico, but another pet owner is stepping up to help.

Jon Ayers is the CEO of Idexx. The company makes pet testing kits and Ayers has several shelter cats at home. He has offered to pay to send Spice back home and as soon as she recovers from a small cold she will travel with a shelter employee back to New Mexico to be reunited with her owner.

A gas line break in the College Area prompted evacuations and power outages Friday afternoon.

San Diego Gas & Electric officials say a construction crew was digging near 55th Street and Adams Avenue when they hit a gas line at about 3:30 p.m.

Fire crews started evacuations in the area while SDG&E worked to shut off the leak. The damage also caused power outages for buildings nearby.

Utility workers got the gas leak under control about 45 minutes later, at which point evacuees were allowed to return home.

SDG&E authorities believe the construction crew did not know there was a line where they were digging.

The investigation is on-going.

Check back here for more on this developing story.

John Glaude is comfortable in his own skin.

After shedding 160 pounds, the 22-year-old El Cajon man made a YouTube video, bravely showing off his body’s loose skin.

The video went viral, amassing more than six million views, and drew the attention of the Ellen DeGeneres show. Glaude appeared on the show on Friday afternoon to reiterate his inspirational story.

“This is who I am and I’m proud of it,” he said.

Ellen was effusive in her praise.

“I love this young man. After losing an incredible 160 pounds, our next guest bravely posted a video of himself revealing his biggest insecurity,” she said.

Glaude explained how he started his weight loss journey two years out of high school. Depressed about his large size, he heard someone explain that shedding pounds really was easy as eating better and exercising.

He lost the weight over two years' time.

He said he didn’t post the video so someone would pay for him to have skin removal surgery – he just wants to be an inspiration to others.

“I am comfortable in my skin. The skin is a battle scar from where I’ve been, where I was,” he said.

Glaude watched his appearance on Ellen at home in El Cajon with family and friends. He said he has one goal in life: to inspire anyone and everyone he can.

"I promise you, when you do lose the weight, or even when you're starting to lose the weight, your self-worth and how you feel about yourself, your eyes will open, you'll be able to, the future will be a lot brighter," he said.

As an award for his weight loss and his bravery, Ellen gave him a brand-new bright red Ford Mustang.

Here's Glaude's appearance on the Ellen Show: