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CDC: Flu Shots Less Effective

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Your flu shot may not be as effective as it should be this flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

An advisory issued to doctors Wednesday noted that less than half of the flu samples tested by the CDC from Oct. 1 through Nov. 22 were a good match for the current strain of the influenza, a component in the flu shots developed for the current flu season, according to a report by the Reuters news agency.

That could result in people getting sick with the flu even though they have already been given the flu shot.

The staff at Doctors Express Urgent Care in Southlake is already seeing sick people who shouldn't be.

"We're getting a lot of false-negative results. I'm not gonna say that they don't have the flu. But they definitely have the symptoms," said nurse Tiffanie Hurst. "Which means if they did get the flu shot there's a possibility in there that it wasn't 100-percent effective."

The chief concern of Dr. Seema Yasmin, medical expert for The Dallas Morning News, is that people will opt to not get a flu shot now.

"That would be a disaster," Yasmin said.

"You should definitely get the flu shot," Hurst added. "It will definitely still work for your immune system and build it up to par in case you do come into contact with [the flu]."

The CDC is stressing that doctors should be prepared to use antiviral medications when needed.

These include Roche's Tamiflu and GlaxoSmithKline's Relenza, Reuters noted.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News

SDPD Officer Hospitalized by Dog Bite

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An officer was attacked by a pit bull as San Diego Police pulled over a driver in the Mission Valley area Wednesday night, officials say.

The incident happened just after 8 p.m. on Friars Road at State Route 163.

According to the SDPD, the dog bite sent the officer to the hospital, but police did not shoot the pit bull.

Instead, they tried to stop it from attacking them until animal control arrived and took it into custody.

It's unclear how bad the officer's injuries are or where the victim was bitten.

Check back here for updates.

33 Arrested After 2 Vehicles Prompt 100 MPH Pursuit

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Dozens were arrested by Border Patrol agents after two trucks carrying immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally led authorities on a high-speed chase that reached speeds of over 100 mph.

U.S. Border Patrol agents tried to pull over two suspected load vehicles as they traveled west on Interstate 8 Wednesday evening.

Both vehicles sped up, reaching 100 miles per hour, according to El Cajon Police.

Then they split up, one exiting at the Greenfield off-ramp and the other taking off into El Cajon residential streets, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says. 

The second vehicle, a Chevy pickup truck, maneuvered through streets and clipped at least one parked car, according to El Cajon Police.

That pursuit ended when the suspect slammed into a yard near Lindsay Street and Joey Avenue. The crash also involved a Border Patrol truck.

There, the driver and 15 immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally were arrested. 

As for the first vehicle, agents stopped it near a Jack in the Box, where they arrested another 16 immigrants and the driver. 

Four people were taken to the hosital for a precautionary evaluation, according to the CPB.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

$400K in Diamonds Stolen From Jewelry Store Owner

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A man escaped with $400,000 worth of diamonds after holding up a jewelry store owner in a National City mall parking lot.

National City Police say the victim was leaving his business, National Jewelers, in the Plaza Bonita Mall when the man came up from behind at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The robber pushed what the victim believed was a gun into his back and demanded the man empty his pockets.

The victim handed over about $240 in cash from his pockets, but the suspect pressed him, telling the jeweler to give him his jacket, police say.

In his jacket, the victim had a leather sack with about $400,000 worth of loose diamonds, but he complied and gave it to the suspect.

The jeweler told police the man then ordered him to stay in his car and not turn around until he left. 

According to investigators, the victim did not see how the thief got away, if he had accomplices or which way he left.

Cameras in the west side of the parking lot, where the incident happened, were not recording at the time, though they do work, police say, so they are checking businesses for surveillance video.

Union Defends Chokehold Officer

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The attorney for Daniel Pantaleo, the NYPD officer who was cleared in the chokehold death of Eric Garner, tells NBC 4 New York the cop is “cautiously optimistic” about his future after clearing a major legal hurdle this week, though many challenges remain ahead.

Attorney Stuart London spoke to NBC 4 New York Thursday shortly before the union that represents NYPD officers came to his client's defense in a fiery press conference amid ongoing citywide fallout over Wednesday's grand jury decision.

“He is relieved but understands that phase one is over and he needs to go through the scrutiny of an internal affairs investigation as well as a federal probe,” London said. “So he’s cautiously optimistic going forward.”

In delivering a vote of "no true bill," the Staten Island grand jury determined there was not probable cause that a crime was committed by Pantaleo, who was seen on a widely watched amateur video wrapping his arm around Garner's neck as the heavyset, asthmatic 43-year-old yelled, "I can't breathe!", nearly a dozen times while gasping for air during the July 17 confrontation.

Garner's family has said that amateur video, along with the medical examiner's autopsy report, which ruled the man's death a homicide, should have been sufficient evidence to indict. But London says the video is just a snapshot of the altercation and "doesn’t show everything."

London said the widely circulated video doesn’t show the full conversation between Pantaleo and the other officers who responded after Garner was caught selling loose, untaxed cigarettes outside a Tompkinsville store. The video also doesn't show, London said, that Pantaleo waited for reinforcements before using a police tactic the officer and the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association have said is not a chokehold, which is forbidden under NYPD policy, but a legal takedown move taught by the police department.

London said the grand jury reviewed two other videos in addition to the amateur clip that Pantaleo explained in great detail.

“He was able to explain every inch of the video and they went through it in excruciating detail,” London said. “The grand jurors were able to have any confusion in their minds answered by him.”

In New York, the grand jury does not hear opening or closing statements from the district attorney, who simply presents evidence and instructs them on the relevant principles of the law they need to make their decision on whether charges should be filed. To formally charge a person with a crime, at least 12 grand jurors who have heard all the evidence and the legal instructions must agree that there is sufficient evidence and reasonable cause to believe a crime was committed.

Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan submitted an application to the court Wednesday seeking authorization to publicly release specific elements of the grand jury proceedings, which are otherwise sealed by law.

In a ruling released Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Rooney found in Donovan's favor, writing that, "It is from this vantage point that a limited incursion into the sacrosanct principle of grand jury secrecy is deemed necessary to serve overarching public interest."

The information released to the public, however -- that the grand jury sat for nine weeks, heard from 50 witnesses, including 22 civilians, saw 60 exhibits, including four videos, Garner's medical records, scene and autopsy photographs and documents pertaining to NYPD training and policy -- provides little additional insight into the proceedings.

It wasn't clear if Donovan had asked for the release of other information, and Rooney's decision indicated the application he had submitted to the court would remain sealed "until further order."

Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch defended Pantaleo's handling of the arrest at a press conference Thursday, accusing Mayor de Blasio and other public figures of not supporting the NYPD. He said that Pantaleo is a good cop and "literally an Eagle Scout."

"He's not being portrayed as a good man, but he is a good man and a professional police officer," Lynch said. "Mr. Garner made a choice to resist arrest. It was not a good choice."

"If you're speaking you can breathe," Lynch added, referring to Garner's cries as he struggled for air.

Later Thursday, de Blasio reiterated the NYPD's commitment to reforms outlined in the near-immediate aftermath of Garner's death, including a top-to-bottom re-training for the department's 35,000 officers relating to the use of force, tactics like stop-frisk and other procedures. New programs like one that calls for NYPD officers on certain assignments to wear body cameras, which goes into effect this week, are designed to promote accountability and transparency between police and the communities they serve, the mayor said.

"A lot of people felt pain and frustration. My message -- take that and work for change," de Blasio said Thursday. "The way we go about policing has to change in the city and country. People want to believe they will be treated like their neighbor or anyone in a different neighborhood."

"People need to know black and brown matter just as much as white lives," the mayor continued. "Our generation has to resolve it."

Pantaleo has been on modified desk duty and crime analysis duty since Garner's death. The NYPD said it's internal review of the case is ongoing, and the U.S. Department of Justice said it also is investigating.  

Meanwhile, more demonstrations are planned to protest the grand jury's decision across the five boroughs and in other cities along the East Coast. More than 80 people were arrested in New York protests Wednesday, primarily during the course of rallies that jammed traffic and clogged streets in Manhattan and on Staten Island. The protests were largely peaceful. 



Photo Credit: AP

Rain-Related Crashes Snarl Morning Commute

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A big rig crash closed a portion of Interstate 15 near Interstate 8 in Mission Valley early Thursday - just one of a number of SigAlerts issued around the county.

An overnight storm dropped large amounts of rain on San Diego's roadways, creating dangerous driving conditions for the morning commute.

Between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m., there were several crashes along I-15 just south of the interchange with I-8.

The driver of a big rig lost control in heavy rain, slammed against the center median several times before coming to a stop.

A box truck struck the first big rig. Another vehicle crashed because of the collision, the California Highway Patrol said.

No one was injured. There was a mild diesel spill, officials said.

Crews swept debris to the side of the road to get lanes reopened as quickly as possible. All northbound lanes were opened as of 6:45 a.m.

There were several other SigAlerts issued in the morning commute due to standing water and rain-related collisions.

The ramp from State Route 163 to I-8 was closed around 6:30 a.m. after a sports car flipped on its side.

"The stretch all the way through the park was a mess," said NBC 7's Traffic Reporter Whitney Southwick.

The interchange from westbound State Route 54 to northbound Interstate 805 was closed due to standing water.

And along Interstate 5 to SR 163, a SigAlert was issued after at least three cars were stalled after attempting to move through several feet of standing water.

One man told NBC 7 the water was up to his driver’s side door.

CHP expected the section of highway to be closed for at least an hour while rocks, mud and debris were removed.

One CHP officer told NBC 7 he had never seen that much rain in such a short window of time. 

San Diego Gas and Electric reported that more than 2,000 people were without power because of the weather, ranging from the Point Loma area to University Heights.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Fire Causes $300K in Damages at SDSU

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A late-night fire at San Diego State University left a campus building with $300,000 in damages, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said.

The department received a call at 11:20 p.m. Wednesday for a fire on Aztec Circle Drive, an on-campus building that houses the control room for all the air conditioning on campus.

Police said workers were repairing and reconstructing the building when the foreman said he saw a spark from one of the cutting torches, police said, and that spark started the fire.

Crew members attempted to put out the fire but when they were unable, they safely evacuated and called 911.

Once the firefighters arrived, the blaze had become a two-alarm fire. Firefighters knocked down the fire in approximately 45 minutes.

The blaze left the building and its scaffolding and construction materials damaged. Officials estimate the building suffered $200,000 worth of damages and the materials inside the building suffered $100,000 worth of damages.

Strip Mall Fire Reported in San Ysidro

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San Diego Fire-Rescue crews were called to a strip mall fire in San Ysidro south of San Diego Thursday.

Flames were reported coming from one of the buildings on Border Village Road east of Interstate 805 just north of the San Ysidro Port of Entry after 9 a.m.

The owner of VIP Pedicab said he found the fire when he walked into the shop at 8:30 a.m.

He grabbed an extinguisher from a neighbor to try and put the fire out but the flames flared up on him.

In the process he suffered smoke inhalation. He was checked by medics and released, officials said.

Firefighters are investigating the cause.



Photo Credit: SD Fire-Rescue

String of Property Crimes Hit Military Housing

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After a string of property crimes in Murphy Canyon over the Thanksgiving holiday, including and motorcycle thefts, some military families took to social media to get the word out.

Amber Miller, who lives in Lincoln Military Housing, said her neighbor posted about the crimes on Facebook.

“One of my friends posted something on Facebook about it happening to a bunch of in their cul-de-sac,” she said.

Navy officials on Wednesday met with San Diego law enforcement to discuss safety in military housing, as crime in military housing has been one of their concerns.

It’s common for those who live in a military housing area to feel more safe because of added patrols, so they don’t take necessary precautions, police said. That’s when property crimes increase, especially during the holidays when people are out of town or leave gifts or other items in plain view in their cars.

David Dearie Command Master Chief with Navy Region Southwest Regent said military families should be sure to keep doors locked and cars secure and keep an eye out.

“If you see anything that doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t right, and notify authorities,” he said.

The Navy also recommends families not advertise where they are going for the holidays on social media as that might attract the attention of thieves.

Marine Accused of Beating Girlfriend's Infant Daughter

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A U.S. Marine stationed in Twentynine Palms is behind bars Wednesday, accused of beating an infant girl so badly that she slipped into a coma.

John Rafeal Jeter, 24, of Joshua Tree, is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail for allegedly injuring his girlfriend’s baby daughter.

On Nov. 19, the 5-month-old girl was taken to High Desert Medical Center suffering from a brain hemorrhage, and was flown to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital in a coma, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Jeter was charged with assault resulting in death, comatose state or paralysis of a child under 8 years of age. He pleaded not guilty to all counts on Nov. 25, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office.

No other details of the assault were immediately available.

Jeter is due to appear in Morongo Basin Superior Court Dec. 9, according to the sheriff's department.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Jacob Gault or Sgt. Dana Foster at 909-387-3615.



Photo Credit: AP

Hit-and-Run Suspect Jealous Over Ex-Wife's New Boyfriend: DA

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A San Diego man accused of intentionally running over his ex-wife had apparently been jealous of her new boyfriend and wanted to reconcile with her, prosecutors said.

Cesar Castillo, 37, appeared before a San Diego County judge Thursday to plead not guilty to charges of murder and violating a restraining order. He was ordered to be held on no bail.

A new no-contact order was imposed barring Castillo from contacting his three daughters, his estranged wife's parents and his ex-wife's new boyfriend.

Prosecutors said Castillo was jealous of his ex wife's new boyfriend -- whom she planned to marry -- and promised to harm him.

"We have information or evidence that he was hoping to reconcile with the victim," said Deputy District Attorney Christy Bowles.

Just before 7 p.m. Nov. 28, witnesses told police they heard screaming before seeing a white pickup truck hit a woman in Chula Vista. The driver then circled back and struck her again, Chula Vista police said.

Police said Leonor Castillo died at the scene from head and internal injuries.

Leonor had planned to meet with her ex-husband to help him buy Christmas gifts for their three young daughters. She had violated the restraining order imposed against Castillo because she thought the gifts would make her children happy, prosecutors said.

Meanwhile, her daughters were at their grandparents’ house, waiting for Leonor to come home so they could decorate the Christmas tree.

Witnesses said Leonor somehow got out of the truck in the 1100 block of Elm Avenue when she was hit in a home’s front yard.

Police said Castillo fled to Mexico, but surrendered to authorities three days later at the U.S.-Mexico border. He apparently tried to pick up his children before fleeing, prosecutors said.

2nd Man Charged in Diamond Heist

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A gunman in a brazen daylight robbery of a jewelry outlet in Manhattan's Diamond District was charged with armed robbery Thursday after being apprehended a day earlier in Maryland, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said.

Leon Fenner, 58, is accused of brandishing a semiautomatic gun during a Nov. 11 heist at a jeweler's office in a building on 47th Street, Bharara said. He allegedly pistol-whipped a relative of the jeweler during the robbery, which occurred while the city's Veteran's Day parade passed a few blocks away.

More than $600,000 in jewelry was taken during the robbery, investigators said.

Fenner is the second suspect arrested in the case. Nearly a week after the heist, police arrested Rondu Frisby, 37, who was said to be a business associate of the jeweler. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and aiding and abetting an armed robbery, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Fenner was identified in surveillance video and through fingerprints on envelopes he left in the jeweler's office, investigators said.

Fenner is charged with armed robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison.

It wasn't immediately clear whether either suspect had an attorney.

A search warrant executed at Frisby's home uncovered more than $100.,000 in cash, prosecutors said.

Gay Church Worker Sues Over Firing

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A gay former Catholic choir director has sued the church where he used to work for firing him after he announced plans to marry his partner.

Colin Collette, along with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Cook County Human Rights Commission, filed the suit Thursday against Holy Family Parish in Inverness and its pastor at the Rolling Meadows courthouse.

Collette says he was fired over the summer from his position as the choir director at Holy Family when he announced his engagement to his longtime partner.

“It saddens me to have this integral part of my life taken away because I have chosen to enter into a marriage, as is my right under Illinois law,” he said.

It remains unclear if the state’s gay marriage law will impact the Catholic Church.

“The courts will make that determination,” said Collette’s lawyer Kerry Lavelle. “[Collette] is not yet married. He is moving towards that, and he has that right under Illinois law.”

In September, Collette met with Cardinal Francis George to discuss his situation. He called the meeting “spiritual” and said her had a “wonderful conversation.”

Collette said Chicago Archbishop Blasé Cupich has not returned his calls.

On Thursday, Cupich said he was not familiar with the suit.

“We do intend to respond in the appropriate form in which it was filed, and I think that’s probably the best way for us to respond to it,” Cupich said.

Previously, the Archdiocese of Chicago said it was aware of the situation at Holy Family, but would not comment on an individual's personal employment issues.

"Pastors hire and dismiss all parish personnel and govern according to the teachings of the Church and Archdiocesan policies. This is a matter of personal integrity on their part," the archdiocese said in a statement. "Those that serve as Ministers of the Church, including worship ministers, are expected to conform their lives publicly with the teachings of the Church."

Cardinal George said before his meeting with Collette that it was Collette's decision that "caused this crisis."

For Collette, however, the suit is a step toward changing the ways of the church he remains committed to.

“My pursuit now is about change and justice, about acceptance and openness in the church,” he said.

Parishioners said the dispute has left churchgoers at odds.

“It has divided the parish tremendously,” said parishioner Delores Siok. “Being there for 25 years, I would walk in and be welcomed by so many. Now you walk in, and they kind of turn your head, because they know you’re in the other camp.”
 

Woman Rescued From Submerged Car

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A woman was rescued from her car overnight after it got stuck in flooded water.

Officers safely rescued the woman after she drove through Hancock and Witherby Street.

The woman was headed to work when she drove through the street. She didn’t think the water was that deep, but could not get back out once she had driven down the road.

A strong storm across San Diego County left many streets flooded for commuters after days of steady rain.

Deported Veterans Seek Support

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A group of deported veterans, now living in Tijuana, served honorably in the military but are now banished from the United States.

"I didn't realize that they could deport me," said Oscar Pacheco Leyva. "Since I served my country honorably, I had an honorable discharge. I didn't think there was any chance of them deporting me."

Pacheco lives in a tiny apartment in Tijuana with several other deported veterans.

He was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, grew up in Las Cruces New Mexico and served six years in the Army.

Pacheco said he has lasting hearing impairments from gun fire, not to mention diabetes and nerve damage, and he feels the U.S. government is not treating deported veterans like him with respect.

"Well, I feel like they abandoned me. I think that they should at least give me the VA treatment for my health. You know, doctors or whatever I need to solve it," Pacheco said.

A felony conviction for possession of cocaine for sale got the veteran deported, so Pacheco found refuge at the Deported Veterans Support House in Tijuana.

Director Hector Barajas is trying to track just how many deported veterans there are because U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement does not specifically track statistics on how many of the individuals removed from the U.S. have prior military service.

"We are working on a database, but the database consists of just people that we come into contact with," Barajas said. "So, every deported veteran that we come into contact with, we send them a Google Form that goes directly to an Excel spreadsheet, and that way we're able to have certain information on them on why they got deported, where they served."

His group now has 200 members with deported veterans from 23 different countries around the world.

ICE sent the following written statement about deported vets:

"U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is very deliberate in its review of cases involving veterans. Any action taken by ICE that may result in the removal of an alien with prior military service must be authorized by the senior leadership in an ICE field office, to include an evaluation by local counsel."

Many of the vets admit their deportation was their own fault. Barajas was convicted for discharging a firearm into a vehicle.

Colombian and U.S. military veteran Alfred Varon Guzman forged a signature on a check from someone he says owed him money and had given him the check.

"He told me 'Don't cash it until I tell you so.' That was my mistake. I signed it and I tried to cash it. So I take full responsibility for that," Varon said.

"I went in front of the judge. I pled guilty to a suspended sentence for an attempted forgery. That was 1988. I signed it. I left. And that was that. I forgot about it."

He forgot about it until nearly a decade later when the criminal history popped up on a security clearance for a job.

When he went to straighten it out with an immigration judge, he was immediately detained.

After fighting the case for five years, he missed a court appearance while in the hospital for spleen and galbladder surgery.

"I think I'm the only vet that was deported while in the veteran's hospital. I was in the veteran's hospital when I was ordered removed," Varon said.

A 1996 immigration law expanded the list of crimes considered to be "aggravated felonies." The law made some misdemeanor crimes result in permanent, mandatory deportation for non-citizens.

Soon after Varon was ordered removed, his mother's home was raided.

"Two officers came in, picked me up, walked me out," Varon said. "No clothing, no money, no idea, no nothing. I didn't even know where I was going. They said, 'We're taking you to Columbia.'"

Because he left with no ID or birth certificate, it took eight months for his birth country to recognize him as a citizen and give him an ID.

"We had never been there," Varon said, although he left the country for New Jersey when he was four. "I really didn't know that country because I hadn't grown up there. At the time, what I was worried and concerned about is they were in the middle of a civil, drug war, and being an ex-U.S. vet, was not nice."

Now, with holidays approaching, these veterans say they wish they could spend time with their family, who are mostly in the U.S.

But what Varon misses the most is feeling safe.

"I felt safe in the United States. I felt that I was someone there that people respected and looked up to," he said.

Barajas said he will eventually return to the U.S.-- even if it takes the rest of his life. When he dies, he is eligible for burial in a national cemetery like any other veteran.

"So I feel if I'm eligible to be buried as an American and be treated as an American when I die, why not let me live in the United States?" 

For now, he continues to work the legal system and the legislative system, rallying other deported vets and asking veteran support groups to lobby Congress.

Barajas said his support house is seeking donations for a holiday toy drive for children of deported veterans.



Photo Credit: Hector Barajas

Rain Floods Garage, Damages Cars in Mission Hills

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A clogged storm drain and excess rain flooded an underground parking lot and damaged several cars at a Mission Hills condo complex Thursday.

“Managed to almost swim to my car practically,” Andrew Kendall said explaining how he was able to reach his hatchback parked under the complex at Torrance Street and Reynard Way.

A strong storm system arrived in San Diego overnight and dropped a large amount of rain in a short period of time.

Residents blame a clogged storm drain for backing up the storm runoff and flooding the garage and parking lot.

Suzy Lopez also lives in the cul-de-sac and said her car, her roommate's car and her boyfriend's car were all damaged by rising water.

"I'm shocked and this is unfortunate," Lopez said.

Kenneth Baker woke up to the sound of car alarms and a knock on the door from a neighbor telling him there was a flood in the complex parking area.

He estimates he pulled five or six gallons of water from inside his vehicle. Now he said the only thing he can do is try and stay positive and hope insurance will cover the damage.

"I love this car," Baker said. "My first thought was she's going to have to go to the spa."



Photo Credit: NBC 7 Elena Gomez
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Mudslide Threatens Homes in Cocos Fire Burn Area

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A mudslide swept through one North County community Thursday, blocking a road and surrounding a home that escaped damage in the Cocos Fire.

The effects of the devastating wildfire in May left several homes in danger of storm damage and mudslides along Harmony Grove Road and Wilglen Drive.

So San Diego County crews built a concrete barrier known as a K-rail and packed it with sandbags long before the recent rains began to fall.

When an unusually large amount of rain fell overnight, the canyon area near several homes filled with water as it naturally does in a storm. However, the sandbags diverted all the loose dirt and mud away from the homes.

One resident told NBC 7 mud about a foot deep was collected on his driveway. Mud and debris flowed onto the street making it impassable for vehicles. 

He credited the county for doing the preparation to keep the mud from surrounding the home built in 1899.

"It would have been wrapped around my house without this K-rail, there's no doubt," the homeowner told NBC 7.

County crews brought in a plow to clear the debris from the road.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 Nicole Gomez

Experience White, Bright Christmas at Garden of Lights

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Gather the family, bundle up the children and get ready for a white Christmas at the Garden of Lights in Encinitas.

On select nights throughout December, the San Diego Botanic Garden is beautifully decorated with more than 100,000 twinkling lights throughout several areas of the garden including the iconic Lawn Garden, Waterfall Deck and Eucalyptus Grove.

Horse-drawn wagon rides offer a fun and comfortable view of the four miles of trails through the gardens and families can enjoy live music, food and roasted marshmallows. Mulled wine is available on select evenings as well as an opportunity for the kids to play in the snow.

Santa Claus himself will be making his appearance nightly again this year.

The Garden of Lights is open from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. nightly Dec. 6-23 and Dec. 26-30. Adults $14; children (ages 3-12) $6; seniors, military, students $10.

Additional information is available online or by calling (760) 436-3036.



Photo Credit: San Diego Botanic Garden

Swift Water Rescue Team Pulls Man from River

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A 22-year-old man was rescued Thursday morning after he was swept away trying to cross the rain-swollen San Diego River on his way to work.

The man, described as an employee of a Target at the Westfield Mission Valley mall, was swept into nearby trees, which he hung onto until he could be rescued, lifeguards said.

San Diego Police were called to help the man just after 9 a.m. San Diego Fire-Rescue crews and swift water rescue team members used a raft and pully system to get him to dry ground.

The man was not injured.

Several days of rain have caused the river to crest and flow onto Camino de la Reina at Avenida del Rio, a common occurance for the area after a significant amount of rain.

"Any time you see an area that's filled with water or partially inundated, stop. Don't try to pass," said San Diego Lifeguards Sgt. John Sandmeyer. "Any amount of water up to six inches or more can really knock you off your feet." 

Editor's note: A previous version of this story listed the man as a Fashion Valley employee, not a Mission Valley employee as lifeguards first described. We regret the error.

Couple Cleared in Girl's Death Home

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A Southern California couple cleared in the death of their adopted daughter arrived in Los Angeles Thursday after a two-year legal battle.

Matthew and Grace Huang had arrived, according to a tweet by the David House Agency, an international crisis firm that has been working with the family.

"Mission accomplished. Matt and Grace are in Los Angeles. They have not stopped smiling."

The couple left the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar on Wednesday.

The couple is from the San Gabriel Valley and moved to Qatar while Matthew Huang worked in the country on preparations for its role as World Cup host in 2020.

Officials in Qatar had accused the parents of killing their 8-year-old adopted daughter Gloria by starving her and also of obtaining all three of their children through human trafficking.

The Huangs maintained their daughter died from an eating disorder. The Huangs appealed their sentence, and after a two-year battle, a court ruling absolved them of any wrongdoing in the death of their child.

Their departure comes after the nation lifted a travel ban against the couple. The case drew Washington's involvement, with U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith accompanying the Huangs on Wednesday at the Doha's Hamad International Airport to ensure they cleared passport control and reached their departure gate. The Huangs' lawyer was also present.

Officials with the U.S. State Department said Tuesday it applauds the lifting of the travel ban, and is looking forward to seeing the Los Angeles couple reunited with their other children.

The Huangs were arrested in January 2013 on murder charges following the death in Qatar of Gloria, who was born in Ghana. The Huangs spent months behind bars before being let out on their own recognizance last November.

After murder charges were dropped, they were convicted in March of child endangerment and sentenced to three years in prison. They were allowed to remain free pending their appeal, but banned from leaving the country.

After a Qatari appeals court overturned charges of wrongdoing against the couple on Sunday and the judge told them they were free to go, the Huangs were stopped at the airport and had their passports confiscated as they tried to pass through airport immigration control later that day. The delay had been caused by procedural steps that needed to be completed first, according to the family's representative Eric Volz.

Relatives blamed a culture suspicious of interracial adoptions for the legal action, and said the couple never had time to grieve their loss.

A doctor in Qatar who conducted Gloria's autopsy determined that dehydration and a wasting disease were the cause of death. A report by Qatari police raised questions about why the Huangs would adopt children who did not share their "hereditary traits."

The Huangs said Gloria suffered from medical problems complicated by unusual eating habits. A report prepared in the U.S. by Janice Ophoven, a pediatric forensic psychologist who reviewed the case for the family, said that Gloria was severely malnourished when she was younger and would at times refuse to eat for several days before binge eating or getting food from unusual places, such as garbage cans or from strangers.

The Huangs, who are of Asian descent, have two other African-born adopted children who left the Qatar during the trial to live with relatives in the U.S.



Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images
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