The San Diego Museum of Art will start showing one of its two newest pieces of art Wednesday, a painting by a Spanish artist the museum calls one of its most significant pieces in the past decades.

The paintings, St. Francis in Prayer in a Grotto by Francisco de Zurbarán and By the Seashore, Valencia by Joaquín Sorolla, are valued at approximately $3.5 million.

The Zurbarán will be on view to the public starting Wednesday, January 21. The Sorolla will be on display starting February 26. They will be on display as a part of the 2015 Centennial Celebration in Balboa Park.

Executive Director of the museum, Roxana Velasquez, said at the media unveiling of the first painting by Francisco de Zurbaran, that Tuesday marked a special day for the museum.

"Today is a historic moment," said Velasquez. "It is not common nor frequent that one gets a magnificent gift like the one you have behind me, a Francisco de Zurbarán."

The Zurbaran painting and the Sorolla painting, which will be unveiled in February, are two of the most important and valuable acquisitions for the museum in decades. Velasquez said it is not easy to get a Zurbaran under any circumstances.

"It is almost impossible to get a Zurbaran autographed by him and recognized by the biggest experts in the world," Velasquez said. "This painting is not just a simple addition to our galleries. This painting has everything a Zurbaran should convey and this painting has been already part of international projects and has been solicited to us by museums in Spain and Germany and Brussels and this can speak to you about the caliber of this oil."

Conrad Prebys, the philanthropist that purchased the Zurbarán masterpiece on behalf of The San Diego Museum of Art, said the painting is not just another painting to him.

"This is part of San Diego and this contributes so much to the city of San Diego," Prebys said. "So many people just aren’t aware of what a treasure we have here."

The museum acquired the paintings thanks to the generosity of philanthropists Conrad Prebys and Debbie Turner, and the Legler Benbough Foundation.

Prebys said the first of the two paintings to be unveiled spoke to him personally.

"It mesmerizes me, I can’t help but stare at it," Prebys said. "There’s something extraordinarily beautiful about it and I'm just very, very pleased to be able to present it to the most deserving place in the city, the Museum of Art."

Visitors can get into the museum for free the weekend after each has debuted.

The 24-year-old man accused of exposing himself in front of a Chula Vista elementary school is headed to trial.

After hearing the evidence and testimony from witnesses - including the defendant's own father - a judge has decided to proceed with the case.

Justine Jeffrey Sison is accused of sitting on the front steps of McMillin Elementary School in Chula Vista while "rubbing" and exposing himself, according to police.

Prosecutors said multiple parents called 911 after seeing Sison with his private parts partially exposed in his hand while they were dropping their children off at school.

After receiving the 911 calls, officers discovered Sison in the bathroom of a nearby restaurant. Sison tried to punch the officers as they arrested him, but they were not injured, according to police.

The responding officers and Sison's father were in court Tuesday for the preliminary hearing.

In an attempt to argue against the indecent exposure and lewd acts charges, Sison's defense attorney claimed he was not intentionally exposing himself, but instead was scratching an itch from a rash he had at the time. The judge said that could not be proven and stayed the charges.

Sison is charged with resisting an executive officer, indecent exposure, lewd acts and possession of marijuana. If convicted, he could face three years in prison.

The trial is set to begin March 11.

The city of San Diego is one step closer to having legal medical marijuana dispensaries after the city council voted 8-1 for new regulation amendments Tuesday.

The council approved a minimum annual fee of about $1,100 that each dispensary will have to pay for operating permits. Council members want the fee to cover cost of inspections, background checks, fire prevention, zoning officials and other issues.

Councilwoman Marti Emerald told those assembled in City Hall Tuesday this is an on-going discussion and more changes should be expected.

Other proposed amendments would allow the city to have marijuana tested for pesticides, mold, mildew or bacteria at any time, and they would require drivers making deliveries to patients’ homes to have a county-issued medical marijuana ID card.

Legal pot shops will be limited to four for each the city’s nine council districts, which could make permits valuable commodities. There are already 18 applications pending in District 2 alone, all in the Midway District. Dispensaries will not be allowed within 1,000 feet of another.

But neighborhood activists are not satisfied with the regulations, arguing they do not go far enough.

“Look at how a pharmacy is regulated. They’ve got hundreds of regulations that keep them in check. They basically audit every gram of medicine that comes in and goes out. There’s nothing like that in this ordinance. We need pharmaceutical-like regulations and tracking,” said Scott Chipman with San Diegans for Safe Neighborhoods.

Others are frustrated it has taken this long, since a legal medical marijuana shop has yet to be opened within city limits.

“We California voters approved medical marijuana in 1996, so let’s stop messing with it. Let’s just make it available, make it safe, and stop with all the prohibitionist foot dragging,” said supporter Martha Sullivan.

A San Diego State University professor holds the first permit for a legal pot shop, set to open in Otay Mesa, but its approval has been appealed. The San Diego Planning Commission is scheduled to hear the issue on Jan. 29.

San Diego's first-ever Cat Café has apparently hit a snag, but the owner says the problem can be avoided by just applying a little respect.

The Cat Café opened earlier this month at Third Street and Island Avenue in Downtown San Diego, making it the first of its kind for Southern California and one of only a few that allows children inside.

But that luxury may soon go by the wayside if tiny customers can't learn to be gentle, owner Tony Wang said.

According to a post on the Café's Facebook page, Wang left to pick up supplies for the store and when he returned, he found that people - specifically children - were being "less than respectful of the cats." Children were apparently chasing the felines and tugging tails while failing to maintain inside voices.

"We're one of the few cat cafés that actually lets children in, so I'm disappointed that occurred," Wang said. "If I hear another report of that happening, I'm going to have to set a 'no children' policy, which I really don't want to do."

The cats are not just there to entertain and share a little coffee with guests; they can be adopted and taken home.

The Cat Café works in partnership with the San Diego Humane Society, and every cat in the joint is up for adoption. That means, though, they need to be respected, Wang said.

"Obviously working with one of the premier animal rescue organizations, the San Diego Humane Society...we can't have that happening because the welfare of the animals is paramount," Wang said.

But Wang included that after he posted on Facebook about the troubles in the café, dozens of people stepped up and offered to volunteer as room monitors.

Because the animals are all there in search of their forever homes, Wang said it's the perfect opportunity to get to know the animals - and how to properly treat them - before deciding to take one home.

"If a child learns here how to play with the animals in a gentle and respectful way, then when you decide to bring an animal home, you won't have any of those issues," Wang said.

The owner continued his emphasis on wanting to keep the café open to children, saying he has seen the bond between child and feline and he doesn't want to take that away.

"There was recently a child here who was developmentally challenged, and the smile on his face while he was playing with one of those cats was just amazing," Wang said. "I don't want to take that away."

Wang's Facebook post urged the same, saying, "Please don't make me do this."

He said the solution is simple: be gentle and respectful and nothing has to change.

"You just need to be respectful of these animals," Wang said. "They're not toys; they are living things, and if you treat them gently and with respect, you children are more than welcome to come in. And I would love to have them here 'cause I have seen some incredible bonds formed between an animal here and the children."

A 38-year-old Southern California woman has been charged with having sex with her daughter’s teenage ex-boyfriend, police said.

Escondido police arrested Fereshta Angel Williams of Deer Springs on charges of having sex with a minor more than three years younger, two counts of oral copulation of a minor and one count of trying to dissuade a witness.

After investigating her for several weeks, police arrested Williams on Jan. 5 at the 24-Hour Fitness at 200 La Terraza Blvd.

Police said Williams’ relationship with the teen, who was 16 years old at the time, lasted between two and three months; they declined to release how they were alerted to the relationship.

Williams has been released from jail after posting bail. She has pleaded not guilty to charges against her, and her defense atttorney declined to comment on the case Tuesday because she says information is just being exchanged between the defense and prosecution. 

Williams' next court date is Feb. 3.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

A welfare check turned into a tragic murder-suicide investigation after police discovered three people dead, including a boy, in a Rancho Peñasquitos home.

A friend who hadn't heard from them asked San Diego Police to check on the home in the 9500 block of High Park Lane Tuesday morning.

When officers arrived, no one answered the front door, so they moved to the back of the house.  Peering inside through a window, police saw the body of a 40-year-old woman downstairs, according to SDPD investigators.

The officers forced their way through a cracked sliding glass door and discovered the bodies of a 50-year-old man and a 6-year-old boy upstairs.

"I don't understand that. I don't think any of us will ever understand how someone could bring violence on a child," said neighbor Kerri Wisniewski.

SDPD Lt. Paul Rorrison said the man shot the woman and child and then turned the gun on himself.

"We don't know what kind of demons he has or what drove him to this. That's something we'll look into in the future," Rorrison said.

SDPD officials are not yet releasing their relationship.

Check back here for details on this developing story.

Two California Army National Guard aviators were hurt when their helicopter crashed at the Ramona Airport Tuesday evening, according to National Guard Lt. Will Martin.

At about 5 p.m., the two were doing a routine training mission in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter when they had to perform a forced landing at 2926 Montecito Road.

The aircraft flipped over on its side, causing significant damage.

Both guardsmen inside got out on their own and were treated on scene for minor injuries, according to Cal Fire. They were then taken to the hospital for evaluation.

It's unclear what caused the hard landing, and the military has taken over the investigation.

Five Disneyland workers contracted measles at the Anaheim park, including two employees who had vaccinations, health officials said Tuesday, as the number of confirmed cases in the on-going outbreak rose to 53.

A statement from the Orange County Healthcare Agency said there is still “ongoing measles transmission at Disneyland."

At least one family visiting the amusement park Tuesday said they were going to try to get a refund.

“Who knows if we are going to get our money back or not, but we are going to try,” said Matthew Smith, who said it just wasn’t worth risking his daughter’s fragile immune system.

The Smiths traveled all the way from El Paso, Texas, to show their special-needs daughter the attractions featuring the movie “Frozen.”

Smith said his family called to check in with representatives from the park before making the trip, and were told the outbreak had dissipated and that it was safe to visit the park.

Others visiting the park said they weren’t too worried about the highly contagious virus.

“I feel pretty safe walking around,” said one Australian visitor.

Disney said it is taking each request for a measles-based refund on a case-by-case basis.

The health department said while there is a risk of contracting the disease at the park, with the continuing outbreak, the risk exists across the county.

A two-year audit reveals the San Diego Unified School District needs $200 million in safety upgrades, which include fencing improvements and communication fixes.

Though the district points out that students are staff are safe in local schools, revelations from the Sandy Hook tragedy two years ago prompted schools across the region to review their procedures and facilities to see where their weak spots lie and what they can do to make schools safer for kids.

The SDUSD school board heard the recommendations from safety and security review Tuesday, which identified improvements like fixing gates, replacing door locks and at one school, building a front window so staff can see who is approaching the school.

Additionally, the majority of district safety procedures have been found to be poorly enforced or outdated, like campus communications.

“One of the issues with the radio system before was that people had their own individual systems. They'd just go to Costco and buy radios. The problem was that the public could hear what the emergency communications were on the radios,” said Sally Smith with the superintendent’s Focus Group on Safety.

School board members also discussed how each action could be funded. District spokeswoman Urusla Kroemer told NBC 7 the $200 million price tag would wipe out all available bond money, and while some grant money could be used, it would not be enough.

She said some hard decisions have to be made, and officials have to weigh the recommendations against the concern of making schools feel like a prison.

After discussing the issues, the board voted to create a team tasked with deciding which safety measures are needed at each school. That group will review school sites, undergo community outreach, reconcile the audit’s recommendations with what’s already been started and report back to the board.

Kroemer said the team will start meeting with various schools as early as next month.

NBC 7 has investigated several safety lapses at San Diego schools. At Crown Point Elementary, parents say two kindergartners were able to wander off campus. Some at Pacific Beach Middle School complained about gates being left wide open and unattended.

“Parents had the opportunity to bring up all of these issues, and parents know that their own schools have their own problems,” said Smith. “The great thing was parents had the opportunities to talk about the gates that were being left open or the radio system that wasn't working.”

NBC Investigates also revealed nearly half of the county’s school districts do not collect and review official school safety drill reports, though this issue is not included in the audit.

A former Navy SEAL claims he was misled into entering a guilty plea to charges he stole more than a million dollars from his fellow SEALs.

Jason Mullaney, 43, used a company he started called Trident Financial Holdings & Acquisitions LLC to swindle more than $1.1 million from 11 active or retired SEALs as a part of an investment scam.

In September, Mullaney accepted a plea agreement and entered a guilty plea on grand theft charges.

However, Mullaney argued he was misled about the consequences of the plea by his defense attorney.

"No buyer's remorse," Judge Frederick Maguire told the defendant Wednesday as he denied the defense  motion and scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 17.

Mullany faces a minimum sentence of six years and eight months and no more than 12 years and eight months.

New defense attorney Patrick Dudley said his client would appeal today's ruling to a higher court.

Falling gas prices could drop even lower in the week ahead, with the national average dipping below $2 a gallon, according to one group that tracks prices at the pump.

But those planning a road trip may want to fill up their tanks fast, as the low prices are expect to drive away in the coming weeks.

The national average for gas prices, currently at $2.05 a gallon, is expected to drop to no lower than $1.95 a gallon by next week, the website GasBuddy said Wednesday. Prices have not fallen this low since March 25, 2009, the group said. Prices at more than 50 percent of gas stations in the United States have already hit the $2-or-less mark, Gregg Laskoski, a senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy, said in a statement.

However, as the weather starts to get warmer and people start to travel and spend more time outside, demand for gas will also start to pick up by early February, increasing gas prices, analysts say. In February, gas prices should rise 30 to 50 cents per gallon due to the increase in demand.

Nevertheless gas prices are expected to remain much less expensive than in recent years, where prices were close to $4 a gallon as opposed to the coming months where prices will be closer to $3 a gallon. 

"We should start to see the national average bottom and stabilize in the coming days or weeks, but not months," according to Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, said in an interview.

Michael Green, Manager at AAA Public Relations identified two main contributing factors to the declining prices at the pump— an economic slow down and an oil game with Saudi Arabia.

The slow economic growth in Asian countries like China, Japan and in Europe, especially now with talks of Greece leaving the Euro Zone, means that the demand is weak in those countries, while the supply continues to remain high in North America, Green said.

He also said one goal of oil-producing  countries within the Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, may be to create a situation where oil drops so much that U.S. production of oil will decline so that it will no longer be profitable to produce oil in America. Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest member, is hoping to regain the market share that they’ve lost, he said.

“Currently, there is more supply than there is demand so prices are low. In past years there has been more demand than supply,” Green said. “Since last April gas prices have been declining for a record 118 days in a row, which is the longest streak of daily consecutive declines.”

A crash on North Torrey Pines Road Tuesday afternoon left a seven-year-old boy with serious internal injuries.

Shortly before 2 p.m. Monday, a 39-year-old female was driving a Honda Civic westbound on Genesee Avenue when she fell asleep, police said. She veered off the road and hit a tree.

The driver was not injured but her seven-year-old son suffered serious internal injuries, though the injuries are not expected to be life-threatening.

The San Diego Police Department’s Traffic Division is investigating.

The University of California at San Diego’s Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention Resource Center will expand its services to help more students.

Under their expanded services, the new center will provide crisis intervention and advocacy to faculty and staff as well as students. The center will also change its name to CARE: Advocacy Office for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Misconduct.

The expansion comes after a recent call-to-action by University of California President Janet Napolitano. Napolitano said the school system needed a consistent model for the response and prevention of sexual assault and violence.

The center will report to the Office of Ethics and Compliance, though it will continue to serve as an independent and confidential advocacy office.

Sexual assault reports at UC San Diego have been climbing in recent years, an annual security report released last October said. 20 assaults were reported in 2013, compared to six in 2011.

Last year was the first year universities were required to report the number of crimes related to domestic and dating violence as well as stalking by law.

The expanded program for UC schools has received about $1.3 million dollars in grants from the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a press release.

Rewards totaling $170,000 were announced Wednesday in connection with an arson investigation into a December fire that destroyed a downtown LA apartment under construction and damaged nearby buildings.

A reward of $75,000 will be considered Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council. Another $95,000 will be contributed from private sources and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

The Da Vinci Apartments fire Dec. 8 destroyed the wood-frame structure, burned nearby office towers, damaged freeway signs and led to hourslong freeway and street closures. Officials with the fire and police departments, city of Los Angeles and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are expected at a morning news conference to announce the reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

"I've been doing this for 25 years, and I don't recall a reward this high," said agent Carlos Canino, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "It's unprecedented because of the magnitude of this fire."

The intense fire continued to smolder a day after firefighters responded to the burning building on Temple Street. Intense heat melted computers onto desks and shattered windows of a neighboring office high-rise building on Figueroa Street. Caltrans officials said overhead signs on the 110 Freeway were melted and will need to be replaced.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas called the "devastating" fire "one of the largest structure fires the LAFD has had in recent memory."

More than one-third of the department's on-duty firefighters responded to the fire. At the same time, more firefighters responded to a nearby fire in the Westlake District, stretching the agency's resources.

"The (reward) amount is quite high," said Councilman Jose Huizar. "I haven't seen something like this.

"It is well worth it in this instance. We certainly do not want to see something like this happen again."

Typical rewards in homicide investigations total about $50,000 to $75,000, he said.

Investigators announced Dec. 19 that the fire was an act of arson after they searched through about 75,000-square feet of debris, photographed the crime scene and recovered potential evidence for ATF lab analysis.

"The fire was a city block long," Canino said. "The debris field inside that building was 7 feet high. We removed tons and tons of debris."

Most of the debris was removed by using shovels because heavy equipment would not fit inside the structure, Canino said.

Investigators also interviewed people who were among the first to respond to the fire. They still would like to speak with two individuals seen on video near the site at the time of the fire, Canino said.

"We are not at a dead end, whatsoever," said Canino. "We still would like to speak with those two individuals we saw back in December.

"We're running down some leads."

The inferno caused about $25 million to $30 million in damage to the complex and two adjacent office towers.
 

LGBT rights activists and organizations across the country are applauding President Barack Obama for becoming the first U.S. president to use the words "lesbian," "bisexual" and "transgender" in a State of the Union Address.

In the nearly hour-long address in front of Congress Tuesday, Obama condemned persecution of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, while declaring that same-sex marriage is a “civil right.” His remarks come on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court agreement last week to rule on whether all 50 states must allow gay and lesbian couples to marry.

"As Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we're threatened, which is why I've prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our use of new technology like drones is properly constrained," Obama in his sixth State of the Union address. "That's why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. We do these things not only because they're right, but because they make us safer."

Masen Davis, executive director of the Transgender Law Center in California, said the mention made the speech “especially historic for transgender and bisexual people.” The first-of-its-kind nature of the reference was widely reported following the Tuesday night address and confirmed by NBC Owned Television Stations.

“We’ve never heard a president address their needs during a State of the Union Address,” Davis said. “That was just historic. By simply saying the word 'transgender' in a speech, it represents the progress for transgender people and the United State’s broader movement for equality for all.”

Mara Keisling, executive director of the Washington D.C-based National Center for Transgender Equality said that the “mention of us” is a way that “empower trans people to stand taller and work harder.”

“The president of the United States condemning persecution against transgender people is pivotal,” the transgender rights activist said in a statement.

Former NFL player Wade Davis II, executive director for You Can Play Project, an advocacy organization that is working to eradicate homophobia in sports, said the inclusion shows that society is starting to recognize that "gay" is not a universal term for those in the LGBT community.

“It’s not an inclusive term for someone who is bisexual or transgender, and we hope people would realize that,” said Davis, who came out as gay in 2012. “The struggle of someone being gay is not a representative of the struggles of someone who is bisexual or transgender. Gay is not this universal term that stands for lesbians, bisexual and transgender. And transgender has zero to do with sexual orientation.”

While the wait may have been long for a U.S president to make such move at the annual joint session of Congress, Obama’s calls for LGBT rights and protections are not entirely new. He was the country's first sitting leader to support same-sex marriage, an announcement he made in 2012.

Obama made a more robust move in 2013, when he reportedly became the first president to use the word “gay” during an inaugural address ─ at his second inauguration in 2013. Last year, the president signed an executive order extending protection against discrimination in the workplace for gay and transgender workers in the federal government.

Masen Davis said more work need to be done, and he urged Congress to pass laws to help LGBT individuals get more access to the services they need, including protections against housing discrimination.

Wade Davis, the NFL player, echoed those remarks, saying he hopes Obama’s message Tuesday night “will start some serious conversations about the discrimination” people in the LGBT community faces, particularly transgender individuals.

“It’s unfortunate for this to be the first time a president talks about it, but it speaks to some come change that is happening,” Wade Davis said. “I hope that the outcome of those conversations will be a policy. Talking without having a policy to back it up is just empty.”

A dashcam video released Tuesday shows the moments leading up to and following a deadly police-involved shooting of 36-year-old Jerame Reid in Bridgeton, New Jersey.

In the video, captured the around 9:20 p.m. on Dec. 30, 2014 police officers in Bridgeton, New Jersey can be seen opening fire on Reid after they pulled over a Jaguar at South Avenue and Henry Street.

Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said Bridgeton police officers Braheme Days and Roger Worley both shot one of two people who were in the stopped Jaguar.

On Tuesday, the South Jersey Times obtained dashcam video that shows the shooting and the events leading up to it. In the profanity-laced encounter, police tell Reid to show them his hands and not move.

"If you reach for something you're going to be dead," an officer can be heard saying.

The 5-minute dashcam video video shows officers Worley and Days pulling Reid and the driver, identified as Leroy Tutt, over. Days walks up to the passenger side of the vehicle, where Reid is sitting, and informs the two men they were pulled over because Tutt ran through a stop sign on South Pine Street. Days then asks to see a driver's license.

Suddenly Days pulls out his weapon, points it at Reid and repeatedly screams, "Show me your hands" and "don't move."

Worley runs toward the driver's side of the vehicle with his own weapon raised. Tutt can be seen raising his hands out of the vehicle. It's unclear from the video if Reid is raising his hands as well.

"Get him out the car, Rog," Days tells his partner. "We've got a gun in his glove compartment." 

Days once again tells Reid not to move, opens the door and takes a silver object, which appears to be a gun, out of the car. Days then again repeatedly tells Reid not to move and to show him his hands.

"I'm gonna shoot ya!" Days screams. "You're gonna be f****** dead! I'm telling you! if you reach for something you're gonna be f****** dead! I'm telling you! I'm telling you! Keep your f****** hands right there! Eh, eh, Jerome, if you reach for something you're gonna be f****** dead! He's reaching! He's reaching! Show me your f****** hands!

Reid responds to Days though it's unclear from the video what he's saying.

"No, you're not!" Days responds. "No, you're not! No, you're not! Don't f****** move!" 

Days then backs away with his gun still raised. Reid then gets out of the car and appears to have at least one of his hands raised. He takes a step toward Days, who then opens fire. Worley opens fire as well. At least six shots are heard in the video.

After Reid drops to the ground, the officers tell Tutt to get out of the car and drop to the ground which Tutt does. Several people are then heard shouting in the background as police handcuff Tutt. He was questioned in connection with the deadly altercation but was not charged, authorities said.

Webb-McRae said a handgun "was revealed and later recovered" from the Jaguar. Her office did not return a call or email seeking more details on the shooting.

The officers have since been placed on paid leave, said Bridgeton Police Chief Mark Ott.

The Bridgeton Police Department said Wednesday that it routinely doesn't release dashcam video like this but in this case did because they were legally compelled to due to public records standards.

Before the dashcam video surfaced, witnesses had told NBC10 the scene was chaotic.

"They were telling him, 'Get out the car,'" said one witness. "They was like 'Stop!' and they started shooting."

Tahli Dawkins, who was taking out his recycling at the time of the shooting, told NBC10 he witnessed the altercation and saw nothing in Reid's hands.

"He had his hands up trying to get out of the car, one on the door was getting out like this and he just started shooting him," Dawkins said. 

Reid's friend Shiquera Sierra told NBC10 Days had a reputation in the community before the shooting as a bit of a rogue cop.

"Everybody around here in this community can tell you Braheme Days, one of the cops that shot him, has harassed people and has kicked in people's doors," she said. "We have a video of him macing a man when he was in cuffs."

All complaints against Days were thrown out in court, however.

Reid's widow, Lawanda Reid, hired a law firm in hopes of finding out exactly what transpired the night of her husband's death. She said she planned to have an independent autopsy conducted on her husband as well. 

"We just want answers why this happened," she said. "No one deserves to die like that."

Jerame Reid had a 3-month-old son, according to his cousin Keesha Springs. He was incarcerated last summer for possession of heroin, cocaine, contempt of court and resisting arrest. Days was one of the officers who arrested Reid on the drug charges, according to the South Jersey Times.

The South Jersey Times also reports Reid spent 13 years in state prison for shooting at three New Jersey State Police troopers when he was a teenager.

Springs told NBC10 he was trying to turn his life around. 

"He was a good kid," Springs said. "He had a troubled past, but after that he became a good person. I love my cousin. Everybody has their bad times and he had his bad times. But he was very lovable." 

Firefighters rescued a construction worker who was buried up to his chest in soil when a trench collapsed at a site in downtown Manhattan Wednesday evening, the FDNY said.

The worker was in a pit at a Grand Street site on the Lower East Side when the trench was hit with a pipe and it collapsed, burying the worker up to the chest in soil and rocks, according to FDNY Assistant Chief James Daly. 

He had been down in the pit about 10 to 12 feet for about an hour when the side wall collapsed, Daly said. Colleagues were able to get his head and torso out before rescuers arrived. 

Special command units trained for trench rescue were brought in, said Daly. Pneumatic jacks were used to stabilize the trench, and a compressor truck broke up the soil as a vacuum truck sucked up the dirt. 

Medics hooked up the worker to an IV while he was inside the trench, and gave him pain medication as he waited to be pulled up, according to Daly. 

Chopper 4 over the scene showed dozens of firefighters with a ladder unit retrieving the worker from the soil pit. He was put on a flatbed stretcher, then put on an FDNY ambulance.

He was in critical but stable condition, Daly said. 

A crew had been working on an underground pipe leak at the site, Daly said. 

-- Michael George contributed to this report. 

National Pie Day is Jan. 23, so go ahead and indulge (all week if you want to – we won’t tell). We’ve got a list of where to find the scrumptious slices around San Diego. If the bites below aren’t enough and you require more delicious choices, check out our feature over Thanksgiving that lists some additional slices of heaven!

Cane Patch Pies, Vista & Local Farmer’s Markets

Tony and Jon Smalls run this local bakery and they pay homage to family recipes with signature sweet potato pies that are out of this world. You can only find them online and selling at local farmer’s markets. But trust us, they’re worth it. They also offer a classic apple pie and a pecan option, not to mention a slew of other sweet potato snacks.

Debbie’s Restaurant & Pie Shoppe, San Marcos

This local gem will wow you with its fresh and delicious homemade pies. Debbie, the owner, whips them up daily and offers everything from fruit pies like cherry, peach and boysenberry apple crunch to creamy concoctions like banana cream and coconut custard. Buy a simple slice or take the whole pie home without regrets.

Village Mill Bread Co., Carmel Valley

This spot is famous for the loaves, but the pie speaks for itself. Give the Village Mill 24 to 48 hours’ notice and you can get your hands on some. While this shop does bake pies daily, it tends to sell out, so pre-ordering is suggested if you’re making pie promises. The top three flavors are a classic cherry, a perfect peach and a mixed variety full of raspberries, blueberries and peaches.

Mook & Pop’s Culinary Delights, San Diego & Local Farmer’s Markets

Bourbon pecan, sweet potato, seasonal fruit pies and more. Mook bakes it, and per the website, Pop eats it if you don’t watch out. This adorable local couple (they married on Valentines Day 1948) cooks up their concoctions and sells them to excited patrons at the farmer’s market in both Temecula and Hillcrest. You can place a specific order on their website, too.

Bear Buns Bakery, Sierra Mesa

The cheeky joint specializes in cinnamon rolls, but Yelpers rave that they cater to pie lovers, as well. You’ll need to order your whole pie in advance and you’ve got scrumptious options to choose from including apple, sweet cherry, pecan and pumpkin. It’s a family owned and operated coffeehouse, too – a sweet small business at its finest.

Bud’s Louisiana Café, Kearny Mesa

At this highly rated New Orleans style café you’ll discover comfort food at its finest and desserts to boot. Throw the calorie counting out the window and try the Creole Pecan, a thin layer of cheesecake topped with a nutty pecan pie. Or go for the Cajun Velvet Pie made with a mousse of fluffy peanut butter on an Oreo crust topped with chocolate sauce. Bud himself is famously committed to quality, so you won’t be disappointed.

Trish Sanderson is the community manager and marketing director for Yelp North County San Diego. She leads the local community of Yelp reviewers both online and off.

The centennial celebrations of Balboa Park continue to unfold in San Diego.

To celebrate the anniversary, a trolley car with promotional wrap featuring the park was unveiled today at the 12th and Imperial Transit Center downtown.

San Diego City Council member Todd Gloria presented the new trolley alongside the Balboa Park Conservancy Board President Carol Chang and the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Board Chairman Harry Mathis.

The trolley features historic 1915 park photos as the backdrop for other images in honor of the anniversary.

The wrapping was significant because of the MTS’ longstanding transit service to the city’s historic park. MTS has run trolleys to Balboa Park for more than 100 years. The new wrap celebrates that tradition and raises awareness of the Park’s historical value for those on the trains.

A wind advisory was in effect for parts of San Diego County through Thursday, the National Weather Service announced Wednesday.

People living near and just southwest of mountain crests could see gusts strong enough to take down tree branches or blow around loose items according to the advisory.

Gusts could reach 50 mph.

Anyone traveling into the East County could see dangerous conditions for high-profile vehicles.

Winds should diminish by midday Thursday but could return Saturday, NWS officials said.