A county review board decided a sheriff’s deputy was “not justified” when he hit and killed a pedestrian during a 2012 pursuit in San Marcos.

The Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) adopted their staff’s recommendation Wednesday, saying Deputy Frank Stalzer violated policy as he tried to catch a suspected drunken driver.

Stalzer began the pursuit early Sept. 18, 2012, when he saw a vehicle straddling two lanes of traffic. As Stalzer started speeding along West San Marcos to catch up with the person, 29-year-old Jose Malacara pedestrian stepped off a median to cross the road.

Stalzer’s patrol car collided with Malacara, killing him. Sheriff’s officials at the time said Stalzer had not activated his lights and sirens, but they also determined their deputy was not at fault.

But the CLERB members decided he was not justified in his actions. In a finding released Thursday, the board said Stalzer violated a procedure that says when deputies proceed on a non-emergency call, they should obey all traffic laws and not use sirens or flashing lights.

Because Stalzer drove over the speed limit, the board said he violated that policy.

In a statement Thursday, sheriff’s spokeswoman Jan Caldwell said the pedestrian unexpectedly and unsafely walked onto the roadway.

“There was no maliciousness on the part of our deputy – rather he was attempting to do his job. We recognize all lives – the victim’s family, as well as the deputy’s – have been unalterably changed by this event,” said Caldwell in a statement.

Citing state law dealing with personnel records, she said details of the department’s investigation could not be revealed. “We always review these matters to see if policy should be amended, behaviors modified, or training increased,” Caldwell’s release said.

It’s unclear what the CLERB ruling will mean for Stalzer or if any policy has been changed as a result of this incident. The deputy is currently on duty and on patrol.

An 80-year-old man hit while crossing a Hillcrest street died Thursday night.

The accident happened just before 6:30 p.m. at the corner of Richmond and Essex streets as the man walked in an "implied crosswalk," police say.

A 65-year-old man was driving his Hyundai westbound in the 3700 block of Richmond Street when he struck the crossing pedestrian.

The victim suffered a fractured pelvis, broken bones and head trauma. He was transported to a nearby hospital, but he died after undergoing surgery.

The San Diego Police Traffic Division is investigating the crash, but they say the driver will not be cited.

Deputies preparing to evict a San Diego woman had to call for a special kind of backup when they discovered 21 dogs living in the home.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department requested help from county Animal Services officers Thursday as they told the woman to leave her Shelltown home. She gave up her dogs, according Animal Services Lt. Kalani Hudson.

Officers took the pets back to their Mission Valley facility, where they are being evaluated by veterinarians. Hudson said the dogs range in age and breed, and all suffer from medical or husbandry issues.

“The dog’s conditions vary from being matted and ear infections to cherry eye or other minor medical issues,” said Hudson.

County officials will be looking into possible criminal charges against the owner.

Since the case is ongoing, none of the animals are available for adoption.
 

San Diego County health officials have confirmed the sickness that shut down a La Mesa urgent care Wednesday was indeed measles, tied to an outbreak at the Disneyland resort.

Seven new cases surfaced in the county this week, bringing the total of confirmed instances to ten. Six siblings visited the Sharp Rees-Steely Urgent Care in La Mesa on Wednesday for measles symptoms, and once employees found they had the telltale rash, they temporarily closed the facility.

On Thursday, health officials said a person "closely connected" to the family also had measles.

Two of the six infected siblings had visited Disneyland between Dec. 17 and Dec. 20, 2014, when more than two dozen people from four states caught the disease.

Now, the county health department is worried the patients may have infected others. The county Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) released the following list of times and places where people may have been exposed:

• City of San Diego Operations Building, 1222 First Ave., San Diego, Jan. 12 from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Jan. 13 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Jan. 14 from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• CVS Pharmacy, 2760 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon, Jan. 14 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Vons, 2800 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon, Jan. 14 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Sharp-Rees-Steely Urgent Care Clinic, 5525 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa, on Jan. 3 between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and Jan. 14 from noon until the clinic was closed at 1 p.m.
• Rite Aid Pharmacy, 1665 Alpine Blvd., Alpine, Jan. 13 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Trader Joes, 5495 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa, Jan. 12 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Absolute Personal Fitness, 2000 Main Street, Julian, Jan 9 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Julian Fitness Center, 2216 Main Street, Julian, Jan. 9 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Parkway Plaza Mall in El Cajon, Dec. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. only, especially in or around GameStop, Sunglasses Hut and the carousel in the mall.

"This is extremely scary, especially when we come here a lot since we live right across the street," said Vons shopper Lucie Cishugi, who was visiting the El Cajon grocery store on Thursday.

Others, like shopper Ashton Lawrence, were not as concerned. "I know I was vaccinated, and I tend to stay pretty healthy," said Lawrence.

The HHSA says none of the locations have a current risk for measles. So far, no cases have been linked to those sites.

Earlier this month, two other siblings reported coming down with measles after a trip to Disneyland. Health officers warned they may have exposed others at the Parkway Plaza Mall in El Cajon. The third confirmed case came to light on Tuesday.

Only one of the local patients had been vaccinated for measles.

“The best prevention measure for measles is to get vaccinated,” said Wilma Wooten, county public health officer. “No vaccine is 100 percent effective, but if you’re vaccinated and you acquire measles the symptoms will be far less severe.”

Measles symtoms can develop seven to 21 days after exposure. Early symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two to three days in, tiny white spots may develop inside the mouth. After three to five days, the distinctive rash begins to form.

Measles has not been endemic since 1997, but health officers told NBC 7 they expect the number of California cases to grow as they confirm new instances of the virus. A local pediatrician called the outbreak "alarming" and blames the recent anti-vaccine movement for spreading a disease for which there is already an immunization.

In Sunday's conference championship games, the Packers, Seahawks, Patriots and Colts will fight for spots in the Super Bowl. Here's a look at the Super players who can make the biggest difference for their teams:

NFC Championship Game: Green Bay at Seattle, 3:05 p.m. (EST)

Key players for the Packers: Clay Matthews, A.J. Hawk, Sam Barrington and Julius Peppers, step right up.

If Green Bay’s linebacking corps doesn’t attack the gaps up front and stop Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch in his tracks, not much else will matter in this rematch from Week 1. In that game, Lynch was in full Beast Mode, rushing for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, causing Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett to question the Packers' toughness. Said Bennett, after that 36-16 Seattle victory: “Obviously, we were the more physical team today, offensively and defensively. I saw supposedly some of the best players in the league not want to tackle Marshawn Lynch. Of course, nobody is going to say nothing about that, but I seen a lot of guys whiff on tackles that should have been 2-yard gains, and they’re supposed to be the best.”

The Seahawks ran for a league-best 172.6 yards per game in 2014, and Lynch scored 17 TDs, so their first option is always to run. The Packers, meanwhile gave up 123 yards to Dallas’ DeMarco Murray last week and were the 23^rd-ranked rushing D in the league. If the Pack wants to pull off the upset, the linebacking corps will need to have a big day.

Key player for the Seahawks: Safety Kam Chancellor.

The Seattle strong safety is coming off a huge game against Carolina and will be crucial against a very dangerous Packers offense. Seattle’s D did a nice job against Packers running back Eddie Lacy in their Week 1 meeting, holding him to 34 yards on 12 carries. But since Week 5, Lacy has been a much different player. In last week’s win over Dallas, Lacy ran for 101 yards. He ran for 1,139 this season and has picked up more than 95 yards in six of his past seven games.

Chancellor sets the tone for the Legion of Boom, and some big stops on Lacy early – plus his help in the secondary against Aaron Rodgers – is what the Seahawks need.

AFC Championship Game: Indianapolis at New England, 6:40 p.m. (EST)

Key player for the Colts: Quarterback Andrew Luck. No surprise here.

The young Colts quarterback has been the driving force all season for Indy, leading the NFL with 40 TD passes this season, and was terrific in beating the Broncos last week in Denver, throwing for two TDs and 265 yards, while adding 21 yards on the ground. But since Luck’s rookie year of 2012, the Pats have held him in check. That can’t happen Sunday if the Colts want to get to the Super Bowl.

Luck is 0-3 vs. New England and has poor numbers against Bill Belichick’s D: eight interceptions vs. six TD passes and a 67.7 passer rating. In those games, the Pats have outscored the Colts 144-66. Earlier this season, the Pats beat the Colts 42-20. Says Luck: “I’d like to think I’m a better quarterback and would like to think we’re a better team.” He’ll have to prove it Sunday.

Key player for the Patriots -- Running back LeGarrette Blount.

Quarterback Tom Brady runs the offense and tight end Rob Gronkowski opens up the field for Brady to operate, but it’s Blount, a 250-pound battering ram, who could pulverize the Colts. The last time these teams met in the playoffs, just last January, Blount ran for 166 yards and four TDs. If Blount again can establish his big presence early, the Colts will be forced to marshal their forces to stop the run – and that’s when Brady would be able to get even more opportunities for big plays.

The Colts' run defense has been better in recent games, having allowed 198 yards rushing in their two playoff victories (the 99.0 yard average is the best among the four teams playing Sunday). But obviously, the Pats’ game-planners see deficiencies in the Indy run defense. In their past three wins over the Colts, New England has run the ball nearly 56 percent of the time, according to Bill Barnwell of Grantland. Against the rest of the league over the past three years, the Pats run the ball just 41 percent of the time. Expect another heavy diet of handoffs to Blount & Co. Sunday.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer called on the federal government Friday to release what he dubs "much-needed rules" for the use of unmanned drones in light of two recent instances of drones encroaching into Westchester County Airport airspace.

The Democratic senator from New York says recent "near-miss" cases of drones flying dangerously close to passenger planes, including one that encroached on a jet's airspace as it was landing in Westchester County, underscore the need for the government to outline regulations that clearly delineate what is legal in terms of drone use -- and what is not. 

Federal law prohibits drones from flying higher than 400 feet and requires drone operators to get permission before flying their devices within five miles of an airport, but recent near-misses in New York and elsewhere across the country indicate at least the latter part of the law is being ignored.  

In August, the White Plains Police Department reported a drone hovering in the airspace near the Westchester County Airport, according to Schumer. President Obama flew into the same airport that month while on an East Coast fundraising trip. In September, the senators says airport personnel and a pilot reported a drone entering the airspace of a landing plane near the airport.

Schumer said that while these drones, used both by companies and individuals, are usually small, they can do immense damage if they collide with a jet engine or a plane’s windshield. Schumer said Friday that as this technology becomes even more popular, it creates an even larger cause for concern in terms of airline and pedestrian safety.

Since 2009, there have been 23 accidents and 236 incidents deemed “unsafe” by the FAA in which registered civilian drones were involved, Schumer said. In many cases, the drones are too small and cannot be clearly identified on an airplane’s radar system.

Schumer says the Federal Aviation Administration has spent years developing drone privacy and usage guidelines and that those guidelines have been languishing in the Office of Management and Budget, awaiting review. 

"Federal bureaucracy has stood in the way of FAA drone rules to protect New York fliers’ safety, and it’s time for the OMB to review and approve the new drone regulations that the FAA has sent to their desk so that our airspace stays safe," Schumer said "The lack of clear rules about small drones, what is a commercial versus a hobby drone, and how and where they can be used, is creating a serious threat to New Yorkers’ safety. We cannot wait for a fatal crash or incident to get this done."

The FAA said in a statement it was continuing to work with administration colleagues on the regulation.

"It is our goal to get the proposal right," the agency's statement said.  

In New York City, a recently proposed City Council bill would restrict drones to limited public spaces like parks, while banning them from heavily populated areas such as sports arenas or airports.

Councilman Daniel Garodnick, who sponsored the proposal, said he fears drones could be used as weapons or cause mid-air collisions. In September, an NYPD helicopter nearly missed colliding with a drone. Two months later, pilots reported drones flying near John F. Kennedy Airport on several occasions.

No injuries related to the drone near-misses have been reported. 

Two men suffered serious facial and head injuries after being beaten by bats early Thursday morning in Rancho Penasquitos, police said.

The victims told police they were walking down the street at 2 a.m. on the 9300 block of Paseo Montalban when a car drove by. Words were exchanged and at least three men got out of the car. A physical altercation ensued and a bat was used, San Diego Police Department confirmed.

A bystander called police after hearing one of the victims screaming for help.

Both men were both taken to the hospital and are expected to survive.

No bat or suspects were found on scene, SDPD said.

The suspect car is described to be a light colored four door sedan with possibly a broken window.

Wendy's has won praise from children's advocacy groups for its recent move to stop displaying soda on its children's menus.

Groups such as MomsRising.org, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility and the Center for Science in the Public Interest have long urged Wendy's and other fast-food chains to take soda off the children's menu as part of a push to get the restaurants to offer more nutritional meal options.

Last fall, Wendy's decided to make the change, the chain's spokesman confirmed in an email. The menu boards both in stores and online now show only low-fat white or chocolate milk, bottled water and 100 percent juice drinks, said spokesman Bob Bertini, who added that soda was never the default drink choice for the meal. 

The groups calling for the changes argue that soda is not an appropriate beverage choice for children, citing “reputational” health problems and risks that sugary drinks cause like diabetes, heart disease, obesity and tooth decay.

"While parents bear most of the responsibility for feeding their children well, restaurant chains also need to do their part," Jessica Almy, CSPI senior nutrition policy counsel, said in a statement. "Restaurants should not be setting parents up for a fight by bundling soda with meal options designed for kids.”

Almay added that Wendy's move is a “responsible step” that aims to improve the health of children and for parents to make healthier food choices for them. She hopes other food-chains including Burger King, Applebee's and IHOP will follow suit.

In 2013, McDonald's agreed to drop soda from its Happy Meal menus. That policy goes into effect this year. The moves by Wendy’s and McDonald's leaves Burger King as the only one of the top three fast-food chain to still include soda in meals for children, according to CSPI.

The groups said that next step Wendy's should take is to offer more nutritious menu options for both children and adults. This, they said, should include whole grain rolls, fruits and vegetables, and also reducing sodium across the menus. Frostys, the fast-food chain’s signature frozen dessert that is made from Grade A milk and rich cream, should also be dropped from the children's menu, the groups said.

Bertini signaled more changes could come, saying Wendy's does "intend to continue working to enhance our Kids’ Meal offerings to provide even more nutritious, great-tasting products that children enjoy and that parents feel good about serving."

When Common accepted his Golden Globe for Best Original Song – “Glory” from the movie "Selma" – he invoked civil rights struggles past and present, celebrating not an award, but the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Jere Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multimedia NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is also the author of "Raising a Beatle Baby: How John, Paul, George and Ringo Helped us Come Together as a Family." Follow him on Twitter.

Flu is widespread across the United States, in a season made even more severe by a disappointing vaccine that's not very effective at battling the predominant strain that's now making people sick.

This year's vaccine is only 23 percent effective because the H3N2 strain of influenza A, a different strain from the one the vaccine protects against, began circulating just after the vaccine was created. When H3N2 is the dominant strain, it can cause more serious illness than other types of flu.

With several weeks of flu season left, here are some myths about the flu, and what you should know about them.
 

This year’s vaccine isn’t effective, so there’s no point in my getting it now.

Not so, medical professionals say. Even a less effective vaccine can still prevent hospitalizations and deaths, particularly among older people and young children. And it still might protect against strains that are not yet circulating.

I don’t need a flu shot year after year.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends that you get a vaccine every year even when the viruses the vaccine protects against have not changed. Your immune protection from the vaccination will decline over time.

I’m afraid the flu shot will give me the flu.

A flu shot will not cause the flu because the viruses either have been inactivated and are no longer infectious or were made with no viruses at all. The nasal spray vaccine also won’t give you the flu because the viruses have been weakened.

Even if I do get the flu, it won’t kill me.

Flu can be a serious illness, particularly for young children, senior citizens and those with such chronic conditions as asthma, heart disease or diabetes. On average thousands die each year from the flu, a number that can fluctuate depending on which strain is circulating. The CDC has estimated from a low of 3,000 deaths to a high of 49,000 between the 1976-1977 and 2006-2007 seasons.

There are no effective treatments against the flu.

There are three antiviral drugs approved for treatment: Tamiflu, Relenza and Rapivab.

Source: The Centers for Disease Control

A man has been arrested in Providence, Rhode Island, for holding three missing Massachusetts girls against their will and selling them for sex, police say.

One of the missing girls who was being held in a third-floor apartment at 95 Cumerford St. managed to escape the home and reach out for help, police said.

When police arrived, they were met by the girl and the father of one of the girls inside the home. He told police his daughter was being held captive against her will.

Police entered the apartment and arrested Derek Miranda, 21, of Dorchester, Massachusetts. He is charged with three counts of kidnapping and sex trafficking.

Two of the girls, ages 14 and 15, were returned to their parents, and the third girl, a 14-year-old, is in the custody of Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.

The girls were missing for about two days, according to police. They're all believed to be from the Lowell area. Miranda transported them from Massachusetts to Providence.

A 21-year-old woman was also inside the home when police arrived at the scene. Her role is unknown at this time. She's not currently in custody, as the investigation is ongoing.

Miranda will be in court for arraignment on Monday.

Stay with necn.com for more on this developing story.

A Cook County judge on Friday approved an emergency motion filed on behalf of a teen accused of killing her mother in Bali and stuffing the body in a suitcase, tentatively allowing the release of up to $150,000 from the mother's estate to help pay for the teen's defense.

Judge Neil Cohen put stipulations on his ruling, however, mandating that Heather Mack have a dedicated Indonesian-based attorney to represent her during trial. Concerns have been expressed that the Bali lawyer that Mack has considered hiring has been known to represent drug smugglers.

"Funds can be used for hiring competent counsel," said Cohen. "We need someone who's for Heather and only Heather."

Mack's motion, filed Thursday, alleged that her uncle, William Wiese, has denied access to funds in the $1.56 million estate that could be used to provide for her "health, support, and maintenance." Wiese is the brother of Mack's slain mother, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, and the trustee of her estate.

Mack stated that if "convicted of the murder of my mother in Indonesia, it is probable I will receive the death penalty by firing squad." She also said that that if she and her unborn child die, her uncle stands to inherit the funds of the trust.

Cohen on Friday named an interim trustee to avoid a conflict of interest.

Mack and her boyfriend, 21-year-old Tommy Schaefer, both face the death penalty if convicted in von Wiese-Mack's August death. Separate trials for both defendants began earlier this week in Denpasar District Court in Bali, Indonesia.

The pair were arrested on Aug. 13, a day after the 62-year-old mother's body was found stuffed in a suitcase in a taxi at the St. Regis Bali Resort. In indictments, prosecutors said the couple plotted the murder because von Wiese-Mack did not endorse their relationship.

Mack is named as the sole beneficiary in von Wiese-Mack's will, last updated in May. The teen originally sought $300,000 from her mother's estate to help pay for legal bills but later reduced her request to about half that amount.

Wiese declined to provide any money to an account with the U.S. Consulate, the motion stated.

"To date, (the trustee) has not released one penny to assist Heather in any way, shape or form," attorney Tony Scifo wrote. "Said legal funds are a necessity to preserve Heather's life ... (The trustee's) actions do not comport with good faith or fair dealings and are wholly unconscionable."

Mack, who says she is innocent, says that her boyfriend confessed to the murder.

A Hong Kong businessman donated $1 million to the families of the two officers shot and killed while sitting in their patrol car in Brooklyn last month.

The donor, who chose to remain anonymous, donated $500,000 to the education fund set up for the children of officer Rafael Ramos and another $500,000 to officer Wenjian Liu's father.

The businessman decided to make the donation because he was moved by the story of their execution-style slayings five days before Christmas -- a story that had a "profound" global impact, an attorney for Sing Tao Newspaper, which facilitated the money transfer, said at a Friday news briefing. 

Ramos' widow thanked the donor for the generosity.

"It's a blessing," she said. "It's going to help a lot."

Liu's father, who emigrated from China with Liu when he was a boy, echoed the sentiment. 

"I'm very sad because I lost my only son," said Wei Tang Liu. "But I do thank everyone for their support, their generosity."

The Liu family sat down with NBC 4 New York Friday after the announcement to share their grief over the loss of their son and husband.

Wei Tang Liu recalled his son telling him as a student: "When I'm finished with school, Dad, I'm going to be a cop." 

"He just try to his best to do his job, to protect the people," said his widow Pei Xia Chen, who had known Liu for six years before marrying him. 

"He just won't talk about his job at home because he just wants to have a normal life," she said. "He doesn't want us to worry about him, we don't talk about his work at home." 

Chen said Liu was a devoted family man who even took his parents on their honeymoon. She showed NBC 4 New York a picture from the trip, one of their last family photos.

"Every time he finish work, first thing he's gonna do, call the parents and then call me, 'I'm finished with work, I'm on my way home to pick you up,'" she said. 

On Dec. 20, Liu called his parents first to say he was working overtime and that the officer who was supposed to relieve him was running late. 

The events that unfolded over the next day are now familiar: Ramos and Liu were sitting in their patrol car at Tompkins and Myrtle avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant when Ismaiiyl Brinsley approached and shot each of the officers. Brinsley, who had posted on Instagram that he was "putting wings on pigs," then ran into a nearby subway station and took his own life.

The shooting caused tensions to worsen between Mayor de Blasio and police unions, who said the mayor hadn't supported the rank and file in the wake of protests following a grand jury's decision not to indict an NYPD officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner on Staten Island. 

Friday's donation was the latest outpouring of support for the officers. Thousands visited a makeshift memorial set up at the street corner where the officers died, and mourners and police officers from around the world turned out for Liu and Ramos' funerals.

Several organizations have made donations to the families following Liu and Ramos' deaths as well.

A small fire burned along the I-5 South at the 54 onramp in National City Friday afternoon.

Strong flames could be seen burning around 2:30 p.m. The fire was about 25 by 25 feet, according to San Diego Fire Department.

Firefighters were able to knock the blaze down quickly. The cause of the fire is not known. No one was injured and no structures were damaged.
 

"This was a very well planned execution."

Days after a mother and newlywed was gunned down as she waited for a SEPTA bus, Philadelphia Police Capt. James Clark showed surveillance video in hopes of capturing Kim Jones' killer, who remained calm while pulling the trigger.

"Investigation reveals that Ms. Jones was standing at the bus stop waiting to go to work when an unknown offender walked up behind her and killed her," said Clark.

Round-the-clock police work turned up multiple video angles of Jones and her assailant in the moments before and after the attacker shot Jones in the back of the head, said Clark.

"The perpetrator was outside of the decedent's house for about an hour prior to the murder, in one of the breezeways — you can see the person's head keeping popping out, looking, waiting for her to come out," he said.

The first video shows Jones walking to the SEPTA bus northbound on 12th Street toward Jefferson Street Tuesday shortly after 9:15 a.m., said police.

A short time later, you see the suspect — dressed in all black and holding a duffel bag — walk toward Jones as she waited for the bus while listening to gospel music.

Police didn't show video of the actual shooting, but they did show the shooter calmly fleeing after putting the gun back in the duffel bag.

Medics pronounced the 56-year-old woman dead at the scene, about two blocks from Temple University's campus. Despite having jewelry, her cellphone and her purse on her, Jones wasn't robbed, said police.

Jones left behind two grown children. Family said she had married just two weeks ago.

"She was a good person — she's college-educated, the mother of two sons and a hard worker," said nephew Steve Jones.

Video captured the suspect, still covered head to toe in black, boarding SEPTA’s Broad Street Line Subway at the Cecil B Moore stop shortly after the shooting, said police. The suspect can be seen going five stops north, getting off at Hunting Park and walking out the Bristol Street exit.

"(The suspect) was dressed so that you could not make out if it was a male, a female or the ethnicity or anything about the individual," said Clark. " ... (The suspect) made a point of not looking up at the video cameras — almost knew where the cameras were going to be — going down the subway and on the subway and made a point to never look up."

Family members said Jones often walked about one block to the corner where she died to grab the Route 23 bus to Center City, where she had worked for Turning Points for Children for the past decade.

"We are devastated by the news of Kim’s death," said Turning Points Chief Executive Officer Mike Vogel.

Clark described the "heartless predator" as standing about 5-feet, 10 inches to 6 feet, 1-inch tall with a stocky build. The suspect wore dark clothing, including an aviator hat with flaps on the side and fur lining, and white-colored Beats headphones.

"Out hope is that someone if they saw this individual Tuesday morning will contact us and tell us who he is," said Clark.

Police believed someone who knew Jones' routine targeted her. Anyone with information is asked to contact Philadelphia Police. A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

Jones will be laid to rest Tuesday with a viewing followed by funeral at the Church of the Advocate at 18th and Diamond streets starting at 8 a.m.

Some parents in the Frisco Independent School District want a name change for the new Lebanon High School, saying the school set to open next year shouldn't share its name with the Middle East nation and that the community should get a say in naming it.

A group of eight parents met with NBC 5 Friday as they push for the district to rename the new school on Ohio Drive. They say they were originally told it would be called Freedom High School and are disappointed in what they call a less patriotic, and potentially confusing, choice.

The district says Lebanon High School got its name from a community of farmers who settled near the old Shawnee Trail half a century before the city of Frisco was established, the district says. The naming committee picked its name to honor the area's heritage.

But parent Liffey Skender wonders if that reference still resonates today. “There are a lot of people out there that are not happy with this name,” she said.

Skender voiced her concerns at a board of trustees meeting in December and says that since then, she’s received about 100 emails and two dozen phone calls from others who share them.

Robert Mays is another parent who shares her concerns. "For a high school name, it doesn’t fit this community,” Mays said.

The parents say they simply want the district to put the name change to a vote, in a community already dealing with steady growth and subsequent redistricting.

“All we’re asking for is a voice, to be heard and have an open mind,” Skender said. She said the district could promote ownership in the new campus by giving students and parents a chance to be involved in the naming process.

Her group is rallying support to speak at the next school board meeting on Feb. 9.

The district told NBC 5, however, that it did not plan to change the overall name of the school. It plans to modify the name, but only to add another word like “community,” “central,” “memorial” or “trail" to it, so the school won't be confused with Liberty High School, which already goes by LHS.

A district spokesperson told NBC 5 that while the district has tweaked school names before, it has never abandoned an overall concept name for a school.

Monster trucks are taking over Petco Park.

For the first time ever, Monster Jam has rolled into the home of the Padres, serving up loud engines and stunts. The dirt-flying action will take place over the course of two days this year, Saturday, Jan. 17 and Saturday, Jan. 31.

Monster truck fans will get to see the massive trucks race against each other and then compete in freestyle events where they will perform everything from wheelies to donuts.

This year's line-up includes World Finals champion powerhouses Grave Digger, El Toro Loco, Captain's Curse and Metal Mulisha.

Making their San Diego debuts this Saturday are FOX Sports 1 Cleatus, Scooby-Doo, Dragon, Doomsday, and others.

If you're wondering how enourmous these trucks really are, the tires alone stand at 66 inches tall, 43 inches wide. The trucks themselves are about 10,000 pounds with 15,000 horsepower, which is about ten times more than an average car, monster truck driver Carl Van Horn said.

Previously, Qualcomm Stadium served as host of the popular motorsports event until Feld Motor Sports announced last year it was partnering up with the Padres to bring the event to Petco Park.

The show starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, but fans can get the celebration started early with the Pit Party at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $15 to $45. For more information, visit MonsterJam.com.

A judge sentenced a man to life in prison without parole in the brutal death of his estranged wife, just hours after he tried to change his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity.

Attorneys for Armando Perez requested a new trial Friday in the October 2010 murder of his estranged wife, Diana Gonzalez. The defense team filed a motion with the court earlier this week.

Perez had admitted guilt in open court two months ago, just before he was to stand trial for the stabbing inside a campus restroom.  Gonzalez, 19, had given birth to the couple’s baby girl a few months before her death and was taking college classes to become a nurse.

Prosecutors say on Oct. 12, 2010, Perez hid behind a tree, grabbed Gonzalez after class and viciously stabbed her in the bathroom.

Two years ago, Perez talked about that night in a jailhouse interview with NBC 7. He said he snapped, saying he "lost it."

He also spoke out at his 2012 arraignment and protested the plea entered by his public defender, saying "I'm guilty alright! You're saying I'm not guilty."

In November, the defendant asked his former in-laws to forgive him, saying there should be money to help men with problems so they don't have to go through what happened. 

At the time, Perez said admitting guilt was the "right thing to do" and hoped his actions would help bring awareness to domestic violence.

On Friday, Perez changed his plea once again and requested a new trial. The judge denied his motion.

Weeks before he was scheduled to be sentenced, Perez asked his former in-laws to forgive him. Gonzalez' mother spoke in court Friday, calling Perez "an animal" and "a demon."  She also told her former son-in-law that she hoped he would die in prison.

Prosecutors say there are more targets in the massive corruption scandal that involved senior Navy officials trading classified information for everything from luxury travel and prostitutes to knick-knacks and top-shelf alcohol.

Singapore businessman Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis, 50, admitted guilt Thursday in the corruption conspiracy that one published report described to be “of epic proportions.”

“Our investigation is continuing and its gathering momentum,“ said Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Pletcher, who referred to "scores" of Navy personnel implicated by Francis in the plea agreement.

When asked if more senior Navy officials could be implicated in the case, Pletcher said federal prosecutors will follow the case to wherever the evidence leads.

Francis pleaded guilty to three charges including conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery and conspiracy to defraud the United States for enlisting senior Navy officials to redirect ships to ports he owned in several countries including Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia.

The charges carry a maximum exposure of 25 years in prison. Francis and GDMA were ordered to forfeit $35 million as a result of the guilty plea.

Court documents show that Francis and his company GDMA gave the co-conspirators – officials ranging from an NCIS investigator to a battleship commander – millions of dollars in gifts over 10 years beginning in 2004.

The gifts included luxury travel for the officials and family members, prostitutes, lavish meals, top-shelf alcohol, designer handbags, fountain pens, Kobe beef, Spanish suckling pigs and Cuban cigars, prosecutors said. Some officials agreed to turn over classified information for personal electronics, while others accepted gifts of model ships and ornamental swords, prosecutors said.

Navy officials deleted email accounts or used foreign-based email providers, Skype, Whats App and Blackberry chat to disguise the communication with GDMA and Francis, prosecutors said.

NBC 7 has been covering the investigation since it was first revealed in September 2013.

Guilty pleas have been entered by Navy Capt. Daniel Dusek, Navy Cmdr. Jose Luis Sanchez, Retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Edmond A. Aruffo, Navy Petty Officer First Class Dan Layug, senior Navy criminal investigator John Beliveau II and GDMA company manager Alex Wisidagama.

Captain-Select Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, one of the Navy officials accused in the conspiracy, was scheduled for a status hearing Friday.

He served as Deputy Director of Operations for the Commander of the 7th Fleet aboard USS Blue Ridge from 2011 to 2012. Prior to that he was the commanding officer on USS Mustin, a forward-deployed Destroyer class vessel in the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, home-ported in Yokosuka, Japan.

Two other unidentified co-conspirators have yet to be charged by federal prosecutors according to court documents released Thursday.

One, a Lt. Commander who is currently assigned to NAVSUP in Ventura, California but who served as a Supply Officer on USS Blue Ridge from 2005 to 2007.

The second is a Singapore woman who has been employed as a U.S. Navy contract specialist for more than 20 years.

Attorneys and investigators with the Department of Justice, Criminal Division are helping in the prosecution and NCIS had worked as a key investigative agency in the case.