Former Chicago Bulls basketball legend Michael Jordan faces a paternity suit from a woman who claims her 16-year-old son is his.

Chicago TV station NBC 5 has confirmed that the lawsuit was filed in Fulton County, Ga. by Pamela Smith, who claims she became pregnant after an affair with Jordan in 1995. Niether Smith nore representatives of Micheal Jordan would comment on the suit. 

VIEW LAWSUIT

The boy, Grant Pierce Jay Jordan Reynolds, also claims in a YouTube video posted in December that he is Jordan's son. He says he's met Jordan before and wants him to be in his life more.

Smith seeks to retain full custody in the lawsuit, and is pursuing child support, medical expenses and the right to have the boy's legal last name changed to Jordan.

Jordan was married to his wife, Juanita, at the time of the alleged tryst.

Don’t text and drive – or a ticket is sure to follow.

La Mesa police officers issued 46 traffic tickets Friday morning to distracted drivers who were either talking on their cell phones or texting behind the wheel.

The roadside crackdown was took place over a six-hour period in La Mesa.

It was part of a “Traffic Safety Enforcement Program” operation aimed at keeping local streets safe by aggressively enforcing the state’s “Distracted Driving” laws. By bringing awareness to the
hazards of texting and driving, officials hope to reduce deaths and injuries on local roadways.

According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles website, the base fine for the first texting while driving offense is $20, and $50 for subsequent convictions. With penalty assessments, the DMV says the fine can be more than triple the base fine amount.

The DMV website says driving distractions – including cell phone use – are the leading cause of most vehicle crashes and near-crashes.

According to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 80 percent of crashes involve some sort of driver distraction.

Funding for Friday’s operation in La Mesa was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A similar crackdown this past January resulted in La Mesa police officers issuing 42 tickets to distracted drivers who were talking or texting on their phones while driving. Chula Vista police conducted their own Distracted Driving Operation in January too, which yielded tickets for 35 drivers using their phones behind the wheel.

No arrests have been made in the shooting death of a man in his 20s Thursday in the Otay Mesa West area officials said.

San Diego police officers received reports of a man shot at an apartment complex in the 3100 block of Caminito Quixote at around 4:20 p.m.

When officers and medics arrived, they discovered a critically wounded man lying on the kitchen floor of an upstairs apartment. The victim was suffering from at least one gunshot wound and was not responsive, police said.

Despite medical intervention and CPR efforts to save the victim’s life, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say a preliminary investigation revealed the victim and several other people were inside the apartment when the fatal shooting occurred. The victim’s brother heard the shooting from another room and then discovered his brother had been shot. He immediately called 911.

The victim has not yet been identified.

At this point, police have not released any further information or named any possible suspects involved in the fatal shooting.

Homicide detectives are assisting with the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information about this is urged to call the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

California has many natural treasures, from our beaches to our redwoods to our supernaturally gorgeous national parks.

But the general rule of thumb is to keep your thumbs, and your other fingers, out of what's there. Visitors are asked, via signs and guidebooks and general wisdom, to let things be, from the smallest shells to the prettiest rocks to all of the plants and wildlife. "Take only memories" is the rallying cry for wilderness jaunts everywhere.

One young Yosemite National Park visitor, however, had a different experience, albeit an accidental one. A girl named Evie departed the famous destination with two sticks. Not large sticks, mind you, but sticks so small they could be easily taped to a ruled piece of paper.

We might even call them twigs.

The park office received such a piece of paper from Evie, with sticks attached, and this note, which was published on Yosemite's Facebook page on Feb. 27: "Dear Park Rangers I am a Junior Park Ranger. I went to Yosemite recently and accidentally brought home two sticks. I know I'm not supposed to take things from the park, so I am sending them back. Please put them in nature. Thank you, Evie."

Please put them in nature. If five words could ever melt a thousand Facebook users' hearts, simultaneously. If ever.

Perhaps Evie's honest and conscientious act will inspire those who do leave with national park plants and rocks and not so accidentally, either. We too often assume that monuments like Half Dome lend a park its main character, when it is truly the millions of smaller pieces in the wild puzzle that make up the whole picture.

Of course, Yosemite is not the first California park to receive returned items in the mail. Bodie State Historic Park on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada regularly opens up envelopes to find small bits of the ghost town. The senders? Former Bodie visitors who thought they'd just take a little nail or a brick. Only problem is there's a famous curse attached to the town and it says this: If you leave Bodie with something you found there, trouble awaits. Rangers say several objects have been mailed back, in haste, over the years.

Please put them in nature, indeed. Wise words, young Evie. Wise words.

Brandon Johnson holds the record of all-time leading scorer in the history of the University of San Diego men’s basketball program. In May, he will begin serving 6 months in federal prison after sentencing Friday for being a willing accomplice in a game-fixing scheme. 

Prosecutors said he made $5,000 to $10,000 by manipulating “approximately four games.”

“You get one reputation in life. You can lose it in an instant. You can sell it cheap, which you did," U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia told Johnson.

The former basketball star held his head in his hands after the sentencing and told NBC 7 that he would have no comment. 

The FBI secretly taped phone conversations that reveal Johnson said he would have been willing to throw every game, and that he didn’t take a shot in one game because it would have cost him $1,000.
Johnson’s role in the USD bribery case became public in a 29-page document filed by federal prosecutors.

The wiretapped telephone calls reveal a dangerous exchange between Johnson and T.J. Brown, a former USD assistant coach and the alleged go-between with the bettors.

Johnson admitted to knowing the point spreads of games and receiving several thousand dollars from bettors afterward. This came to light after his arrest in April 2011 when he gave a lengthy interview to federal agents.

“I flat didn’t throw any game." Johnson insisted. "When that game started 'til that game ends, nobody is in my head — no bet, nothing.”

The bribery case began two years ago and involved Johnson and nine other defendants.

Eight of the ten defendants have admitted in guilty to bribing Johnson to fix USD games during the 2009-10 season, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Steve Goria, who was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment last year, admitted the conspiracy profited more than $120,000.

Firefighters worked to rescue a man who was hit by an MTS bus and became stuck under the vehicle in City Heights Friday afternoon, officials said.

The incident happened just after 3:30 p.m. at University Avenue and Van Dyke Avenue.

Firefighters were called to the scene to rescue the man, who was apparently pinned underneath the bus.

Officials said the man was conscious, but at this point, the extent of his injuries is unknown.

Police temporarily shut down eastbound University Avenue between 42nd and 43rd Streets following the accident. The road opened again around 5 p.m.

By 4 p.m., fire crews had freed the victim from the bus. He was taken to Mercy Hospital with unknown injuries.

A sergeant at the scene told NBC 7 the man is expected to be okay. It is unclear if the bus was making a turn when the man was struck, or if the man was crossing the street.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

Spring is around the corner, and there’s a buzz in the air at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park as keepers prepare for butterfly season.

The zoo’s annual Butterfly Jungle event takes place Mar. 16 through Apr. 7. During this time, guests can get up close and personal with thousands of beautiful butterflies from all walks -- or rather, flights -- of life.

As guests walk through the Safari Park’s Hidden Jungle aviary, they’ll be completely surrounded by thousands of butterflies spanning 30 different species hailing from Africa, Asia and Central and South America.

Zookeepers say the species include old favorites like the monarch butterfly, as well as the zebra longwing, orange-barred tiger, swallowtail, blue morpho and Grecia shoemaker.

That being said, preparations for the big event are now in full swing.

On Thursday zookeepers received a new shipment of bright green butterfly pupae, which came from Costa Rica. The shipment included somewhere between 500 and 700 butterfly pupae.

The pupa is the stage in a butterfly’s life when it is encased and undergoing transformation. This stage can last from a few days to months.

Zoo officials say their animal care staff is now in the process of sorting the pupae in a special humidity and climate-controlled room, making sure the pupae are carefully counted, cared for and primed for metamorphosis.

There, the pupae will soon emerge from their chrysalis and then be placed into an aviary for the Butterfly Jungle event.

This means that in just a few weeks, zoo guests will have the pleasure of seeing these butterflies do what they were born to do: spread their wings and fly.

For more information about Butterfly Jungle at Safari Park, visit this website.

As they confront an early start to the 2013 wildfire season, California authorities are scrambling to avoid the slow gutting of a program that delivers a crucial source of front-line manpower: felons.

The arrangement, in which nonviolent offenders dig fire lines and clear debris while professional firefighters attack the flames, dates back to World War II, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has grown to depend on it. But the program is in danger of being whittled away.

The reason is a court-mandated shift in custody assignments that keeps non-violent offenders in county jails to reduce overcrowding in state prisons. As current members of the Cal Fire Conservation Camp Program get paroled, and the pool of potential replacements shrinks, the inmate corps is starting to decline. The attrition so far has been slight, but Cal Fire fears that the numbers will start dropping much faster.

"It's a critical component of California's wildfire-fighting system, and that's why we're working so closely with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and other stakeholders to make sure a solution is found," Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said.

To understand the importance of the inmate brigades, look no further than the 350-acre fire burning near Riverside. It is the third or fourth large-scale wildfire this year, marking an unusually early start to the burning season, which typically ramps up in May or June. Of the 200 firefighters who were working the blaze Friday morning, nearly two-thirds were inmates, Berlant said. Some had just finished work on a 400-acre fire in the eastern part of the state last weekend.

"The work they do is labor-intensive," Berlant explained. "After a fire has been put out, we have to continue building containment lines, so we can leave them out there while the engine companies can go back and respond to other emergencies."

Cal Fire owns 39 minimum-security camps around the state, which are staffed by corrections officers and house a total of 4,300 volunteer inmate firefighters who earn new skills, and time off their sentences. Most are serving time for such offenses as burglary and drug possession, and have exemplary records of behavior behind bars.

Under the new realignment, state officials estimate that the camp program will shrink to about 2,500 inmates later this year.

Jessica Mazlum, the corrections department's deputy chief of external affairs, said her agency has started offering contracts to individual counties, which would pay the state to send its low-risk offenders to the camp program. County officials initially balked at the price—$46 per inmate per-day—but many seem to have come around, she said. With the realignment, she explained, some counties, including Riverside and Los Angeles, are facing overcrowding themselves, and the camp contracts could help them alleviate that problem.

So far, no county has signed such a contract. The corrections department hopes that will change, however, and that a few select counties will keep the camp pipeline full.

"We have no intention of closing any camps," Mazlum said.

San Diego's City Attorney discusses his recent and very public exchange with Mayor Bob Filner on this week's "Politically Speaking with Gene Cubbison."

In the interview, scheduled to air on NBC 7 Sunday, Goldsmith talked about the disagreement that bubbled up in front of news cameras on Feb. 20.

Filner and Goldsmith disagreed about a lawsuit that hotel owners were bringing against the mayor for withholding millions of dollars in disputed tourism marketing funds.

In the exclusive interview, Goldsmith said Filner is either getting bad legal advice or is making things up.

“The City Council had already made the decision on the policy. It’s not up to the mayor to change that policy,” he said.

Because this conflict involves a contract and not an ordinance, Goldsmith said it is a unique situation.

“I have a feeling the next four years is going to have a lot of unique situations,” Goldsmith said.

Watch the full interview Sunday, March 3 at 9 a.m. on NBC 7.

A 14-year-old freshman at Poway High School was taken into custody, accused of threatening another student according to law enforcement officials.

San Diego County sheriff’s deputies said a Poway HS student told his mother Thursday evening about the freshman’s threat to bring guns to school.

The student said he was in fear for his safety so his mother contacted the Poway HS principal deputies said.

Deputies questioned the freshman at his home and took him into custody without incident. He was booked into Juvenile Hall and will face a charge of making a terrorist threat.

Deputies say the suspect did not have access to firearms. They also said it appears no one else was involved in the threats.

Last month, a 12-year-old student sent a threatening email to a Twin Peaks Middle School administrator stating he planned to shoot a teacher and 23 fellow students at the school.

Within the last 30 days, other school threats were reported at Pershing Middle School and Coronado Middle School.

 

Some scam artists are using a bad check to steal money from victims.

The check looks real, the bank will probably cash it, but it is not what it appears to be. In fact the check for $3,960.20 is part of an elaborate hoax coming from scam artists hiding across the border.

Mike Rex from Point Loma was nearly a victim. 

"Got all excited and thought I wow, I hit the jackpot," said Rex.

The check came with a letter with a Canadian check and postmark. It said that Mike had won the $350,000 All American Direct Lottery Sweepstakes based in London, England.

The letter said Mike should cash the check and send $2,950 back to the lottery to pay for handling, shipping, insurance and taxes. But while that seemed strange to Mike Rex it still was a temptation.

"It looks like money for free," said Rex, "And in a tight economy, who wouldn't want four grand."

But Sheryl Bilbrey says that check is a window into your bank account.

"They're looking for you to cash the check and wire the money to another location," said Bilbrey. 

But once that money is gone there is no way to get it back, even if that check turns out to be bogus.  Once the check bounces, the bank will ask for its money back, whether you still have it or not.

"Unfortunately people don't find out until several days after they have deposited the check," said Bilbrey.

Most of the time the money is sent outside the United States, impossible to retrieve. Mike Rex says he is glad he didn't fall for it, but worries about others who might get the same letter and check.

"Oh I'd be miserable, that would really hurt my retirement," said Rex.

Residents of Julian are concerned about losing local control of their fire station following a heated Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District meeting Thursday night.

Currently, there are two fire stations in the area - Station 71 and Station 74 - managed through an independent fire district.

While there are several full-time firefighters staffing the stations, most firefighters for the community in San Diego's East County serve as volunteers.

Julian-Cuyamaca was one of a handful of fire districts that decided six years ago not to join other smaller fire districts under the San Diego County Fire Authority.

They, along with Borrego Springs and Valley Center said they could do a better job under local control.

Now, the cash-strapped district is considering joining the county's fire organization.

The county spends $15 million a year on fire services in the back country and Julian could get a piece of that if they decided to join the authority according to county officials.

When dozens of property owners and firefighters packed the Julian Town Hall Thursday night, the discussion grew heated.

Residents questioned why the district would consider outsourcing fire coverage to county or state agencies.

Many voiced concerns that those responding may not be familiar with the roads and residences in the back country.

“Protect our fire people. I don’t trust any two people from the county they send up here to be able to find my house,” one resident said.

One man argued it's the failing ambulance service that needs to be removed, not the fire department.

Another man suggested the issue be put up for public referendum, “They’re putting us in a heck of a bind here,” the property owner said.

Chief George Lucia of Palomar Mountain Fire District stopped by the meeting to learn more about the challenge faced by a community that’s similar in size to his.

“These are neighbors helping neighbors," Lucia said of the Julian-Cuyamaca firefighters. "If they go away, they’ll never come back."

Because Julian is located in a part of the county where so much of the surrounding area is covered by the County Fire Authority, county officials have been suggesting that Julian become a member.

However, Palomar's fire chief warned about giving up that independence.

“If I could turn back time, I would never put pen to paper with the county,” Lucia said. “I have regretted it every day since then.”

Facebook, fresh off rolling out its new Graph Search, has another update to share with its billion plus followers: An updated News Feed.

The Menlo Park social network sent out invitations Friday morning, inviting journalists to its headquarters to cover its News Feed update on March 7. No further details were given, leaving the tech press to speculate, Apple-style, as to what Mark Zuckerberg and company are planning.

A guess? Maybe a little more "News" in the Feed. Facebook has been eclipsed by Twitter, and, to a lesser extent, Yahoo! and Google, when it comes to being a source of news. Most people, it seems, turn to Twitter to get the latest information, whether on a Middle East uprising, or results from the Oscars.

Facebook would love it if, in addition to updates about your nephews and food choices, it was a go-to source for news and information. Maybe the update will provide some sort of a filter to let you break through the clutter and catch up on the day's events.

I'll be there, and will send out updates, both on Facebook (do you ever check news there?), and Twitter. My handle is @scottbudman.

A Caltrans maintenance worker who helped save a toddler’s life along State Route 54 earlier this week was reunited with the happy, healthy baby boy and his very grateful family Friday.

On Monday, Caltrans worker Joe Thomas was traveling along SR-54 when he noticed two women in distress on the side of the road, crying and waving for help.

The women, mother Denise Ortiz and grandmother Rebecca Hill, told Thomas their 13-month-old baby, Cesar Ortiz, wasn’t breathing and needed immediate medical attention.

Thomas called 911, grabbed the child from Hill's hands and proceeded to render first-aid and CPR on the spot, saving the tot’s life.

Hill says the family was driving on the freeway when baby Cesar suddenly began crying and shaking. After that, the baby’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he stopped breathing.

By the time Thomas pulled over and got to Cesar, Thomas says the boy was not breathing and had turned blue.

Thomas says he immediately began compressions on the baby’s chest and back and then administered CPR. Eventually, Cesar began gasping for air and was able to breathe on his own again.

Emergency crews arrived shortly thereafter and transported the revived toddler to the hospital. He was released that same day and is now doing well.

Ortiz and Hill say they’re extremely thankful to Thomas for saving Cesar’s life.

Thomas says he just wanted the little boy to be okay and did what he had to do.

“I didn’t think about it, I just did it,” said Thomas.

All three believe Thomas was at the right place at the right time.

Normally, Thomas said he doesn’t travel along SR-54 for work, but that day something just told him to drive that way.

"I just think God led me that way that day. God just used me," he added.

Thomas, who’s worked for Caltrans for the past 15 years and has four children of his own, says he learned his CPR skills from training seminars held by his company.

Thomas says he receives CPR training through Caltrans every three years, but this was the first time he’s ever had to use those skills. He urges everyone to become trained in CPR as a precaution.

After this scary incident, both Ortiz and Hill say they plan to take CPR classes.

“I was scared; I’ve never been through this before,” said Ortiz. “I have to take a CPR class now, just in case.”

Happy ending and all, the story of Thomas, baby Cesar and family doesn’t end here.

They all say they plan to stay in touch for many years to come.

“We’re in a long term relationship now – I’m bringing them into my family,” said Thomas.

At Friday’s reunion, baby Cesar was full of energy, walking, laughing, talking and playing like a healthy, bouncy, baby boy. He hugged the man who saved him and giggled when Thomas put a white Caltrans hard-hat on his little head.

Caltrans thanked their heroic worker on Twitter earlier this week, posting : “Great job Joe!”

Today was the first time Tyler King spoke to a news station by himself.

The 16-year-old said he doesn’t go a day without thinking of his sister Chelsea, who was killed in 2010 by convicted murderer John Gardner.

“She's always there. I'm just walking down the street, I'll see things that remind me of her,” Tyler said. “Sometimes it’s sad. Sometimes it’s happy. Overall, I'd like to think of it as a happy thing because she's my sister.”

Tyler is now on a mission, to inspire others to speak out against sexual predators. He came up with the idea to make a documentary and share his very personal story with young people.

“I want to empower kids to use their voices because an issue like sexual predators, it's mainly happening to kids and the kids need to get out there and use their voice,” he said.
Tyler was 13 when Chelsea was murdered and said he fought overwhelming sadness and depression. Following the tragedy, the King family moved to Illinois, in part, to give Tyler new surroundings.

“I've come to terms, things have sunken in and I've come to terms with what has happened and now all there is, is to make a difference,” he said.
 
Tyler said working on the documentary is what Chelsea would want him to be doing and he sees himself as someone who can make a difference.
   
“I'm always willing to talk and I'm not afraid to express my emotions to people about things that I've gone through,” he said.

Tyler says he one day wants to be a journalist – and he's off to a good start writing on his high school's student newspaper, helping to staff the opinion page.

The King family worked to pass Chelsea’s Law in California. The measure was signed into law in February 2011. 

The legislation enhanced criminal sentences for violent sexual offenders that commit crimes against children. It also provides for mandated lifetime parole and GPS monitoring and the creation of "Safe Zones" which prohibits registered sex offenders from going places where children are known to congregate.

Chelsea's life will be remembered on Saturday at "Finish Chelsea's Run." The event begins at 7:30 a.m. at Balboa Park. NBC 7’s Artie Ojeda will be part of the event, serving as emcee.

Money raised at the 5k event will help fund scholarships for local students headed to college and support effort to continue the expansion of Chelsea's Law.

Get more information here

A California beauty queen claims she was a potential victim of the man charged with raping a woman he met on a Christian dating website.

Sean Banks, 37, of Del Mar is accused of raping a woman he met through Christianmingle.com in November.

Now, a contestant in the Miss California 2012 pageant claims Banks threatened her while out on bail.

Banks faces a number of charges including rape by force, digital penetration by force and residential burglary in connection with an alleged attack in La Mesa more than three months ago.

A La Mesa woman told police Banks arrived to her home in Nov. 12, was sexually aggressive toward her and ultimately raped her.

Banks was arrested by La Mesa police on Feb. 11.

“This woman is alleging that he pushed the boundaries and attempted to have sexual intercourse with her against her will. We think when you see all the facts that will prove not to be the case,” said defense attorney Gretchen von Helms.

Banks, a graduate student of Pepperdine University and a former Lt. JG in the U.S. Navy, appeared in an El Cajon courtroom March 1 to face two additional criminal charges.

One involved a previous date rape allegation from 2009 and the second charge involved dissuading a witness, or threatening a witness not to talk with police.

Victoria Kinney, Miss Irvine-Orangewood in the 2012 Miss California pageant, said she met Banks through the ChristianMingle website.

Banks used an alias in their communication Kinney's attorney stated.

Banks has been known to use several aliases online including Rarity, Rylan, Rylan Butterwood and Rylan Harbough according to investigators.

The beauty queen said Banks was very charming at first but then he made comments that she took as threats.

Kinney's attorney Daniel Gillion said his client was terrified and wanted to testify about her experience in open court.

"She’s a Christian woman. She believes it’s her duty at this point to come forward, share her story generally and ask other women to come forward," Gillion said.

He claims the comments made by Banks to Kinney were "clearly threats."

As a result, Judge Charles Ervin approved a protective order banning Banks from having contact or getting within 100 yards of Ms. Kinney.

Also on Friday, Banks was taken into custody on a "no bail request" on the new charges even though he had posted $500,000 bail on his previous charges.

Judge Ervin called it a unique request and told defense attorneys he had never seen the situation in 25 to 30 years.

Von Helms said she and her co-counsel Jan Ronis had no time to review the additional charges and asked for a bail review early next week.

“Anyone would feel terrible about these types of allegations and he certainly does,” Von Helms said of Banks.

"This young man - he’s a Ph.D. candidate. He’s a college graduate. He served in the military. There are a lot of good factors about him that will come to light as we proceed in this case," she said.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 26.

Detectives are searching for a man accused of exposing himself at least four times in Cardiff and engaging in a lewd act in public.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the most recent case of indecent exposure involving the suspect happened on Feb. 12 just after 11 p.m. on Carol View Drive.

Officials say the man was nude – except for a grey sweatshirt that was tied around his head – when he walked out from under the stairs of an apartment complex. He then engaged in a lewd act.

Three additional exposure incidents involving this suspect were reported in Cardiff this past November and December.

On Friday, detectives released a new, updated composite sketch of the suspect in hopes of identifying and locating him.

Officials describe him as a white male adult between 25 and 30 years old with short, light brown hair.

Anyone who recognizes this man or has information on this case is urged to contact Detective Shawn Silva at the Encinitas Sheriff's Station at (760) 966-3500 or the Sheriff's non-emergency line at (858) 565-5200.
 

One of two suspects wanted in connection with an armed home invasion robbery in Rancho Santa Fe was arrested Thursday, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.

Deputies took David Grub, 43, into custody without incident in the 1800 block of Tavern Court in Alpine at around 1 p.m. after the Encinitas Sheriff’s Station received a tip.

With assistance from SWAT, deputies served an arrest warrant for Grub, who’s a suspect in an armed home invasion robbery that happened on El Mirlo in Rancho Santa Fe on Dec. 20.

In that incident, Grub and a second unknown male suspect forced their way inside a home while a housekeeper was inside, holding the woman at gunpoint. The men allegedly handcuffed the woman so she couldn’t call for help while they ransacked the home, stealing jewelry, antique clocks and other expensive items.

The suspects had been at large ever since the robbery. Deputies released sketches of the men last month in hopes of tracking down their whereabouts.

Besides this high-profile home invasion robbery in Rancho Santa Fe, detectives say Grub is also a suspect in two other cases: a La Jolla home invasion robbery and a bizarre residential burglary that happened in Pacific Beach last summer.

On May 24, 2012, a resident of a home in the 1600 block of Loring Street in Pacific Beach allegedly spotted Grub walking away from the home carrying a drawer that was part of the resident’s dresser.

Detectives say Grub put the dresser inside the trunk of a car and sped off. When the resident went inside his home, he discovered his drawer was missing and jewelry had been stolen.

In the La Jolla home invasion, which happened on August 1, 2012, a real estate agent was allegedly accosted at gunpoint by Grub inside a luxury, multi-million dollar home just after she finished showing it to a prospective buyer. Grub stole jewelry and fur coats from the home, along with the agent's cell phone.

As Grub was leaving, he encountered the 76-year-old owner of the home in the driveway, who saw him carrying stolen items and confronted him.

Grub dropped the items pointed his gun at the homeowner, firing two shots at the ground near the victim’s feet. Concrete shrapnel flew up from the roadway and the victim sustained minor facial injuries as Grub once again fled the scene.

Following Grub's arrest on Thursday, he was booked into jail on seven charges including robbery, burglary, false imprisonment and various weapons-related offenses, officials said.

He's scheduled to appear in court Monday and again on Mar. 12.

Meanwhile, officials say a search warrant in connection with the Rancho Santa Fe home invasion case was also served at a home in the 11600 block of Via Vista in Lakeside, though no further details were released about that Thursday. The investigation is ongoing, as the second suspect in that case remains outstanding.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the sheriff’s department at (858) 565-5200 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.