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GOP Senator on Scalise Controversy: 'Grave Mistake'


Family Forced Out of Home After Chimney Catches Fire

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A family is forced out of their Oceanside home after the roof and chimney catch on fire Saturday night.

Oceanside firefighters responded to a report of a house fire shortly after 9 p.m. on the 4400 block of Pebble Beach Drive. It all started when a woman in the home heard a loud noise come from the rooftop area, according to fire officials. She and five children inside rushed out of the two story home.

Upon arrival, firefighters saw flames coming from both the roof and chimney.

Fire crews began to pull drywall from the second story ceiling and found the entire attic was engulfed in flames. Firefighters managed to put out the fire fairly quickly.

The first floor of the home was saved, but the second floor was a complete loss, the Oceanside Fire Department said.

While the exact cause of the fire is not known, fire officials say it appears to have started in the attic near a wood burning fireplace.

Firefighters from Oceanside, Camp Pendleton, Vista and Carlsbad assisted in containing the fire.

Damage is estimated at about $150,000. No one was injured.

LA Sheriff's Shotgun Lost

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Two sheriff's deputies lost a yellow bean bag shotgun from the trunk of their car Saturday morning, authorities said.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's gun was not recovered, despite an extensive search involving the a sheriff's department helicopter and search-and-rescue team. The department issued a public safety alert over the firearm.

Deputies had the weapon, used to subdue people by hitting them with bean bag rounds but able to be loaded with lethal shotgun shells, in a black canvas bag when they left the Lost Hills Sheriff's station in Agoura Hills at about 7:30 a.m., according to a department statement.

They put the bag in a patrol car's trunk and left the station to handle a child abuse call at a hospital in Hollywood, deputies said.

Someone on the street in Hollywood flagged the cruiser down to tell them the trunk was open, deputies said. The shotgun was the only item missing.

There are four bean bag shells in the shotgun, deputies said, which would would likely have fallen out of the trunk along the route the car took, given in the press release:

"The deputies drove eastbound from the sheriff's station at 27050 Agoura Road, turned northbound onto Las Virgenes Road and entered the eastbound 101 freeway in Calabasas. They continued eastbound on the 101 freeway and entered the southbound 405 freeway. They exited Skirball Center Drive on the 405 freeway and re-entered the northbound 405 freeway. From the northbound 405 freeway, they drove onto the southbound 101 freeway until at about 8:30 a.m. when they exited at Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood."

The department is "very concerned about finding this missing shotgun" and investigating why the gun might have been able to fall out of the trunk, according to the statement.



Photo Credit: Courtesy Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Man Tries to Save Dog From Blaze

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A Chicago man has been charged with aggravated battery and resisting a peace officer after he tried to save his dog from his burning home Friday night. The incident left his dog dead and three firefighters injured.

Samuel Lee Bassett, 48, of the 11300 block of South Elizabeth, reportedly got into an altercation with police when he tried to run into the burning house to save his dog, who died, neighbors said. Bassett was charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery to a peace officer and two misdemeanor counts of resisting a peace officer.

Bassett works as a lighting designer and is an Air Force veteran, according to the Chicago Tribune, who spoke to Bassett's attorney.

Three Chicago firefighters were taken to area hospitals after suffering minor injuries battling the fire at 113th Place and Elzabeth Avenue on Chicago's South Side.

The fire broke out when combustible material in an enclosed area ignited simultaneously. 

The fire was extinguished and the firefighters were taken to area hospitals -- one to Metro South and two to Roseland -- in good condition. A spokesman said the three firefighters were transported as a precautionary measure. 

New SUV Goes Up in Flames 1 Day After It Was Bought

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A car owner loses their brand new SUV just one day after she purchased it when the vehicle unexpectantly goes up in flames.

San Diego firefighters arrived at the 5900 block of Avenida Chamnez in La Jolla at 11 a.m. Sunday and found a new 2015 Jeep Cherokee on fire. The flames were put out, but the SUV had significant damage.

The fire began when the driver noticed smoke coming out of the hood shortly after she took the SUV out on a short drive. No one was in the vehicle at the time of the fire.

The brand new Jeep only had 50 miles on it.

The cause of the fire is not known but San Diego Fire says there was no fuel smell.

Underground Explosions Rock NJ Town

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Underground explosions rocked a New Jersey town Sunday, prompting officials to evacuate downtown buildings.

The fiery explosions occurred in two underground vaults housing electrical transformers in Red Bank, police said.

No one was injured in the afternoon blasts, which were visible at manholes near Peters Place on Broad Street.

Police evacuated three downtown buildings, including a church and salon. About 260 homes and businesses in the vicinity of the explosions lost power.

Utility company crews were at the scene, but couldn't estimate when power would be restored.

Red Bank is located about 24 miles south of the tip of Manhattan.

DC Mayor Pushes Legal Pot Law

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D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says the city will "explore every option'' to get its law legalizing marijuana enforced.

District of Columbia voters approved the marijuana initiative in November by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. It would allow possession of up to 2 ounces of pot or up to three mature plants for personal use. But Congress, which as oversight over the city's laws, has worked to keep the city from implementing the measure.

Asked on Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press'' whether she would rule out a lawsuit, Bowser said only that the city would explore all its options. She said the measure would be sent to Congress in January.

Bowser was appearing in a "Meet the Press'' segment along with the city's police chief and head of public schools.
 

Baby Girl Found Dead in Imperial Beach Dumpster: SD Sheriff's

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A baby girl was found dead in a dumpster behind an Imperial Beach shopping plaza Sunday afternoon, according to San Diego Sheriff's deputies.

Homicide investigators were called to the scene at the 600 block of Palm Avenue shortly before 4 p.m.

A homeless man searching for recyclables made the discovery at approximately 1:25 p.m., officials said. The baby's body was inside a trashbag filled with trash.

The dumpster was located behind the "Giant Pizza King" restaurant.

Check back for updates on this developing story.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Hedge Fund Founder Shot Dead in NYC

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The founder of a multimillion-dollar hedge fund was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head Sunday in his posh Manhattan apartment, police said.

The body of Thomas Gilbert Sr., the 70-year-old president of Wainscott Capital Partners, was found at about 3:30 p.m. in a bedroom inside his Beekman Place apartment, investigators said. Police recovered a gun from the bedroom.

Police haven't ruled out calling the death a suicide, according to law enforcement sources.

Gilbert founded his hedge fund in 2011 and helped build it into thriving firm. The fund has $200 million in assets and focuses on the biotech and health care industries.

A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Business School, Gilbert had more than 40 years of investing experience.

Gilbert previously co-founded Syzygy Therapeutics, a biotech asset acquisition fund.

The shooting was a rare act of violence on Beekman Place, a tony enclave just north of the United Nations headquarters.

Magnitude-4.2 Quake Shakes SoCal

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Two back-to-back earthquakes, including a magnitude-4.2, shook Southern California Saturday evening, according to the USGS.

The magnitude-4.2 quake struck at 7:18 p.m.about 8 miles north of Castaic, about 20 minutes after a magnitude-3.0 temblor struck the same area.

"All of the sudden it was two big rattles and little rumbles afterwards," Castaic resident Jessica Shickle said. "It was like the Lord literally just took our house and just kind of gave it a couple shakes, and that was it and it went away."

"You're always bracing yourself hoping it's not the big earthquake," she said.

The USGS first reported the later quake as a magnitude-4.5 but downgraded it to a magnitude-4.2.

Residents reported feeling shaking from the second quake in downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Silver Lake, Koreatown, Valencia, Thousand Oaks, Chatsworth, Sylmar, Studio City, Pasadena, Pico Rivera Bakersfield, Long Beach and West Hollywood.

"This really is a very small earthquake," USGS seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones said. "It's a size that's relatively common in Southern California. I did a check and there were eight earthquakes 4.2 and larger in 2014," Jones said.

The Did You Feel It? page on the USGS website had more than 1,300 responses as of 8 p.m.

No damage was reported but some residents said they watched chandeliers rattle and felt their building shake.

Kate Larsen contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: USGS

Baby's Body Found After Shooting

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Homicide detectives from Long Beach have confirmed the body of a baby found in an Imperial Beach trash bin is that of a missing 3-week-old girl.

Eliza Delacruz, just 3 weeks old and weighing 10 pounds, was missing from the home in the 100 block of 51st Street where her mom, dad and uncle were found shot Saturday evening, according to the Long Beach Police Department.

Police have asked for the public’s help in locating the gunman and possible kidnapper. They also believe the shooter targeted the family.

Around 1:25 p.m. Sunday, a man searching a trash bin at a shopping center in Imperial Beach found the body of a baby inside a trash bag. The baby found dead was described as a female infant, and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department reached out to Long Beach authorities.

"This is a horrific crime," said Lt. Lloyd Cox of the Long Beach department.

He said police would continue to investigate the crime, and that it does not appear to be gang related in any way, and there is no evidence of drug activity in the home.

"Somebody comes into this house, shoots three adults, flees with an infant who then later is found dead in San Diego," Cox said.

He said the family has not been staying at the house, and is too scared to stay there. Neighbors said they are good neighbors, and don't know why they would have been targeted.

Witnesses heard gunshots during the attack, but no one saw a car flee the scene, so an Amber Alert was not issued.

The child's mother and uncle remain hospitalized in critical but stable condition after surgery at a local hospital. The baby's father was released from the hospital today.

"The family is devastated," he said.

Kate Larsen, Gadi Schwartz and Jane Yamamoto contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: KNSD

Cop Allegedly Assaulted Uber Driver

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A Boston Police officer accused of physically attacking an Uber driver and taking his car has been arrested and placed on administrative leave.

Police arrested 40-year-old Michael Doherty, a 16-year veteran of the department, on Sunday.

The driver for the ride-sharing service reported that Doherty, a passenger, accused him of bringing him to the wrong location. The victim told police that Doherty yelled at him and physically assaulted him.

The victim, who told police that he got out of the car to get away, said Doherty climbed into the front seat and drove off. A passing driver helped the victim follow Doherty, who police say stopped, got out and fled on foot.

Doherty is charged with assault and battery and using a motor vehicle without authority.

Police are investigating.

Uber spokesman Taylor Bennett issued the following statement regarding the assault on Monday:

"Our thoughts are with our valued partner during his recovery and we are supporting him in any way we can during this time. We have a strict policy to remove any rider that exhibits aggressive or abusive behavior from the platform and we have permanently blocked this rider's access. We stand ready to assist law enforcement in their investigation."



Photo Credit: NECN

Romo's Clutch Performance, Suggs' Clutching Knees Highlight Wild Card Weekend

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NFL wild-card weekend is over, with the Panthers, Ravens, Colts and Cowboys advancing to the divisional round of the postseason. In the process, there were some clear winners and losers in the postseason’s first weekend:

WINNERS

Terrell Suggs: Ravens’ stellar linebacker not only had a big game, helping Baltimore top the Steelers 30-17, to advance to play the Patriots next weekend, but made one of the more memorable playoff interceptions in recent seasons, catching a ball with his knees as he fell to the ground after a pass from Ben Roethlisberger initially went through his hands.  The interception helped set up a second-half TD that sealed the Baltimore win. Ravens coach John Harbaugh told The Balitmore Sun: “It was the greatest catch in football. You’ll never see a greater catch.”

Tony Romo: He’s been branded as erratic and a failure in big games through his Cowboys career, and was saddled with a 1-3 playoff record going into Sunday’s game against the Lions. But Romo was brilliant in the second half in leading Dallas to a 24-20 comeback win over the Lions. After a terrific regular season, Romo still had an encore left and lived up to his offseason promise that the best part of his career was still ahead. He led the Cowboys to two TDs and a field goal in the third and fourth quarters.

NFL fans: How sweet is a Peyton Manning-Andrew Luck matchup for fans who like an extra story line (and plenty of offense) with their games? Very. Indianapolis’ win over Cincinnati sets up a nice playoff duel between the ex-Colt and current Bronco Manning and his replacement, Luck, in the divisional round.

LOSERS

Andy Dalton and the Bengals: Before their game against the Colts on Sunday, Cincinnati offensive coordinator Hue Jackson talked about his team’s recent string of horrible playoff performances and said, “We have to exorcise the elephant in the room.” Instead, the pachyderm won again. Cincinnati’s fourth straight playoff loss, 26-10, was another disappointment. And, Cincy QB Andy Dalton tied the dubious record of former Giants great Y.A. Tittle by losing the fourth straight playoff game to start his career. With the game still in reach, the Bengals punted on five straight possessions to start the second half. For Dalton, the loss also hurts his bank account. A clause in his new contract earns him $1 million per season if he can get his team to the division round while playing 80 percent of his team’s snaps. Ouch.

Ben Roethlisberger: Nobody was harder on the Steelers QB than Roethlisberger. After the loss to Baltimore — in which he completed 31 passes for 334 yards and stayed in the game even after suffering a neck injury — he put the blame for the defeat on his shoulders. Pittsburgh could muster just one TD and Big Ben was picked off twice and took five sacks. “I wish I could apologize individually to everybody because I didn’t play well enough,” he said. “I didn’t play well enough to win.”

Cardinals' offense: Arizona went 11-5 in the regular season but entered the postseason with two arms tied behind its back. No. 1 and No. 2 QBs Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton were both sidelined, leaving the offense in the hands of third-stringer Ryan Lindley. Unfortunately for Arizona, that left the Cards essentially unarmed against a strong Carolina defense. The Panthers sacked Lindley four times, intercepted him twice and held Arizona to just 77 total yards, a record for the fewest allowed in a playoff game.

NFL officiating crew: There were a number of questionable calls all weekend, but the non-interference call on Dallas linebacker Anthony Hitchens late in the game against Detroit tight end Brandon Pettigrew was ugly. Officials threw the flag, then picked it up … and it proved to be a huge boost for the Cowboys in their Sunday rally to a victory.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Boston Bombing Jury Selection Begins

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Twenty months after Dzhokhar Tsarnaev crawled out of a boat in a backyard in Watertown, Massachusetts, bloodied after a shoot-out with police that killed his older brother, the now 21-year-old suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings is to go on trial.

Jury selection in the federal death penalty case began Monday in Boston after the judge rejected repeated appeals from his lawyers to delay the trial and to move it elsewhere. In the court's first session for jury selection, Judge George O'Toole told prospective jurors to expect the trial to start on Jan. 26 and to last three to four months. Tsarnaev, who was in court on Monday, did not appear to make eye contact with jurors and was fidgeting a little in his seat. The next jury selection session starts at 1 p.m.

"You do not need to have any special education to be a juror," O'Toole told prospective jurors, "just a commitment to justice."

Tsarnaev, an ethnic Chechen who came to the United States with his family about a decade ago, is accused of setting two bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon with his brother, Tamerlan, in April 2013. The explosions killed an 8-year-old boy and two young women, and injured more than 260 others, some of whom lost limbs.

Days later, the brothers also shot and killed a police officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the indictment against Tsarnaev charges.

The younger Tsarnaev, who has pleaded not guilty, has been described as a well-liked, laid-back student who had adjusted to life in Cambridge. He was captain of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin wrestling team, took honors classes, attended his school’s prom and was enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

His friends struggled to reconcile the teenager they knew with a militant Muslim who would kill in retaliation for U.S. foreign policy, as prosecutors charge. Had he been radicalized by his older brother, who had visited Dagestan and Chechnya in 2012? Did he fear Tamerlan because he believed Tamerlan had earlier killed three men in Waltham, Massachusetts — murders that have gone unsolved but for which the Tamerlan is a suspect?

If the trial provides answers, they will likely come later in the proceedings. Once the jurors are selected, in a process that could take weeks, they must first decide whether Tsarnaev is guilty, and if he is, whether he should be sentenced to death. Many expect the defense to focus on the penalty phase in an attempt to save Tsarnaev’s life.

“The government’s case on guilt is pretty much overwhelming from what we understand,” said Michael Coyne, a professor at the Massachusetts School of Law who has studied the evidence that's publicly available.

That evidence includes a video that appears to show Tsarnaev leaving a bomb-laden backpack near Martin Richard, the boy who was killed, and the message that Tsarnaev is accused of scrawling on the inside of the boat as he lay hidden from the police searching for him.

“The U.S. Government is killing our innocent civilians,” read a message found on the inside walls and beam of the boat, according to the indictment against Tsarnaev. “I can’t stand to see such evil go unpunished, we Muslims are one body, you hurt one you hurt us all.”

The 30-count indictment, which includes 17 charges that carry the death penalty, alleges that Tsarnaev used improvised bombs made from pressure cookers, explosive powder and shrapnel. It says that an issue of al Qaeda’s Inspire magazine found on his computer had instructions for building explosives using pressure cookers and that another publication that he had downloaded advocated violence against enemies of Islam.

More evidence against Tsarnaev that has not yet been made public will likely come out in the trial, Coyne said.

If Tsarnaev had thought he would become a martyr, as the message inside the boat would suggest, the presence of famed defense lawyer Judy Clarke on his team would seem to indicate he has changed his mind. She is well known for convincing juries to spare the lives of her clients, among them the so-called Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, and Jared Loughner, who shot former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords point blank and killed six people in Arizona.

Observers say the defense could be trying to show that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was so in thrall of his older brother that he had little choice but to participate in the bombings.

Brad Bailey, a criminal defense lawyer in Boston, said it appeared from court filings that Tsarnaev’s lawyers were focused on possible mitigating factors that include emotional disturbance, potential diminished mental capacity, lack of criminal record and his youth.

“We’ve seen a lot of requests that suggest that they are trying to obtain evidence that would show that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was either afraid of his older brother and afraid not to do things that he may have been directed to do or that he was potentially brainwashed by his older brother,” Bailey said.

Alice LoCicero, a psychologist in Cambridge and the author of the book, “Why ‘Good Kids’ Turn Into Deadly Terrorists: Deconstructing the Accused Boston Marathon Bombers and Others Like Them,” said that she thought a variety of factors could have contributed to radicalizing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Those range from the lack of attention from his parents, who both eventually returned to the Dagestan region of Russia, to his age, to sophisticated recruiting efforts, to grievances he might have had over the way that Muslims have been treated since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was left to try to integrate on his own whatever past trauma his family suffered with his current life in the United States, she said.

“You have a kid who’s really a good kid who means to do right who gets really confused about what’s right and what’s wrong and how he can best serve a cause that’s important to him, who probably has some legitimate grievances,” she said.

Though the judge, U.S. District Court Judge George O’Toole Jr., has refused to move the trial, he could still change his mind even after jury selection has begun, lawyers say. Tsarnaev’s lawyers have argued that so much of Boston was affected by the bombings that it will be impossible to find an impartial panel of jurors. The trial of Timothy McVeigh, accused of a similar bombing in Oklahoma City, was held in Denver.

“If the trial is not moved you can be sure that this will be the cornerstone of an appeal,” said Randy Chapman, a defense lawyer in Boston.

Some lawyers also say that it is still possible that Tsarnaev and the government could reach an agreement in which Tsarnaev would forego a trial in return for a life sentence without the chance of parole. 



Photo Credit: Art Lien
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Hedge Fund Son Charged: Police

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A 30-year-old man has been charged with murder in the death of his father, a multimillion-dollar hedge fund founder discovered fatally shot in his Manhattan apartment bedroom, police officials said Monday. 

Thomas Gilbert Jr. was taken into custody Sunday evening, several hours after his father, Thomas Gilbert Sr., the 70-year-old president of Wainscott Capital Partners, was found with a gunshot wound to the head in his Beekman Place apartment.

NYPD Detectives Chief Robert Boyce told reporters Monday that the son had gone to his parents' apartment Sunday afternoon and asked to speak to his father alone. Gilbert Sr.'s wife -- the mother of the younger Gilbert -- agreed and left to get some food for her son.

Fifteen minutes later, according to Boyce, "she had a bad feeling and decided to return" to the apartment. That's when she found the elder Gilbert dead on the floor with the wound to his head. He had a gun resting on his chest, with his left hand covering it, according to Boyce. 

The elder Gilbert was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The mother told police where her son lived, and detectives proceeded to the West 18th Street home where they staked out in front of the building and obtained a search warrant, Boyce said. When they saw a light go off in the apartment, detectives knew he was home and executed the warrant, seizing evidence that connected the younger Gilbert to his father's homicide, including gun magazine clips, as well as credit cards and skimming devices. 

Gilbert Jr. was taken into police custody for questioning around 11 p.m. Sunday.  He was arrested at around 11 a.m. Monday and charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon, and later, forgery due to the skimming devices. 

Gilbert was remanded to jail until his next court appearance Friday, when his attorneys, Marc Agnifilo and Andrea Zellan, are expected to make a bail request at that time. They did not comment about the case Monday, only telling reporters: "It's just too early to say anything." 

Investigators are looking into how the younger Gilbert obtained the weapon. NYPD sources say he was having financial problems, among other difficulties, prior to the shooting. In September, he violated an order of protection at a Hamptons beach party stemming from an alleged November 2013 assault of a male friend in Brooklyn, a law enforcement official says.

Law enforcement sources said the son had gotten into an argument a few weeks ago about money. The Gilberts were paying $2,400 a month for the younger Gilbert's rent and giving him $600 in allowance each week, the sources said. When Gilbert Sr. suggested cutting the allowance to $400 a week, the son left in a huff and didn't see his parents again until the day of the alleged murder, the sources said. 

The elder Gilbert founded his hedge fund in 2011 and helped build it into thriving firm. The fund has $200 million in assets and focuses on the biotech and health care industries.

Business operations at Wainscott are "on hold," Clay LeConey, the fund's vice president for sales and marketing, said when reached at the company's office in the city. LeConey said the fund would not issue a further statement on the death of its founder.

A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Business School, the elder Gilbert had more than 40 years of investing experience. He previously co-founded Syzygy Therapeutics, a biotech asset acquisition fund. Both father and son attended exclusive private schools in Massachusetts in their youths. 

The shooting was a rare act of violence on Beekman Place, a tony enclave just north of the United Nations headquarters.  


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Firefighter Pulled From Crash at Reservoir

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A volunteer firefighter was rescued Sunday after his pickup truck plunged 100 feet down an embankment and into the Otay Lakes Reservoir.

“He’s very lucky to have only minor injuries, especially with the severity of the impact,” said Sgt. Robert Hawkins with the San Diego Police Department.

The driver told officers that another car caused him to swerve off the road near the intersection of Otay Lakes Road and Wueste Road.

As the pickup truck veered off the road it flipped over once against the rocks and then crashed into the water.

The driver climbed out of the truck’s cab and waited on top of the vehicle as it lay sideways in the water.

Witnesses say the driver waded through the water to meet paramedics.

Sgt. Hawkins said the driver was lucky to have walked away from the crash.

San Diego Police are still investigating the exact cause of the crash.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

100-MPH Pursuit Ends When Car Catches Fire on Freeway

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A pursuit that reached speeds around 100 mph on Los Angeles freeways ended late Sunday night when the stolen vehicle caught on fire after running over freeway spike strips.

Two subjects wanted in connection with the vehicle theft were taken into custody after the 40-minute pursuit, according to the California Highway Patrol. The pursuit involving a white 1990 Acura Integra began on the 10 Freeway in Pomona and reached 100 mph on freeways near downtown Los Angeles before entering the community of Carson, south of downtown LA.

The pursuit driver exited the 710 Freeway and officers used spike strips to puncture at least one of the Acura's tires. Smoke began billowing from the front of the vehicle and the driver stopped on the freeway as CHP units closed lanes to take the individuals into custody.

The fire was extinguished and the road reopened.



Photo Credit: OnSceneTV

TSA Firearm Confiscation Cases Up For Another Year

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Gun seizures are up for airports across the country, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

At the close of Christmas Day 2014, TSA detected 2,164 firearms at checkpoints nationwide. That's more than three times the amount of seizures in 2005, and almost twice as many as 2012, and 22 percent more than 2013, according to numbers reported on TSA's blog.

At San Diego's Lindbergh Field, 11 firearms were detected in 2014. That's less than Los Angeles and San Francisco, both of which had 17 detected firearms, the report says.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, where gun laws are much more lax, TSA detected 118 firearms at security checks - the most in the country for 2014.

"What we're seeing is a continuation of an overall trend going back at least ten years," said CTI Consultant VP Trenton Higareda. "In 2005, you had maybe 6...650 guns confiscated at U.S. airports nationwide. This year it's probably tripled that."

Security checks at airports across the country check travelers and their luggage for prohibited items such as weapons and ammunition. TSA reports they screen more than 1.75 million people every day using imaging technology and X-ray machines.

"TSA takes the discovery of prohibited items seriously and urges all passengers to check the contents of their bags before leaving home to ensure they are not bringing any prohibited items to the airport — including firearms, firearm parts and ammunition," TSA's blog reads. "Firearms are prohibited in carry-on bags, but can be transported in checked bags if they are unloaded, properly packed and declared to the airline."

Fines for attempting to bring a firearm or explosives through airport security can range from $1,500 to $11,000 for a single civil penalty. Criminal penalties can be attached as well. All firearms brought through security are referred to law enforcement and subject to prosecution.

Numbers were also made available for the days following Christmas. Of the airports listed above, only San Francisco had an incident when an unloaded 357 was detected in a passenger's carry-on bag on New Year's Eve, according to TSA.

Additional information, including numbers for other airports, can be found on the TSA website.



Photo Credit: TSA

Car Fire Shuts Down Coronado Bridge Lanes

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A vehicle caught fire on the Coronado Bridge Monday afternoon, closing eastbound lanes.

The fire was first reported just before 3 p.m., according to CalTrans San Diego.

About half an hour later, crews had moved the crash from the bridge and cleared all lanes.

Check back here for details on this story.

Program to Propose Airport Taxis Upgrade to Fuel-Efficient Models

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