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Romney Shifts His Position on Climate Change

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As he considers a third presidential campaign, Mitt Romney said Wednesday night that one of the country's biggest challenges is climate change and that global solutions are needed to combat it.

"I'm one of those Republicans who thinks we are getting warmer and that we contribute to that," he said.

The 2012 Republican presidential nominee spoke to a sold-out crowd of about 3,000 at an investment management conference. It was his second public address since privately telling potential donors two weeks ago that he's considering seeking the presidency in 2016.

Romney didn't address a possible campaign at the event, but he used his 30-minute speech to lay out what appeared to be a populist platform. While hitting familiar Republican points criticizing the size of the federal debt, Romney at times sounded like a Democrat, calling for President Barack Obama and other leaders in Washington to act on climate change, poverty and education.

His evolving platform comes as he works to reshape his image after consecutive presidential defeats. He spent little time talking about poverty, the middle class or climate change in a 2012 campaign in which opponents cast him as an out-of-touch millionaire. But in public and private conversations in recent weeks he has focused on poverty, perhaps above all, a dramatic shift for the former private-equity executive.

Romney had previously acknowledged that climate change is real, noting in his 2010 book that "human activity is a contributing factor." But he questioned the extent to which man was contributing to the warming of the planet and said throughout his 2012 campaign that America shouldn't spend significant resources combatting the problem.

Romney said Wednesday night that federal leaders have failed to enact global agreements needed to tackle the problem.

The former Massachusetts governor also criticized Obama's State of the Union address, saying the president had minimized the threat of radical, violent jihadism and terror attacks in Paris.

"This is a very serious threat the world faces," he said. "And to minimize that, and sort of brush it aside with a few minutes of discussion, I thought was disappointing."

Romney said a growing education gap is one of the country's biggest challenges and suggested that teacher pay should be raised.

At times during the speech, he appeared equal parts candidate and economics professor, gesturing from behind a podium to a projected slideshow of graphs and pie charts of the federal debt and budget.

Before the speech — tickets were sold to the public — Romney spoke to a private dinner of about 130 clients of Diversify Inc., the investment firm that sponsored the event. Tyler Fagergren, a manager with the firm, said people asked Romney questions about the economy and investment but were not allowed to ask about a possible 2016 campaign.

Romney told the larger audience that he's honored to be a Utah resident now. He's built a home in an upscale Salt Lake City suburb and registered late last year as a Utah voter.



Photo Credit: AP

Drone Carrying Meth Crashes in Tijuana

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A drone carrying methamphetamine crashed in Mexico near the San Ysidro Port of Entry on Tuesday night.

The unmanned aircraft hauling more than 6 pounds of crystal meth in six packages fell from the sky into the parking lot of a supermarket in Tijuana just before 10 p.m., according to Vicente Calderon, a Tijuana-based freelance journalist for NBC 7.

Tijuana police said an anonymous citizen reported finding the drone in the parking lot.

The packages of drugs were attached to the drone using plastic webbing and strips of black tape, police said.

The aircraft itself had six propellers and a lithium battery.

The drone and the drugs were handed over to Mexican authorities to look into who's responsible for the attempted smuggling.

While smugglers have long used a variety of tactics to shuffle drugs across the border, Calderon said Tijuana police reported that this is the first time smugglers have attempted using drones to pass drugs through the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

Drug trafficking organizations in Mexico have increasingly used drones to transport drugs over the past several years, according to published reports.

Two Pitbulls Rescued From Boat Found Off Shore

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Lifeguards found a surprise when they spotted a boat docked miles off shore.

Two pitbull dogs were rescued from the boat found two miles off shore. Lifeguards said the owner must have anchored the boat in a bad area.

High tide Wednesday morning may have lifted the anchor and caused the boat to drift away.

The dogs were rescued and taken to safety by San Diego County animal control, where the thirsty pups received water.

Lifeguards are in the process of trying to find the owner.



Photo Credit: Liberty Zabala

Suspect in Custody After Imperial Beach Bank Robbery

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A suspect is in custody following a robbery at a Union Bank in Imperial Beach, police said.

The incident happened shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday on the 900 block of Palm Avenue. The suspect used a demand note to ask for money, though no weapons were seen. He fled from the bank on foot.

Police said charges will be filed against him Thursday for federal bank robbery.

Detective Helped Girlfriend Cover up Murder, Took Her on Vacation: DA

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A Philadelphia Police homicide detective hid his girlfriend and helped her cover up her ex-husband's murder then lied to his colleagues about evidence in the investigation, the city's district attorney says.

Likening the case to something you might read in a trashy romance novel, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams announced Thursday that detective Ron Dove has been indicted by a grand jury on obstruction of justice and conspiracy charges in the death of Cesar Vera.

Vera was stabbed to death inside his North Philadelphia home on Sept. 8, 2013. Prosecutors say the murder was committed at the hands of his ex-wife, Erica Sanchez. She was Dove's lover at the time.

A blood-soaked Sanchez, 33, came to Dove after the stabbing and he helped arrange for her to flee the city, the DA said.

"He actively shielded her, hid her, financed her flight, failed to disclose material evidence and facts to his fellow police officers," Williams said.

Prosecutors said toll and financial records and video showed Dove booked the woman a hotel room in Rochester, New York, drove her there and bought her a new cell phone. When he returned to Philadelphia, the detective cleaned Sanchez's car and asked a body shop owner to keep it hidden in his garage, Williams said.

"He said that Erica had murdered someone and that the police were actively looking for the car," Williams said. "He instructed that if police came by the shop, he should lie."

Detectives spent weeks investigating the case while their colleague knew Sanchez's role in the murder and where she was staying. Meanwhile, Williams said Dove returned to New York to go sightseeing with his lover.

"They spent the weekend at Niagara Falls touring the sites and taking pictures," he said. Once the weekend excursion was over, Dove checked Sanchez back into another hotel and returned to Philadelphia.

Over the course of the investigation, Dove did tell fellow investigators he knew Sanchez, but insisted that the stabbing was done in self-defense, according to Williams. When he did give a more detailed statement to police, he lied about his involvement in her escape, officials said.

Police eventually caught up to Sanchez on Oct. 16, 2013 and charged her in Vera's death. But Williams said all of the physical evidence from the crime was gone.

Dove has surrendered to authorities on Thursday morning and was arraigned late Thursday night before he was released on $2,500 bail. He has been fired from the police department.

"He has caused embarrassment to this city, this department and his family because of his shameful actions. Dove’s conduct is simply intolerable and inexcusable," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said.

The grand jury is continuing to investigate the case. They have recommended additional charges be levied against Sanchez as well.

The district attorney's office is reviewing all the cases where Dove was a witness or investigator.

The family of another murder victim, Leslie Delzingaro, where Dove was the lead investigator, told NBC10 last year they believe he withheld evidence in her case. The bar where the woman was murdered was owned by Sanchez's father. Police said they are investigating the claims.


Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter and Facebook.



Photo Credit: Philadelphia Police
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Patriots Coach: "No Explanation" for "Deflategate"

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"I have no explanation for what happened," New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Thursday morning when addressing the media on the "Deflategate" controversy.

"We have cooperated fully, quickly and completely," with the NFL's investigation, he said.

The league is looking into a report that claimed the New England Patriots used under-inflated footballs in Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.

The NFL says its investigation is ongoing.

"When I came in Monday morning, I was shocked to learn of the news reports about the footballs," Belichick said. "I had no knowledge whatsoever of this situation until Monday morning. I would say I've learned a lot more about this process in the last three days than I knew or have talked about in the last 40 years that I have coached in this league.

"In my entire coaching career, I have never talked to any player or staff member on football air pressure," he added. "To me, the footballs are approved by league and game officials pre-game and we play with what's out there."

The Patriots will take on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, Feb. 1.

"I'm trying to coach the team, and that's what I want to do," Belichick said.

The NFL began looking into the issue not only because doctoring the footballs could provide a competitive advantage, but because it would compromise the integrity of the game.

Deflating a football can change the way it's gripped by a player, or the way it travels through the air.

Under NFL rules, each team provides balls each game for use when its offense is on the field. The balls are inspected before the game by the officiating crew, then handled during the game by personnel provided by the home team.

Belichick said in the future, the Patriots will be sure to inflate footballs over the minimium 12.5-pounds per square inch to account for any possible change during the game.

"It's unfortunate that this is a story coming off of two great playoff victories by our football team and our players," Belichick said. "But again, we've been cooperative with the NFL investigation. We'll continue to do so and we will turn all our attention and focus on to the Seattle Seahawks, a very well coached, talented, tough, competitive football team."

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is scheduled to address the media around 3:45 on Thursday afternoon.



Photo Credit: AP/Elise Amendola

Mom, 2 Kids Displaced After Laundry Fire

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Two children and their mother were displaced after a dryer caused a fire in their North Park home Thursday morning.

San Diego Fire Rescue responded to a call of a dryer fire at 3520 Herman Avenue after the woman who lives in the home smelled smoke and could see flames coming from her laundry closet. She and her two children evacuated and called 911, fire officials said.

When fire crews arrived, smoke was visible from the second floor of a two-story condominium.

Fire fighters were able to contain the fire to just a hallway, and put it out in ten minutes, according to fire officials. There was only minor smoke damage to the adjoining bedrooms.

No one was injured, but the woman and two children were displaced as a result of the fire, officials said.

It was unclear what caused the fire, but an investigation is underway.



Photo Credit: San Diego Fire-Rescue

Donations Pour in for Local Man Injured by Softball Bat

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A local man with a passionate love for baseball was the victim of a freak accident at a tournament last week, and his friends and family are asking for the public's help in funding his lengthy recovery.

Mike Petracca, 28, from Oceanside was at a Las Vegas softball tournament Sunday, walking between fields with teammates, when the unthinkable happened: a batter on a nearby field accidentally let go of a softball bat, causing it to clear a fence and strike Petrecca in the left temple, according to a family friend.

A GoFundMe account was subsequently created after MRI results following an emergency brain surgery showed damage to the part of the brain that handles speech production, meaning Petracca's road to recovery will likely be a long one.

According to the description on the online donation account, Petracca is currently unable to speak and has some paralysis to one side of his face. He also has some muscle weakness and lack of control to the other side, which they hope will subside as he heals, they said.

Petracca is currently still in intensive care in a Las Vegas hospital, according to the GoFundMe description. He will eventually be transported back to California and placed in a managed care facility to recovery.

Because of the nature of his injuries and the lengthy recovery ahead, Petracca's family and friends don't anticipate his health insurance will fully cover the cost of his care, they said. The GoFundMe account was created to assist in those future costs.

The account has only been live for one day, but more than $30k has already been raised for Petracca's medical costs. The goal is $50k, with donations coming in by the minute.

Anyone interested in making a donation toward Petracca's recovery can click here and follow the instructions on the site.



Photo Credit: GoFundMe

Grant to Help SDSU Better Prevent Sexual Assault

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San Diego State University has received a $200,000 grant that will be used to fund a full-time sexual assault victim advocate on campus in addition to other prevention and educational resources.

The grant, from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), will provide for a full-time sexual assault victim advocate on campus who will be trained and hired through the Center for Community Solutions. The money will also provide for a part-time police officer dedicated to sexual assault prevention.

The grant comes after 13 sexual assaults were reported on campus and police made an arrest in one case during the school's fall semester. Seven of the alleged incidents happened at locations classified as fraternities. The SDSU Green community also came under fire at the time for the reports and in December the community announced new sexual assault awareness training for fraternity and sorority members.

SDSU fraternity Delta Sigma Phi was shut down in December after a participant in a march meant to stop violence against woman said people at parties shouted obscenities and threw eggs at marchers – including waiving inappropriate objects as the marchers passed by.

The school submitted the proposal for the grant to Cal OES in July of last year and will be committing an additional $66,667 of its own money to support grant activities.

SDSU is one of two universities to receive the annual allocation of up to $200,000 per year for three years. California State University Long Beach also received a grant.

In addition to funding new staff, money from the grant will help the university expand its Sexual Violence Task Force with community agencies and local law enforcement. Any additional funds will go toward student, faculty and staff training as well as educational materials and community outreach efforts.

Bank Robber Needed Cash for "Personal Emergency": FBI

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Suspects in area bank robberies - caught in the act on camera.

Photo Credit: FBI

Blue Angels Fly Over Downtown SD Honors Vice Admiral

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San Diegans in the downtown area were treated to a flyover by the Blue Angels Thursday as the U.S. Navy recognized the retirement of a senior aviation official.

The team was called into town to celebrate the retirement of Vice Admiral David Buss, the head of all naval aviation. About 60 flag officers attended the celebration as he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal on behalf of the president.

Buss served for 36 years and commanded Attack Squadron 34 the Blue Blasters, one of the Navy's last A-6 squadrons. He also oversaw new technology during a turbulent time, including the development and testing of the Navy's newest stealth jet, the F-35C.

He also commanded USS Sacramento during Operation Enduring Freedom and then USS John Stennis.

“I turn over an aviation force today of which I am, and you should be, very, very proud,”
Buss said in a Navy news release. “Not only do we continue to excel in combat and have so continuously for the past 13 plus years, but we continue to set the conditions on a strategic playing field for decades of future success as a warfighting force for unprecedented transition into new
and ever-increasingly capable aircraft.”

Friends tell NBC 7 he excelled in combat operations and say Buss will be missed.

The change of command to Vice Admiral Troy Shoemaker took place on USS Stennis in the San Diego Bay.

“I am incredibly honored and humbled by the opportunity to ‘fleet up’ and take over as
your new Air Boss,” Shoemaker said.

Buss' wife, Donna, also was honored for her support of Navy families and received the Department of the Navy Superior Public Service Award.

Buss said he's happy that retirement will allow him to spend more time with his wife.

"I love you, honey," he said. "I am coming home."

Buss and his wife will stay put here in San Diego for their retirement.


 



Photo Credit: NBC 7
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Construction Crew Hits Gas Line in El Cajon

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A construction crew in El Cajon broke a gas line but left no one injured, officials said.

The Heartland Fire Department responded to the break on N 2nd Street and E Main Street shortly after 9 a.m.

The line was broken by construction crews and the leak was secured an hour and a half later.

The Fire Department has cleared the scene and no injuries have been reported.



Photo Credit: CHOPPER 7

Brady: "I Didn't Alter the Ball"

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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said he "didn't alter the ball in any way" at a Thurday afternoon press conference amid the "Deflategate" controversy.

"I feel like I've always played within the rules. I would never do anything to break the rules," he said. When a reporter asked if he were a cheater, he said, "I don't believe so."

The NFL is investigating after ESPN reported that the Patriots used under-inflated footballs in Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Earlier Thursday, Belichick said at a press conference that he had "no explanation" for what happened, and that the first he heard of the controversy was on Monday morning.

Brady told reporters Thursday afternoon that he first heard about the under-inflated balls Monday morning during his regular weekly radio interview. At the time, he said, he laughed, thinking that it was just "sour grapes" on the Colts' behalf. "It ends up being a very serious thing," he said.

"Everyone's obviously trying to figure out what happened," Brady added. "I was as surprised as anybody when I heard Monday morning what was happening."

The quarterback said he goes through the same process before every game, choosing between 12 and 24 balls to use during the game. He said he did that Sunday night. "When I felt them, they were perfect," he said.

Much like Belichick, Brady said he has no knowledge of any wrongdoing.

"Obviously, I'd like to know what  happened," he said. "In the meantime, I'm going to try to do the best I can to get ready to play against the Seahawks." 

Asked if the controversy might serve as motivation for the Patriots, Brady said "We've got a lot of motivation as a team. I think our team's overcome a lot of adversity this year. Sometimes in life the biggest challenges end up being the best things that happen in your life."

Softer balls are generally considered easier to throw and catch, and quarterbacks, specialists and equipment managers are known to have very individualized preferences in how footballs are readied for games, The Associated Press reported. Belichick said he was unaware of the process for game balls until the accusations were raised.

"I think we all know that quarterbacks, kickers, specialists have certain preferences on footballs," Belichick said. "They know a lot more about it than I do. They're a lot more sensitive to it than I am. I hear them comment on it from time to time, but I can tell you and they will tell you that there is never any sympathy whatsoever from me on that subject. Zero."

Brady reportedly addressed his teammates behind closed doors at Thursday's team meeting. Per teammates, he told them he prefers the football "a certain way." He also told them to stay focused on next Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.



Photo Credit: AP Photo/Elise Amendola

Child Porn Arrest Tied to Accused Nurse

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San Diego FBI agents arrested a man on charges he conspired to kidnap a baby with a pediatric nurse who is accused of molesting his newborn foster child.

Bartolomeo Bavarella, 31, of San Diego, was wanted on federal child pornography charges.

Up until early Thursday, when officials arrested him in Oceanside, the FBI had been looking for the public's help in finding him. Bavarella self surrendered at the Oceanside Police Department after an agent made arrangements with him.

On Jan. 13, a U.S. Magistrate Judge authorized the arrest warrant after a federal complaint charged Bavarella with violation of Title 18, possession of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

The FBI in San Diego connected Bavarella to former Kaiser Permanente pediatric nurse Michael Lutts, who was accused in October of performing sex acts on an infant and videotaping it and potentially doing a similar thing to another baby.

When officers executed a federal search warrant at Lutts’ house in August, they said they found sexually explicit images of a two-month-old child produced by Lutts at his house. When they reviewed Lutts'  iPhone, they say they found messages between Lutts and Bavarella.

“The messages included direction to Lutts’ residence, as well as plans to kidnap a female child,” the FBI statement said.

When the FBI executed a court-authorized search warrant for Bavarella’s email account, they say they found six child pornography images from an individual dated August 2013.

Agents did not identify the sender who was later arrested in 2014 on child porn charges

However, investigators did find that Bavarella allegedly encouraged the sender to continue to send illegal images and he did not object to the material.

Lutts is currently facing federal charges stemming from the abuse in San Diego. A grand jury indictment filed on Sept. 26 alleges Lutts may have also abused another child in the same manner – an 11-month-old girl.

Lutts was the baby boy’s foster parent. He brought the child home on Aug. 4.



Photo Credit: FBI San Diego

Cop: DC Fire Rejected Help in Metro

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A top Metro Transit Police officer said when he tried to offer help to D.C. Fire crews during a deadly smoke incident on Metro last week, he had a window rolled up in his face.

This senior Metro Transit Police official, who spoke to News4 on the condition of anonymity, said the proper unified command structure was not followed Jan. 12, and the D.C. Fire & EMS Department was unwilling to participate in that unified mode.

"It was almost as if we were a bother to the fire department," said the official.

Meanwhile, smoke filled an underground Metro tunnel and a Yellow Line train within it, leading to scores of injuries and the death of 61-year-old Carol Glover of Alexandria.

In a normal unified command structure, all first responders are supposed to gather at a designated command center. It is usually marked by a green light on top of a vehicle.

The transit officer said when he showed up at that vehicle and told the D.C. Fire incident commander that evacuations needed to take place, he was told that D.C. Fire had to assess the situation before anything could be done.

"There was no discussion. He left us standing out in the rain," said the transit officer.

When contacted Thursday, a D.C. Fire spokesperson did not know immediately who the incident commander was at L'Enfant Plaza.

According to the NTSB, thick, heavy smoke began flowing into the Yellow Line tunnel shortly after 3 p.m. The transit officer, who said he first arrived on the scene at 3:28 p.m., said it took time to "chase down" the D.C. Fire incident commander who was moving in a vehicle from block to block.

In addition, when it became clear that D.C. Fire radios were not working in the L'Enfant Plaza station and tunnel, this transit officer said he offered to link up Transit Police officers who had working radios with firefighters, so that communication could be seamless. But he said that offer was never accepted.

"Had we played this one the way we are trained to do, the outcome may have been different," the transit officer said.

A D.C. Fire official who also asked not to be named disputes these claims, saying he was on the scene that night and there was plenty of "face to face" contact between D.C. Fire officials and Metro Transit Police officers.


Closures Scheduled for I-8, I-805 Connector

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Motorists using the Interstate 8 connector to Interstate 805 Thursday night will be detoured due to bridge maintenance.

The connector will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. while CalTrans works on the bridge, according to a release.

CalTrans said motorists will be detoured onto northbound I-805 to the Murray Ridge Road exit, over the freeway and back onto I-805 south.

For up-to-date information, follow @SDCaltrans on Twitter.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Man Found Sleeping in Stolen Car Arrested in Santee

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The San Diego Sheriff's Department arrested a man in Santee after he was found sleeping in a stolen car full of drugs and burglarized property.

Sheriff's deputies responded to a call of a man sleeping in a car in the 7000 block of Mariposa Street in Santee just before 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning, a release said. When deputies discovered the car was stolen, they made contact with and arrested 30-year-old Shawn Wood.

Inside the stolen vehicle was "a lot of stolen property" including power tools and carpentry tools deputies said had been taken from at least five vehicle or residential burglaries.

Methamphetamine, heroin and drug paraphernalia were also found inside the car, sheriff's said.

Wood was arrested on suspicion of multiple counts of burglary, possession of stolen property, vehicle theft and drug possession.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the San Diego Sheriff's Department non-emergency line at (858) 565-5200 or San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Man Beats Girl Who Bumped Into Him

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A 17-year-old girl is recovering after she was beaten by a man on a SEPTA trolley after bumping into him with her bag while traveling to school on Wednesday morning.

The girl, who asked to be identified only as Shay for fear of retribution, was on the Route 15 trolley heading eastbound along Girard Avenue around 7:30 a.m. when the altercation happened.

She tells NBC10 her backpack bumped into the man several times during the ride. He complained, but she ignored him. Upset, the man then pulled Shay's hat from her head, she said.

When she went down to pick up the hat, the man had made a fist and cocked his arm, she said. The teen went to defend herself and was beaten, according to the girl and police.

Another passenger caught the entire altercation on video with their smartphone. In the video, you can see the man punch the teen at least twice in the face. Police said they're also reviewing surveillance video from onboard the trolley.

The man got off the trolley at 7th Street and Girard Avenue and fled. Detectives with Philadelphia Police's East Detective division are now searching for him.

Shay's eye was swollen shut, she suffered bruising and she may have had her nose broken in the assault.

Anyone with information is asked to call Philadelphia Police at 215.686.TIPS.



Photo Credit: NBC10
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Man Dead in Sauna Had Heart Attack

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A man whose badly burned body was found in the sauna of his North Miami Beach condominium died from a heart attack, the Miami-Dade medical examiner said Thursday.

The official cause of death for 68-year-old Dennis Antiporek is acute mild cardio infarction, due to hyperintensive and atherosclerosis heart disease, the medical examiner's office said.

Antiporek had gone to the sauna at the Eden Isles Condos late Sunday, but when he didn't return, his wife and daughter found his burned body on Monday.

Family members said it was a gruesome scene.

"I found someone that was so burnt beyond recognition, his skin felt worse than a dried piece of beef jerky," daughter Lara Antiporek said.

Attorneys for the family are accusing the condo of negligence, claiming the timer switch malfunctioned.

"We believe that the heart attack was heat induced. The heating coils on the sauna are required to have a thermostat and the timer should have worked. Under no circumstances whatsoever should the heat have gotten to a level where he cooked," attorney Joseph Madalon said. "He was a regular user of the sauna, so his body was used to it. He would go multiple times a week, so we know his body was capable of handling a sauna when it was properly functioning. Our assumption has been that it was a heat-induced stroke, heat-induced heart attack, or heat-induced dehydration."

Messages left with Elite Management, the property managers, weren't immediately returned Thursday afternoon.

Madalon said Antiporek had passed a stress test less than a month before he died and said his heart was in good shape. He added that the condo association has rules regarding the timing and usage of the sauna and that if they were enforced, Antiporek's death could have been prevented.



Photo Credit: NBC 6

Texas Could OK Guns Sans Licenses

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A Texas lawmaker has introduced a bill that does away with the need for Texans to have licenses to carry guns.

Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, said he thinks his bill, which can be read here, has a good chance of passing.

“It’s our version of open carry, and it goes a step further and we say it restores our Second Amendment to what our constitutional fathers intended it for it to be,” said Stickland.

There are still exceptions that would prevent guns at school events and places like amusement parks, but in most cases the bill would make open carry without a permit legal.

Some Texans on Thursday said while they agree with Stickland on the right to own a gun, they were still concerned about gun owners having no training or permit.

"To be able to drive a 2,000- to 3,000-pound vehicle, you have to be able to show you have the ability to drive, that you have passed a written test understanding the laws of the road. And I feel like having a gun is the same thing,” said David Prince, owner of Eagle Gun Range Inc.

“I believe the average person off the street should be trained on how to shoot their gun,” said Paul Harris, of Coppell.

Gov. Greg Abbott said throughout his campaign he was in favor of open carry. When asked about Stickland’s legislation, since he can decide whether it reaches his desk, Abbott had the following to say.

“The most important thing for people to understand is, some are concerned, 'Gosh, what is going to happen of we have open carry come to Texas?' We have seen the same thing happen across the entire country, where you have open carry laws in places like Massachusetts and Vermont. You don’t have people breaking out guns and shooting each other. The same concerns were raised at the time when Texas adopted the concealed handgun law here in the state of Texas. We didn’t have the breaking out of the O.K. Corral. I think it’s going to work out fine whichever way the law passes,” said Abbott.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News
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