Erica Garner held a vigil and “die-in” on Staten Island Thursday in memory of her father, the 43-year-old who died while being taken into NYPD custody earlier this year.

After gathering on Bay Street in St. George for a vigil, protesters marched to the corner of Bay Street and Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville where Garner died and lay down in the road.

Protesters were also gathering at Union Square Park in Manhattan for a march to Police Plaza. 

Thursday marks the eighth consecutive day of protests in the wake of a grand jury’s decision not to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, who was seen on widely watched amateur video wrapping his arm around Garner’s neck during the July 17 confrontation as the asthmatic father of six gasped, “I can’t breathe!” nearly a dozen times.

The medical examiner ruled Garner's death a homicide by chokehold. Garner's health issues, including obesity, were listed as contributing factors in the autopsy. In delivering a "no true bill" vote last week, the grand jury found there was no probable cause Pantaleo committed either manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide, the two charges sources familiar with the case told NBC 4 New York the jurors were considering. 

Pantaleo met with NYPD internal affairs investigators Wednesday and answered questions for about two hours, his lawyer said. The officer and the police union say Pantaleo didn't use a chokehold, which is forbidden under NYPD policy, but a takedown move taught by the department.

Pantaleo said in a statement shortly after the grand jury decision was announced that he became a police officer to help people.

"It is never my intention to harm anyone and I feel very bad about the death of Mr. Garner," he said. "My family and I include him and his family in our prayers and I hope that they will accept my personal condolences for their loss.”

A federal investigation is ongoing.

Meanwhile, protests took place in and outside the Barclays Center Monday night as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a Brooklyn Nets game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. While a group of protesters staged a "die-in" outside the arena, Cavaliers players' LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, along with multiple Nets players, wore "I Can't Breathe" shirts as they warmed up before the game.

New York City Council members staged a "die-in'' on the steps of City Hall earlier in the day.

SEE MORE COVERAGE OF THE ERIC GARNER GRAND JURY PROTESTS: 

• Day 1: Crowds try to disrupt Rockefeller Center tree lighting, stage "die-ins" at Grand Central Terminal
• Day 2: Thousands march from Foley Square and throughout Manhattan, laying down in streets, blocking bridges and cutting off tunnels; police announce 223 people are arrested in the protests
• Day 3: Eric Garner Protesters Storm Apple Store, Macy's, Park
• Day 4: Garner Supporters Rally, Call for Congressional Action
• Day 5: Demonstrators Flood Grand Central, Macy's in Fifth Day of Garner Protests
• Day 6: Garner Supporters Protest at Barclays as Will and Kate Attend Nets Game
• Day 7: Simmons, Jay-Z Urge Cuomo to Reform Justice System

In this week’s discussion with NBC 7 Sports Director Jim Laslavic, we talk about what the Chargers need to do going forward – and what they didn’t do Sunday night against the New England Patriots.

1. Are the Patriots the best team in the NFL?

Green Bay beat them last week 26-21. So the Packers and their fans would argue if the Pats are No. 1.

But keep in mind, there isn’t a trophy for being the best team in early December. The trophy is for the best team in February.

Their coaching staff might be the best in the business right now. On both sides of the football they schemed well against the Chargers. After a loss, it’s in the coaches’ handbook of quotes to say your ream was outcoached. Sunday night it was true.

2. Why couldn’t the receivers get open?

The simple answer, pressure on Philip Rivers and outstanding coverage. But again, the Patriots were put in position to win.

Obviously they took note when Keenan Allen caught 11 passes against the Ravens. The result, two catches for three yards. The Pats had a plan and it worked. Same is true for the Chargers.  Keep in mind, the Pats had four straight three-and-outs to start the second half.

3. Who would you rather have: Tom Brady or Philip Rivers?

You can’t go wrong with either. How is that for avoiding the question? Certainly would like to have Brady’s Super Bowl ring collection

4. Why are there so many damn Pats fans in San Diego?

We’re the coolest town to live in the country. And they buy tickets. I keep telling myself, they’re helping pay the bills.

5. What chances do you give the Chargers to beat the Broncos on Sunday?

They won last Dec. 12 in Denver. So why not in the Q?

Interesting that Peyton Manning is passing for fewer yards. Ball control will be important. Keep Manning and his buddies on the sidelines. It figures to be a field position type of game. The cover teams need to do a better job.

So yes, they have a chance. A very good chance of beating the Broncos.

A crane had to be used to rescue two boys trapped in a cove along Sunset Cliffs in Ocean Beach.

The children were skipping class and became stranded on a small beach surrounded by water near Osprey Street, according to San Diego Fire officials. 

NBC 7 aerial footage shows a rescuer in a harness being lowered down onto the small beach by a crane.

Lifeguards quickly called in the crane to reach over the cliffs and into the water to make the rescue.

The two who were rescued shortly after 11 a.m.

Four of the students were detained and taken back to school, officials said.

A San Diego man sought in connection with two recent stabbings is in custody after a pursuit in Clairemont Thursday afternoon.

Anthony Stromoski, who authorities said should be considered armed and dangerous, was wanted for the stabbing of his ex-girlfriend in November and another man on Wednesday night.

San Diego Crime Stoppers spokesperson Mark Herring said at about 1:22 p.m., an officer in the Clairemont area spotted a vehicle that matched the description of the stolen van Stromoski was believed to have been driving. The officer followed the van while awaiting backup and a short pursuit ensued, he said.

The suspect hit a curb and broke one of the wheels of the vehicle, ending the chase. He then ran away before being caught and arrested by officers, Herring said.

Stromoski, a known transient in the Clairemont area, is accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend in the leg during an argument while driving in Mission Valley on Nov. 20. Then, on Dec. 10, he stabbed another man in the chest in the Bay Ho area, according to Crime Stoppers.

At the time of the second stabbing, a no-bail warrant had been issued for Stromoski's arrest related to an assault with a deadly weapon case in 2008, Herring said.

Stromoski likely faces charges for evading police and possession of a stolen vehicle for the 2007 Chevy Uplander he was driving.

Any additional information can be reported to the SDPD Northern Division at 858-552-1700. Anonymous information can also be submitted here, or by calling the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.

A 73-year-old Southern California woman admitted Thursday to facilitating a cross-border drug tunnel earlier this year.

Glennys Rodriguez of Chula Vista pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to launder drug proceeds, admitting that she agreed to rent a warehouse at 10145 Via De La Amistad in San Diego. A tunnel on the property was found by federal agents in April.

Rodriguez admitted that she arranged for a third person to be the warehouse’s renter while knowing that it would be used for illegal purposes, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said she also admitted that she was given cash from people in Mexico to facilitate the rental of the warehouse.

Rodriguez acknowledged to prosecutors that she knew “the cash used for the rental of the Amistad Warehouse was derived from illegal and unlawful sources,” according to the news release.

Further, prosecutors said she knew the cash used to pay for the rental was proceeds from drug trafficking.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection discovered the tunnels in Otay Mesa. One tunnel was discovered at 10005 Marconi Drive. The second was found at 10145 Via de la Amistad.

Both locations were in an industrial area just a few hundred feet from the border with Mexico. Federal agents reported the tunnels included lighting and a rail system.

Rodriguez will be sentenced on Feb. 27. A maximum sentence for the crime is 20 years in prison.

In the aftermath of Wednesday’s controversial election of a new San Diego City Council president, more details have emerged about the process of how that change of command came about.

After NBC 7 first reported rumblings of a move to replace Council President Todd Gloria two weeks ago, his vice president Sherri Lightner did not comment on her thoughts about the key job that Gloria had held for two years.

On Wednesday, Gloria offered his thoughts on Lighter, who’s represented San Diego’s 1st City Council district since 2008, having replaced him.

"This is politics, and so you can't take it personally,” Gloria said. “And I won’t act out personally where this is concerned. I'm just going to do my level best to continue the initiatives that I've been pushing."

Some of the initiatives Gloria has been pushing may have struck the four Republicans on the nine-member Council as too bent on "social engineering" instead of the "nuts and bolts" of municipal operations.

Lightner and two other Democrats joined them in a 7-2 vote ousting Gloria, who got support from fellow Democrat David Alvarez in opposing Lightner’s selection.

As for the move being "politics"?

"Last time, I voted for Todd Gloria and I was praised for being nonpartisan,” Republican Councilman Scott Sherman said before Wednesday’s balloting. “Am I going to be partisan if I vote for a different Democrat this time?"

NBC 7 has learned from council aides with direct knowledge of the pre-election process that there was a series of private, one-on-one meetings that involved a total of six council members including Gloria and Lightner.

It appears no official "quorum" of five was ever reached – which would constitute a violation of the Ralph M. Brown Act, the state's open meetings law.

They recounted separate meetings involving Marti Emerald and Gloria, Emerald and Lightner, Sherman and Lightner, Lori Zapf and Lightner, and David Alvarez and Lightner.

According to one aide, Lighter told Gloria last week that she was “going for it."

Because the meetings appear to have involved discussions that would fall under the “Serial Meetings” section of the Brown Act, our findings were forwarded to the city attorney's office for review.

A key paragraph to consider in the law: “It must be determined whether the communications were used to develop a concurrence as to the action to be taken. If the serial communications were not used to develop a concurrence as to action to be taken, the serial communications do not constitute a meeting and the (Brown) Act is not applicable.”

Council aides told us there were no impermissible communications in those discussions.

Lightner, meantime, declined to speak with reporters Wednesday, but has scheduled media interviews for Friday.

"She needs to be able to explain why she's going to do what she's going to do,” said Scott Lewis, editor in chief of Voice of San Diego. “ And why she wanted to do this in particular -- to somebody that even she and everybody else agrees was doing a fine job."

Said Gloria: "The nuts and bolts, the gears of this city have been running incredibly smoothly, which is why it's disconcerting that we would try to make a change when things are finally hitting stride and we're doing well."

A three-alarm fire erupted in a Dallas high rise Thursday morning, killing three workers, injuring three other people and forcing the evacuation of 2,800 office workers, fire officials say.

The three subcontractors killed in the fire were working in a thermal storage tank that is part of the heating, ventilating and air conditioning unit in the basement of the building, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said during a Thursday afternoon news conference.

The victims were identified as 60-year-old Nicacio Carrillo, his nephew, 43-year-old Luis Carrillo and 36-year-old Oscar Esparza-Romo.

“I love the guys. The guys are good guys. I know he tried to (have a) better life every day,” said the Carrillos' heartbroken relative Gabriel Carrillo.

He said his wife called him earlier in the day to tell him their two loved ones were trapped inside a fire under the tower.

Three other people were sent to the hospital and treated for injuries that were not life threatening, though it's not yet known where they were in the building when the fire started.

Evans said they thought there might be workers close to where the fire was located but that heat and visibility kept them from reaching the area more quickly. He added that thick smoke and flames adjacent to an electrical facility near the storage tank led them to believe the fire was electrical, but that now they aren't sure where the fire began or how.

Because DFR initially believed the fire to be electrical, firefighters had to wait for the power to be disconnected before attacking the flames or risk being shocked or electrocuted.

Once the fire was out and the smoke was cleared, the bodies of the three men were found inside the 35-foot storage tank, fire officials said. According to officials, the men, who were subcontractors for Best Mechanical.

“Our heartfelt sympathies go with these families, especially this time of year,” said Cheri Torres, with Best Mechanical.

Torres said the men did have safety equipment and that there were evacuation procedures. Somehow, the men did not make it out.

“It was just a very, very tragic accident,” she said.

At this time officials have not said what killed the three men. Their bodies will be transported to the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office who will determine their causes of death.

Questions Raised About Safety Permits

Our colleagues at The Dallas Morning News are reporting that Assistant Fire Chief Ted Padgett said the tower's permit for welding, cutting and hot works expired in March and that the contractor doing business at the tower hasn't had a valid permit for that kind of work since December 2009.

Officials have not confirmed if the men in the tank were doing work that would have required such a permit.

Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Joel Lavender said Friday that investigators are still working to determine what caused the fire, including if cutting or welding inside the tank led to the fire.

Fire Reported at Dallas High Rise

At about 10 a.m. Thursday initial reports indicated smoke was coming from the B2 level garage of the 50-story Thanksgiving Tower.

For more than an hour more than a dozen DFR apparatus and what appeared to be hundreds of firefighters were seen in the streets adjacent to the building.

A belief that the fire was electrical in nature delayed firefighters from being able to attack the flames until the power was cut off to the area.

At about 11:20 a.m. officials said the fire had been extinguished, though it took some time before large fans could clear the garage of dangerous smoke.

High Rise Evacuated After Report of Fire

A worker at the building confirmed to NBC 5 that the entire building had been evacuated with hundreds of people climbing down the tower in stairwells. Another caller said evacuated workers who drove to the building were unable to leave since their cars were parked in the garage and were inaccessible.

For those taking mass transit, DART reported only slight delays to bus traffic in the area due to closed roads; light rail remained on schedule.

About the Tower

Thanksgiving Tower, at 1601 Elm Street, is a 50-story, 600-foot high rise at the edge of the Arts District overlooking Thanksgiving Square.

It is among the tallest buildings in downtown and is bound by Elm Street, Ervay Street and Pacific Avenue in Downtown Dallas.

The tower has recently been undergoing a major $18 million renovation that was to be completed in late 2015, according to a report by The Dallas Morning News.

NBC 5's Jocelyn Lockwood and Ray Villeda contributed to this report.

A large oil slick that threatened New Jersey's Sandy Hook Bay had grown smaller by Friday.

The oil slick, which was 2 miles long and 400 feet wide on Thursday, had shrunk to 1 mile long and 50 yards wide.

Oil from the slick started washing up on parts of the shoreline Thursday afternoon, though the source of the spill was unclear.

Authorities worried the sheen could endanger the population of seals that migrate there each winter, the U.S. Coast Guard and parks officials told NBC 4 New York Thursday.

The Coast Guard worked into the night setting up a boom over a culvert in an effort to catch the oil before it could reach the environmentally sensitive, and popular horseshoe cove tidal marsh. 

A spokesman for the agency said Friday that most of the remaining oil was expected to break up or evaporate by the day's first light because of the light nature of the petroleum involved in the slick.

Great and harbor seals are known to migrate to Sandy Hook Bay, and the National Park Service says the animals have already moved there for the season.

Officials at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine said the food supply for the seals could be compromised. If fish ingest the oil, the officials explained, and a seal eats enough of those fish, the seal could die.

Officials said the oil sheen also threatens the sea water intake pipe for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries lab on Sandy Hook.

The cause of the oil slick is under investigation.

A tense standoff Thursday morning where a father led police on a pursuit with his four children in the car ended with no injuries, thanks to negotiations with police over a cell phone.

A seasoned negotiator with the San Diego Sheriff's Department said the key to diffusing a crisis situation is listening and genuine communication.

Lt. Christina Bavencoff, commander for the department's Crisis Negotiation Team, said the priority is ensuring everyone goes home safely. Thursday afternoon, that was the successful outcome after police took Daniel Perez into custody and rescued his children on a San Diego freeway.

Although Bavencoff couldn't speak about the case specifically, she said negotiators are "trained listeners" who try to focus a suspect and keep them calm by giving them hope, showing them there is a future and calming the situation down, sometimes including family in the talks.

"Every situation is different and whatever brought a person, or precipitated an event, to where a person felt that they were in crisis is different for everybody," she said. "So we have to listen to find out what that is, to see how we can resolve that situation."

Bavencoff has been working with the department as a negotiator for 15 years, and you can hear it in her voice. Her soft, yet assertive approach is a valuable tool in her job.

"Every human life is so important. The children being involved could be a calming effect, or it could be more of a critical part," Bavencoff said of the effects of children being in the middle of a crisis. "We obviously want children to be safe, and we're going to do everything we can to ensure that happens."

Bavencoff said the best case scenario, negotiators are able to get the person in crisis on a more one-on-one level without children there to minimize the risks, but sometimes, like with Perez and his children, that just isn't possible.

The key, she said, is still honest and open communication, which is a seemingly lost art these days.

"We've lost humanness, I think, in a lot of our technology, but we're still human," said Bavencoff. "Each one of us needs to feel, to be heard, to be recognized, to be validated, to be understood, and I think to take the time to understand somebody and really listen is a rare, rare quality now."

Bavencoff said people believe life is just "too busy" for talking anymore, but to sit down and really listen goes a long way.

The families of three people killed last Christmas Eve in the parking lot of a Southern California shopping center are suing the mall, claiming it failed to provide sufficient lighting and monitoring security cameras in the area to keep patrons safe.

A wrongful death lawsuit filed Wednesday against Westfield, LLC accuses the Westfield Mission Valley mall of negligence in the deaths of Gianni Belvedere, Salvatore Belvedere and Ilona Flint.

Salvatore and Flint were shot while sitting in a car in the mall’s parking lot on Dec. 24, 2013. Gianni’s body was found  Riverside, 100 miles north of San Deigo, on Jan. 17, 2014, inside the trunk of his own car. The lawsuit alleges Gianni was also shot on the mall premises.

In the suit, the Belvedere’s parents Leonard and Grace and Flint’s mother Inga Jones accuse the mall of failing to keep its security cameras working during the busy holiday season.

Westfield should have anticipated possible crimes happening in the parking lot, which was too dark to be kept safe, the lawsuit says.

“Keeping the cameras in operating condition was a simple measure that would have protected the decedents,” the complaint says.

The plaintiffs claim the three killed, as well as others, depended on the cameras for a sense of security, expecting mall security to be monitoring the lot. That expectation affected their actions, the complaint says.

According to the lawsuit, security personnel were not physically inspecting the parking lot frequently enough to ward off criminals.

“In short, defendants failed to use reasonable care to protect their patrons, guests, tenants, and invitees, including the decedents, from the harmful conduct of other persons that the defendant could have reasonably anticipated,” the suit states.

The families are seeking unspecified damages for funeral and burial expenses, loss of love, companionship, comfort, care and other considerations.

Calls to Westfield Mission Valley for comment on the suit have not been returned.

The killings of Gianni, Salvatore and Flint baffled San Diego for about six months as police revealed no leads in the case. But in June, investigators arrested Carlo Gallapo Mercado, 29, charging him with three counts of first degree murder.

Mercado pleaded not guilty to the allegations, and in November, a judge ruled he was not competent to stand trial. He is being treated at Patton State Hospital for the next three years or until he is found competent.

The lawsuit also lists Mercado as a defendant, accusing him of malice and oppression in the shootings.

As many as five cars may be involved in a fatal crash that prompted a Sig Alert on Interstate 8 Thursday night.

California Highway Patrol says a vehicle hit the median on the freeway near El Cajon Boulevard, throwing one person onto the road.

The collision caused a chain reaction of other crashes. One person was killed, but it's unclear if others were injured.

The CHP issued a Sig Alert for the westbound I-8 lanes at the El Cajon Boulevard on-ramp.

Check back here for updates.

Chicago police say an officer will be disciplined after video captured a CPD vehicle blasting "Sweet Home Alabama" during a "Black Lives Matter" protest in Chicago.

Police said Thursday the officer came forward, but did not specify what disciplinary action would be taken.

"While he says he was playing the music as fan of the University of Alabama, CPD fully understands sensitivities related to the song and regardless we cannot condone any behavior that may be viewed as disruptive or disrespectful to any protestor or resident," a statement from police said. "To the contrary, as you have seen over the past couple weeks, CPD is dedicated to ensuring residents' right to free speech and peaceful assembly."

Photographer Gabriel Michael said demonstrators were near the intersection of Pulaski and Monroe at the end of the march over the weekend when the unmarked squad car rolled by loudly playing the Lynyrd Skynyrd anthem.

“I realized the music was coming from a cruiser, I just couldn’t believe it,” he said.

That’s when he began recording.

“My brain couldn’t process,” he said. “They were playing this song at a protest for black lives—Mike Brown, Eric Garner. A song co-opted by conservative southern bigoted groups as a kind of rallying cry for Confederate and racist values.”

The controversial 40-year-old song is an ode to Alabama and a retort to Neil Young's "Southern Man," a song about racism in the south. It has also been the target of criticism over the years for what some interpret as support for former Alabama governor and segregationist George Wallace, which Skynyrd's singer Ronnie van Zant called a misinterpretation.

Michael noted that the University of Alabama played Missouri on Saturday and the song is often associated with the team, but said no matter the reason, playing the song during the march may be an example of the distance between police officers and the community.

“It made me think of how desensitized these cops were to think it was funny to be playing that,” Michael said. “I’d like to know what their explanation is, why they did it.”

The CEO of the parent company of SeaWorld San Diego is stepping down as head of the company and named his chairman as interim leader.

Jim Atchison has served as CEO and president of the theme park company since 2009. SeaWorld says he will become vice chairman. Chairman David D'Alessandro will take over as interim CEO in January.

Attendance is dropping at the SeaWorld Entertainment parks, which include locations in Orlando and San Antonio in addition to San Diego. It has been battling negative publicity surrounding its treatment of killer whales following the documentary "Blackfish" that suggested its treatment of the animals may have led to the death of trainers.

SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. also said Thursday that it will eliminate an unspecified number of jobs as it cuts costs.

Just last month, SeaWorld announced its third-quarter earnings fell 28 percent from a year ago as attendance fell.

Attendance to its theme parks fell 5.6 percent to 8.4 million in the third quarter from 8.9 million in the same period a year ago, SeaWorld said.

“Clearly, 2014 has been a challenging year, but I am confident we are taking the necessary steps to address our near term challenges and position the company to deliver value over the long term,” SeaWorld CEO Jim Atchison said in a statement last month.

SeaWorld is attributing the decline bad publicity and competition from other popular attractions, such as the Harry Potter theme park in Orlando.
 

Southern Californians awoke to flash floods, mudslides, power outages and traffic chaos Friday as a powerful storm slammed the region.

Avalanches of mud and debris blocked part of Pacific Coast Highway in Ventura County, flooding the 170 freeway in Hollywood strong winds caused power outages around Santa Barbara and other parts of the coast, and forecasters predicted the winds would continue to gain speed.

The storm hit Camarillo Springs possibly the hardest, with mud pounding into homes and forcing firefighters to go from house-to-house to ensure people were safe. A massive clean-up operation was underway by morning.

The National Weather Service extended flash flood warnings for the Colby, Williams, Madison and Tecolote burn areas in LA County to 10:15 a.m.

The brunt of the weather system known as the "Pineapple Express" previously hit the San Francisco Bay Area on Thursday, flooding freeways, toppling trees and forcing thousands to stay away from work and school. The storm was also blamed for two deaths in Oregon and thousands of power outages in Washington.

A flash flood warning was put in place for Los Angeles County and Ventura County, with burn areas in particular danger due to the potential of mudflows. PCH was closed between Las Posas Road and Yerba Buena Road in Ventura County due to a mudslide, with up to 18 inches of mud on roadway according to the California Highway Patrol.

On Friday from 12 until 4 a.m. there were a total of 46 accidents compared to a total of 8 accidents on the same day last week, the CHP said.

Ventura Road from Wagon Wheel Road south to Stone Creek Drive in Oxnard reopened Friday afternoon after the flooding forced closures through the morning. Heavy rains also caused the shutdown of Sepulveda Basin due to flooding. Burbank closed from 405 Freeway to Balboa.

In Long Beach, a building facade collapsed at a building that houses a home and a liquor store, a city spokesman said. Residents were being escorted out of the home and no injuries were reported.

Power outages hit thousands of customers in LA County, including Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Carson.

Some 11,000 DWP customers were affected, while almost 30,000 customers lost power at some point in the rest of the county, SoCal Edison said.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department bolstered its staffing levels in advance of the rain, with an urban search-and-rescue team on standby, along with swift-water rescue teams and canine search teams.

Winds up to to 70 miles per hour are possible in the mountains and flash flooding may occur near burn areas, according to the NWS. Flash flood watches were issued in Orange County's mountains and foothills, especially the Silverado Canyon.

Less than a week after taking a pounding in the first heavy rains of the year, Southern Californians are expecting for what looks to be a far more intense pummeling of wind, rain and snow.

A homeless man in Oregon died after a tree was blown over in Oregon, while a similarly huge gust blew down an 80-foot fir at a Santa Cruz elementary school. The tree pinned a 6th grader by his arm for 15 minutes until the boy was cut free.

City News Service contributed to this report.

A 20-year-old San Diego man is accused of cheating people out of more than $54,000 on Kickstarter, a crowd-funding website.

The “Learn iPhone App Development” Kickstarter campaign promises backers access to an online tutorial to learn app development, but hundreds of people say the organizer of the project never delivered.

Like John Young, who says his 14-year-old son wanted to learn to build iPhone apps, so he funded Taylor Beck’s Kickstarter program in the amount of $99.

“He kept delaying the release of the programming course, and finally at the end of August, he just stopped talking to anybody,” Young said.

This project was meant to be a comprehensive online tutorial for building iPhone applications.

The "pitch" video on the "Learn iPhone App Development" tells viewers the tutorial can change their lives.

“If you’ve ever had any ideas for apps where you just weren’t sure how to start creating them, then this is the course for you,” Beck tells potential customers on Kickstarter. “It’s really changed my life so far, and I really believe it can change yours too.”

Beck could not be reached for comment.

Young says the original funding goal for the project was $2,000, but people gave Beck $54,000 online.

“He's only 19 or 20 years old, so it's a shame for someone with his talent to start of his life this way, basically deceiving people and taking their money,” Young said. “It doesn't speak well for his future.”

SDSU Business Law Professor Seth Kaplowitz said Beck could be facing criminal and civil action.

“I think it's sad first of all. This young man has gotten himself into a little bit of trouble. He has both civil and criminal charges that could be filed against him, depending on what the individuals involved feel like doing,” Kaplowitz said.

The way Kickstarter works is: a person puts up a project they want to work on, and so-called "backers" contribute money so the person can complete the project.

The company says they have a remarkable track record, but nothing’s guaranteed, and folks should keep that in mind when they back a project.

NBC 7 Investigates reached out to Beck through his parents, through the internet and social media but could not reach him. A search for any possible court records or police reports related to this Kickstarter campaign were not found and the San Diego Police Department was unable to find any reports related to Kickstarter or Taylor Beck.

According to statements made on Beck’s Kickstarter page, he was supposed to release the tutorials on August 30.

Kaplowitz said the amount of trouble Beck may be in depends on his intent.

“The big thing here is what his intent was. Was his intent to create this Kickstarter campaign with the thought of never producing anything and absconding with the funds? Or, did he have really good intentions and somewhere along the line, he got derailed?” Kaplowitz said.

A "disoriented" suspect took to the rooftops after a woman accused him of burglarizing her North Park home Thursday evening, San Diego Police said.

Just before 7 p.m., the woman opened the door to her newly purchased townhome in the 2700 block of Adams Avenue to find her place ransacked.

She heard noises coming from the attic, so she called nearby friends, including Paul Hansen, to check out her home.

Hansen told NBC 7 when he opened her closed bedroom door, he spotted a hole in the ceiling with about five feet of insulation hanging down, though no one was in the room.

The real surprise came when he went to check in the bathroom.

"A gentleman popped out. He was under the sink somehow and really, I just saw him from the torso up with his hands just trying to pull himself out," said Hansen, "and when we saw him, we immediately ran out."

Hansen described the man as "disoriented" and said he kept telling them "I'm a veteran, I'm not going to hurt you."

The homeowner and her friends soon called 911. As San Diego police officers arrived, the man climbed onto the complex's roof. Sgt. Carmelin Rivera said the man probably got in and out through a vent that leads down from the ceiling.

"We could see him on the roof, and he was kind of running around up there," said Hansen. "He jumped from one building all the way to the other side."

At the next building, police had him surrounded.

The police asked San Diego Fire to bring in a fire engine that could stretch a ladder to the building's roof. Officers were able to convince the man to come down on his own, and he was arrested without incident.

Rivera said the 27-year-old man will face a burglary charge. Investigators will also evaluate if he was under the influence at the time of the incident. 

Remains found in the trunk of a Honda Accord in Montebello have been identified as a 39-year-old mother who vanished with her four sons and husband nearly a week ago, police said Thursday.

Erica Perez was last seen Dec. 5.

An Amber Alert was issued for the couple’s four sons late Wednesday after Erica Perez’s body was found in the trunk of the family’s car.

Police said at a news conference her death was being investigated as a homicide.

Authorities took Daniel Perez, 43, into police custody Thursday morning after a dramatic standoff with police on a San Diego County highway overpass.

During the stand off, two of his sons got out of the car and ran to officers. The other two boys got out of the car with their father, and went to police after officers swarmed Perez.

Perez negotiated on a cellphone after a pursuit began when the car's lojack system signaled a "hit" around 8:30 a.m.

Daniel Perez has not been charged in connection with the killing of Erica Perez and is being returned to Montebello. He currently faces charges of child endangerment and parental abduction.

The Perez family, including mother Erica Perez, went missing Friday, and an Amber Alert was issued for the boys after a woman was found dead in the trunk of the Montebello family's Honda Accord Wednesday night.

Police have determined her cause of death. Montebello police said Daniel Perez is a person of interest in the death investigation.

Alex Hayden Perez, 6, Tristin Devin Perez, 8, Jaden Eric Perez, 9, and Jordan Dante Perez, 11, were taken to the CHP’s El Cajon station. A fifth child of the couple, a 14-year-old boy, was not involved in the situation and was not reported missing, police said.

Family members made a tearful plea Wednesday night for the safe return of the brothers.

Daniel and Erica Perez's marriage was unstable and has a history of domestic violence, their family told police.

"The domestic violence was on her part," Daniel Perez's aunt Billie Holguin said. "She had a boyfriend, and she admitted it to him, about the boyfriend. No matter what he wanted to try and make a life for his children and her."

"They had their issues," said Daniel Perez's cousin Nicholas Castillo, who lived with the couple for a short time two years ago. "He was more of a quiet person."

John Cádiz Klemack and Gordon Tokumatsu contributed to this report.

Investigators on Thursday morning raided two homes, seizing numerous illegal drugs, and arrested two college students as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into a fraternity at California State University San Marcos.

Investigators with Cal State’s police department have been investigating the fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon since August after receiving several reports of sexual assaults involving frat members starting in May.

CSUSM officials also started looking into whether frat members were involved in hazing, intimidation, vandalism and providing illegal drugs and alcohol to minors, according to a news release from the university.

Investigators at about 8 a.m. executed search warrants at a home in Oceanside and a second home in San Marcos; they uncovered and seized a “substantial” amount of marijuana, cocaine, LSD, Ecstasy, illegal prescription drugs, steroids and nearly $1,000 in cash, the news release said.

Two Cal State students, 21-year-old Brandon Polonia and 24-year-old Corey Hobbs were arrested and booked in the Vista Detention Facility.

CSUSM officials say the investigation is ongoing.

According to the university, TKE – also known as “The Kollege Experience” – is not a recognized student organization at CSUSM. Most of its members are current CSUSM students.

University officials said TKE lost its recognition as a student organization in 2005 due to underage alcohol use and “failure of the organization to maintain academic standing required of recognized fraternities and sororities.”

On the fraternity’s website, the TKE claims it holds its “members to a higher standard, based on personal worth and character, rather than wealth, rank, or honor.”

“Although no longer officially recognized by our university, we set the bar for academics and involvement, as our chapter holds one of the highest average GPA’s at Cal State,” the TKE website states. “We still believe in a ‘well-balanced diet’ which includes a healthy amount of college social interaction. Dubbed ‘The Kollege Experience’ our chapter continues to host some of the most reputable nightlife experiences San Marcos and the surrounding community has seen.”

Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to call university police at 760-750-4567 or the school’s SAFE hotline at 760-750-SAFE.

A cross-country law enforcement crackdown targeted a sex-trafficking organization that involved about 100 young women and girls, many of whom were recruited from San Diego County middle and high schools, according to U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy.

Twenty-two suspected gang members and associates face racketeering conspiracy charges in a federal grand jury indictment unsealed Thursday.

Earlier the same day, 14 people were arrested and 11 search warrants were served in San Diego; Hemet, California; Tucson, Arizona; and Austin, Texas as part of Operation Stolen Souls. Seven other alleged members were already in custody, and one is still at large, Duffy says.

All suspects are allegedly associated with the “Tycoons,” a gang formed in 2008 that ran the nationwide prostitution ring, according to the indictment.

Based in San Diego County’s Lemon Grove and Spring Valley, the illicit operation took advantage of about 100 girls and young women, ranging in age from 12 to their mid-20s. Most were recruited from East County schools by pimps and other high-ranking prostitutes, a search warrant states.

"They were enrolling their senior prostitutes into these schools for the sole purpose of recruiting minor girls," Duffy said.

Duffy says the investigation was launched two years ago when East County residents and school officials reported girls coming to school with expensive things and bruises. Parents also notified law enforcement when they saw their daughters listed for prostitution online.

The victims were enticed with a lavish lifestyle or forced into prostitution with threats, intimidation or violence. Prosecutors say pimps would give the women drugs and alcohol to lower their inhibitions and increase productivity.

Once involved, the indictment says they were sent from San Diego to customers across California, Texas, Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Nevada and elsewhere.

To keep their enterprise running, Tycoon members and associates resorted to other crimes such as attempted murder, assaults, drug trafficking, robbery, burglaries and beating or threatening victims, witnesses or community members, according to court documents.

Many of those involved had a dual membership in both the Tycoons and other local gangs, including the Linda Vista Crips, Lincoln Park, West Coast Crips, Emerald Hills and others, prosecutors say.

Their organization was like that of a crime family, court documents allege, so each person had an assigned role. Some managed prostitutes, some coerced them and ensured their obedience through violence, and others handled the money. A few members even placed advertisements to get new clients and booked motel rooms for the illegal acts.

Duffy says that structure is why all 22 defendants are charged with racketeering conspiracy under the RICO statute — something typically reserved for organized crime syndicates and mobsters.

“But as criminal street gangs such as these join forces and become more sophisticated and prolific in their illicit business pursuits, this statute is an effective tool to address all aspects of the criminal conduct,” said a U.S. Attorney news release.

Law enforcement hopes to encourage more community reporting, like the kind that took down this ring. Efforts are also underway in local schools to prevent other girls from becoming victims.

Debbie Beyer, the executive director for Literacy First Charter Schools, was notified of the problem over a year ago.

"It's dumbfounding. It's horrifying, it really is," she told NBC 7.

The warning was enough for Beyer to take action. She gathered about 180 of her high school girls and cautioned them about the sex trafficking activity.

Beyer went as far as getting them involved in helping prostitution victims overseas.

"My goal is you will come back and you will remember what you were told in this situation. You were told there is a safe place for you to go. There is a person who will listen to you," said Beyer.

If you suspect someone is a sex trafficking victim, call Homeland Security at 866-347-2423.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department, Homeland Security Investigations, FBI and other agencies were involved in the suspects' arrests.

The defendants, who range in age from 19 to 30, are listed as James Terelle King, Michael Dean Richardson, Andrew Damon Richardson, Brian Keith Scott, Alondre Shamil Dickerson, Anthony Robert Dennison, Keyon Renta Gill, Donavyn Keith Dove, Ryan Mcintoch Izumi, William Henry Mitchell, Jordan Renee Mitchell, David Michael Stokes, Christian Darwin Wilcox, Marquis Dominique Davis, Cortes Tizzaro Prater, Emmanuel Gumataotao Farol, Donald Mickey Stokes, Wiley Junius Greeno, Deija Renee Lamb, Joseph Benjamin Taylor, Frank Gibson III and Christal Marie Torres.

The man at the center of Thursday's dramatic, televised Amber Alert standoff has been booked on suspicion of kidnapping four of his sons and murder in his wife's slaying, police said.

Daniel Perez was booked into the Montebello Jail on the charges after the body of Erica Perez was found in the trunk of a Honda Accord, police said.

Daniel Perez, 43, was taken into custody and his children were rescued Thursday by SWAT team members and the California Highway Patrol on a freeway overpass in San Diego County in dramatic footage captured on TV news.

Montebello detectives traveled to the El Cajon CHP office where they took protective custody of the four children.

The children were unharmed and in good condition.

Detectives took the children to the Montebello Police station where they were later reunited with family members.

Daniel Perez was taken into custody for child endangerment and kidnapping.

Erica Perez, 39, vanished with her four sons and husband nearly a week ago, police said. Erica Perez was last seen Dec. 5.

An Amber Alert was issued for the couple’s four sons late Wednesday after Erica Perez’s body was found.

The dramatic end to the case came after Daniel Perez negotiated on a cellphone after a pursuit began when his car's lojack system signaled a "hit" around 8:30 a.m.

Daniel and Erica Perez's marriage was unstable and has a history of domestic violence, their family told police.