Police are searching for a masked man accused of trying to steal a victim’s wallet at gunpoint on a street in La Mesa.

According to police, the armed robbery attempt happened Friday at around 3:05 p.m. in the 5300 block of Maryland Avenue.

The victim had just parked their car and was approached by an unknown man said to be wearing a hard, plastic mask covering his face.

Police say the masked man pointed a large-caliber, semi-automatic pistol at the victim and demanded their wallet.

The victim didn’t have a wallet, so the suspect ran off eastbound on Maryland Avenue.

The victim was not injured, police said.

As a precaution, nearby Maryland Avenue Elementary School was placed on lockdown for about 30 minutes while officers searched the area.

Officers were not able to immediately locate the suspect, and he remains at large.

Police describe the armed, masked man as 6-feet-tall with a thin build. He was wearing a light grey hoodie with the hood covering his hair, as well as gloves during the attempted robbery.

The investigation in ongoing and anyone with information on this case is urged to call the La Mesa Police Department at (619) 667-1400.
 

A 7-year-old girl helped her family escape a house fire in Lakeside on Friday morning.

When a fire erupted at a house at 3:30 a.m. in the 1000 block of River Street, Victoria Mulvaney woke up everyone in the household. Thanks to her swift action, the mother was able to grab her 2-year-old daughter in the other room.

One person was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and one of the family's four pet dogs died in the flames.

Victoria told NBC 7it was a fire drill at her elementary school in Lakeside that taught her exactly what she needed to do in case of a fire.

"My window was on fire and so was my heater and it was almost hitting my sister's head," she told NBC 7. "I tried to get her up but she didn't wake up. So I felt the door and called my mom to get them up."

Victoria's mom and her boyfriend said they ran to see the fire in the girl's room, spreading onto the nearby curtains. The family was able to escape the fiery home thanks to her warning.

Victoria says she just learned about fire safety at school a couple days ago and because of it, she knew what to do to get her family out safely.

"Always feel a door before you get out and you should break a window but if its on fire," she said.

Victoria's mother says her principal was impressed that she used the fire safety skills she learned at school.

The blaze was caused by a space heater in the children's bedroom, according the fire department. Damage to the house is estimated at about $100,000.

Nearly 12 years after the tragedy at Santana High School, Charles “Andy” Williams said he can’t explain what prompts others to go on shooting rampages.

Reporter Miles O’Brien of PBS News Hour recently spoke with Williams who is currently incarcerated at Ironwood Prison.

Williams pleaded guilty to killing two fellow students and injuring 13 others after the shooting in Santee, Calif. on March 5, 2001.

“I just thought I was going to make a lot of noise and that’s it and the cops were going to show up,” Williams said adding that he had been suicidal for several months leading up to the shooting.

Williams used his father’s gun and opened fire in the men’s bathroom on campus. Randy Gordon, 17, and Bryan Zukor, 14, were killed.

Then 15, Williams says he had been dealing with a number of pressures before the shooting including what he describes as an addiction to painkillers. He reveals he stole them from a friend’s mother.

Williams also talks of marijuana and alcohol use as well as abuse at the hands of a friend’s stepfather.

“I can only speak for myself,” he tells O’Brien. “I can’t give you any insight to all these people who, like, went out and, like did all these mass shootings because at least in my mind it’s not the same thing.”

Later in the interview, Williams goes on to explain how he transitioned from thinking about suicide to planning to shoot someone else.

Watch it in full at this link.
 

Parents of a man who shot at San Diego sheriff’s deputies spoke today about the difficult mental health issues their son faced.

Evan Kwik, 22, shot two deputies from a crawl space in his mother's attic in Encinitas on Wednesday and ultimately turned the shotgun on himself.

His parents said they are thankful toward officers who responded at the scene.

"I'm so grateful for them,” said Shelly Kwik. “I'm so grateful for how they treated me, how they treated our family, how they treated Evan and he didn't understand the depth of what they were trying to do with him."

Steve and Shelly their son was so mentally ill he didn't realize the deputies where there to help him. Evan’s parents, now divorced, said they still cannot come up with anything they could've done differently to help their son.

They said early on he was a great kid, who loved the outdoors and snorkeling in the ocean, but he struggled with school, and by 8th grade he dropped out.

He was then diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and bi-polar disorder. Evan’s parents also said things got worse once he turned 18 and was technically an adult, because they had less control over getting him help.

“He's 18 in physical body, but in his mind he was a 12-year-old,” said Shelly. “There needs to be laws that say if this person is doing drugs and mentality is 12-year-old, they need to be treated as a 12-year-old. Their rights need to be taken away."

The parents said Evan then started running with the wrong crowd and three years ago, started using black tar heroin. They also said neither of them owned any guns and they have no idea where he got the shotgun he used in Wednesday's shooting.

Both parents urged for a change in the way the health care system treats mentally ill people, because they believe the way it is now doesn’t work.

“They have to do some heinous, something atrocious to get that institutional help,” said Steve. “And unfortunately when that occurs, that's when people get hurt.”

A San Diego federal jury has convicted four Somali immigrants accused of providing support to a foreign terrorist group, U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy announced Friday.

Investigators say the four men – one of whom is a popular imam at a City Heights mosque – allegedly conspired to raise money for the Somalia-based terrorist group al-Shabaab.

According to prosecutors, al-Shabaab is a violent militia group in Somalia that engages in suicide bombings, targets civilians for assassination and uses improvised explosive devices. The group was formally named as a foreign terrorist organization in February 2008 by the U.S. Department of State.

The suspects accused of providing support to the group include: San Diego cab driver Basaaly Saeed Moalin, 36; Anaheim-based cab driver Nasiri Taalil Mohamud, 37; Issa Doreh, 56, an employee at a money transmitting business that was allegedly the conduit for sending the funds to the organization; and Mohamed Mohamed Mohamud, 40, the imam at a mosque frequented by San Diego's immigrant Somali community.

After a three-week trial, a federal jury found that the four men conspired to provide money to al-Shabaab. Their plan was to transfer the funds from San Diego to Somalia through the Shidaal Express, a now-defunct local money transmitting business.

The defendants allegedly took part in numerous telephone conversations with members of the terrorist group.

The jury listened to recorded phone conversations between defendant Moalin and Aden Hashi Ayrow, one of al-Shabaab’s most prominent leaders.

In those conversations, Ayrow – who would later be killed in a May 2008 missile strike – urged Moalin to send money to al-Shabaab, telling him it was “time to finance the Jihad.”

According to investigators, Ayrow told Moalin: ““You are running late with the stuff. Send some and something will happen.”

Ayrow also repeatedly asked Moalin to reach out to the imam, Mohamud, to obtain funds for the terrorist group.

Prosecutors say Moalin also gave Somali terrorists permission to use his house in Mogadishu, Somalia, and may have offered terrorists a place to hide weapons on his property.

In the end, Moalin was convicted of five counts, Mohamud and Doreh were each convicted of four counts and Taalil Mohamud was convicted of three counts.

Among their charges, all four defendants were convicted of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The defendants were also all convicted of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Those charges carry a maximum of 15 and 20 years in prison, respectively, plus a $250,000 fine.

Sentencing for the defendants is scheduled for May 16.

The lengthy investigation into this case was led by the San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force. The FBI, ICE and the Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection also assisted.
In the end, U.S. Attorney Duffy says she’s pleased with Friday’s verdict.

“This case proves that our efforts to detect and disrupt terrorist financing – and prevent the violence that goes along with it -- has paid off,” said Duffy. “Justice was served today in San Diego.”

A major indoor marijuana grow operating out of a residence in Ramona was discovered by sheriff’s detectives and a SWAT team Friday, officials confirmed.

After a month-long narcotics investigation, detectives served a search warrant on a home located in the 300 block of Fegahli Road just after 6 a.m.

During the investigation, detectives noticed the residents had fortified the Ramona home with a steel security screen, steel gates and an aggressive dog.

When officials searched the home Friday morning, they discovered approximately 120 high-grade marijuana plants inside, as well as five pounds of pot worth an estimated $15,000, a firearm and $17,800 in cash.

Detectives arrested suspects Joshua Day, Justin Lambert and Dougles Politte for marijuana cultivation, possession of marijuana for sale and possession of a dangerous weapon.

A 4.3-magnitude earthquake centered off Baja rattled parts of San Diego Friday night.

According to the US Geological Survey, the quake happened around 8:40 p.m.

The epicenter was about 39 miles from Rosarito, Mexico, 47 miles southwest of Tijuana, 45 miles southwest of Imperial Beach and 48 miles from Coronado.

Local residents in Tierrasanta, Escondido, Santee, La Mesa, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Carmel Valley, Clairemont, Imperial Beach, San Carlos and the UTC area all reported feeling the earthquake Friday night. Comments from locals can be seen on our NBC 7 Facebook page.

One resident in Pacific Beach wrote: "Felt it in Pacific Beach -- the whole apartment shook."

Another commented: "Crazy strong in 4S Ranch."

"A pretty strong jolt in Point Loma," another reader commented on the NBC7.com.

"Felt the dining table rock in Carmel Valley!" posted another viewer.

"Good jolt in Mira Mesa," wrote another Facebook user.

An NBC 7 viewer from Scripps Ranch said the jolt was so sharp near Scripps Poway Parkway that it made her dog jump off the couch.

Local fire officials said no damage was reported.

Did you feel the earthquake in your neck of the woods?
 

A local Marine was arrested Friday night in Camp Pendleton in connection with the murder of a man whose body was found zipped up inside a sleeping bag in the back seat of a parked car in Fallbrook last month.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, suspect Kevin Albert Richard Coset was taken into custody shortly after 5 p.m. for the murder of Alvin Bulaoro, 24.

Bulaoro was found dead inside a 1997 Toyota 4Runner that was parked in front of the Albertson’s supermarket in the 1100 block of South Mission Road on Jan. 3. Homicide investigators said his body showed signs of trauma and deemed his death suspicious in nature.

Bulaoro had been reported missing by his family and was last seen on Dec. 21, 2012.
Bulaoro’s family pleaded for investigators to find his killer.

“I want justice for my son,” his mother, Josephine Bulaoro, told NBC 7 in an interview back in January.

Bulaoro was enlisted in the Navy for four years. He worked as a human resources officer at Camp Pendleton, helping Marines with pay, benefits and housing issues.

During that time, he got his bachelor's degree. After leaving the Navy, Bulaoro became a lieutenant in the Army.

He returned from training in Texas in November and was set to participate in a ceremony for his commission on Jan. 12 in Los Angeles.

"He told me, 'Mom you're going to be very proud of me,'" his mother previously told NBC 7.

Bulaoro’s brother told NBC 7 the family had hired a private investigator to search for Bulaoro. The private investigator is the person who told the family that Bulaoro’s car had been spotted in the Albertson’s parking lot on Jan. 3.

According to the sheriff’s department, Coset is a corporal in the Marine Corps.

He was taken into custody Friday with the help of NCIS agents and charged with the murder of Bulaoro.

Officials have not released any further details. The motive for the murder remains unknown.
 

A man previously arrested 74 times was caught again, this time for allegedly robbing a bank in Maryland.

Robert Alonzo Robinson, 43, robbed the SunTrust Bank Friday, county police said. Robinson approached the teller and passed a note demanding money, police said. Robinson made off with an undisclosed amount of money.

Police arrested Robinson Wednesday at his home. He admitted his involvement in the robbery, police said.

Robinson is currently being held without bond.

Because of Robinson’s criminal record, it wasn’t hard for police to track him down. He has been arrested 75 times since 1992. Most of the cases involved some sort of theft. Some charges against him were dropped.

Betty Green, a neighbor of Robinson, isn’t surprised by the number of arrests. She told News4 that Robinson had a drug problem and has been in and out of rehab.

"He has a problem,” she said. “He has that monkey on his back, and just putting him in jail is not going to do any good. He needs to be in treatment where he can get off of the drugs."

A U.S. Marine was arrested Friday night in California’s Camp Pendleton in connection with the murder of a man whose body was found zipped up inside a sleeping bag in the back seat of a parked car in Fallbrook last month.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, suspect Kevin Albert Richard Coset was taken into custody shortly after 5 p.m. for the murder of Alvin Bulaoro, 24.

Bulaoro was found dead inside a 1997 Toyota 4Runner on Jan. 3. Homicide investigators said his body showed signs of trauma and deemed his death suspicious in nature.

Bulaoro had been reported missing by his family and was last seen on Dec. 21, 2012.
Bulaoro’s family pleaded for investigators to find his killer.

“I want justice for my son,” his mother, Josephine Bulaoro, told NBC 7 in an interview back in January.

Bulaoro was enlisted in the Navy for four years. He worked as a human resources officer at Camp Pendleton, helping Marines with pay, benefits and housing issues.

During that time, he got his bachelor's degree. After leaving the Navy, Bulaoro became a lieutenant in the Army.

He returned from training in Texas in November and was set to participate in a ceremony for his commission on Jan. 12 in Los Angeles.

"He told me, 'Mom you're going to be very proud of me,'" his mother previously told NBC 7.

Bulaoro’s brother told NBC 7 the family had hired a private investigator to search for Bulaoro. The private investigator is the person who told the family that Bulaoro’s car had been spotted in the Albertson’s parking lot on Jan. 3.

According to the sheriff’s department, Coset is a corporal in the Marine Corps.

He was taken into custody Friday with the help of NCIS agents and charged with the murder of Bulaoro.

Officials have not released any further details. The motive for the murder remains unknown.
 

A 32-year-old man in Brooklyn, New York is suing his parents, claiming he wasn't loved enough by them and that their neglect has caused him to be homeless and jobless. 

Bernard Bey filed a self-written lawsuit in Brooklyn court earlier this month, accusing his parents of causing him mental anguish and for making him feel "unloved and beaten by the world." 

"If you have kids, you're expected to love your children," Bey told NBC 4 New York. "You want the best for your children." 

Bey claimed he was physically and emotionally abused and ran away from home when he was 12, and then was in and out of the shelter system after turning 16. He's spent time in jail and is now homeless, and he believes his parents are at the root of his problems. 

Bey is asking the court for more than $200,000 in damages. He wants his parents to mortgage their family home and purchase two franchises like Domino's Pizza. 

The aspiring rapper said the money would be help the entire family.

"I feel like my parents should want the best for their children and grandchildren so we have something to pass down for generations so we don't have to live like this," he said. 

Bey's parents, who live in public housing, said they're not in a position to give up any money. His stepfather named in the suit, Bernard Manley, had some choice unprintable words and maintained Bey is not his biological son.

Bey said he is willing to drop the lawsuit if his family will simply sit down at the dinner table with him.

"Let's work together, and definitely, I'll drop the suit," he said. 

A 32-year-old Brooklyn man is suing his parents, claiming he wasn't loved enough by them and that their neglect has caused him to be homeless and jobless. 

Bernard Bey filed a self-written lawsuit in Brooklyn court earlier this month, accusing his parents of causing him mental anguish and for making him feel "unloved and beaten by the world." 

"If you have kids, you're expected to love your children," Bey told NBC 4 New York. "You want the best for your children." 

Bey claimed he was physically and emotionally abused and ran away from home when he was 12, and then was in and out of the shelter system after turning 16. He's spent time in jail and is now homeless, and he believes his parents are at the root of his problems. 

Bey is asking the court for more than $200,000 in damages. He wants his parents to mortgage their family home and purchase two franchises like Domino's Pizza. 

The aspiring rapper said the money would be help the entire family.

"I feel like my parents should want the best for their children and grandchildren so we have something to pass down for generations so we don't have to live like this," he said. 

Bey's parents, who live in public housing, said they're not in a position to give up any money. His stepfather named in the suit, Bernard Manley, had some choice unprintable words and maintained Bey is not his biological son.

Bey said he is willing to drop the lawsuit if his family will simply sit down at the dinner table with him.

"Let's work together, and definitely, I'll drop the suit," he said. 

Two UC Riverside baseball players were ejected from Friday's away game at Sacramento State following a bench-clearing brawl.

In the third inning, UCR shortstop Eddie Young was caught in a rundown between second and third base.

Sac State second baseman Andrew Ayers made the tag and then appeared to shove Young.

After the tag, Ayers said something to Young, who responded with a right hook to the infielder's jaw.

The benches cleared and both Ayers and Young were ejected. UCR's catcher Drake Zarate was also tossed from the game.

All three players will be reportedly suspended for four games, Sacramento State spokesman Brian Berger told the Sacramento Bee.

The UCR Highlanders went on to win 2-1 over the Hornets.

If you could see a picture of yourself 40 years in the future, would it change the way you live today?

That’s the theory behind a new computer program, launched by Merrill Edge, a financial platform created by Bank of America. Face Retirement takes a picture of your face and reveals a photo of what you will look like in the "near-far" future—all the way up to age 107.

"The app was created to really provoke more Americans to plan more for their retirement," Nick Givogri, senior vice president of Merrill Edge, said.

Science seems to support the idea. A study at Stanford University last year showed that people who viewed their “future self” were more likely to put money in a retirement account.

"Essentially, what the study showed is that people that saw aged-enhanced images of themselves were twice as likely to save for retirement than people who did not," Givogri said. "It’s amazing what will happen when you just see an image of yourself in the future."

Next to the age-processed photos are statistics that show what the estimated cost of living will be when the user reaches retirement age. A harsh reality: in the year 2040, the average cost for a loaf of bread is predicted to cost $9.

"What the research showed is that people that were able to see what they looked like in the future, started to think about, 'Well, what do I need to be doing during that time?'" Givogri said.

Merrill Edge said more than 450,000 people have taken a look at the app – which can be accessed using a webcam at the company’s website – since December and about 10 percent of those users shared their photo on Facebook.

So what resources do people have if they want to look into future planning options?

"They can open up an IRA account if they wanted to get started with retirement planning. They can find a financial advisor locally; we have over 300 finical advisors that sit in Bank of America Banking Center that can really help people in planning," Givogri said.

"I think a lot of it is that people think about the here and the now and those are the things they focus on, being able to make the monthly bills and do those types of things, but (the app) really starts to get you to think differently."

Click here to take a glimpse into your own "near-far" future.

A North County lawyer is furious after being trapped and forgotten inside a local jail for hours.

Attorney Erubey Lopez spoke to NBC 7 about the ordeal for the first time Friday,

Lopez said it all began when he was trying to visit a client in jail on Tuesday. He went into a visiting room – not knowing he would be trapped in there for hours.

Patiently waiting inside a locked visiting room, Lopez said he didn’t think anything unusual until a half hour passed and his client still hadn’t been brought down to him.

“I know it takes a while to get the people, so I’m patient,” said Lopez while recalling the ordeal. “I don’t have my cell phone with me because the policy is you can’t use a cell phone inside the jail.”

At that point, Lopez said he tried to contact the guards through an intercom system inside the visiting room.

“So, I press the intercom button and nothing. I press it again and it doesn’t work,” he explained.

A half-hour soon turns into an hour.

"At that time, I'm really mad and I'm thinking, ‘How can they forget about me?’ So, I start hitting the door really loud to get someone to let me out."

Two hours go by. All the while, Lopez is screaming while pounding on the door.

He finally accepts the strong possibility that he'll be sleeping on the cold concrete floor.

"I have a sweater and a jacket and I take off my sweater and I try to use it as a pillow," he said.

Lopez thinks about Daniel Chong, a UCSD student who was left inside a Kearny Mesa holding cell last April after being forgotten by DEA officers for five days. Chong would eventually file a claim asking for $20 million following the incident he called “life-altering.”

“I can't imagine how you could last that long without going crazy," said Lopez.

Finally, after four long hours, Lopez said a guard heard him and freed him.

Lopez, who’s also a Vista Parks and Rec Commissioner, said a sheriff’s official called him and apologized following the incident.

But, the attorney is concerned about safety inside San Diego jails, saying a colleague later told him that the intercom he had used inside the visiting room had been broken for eight months.

“[What] if I was unhealthy…had a heart attack? What if I had diabetes and had a sugar issue?” he pondered. “If they hadn’t heard me with the screaming and banging… there was no other way they were going to hear me.”

At this point, Lopez said he’s not sure if he plans to file a lawsuit.
 

A boil water notice is in effect for Alpine residents following a water main break on Alpine Boulevard, health officials announced Friday night.

As a safety precaution, the California Department of Public Health, San Diego County Health Department and Padre Dam Municipal Water District are advising all residents east of Harbison Canyon Road to only use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes for the time being, until further notice.

Officials say failure to follow the temporary advisory could result in stomach of intestinal illness. For now, they’re urging residents to bring all water to a boil, which kills potential bacteria and organisms that may be in the water.

Health officials say they expect to resolve the water problem within 72 hours. They will send out an alert once tests determine that the water is safe to drink and no longer needs to be boiled.

For more information, call the Water Utility at (619) 258-4673 or the Local Environmental Health Jurisdiction: San Diego County at 858-505-6700.

For a map of the area impacted by this boil water notice, click here.

An $86 million freeway improvement project that will bring new lanes to northbound Interstate 805 is set to begin construction Monday, Caltrans officials said.

The four-mile long project is designed to build one carpool lane in each direction of I-805 between Mira Mesa Boulevard and State Route 52.

Caltrans says the project in Golden Triangle will also build south-facing Direct Access Ramps at Carroll Canyon Road. Additional improvements include bridge widening and ramp and noise barrier modifications.

The project is aimed to help reduce traffic congestion. It’s one of several current construction projects happening along the I-805 corridor. The work on this particular project is expected to be completed by the winter of 2015.

Caltrans says the majority of the construction work will occur overnight, between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Motorists are urged to drive defensively and alertly in construction work zones.

For more information, motorists can call the I-805 North Hotline at (877) 821-4280 or visit this website.

Below is a map of this stage of the I-805 North construction project: