Imagine being the victim of a brutal attack that put you in a coma for two months and left you with brain damage, speech problems and blindness. Now, imagine sitting down face-to-face with your attacker and finding it in your heart to not only forgive him, but also to listen to his side of the story.

It’s unfathomable on so many levels, and yet, Chris Anguiano has managed all of it. And it couldn’t say more about his character.

“He said he feels bad and he’s so sorry,” Anguiano told NBC 7 in an exclusive interview Saturday. “I took his apology. I accepted it.”

Anguiano’s referring to the former Border Patrol agent who attacked him and his then-girlfriend with two hatchets while they slept in their Escondido home in July 2009. Gamalier Rivera meant to kill his estranged wife and her new boyfriend but went into the wrong bedroom.

“I think it’s good to confront the person who harmed you,” said Dr. Skip Himelstein, Anguiano’s therapist. “It kind of raises you up and lowers them down.”

Himelstein traveled Saturday with Anguiano to Centinela State Prison where they sat down for a meeting with Rivera. They had prepared months for this.

Even if Anguiano didn’t believe Rivera’s side, hearing it brought him closure.

“How he’s so sorry what he’s done to me. How he’s changed his life forever, you know. I told him, 'You changed your life forever,’” Anguiano said.

Himelstein has seen Anguiano progress from rage and anger to where he is now, a state of peace and positivity. She’s incredibly proud of him.

“He was so glad and relieved to hear what Gamalier had to say,” she said.

“I'm in a better place. I have freedom. He doesn't have freedom,” Anguiano said. “I have life. I’m enjoying it in a different manner.”

Even if he can’t see images, Anguiano loves watching movies, listening to the dialogue and special effects. He also joked that he’s trying to convince his friends to let him drive their cars but hasn’t had any luck yet.

As impressive as Anguiano’s outlook on life and overcoming obstacles is his independence. He’s been living in an apartment alone for nearly a year and a half, and though he has a caretaker -- his father -- three days a week, he gets along just fine on his own as well.

In the past five years he’s adapted to his environment so he can carry out the simple tasks most of us take for granted. He’s organized his refrigerator so he knows exactly where everything is when he reaches in. He has an app on his iPhone that reads and identifies banknotes. He even has a way of navigating the remote so he can change the channel, or play and enjoy those movies he loves.

He’s even gone skiing, flown on a Dive Devil, and gone crabbing.

Anguiano has come a long way, but naturally, he can’t deny his deepest feelings.

“I feel like he should have been punished the way he punished me,” he said.

But he has taken an immeasurable step.

“I could say I forgive him, but I'm never going to forget,” Anguiano said. “The rest of my life I'll remember.”

When all this happened, Anguiano was studying nursing. He's on a different track now, taking classes at Palomar College and encouraging other victims of violent crime not to give up on life, even speaking about his trauma in college classes taught by his therapist.
 

After nearly giving away a late 10-point lead, the Chargers defense came up big when it was most needed.

Marcus Gilchrist intercepted a pass on the goal line as the St. Louis Rams were driving for a go-ahead touchdown in the final minute, sealing a 27-24 victory at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday.

"The character of our football team is unbelievable," Chargers coach Mike McCoy said. "We just believe in each other."

For much of the day, the Chargers (7-4) looked like they wanted to give away the game. They committed three costly turnovers. They were flagged for eight penalties totalling 85 yards.

Fortunately, they forced the Rams (4-7) to commit three turnovers of their own, including a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.

Philip Rivers led a 93-yard drive midway through the fourth quarter, hitting Keenan Allen on a 29-yard touchdown pass to put the Chargers up 10.

It was redemption for both of them. Rivers threw a first-half interception near the goal line that Janoris Jenkins returned for a 99-yard score.

Allen muffed a punt in the third quarter that led to a St. Louis (4-7) touchdown. He also fumbled deep in Rams territory as the Chargers were driving to put the game away. Allen finished with six catches for a game-high 104 yards.

The Rams almost pulled off the miraulous comeback late in the game. Shaun Hill drove them 80 yards, hitting Stedman Bailey on a 12-yard touchdown pass to pull within 27-24.

After forcing a Chargers punt, Tavon Austin returned a kick inside the Chargers 5. But a penalty brought it back. They drove down all the way to the Bolts 4 before Gilchrist made the big pick.

Rivers completed 29 of 35 passes for 291 yards.

Ryan Mathews led the Bolts with 105 rushing yards. His 32-yard touchdown run put the Chargers up 13-10 on their first drive of the second half, but he injured his shoulder on the play and didn't play much of the second half.

Hill was 18-of-35 for 198 yards. Bailey finished with seven catches for 89 yards.

The win keeps the Chargers in the playoff hunt, tied with the Kansas City Chiefs for second place in the AFC West, just a game back of the Denver Broncos, and tied with a number of teams for the final playoff spot.

They now enter a daunting stretch of the schedule, starting with a trip to Baltimore to play the Ravens.

Authorities are searching for the person who left a small white dog in the women's bathroom at a New York state park over the weekend.

The Putnam County SPCA says the pooch, possibly a Maltese mix, was found in a plastic crate in the ladies' restroom at Pelton Pond off Route 301 in Kent's Fahnestock State Park Saturday morning.

The dog was taken to an animal hospital, where it was found to be in a severe state of neglect. Both of its ears were infected and its fur was so heavily matted that it couldn't relieve itself, the SPCA said.

The pup, believed to be 3 or 4 years old, was also underweight.

Anyone with information about the dog is asked to call the Putnam County SPCA at 845-520-6915. 

A house fire in Fallbrook shot flames high into the air and quickly spread Sunday, igniting nearby brush in critically dry conditions.

The fire first sparked at the home on Deluz Road around 6:30 p.m. and tore through the 2500-square foot home.

Flames were so intense, crews called for reinforcements from as far away as San Marcos. It took crews hours to extinguish the fire. Fire crews stayed through the night to keep water on any hotspots.

Flames spread to the yard and scorched about a half acre of brush. Cal Fire told NBC 7 it did not appear that winds were a factor in the fire's spread Sunday night.

However, winds were expected to pick up strength Monday morning as the county was under a red flag warning.

One woman was treated for smoke inhalation, officials said.

San Diegans heading to the airport this holiday week can fly out assured that their experience will be one of the best in the U.S. and Canada.

The San Diego International Airport, known by locals as Lindbergh Field, ranked as the tenth least frustrating airport on Bloomberg Businessweek’s Airport Frustration Index.

On a scale from one to 100, the airport received a 38.1 frustration score, taking into account the overall experience, commute time, ease of security, the quality of terminals and restrooms, amenities, and how often flights take off on time.

The index took into account late or canceled flights, long lines, crowded terminals, and overpriced or appalling food. The survey analyzed more than 3,000 frequent flyers to find the most- and least-irritating places to catch a plane in the U.S. and Canada.

The airport also received high marks for its security clearance time, restrooms and shopping options.

On a scale from zero to 10, where zero is the worst and 10 is the best, the airport received a score of 7.2 for its security, 7.5 for its restrooms, and 6.1 for its shopping.

Flights departing from San Diego International Airport left on time 77 percent of the time, the 18th best in the bunch.

The ranking comes after the airport underwent a series of upgrades to their facilities, including adding its first-ever meditation room post-security in Terminal 2.

Many of the expansions in the past several years were a part of The Green Build, a $1 billion project set to expand Terminal 2 with 10 new gates, a duel-level roadway and additional parking and security lanes. The improvements include more concession stands and dining options.

The airport was also the first to become the first airport in the nation to have a formal sustainability policy where tons of food is recycled each month, including a quarter of coffee grounds.
 

The driver of a sport utility vehicle involved in a pursuit that exceeded 100 mph ran from the vehicle and onto a Culver City rooftop after driving on the wrong side of streets and narrowly missing pedestrians in crosswalks

Authorities have surrounded the what appeared to be an apartment complex property in the 9600 block of Lucerne Avenue. Aerial video showed the man walking on the roof of the complex before turning on a water supply pipe and taking a drink.

The man then wedged a board against what appeared to be a rooftop access door and placed cinder blocks in front of it to prevent it from opening.

The pursuit involving a white sport utility vehicle began in the Palmdale area after a report of an individual sought in a drive-by shooting. The driver was on the 14 and 5 freeways at midday and nearly clipped several vehicles at speeds around 100 mph.

Aerial video showed the driver swerving across lanes and driving on the shoulder of the southbound 5 Freeway before transitioning on the southbound 170 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley. The driver then exited onto Vermont Avenue in the Hollywood area, speeding the wrong way on several busy streets and narrowly missing pedestrians and vehicles at intersections.

At about 1:20 p.m., the driver reversed into a covered parking area before exiting back onto the street in front of a Los Angeles Police Department patrol vehicle. The pursuit continued westbound on streets bordering the 10 Freeway and into Culver City.

Lucky San Diegans this weekend willing to skip out on Black Friday deals can be some of the few people to catch a glimpse of the new "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" teaser trailer starting this Friday.

An 88-second teaser of the Episode VII movie will be released exclusively to select theaters, including the Edwards Mira Mesa Stadium, starting this Black Friday morning.

The Edwards Mira Mesa Stadium 18 IMAX & RPX was one of 30 theaters selected to premiere the trailer this weekend.

The J. J. Abrams movie, set to be officially released in December 2015, will have their teaser play before all movies showing in the cinema from November 28 to 30th. After that, the teaser will be shown around the world in December.

A man who opened fire on a police dog after jumping from the roof of a home was shot and killed by police after a search for a gunman involved in a nearby fatal shooting outside a church.

The officer-involved shooting was reported at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday in the 1500 block of East Elgnenia Street in West Covina. At least one West Covina officer was involved in the shooting.

The dog, a Belgian Malinois, underwent surgery Monday morning and was expected to make a full recovery, according to the West Covina Police Department.

The shooting occurred just minutes after the discovery of a shooting victim on lawn outside a church. The victim died at the scene.

"Limited" information was available regarding the shooting and reports of an argument between the two men, police said.

"It was right in front of the church," said Cpl. Rudy Lopez. "The witness was able to provide us with the direction and a description."

Authorities are attempting to determine whether a Yellow taxi cab parked outside the church was connected to the shooting. The cab was towed from the scene.

The taxi cab company confirmed that the driver was not injured.

Witnesses told police they heard gunfire and saw a man running from the scene. Authorities towed a Yellow taxi cab from the scene of the church shooting, but it was not immediatley clear whether the vehicle is part of the investigation.

The gunman jumped from the roof onto a driveway and opened fire as a K-9 handler released the police dog, which was struck by one round. 

The 2-year-old dog, Reiko, has been with the department since 2013.

"He's done a magnificent job," said Lopez. "He's just one of those kinds of dogs that's got the drive that does the job. His handler is an excellent handler and they make a great team, and that's why I'm sure he's taking it as hard as he is because of that relationship.

"They are officers. They're treated as such. When you've injured a K-9, you've basically injured an officer."

Reiko is one of the dogs assigned to the department. The department is attempting to acquire protective body armor for the K-9 unit, Lopez said.

A veteran criminal defense attorney will serve three years’ probation -- including a year on house arrest-- and forfeit more than $300,000 for his role in an illegal money-laundering scheme.

James Warner represented hundreds of suspected drug dealers during his 40-year career. His colleagues once honored him as "Defense Attorney of the Year."

But Warner admitted in July that he helped a client hide drug money assets by investing $100,000 cash in an off-shore investment. Court records reveal that Warner also promised to pay the drug dealer 18 percent interest on the cash.

Investigators later found more than $200,000 cash hidden in a suitcase in Warner’s law office in the Banker’s Hill neighborhood of San Diego.

Most of that money was in a vacuum-sealed bag and was linked to drug dealers, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Walker Hobson told NBC 7.

Warner quickly admitted to conspiracy to launder money in the scheme. He also pleaded guilty to attempting to harass a witness.

Warner was sentenced Monday by Federal Judge Jeffrey Miller. In addition to house arrest, probation and forfeiture of funds, Warner must perform 2,000 hours of community service within three years. Judge Miller said very few defendants are ordered to complete that much community service.

One of Warner’s attorneys Chuck Sevilla told the court that Warner’s criminal actions were “illegal, criminal, wrong, stupid and immoral.” But the defense reminded the judge that Warner quickly admitted his crimes when confronted with the evidence. The defense and prosecution agreed that a prison sentence would not be appropriate in this case.

Warner apologized for breaking the law and embarrassing the legal profession.

“I’ll never forgive myself,” he told the judge and a gallery filled with family, friends and other supporters, many of whom wrote letters to Judge Miller, urging leniency.

Warner also told the court, “I never considered the unbelievably dire consequences of what I've done."

He has resigned from the State Bar Association, and Judge Miller – who called it a “tragic and shameful” case -- ordered Warner not to practice law.

Warner will be allow to leave his home only for meetings with his probation officer and other necessary appointments, including visiting his wife in the hospital.

Warner’s attorneys explained that his wife of 46 years is now on life support in a local hospital after suffering from cardiac arrest during a surgical procedure.

A tearful Warner blamed himself for his wife’s medical problems, telling the judge he had ruined his life and his family’s life.

From heartburn to mood swings, you may experience the pitfalls of pregnancy with your sister or your best friend.

But if you’re 20-year-old Aurora Doorly of Chula Vista, you do this with your mom.

Not only is her mother – Vanessa Doorly, 36 – also pregnant, the mother-daughter duo are due on the same day: Dec. 15, 2014.

“I’m having her sister, and that’s my grandson,” said Vanessa, who described being pregnant with her daughter as “fabulous.”

Aurora, on the other hand, has taken time to warm up to the idea.

“Just to know my mom’s having a baby at the same time, it’s weird, but we’ll do it,” she said.

When Vanessa discovered she had the same due date as her daughter, she said she was stunned, excited and scared to tell Aurora.

“I didn’t want to steal her thunder,” she explained.

Aurora eventually came around, even participating in a dual baby shower.

“After a couple nights of thinking about it, I felt better because I knew she was feeling the same thing I was feeling and I would have someone there who could tell me what’s going on,” Aurora said.

Even in pregnancy, Vanessa is still very much Aurora’s mom, doling out advice and support.

“She calls and tells me, ‘mom, I’m feeling this. Are you feeling that?’ I’m like, ‘yes, I am. It’s normal. Don’t worry,’” Vanessa said.

As their nine-month journey together comes to an end, hospital bags are being packed at both Vanessa’s house and Aurora’s house. The two plan to deliver at the same hospital.

“Hopefully we’ll get the same room. But if we don’t, (family members) will just have to run through the hallway to each room, not to different hospitals,” Vanessa said.

“I would love to be right next to her while we’re both having the babies,” she added.

Vanessa and Aurora agree this experience has brought them closer, and they hope the babies will have the same unique bond, even if the little girl is the little boy’s aunt. (Think “Father of the Bride Part II.”) The kids will be spending a lot of time together.

“My mom’s going to be going back to work full-time, so I’ll be taking care of my sister and my son at the same time,” Aurora said.

This is Aurora’s first child. It will be the third for Vanessa and Aurora’s father, who also have a 14-year-old daughter.

Earlier this month, a mother and daughter in Florida gave birth at the same hospital less than three hours apart.

Police are investigating a reported sexual assault on the San Diego State University campus Sunday night.

A female student reported being sexually assaulted between 10:30 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. while attending a party on Hardy Avenue near 55th Street, police said.

Police described the suspect as an adult male approximately 6 feet tall with brown hair. He was wearing dress slacks with no shirt.

No arrests have been made. Anyone with information about the incident should call police at (619) 594-1991 or by sending an e-mail to police@mail.sdsu.edu.

The report comes as SDSU police also investigate a reported kidnapping where a group of people tried to pull a student into a car after stealing her cell phone near the athletic complex on campus.

This is the seventh reported sexual assault since the start of the year.

A victim reported a sexual assault on October 27 on 55th Street just north of Viejas Arena.

On September 22, a female student reported an assault that happened the afternoon before in student housing.

A female student was reportedly assaulted Sept. 6 at the campus-owned Granada Apartments by a man whom she said tried to befriend her as she was walking home.

On Labor Day, another SDSU student said she was sexually assaulted in a bathroom at an off-campus house party near College Place and College Avenue.
 

Armando Perez asked his former in-laws to forgive him Monday moments after admitting guilt in his estranged wife's brutal murder four years ago at San Diego City College.

Perez entered a change of plea, just before he was to stand trial for the stabbing of 19-year-old Diana Gonzalez, inside a campus restroom on October 12, 2010.

He turned to Gonzalez's family and asked them to forgive him, saying there should be money to help men with problems so they don't have to go through what happened here.

"I would like you to forgive me, I know it's going to be difficult, but only God knows why things happen,” Perez said.

However, the victim's sister told him to save his words.

"Honestly the little time that we knew him, we know what kind of person he is, I'm sorry but his apology to me meant nothing,” older sister Janette Gonzalez said after leaving the courtroom.

Teresa Santana, the Deputy District Attorney on the case, said on the night of the murder, Perez hid behind a tree, grabbed Gonzalez after class and viciously stabbed her in the bathroom.

After jurors were brought into the courtroom in San Diego Superior Court, Perez asked to speak with the judge.

The defendant said he would plead guilty to all charges and wanted to give the victim's family time to heal.

Judge Rogers called Perez's decision a surprise and unprecedented in his experience.

Perez said it was the "right thing to do" and that he hopes his actions help bring awareness to domestic violence.

“Whatever he does, it’s not going to bring my sister back,” Gonzalez said. “But at least we’re going to be in peace knowing he’s never come out, he’s never going to come after my family or anybody, or harm anybody else.”

As a result of his statement, Perez will be sentenced to 25 years to life. His sentencing hearing was scheduled for January 16, 2015.

"We wish we could've showed the people how bad person and monster he was but I guess this made it easier for us,” Gonzalez said.
 

After almost one week of deliberation, the jury has returned a verdict on a popular former karate instructor accused of child molestation.

On Monday, a jury found Juan Melesio Flores, 39, guilty of oral copulation with a minor. However, jurors were deadlocked on the remaining 16 charges, and the judge has declared a mistrial on those counts. 

Flores was taken into custody and is being held without bond.

The co-owner and lead instructor at Z-Ultimate Studio in Tierrasanta was charged with more than a dozen felony counts, including oral copulation and lewd acts with a child. Prosecutors said the abuse, which allegedly involved two teenage boys, took place between 2012 and Dec. 2013 at the studio, or dojo.

Flores was arrested last December. The two teens testified against him at a preliminary hearing in February.

Flores took the stand in his own defense on Nov. 17. He admitted to touching students’ buttocks and telling a student to take a picture in the shower, but insisted it was just a joke and never sexual in nature.

The jury started deliberating after closing arguments on Nov. 18. The defense argued Flores was a mentor and friend, not a villain, and that the victims’ testimonies weren’t consistent.

“Members of the jury, be very careful because the power and influence of a child molest accusation is immense,” said defense attorney Damian Lowe during closing statements.

But the prosecution said Flores exploited his students, pointing to DNA evidence.

“Child molestation doesn’t happen in front of the cameras. It doesn’t happen in crowds, in front of the courthouse or the middle of the mall,” said Deputy District Attorney Wendy Patrick. “It happens in the same way it happened in this case, beyond closed doors.”

Flores is due back in court Dec. 8.

San Diego residents are watching and waiting along with millions of others for the Ferguson, Missouri grand jury decision regarding the fatal shooting of teenager Michael Brown.

NBC News reports the grand jury has been released and a decision was expected to be made public Monday evening.

Nine of 12 members of the grand jury must agree in order to indict Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 19-year-old Brown on August. 9. 

The teenager was on his way home from a convenience store with a friend when Officer Wilson shot Brown multiple times. Brown had no criminal record, but it was later revealed that he was a suspect in a robbery allegedly committed before the shooting.

Wilson, 28, had patrolled the suburbs of St. Louis for six years, according to The Associated Press. Wilson's supporters have rallied, created Facebook pages and raised money for his family on GoFundMe.com.

The Missouri town was the location of unrest and violence following the officer-involved shooting. Police fought back with tear gas and rubber bullets, prompting questions over the intimidating presence of security forces armed with military-grade gear and equipment.

Demonstrators around the country, including in San Diego, have turned the "hands up, don't shoot" gesture into a rallying cry amid the protests.

At the City of Hope Church in Lincoln Park, churchgoers were praying for peace Sunday.

Pastor Terrell Fletcher was born in Ferguson and he views the grand jury decision as the biggest thing to happen in the lives of many young people in that community.

Fletcher said he knows all too well the racial tensions back home.

Though he comes from a law enforcement family, he knows what it's like to be mistreated by the police.

“Wasn't arrested, just embarrassed,” he recalled. “We were pushed around a little bit, we were pushed around a little bit faced down put in handcuffs put in the middle of the front lawn the whole community came out to see is be a spectacle, questioned unmercifully then threatened and sent on our way."

He's been meeting with young protesters, city leaders, law enforcement calling for calm as they brace for a decision.

The conflict has also brought attention to allegations of racial profiling in a community where 92.7 percent of those arrested in 2013 were black, when they make up 63 percent of the city's population, according to a report by the Missouri Attorney General's Office. 

The Ferguson Police Department has 53 officers, three of whom are black.

Every day, hundreds of customs and border agents patrol the U.S.-Mexico border crossings are looking for illegal drugs, weapons and undocumented immigrants.

Working side by side with border agents is Lockett, an English lab, and her handler, Ray Hernandez, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife inspector. Together, they're searching for a different kind of smuggler.

“A lot of snake skins are used in fashion accessories: Shoes, handbags, wallets, belts,” Hernandez said.

Smugglers are bringing animal furs and skins from the world's deserts, oceans and rain forests. The items are sometimes worth just a few dollars in their native lands, but can sell for hundreds, even tens of thousands of dollars, in the U.S. and other wealthy nations.

Fish and Wildlife Supervisor Mike Osborn said, "The problem is, too many snakes have been taken for that trade. So we don't see the big snakes anymore. They're gone."

Osborn showed NBC 7 the costly keepsakes made from endangered and protected species. They are smuggled through border crossings from San Ysidro and Otay Mesa to Arizona.

"So any part or product of an endangered species is not allowed to be brought into the United States, period. Whether it's a coat, whether it's a handbag made from endangered crocodile, whether it's a skin, whether it's a live animal," Osborn said.

NBC 7 Investigates obtained detailed information about the items Fish and Wildlife inspectors, with help from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, are finding at local ports of entry.

In the past five years, there have been more than 600 seizures, including:

• Sea turtles which are poached for their meat and skin
• Sea cucumbers which are a delicacy in some cultures, but endangered
• Iguana skins
• Whale bones
• Coral
• Dolphins
• Sea shells

"It's usually declared as toys or computer parts or hangers or something like that,” Hernandez said. “And when she (Lockett) alerts, I go and open the box, and lo and behold, it's a pair of python skin shoes or a handbag or crocodile or something like that.”

Lockett was first trained to detect five endangered species: Elephant, rhinoceros, sea turtle, sea horse and python skin. She's learned dozens more, including snake and lizard skin, elk and deer horn, tigers and lions.

Some smugglers use floor mats to conceal illegal items, including 27 swim bladders from Mexico's endangered Totoaba fish. An inspector at the Calexico border uncovered those just that last year. A search of the suspect's home, Song Shen Zhen, uncovered another 200 bladders.

The fish bladders are highly prized in Asia. They are used as an ingredient in soup and used as a medicine. Experts say the bladders sell for $1,500 each in Mexico and up $20,000 each in Asia.

It’s estimated the black market value of the bladders smuggled by Zhen is $3.6 million.

Zhen pleaded guilty to a single count of smuggling and unlawful trade in wildlife in August. He served a brief term in federal jail and is now on supervised release. He was ordered to pay back more than $120,000 in restitution.

Other cases involving illegal smuggling include:

• In May, a San Diego man was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine after he pleaded guilty to selling the endangered Asian arowana fish online. 
• In March, a man was ordered to pay $500,000 in restitution to the Mexican government after he pleaded guilty in June 2013 to conspiring to smuggle totoaba fish bladders.
• In 2011, Nathan Lee pleaded guilty to illegally fishing in Mexican waters for albacore tuna and returning to the U.S. with the fish aboard. 

Border agents said many of the seizures are made at the pedestrian crossings, from tourists returning home with a pair of boots, a handbag or wallet made from a threatened or endangered animal.

Fish and Wildlife tells NBC 7 Investigates those tourists often have no idea they've broken the law. They are not charged with crime but must surrender the illegal items.

Once U.S. Fish and Wildlife has received abandonment or forfeiture of the property seized, they donate or loan the items for scientific, educational or public display purposes.

Live evidence is donated to zoos and aquariums. Most wildlife products seized are sent to the National Wildlife Property Repository located in Commerce City, Colorado near Denver. From there, many of the items are donated to educational facilities, non-profit organizations and conservation agencies to aid in teaching about endangered species and other wildlife.

While child care costs increase, worker wages fail to reflect inflation, a new report finds.

The study released last week by the Center for Child Care Employment at University of California, Berkeley outlines wage differences for day care, preschool and kindergarten teachers, showing only a small increase since 1997.

The Childhood Workforce 25 Years After the National Staffing Study examined wage increases compared to inflation in the U.S. from 1997 to 2013, as well as the number of child care provider families receiving public assistance.

While California ranks one of the highest paid on the list, child care providers for children under preschool age made a mean income of $7.76 hourly in 1997, which, adjusting for inflation, would equal $11.26 in 2013 dollars. The actual mean income in 2013 for those workers was $11.86 - only a $.60 increase.

Of the 87,000 child care workers in the state last year, 46 percent of those are in families receiving at least one of four forms of public assistance. Those support programs include Federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Staff turnover rates have increased while the quality of care has gone down, the center reports.

The organization is calling for public funding to provide higher wages, regionally-based entry level wages, salary increases by education level and training, professional workplace standards and any providers receiving public funding to meet the same compensation guidelines and work standards.

Violent protests and acts of civil disobedience - from car burnings to marches on highways - broke out in several U.S. cities overnight after a grand jury decided against indicting a white police officer, Darren Wilson, in the fatal shooting of an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Missouri.

The grand jury's decision was announced by St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch more than three months after Wilson killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in a sharply disputed encounter in the St. Louis suburb.

Riots, looting, fires and gunshots erupted in Ferguson -- the community first rocked by the Aug. 9 shooting -- shortly after the decision was announced. Protesters hurled bottles at officers near police headquarters, and flames engulfed at least a dozen businesses.  St. Louis County police deployed tactical units and fired tear gas and smoke to break up unruly crowds. 

At least 150 gunshots were fired and a semi-automatic handgun was seized, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said at a news conference early Tuesday. 

Police released records early Tuesday showing 61 people were arrested in Ferguson on charges that included burglary and trespassing, The Associated Press reported. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay said early Tuesday that 21 were arrested in the city.

"I'm disappointed I didn't see more peaceful protests out there," Belmar said. "What I've seen tonight is probably worse than the worst night we had in August."

Across the country, reaction ranged from marches that threatened to shut down busy streets to gatherings near national landmarks. Most remained peaceful, officials said.

In California, a large crowd marched through the streets of Oakland, and protesters shut down Interstate 580. A bank window was broken and several people were arrested, The Associated Press reported.

Crowds in Los Angeles blocked traffic and stopped traffic briefly on the 10 Freeway. The USC campus was placed on lockdown as demonstrators marched by.

In Philadelphia, angry protesters took to the streets after the announcement, chanting "No Justice. No Peace. No Racist Police," and holding both arms in the air. Albeit loud in voice, they remained peaceful in actions as police trailed their march.

A man was arrested after hurling fake blood on NYPD Chief Bill Bratton in New York's Times Square during a demonstration. Hundreds marched from Union Square to Upper Manhattan through traffic-clogged streets, with signs such as "Jail killer cops."

At the Chicago police department's headquarters, several hundred people chanted "This is what democracy looks like," and carried photographs of those they said were killed by officers.

Outside the White House, roughly 300 gathered for a peaceful demonstration, chanting "black lives matter." Some carried signs urging the demilitarization of police.

Officials and lawyers for Brown's family had appealed for calm. At a press conference before the announcement, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley had said, "I want people to think with their heads and not with emotion."

"I do not want people in this community to think they have to barricade their doors and take up arms," he said. "We are not that kind of a community."

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon called for protecting lives, property and free speech, but fearful that protests would turn violent -- as sometimes occurred during the tense days after the shooting -- schools closed and shop owners boarded up stores.

The Missouri grand jury considered everything from first-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter to no charge against Wilson.

A former "Mother of the Year" recipient pleaded guilty to felony stalking in a downtown courtroom Monday.

The crime carries a punishment of up to three years in prison.

Kathy Rowe, 53, was also charged with one count of felony solicitation for rape, one count of felony solicitation for sodomy and misdemeanor charges of identity theft and making annoying or threatening communication after she posted an online advertisement inviting men to a victim's home to rape her, according to the prosecution.

Deputy District Attorney Brendan McHugh said those chargers were dismissed with Rowe's plea.

A felony complaint filed against Rowe earlier this year explained how her anger and jealousy over the sale of a home she wanted to buy in the Carmel Valley area prompted her outrageous behavior.

WARNING - Graphic Content: Read the full complaint against Rowe

In addition to the online ad, Rowe allegedly put a stop on the victim's mail, had unusual magazines and mailers sent to the home and sent Valentine's Day cards to female neighbors in the victim's husband's name.

Rowe - a former county employee - told detectives that she posted the ad as a "prank" and did not intend to harm the victim, defense attorney Brad Patton said.

Prosecutors argued because two men who answered the ad actually showed up to the victim's home, Rowe crossed a line.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 9.

Rowe was named one of "San Diego's 50 Best Moms" in 2006 in a contest sponsored by Time Warner Cable, according to the UT San Diego.

We now have a fair idea what the phrases “deferred maintenance” and “crumbling infrastructure” add up to when it comes to San Diego’s “public works” needs.

According to a report by Andrea Tevlin, the city’s independent budget analyst, the potential price tag for things that need to be fixed or built – “capital improvements” – could reach $10 billion.

They range from storm drains to ancient water and sewer mains that keep breaking, especially in older neighborhoods, from sketchy streets and sidewalks to substandard bridges that federal agencies say are safety hazards.

This is not to mention parks, libraries, affordable housing -- and 19 new fire stations that consultants say are absolute necessities to shorten response times.

San Diego’s Fire-Rescue Department has prioritized four that would cost $46 million.

Critics accuse San Diego of doing too little, too late, with not enough financial resources since the “Enron by the Sea” pension-debt scandal that got the city red-lined from Wall Street’s bond market for several years.

No matter what funding sources may be found “going forward”, even if the money is distributed equally among council districts, south-of-Instate 8 communities such as City Heights already are on such a tilted playing field when it comes to "infrastructure" that they never catch up.

Inner-city folks who spoke with NBC 7 Monday see a lot of pain coming to their pocketbooks for the city to cover the 11-figure projected costs.

"That's a lot of money, and I doubt they will,” said City Heights resident Kellie Burris. “Or they're going to starting raising up everything on people that can't afford it. This is like a low-income area, but still we deserve to have other things."

To bankroll infrastructure upgrades and required affordable housing, city officials are looking at raising taxes and fees and adding three new fee categories -- along with special bonds requiring two-thirds voter approval, and financing districts that could generate spending by way of loans.

"I think we've borrowed enough,” said Monique Fernandes, as she and her daughter enjoyed a morning outing in City Heights’ spacious Teralta Park. “I think we need to start raising money without borrowing any more. Because we owe as it is."

As for the disparities between infrastructure and facilities in City Heights versus those in northern-tier city neighborhoods, Oscar Jenks was troubled: "Seems like they fix everything right over there, but here they do it ‘Mickey Mouse.' They do it and just go. They need to focus and get it right. We're not asking much, you know? Just treat us the same as everybody else."

Added Al Rasuwl: "They should take care of the older neighborhoods first -- because there's a lot of senior citizens, there's a lot of special needs children there.”

The budget report doesn't address the issue of building a new stadium, but it notes that deferred maintenance at Qualcomm Stadium is $80 million.

At the Convention Center, the backlog is estimated at $31 million.

Expanding the place will cost half a billion dollars in front-money.

Plus interest.