If you spend just a few minutes with Orey Green-Jalal, you’ll quickly learn what his favorite thing is.

“I like basketball,” said Orey, who has developmental disabilities.

The 28-year-old from Arlington, Texas, is a Special Olympics athlete who spends much of his time shooting baskets in his driveway.

“All day,” said Teresa Green, Orey’s mother. “You have to make him stop to take a drink of water or come inside.”

That’s why he was devastated when he came home a few weeks ago and his hoop was gone. A thief stole it while he and his family were out.

“He was hurt,” said Green. “He wanted the person to go to jail.”

Orey later saw Arlington Police Officer Natalia Kuehling at a community meeting and told her what had happened. She says the conversation they had was heartbreaking.

“He seems like such a nice, nice guy,” said Kuehling. “And I just don’t understand why somebody would do that.”

She wanted to help him, so she called a faith-based group the department works with called the Arlington Clergy and Police Partnership.

Members of the group say Orey’s story got to them. They decided to use the money they’d been saving for a Christmas party to instead buy a new basketball hoop for him.

“I think that was really the goal – to be a blessing to him,” said Pastor Renee Hornbuckle, an ACAPP board member. “Just to let him know that somebody cared.”

Members of ACAPP and several police officers surprised Orey by delivering the hoop to his house and assembling it.

“The look on his face and the joy in his eye – it was priceless,” said Charles Richardson, ACAPP Board President.

They also poured a cement base for the hoop and filled the pole with cement to make sure it won’t be stolen again.

Green says she’s overwhelmed by their kindness and still can’t believe this happened. A very appreciative Orey is glad it did.

“I like it,” said Orey.
 

Last week’s loss to the New England Patriots was not the end of the world for the Chargers’ playoff hopes. The Bolts still hold the final wild card spot and control their own destiny in the playoff chase.

It does put a tremendous amount of pressure to beat the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos on Sunday. A loss at the Q not only gives the Broncos the division title, it most likely puts the Bolts on the outside looking in the tight AFC playoff picture.

First, let’s take a look at the standings:

1. Patriots – 10-3 (East leader)
2. Broncos – 10-3 (West leader)
3. Colts – 9-4 (South leader)
4. Bengals – 8-4-1 (North leader)
5. Steelers – 8-5 (wild card)
6. Chargers – 8-5 (wild card)
7. Ravens – 8-5 (Chargers have tiebreaker over them)
8. Texans -- 7-6
9. Dolphins – 7-6
10. Chiefs – 7-6
11. Bils -- 7-6
12. Browns – 7-6

Basically, Chargers fans should be hating on anyone below them right now. Pretty simple, right? Even simpler: All of the games affecting them are at 10 a.m. today. Let’s take a look at those games and who to root for in them:

Falcons over Steelers: At 5-8, Atlanta is still in the lead in a putrid NFC South. Must be nice. A win here would put them closer to being worthy of the playoffs.

Patriots over Dolphins: I know, it’s tough to root for the stupid Pats after their fans invaded the Q last week and slapped the Chargers around. Let it go, Bolts fans. The Dolphins would own the tiebreaker over us if it came down to it. A loss here would help ensure it doesn’t.

Raiders over Chiefs: Yep, gotta root for Oakland too. Just go with it. Doesn’t mean you have to like them, either.

Colts over Texans: A win gives Indy the division title. Let ‘em have it.

Jaguars over Ravens: Don’t hold your breath on this one, as the Ravens are favored by 14. Do you believe in miracles?

Bengals over Browns: Can we get another first-round playoff game in Cincinnati like last year? Chargers fans will take that, I’m sure.

Packers over Bills: Green Bay is the best team in the league right now. Here’s hoping they stay that way.

A red-tagged home in Camarillo Springs heavily damaged in a mudslide Friday was broken into, authorities said.

The owner of a home in the 6300 block of Gitana Avenue reported jewelry missing when they returned to the home Saturday afternoon, a Ventura County Sheriff's deputy said.

The homeowner reported the call at about 4:20 p.m. Saturday, about two hours after they returned to the house, the deputy said. They had left at 2:45 a.m. Friday, as an evacuation order was in effect and heavy rain from a major storm triggered a mudslide that hit the home.

The home was red-tagged due to the mudslide damage, according to the deputy, but a patrol unit was assigned to monitor the homes and media vans were often present.

Patrols were increased as a precaution, the deputy said.

Two people were injured Saturday evening in an accident on a La Mesa freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The accident happened just after 5 p.m. on Interstate 8 near Jackson Drive. According to CHP officials, a car driving west side-swiped another vehicle, lost control, hit the center divider and crashed into a pillar. That driver suffered serious injuries.

Traffic is currently slow on eastbound I-8 in La Mesa. Speeds are in the teens in the immediate area.

Get up-to-the-minute traffic here

The driver of the other car suffered minor injuries, CHP said.

Check back for updates.

Editor's Note: Heartland Fire originally reported one person was killed in the crash. CHP later confirmed there were no fatalities. We regret the error.

A dolphin is recovering at SeaWorld San Diego after it was rescued Saturday morning by Los Angeles County Fire Department lifeguards, the department said.

A roughly 8-foot adult Risso's dolphin was seen on San Pedro's rocky Royal Palms Beach by passersby and members of the county's Beaches and Harbors department just after 7 a.m. Saturday, the firefighters wrote on Facebook.

Two lifeguards poured water over the dolphin to keep it alive, according to the post. The lifeguards, a marine animal rescuer and three members of the public carried the stranded dolphin off the beach to a vehicle that would take it to the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur.

The dolphin was slightly bloodied, according to pictures the department posted, but its cuts were minor.

After being checked out and treated at the center, the dolphin was taken to SeaWorld, the post said.
 

Divers recovered the body of a missing 20-year-old woman from a car submerged in a Long Beach, California, drainage channel early Sunday morning, police said.

Ashlee Armond, of Long Beach, is believed to have driven her car into the Los Cerriots Channel accidentally. Her green Honda was spotted late Saturday night in the channel, which leads to Alamitos Bay, said a statement from the Long Beach Police Department.

Armond was pronounced dead at the scene after being taken out of the submerged car by Long Beach Fire Department divers, the statement said.

Family reported Armond missing since just after midnight Saturday, when she left a friend's house near the drainage channel in East Long Beach, police said.

When Armond didn't return home by Saturday morning, her family reported her missing. Detectives believe she was driving down a dead-end street leading to the channel and didn't stop at the end of the road, the statement said. They called the incident accidental.

Armond had never gone missing before, police said, calling her "very dependable."

Mourners were expected to attend a candlelight vigil for Armond near where she was found, at 5th Street and Silvera Avenue at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Detectives are asking anyone who witnessed the collision to call them at 562-570-7132.

Fist pumping and signs waving, a protest of nearly 200 people traveled through Balboa Park before spilling onto the streets of downtown Saturday afternoon.

The rally was part of the nationwide march against police violence.

“The bigger focus here is the militarization of our police force and just how cops appear to be so quick to shoot first and ask questions later,” said a protester named Kevin.

From the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson to the fatal police shooting of a 12-year-old boy in Cleveland, the incidents have fueled resentment toward police. Some say police practice different standards depending on race.

“Police will automatically assume that if a man is shot, he must be gang-related or he must have done something wrong,” protester Kinaya Bryant said. “I feel like if I have to get out and do something and let people know that we're not all thugs, we're not all criminals."

Still, for those in favor of law enforcement, it's a matter of obeying the law.

“They're just people just like the rest of us, and they have a job where 99 percent of the time it's boredom and then it's crisis,” said police supporter Rich Forsythe. ”That's tough to deal with."

Police officers marched with the protesters to provide traffic control.

The demonstrators staged a “die-in” outside the NBC 7 studios after walking from Balboa Park.

An early morning fight in the Gaslamp District left one man badly hurt and streets blocked for hours.

The incident happened just after 2 a.m. Sunday at G Street and Fourth Avenue, outside the IHop restaurant.

According to the San Diego Police Department, there was a large fight in the middle of the street. Officers discovered a man lying in the road, unconscious and with “significant head trauma.”

The victim was taken to a local hospital. At last update, he was listed in critical condition. Police have not released his name but say he is in his 20s.

At this point, no arrests have been made. Police are looking for a person-of-interest described as a white man between 25 and 30 years old, 5-foot-nine and 165 pounds, wearing a gray suit jacket and gray dress pants.

Police have not said what started the fight. SDPD’s Homicide Unit is investigating.

“The homicide unit is used for many different things including suspicious deaths or people that are seriously injured,” explained Lt. Mike Hastings with the Homicide Unit. “The reason that we’re utilized for that is that our work can be done with a team of detectives right up front. Therefore we don’t need to recreate the wheel should things go south or should someone end up being a decedent down the road.”

Two people walking along the Los Angeles River near Bell found a skull in the river bed Sunday morning, authorities said.

The skull was spotted around 8 a.m. by a man and a woman, said Lt. Steve Jauch, with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.

Homicide detectives were on the scene in Bell trying to determine where it came from, Jauch said. The skull was not in the city of Maywood, as this article originally reported based on earlier information from the Sheriff's department.

"With all the recent rain we had, it's going to be difficult to determine, at least this early, how long the remains were there," Jauch said.

Investigators had no detailed information about the skull, including cause of death, age or sex, according to Jauch.

Refresh this page for updates on this developing story.

Five people were injured in a drive-by shooting Sunday evening in Overtown, according to Miami Fire Rescue.

Police said a group of people were standing in front of 1311 Northwest 2nd Avenue around 6 p.m. when a black SUV drove by and someone inside opened fire.

Witnesses said 20-30 shots were fired.

"People running from everywhere and it was just like, utter mayhem and chaos," witness Nicole Donald said.

The five victims were between the ages of 17 to 54. All five victims were rushed to Ryder Trauma Center.

Two of the patients have been listed in serious condition, the other three patient's conditions were unknown.

"It could have been worse than that," said Horace Bryant, the father of the 17-year-old victim.

Police are currently looking for the black SUV related to the shooting. No other information was available.

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

A San Jose police officer is under scrutiny after several controversial tweets in response to Bay Area grand jury protests, according to BuzzFeed News.

In one of the tweets captured by Buzzfeed, Officer Phillip White wrote, “If anyone feels they can’t breathe or their lives matter, I’ll be at the movies tonight, off duty, carrying my gun.”

In another, he vowed to use his “God-given and law-appointed right and duty to kill” if threatened.

Other tweets captured by BuzzFeed showed him ridiculing protesters who shut down the West Oakland BART Station and criticizing members of the UC Berkeley women’s basketball team who took part in protests.

Monday, the San Jose Police Department issued a statement, saying, "These statements understandably raise the concerns of many members of our San José community, and should be investigated thoroughly. I have full confidence they will be. The residents of San José need to know that these statements in no way reflects the fine character of our San Jose Police Department or its officers."

In a previous statement offered over the weekend, the department said it was "aware of the issue and forwarded it up the chain of command for review."

The tweets have since been deleted.

San Jose Police Are Reviewing An Officer’s Behavior After His Threatening Tweet To Protesters http://t.co/kHaGa1iIPD pic.twitter.com/hXmkYVJRmD

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) December 14, 2014

One person was killed Sunday when a stolen ambulance crashed into 10 cars before overturning in a Greenbelt, Maryland, restaurant parking lot.

The suspect has been identified as Sebastian Kellinger Isaksen of Silver Spring, who turned 35 Monday. Isaksen was badly injured in the crash and remains in the hospital under police guard.

Isaksen stole a Branchville Volunteer Fire Department ambulance at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, police said.

Shortly before the incident, the ambulance's two-person crew took a patient to a hospital. The crew then witnessed an accident on I-495 and stopped to help, police said.

The driver in that accident, Isaksen, then attacked the crew and stole the ambulance, police said.

Isaksen drove the ambulance down I-495, exited at Kenilworth Avenue and turned left on Greenbelt Road. About 15 minutes after the ambulance was stolen, it crashed into three cars on Greenbelt at 62nd Avenue, police said.

The driver of one of those three cars, 77-year-old Alvin Hargrave of Greenbelt, was critically injured and died shortly after he was taken to the hospital, police said. A 36-year-old pregnant woman in that car was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition.

After the crash on Greenbelt, the stolen ambulance careened down an embankment and struck nine unoccupied cars in the parking lot of a Joe's Crab Shack restaurant.

Isaksen was arrested as he left the ambulance's cab and was taken to a hospital with critical injuries.

No one else was injured.

Detectives charged Isaksen with carjacking, assault and charges related to the carjacking.

Prince George's County Police will work with the state's attorney to determine charges for the fatal collision.

Stay with News4 and NBC Washington for more on this developing story.

The father of Michael Brown, whose unarmed son was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, came to San Francisco Sunday to speak at the Third Baptist Church.

More than a dozen speakers addressed the congregation before a packed house, calling for change and underscoring what they see as a pattern of injustice against men of color.

"That needs to stop in America, where we claim to be a land of equality of opportunity and respect for the worth and dignity of all human personalities," Rev. Amos Brown said.

The large crowd, which had waited for more than an hour to hear Michael Brown Sr. speak, grew silent when he took the podium.  Brown's father was very brief and told the crowd he appreciates the support. 

"We got a major fight going on," Brown said. "I got to stand up, so that’s all I'm doing — standing up for our rights. We love the Bay...and like I said, enough is enough. We gotta stand strong. Together. Thank you."

Friends said he had come to San Francisco from the "Justice for All" march and rally in Washington, D.C. After the speech, he took some photos with the crowd who came to see him.

The event lasted over two hours, and it was peaceful.

The cause was fought not just in the churches Sunday.

Sparked by Michael Brown's case, protests have broken out in the Bay Area and cities across the country carrying messages like "black lives matter."

Another group on the Golden Gate Bridge demonstrated against police violence Sunday.

"The more you are out in the streets, giving your message that peace and justice matter for all people, the more people will see the message," Code Pink spokeswoman Renay Davis said.

And in San Jose, about 20 protesters met outside City Hall dressed in all black and holding signs. The group marched to San Jose's Christmas in the Park, where they held a short "die-in."

Video captured from Saturday's protests in New York City appeared to show demonstrators apparently calling for the deaths of police officers, hours before violence on the Brooklyn Bridge marred the massive march in protest of police killings of black men, including Eric Garner on Staten Island.

The video, posted on YouTube, shows a few dozen protesters marching down Fifth Avenue at 32nd Street Saturday afternoon. After a few seconds of chanting "Hands up, don’t shoot," the demonstrators changed their cry, apparently yelling out in unison "What do we want? Dead cops. When do we want it? Now."

The protesters repeated the chant for nearly a minute before again changing their cry.

The video was captured at about 4:30 p.m., a few hours before two police officers were hurt by a man who tried to throw a garbage can from the Brooklyn Bridge's pedestrian walkway onto the officers below.

Police later arrested Baruch College adjunct professor Eric Linsker in the assault. Police said that Linsker allegedly had recently purchased hammers and a black face mask in his bag.

Linsker was charged with second-degree assault, resisting arrest, first-degree rioting, unlawful possession of marijuana and three counts of criminal possession of a weapon. He was released without bail after an arraignment Sunday.

In a separate confrontation on the bridge, a person was arrested for disorderly conduct after an NYPD traffic agent's car was smashed.

The arrests marred the massive, otherwise peaceful march, which police said included at least 25,000 demonstrators.

Protesters carried signs reading "Jail Killer Cops" and "Black Lives Matter." They chanted "I can't breathe," the last words of Garner, who died after he was placed in a police chokehold while being arrested on Staten Island.

A suspected DUI driver accused of crashing his truck into a van and sending it into crowd of pedestrians in Alhambra, east of Los Angeles, Sunday night has a revoked license and several prior convictions including DUI and hit-and-run, according to court records.

Police said Ismael Soto, 28, hurt 13 people when he plowed into a minivan where families had gathered to look at Christmas decorations at Fremont Avenue and Poplar Boulevard Sunday night.

Eleven people went to the hospital, including a 27-year-old woman who remained in the intensive care unit for a head injury Monday morning, police said.

The youngest victim was 7 years old, police said.

Court records show Soto was convicted in February 2013 of driving with a suspended license and driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher, and November 2013 for driving under the influence and hit-and-run, according to LA Superior Court records.

Soto was also convicted in 2013 of driving with a suspended license. A judge then revoked his license in November 2013 after he allegedly refused a chemical test, records showed.

"He does not have a current driver's license," Alhambra Police Sgt. Jerry Johnson said. "He shouldn't have been behind the wheel of that car."

Soto was on probation for one of the prior DUI conviction's at the time of Sunday's crash, Johnson said.

After the Sunday night crash, witnesses said a red pickup truck driving on Fremont Avenue suddenly made a left turn and T-boned a black minivan, sending the minivan spinning into a crowd of spectators.

"All of a sudden I heard tires screeching, but not brakes," said David Villalobos, a homeowner who saw the crash.

The truck pushed one van over a "huge curb," and sent another van into pedestrians, pinning them against a fence and a holiday display, police said.

Soto is behind bars on $130,000 bail for suspicion of felony DUI and is due in court Wednesday, police said.

A judge has issued an order saying that no one wearing New England Patriots or National Football League apparel will be allowed in the courtroom for Aaron Hernandez's January murder trial.

[CLICK HERE to read the full order.]

"No person wearing clothing, or a button or other object attached to clothing, or carrying an object that displays any Patriots or other NFL team logo, football-related insignia, or words and/or photograph that relate in any way to this case will be permitted entry to the Fall River Justice Center during any phase of the trial," the Dec. 12 order from Judge E. Susan Garsh reads.

The order lays out additional protocol for public attendance and media coverage of the trial, including a ban on photographic or electronic recording devices for anyone who is not a member of the news media.

The judge's order says 20 seats will be allocated to members of the public, along with another 20 for members of the news media. There will also be seating set aside for the Hernandez's family or friends and Odin Lloyd's family or friends.

Hernandez is scheduled to go on trial on Jan. 9 for the killing of Lloyd, a semi-pro football player whose bullet-riddled body was found in an industrial park about a mile from Hernandez's North Attleborough home in June of 2013.

As Santa readies his reindeer, and U.S. postal carriers take to their feet and trucks, one person delivering the mail this holiday season will be dropping off packages by boat.

Rick Stelzriede, 61, of Tracy is the only postal carrier with a river route in California, according to the U.S. Postal Service. Still, he downplays his unusual role.

"I am the only mailman on the water but I mean, it's no big deal," he said. "I could be a postman in the city and do the same job."

The job entails hopping into his 21-foot aluminum boat, and slogging through 60 miles of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, six days a week to get mail, bills and Christmas presents on time to his 23 customers. He doesn't stop for wind, rain, hail, sleet or the thick mess of seemingly endless river weeds and kelp.

"Yeah, it's hard to get to, remote and totally, totally off the wall," he said, opening mail boxes set on the docks and waving "hasta manana" to some of folks along his route.

Stelzriede signed on with the U.S. Postal Service as an independent contractor after a he noticed a veteran water courier on the river route. When that carrier retired some years back that's when Stelzriede "got his shot," said the Postal Service's spokesman in Northern California, Augustine Ruiz. Stelzriede also has customers along a more traditional route, Ruiz said, which he delivers to by mail truck or on foot.

Ruiz joked that Stelzriede is probably the only mailman to meet a river otter on his route or have his pony tail chewed on by a sea gull.

Since he took the job, Stelzriede hasn't stopped, boating along a route between San Francisco and the Central Valley that's been around as long as the Gold Rush.

At the end of the day, the pony-tailed mailman - fully aware of his role in history on the Pony Express - feels he's completed a job well done.

"I really feel like I did a service for someone," he said. "I brought them their mail."

Beginning Dec. 15, the Children's Pool in La Jolla will be closed to the public during harbor seal pupping season.

The beach area will remain closed through May 15, 2015.

While some who frequent the beach are upset about the closure, many came out Monday morning to show their support.

"If everybody behaves themselves the other seven months of the year, I think it's a great compromise," said animal advocate Tamara Morgan.

The sandy base of the bluffs, rocks, breakwater and lower staircase will all be closed to the public through mid-May. The closure is meant to provide special protection for the mother seals during pupping season, when the animals are more vulnerable, and for the safety of the public.

"There's no woman alive that would want a room full of people watching her give birth or having them stand over her and take her picture," Morgan said.

Signs have already been posted and a fence was put up Monday morning barricading the off-limit parts of the Children's Pool. Violators face misdemeanor charges that carry fines of up to $1,000.

Misha Emelyanov was here visiting from Vegas before heading to Oceanside Sunday, the day before the fence went up. Emelyanov said he didn't plan to visit the Children's Pool on his trip, but now that he's here, he doesn't want to leave.

"I feel sad for people who could come here the next day," he said. "This is an amazing place, amazing spot. I believe no one would ever want this place shut down to the public."

Emelyanov said the view from the seawall is better, but "people come to the beach to put their feet in the sand. Especially when you get closer to nature."

The closure comes after the California Coastal Commission approved the City of San Diego's request for closure in August. The city is supposed to monitor the area carefully while it's closed, as well as keep a record of the number of seals, tide and weather conditions and instances of seal harassment by beachgoers. Records of warnings and citations issued during the off season is also required.

Matt Krug, a visitor who grew up in the area, said he understands the closure, but the pool was made for children like his daughter to enjoy.

"I see both sides, but it was kind of designed for the kids to go out and play," he said.

The seawall is still open, as well as the walkway atop the bluff, east of the pool, but construction of the La Jolla Lifeguard Station may cause intermittent disruptions in accessibility.

In a quest to keep the vaunted Denver Broncos offense off the scoreboard, the Chargers forgot to put up some points of their own.

They were held out of the end zone until the fourth quarter, falling 22-10 on Sunday in the final regular season game of the year at Qualcomm Stadium.

Philip Rivers threw his second interception in the end zone with two minutes left to seal the Chargers' fate.

The win clinches the AFC West title for Denver (11-3) and deals a severe blow to the Chargers' (8-6) playoff hopes.

Rivers threw for 232 yards, but the pair of interceptions hurt. His five-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates early in the fourth quarter was the only time the Bolts found the end zone.

"The grading scale, it's a plus if you win, a minus if you lose," Rivers said. "We just have to do a better job."

Chargers coach Mike McCoy deflected blame from his quarterback.

"It's everybody," he said. "We gotta play better as an offense, not just one player."

Branden Oliver led an anemic running attack with just 26 yards on 12 carries. As a whole, the team rushed for just 56 yards.

Gates had six catches for 54 yards, including the lone TD for the Chargers.

They were only able to muster 92 yards in the first half and didn't get a first down until two minutes into the second quarter.

Nick Novak missed a pair of crucial field goals, getting one blocked in the second quarter, then banging another off the left upright in the third.

Broncos kicker Connor Barth nailed all five of his attempts, including a 44-yarder with 3:56 left that put the game away for Denver.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was held in check for much of the day, but he managed to throw for 233 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas late in the third quarter.