A venomous white monocled cobra that was caught and sent to the San Diego Zoo in September has finally gotten a name.

Adhira (pronounced Ah-dhi-ra) is a Hindu-derived name that means "lightning," after her uncommon coloration.

Adhira, who is estimated to be about 2 years old, is what's called "leucistic," which is different from albino because it's a reduction of pigmentation, not a complete lack of it.

Because of her unique coloration, which is normally a brown or beige for her species, the other five name choices were Sapheda (white), Krima (cream), Cini (sugar), Moti (pearl) and Sundara (beautiful).

The female snake's name was chosen by 4,612 votes on the zoo's online poll. Adhira received 11.2 percent of the votes, making it the winner.

Adhira has been visible to the public at the San Diego Zoo since Dec. 23, but keepers have hooked her up with mulch, plants and rocks to hide out in.

The 4-foot-long venomous snake was found in early September by Los Angeles County Animal Control officers in Thousand Oaks after hiding out for four days. Authorities believe the snake may have been an escaped or released pet, which is illegal to own without a permit.

The newly named snake was sent to the San Diego Zoo because it is one of only two facilities equipped with the proper anti-venom for the species.

A costly drone program along the Southwest border may not be paying off, a new report from the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General said.

The program spans eight years and has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, yet the report found it has yet to prove its value. Inspector General John Roth concluded that with these findings, the $443 million funding the program would be best moved elsewhere.

"Notwithstanding the significant investment, we see no evidence that the drones contribute to
a more secure border, and there is no reason to invest additional taxpayer funds at this
time," Roth said.

In the report, the OIG found that the average hourly cost of operating a drone was $12,255, a significant jump from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Air and Marine’s original estimated cost of $2,468 per hour.

Total flight time of the drones fell short of the OAM’s 16 hours per day goal every single day of the Fiscal Year 2013 the report analyzed. In fact, due to weather, the drones were only airborne for 22 percent of the goal hours, the report found.

The report also found that the costly program was credited with helping in less than two percent of CBP apprehensions of people illegally crossing the border.

The program was originally thought to run throughout the entire Southwest border on a nearly 2,000 mile stretch from Texas to California, the CBP said. The IG report said actual deployment of drones was limited to a 100-mile stretch in Arizona and a 70-mile segment in Texas, a much shorter area than originally thought.
 

The man who died after driving his SUV over an Ocean Beach cliff has been identified.

The medical examiner’s office says Kyle Thomas Witkowski, 28 of San Diego, was the unrestrained driver who lost control while traveling fast along Bacon Street just after midnight Saturday.

With two others in his black Chevy Tahoe, Witkowski plowed through a chain-link fence and guard rail, plunging his SUV more than 30 feet to the rocks blow, according to San Diego police. The vehicle flipped over in the air and landed on its roof.

When the San Diego Urban Search and Rescue Team used a ladder to get down to the crash site, they found Witkowski dead on impact, officials say.

A 24-year-old woman was injured in the crash and was airlifted to a hospital for serious injuries.

Police are still investigating what caused the driver to lose control.
 

An injured sea turtle rescued on the East Coast received a happy ending, thanks to Birch Aquarium at Scripps.

The juvenile loggerhead sea turtle came to the aquarium on Nov. 19 after being rescued from a power plant’s cooling canal in New Jersey. Starting Tuesday, the 97-pound turtle is available for viewing at the aquarium.

The turtle’s story of survival is as heartwarming as his injuries were serious.

The turtle suffered congenital defects, including scoliosis and flipper paralysis. Veterinary experts at the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program, where the turtle was initially taken in, thought the animal wouldn’t be able to live on its own in the wild.

Seeking a permanent home for the turtle, the aquarium reached out to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

It was the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla that volunteered to be the turtle’s new home and raised $50,000 for the rehabilitation of the turtle over the next year.

"This turtle has already been through so much in its short life," said Jenn Nero Moffatt, the aquarium’s director of husbandry. "We look forward to giving it a comfortable and happy home and sharing the story with San Diego's residents and visitors of not only this turtle, but all sea turtles."

Visitors can see the turtle between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily at the aquarium. Admission costs $17 for adults, $13 for seniors, $14 for teens and $12.50 for children.

A senior U.S. Navy official pleaded guilty Tuesday to his involvement in a widespread bribery ring in which classified information on ship movement was traded for cash, prostitutes and luxury travel.

U.S. Navy Commander Jose Luis Sanchez, 42, admitted to bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery in a plea deal.

From 2009 to 2013, Sanchez accepted prostitutes, luxury travel, entertainment  and $100,000 cash from Malaysian contractor Leonard Francis, known in military circles as "Fat Leonard," the plea agreement says. In exchange, Sanchez gave Francis, the CEO of Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), classified Navy ship schedules and other proprietary, internal information.

According to the plea deal, Sanchez would forward internal emails to Francis when they mentioned competitors or investigations into overbillings by GDMA, which coordinated and scheduled goods and services for Navy ships coming into port.

In one example, an email chain from 2011 shows Francis asking Sanchez to "swing" a Navy fuel purchasing decision "our way," the plea deal says. Sancez's response: "ask and you shall receive... we worked this out this morning." That same month, a Navy ship purchased fuel from GDMA during a Thailand port visit.

In May 2012, Francis paid for Sanchez's five-night stay at the Shangri-La, a luxury hotel in Singapore, the plea agreement states. Two months later, Francis footed the bill for Sanchez's travel from Asia to the U.S. --  a cost of over $7,500.

Investigators estimate Sanchez received items worth at least $30,000 — but no more than $120,000 — from his relationship with Francis and GDMA. Prosecutors claim Francis overcharged the Navy for more than $20 million in services.

Francis has denied wrongdoing in the case. He's in federal custody awaiting trial.

Sanchez was arrested in November 2013, one of seven defendants in the investigation and the highest-ranking official to accept a plea agreement. He will be sentenced on March 27.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Dan Layug admitted to accepting $10,000 in cash, travel and a "bucket list" of video games and gadgets from a foreign defense contractor in exchange for providing classified information.  

Edmond A. Aruffo, retired Lt. Commander, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge. He was Operations Officer on USS Blue Ridge. The 20-year military veteran said he used kickbacks from GDMA to take Navy officials on lavish dinners.

Senior U.S. Navy criminal investigator John Beliveau II pleaded guilty to bribery charges.

Leonard Francis’ cousin, Alex Wisidagama, was a company manager. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government.

Also charged in the investigation is Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz.

A man arrested for allegedly raping a woman in San Marcos during his shift at a doggy day care was found to have tried to commit suicide in his jail cell on Tuesday afternoon, sheriff’s deputies said.

Jason Edward Stey, 27, who had been booked Sunday at the Vista Detention Facility, was rushed to Tri-City Medical Center at about 2 p.m.; he’s now being treated at Scripps La Jolla Trauma Center.

Stey had been expected to be arraigned on rape charges on Wednesday.

Sunday night, deputies said Stey left in the middle of his shift at Dogtopia to rape the victim, an employee at Dab's Central Smoke Shop across the street on San Marcos Boulevard.

Dab's owner, Matthew Schlemon, said surveillance video shows Stey grabbing the woman from behind and punching her at least 15 times. At one point, the woman's pit bull attacked Stey, but he punched the dog too, the San Diego Sheriff's Department said.

Stey was arrested minutes after the assault when the woman grabbed the shop phone and dialed 911.

Stey was fired from Dogtopia immediately after the incident. He left his cellphone and backpack behind when he left in the middle of his shift, his co-worker said.

According to his manager, Stey had texted her earlier in the day, asking how he could be promoted.

Court records show he has been arrested at least five times before, and the District Attorney's office says Stey served a prison term in 2011 for assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed dirk/dagger.

Federal authorities are investigating a flurry of incidents in which Delta jets were hit by lasers near Los Angeles International Airport Sunday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is not unusual to see clusters of laser strike reports like those in major metropolitan areas.

However pilots have said such behavior can injure flight crews, and could cause deadly accidents.

"Lasers, they can be dangerous. (They) are not a toy. They can actually cause retinal damage, a lesion on the retina," commercial pilot Mark Galsihoff, who flies out of LAX for a major commercial airline, said.

And NBC4 helicopter pilot Alex Kriewall also condemned such attacks, which are becoming ever more common.

"When we are out there with multiple helicopters all in the same proximity if you lose visual reference that can be a very dangerous scenario," Kriewall said.

On Sunday DAL1211, a Boeing 767, reported a laser strike inbound at 2,500 feet while westbound seven miles east of LAX around 4:45 p.m. At the exact same time DAL34, a Boeing 767, reported a laser strike outbound at 14,000 feet while northeast bound about 12 miles northeast of LAX.

And DAL984, a Boeing 737, reported a laser strike inbound while heading west at 6,000 feet approximately 25 miles east of LAX around 10:30 p.m.

That same night a first officer had to be cleared by a doctor in Oregon after jetting from LAX to Medford. He was targeted by a laser while preparing to land.

It is unclear at the moment if any of the incidents are related.

The numbers of  such incidents have jumped significantly, with pilots reporting 100 laser strikes around Los Angeles in 2014 through December 11.

Nationwide, the Federal Aviation Administration reported the number of lasers being pointed at aircraft jumped from 384 in 2006 to 3,960 in 2013, an average of 11 per day.

Michael Larkin also contributed to this report

After missing for over 20 years, the stolen Heisman trophy honoring OJ Simpson has been found.

Detectives assigned to LAPD's art theft detail recovered the trophy Dec. 16, said LAPD Officer Drake Madison in a statement.

It was stolen in a burglary that occurred on the campus of the University of Southern California on July 28, 1994.

At the time, Simpson was awaiting trial for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, who were killed the previous month. He would be acquitted in 1995.

A custodian discovered the burglary, which involved dismantling Plexiglas display cases.

Police would give no further details on where or how they found the trophy, saying the investigation was still open. They sought the public's help with further leads in the probe and any word on the location of the jersey, which remains missing.

The trophy as well as a jersey that was worn by Simpson were on display in the lobby of Heritage Hall on the USC campus.

The trophy recovered is the duplicate given to the university, not the one awarded to OJ Simpson himself.

Simpson's own trophy was seized under a $33.5 million judgment after a civil court found Simpson liable for the deaths of Nicole Simpson and Goldman.

Simpson is now in a Nevada prison after a 2008 conviction for kidnapping and armed robbery in a hotel room heist in Las Vegas. The Nevada Supreme Court is considering an appeal seeking his release.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
 

There was at least one person from Oakland not "stOAKed" that the Oakland Athletics were in the playoffs.

That would be 16-year-old Ryan Frigo, who says the Major League Baseball team stole the phrase from his clothing company, according to the East Bay Express, which broke the story. #NotThatStoaked, was what he tweeted after the story ran.

Frigo has been selling T-shirts, hoodies, beanies and other items of clothing featuring the "stOAKed" brand -- intended, he said, to stoke civic pride in Oakland -- since 2012, he told NBC Bay Area in a Skype interview on Tuesday from Buenes Aires, where he is finishing high school online.

"I created this company to combat negative perceptions and promote Oakland in my freshman year at Oakland Tech," he said, adding that was two years ago. He was even featured in the Contra Costa Times when he was 15 as a young entrepreneur.

And yet somehow, that exact phrase ended up on the officially-licensed T-shirts sold by the A's to celebrate their playoff run. Ryan was tipped off to the A's new logo by a mentor. Have you seen this T-shirt?

"It was the exact word I created," he said. "I was shocked. That's how I know it wasn't a coincidence."

In an email to NBC Bay Area on Tuesday afternoon, Ken Pries, vice president of communications at the A's said "We are looking into this matter and have placed a call into Major League Baseball.  We will get back to you tomorrow."

Ryan said he has tried to contact the team and MLB but hasn't had luck. "I could reach no one that seemed to care the slightest bit."

Working against him is the fact that he is not the owner to the trademark for "stOAKed" -- another company has that intellectual property, the Express noted.

In 2013, he said he tried to register a trademark for "Stoaked," but said he couldn't because there was an existing "Stoked" trademark for a different entity. He has since re-applied, he told NBC Bay Area, but that paperwork is still pending.

Still, he said that, based on conversations he has since had with attorneys, he believes that he has "common law" trademark rights to "Stoaked" since he was the first person to use the word to represent Oakland by highlighting "Oak."

But Michael Dergosits, a trademark lawyer in San Francisco, told NBC Bay Area after reviewing the story, he thought the teen's case was legally weak. This type of T-shirt issue, he said, comes up a lot, citing Wal-Mart and Go Pro Ltd. cases to prove his point. In this case, Dergostis said the MLB and the A's are arguably not using the term as a trademark, but as an "ornamentation," just like Nike uses "Killing It."

Still, Dergosits added: "This is obviously not good publicity for the A's or Major League Baseball."

Ryan is Oakland-born and bred. He lives in the city's Redwood Heights district. He attended Tech and then Oakland School for the Arts before taking off for South America to finish his studies online. He said he loves the "global perspective" of Oakland, a diverse city that gives people a "taste of the world" even without traveling the globe.

As for the idea that copying is the highest form of compliment, Ryan said at first, he didn't see it that way.

"When I first saw it, I was very angry," he said. "But my mom kept reminding me it was a compliment. But they're using the word only for baseball. And I created it for a much deeper meaning."

NBC Bay Area's Gonzalo Rojas and freelancer Chris Roberts contributed to this report.

A Tampa-area family's cat is recovering after she was found with an arrow shot through her head.

Owner Tyra Bulluck said Akila got out of the family's home Tuesday. The family searched for her for hours before finding her in a neighbor's yard with the arrow through the top of her head.

Akila was taken to the Animal Coalition of Tampa and underwent emergency surgery to remove the arrow. The surgery was successful and Akila was allowed to go home.

It's unknown who shot the arrow into Akila's head.

National and local officials are looking for the public’s help in identifying a serial bank robber nicknamed the Two Wheel Bandit, they said Wednesday.

Officials believe the man to be responsible for two recent coastal robberies in North County, one in Oceanside on December 23, 2014 and another in Carlsbad on January 6. The FBI, the Oceanside Police Department and the Carlsbad Police Department are looking for the public's help in identifying the man.

In both robberies, an unknown male approached the teller and demanded money before making off on a bike. Witnesses have described the suspect as a male approximately 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 2 inches and 165 pounds. At the time, he was wearing dark clothing from head to toe and had a baseball hat on under a hoodie with a ski mask covering his face and a glove on his right hand.

On Tuesday, January 6, an unknown male suspected to be the Two Wheel Bandit robbed a US Bank on El Camino Real in Carlsbad around 2:30 p.m. The robber approached the teller with a black handgun and demanded all the money the teller had while threatening the use of a bomb as he held a white device that made clicking noises.

The robber left the bank with the demanded money and rode away on a dark-colored beach cruiser-type bicycle. He was then seen approaching a small, white SUV with black stripes on the side and no visible license plate. He loaded his bike into the back of the car and the SUV –- driven by an unknown female in her mid-20s with black, shoulder length hair – and the car drove off.

On Tuesday, December 23, 2014, a lone male suspected of being the Two Wheel Bandit robbed a US Bank branch location on Oceanside Boulevard in Oceanside. The robber threatened the use of a bomb after he demanded money from the cash drawers at the bank.Once he received the demanded money, the robber fled southbound across the boulevard toward a rail station. He was riding a metal gray colored BMX-style bicycle.

Anyone with information concerning this robbery is asked to contact the FBI at (858) 320-1800 or the San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

The Solana Beach Post Office has reopened after a suspicious package temporarily closed the building Wednesday, officials said.

The building had evacuated as a precaution after someone left a package on the curb shortly after 11 a.m.

San Diego Sheriff's Department said someone took a package to the post office to get it mailed but instead of putting it in the curbside mailbox, they left it on the curb.

Authorities closed down the area as they investigated the package and determined it was safe after getting ahold of the people who left it on the curb. They then lifted the evacuation.

The Sherrif's Bomb and Arson team was notified at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported.

London has one. Orlando is getting one.

San Diego could be next on the list for a city with a giant Ferris wheel.

Three developers will be meeting with the San Diego Unified Port District in the next few weeks to pitch their ideas and renderings for a giant Ferris wheel in the parking lot just south of the USS Midway Museum.

The Port of San Diego says they weren’t asking for ideas. Instead, people started to randomly send in submissions over the past year all with a common trend: a giant Ferris wheel. The Port decided they would look into it and look into the ideas.

One of the proposals comes from two real estate developers, Charles Black and David Malmuth. Their concept is a giant Ferris wheel that takes people 450 feet above the city to see panoramic views of San Diego. Next to the Ferris wheel will be a 30,000 square foot pavilion showcasing San Diego’s history.

“I believe San Diego’s waterfront can be one of the truly great waterfronts in the world but we aren’t there," said David Malmuth, developer for Ferris wheel concept. "In order to achieve that, we need to take action, big bold initiatives. Not just talk, not just plans but actions."

Another Ferris wheel concept being presented to the Port of San Diego was developed by Bussink Design and Chance American Wheels. It will stand 250 feet tall with the ability to hold more than 430 people on board. The gondolas will have sound systems with MP3 players to listen to music along the ride.

The third developer is from Allegis Development. They are the same group representing the current construction of the Orlando Eye scheduled to open in April of this year.

The Port of San Diego will meet with these three developers on February 10th. The Board will listen to the proposals and then decide whether they are interested in the concept or not.

David Malmuth, one of the developers, believes if the Port does agree to a Ferris wheel we could see it along the Embarcadero by 2020.

The person responsible for the shooting death of a San Diego man in Logan Heights is still being sought two years later.

San Diego Crime Stoppers and the San Diego Police Department are seeking the public's help in locating the person or persons responsible for the death of Andre Wilson.

Police said on the night of Jan. 3, 2013, Wilson was seen standing on the sidewalk on the 100 block of 33rd Street in San Diego talking to someone inside a vehicle when he was shot. He fell, then crawled a short distance before collapsing in front of a house.

When officers arrived, Wilson was found in the front yard of a residence with at least one gun shot wound. Medics tried saving his life, but he died at the scene.

The suspect vehicle headed northbound on 33rd Street. No other information is available.

A $1,000 reward is offered by Crime Stoppers for information on the identity or location of the suspect/suspects. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact SDPD Homicide at (619) 531-2293 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. Anonymous email and texts can also be sent by clicking here.

At least nine people confirmed to have highly infectious measles visited Disneyland parks in Southern California last month, health officials said Wednesday.

The California Department of Public Health confirmed seven cases of measles in the state, and two others in Utah. Three more California residents are also suspected to have measles, but those cases are not confirmed.

The nine confirmed to have measles said they visited Disneyland and/or Disney California Adventure Park in Orange County between Dec. 15 and Dec. 20, 2014.

The source of the infection is still under investigation, but health officials said it's likely that a person with measles was at one of the theme parks during that time period.

"We are working with the health department to provide any information and assistance we can," said Dr. Pamela Hymel, chief medical officer at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

A Disneyland spokesperson said further questions will be directed to the Department of Public Health.

The confirmed cases in California live in Alameda, Orange, Pasadena, Riverside, and San Diego counties and range in age from 8 months to 21 years.

Six of the seven California cases were not vaccinated for measles, including two who were too young to be vaccinated, officials said. One had been vaccinated with two doses of the MMR vaccine.

Both Utah cases were not vaccinated, a Utah Department of Health spokeswoman said.

People can be infectious with measles for nine days. Measles typically begins with fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes and within a few days a red rash appears, usually first on the face and then spreads downward to the rest of the body. Measles is a highly infectious, airborne disease.

Measles has been eliminated in the United States since 2000, but outbreaks have occurred in Western Europe, Pakistan, Vietnam and the Philippines, health officials said. Disneyland and other theme parks are international attractions with visitors from all over the world, including areas where measles is an epidemic.

More information about measles can be found on the California Department of Public Health website.

A San Francisco plastic surgeon is urging others to look out for a "Botox Bandit" he says skipped out on thousands of dollars in cosmetic procedure bills.

Surgeon Larry Fan says the man visited 77 Plastic Surgery for three treatments — botox, fillers and laser treatment — and never returned to pay his $6,000 bill.

Fan said he followed his personal protocol, meeting with the man in his office ahead of time to discuss the procedures. Looking back, Fan said he got a hunch the client was not forthcoming.

"He was a little bit secretive and a little bit private about coming into the office," Fan said.

Fan said the client gave him a name and an age of 43 years old. The man also provided 1140 Folsom Street as his address, which turned out to be an office building. NBC Bay Area is not naming the man because he has not been formally identified as a suspect.

Fan usually asks for a credit card, but the client showed his assistant a wallet full of cash.

"He also seemed to know quite a bit about what he wanted done and looking back there was some red flags," Fan said.

Another red flag was from a local representative who sells Botox. The representative sent an e-mail last April warning Fan there may be a "Botox Bandit" in the neighborhood with a description Fan says matched his patient.

An NBC Bay Area reporter saw police at the premises, but a spokeswoman said Wednesday that no police report had been filed as of Wednesday morning. Still, the doctor recited to NBC Bay Area his case number. No additional information was available at that time. 

Fan hopes by sharing his story, he can help catch the patient.

"Hopefully this kind of thing won't happen to many people and this person won't be able to get away with this," he said.

Two San Diego residents who health officials believe caught measles on a trip to Disneyland may have exposed others to the virus at an El Cajon mall last December, health officials said Wednesday.

The siblings visited the Parkway Plaza Mall on December 29 last year, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services said. They are two of the nine park-goers recently diagnosed with the infectious virus after visiting Disneyland parks in Southern California last December, health officials said.

Shoppers may have been exposed to measles if they were at the mall between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. that day, particularly if they were in or around GameStop, Sunglasses Hut and the mall carousel. There is no current risk for measles exposure at the locations.

The California Department of Public Health confirmed seven cases of measles in the state, and two others in Utah. Three more California residents are also suspected to have measles, but those cases are not confirmed.

The source of the infection is still under investigation, but health officials said it's likely that a person with measles was at one of the theme parks during that time period.

The confirmed cases in California live in Alameda, Orange, Pasadena, Riverside, and San Diego counties and range in age from 8 months to 21 years.

Six of the seven California cases were not vaccinated for measles, including two who were too young to be vaccinated, officials said. One had been vaccinated with two doses of the MMR vaccine.

The highly contagious disease is spread by coughing, sneezing or coming in contact with an infected person. Measles can take anywhere from seven to 21 days to develop and early symptoms to lookout for include a cough, a runny nose and red eyes. Anyone with measles considered contagious four days before the disease’s distinctive red rash appears.

More information about measles can be found on the California Department of Public Health website.

San Diegans cut back on their water usage last November, consistent with a 10 percent reduction in water usage across California in a statewide effort to preserve water and work toward ending the drought, the state Water Resources Control Board said in a newly released report.

The numbers come after the city went into “drought alert status” and issued tighter water use restrictions that took effect at the start of November across San Diego after approval by the City Council to combat the state’s prolonged drought.

Residents used less water in November – an average of 65 gallons per person daily - than they did in the same month in 2013. In 2013, the monthly per-person average was 64.9 gallons.

In comparison to its California counterparts, San Diego remained relatively low on the list of biggest water users for the state last November, taking the 322nd spot out of 398.

Rancho Santa Fe, the prominent North County community that was criticized last fall for using the most water in the state, dropped to the third largest user of water in the new report.

Residents of Rancho Santa Fe used an average of 377 gallons per day in November, considerably less than the previous month’s totals of 518 average gallons of water per day. Last September, the community came under fire for using the most water in the state at a whopping 585 gallons a day.

Officials said that despite the decrease in November water numbers, the heavy rains in December did not do much for the prolonged drought. The drought only delivered about one-third of the rain needed to end the drought.

State water production from June to November of 2014 decreased and the California saved more than 105 billion gallons of water.