Police have increased patrols near Iron Horse Boulevard in the center of Simsbury after the death of a woman found injured on the side of the road Thursday was ruled a homicide.

The state's medical examiner ruled the cause of death of Melissa Millan, 54, as "stab wound of chest," an employee in the medical examiner's office told NBC Connecticut on Saturday.

Millan, a Simsbury mother who was a senior vice president at MassMutual and who was also active in the community, was found lying on Iron Horse Boulevard between Phelps Lane and Pent Road around 8 p.m. Thursday. An ambulance rushed her to Saint Francis Hospital, where she died a short time later.

She was jogging on the boulevard at the time of the incident, according to Simsbury Police Capt. Nick Boulter. It's unclear if the homicide was random, he said.

Iron Horse Boulevard is in the center of Simsbury near a highly frequented bike trail, numerous restaurants and the Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows.

Police initially considered the possibility that Millan was injured in a hit-and-run, but found no evidence to prove that theory.

Simsbury police have leads they are following and continue to investigate. No weapon has been found at this time and no suspect has been identified.

The Simsbury Police Department will increase patrols and police presence on the road "for an undetermined amount of time."

Police ask anyone with information to call detectives at 860-658-3145.

The last homicide in Simsbury was a murder-suicide in 2012.

There will be a vigil for Millan on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. near the area where she was found injured on Iron Horse Boulevard.

The parents of a 9-month-old girl who was accidentally shot in her Brooklyn home are being criminally charged, investigators said Sunday.

The baby's father, Pedro Rosales, 47, faces a slate of charges, including second-degree assault criminal possession of a firearm and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a court document.

Rosales was cleaning an illegal Colt .45 handgun at about 4 p.m. Saturday when it discharged, police said. His daughter Jessica was wounded in the hip. She underwent surgery at the Bellevue Hospital Center and is recovering in stable condition.

Rosales and Jessica Aguilar, the baby's mother, flagged down a police patrol car outside their home at 580 Sutter Ave. after the shooting and officers escorted parents and child to the hospital.

Police charged Aguilar with endangering the welfare of a child and second-degree reckless endangerment.

It wasn't immediately clear if either parent had a lawyer.

A Burlington County, New Jersey, mother accused of shooting her three kids in her bedroom before turning the gun on herself has died, according to New Jersey State Police.

Jeaninne LePage, 44, died at Cooper Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, Sunday morning, police confirmed to NBC10.

LePage, who was hospitalized since she and her three children were found shot in her bed last Thursday, is the responsible for killing two of her kids before turning the gun on herself inside their Holly Park Drive home in Tabernacle, said New Jersey State Police.

Police found the weapon — which has been in the family for a long time — close to LePage.

Eight-year-old Nadia Harriman and her 14-year-old brother, Nicholas Harriman, died, according to New Jersey State Police.

Alexander Harriman, 11, remained in severely critical condition at Cooper University Hospital Sunday, officials said.

Neighbors identified the victims Thursday, but authorities waited to confirm their names until they family members, including the children's father who was located in Maryland, were informed of the deaths.

Another relative who lives in the house found the victims around 9 a.m. and called for help.

"When police got there, they found a really horrific scene,’ said Jones. The victims were found in the same room and police believe they were shot with the same handgun, which was found at the scene."

Neighbors said that LePage shared the bed with her children and was in financial troubles.

Investigators believe the shootings occurred sometime between 5 and 9 a.m.

Nine people live in the house. They have all been accounted for and were interviewed by police, who assured neighbors early in the investigation that there was no manhunt and no reason for anyone to feel threatened or alarmed.

LePage tried to hide the shootings, according to police.

"A pillow was used to muffle the gunshot sounds, which we believe is why the other members of the house didn't hear the gunshots," said Noble.

The shootings shock the quiet community.

Members of the community organized a candlelight vigil Thursday night at Tabernacle's Town Hall, located at 163 Carranza Rd. At the vigil, children remembered their classmates.

Students and staff at Seneca High School — where Nicholas attended — had a moment of silence for the family Friday morning. Grief counselors were also on hand at local schools Friday to talk with grieving students and staff.

A trust fund was set up at PNC Bank under LePage-Harriman Memorial Fund.

A woman injured in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing who had several surgeries before having part of her leg amputated recently was discharged from a rehab facility Saturday and has vowed to run the race next year.

Rebekah DiMartino said she looks forward to getting her stitches out in early December and being fitted for a prosthetic left leg.

"The prognosis is great. I chopped off what was holding me back," DiMartino said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press as she packed up to leave. "The prognosis, is you'll see me running the Boston Marathon next year."

DiMartino had more than a dozen operations but still dealt with lingering pain. She had surgery Nov. 10 at Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital to remove her left leg below the knee. She entered rehab Nov. 14 and was going home Saturday to nearby Richmond.

Rebekah Gregory was watching last year's Boston Marathon when bombs exploded. Her son, now 7, and her then-boyfriend, Peter DiMartino, were also hurt. The couple wed last spring in Asheville, North Carolina.

Their Houston-area home still needs some modifications for accessibility, she said.

"I have been wheelchair bound for the last 18 months basically, so when we built our house we built it with wider doors," said DiMartino, 27.

She does not expect her loss of a limb to adversely affect the rest of her life.

"This is about to be Rebekah unleashed. They haven't seen anything yet. This is the good part of the story," DiMartino said. "Not only am I moving on, I am trying to do my part in changing the world while doing it."

A suspect charged in the bombing, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, awaits trial. His older brother, Tamerlan, was killed in a shootout with police after the bombing that killed three people and injured more than 260.

Marion Barry, an icon of D.C. politics good and bad for more than 40 years, has died at age 78.

"It is with deep regret that the family of former four-time D.C. Mayor, and Ward 8 City Councilman, Marion S. Barry, Jr., announces that he has passed," read a statement early Sunday from Barry's family.

Barry had been hospitalized at Howard University Hospital Thursday after complaining of a urinary tract infection. He was released Saturday, and family members said he seemed to feel well. "In his own words, he was 'fantabulous' -- his words, not mine," said Barry spokeswoman LaToya Foster at an early-morning press conference at United Medical Center.

Sunday morning, Barry visited with his son, Christopher, and then stopped to eat. On his way back into his home from the car, Barry collapsed. His driver brought him inside the home, unresponsive.

Barry was taken to United Medical Center at about 12:15 a.m. Sunday, and was pronounced dead at about 1:45 a.m.

Reaction poured in as news of Barry's death spread early Sunday morning. "He loved the District of Columbia and so many Washingtonians loved him," D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said in a statement that expressed "deep sadness" and promised "official ceremonies worthy of a true statesman of the District of Columbia."

Gray ordered flags at all D.C. buildings to be flown at half-staff beginning Sunday in Barry's honor.

In a statement released Sunday, incoming D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said, "Mayor Marion Barry gave a voice to those who need it most."

Barry had recently taped an interview with Oprah Winfrey for her show, "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" The Barry family statement indicated that the interview — which included his new book, "Mayor For Life: the Incredible Story of Marion Barry, Jr." — still would air Sunday at 9 p.m.

Barry served four terms as mayor and had a lock on the D.C. Council’s Ward 8 seat. But along with that huge political success, many personal failures marked his turbulent life.

Early on in his career, the Washington City Paper dubbed him “Mayor for Life.” He confounded critics who railed against his melodramatic life, even as he basked in the admiration of forgiving citizens who looked to him as their champion.

The son of a Mississippi sharecropper, Barry emerged from the student and civil rights activism of the 1960s to serve on the elected D.C. school board and D.C. Council.

In 1979, Barry began serving the first of three consecutive terms as D.C.’s second elected mayor. His pro-business policies helped spur economic development. He built civic programs for youth and senior citizens, and opened the city government to many African-American professionals, who previously had been shut out.

But lackluster city services, like slow snow removal and lost city ambulances, dogged Barry's administration. He battled a soaring homicide rate among the worst in the nation, and vowed a war on illegal drugs even as rumors about his own drug addiction swirled around Washington.

Barry's stature crumbled spectacularly in 1990, when an FBI sting videotaped Barry smoking crack cocaine in Washington’s Vista Hotel.

Barry famously complained that he had been set up by former girlfriend Rasheeda Moore, an FBI informant.

Barry’s federal trial turned into a drama of prosecution charges and persecution complaints. Out of 14 drug charges, a jury convicted Barry of a single misdemeanor possession charge. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson sentenced him to six months in prison, the maximum punishment.

Many thought the scandal would finish Barry's political career.

But in 1992, Barry emerged from prison and began his comeback right at the prison gate. Just months later he won the Ward 8 council seat from longtime ally and four-term incumbent Wilhelmina Rolark.

In 1994, he swept back into the mayor’s office for a fourth term, trouncing failed reform Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly. Congress reacted sharply to concerns over another term for Barry and Kelly’s massive debt by creating a five-member federal control board to run the city over Barry.

Barry appointed then-obscure Anthony Williams as his chief financial officer. Acerbic and shy compared to Barry, Williams won the mayor’s office in 1998 when Barry chose not to seek re-election.

• LISTEN: Former D.C. Council Chair Linda Cropp on Marion Barry

Barry returned to the political limelight in 2004, winning Ward 8 over another former ally, Sandy Allen. Waving off criticism of disloyalty, Barry said it wasn’t personal — it was politics.

In recent years, Barry easily won re-election in Ward 8. But he suffered from declining health, and received a kidney transplant.

Other controversies endured: failing to file income taxes, being censured for steering a city contract to a girlfriend, and making insensitive remarks about Asian storeowners and Filipina nurses, to whom he later apologized after stinging public criticism.

In August, Barry was involved in a wrong-way accident on Pennsylvania Avenue. Barry blamed low blood sugar that had made him disoriented.

But of the six mayors who’ve served the city since home rule began in the 1970s, it was Barry’s Mayor for Life personality and rollercoaster career that helped define D.C. politics for decades.

Barry first came to D.C. with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He later helped establish and run Pride, an inner-city help group. When Congress granted limited home rule to D.C., Barry won a first seat on the D.C. Council in 1974.

Shot in the chest by Hanafi Muslims when they overran at the Wilson Building in 1977, Barry used the publicity to help launch his 1978 campaign for mayor. He was a brash reformer, equally eloquent on the streets and in boardrooms. He narrowly won a three-way battle after The Washington Post editorial page heavily and repeatedly endorsed him.

But his terms in office were marred by investigations into cronyism, those drug abuse allegations and his image as a self-professed night owl.

Despite his faults, Barry is credited with opening the city’s government to black citizens; for creating a massive summer jobs program that while wasteful in many cases offered a job or paid internship to any city youth who wanted one; and for treating senior citizens as a top priority with homes and programs for those in the twilight of life. His pro-business stance helped fuel the downtown real estate boom in the 1980s and helped fill his campaign war chest. He completed the city’s first convention center on time and on budget. In his last term as mayor, Barry landed the deal to get the MCI Center (now the Verizon Center) built downtown.

In his final days on the Council, Barry suffered from ailments including diabetes, high blood pressure and infections. On the Council he was once again pushing for summer youth jobs, development east of the Anacostia River and help for senior citizens.

Still, his national reputation is one of a promising politician undone or diminished by his personal failings; a politician who rose against seemingly hopeless odds to win and stay in the life of politics, often in spite of himself.

Friends and colleagues remembered former four-time D.C. Mayor Marion Barry who died early Sunday morning at age 78.

President Barack Obama added his thoughts to the many reactions on the passing of Barry.

"Michelle and I were saddened to hear of the passing of Marion Barry. Marion was born a sharecropper's son, came of age during the Civil Rights movement, and became a fixture in D.C. politics for decades. As a leader with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Marion helped advanced the cause of civil rights for all. During his decades in elected office in D.C., he put in place historic programs to lift working people out of poverty, expand opportunity, and begin to make real the promise of home rule. Through a storied, at times tumultuous life and career, he earned the love and respect of countless Washingtonians, and Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathies to Marion's family, friends and constituents today."

Barry collapsed early Sunday morning and was taken to United Medical Center where he was pronounced dead around 1:45 a.m. ET.

"He loved the District of Columbia and so many Washingtonians loved him," D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said in a statement that expressed "deep sadness" and promised "official ceremonies worthy of a true statesman of the District of Columbia."

“Marion was not just a colleague but also was a friend with whom I shared many fond moments about governing the city,” said Gray. “He loved the District of Columbia and so many Washingtonians loved him.”

Gray ordered flags at all D.C. buildings to be flown at half-staff beginning Sunday in Barry's honor.

Mayor .@marionbarryjr gave a voice to those who need it most and lived his life in service to others. #MayorForLife pic.twitter.com/iBePnBGsB2

— MurielBowser (@MurielBowser) November 23, 2014

In a statement released Sunday, incoming D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said, "Mayor Marion Barry gave a voice to those who need it most. I – along with all Washingtonians – am shocked and deeply saddened by his passing, and we send out condolences to Cora Masters Barry, Chris Barry and the entire Barry family. He has been a part of my family for decades, and he will continue to be an example to me and so many others.”

While speaking on News4, Ward 1 DC Councilmember Jim Graham lamented Barry's passing and its impact on the city he loved.

"The city has lost a huge chunk of its soul today with the passing of Marion Barry," Graham said.

Radio station host Donnie Simpson added his thoughts as well.

"Marion Barry was always about the people of DC from day one, long before he got that Mayor's seat."

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton offered condolences to Barry's family.

“From my earliest encounter with Marion Barry, when he was the first chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee until I came back home and found him mayor of my home town, I have seen Marion take hold and write his signature boldly on his own life and times and on the life of the nation’s capital. Many took his struggle to personify in some way their own, endearing him and making him a larger-than-life figure as he became a creator of post-home-rule D.C.”

Councilmember David Grosso issued the following statement on the passing of Mayor Marion Barry:

"I was saddened to learn of the passing of my D.C. Council colleague. Marion Barry was a strong advocate for Ward 8 and devoted his life to the residents of Washington, D.C. His strong passion for making our city a great city was only surpassed in effort by his incredible commitment to ensuring that the poorest of our residents were never forgotten. It has been an honor for me to sit next to Mayor-for-Life Marion Barry on the dais and serve with him on the education committee for the past two years. I learned a lot about my beloved city from him and a lot about him. I will forever respect what he has done for this city in spite of his many challenges over a 40-year career."

Barry's annual turkey giveaway will go on despite his death.

Barry's spokeswoman LaToya Foster said Sunday at an early morning press conference at United Medical Center, where Barry died, that the annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway for needy residents would continue because ``that's what he would have wanted.''

The giveaway is scheduled for Tuesday at Union Temple Baptist Church in southeast Washington.

Mayor Barry was a fierce advocate for voting rights/#dcstatehood. And, a freedom fighter for the District of Columbia. #RIPMarionBarry

— DC Vote (@DC_Vote) November 23, 2014

A bighorn sheep that escaped from the Los Angeles Zoo died after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in a Los Feliz neighborhood Saturday, police said.

The adult female sheep went missing from an exhibit about noon and  traversed the Santa Monica Mountains from the area in Griffith Park where the zoo is located, zoo spokeswoman April Spurlock said.

It was struck by a car near the Greek Theatre about two hours later.

Los Angeles park rangers and police found the sheep on a home driveway in the 2200 block of North Commonwealth Avenue.

When zoo personnel and veterinarians got to the sheep, they tranquilized the animal with a dart to bring it back to its habitat but it died at the scene about 3 p.m., Spurlock said.

The sheep is believed to have died from its injuries, but the official cause of death will be determined by an autopsy, Spurlock said.

The sheep was one of five bighorns at the zoo. Officials are trying to figure out how it escaped.

The desert bighorn sheep has been listed as endangered since 1998 due to loss of habitat, disease brought by domestic sheep and cattle and predation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

San Jose police are investigating a security breach at San Jose airport Sunday and have arrested a suspect.

A man breached the airport and stole a maintenance worker's vehicle at around 10:15 a.m., police said.

Police said the suspect breached the airport on the Coleman Avenue side of the airport. Employees of Atlantic Aviation captured him and alerted police.

While waiting for police to arrive, he ran from the company's lobby to the public side of the airport and asked an employee driving a maintenance truck for a ride. When the airport worker said no, the suspect stole it, according to police.

Police caught up with the suspect, 39-year-old Miguel Zaragoza, and arrested him at Terminal B.

No flights were affected because of the incident.

Strong winds and low humidity forecasted for this week means San Diego County is at an increased risk of wildfires.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Red Flag Warning for the mountains and inland valleys from 4 a.m. Monday to 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Winds will be the strongest Tuesday and could reach over 80 mph, according to NWS. A High Wind Warning will also be in effect.

Sunday afternoon, crews battled a small brush fire at the Thousand Trails Pio Pico campground in Jamul. Cal Fire first reported the wildfire around 1:20 p.m.

Firefighters stopped the spread of the fire about 20 minutes later, according to Cal Fire. The blaze burned about one acre of land.

No structures were threatened by the fire, and there is no word what sparked it.
 

One man is dead and at least 30 injured in a Northern California bus crash, authorities told an NBC affiliate.

The bus was traveling from Los Angeles to Pasco, Washington when it ran off the road on the 5 Freeway in northern Shasta County Sunday at 7:41 a.m., California Highway Patrol officials told NBC affiliate KNVN.

Three people were in critical condition, according to the Sacramento Bee, which reported that 32 people were taken to the hospital in the crash.

The bus had apparently been involved in a minor crash at a Denny's earlier Sunday morning, CHP officials told KNVN, and the driver appeared fatigued.

The driver went into CHP headquarters for questioning voluntarily, according to KNVN.

Photos of the all-white bus showed no large logos, but a sign on the door said the bus belonged to a company called Transporters Yellow Arrow.

Flecha Amarilla del Norte, meaning Yellow Arrow of the North in Spanish, is a bus line based in Los Angeles, according to business listings online. It appears to be related to a Mexican bus line.

Refresh this page for updates on this developing story.

The St. Louis Rams defense makes life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. At least, that's what everyone seems to think.

A glance at the numbers reveals the Rams only have 19 QB sacks this season (23rd in the NFL). That's not what one would consider a terrifying front seven. But, when you look inside those numbers you see St. Louis is conducting some paranormal activity.

Of those 19 sacks, 18 have come in the last five games. I'm not sure which is more amazing; that this unit has averaged nearly four sacks a game against the likes of Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick (whom they got eight times), Carson Palmer (whom they knocked out for the season with a torn ACL), Alex Smith and Peyton Manning ... or that this unit only had one sack total against the likes of Matt Cassel, Josh McCown, Tony Romo and Nick Foles.

St. Louis can't figure out what kind of team it is. One week they'll look like a Super Bowl contender, like they did a week ago in beating the Broncos 22-7. The next week they'll look like a team lucky to win four games, like they did in losing to the Chiefs 34-7 at the end of October.

Their last six games have been Loss, Win, Loss, Win, Loss, Win. If that pattern holds true the Chargers got a gift from the schedule makers. But, to make that pattern perpetuate, the Bolts will have to keep the Rams rushers away from Philip Rivers.

Only five St. Louis defensive players have more than one sack this season, led by Robert Quinn's 6.0. Rookie Aaron Donald is next with 4.0, while Eugene Sims, William Hayes and James Laurinaitis all have 2.0.

That's four defensive linemen and one linebacker who have done the bulk of the QB smashing. That's going to be a problem for the Chargers and their underwhelming offensive line. Any time a team can generate pressure from its 4-man rush, something this Rams group excels at, it's going to cause issues.

The Chargers, especially, want to force opposing defenses to bring extra attackers. Through the season's first 10 games, Philip Rivers has the highest QB rating in the NFL while being blitzed. the man sniffs out blitzes like a bloodhound because, when a team blitzes, it's leaving someone momentarily open. Rivers and his encyclopedic knowledge of football knows exactly where that person will be and finds him more often than not.

But, when the defensive front is able to hurry a quarterback without extra help, everyone is accounted for. The offense has to rely on bad coverage or a receiver getting open on his own. That makes things exponentially more difficult, that's why this match up is so potentially tough for the Bolts, and that brings us to our three players to watch on Sunday:

Chris Watt, C

At Notre Dame, Watt started 37 career games, all of them at left guard. So, of course his first NFL start comes at center. Rich Ohrnberger is listed as questionable with ankle and back injuries, but since the Chargers signed Ryan Miller off the practice squad on Saturday it would appear Ohrnberger is not going to be active. That moves Watt to the middle of the line, a spot where the Rams use Laurinaitis and Donald to get a push through the A-Gap (between the center and guard), the spot where quarterbacks thoroughly despise getting pushed. Watt will have to not only help make the line calls and get everyone working in the same direction, he'll have to worry about keeping those big guys from breaking through and getting clean shots on an already dinged up Rivers.

Keenan Allen, WR

One of Allen's greatest assets is his ability to get open quickly. St. Louis plays all kinds of coverages. They'll go man for a while, then zone, sometimes flip-flopping between the two within a single series. Allen is going to have to use his abundant skill set to get open against the ever-changing looks as fast as he possibly can, because odds are Rivers won't have much time to let Keenan work to get open. Rivers said during the week we could see another eight or nine catch game from Allen coming soon. If this is the week it happens, it's probably a good sign that Philip is staying upright and Keenan is winning on the outside, and that could very well be the difference between a win and a loss.

Jerry Attaochu, OLB

If there's a saving grace for the Chargers against what I've now talked myself in to believing is the second coming of the 1985 Bears, it's this: The Rams offense is not very good. While Shaun Hill and Austin Davis have both had nice moments at quarterback, neither has established himself as the starter and head coach Jeff Fisher has tried to play the hot hand. Attaochu returned from his hamstring injury and looked like the Tasmanian Devil against the Raiders. Attaochu had a sack, another QB hit and a tackle for a loss, showing an explosion off the edge that can put offensive tackles on edge. Rams quarterbacks have been sacked 33 times this season (only the Jaguars have allowed more sacks). The Chargers defense needs to match the Rams in getting after the QB, or it's going to be a long day in Mission Valley.

Derek's Prediction

I honestly have no clue what to expect from St. Louis. They could win by 20 or lose by 20, and either way it would in no way be surprising. In this particular case, it's not going to be a blowout. But, it will be another St. Louis loss.

Rivers will find a way to make just enough plays in the passing game, and get a big boost from Ryan Mathews running the ball well. The San Diego defense will force a couple of turnovers and get points on short fields. Just like last week against Oakland, this will not be pretty.

But, it will be 7-4.

Final score: Chargers 16, Rams 13

After nearly 10 days, a 4-year-old boy who fell off a cliff in Bodega Bay, Northern California, has woken up from his coma Friday.

Sebastion Johnson fell more than 200 feet down a seaside cliff nearly two weeks ago, as he was throwing rocks into the ocean with his family when he slipped over the edge.

"I wanted to jump off and and grab him and make sure he's alive," Sebastion's father, Daryl Johnson, told NBC's "Today" show of the ordeal.

Rescuers rappelled down the cliff to save him. They slowly lifted him to safety. Sebastion ended up with a broken leg, arm and jaw.

But, on Friday morning, Johnson's father said his son was breathing on his own and had his neck brace removed.

"We're amazed he's pulled through," Sebastion's mom Jamie Guglielmino told "Today." "We've given him a nickname,'miracle monkey.' Everyone in our family has a monkey nickname."

Sebastion was still recovering on Sunday.

A North County lawyer is one of the women who have accused comedian Bill Cosby of sexual assault.

Tamara Green of Fallbrook first shared her story on the “Today” show in 2005.

Green said Cosby tried to sexually assault her in her Los Angeles apartment around 1970, when she was a model and an aspiring actress. She said Cosby gave her two pills that made her almost lose consciousness and attacked her.

Green and other women have renewed their sexual assault allegations against the 77-year-old entertainer in recent weeks, prompting several of his standup comedy shows to be canceled.

Despite the scandal, Cosby received a standing ovation from a sold-out crowd Friday night in Melbourne, Florida. Before the show, Cosby broke his silence regarding the accusations. He told the Florida Today newspaper, in part, "I know people are tired of me not saying anything, but a guy doesn't have to answer to innuendos.”
 

A group of people tried to kidnap a San Diego State University student after stealing her cell phone, according to campus police.

The alleged incident happened around 12:35 a.m. Sunday on 55th Street and Aztec Walk near the athletic complex.

The female student told officers she was walking home and dropped her cell phone. That’s when she says someone got out of a nearby sedan, snatched her phone, got back into the car and fled.

According to police, the vehicle returned a few minutes later and offered the woman her phone. When she went to retrieve the phone, someone reportedly tried to pull her into the car.

The victim was able to escape with her cell phone and call police.

Police said there were six suspects, but they only have a good description of one. He is described as a slender African-American man with short, curly hair wearing khaki pants and camouflage boxers. He was not wearing a shirt and appeared to have tattoos on his chest and arms.

The suspects were riding in a silver or gold Toyota Camry with a sunroof.

Anyone with information should call 619-594-7874 or email police@mail.sdsu.edu. They can also contact Crime Stoppers at 619-235-8477 to remain anonymous.

A Philadelphia hip hop artist convicted of shooting and killing a female police officer will be executed next year.

Christopher Roney was convicted of first-degree murder for the shooting death of Philadelphia Police Officer Lauretha Vaird Jan. 2, 1996. Governor Tom Corbett signed an execution warrant for Roney on Friday. He is scheduled to be executed Jan. 8, 2015. Executions in Pennsylvania are carried out by lethal injection.

Roney, 44, was found guilty of first-degree murder and other offenses Oct. 30, 1996. The jury also returned a death verdict Nov. 1, 1996 in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas.

On Jan. 2, 1996, around 8:20 a.m., Roney, Ernest Canty and Warren McGlone tried to rob a PNC Bank at 4710 Rising Sun Avenue in Philadelphia. As the assistant manager arrived at the bank, Canty grabbed her as well as the bank manager and forced them inside at gunpoint. Roney then grabbed the head bank teller as she arrived.

A nearby business contacted police. Officer Lauretha Vaird, a nine-year veteran with the 25th District, was the first officer to arrive at the scene. As she entered the bank, Roney opened fire, striking her in the abdomen, according to officials. He and the other two men then fled the scene as other officers arrived.

Vaird, a 43-year-old single mother of two boys, died from her injuries. She was the first Philadelphia female police officer to be killed in the line of duty.

Roney and his two accomplices were arrested after police received statements from eyewitnesses.

Prior to his arrest, Roney was a hip hop artist who released two solo albums under the stage name “Cool C” in 1989 and 1990 as well as an album with the hip hop group C.E.B. in 1993.

Roney was recording a comeback EP at the time of Vaird's death. McGlone, who performed under the stage name "Steady B" was another member of C.E.B. while Canty was also a local hip hop artist.

Aside from Roney, Governor Corbett also signed execution warrants for Mark Duane Edwards, who was convicted of murder in the shooting deaths of a husband, wife and their pregnant teen daughter in 2002 as well as Dennis Reed, who was convicted in the shooting death of his girlfriend and mother of his son in 2001.

The three execution warrants signed Friday were Corbett’s 41st, 42nd and 43rd warrants signed since he took office.

The dry, windy conditions across Southern California have prompted another Red Flag Warning from weather and fire officials - but what does that mean?

The term is used by fire officials to plan for a potentially dangerous mix of low moisture that can make dry brush act like kindling and high winds that can help a fire to rapidly spread, increasing the chances of wildfires.

When a Red Flag Warning is in effect, fire agencies add additional firefighters, staff more fire engines and keep additional firefighting resources at the ready.

It is the highest fire danger alert, and in Southern California is often triggered by the so-called Santa Ana winds.

Residents are asked to be extra cautious of fire hazards when:

• Relative humidity is less than 15 percent and winds are stronger than 25 mph or with frequent gusts of more than 35 mph during a 6-hour period.
• Relative humidity is less than 10 percent for 10 hours or more regardless of wind speed.

Lightning strikes without a rain storm can also play a factor. Red Flag conditions can exist regardless of the air temperature, so wildfire danger can be as high during cooler winter months as it is during the hot summer.

During Red Flag Warnings, residents can help firefighters by:

• Removing debris, including dry leaves, firewood and trash from around their home.
• Trim dry tree branches and bushes.
• Don’t mow or trim dry grass with a lawnmower on dry days.
• Make sure cigarette butts and campfires are properly extinguished.

The death of the unarmed man shot by a probationary NYPD officer in a Brooklyn stairwell last week has been ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said Monday.

Akai Gurley was shot and killed in a stairwell at the Louis H. Pink Houses in East New York late Thursday by officer Peter Liang, who was assigned to the public housing complex as part of a violence reduction overtime detail.

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton has called the shooting an accident and said Gurley was a "total innocent."

Liang and his partner, both of whom have less than 18 months on the force, were conducting a floor-by-floor sweep of the building and had gone to the roof when they noticed there were no lights in the stairwell leading up to it. Given the location and lack of light, Liang drew his weapon and a flashlight for safety reasons, police have said. The other officer kept his service weapon holstered.

As the officers were entering the eighth-floor landing, Gurley emerged on the seventh-floor landing. He heard a noise and turned to look up at the two officers a floor above him, a law enforcement source said. Then Liang, who had his gun in his left hand and his flashlight in his right, fired accidentally, hitting Gurley 11 feet below him, according to Bratton.

Gurley was shot in the chest. He stumbled down to his girlfriend, who was by that point on the fifth floor, and she tried to administer first aid, authorities said. Liang and his partner found the couple on the fifth floor; 911 had already been called. Gurley was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The medical examiner's ruling came shortly after Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson announced he would launch an investigation into Gurley's death. Thompson met with community leaders on Sunday, a day after more than 250 people marched in protest outside Liang's 75th Precinct, chanting and holding signs calling for justice.

The NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating along with the district attorney's office. Liang has been placed on modified duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

The police union has called for a thorough investigation. Neither the union nor the NYPD could immediately be reached for comment on the medical examiner's ruling. 
 

Two familiar faces in the San Diego criminal justice system met Friday to take a post-election look at state Proposition 47.

Its passage, by a 3-to-2 voter majority has bumped a lot of low-level felonies down to misdemeanors.

Now, it could free up thousands of prison inmates.

Former San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne said concerns about low-level criminals being released from custody are unfounded.

He cites other states that have succeeded with the shift in categorization of some crimes.

“There isn’t a family I know of that isn’t touched by this,” Lansdowne said referring to inmates with either a history of mental illness or drug abuse.

City Attorney Jan Goldsmith said there are a lot of challenges with an estimated 250 more cases a month expected to be handled by attorneys in his office.

The public said the thieves or drug-related offenders will be handled as misdemeanors and won’t get nearly the same attention as those cases handled as felonies.

“There are no probation officers when they’re placed on probation,” he said. “It’s a promise to the judge.”

“It is the honor system and it’s really, really tough to help somebody deal with their drug problem on the honor system,” he added.