The manual recount of ballots in the razor-close Chula Vista City Council race between former Mayor Steve Padilla and former Sweetwater school district president John McCann has been suspended with no net change in the outcome.

McCann remains in the lead by just two votes. During the manual recount, each side lost a vote, leaving the race still tilting toward McCann by two votes.

Humberto Peraza, a Democratic lobbyist who requested the recount, said the strategy is to refocus energy on the 269 ballots that remain uncounted. Peraza said the manual recount can be picked up again later.

Registrar Michael Vu said those 269 ballots remain uncounted for a variety of reasons, including the ballot not being signed or not properly completed. Other reasons include signatures on the envelope not matching the one on the registration form, a person who's not registered to vote and ballots that came in too late.

"That's the reason why we didn't count them, but they can challenge our ruling on any of the uncounted categories," Vu said.

Peraza said he believes there are about 70 ballots in which the voter didn't sign the ballot, but those cannot be counted toward the official vote because they are considered invalid.

The last recount in the county was between now-Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas and U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) for the 40th state senate seat. The Salas campaign suspended the recount within a couple days and Vargas won by the official tally of 22 votes.

The McCann-Padilla race is the closest in the history of Chula Vista.
 

One person is dead after a crash Sunday in the North County.

A motorcycle and another vehicle collided around 2:15 p.m. at Fruitvale Road and Cole Grade Road in Valley Center, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The motorcyclist was killed, CHP confirmed.

There is no word yet on what caused the accident. Officials have not released the victim’s name.

Check back for updates.
 

Part of a Spring Valley road is expected to be blocked all day by a tractor trailer.

The problem started late Sunday night on Jamacha Boulevard, just east of Ruxton Avenue.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the big rig’s load shifted, forcing it to pull over. It wasn’t specified what the truck was hauling.

CHP issued a Sig Alert. One lane of Jamacha will be closed until the issue with the truck can be fixed.

Officers chased a suspect through San Diego County Monday morning during a pursuit that ended with a dramatic arrest on the freeway.

The chase started around 11:10 a.m. Monday on eastbound State Route 52 at Mast Boulevard in Santee. Officers tried to pull over a silver sedan for speeding, but the driver wouldn't stop, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The suspect led officers on southbound State Route 125 into La Mesa, westbound State Route 94 past Lemon Grove and onto northbound Interstate 805.

The chased ended around 11:25 a.m. when the driver hit spike strips on I-805 North in the Clairemont area, according to CHP.

Officers had their weapons drawn as the suspect emerged from the car with his hands up. He dropped to the ground and was swiftly taken into custody. A K-9 was sent to search the car.

Traffic was stopped on I-805 North in the area during the ordeal.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

The organization that brought international attention to African warlord Joseph Kony has announced they plan to close their doors indefinitely in 2015.

Invisible Children is the non-profit organization headquartered in downtown San Diego that's responsible for the viral video Kony 2012, which outlined their commitment to capturing Kony and bringing down the Lord's Resistance Army in Democratic Republic of Congo.

IC's CEO Ben Keesey made the announcement in a video statement on the organization's website Monday, asking for donations to their "finishing fund" to assist in the final transition. They're anticipating $150,000 in donations by Dec. 31. As of this report, the website said they had already raised more than $11,000.

"These last two years have been enormously challenging for our organization," Keesey said in the video. "It's been incredibly difficult for us to sustain the funding that we need for this cause and for Invisible Children as it's currently structured."

Keesey said the options presented were to close the doors on the organization's Africa programs and cut funding to the staff they have there, or do the same here in the United States and scrap film making and awareness projects on the home front.

"And that's what we're choosing to do," he said.

Keesey told NPR the organization will be dwindled down to five full-time staff in the U.S. by the end of the year and no more than 30 in Africa. The U.S. staff will then be reduced to zero at a later point, he said.

"We never built Invisible Children to last for decades," Keesey said in a public video chat interview. "We built it to accomplish its mission."

IC's co-founder, Jason Russell, likened their success to making it 24 miles into a marathon and urged volunteers to stay involved.

"Jump first, fear never," he said in the chat.

It's been a journey of highs and lows for Russel whose naked public meltodwn in Pacific Beach just two weeks after the Kony video's release undermined the group's success.

Keesey told NPR Russell is currently writing a chilren's book called ABC's of Activism.

One of San Diego’s up and coming neighborhoods is launching a community version of the Monopoly game to raise money for a new landmark sign.

The game, called East Village-Opoly, is selling for $40 at many downtown businesses. It’s intended to raise $500,000 for an East Village landmark sign -- similar to those seen in Hillcrest, North Park, University Heights and Kensington neighborhoods.

On the community’s website, organizers said they hoped to raise $250,000 by Dec. 31.

East Village, which sits east of the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego, encompasses 130 blocks and is the city’s most rapidly developing neighborhood. It’s home to Petco Park and San Diego’s central library.

Organizers hope to sell 1,000 East Village-Opoly board games by the end of the year.
This is where you can purchase East Village-Opoly:

• MAK Cleaners, 1031 Market St.
• The District, 1021 Market St.
• The Parlour, 550 Park Blvd.
• EVA Office at Moniker Warehouse, 705 16th St., Suite 210-B
• Style Lounge Salon, 540 6th Ave.
• The UPS Store, 1041 Market St.
• Robert Weichelt’s office, 1606 G St.
• City Dog, 550 Park Blvd.

The Padres have put in a bid to host the All-Star Game, and San Diego City officials on Monday approved a measure to rubber stamp city funds for the event.

The San Diego City Council approved a proposal to allow up to $1.5 million to cover police and fire department costs for the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 2016 as well as city permitting and operational services.

At the heart of the pitch the council was the projected economic benefit of having the game here, including the five ensuing days of fan activities.

Major League Baseball officials say it would bring in about $80 million to the city of San Diego. Also, officials with the San Diego Tourism Authority say it would draw more than $1 million in sales tax and $1.2 million in hotel taxes.

But how accurate are those numbers?

The president of the National University Institute for Policy Research said he suspects most of the people attending the game will be from San Diego. Also, the summer time is already peak tourism season here.

“The analysis that has been done after the fact of these games suggests that these economic projections that are made by people are a lot more hype than they are substance,” said Erik Bruvold of the National University Institute for Policy Research.

Bruvold said that ultimately the big winner could be the Padres, who could include an All-Star Game seating priority to season ticket holders.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is expected to announce the location for the 2016 All-Star Game before he retires next month.
 

A San Diego State University student says three men tried to kidnap her on campus.

The alleged attempted kidnapping happened in the 6300 block of Alvarado Road around 10 p.m. Dec. 12, in the midst of finals week.

According to campus police, the woman told officers she was walking home when three men approached her. She said two men grabbed her arms and the third pushed her toward an SUV. Somehow, she managed to run away.

“It just makes me kind of worried about when people go home late, especially during finals when they’re studying hard in the library, when they come at 3 a.m. or so,” SDSU student Austin Chang said.

“It’s scary. It’s very frightening,” said Simone Taylor, who gets off work at 2 in the morning and has to walk to the parking garage.

Police do not have good descriptions of the SUV or the suspects, except they were each about 6-feet tall.

Anyone with information is asked to contact campus police 619-594-1991 or police@mail.sdsu.edu or call Crime Stoppers at 619-235-8477 to remain anonymous.

Police are also reminding students that free safety escorts are available from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. every night by calling 619-594-6659.

A Southern California father of four pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of murder and kidnapping after his wife's body was discovered in the trunk of the family car and an Amber Alert was issued for his children, prosecutors said.

Daniel Diego Perez, 43, is due back in court Jan. 12, when a date will be sent for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence for him to stand trial.

Perez's bail has been set at $1.4 million, and a judge issued a protective order requiring him to stay away from his children.

He is charged with one count of murder and four counts of kidnapping.

Perez allegedly killed his 39-year-old wife, Erica, on or about Dec. 5, prosecutors said.

Her body was discovered Dec. 10 stuffed in the trunk of a car that was parked near the family’s Montebello home. Police issued a statewide Amber Alert and Perez was located in El Cajon on Thursday.

He was arrested near Santee following a police pursuit and standoff. His four children, who were in the car, were recovered safely.

If convicted, Perez faces up to life in state prison.

"It was a matter of self-defense. She attacked him with a knife," said Eber Bayona, an attorney for Perez.

Bayona would not say how Erica Perez died, but he did say his client tried to to protect himself when she died.

Relatives said both parents had extramarital affairs and had a tumultuous relationship.

The NBC4 I-Team uncovered court records from 2011 that show a conviction for Erica Perez for allegedly stabbing her husband.

Daniel Perez's family said he lived with a woman who had multiple boyfriends, but was incapable of killing her.

A cause of death for Erica Perez has not been released.

Perez remains in the Los Angeles County jail's hospital ward.

His attorney said his client's on suicide watch.

Outside court, Billie Holguin, Perez's aunt, said he was a good man, a good husband, and a good father.

"He loves his children," she said.

About a dozen registered sex offenders are employed or enrolled at San Diego State University, school police confirmed Monday.

SDSU’s list of 11 or 12 offenders includes at least one student and a handful of faculty, staff and contract workers, according to SDSU Police Lt. Randy Lawrence. None of them live on campus, and they are not allowed to work at the child care center.

State law requires sex offenders to register with SDSU police if they live on campus, are enrolled or are employed by the college. If they do not register with campus police, they violate their supervision, and a warrant could be issued for their arrest.

Unlike convicts whose names are made public on the state-run Megan’s Law website, SDSU cannot release the identities of offenders on campus. Lawrence said the list SDSU maintains includes more offenses, some of which may not be eligible for public disclosure.

"That's one of those things where you have there is the public safety issue, and then there's also the rights of the individual too, and that's why … it is, it's a delicate situation, and that’s why the state maintains that website and deals with it,” Lawrence said.

SDSU has not given NBC 7 its policy regarding how they hire those registered under California Penal Code 290 — the Sex Offender Registration Act. But Lawrence said of the 15,000 people employed by the school, the 11 or 12 registrants make up a tiny percentage.

The list SDSU keeps of employed offenders is used for investigative purposes, like in sexual assault cases.

“If … we had a stranger-type case where we would then take a look at our list and compare and see if we have identifying factors that say that this might be the individual that could be involved,” said Lawrence.

No one on the list is suspected in the string of recent sexual assaults at SDSU. Lawrence said those reported attacks were mainly student-related and possibly involved acquaintances or someone the victims met at parties.

NBC 7 spoke to a few SDSU students about sex offenders on campus, and senior Max Struppe agreed with the police department’s handling of the list.

“I would always keep individual information private. I wouldn't just make it public like that. There should be like the proper officials handling it, not the public," said Struppe.

Others, like sophomore Alyssa Luna, vied for the names to be made public.

“I think all students should know who sex offenders are, like in your neighborhood, even at home — just everywhere. Just be aware,” Luna said.

Chargers fans in need of talking down from the ledge after a second straight loss on Sunday should just look to last year for assurance when assessing their playoff situation.

Remember last year, when the Bolts needed to win their last two games, then have a whole bunch of teams lose in order to get a postseason berth? It all happened, the Chargers made the playoffs and even won a road game in Cincinnati.

Can the team catch lightning in a bottle again this year? It can happen, although once again it’s getting less and less likely. But the Chargers can keep their going after the regular-season finale in two weeks.

First, let’s look at the AFC playoff standings:

5. Steelers – 9-5 (wild card #1)
6. Ravens – 9-5 (wild card #2)
7. Chiefs – 8-6
8. Chargers – 8-6
9. Bills – 8-6

First and foremost, the Bolts need to win their final two games. A month ago, that seemed like a tall feat, going into San Francisco and Kansas City, pulling out victories over the 49ers and Chiefs.

Fortunately, the Niners have tanked, eliminated from the playoffs and perhaps on the verge of firing coach Jim Harbaugh. There’s no better time to play them than this Saturday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Then it would come down to the finale against the division-rival Chiefs. If you are starting to get déjà vu, that’s because it all came down to the final game against KC last year, which the Bolts won in overtime. The difference then was the Chiefs already had a playoff berth clinched. They’ll be battling for one of the final spots just like us.

OK, so assuming the Chargers finish 10-6, that leaves them needing to leapfrog either Pittsburgh or Baltimore to get one of the two wild card spots.

They already hold a head-to-head tiebreaker with Baltimore, having beaten the Ravens earlier in the season. That means they just Baltimore to lose once in its final two games – at the Houston Texans (7-7) and home against the Cleveland Browns (7-7). That might not be likely, but crazier things have happened.

Meanwhile, the Steelers host those same Chiefs, then the division-leading Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately, they’ll need to lose both those home games, as they hold the tiebreaker over the Chargers with a better conference record.

The Bolts also have a win over Buffalo, ensuring a higher spot in the pecking order should they have identical records at the end of the season.

So, yes, there’s work to do. But it’s not crazy to see the Chargers making a second straight playoff appearance. The first order of business is to take care of business, then hope for the best.

As police intensified their search for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, shooting spree suspect Bradley Stone, Marines who served with him described the man as an odd person who had well-known troubles with his now slain ex-wife.

“Honestly, you can say anyone’s crazy, but you wouldn’t think that they’d go and kill their family,” Adam Perone said Monday night as he tried to make sense of the six person killing spree law enforcement accused his former sergeant of carrying out.

The 27-year-old served under Stone’s command in the 3rd Battalion 14th Marine regiment based out of Northeast Philadelphia. The two spent more than a year working together before being deployed to different parts of Iraq in 2008.

“It’s just horrific. Completely horrific,” he said.

Joe, a fellow Marine who asked that his last name not be used, remembers Stone as a quiet man who didn’t mesh well with others.

“He was a younger Marine and very quiet and quite frankly a little odd,” said Joe, a higher-ranking officer in the regiment. “The common theme was always that he was a little out there.”

Stone joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in October 2002, according to military records. He enjoyed the job, Perone said.

“I think the Marine Corps was everything for him. It gave him something to hang his hat on. I guess he liked that role of leadership,” Perone said.

Stone’s time in the service was not always smooth.

In April 2008, the Artillery Meteorological Man — someone who assists with military fire accuracy — began a tour in Ramadi, Iraq and returned home just two months later after health issues cropped up with his wife, Nicole Hill Stone, the men said.

While they were home, Stone would regularly discuss the tumultuous relationship with his wife, Perone said.

“He would openly talk about it. He always talking about how she was crazy and they were going through divorce at that time,” the Marine said. “He was so defeated at that time. He was broke. A lot of his money is going toward that.”

The turbulent relationship turned deadly Monday, police said, when Stone allegedly shot and killed his ex-wife, her mother, grandmother, sister, brother-in-law and niece, and critically wounded her nephew in a shooting spree that spanned three towns across Montgomery County.

Perone said years went by without him seeing Stone until 2011 when the 35-year-old re-enlisted. Stone wasn’t the same man though, according to Perone. He would talk about having troubles with post-traumatic stress disorder and the medication prescribed by doctors with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs for it, he said.

“The lasting image in my head is when he came back and talked about the VA doctors and prescriptions. You know someone long enough, you can tell that there was a difference,” Perone said. “He had a new girlfriend, but obviously he was still very stressed with the situation with his ex-wife.”

Stone missed two other tours of duty, according to Perone, and within a few months he would just disappear. Fellow Marines made attempts to contact him, but they went unreturned. Marine Corps records show he was discharged in May 2011.

While Stone talked about having PTSD, his fellow Marines raised questions about whether the man actually suffered from the disorder. They cited his short tour of duty and apparent lack of combat action as reasons.

“I don’t think he necessarily had PTSD,” Perone said. “It affects everyone differently, though.”

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

Parents of special needs children in a New Jersey school district say they want three teachers who were caught in an online chat allegedly making disparaging comments about students and former colleagues fired from the district.

The chat was discovered by a co-worker after the three teachers at Edison schools spent the morning of Oct. 23 voluntarily training on Chromebook laptops, according to NJ Advance Media, which first obtained a transcript of the chat. 

One of the teachers, Tyler Van Pelt, invited the others, Maria Weber and Maryellen Lechelt, into what he called a "personal wiseass backchannel discussion" on a public chat program called Today's Meet, according to the chat transcript. 

"i like the group name 'morons,'" Lechelt allegedly wrote of one group of her special education students. "they take the tart cart home."

Van Pelt allegedly called children "short bus kids," adding that he referred to one of his groups of students as "I hate you don't waste my time." 

Lechelt allegedly said she referred to another group as "jesus christ, why the ---- did they place you with me?" 

"Middle group = just shut your mouth and do your work," she added of another group of students. 

The two are teachers at Lincoln Elementary School. Weber, a teacher at James Monroe, did not respond to those messages, transcripts show. But she allegedly participated in disparaging the woman running the computer training program that day in a conversation filled with sexual innuendo. 

The chat was discovered by another teacher in the training room, who said she heard them laugh after she turned around to shush them, according to NJ Advance Media. She suspected they were chatting about her, and found the chat transcript insulting. She reported the chat to her principal. 

The three were suspended with pay and are accused of unbecoming conduct, insubordination for misuse of school technology, failure to pay attention to the training and violating the district's sexual harassment and affirmative action policies, among other charges.

At a meeting Monday evening, the Edison Board of Education moved forward in a process to potentially terminate the teachers, putting them on paid leave for 120 days. Their case will be sent to an arbitrator, who will decide whether to fire the teachers, reduce their pay or reinstate them. 

Parent Anthony Pasquale said during the public remarks portion of the meeting: "I truthfully feel there should be an apology by those teachers to the school district and to the township." 

"If you choose to be a teacher, it's a public work. You're dealing with kids. If you don't have it in you, I feel like the decent thing for you to do is to resign," said parent Andrea Siragusa. 

A fourth teacher who participated in the chats, Jonathan Bauza, resigned rather than face disciplinary action, the district told NJ Advance Media. 

NBC 4 New York was unable to reach the teachers' lawyers Monday, but Lechelt's lawyer told NJ Advance Media prior to the vote that he believes the teachers' punishment is inappropriate. 

-- Checkey Beckford contributed to this report. 

Officials have released the name of the man who died Saturday outside an adult entertainment club in the Midway District.

Joseph Charles Thomas, 37, of San Diego, died after he started fighting security in the parking lot of an adult entertainment club.

The Medical Examiner's Office has not released a cause of death pending an autopsy.

The incident happened around 12:30 a.m. Saturday at Pacers Showgirls International in the 3300 block of Midway Drive. Police say they received a call about a male customer who was causing a disturbance the strip club and then asked to leave.  When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man in his 30s being held by security guards in the parking lot, unconscious.

He was taken to the hospital where he died an hour later, according to police.

Police said the man was combative toward security before going unconscious.

Investigators are calling the incident a suspicious death. Homicide detectives are looking to see if foul play or drugs were involved.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

A new application announced Tuesday will give people traveling across the border more information on the wait times they would be facing.

The new mobile application, Border Wait Time, gives people access to border wait times at various ports of entry around the county and the status of open lanes at land ports of entry on-the-go, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officials said.

Wait times for pedestrian, passenger and commercial vehicles are broken down by lane type, the CBP said. Through the application, users can locate the three closest ports of entry and map the best route to their selected crossing.

The application does not require the individual to register or provide any personal information. Additionally, CBP does not have access to or store personal information from travelers.

Users can download the application for free on Android's Play Store and Apple's App Store.

San Diego's new City Council president chaired her first meeting Monday afternoon.

But her election is still not final -- legally speaking.

More questions surrounding the council's voting process have surfaced after NBC 7 alerted the City Attorney's office last week.

Lightner was elected last Wednesday after private, one-on-one meetings among six council members -- including herself and incumbent Todd Gloria – that we reported the following day.

There was no apparent "majority quorum" violation of the Ralph M. Brown Act, the state's open meetings law, but such talks are banned under the act’s "serial meetings" clause.

After early-agenda formalities in the 12th floor council chamber at City Hall Monday, Lightner made the following announcement:

"There have been concerns raised about potential Brown Act violations among councilmembers who may have discussed the council president vote in advance of the hearing last Wednesday. In an abundance of caution, I am calling a special meeting for tomorrow, December 16th at 5:30 p.m. to request a revote on the selection of the council president for 2015."

The city attorney's office tells NBC 7 that a revote will "cure" whatever violations may have occurred, no further fact-finding needed.

But now another question arises from what Lightner told us last Friday -- there's an undercurrent that the council president's job should carry a two-year limit.

"We will certainly be talking about that,” she said in an extended interview. “There are some of my colleagues (who) have already mentioned that it might be good to actually codify this."

"Do you think that's healthy?" she was asked.

"I think that's healthy,” Lighter replied. “I think it affords other council members the opportunity to do special work. We all have different backgrounds. We all have different communities. And to bring forth our special issues or our priorities is pretty important."

Meantime, some of Lightner's critics harbor suspicions that she'll throw more weight behind the four-member Republican bloc on the nine-member council.

Andrew Keatts, who covers City Hall and civic issues for Voice of San Diego, offers this cautionary note: "Really, all the major partisan standoffs that we've had in recent years, she's been on the same side as Todd Gloria -- not with the Republicans.

“She may simply say, 'Well, I have my own policy agenda that I would like to achieve, and if those guys are willing to give me their votes, I'll take them,'” Keatts added. “'I don't owe them anything. What -- are they going to depose me once I'm already there?' She's got two years left in office."

NBC 7 has forwarded to the city attorney documentation of Lighter’s reference to talk among councilmembers about term-limiting the president's job to two years, and questions raised by Twitter followers about the timing and Brown Act implications involved.

“Interesting tweets,” Goldsmith’s communications director Gerry Braun replied in an email, “but nothing in them we would comment on.”

SeaWorld is treating a critically ill, rarely seen Risso's dolphin that was rescued in Long Beach over the weekend.

The 1-year-old male dolphin was found stranded on the beach and taken to the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur. After he was stabilized, he was transferred to SeaWorld's Animal Rescue Center where he's now receiving round-the-clock treatment for a possible infection, dehydration and malnourishment.

SeaWorld said without intervention, he would not have made it.

Center keepers are nursing the dolphin back to health with a nutrient-rich dolphin milk formula and steady squid diet.

According to the center, the 7-foot, 224 pound mammal sustained muscle damage from being stranded and cannot swim on his own. Right now he's wearing a flotation jacket and keepers are helping him to swim.

Although "guardedly optimistic" about the dolphin's prognosis, SeaWorld vets are hoping he gains the strength to swim on his own again. He is receiving muscle therapy and taking antibiotics.

Risso's dolphins are one of the more common members of the dolphin family and are often found offshore in the warm and tropical waters in both hemispheres. Although they do swim off San Diego's coastlines, their solitary tendencies keeps them mostly unseen here.

SeaWorld said adult Risso's are usually gray in color with some white splotches, scratches or circular marks, often caused by bites or "rakes" from other Risso's, squid bites or parasites.

The dolphin SeaWorld is caring for is being given a zinc-oxide-based sunscreen for this white coloration on his dorsal fin and back to avoid sun- and windburn.

There is no information as to how long the dolphin's recovery is expected to take, but the vets caring for him are hopeful.

More rain is expected Tuesday and Wednesday, and with rain comes the potential for flooding and downed trees. For one family in the Bird Rock area of La Jolla, that warning came too late.

Liz Sauer was leaving her brother's house Sunday night when she said she heard what sounded like firecrackers. As she peeked around the corner, she saw a three-story tall eucalyptus tree coming right at her.

"I just braced myself for impact and just prayed that this awning was going to hold," Liz said. Thankfully, her cover held.

The home's owner, Leslie Sauer, said she thought the loud noise she heard outside was an earthquake or a car crashing into her house.

"It was something I had nightmares about," she said.

Apparently Leslie and her family have had concerns about the tree since before they moved in. She said they tried negotiating with the seller to have it removed, but it was growing on city property.

"So then I started writing letters...and each time I got no response or they'd come trim it," Leslie said.

The city is now helping with the removal of the tree that nearly killed her sister-in-law, as well as working with her insurance company to cover the cost of damages, but the experience still has her shaken up.

"The unnerving part for me is we really were afraid of the tree," she said. "Not being experts, we were deferred to the people who assessed us and reassured us, but the fact that we can't hang our hat on that reassurance is so unnerving."

Local tree trimmers suggest pruning trees that are close to homes, especially eucalyptus. Because they have shallow roots, these trees are especially fragile and tip easily.

Damages from storms are common, but being prepared is key. Sandbags are usually available in various areas throughout the county and having trees prepared for the rain could save the headache of homeowner insurance claims down the road.

Storm preparations might seem unnecessary in a city that sees little downpour, but thinking it won't happen could be fatal.

For more information on preparing for the rain and winds, click here.

Police are investigating the death of a man who died late Monday evening after he was detained following a vehicle stop in the El Cerrito community.

Shortly before 10:30 p.m. Monday night, San Diego police officers spotted a vehicle on the 5700 block of El Cajon Boulevard with its headlight out. Once officers attempted to stop the vehicle, it kept driving until it stopped on the 5600 block of Madison Avenue.

An officer saw what he believed to be small portions of a controlled substance on and around the driver’s area while speaking with the driver.

Officers detained the driver outside his vehicle for questioning. Approximately ten minutes later, the driver began to vomit and have seizures. He died shortly after he was transported to a local hospital.

The Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the driver’s cause of death. The driver’s identity is known but will not be released until the family is notified.

The San Diego Department Homicide Detectives are investigating.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Update: Brad Stone's body found in field near his home and military acquaintances recount odd reputation and issues with ex-wife.

A manhunt is underway for a former Marine reservist who prosecutors say went on a shooting spree early Monday killing six family members, including his ex-wife, and wounding a teen in three towns across Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Bradley William Stone, 35 of Pennsburg, is considered armed and dangerous. Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said police are actively searching for him and residents of one town are being asked to lock themselves indoors.

Stone stands 5-feet-10-inches tall and weighs 195 lbs. He is believed to be clean-shaven, but earlier officials said he could have a red beard and close-cropped hair. He is known to use a cane or walker to assist in moving, Vetri Ferman said. He may also be wearing military fatigues — either green or brown.

The man served more than eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and was deployed to Iraq, according to a Marine Corps spokesman. During his time, he earned several medals and his specialty was Artillery Meteorological Man — effectively a meteorologist that monitors weather conditions to ensure military fire accuracy.

Family friends and neighbors who know Stone said he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was discharged from the military because of it.

SWAT officers used military-grade vehicles and equipment to search Stone's home in the town of Pennsburg and the surrounding area. But so far have no definitive idea of where he may be.

"We actually recovered his vehicle and his personal cell phone so we do not have information about how he might be traveling," Vetri Ferman said. She asked for the public to keep an eye out for Stone and call 911 right away if they spot him.

A man, wearing fatigues and fitting Stone's description, attempted to carjack a driver at knifepoint in the Doylestown, Bucks County area shortly before 8 p.m., county dispatchers tell NBC10. The carjacking victim then fired shots at the man as he fled into the woods, officials said.

Police spent four hours searching the area -- locking down the Central Bucks YMCA and Stonington Farms Apartments. Philadelphia Police sent one of their tatical helicopters, equipped with an infrared camera, to the area to help, officials said.

Having turned up nothing, the search was suspended around midnight, but officials asked residents to remain vigilent.

Among Stone's seven victims is his former wife, Nicole Hill Stone. She was shot inside her apartment in the Harleysville section of Lower Salford Township, just feet from their kids, around 4:55 a.m., police sources, prosecutors and neighbors tell NBC10.

“I heard the kids say, ‘Mommy no. We need my mom. I want my mom.’ And I heard [the suspect] say ‘Let’s go. We have to go now. We’re leaving,’” the woman’s next-door neighbor, at the Pheasant Run Apartments along 150 Main Street, said.

Moments after being jolted awake by the gunshots and hearing the yelling, the woman saw the children, believed to be 8-and 5-years-old, and a man running to a car parked outside.

“I opened the window and I asked him ‘Is everything OK?’ He just looked at me and said ‘She’s hurt pretty bad. We have to leave. She’s hurt.’ And he just got in the car and just left," she said.

When police arrived, they found the mother dead inside the second-floor apartment, police sources tell NBC10. Two bullet holes dotted the apartment's outer wall.

The children were located safe at the home of Stone's neighbor in Pennsburg, Vetri Ferman said.

Hill Stone was last on her ex-husband's hit list, the prosecutor said.

Stone shot the woman's mother, Jo Anne Koder, and her 75-year-old grandmother, Patricia Hill, inside their home along W. Fifth and Pierce Streets in Lansdale around 4:25 a.m., Vetri Ferman said.

The county's 911 call center received a hang up call shortly before the shooting, she said. Police spent three hours searching the area following the shooting, but turned up nothing.

A check shortly before 8 a.m. at the Souderton home of Hill Stone's sister, Trish Flick, turned up another gruesome scene.

Stone barged into Flick's Penn Avenue home around 3:30 a.m. and shot her, her husband Aaron, their 14-year-old daughter Nina and 17-year-old son Anthony, according to prosecutors.

SWAT officers surrounded the home after arriving and spent hours trying to make contact with a person they could see moving inside.

Around 11 a.m., officers fired a diversionary device into the home and, following the resulting boom, entered. They found all, but Anthony Flick dead. He was rushed to a waiting medical helicopter and flown to Thomas Jefferson Hospital's trauma center in Philadelphia, officials said.

Still, Stone was nowhere to be found.

The situation prompted homes to be evacuated and a shelter in place order to be activated in the town's school district. That was lifted around noon as SWAT officers left the Penn Avenue scene. That house remains under investigation as an active crime scene, Towamencin Township Police Chief Paul Dickinson said.

Those officers, driving a mine-resistant vehicle, then made their way to a fourth home, a duplex owned by Stone, along Main and W. 4th streets in Pennsburg. That home is about 20 miles from Souderton and is where additional SWAT officers had been stationed for hours.

Police broke down a garage door and the front door, fired several gas canisters inside and used a megaphone to say "Bradley, this is the police. Come out now."

After getting no response for hours, SWAT officers moved inside and found nothing. They then expanded their search to areas nearby.

Sources said officials have asked other county law enforcement agencies to send two-men patrol cars to assist in the search. Officials in neighboring Bucks County and the FBI confirmed they are also supporting the effort.

Because of the manhunt, the Upper Perkiomen School District, which serves Stone's town, announced its schools will be closed on Tuesday.

Officials have not released a motive for the shooting, but several of Nicole Hill's neighbors and friends said the woman feared for her life as the two went through a bitter custody dispute.

"She knew and [Bradley] would tell her that he was going to kill her," said friend Evan Weron. "She would go around to all the ladies in the neighborhood 'This man's going to kill me.' She felt threatened."

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.