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El Cajon to Launch One of State's Toughest Alcohol Laws

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A city in San Diego County begins enforcing what's considered one of the strictest alcohol control laws in the state of California.

For the first time, El Cajon’s new alcohol control ordinance (officially called “Deemed Approved Ordinance or DAO”) will be put to use Tuesday.

Passed in 2013, the ordinance gives the city the ability to restrict or revoke alcohol sale privileges in El Cajon if the business sells alcohol to a minor or a drunk customer.

“It holds these stores accountable. It keeps alcohol out of the hands of children. It also keep alcohol out of the hands of serial inebriates,” El Cajon Police Chief Jim Redman told NBC 7.

In the past year, El Cajon police arrested 15 clerks for selling alcohol to a minor. For three of those clerks, it wasn’t their first time.

Chief Redman said those stores include Tykes Liquor on Jamacha Road, Arnele Liquor on Arnele Avenue and Sky Fuel on East Main Street.

NBC 7 visited each business Monday and has not heard back from any of the owners.

Since the three businesses are repeat offenders, they are expected to go before the city’s Planning Commission and possibly City Council to see if alcohol sales restriction or revocation need to be implemented.

Sky Fuel will be the first business to go through this process.

The city’s Planning Commission is expected to discuss its case Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. If restrictions or revocation is recommended, the decision will go before City Council. The business is allowed to appeal the decision.

Chief Redman said the new ordinance has been making a difference. In 2012, in El Cajon, there were 526 public drunkenness arrests, 148 drinking in public arrests and 29 minor with alcohol arrests. The alcohol control ordinance was passed in 2013. Then in 2014, El Cajon saw all those numbers drop to 344 public drunkenness arrests, 109 drinking in public arrests and two minor with alcohol arrests

“We don’t want our children in El Cajon to have access to alcohol at least from liquor stores. That’s something we can address,” said Chief Redman.

City officials say it’s the first ordinance of its kind in San Diego County and one of the strictest laws regarding alcohol sales in the state. 



Photo Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lawsuit Claims Moving Company Sold Deployed Sailor's Items

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The Department of Justice has filed a suit against a San Diego storage company that allegedly sold service member’s personal property while he was deployed overseas.

Across Town Movers allegedly sold the personal property of 11 service members without obtaining the required court order to do so, violating the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), the complaint said.

After selling some of that property, the company still received payments from the U.S. government for the storage of that sold property.

Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas E. Ward, a 30 year Navy veteran, was deployed overseas in 2006. When he returned, he learned the company had auctioned off all his property he had put into storage, including vintage, original car parts and other household items and car parts.

“Service members, especially when deployed overseas, should be able to focus on protecting our county and shouldn’t have to worry about losing their personal property,” said U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California in a statement. “Congress enacted the SCRA for this purpose, and we will pursue all appropriate remedies to ensure that our service members’ rights are protected. Whether large or small, businesses will be held accountable for violating those rights.”
The lawsuit was filed Monday in the Southern District of California.

SCRA seeks damages for the value of the auctioned goods in addition to providing monetary penalties of up to $55,000 for the first offense and $110,000 for each subsequent offense. The DOJ plans to seek injunctive relief.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dylan M. Aste and Leslie M. Gardner of the Southern District of California are working on the case.

If you have had a similar situation happen to you, contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program office.



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U.S. Woman Charged in Mom's Bali Slaying Gives Birth

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The Chicago woman charged with killing her mother at a resort in Indonesia and helping her boyfriend stuff the slain woman's body in a suitcase gave birth Tuesday.

Heather Mack's attorney confirmed to NBC Chicago that Mack, 19, delivered her 6 pound, 10 ounce daughter via cesarean section at about 6:09 p.m. (5:09 a.m. Central Time). Both mother and baby were said to be doing fine, according to attorney Anthony Scifo. Mack will likely remain hospitalized for a few days, he said.

It was not immediately clear if the birth would delay Mack's trial or where the baby will stay.

Mack and her boyfriend, 21-year-old Tommy Schaefer, are being tried in separate trials in the death of Sheila von Weise-Mack. They are charged with the premeditated murder of 62-year-old von Wiese-Mack and face a maximum penalty of death by firing squad if found guilty by a three-judge panel.

Mack told the court last week that Schaefer, 21, killed von Weise-Mack in anger after she threatened to kill their unborn baby. Mack said Schaefer beat her mother with a metal soup bowl after von Weise-Mack made the threat in an argument.

Steeler's "Pub Crawl" Ends in Handcuffs: Report

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A Pittsburgh Steelers player spent the weekend in the custody of the Oceanside Police Department, according to published reports.

Cornerback Antwon Blake was detained early Sunday morning, accused of public intoxication,TMZ reported Tuesday. 

Oceanside Police confirmed they had taken someone by that name into custody over the weekend but they could not confirm he was the NFL player.

TMZ reports that Blake was picked up while walking outside of bars in Oceanside, north of San Diego.

Oceanside Police said they arrested an Antwon Blake for being drunk in public and was allegedly walking around the downtown area of Oceanside “being aggressive.”

The police report filed Sunday morning did not give more details according to a spokesperson. Blake was booked into the Vista jail shortly after the incident.

“We are aware of the report and are still gathering information,” a Steelers spokesman told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We will have no further comment at this time.”

NBCSports reports that Blake was given a one-year tender as a restricted free agent by the Steelers, who he provided with 36 tackles during his second season with the team.



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Chargers Special Counsel Not Optimistic About Mission Valley Site

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The Stadium Advisory Group may be moving forward with the Mission Valley site, but the Chargers still favor a downtown development spot, Chargers Special Counsel Mark Fabiani told KPBS Monday.

“Well we’re dedicated to staying in San Diego as well. . .But if that didn’t work out, and Oakland made a deal with the Raiders and we didn’t get a deal in San Diego, we would proceed with the deal in Carson on our own,” Fabiani told KPBS’ Peggy Pico on KPBS’ Evening Edition. “We can finance it on our own if we need to.”

The interview comes after San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s stadium advisory group recommended the Mission Valley site for the new NFL football stadium Thursday.

As NBC 7's Gene Cubbison reported prior to the announcement, the Chargers are resolute in their choice - a hybrid stadium/convention facility on a 12-acre site in downtown’s East Village.

“We’re hoping that we missed something that the task force is going to figure out what we missed and that they’ll come up with something,” Fabiani told KPBS Midday Edition. “But I can't sit here today and honestly tell you that I have a plan or that we have a plan that would work for that site, we don’t, although we looked at it for many, many years."

In the interview, Fabiani said the Mission Valley site was a “complicated” one for several reasons: part of the land belongs to the Water Utilities Department, the site has pollution from a plume underneath it, and nearby residents are against the expansion.

“The list goes on and goes of reasons why its very complicated to build anything in Mission Valley,” Fabiani said.

As the Advisory Group works toward a financing plan in the coming months, Fabiani cautioned that the plan would have to be something voters would support, be active in a reasonable amount of time and be a proposal that would cost a realistic amount of money.

“We have to look at the plan that the task force comes up with,” Fabiani told KPBS. “If it’s a plan that can work that has a realistically costed-out stadium that is actually going to be voted on by the people and enacted, then of course, we would play there. If we could make it work, we could play there.”

You can listen to the original interview here



Photo Credit: Artie Ojeda

Missing Cat Found as Stowaway to CA

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A furry stowaway who had been missing from his South Carolina home since 2013 has been found hiding in a trailer in Southern California.

Kevin the orange tabby cat made the more than 2,500 miles to the Arizona-California border without detection until he was discovered during a routine state food and agriculture check.

And now his owner Cheryl Walls is looking forward to getting her pet back, after assuming he had found a new home.

"I assumed someone must have picked him up," Walls said, "Now he has seen more of the country than me."

Kevin was found when an inspector asked the truck driver to open the trailer, she complied, and the surprised pair could hear muffled meows inside. 

The woman did not have a clue as to how the animal ended up on board, and the feline was taken to Riverside County Animal Services’ Blythe shelter. 

After the dehydrated moggy was fed and watered,  employees discovered he had a microchip, and workers got in touch with South Carolina resident Walls, who had adopted Kevin  from her local shelter in June 2013. 

Kevin, who shares the name of her late fiancé, seemed to get wanderlust, and disappeared months later during the fall when she allowed him to go outside.

"We have handled some pets with crazy back stories, and this is one more for the list," Riverside County Department of Animal Services Director Robert Miller said, "The good news is we know the owner, she wants her pet back, and we’ll make that happen."

Two nonprofit organizations, Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team  and the Animal Solutions Konnection Foundation and shelter employees have made donations to pay for the cat’s journey home. 

Riverside County is coordinating the cat’s flight plan, and he is tentatively slated to fly home Wednesday morning. 

$52k of Gold Stolen From Songwriter to the Stars Home

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Thieves stole $52,000 worth of gold and other valuables from the Hollywood home of songwriter to the stars Toby Gad.

A safe inside the chart-topper's multi-million dollar mansion in the 3500 block of Wonder View Drive was raided while it underwent remodeling work. His wife Li Fan reported the theft on Monday, Los Angeles Police Department said.

Grammy winner Gad, who has written songs for the likes of Madonna, Beyonce and Robin Thicke, said he was convinced his precious items were safe, despite being away from the home for two weeks.

"My wife came in today in the afternoon, looked at the safe and it was open and broken," Gad said. "We never thought a safe like this could be opened that easily. It is a very solid safe. All the gold we had in there was taken."

Father-of-two Gad also said there had been a number of break-ins in his neighborhood recently.

Gold coins and other items were stolen from the safe, which was attached to the floor of a garage, not part of the renovation. Li Gad said she found the family's social security cards, passports, vehicle documents and other items on the floor.

Detectives are looking at a two-week timeframe for this probe and are investigating to see if there is surveillance video.

According to Zillow.com, the four-bedroom home is estimated at $2.6M and was purchased for $1.8M in October 2013.

Gad has co-written some of the biggest hits of the last few years, including John Legend's " All Of Me," Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry " and Beyonce's "If I Were A Boy."

He has also worked with One Direction, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Alicia Keys.



Photo Credit: Newsreel

DOJ to Reveal Details of SDPD Audit

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Ed. Note: Read coverage of the audit's findings here

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice is expected to release the results of its independent audit of misconduct policies within the San Diego Police Department.

The DOJ began its investigation a year ago after high-profile scandals involving two SDPD officers rocked the department.

Before he resigned as police chief, William Lansdowne had requested an outside review of the department's policies, training and discipline.

The DOJ report is expected to give just that, offering a detailed assessment on how the SDPD prevents and detects misconduct, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney's office.

The DOJ's Community Oriented Police Services (COPS) performed the audit, paid for with federal grant money at no cost to the city.

COPS Office Director Ronald Davis will announce the review results Tuesday at 11 a.m. alongside Mayor Kevin Faulconer, SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman, City Attorney Jan Goldsmith and U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy.

The impetus behind the audit were sexual misconduct cases involving former officers Anthony Arevalos and Christopher Hays.

Arevalos is currently serving an 8-year prison sentence for sexual battery and false imprisonment charges he committed while in uniform during patrols in the Gaslamp from 2009 to 2011.

Hays was released from jail earlier this month after he pleaded guilty in September to felony false imprisonment and misdemeanor counts of assault and battery under the color of authority by a peace officer.


Chicago McDonald's Faces Complaints Over Employee Burns

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A small group of protesters gathered outside a McDonald's restaurant on Chicago's west side Tuesday morning to lobby for more training and protective equipment that would protect injury, primarily burns.

The demonstration inside and outside the restaurant, on the 3200 block of West Roosevelt Road, comes one day after employees around the nation filed 28 health and safety complaints against the Oak Brook-based company.

"We don't have any actual cream or Band-Aids or none of that, so if you get cut, that's it. Or if you get burned, mustard is the treatment," said employee Adriana Alvarez.

Protesters marched with signs in English and Spanish that read "McDonald's, Don't Burn Me" and others that alleged employees have been told to treat burns with condiments.

The complaints were filed with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The federal agency said it would investigate the allegations.

A statement from the McDonald's corporate office said the restaurant and its independent franchisees "are committed to providing safe working conditions for employees in the 14,000 McDonald’s Brand U.S. restaurants. We will review these allegations."

Spokeswoman Heide Barker Sa Shekhem added that the company believes the complaints are part of a larger strategy to tarnish the McDonald's brand.

The protest was organized by the group "Fight for 15," which has held a number of demonstrations around the country to push for a $15 per hour minimum wage.



Photo Credit: Susan Carlson

Starbucks Baristas Talk Race

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In addition to writing names and marking the number of special syrups and additions to customers’ cups, some Starbucks baristas might begin scribbling the words “race together” on customers’ beverages in an effort to spark conversations, the coffee chain announced.

The company announced that they were encouraging baristas to write the phrase on cups following a series of company forums held in the wake of the deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown and other unarmed black men.

“We at Starbucks should be willing to talk about these issues in America," Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said. "Not to point fingers or to place blame, and not because we have answers, but because staying silent is not who we are."

Starbucks brewed up the campaign after several open forums the company held about race, including one in New York.

Baristas who attended the forum said they wanted to do something to start conversations, so they began writing “race together” on cups. Starbucks franchises across the nation began using stickers with the phrase on Monday.

The company said it will also run full-page ads in newspapers promoting the campaign and will begin distributing a special newspaper section on race in conjunction with USA Today on Friday.

The campaign already sparked on social media, and Business Insider reported the company's vice president of communications Corey duBrowa deleted his Twitter account because of attacks from critics.

It’s not the first time the popular coffee chain has waded into social issues.

In 2013, the company asked baristas to write “come together” on cups to encourage political cooperation amid deadlock on Capitol Hill over government appropriations. Starbucks has also asked that patrons not bring guns into its locations.



Photo Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

LAPD Officer Accused of Smuggling Man Held on $20K

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A Los Angeles police officer accused of trying to smuggle a man into the U.S. in the trunk of his car will be held on a $20,000 bond, a federal judge ordered.

Carlos Curiel Quezada Jr., 34, made his first appearance in U.S. District Court in San Diego Monday afternoon.

Quezada, handcuffed and dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit, was seated two seats away from the woman with whom he was returning from Mexico, 31-year-old Angelica Godinez.

Both are charged with “bringing in illegal alien without presentation.”

Asked by U.S. Magistrate William Gallo if he understood the charge against him, he answered, “I do, sir.”

Quezada and Godinez, both U.S. citizens, were arrested Saturday at the Otay Mesa border crossing after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers directed them to a secondary inspection and sent their car through a giant x-ray machine, according to prosecutors.

Officers discovered a man, identified as 26-year-old Antanasio Perez-Avalos, hiding in the spare tire area of Quezada’s trunk, the CBP alleges. Perez-Avalos had no legal ability to enter the U.S.

“It’s a very serious act of misconduct if it’s true,” LAPD Chief Charlie Beck told NBC.

LAPD Cdr. Andrew Smith said Monday an internal investigation has been launched into the incident.

“Whenever an employee is arrested, their commanding officer responds,” said Smith. “So when one of our employees gets in trouble in any other jurisdiction, we'll send a commanding officer down there to begin the investigation, contact the employee, make sure they're OK and initiate personnel complaint, an internal personnel complaint."

A 10-year veteran of the LAPD, Quezada is on probation at the department on a suspected DUI charge from 2014, according to prosecutors. He makes $4,800 a month but said that he is concerned he will not be able to return to his job or afford a lawyer.

Smith said Quezada will not be returning to duty until this case is adjudicated – both on the criminal side and LAPD side.

Gallo told him that based on his financial affidavit, he might be able to pay a portion of his attorney’s bill.

Quezada, who lives with his parents in Los Angeles, cannot go to Mexico or travel outside of southern and central California and must surrender his passport.

Godinez is also being held on a $20,000 bond. The mother of a 14-year-old, she has two convictions for DUI, according to prosecutors. Like Quezada, she cannot go to Mexico and must surrender her passport.

Few details were revealed in court about Quezada’s relationship with the man in the trunk or with Godinez.

Both defendants are expected back in court on April 9 for their preliminary hearing.

NBC's Tena Ezzeddine contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Sketch by Greg High

Inside San Diego's First Legal, Medical Pot Shop

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The first of what is expected to be 36 licensed medical marijuana dispensaries in San Diego opens its doors this Wednesday, and NBC 7 got an early look inside.

A Green Alternative sits in a commercially zoned area of Otay Mesa, in a strip mall on Roll Drive, east of State Route 905.

The nearest neighborhood is almost five miles away, and the nearest residence is a prison two miles away.

Co-owner Dr. David Blair, a San Diego State University professor, said city restrictions are tough but he wants A Green Alternative to be the safety standard for all future dispensaries.

Blair and his partners built a medical marijuana dispensary that is fortified more like a bank.

“Nothing will go through this glass, absolutely nothing,” Blair said.

The doors and windows, as well as panels in the walls, can stop a bullet. The products and money are stored in a giant safe with room for 12 people.

“This is not only a fire-rated safe, but a safe room,” Blair said.

Blair said the facility and license process cost nearly half a million dollars. A Green Alternative is the first licensed facility in the city and the second in San Diego County.

“We never were combative with the city. We followed the directions. It was just that simple,” Blair said.

In the first month, Blair expects to serve 7,500 to 10,000 people. The dispensary is open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. seven days a week, and it will have 30 different marijuana strains and edible products.

“All of our vendors have to pass the same background checks that our associates and we do,” Blair said.

Getting from the back alley culture of medical marijuana in San Diego to legitimate sales and treatment was hard-fought but worthwhile, the co-owner told NBC 7.

It's his business, but with HIV and diabetes, Blair is also a patient.

“I'm a different person. I am able to be functional,” Blair said of marijuana’s use in his life.

Because lines outside dispensaries are against the city code, A Green Alternative has two more shop spaces here in the strip mall for those with recommendations awaiting their turn.

Blair said barring any issues at Tuesday’s inspection, the soft open is scheduled for Wednesday, and the grand opening is Friday.
 



Photo Credit: Dave Summers

Father on Trial Never Visited Fatally Injured Son: Mother

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A mother whose 4-year-old son died after a violent car crash testified the boy’s father never checked on his condition over the eight days he was in the hospital.

Nancy Snyder gave her tearful account at the trial of 41-year-old Angelo Fabiani, who faces charges of child endangerment and leaving the scene of an injury crash. On June 2, 2013, his Nissan Titan crashed along an Interstate 5 embankment, leaving the vehicle at an upside-down 45-degree angle and his son Valentino hanging out of the window by his seat belt.

Fabiani cut the child’s belt using a tool from his truck, and the child fell 10 feet to the concrete below.

The defense said the boy died during the crash from a direct impact with a palm tree, while prosecutors claim that fall gave him a lethal head injury.

Snyder recalled coming home from work that day. She expected Valentino home around bedtime, so she texted Fabiani, saying she was home and he could drop their son off at any time.

Fabiani said the two had spent a perfect day at the beach, so his plan was to take Valentino to his mother’s house that evening. But when Snyder hadn’t heard from Fabiani by 8 p.m., she started to worry.

“And then 9 o’clock rolled around and I just kept leaving him message after message but got nothing in return,” said Snyder.

Later that night, her brother called her and told her to get a hold of the California Highway Patrol. An officer said Valentino was in the hospital.

For more than a week, Synder stayed by her son’s side. “I never left for a minute,” she testified.

But she also never got a call, text or visit from Fabiani, she said. Valentino died eight days later on June 10.

Fabiani did not testify Monday, but he told NBC 7 that the crash knocked him out and he was in a state of shock when he emerged from the wreckage. He said he recalls being underneath the truck and seeing his son’s little arm dangling from the truck.

When he saw a lot of blood, his only thought was “I have to get him out,” Fabiani said.

A witness told the court she could not believe Fabiani did not yell to passersby below to try to catch his son. The defense played dramatic 911 tapes to demonstrate how chaotic those moments after the crash were.

“By the freeway, by the road,” a caller is heard saying. “Oh my God, there’s a baby in the car!”

Fabiani had previously told NBC 7 that he walked away from the crash because he couldn’t bring himself to see his son like that. He walked 19 miles to Imperial Beach and sat alone near the water – a place where he would often play with his son.

Alcohol did not play a factor in the crash, investigators said. Fabiani faces a maximum of six years and eight months in prison if found guilty on both charges.

Big Rig, Motorcycle Collision Closes State Route 67

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A collision between a big rig and a motorcycle closed a section of State Route 67 Tuesday.

California Highway Patrol officers and Heartland Fire crews were called to the intersection of SR-67 and Slaughterhouse Canyon Road at 6:30 a.m.

An air ambulance landed in the road while emergency personnel put the victim on a gurney and got him ready for transport.

The victim appeared to be conscious and moving his arms.

CHP issued a SigAlert for north and southbound traffic along SR-67.  The road was reopened as of 8 a.m.




Photo Credit: NBC 7

Lack of Leadership Found in SDPD: Audit

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Federal investigators looking into recent officer misconduct within the San Diego Police Department found officers were not held accountable and once they broke the rules, the misconduct continued undetected for years.

The 83-page U.S. Department of Justice audit was released for the first time Tuesday and included 40 recommendations to handle gaps in policies and practices in regards to handling misconduct investigations and hiring practices.

Chief of Police Shelley Zimmerman said many of the recommendations have been adopted by her officers with the rest to be incorporated into department policy in the future.

Community Oriented Policing (COPS) Office Director Ronald Davis said they looked at 17 misconduct cases beginning in 2010. While the cases weren't linked, the audit discovered there were areas in need of improvement.

"I think the thing that stood out for us was the failure of leadership on small issues. Like anything else, the failure to focus on small issues leads to very big issues," said Davis.

The DOJ began its investigation after two former SDPD officers served time for misconduct on the job ranging from false imprisonment to sexual battery.

Former police officer Anthony Arevalos is currently serving prison time for sexual battery and false imprisonment charges he committed while patrolling the Gaslamp from 2009 to 2011.

Between March and mid-May 2011, Arevalos was one of 10 SDPD officers to come under investigation for criminal misconduct on charges that included rape, domestic violence, driving under the influence and sexual battery, the DOJ review states.

Out of the 10 cases, six resulted in the arrest of officers, according to the audit.

Another officer who was not formally charged was accused of touching a woman inappropriately during an arrest in the South Bay in 2013 and allegedly exposing himself to the woman.

Former Officer Christopher Hays was accused of giving several women improper pat downs on the job. Hays was released from jail earlier this month after he pleaded guilty in September to felony false imprisonment and misdemeanor counts of assault and battery under the color of authority by a peace officer.

Following Hays' arrest, former Chief of Police William Lansdowne requested the outside review before he retired after 10 years leading the department.

The DOJ's Community Oriented Police Services (COPS) performed the audit, paid for with federal grant money at no cost to the city.

"Right now people have to stand here and listen to the idea that there was lack of supervision and that there may have been lack of leadership. But the truth hurts, but selective ignorance is fatal," Davis said.

Recommendations include the mandate of two officers to transport female detainees, the recommendation that the department stop using "acting sergeants" during staffing shortages and the adoption of a mechanism to  track complaints and update the Citizen Review Board.

There is currently no formal mechanism in place for public to inquire about status of complaint.

Chief Zimmerman said some changes are already underway while others would require additional funding.

"We currently have 600 of our officers wearing body patrol cameras, making us the largest city in the nation with these many cameras. By the end of this year all of our patrol officers will be outfitted with these cameras," Chief Zimmerman said.

The SDPD has initiated a new training class focusing on possible biases held by individual officers and will offer a summer program with the same curriculum to members of the community. 

She said they are committed to implementing all of the recommendations.

Read the full audit here

"When a recommendation is implemented, this will not be the end because we look at this as the beginning," she said.

By adopting the recommendations, Davis said the SDPD could be a model police department for others across the U.S.

“You’re still looking at a very progressive, sound and very effective police department,” he added.


SDUSD at Impasse With Teachers Union

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After nearly a year of bargaining a new contract, the San Diego Unified School District and San Diego Education Association have declared an impasse.

The two sides simply cannot agree on class sizes and wages and an impasse will allow a mediator to come in and help negotiate.

Superintendent Cindy Marten says “I believe that San Diego Unified has delivered a fair, responsive, respectful and responsible proposal to the table.”

But, outside Perkins Elementary Tuesday morning, teachers, union members, parents and students rallied for what they’re calling the big five:

  • Lowering class size across the board
  • Providing more counselors, nurses and special education support
  • Increasing the amount of enrichment classes for elementary students
  • Protecting educator planning time so they can do their best teaching
  • Improving pay and benefits to attract and keep the best and the brightest educators

These are the things SDEA President Lindsay Burningham says teachers “need to be successful."

Teachers argue they can’t meet the needs of so many students in one classroom.

Both sides have made progress, with tentative agreements on most of the issues.

Still, teachers union representatives say wages are too low and there are too many in the classrooms at all of the schools.

Marten said the district does already have plans to bring class sizes down at some schools next year, but don’t have the funding to do it at all schools.

Regarding higher wages, she said they are confident they will reach an agreement.

It can still be a few months before they assign a third party mediator. In the meantime, the district and teachers union can continue bargaining.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Trader Joe's Recalls Raw Walnuts Over Possible Salmonella

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Trader Joe's is recalling raw walnuts because they could be contaminated with Salmonella.

The raw walnuts subject to the recall were distributed to Trader Joe’s stores nationwide, according to the recall listed on the Federal Drug Administration website.

The walnuts were packaged in clear plastic bags with the UPC Codes printed on the back.

Following are the affected products:

  • Trader Joe’s Nuts Raw California Walnut Pieces, 16 ounces, with a best by date of 12/2015 and UPC Code: 00373685. Lot number: GU4345.
  • Trader Joe’s Nuts Raw California Walnut Halves & Pieces, 16 ounces with a best by date of 12/2015. UPC Code: 00943338. Lot numbers GU4346, GU4349 and GU4356
  • Trader Joe’s Nuts Raw California Walnut Baking Pieces, 16 ounces with a best by date of 2/2015. UPC Code: 00519342. Lot number: GU4350
  • Trader Joe’s Nuts Raw California Premium Walnut Halves, 16 ounces, with a best by date of 12/2015. UPC code: 00519328. Lots: GU4343, GU4344, GU4351 and GU4352
  • Trader Joe’s Organic Raw Walnut Halves & Pieces, 12 ounces, with best by dates of Oct. 15, 2015, Oct. 16, 2015, Oct. 17, 2015, Oct. 20, 2015, Oct. 21, 2015, Nov. 17, 2015, Nov. 18, 2015, Nov. 19, 2015, Nov. 20, 2015, Nov. 28, 2015 and Dec. EC 01 2015 UPC code: 00586627

An outside company the FDA hired to do some routine testing discovered the presence of Salmonella in certain packages of Trader Joe’s Raw Walnuts, according to the FDA.

As a precaution, Trader Joe’s removed all lots of these products from store shelves and will suspend sale of them while the FDA and the manufacturers investigate into the source of the problem.

Trader Joe’s Company has not received any reports of illness connected to the walnuts, according to the FDA.

Customers who bought the recalled raw walnuts should throw them away or return them to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund.

If you have questions, call Trader Joe’s Customer Relations at (626) 599-3817 or submit an email online.
 



Photo Credit: Trader Joe's Web site

Daily Walk Leads Man to Lottery Jackpot

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A San Ysidro man’s daily walk led him to a $500,000 pot of gold, California lottery officials said Tuesday.

Macario Encarnacion Jr. was exercising on Thursday, March 12 when he stopped by the San Ysidro Liquor on Beyer Boulevard to pick up his Daily Derby ticket.

The ticket ended up matching all three winning horses and the final race time to net Encarnacion a $512,000 jackpot.

He told lottery officials he thought the results were a mistake at first.

Now, he said he and his wife are still in shock but they’re planning on spending some money to pay off his mortgage and perhaps buy a new car before taking a little vacation.

Lottery officials say players can select three horses from a field of 12; one to finish 1st, one to finish 2nd, one to finish 3rd; and a race time anytime before 6:30 p.m. for the day’s draw.

Get results and more information at the lottery's website.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/Image Source

83-Year-Old Chinese Woman Crowdfunds to Meet Siblings

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Eighty-three-year old Cui Mei Chen poured herself into her couch and picked up the pile of worn letters covered in Chinese characters. One bore a date from the 1950s, another from 1962. In the scantly furnished apartment in San Francisco public housing, the letters stood out as one of the few decorations. Chen carefully fingered the paper as she’d done countless times before.

“When I want to think about my parents or my family in Malaysia,” Chen said in Chinese with her daughter interpreting, “I seek the letters many times.” Now, she may get to meet her long-lost relatives that she's been linked to through these letters.

Chen's family has started a crowd-funding campaign to help her meet her siblings for the first time.

There are no pictures of Chen growing up in China, no school photos - nothing. The stack of letters, along with a black and white picture of her parents and her siblings mounted over her bed - are the only physical evidence she has of her family - a family she hardly knew.

“Every morning she wakes up and every night she goes to bed looking at that picture,” said family friend Robert Hemphill, “and reminding her of her family who are so dear to her.”

Chen was two years old when Japan invaded her homeland of China. Her parents fled to Malaysia but fearing for her safety along the difficult journey, left her and sister behind with their grandmother. The sister eventually left to live with another family, while Chen remained with her ailing grandmother. She was 11 when her grandmother died, leaving Chen to fend for herself.

Immigration between China and Malaysia became nearly impossible after the war ended. Chen’s parents feared they would never see their daughters again and had five more children in Malaysia. The occasional letters from her parents became the only link to her family.

Chen went to work on a farm for a man who was cruel to her. She wore torn clothing and ate food normally left for the pigs.

Unbeknownst to her, the man stole the money her parents had sent her to attend school. She managed to tuck away just three years of schooling before she married at age 18.

The years rambled by and Chen still hadn’t seen her parents or siblings. In 1965, her mother finally paid a brief visit to China to see her daughter - but it was the last time Chen would see either of her parents who died in 1980. It also marked the end of any contact with her siblings.

“Meanwhile, the country of Malaysia changed all the street names from Chinese… to Malaysian names,” Hemphill said. “And so the old letters she had with addresses written in Chinese never really applied. So she couldn’t really find her brothers and sisters anymore.”

Chen moved to San Francisco in 2001 after her husband died of injuries sustained at his job. She was reunited with her own children, and now had grandchildren to look after. But her own siblings were lost somewhere in the big world.

Her children scoured the internet for any signs of the Chen's siblings and began contacting cultural groups looking for anyone with a link in Malaysia. Eventually someone put them in touch with someone else who knew someone who put them in contact with another group. Suddenly there were addresses, names - then phone calls and modern pictures sent over a smart phone.

“In her heart always thinking about them,” said Chen’s daughter Xi Guan Lei.

Her children and Hemphill launched a crowd-funding campaign on GoFundMe to raise money to send Chen to Malaysia. This month, Chen will travel to Malaysia to finally meet her five siblings for the first time. The family is also raising funds so Chen’s children can accompany her. Her goal is to reach $10,000.

“In America we have this term ‘bucket list’ of the things you want to do before you die,” said Hemphill. “I think she’s got one thing on her bucket list and this is it.”

On a recent day, Chen sifted through the pile of old letters, clutching each page as if it were a precious jewel - reading aloud the words of her departed parents. After a life fraught with hardship and loss - she leaned back and seemed to surrender the last eight decades.

“I’m very happy to see my family in Malaysia,” Chen said. “I’m very happy.”
 


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4 Teens Indicted in Attack on NYPD Detective, Cop Girlfriend

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Four teenagers have been indicted in connection with an attack on two NYPD officers outside of a Brooklyn home that left one of the victims, an off-duty detective, badly beaten, authorities said Tuesday.

The teenagers, all 17-year-old boys, are charged in a six-count indictment with assault, resisting arrest and unlawful possession of marijuana in the Feb. 8 attack on detective Daniel Alessandrino and his girlfriend, officer Jaline Bernier.

Prosecutors say Alessandrino heard a group making noise outside his Bensonhurst home that night around 12:20 a.m. and went out to check on the commotion. The detective, who was off-duty at the time, saw a group of about 15 to 20 teenagers banging and jumping on cars.

Alessandrino, who had been followed out of the house by Bernier, told the teens he didn't want any trouble and asked them to leave, prosecutors say.

One of the teens charged in the indictment allegedly responded, "What are you going to do? Call a cop?"

Authorities say Alessandrino identified himself as an officer at that point, and the teen allegedly said, "I don't care. I'll kill a cop. A cop is going to die tonight."

The teen then allegedly lunged at Alessandrino and started punching him in the head and body, authorities say. Alessandrino pushed him away and the teen allegedly attacked his girlfriend, Bernier. When the detective tried to interview them, the teens allegedly pushed him to the ground, surrounded him and proceeded to kick, punch and stomp on him.

They also allegedly kicked him in the head. The teens were arrested a short time later, authorities said.

Alessandrino had swelling and lacerations around his eye, nose, jaw, head, arm and knee, broken teeth and chest and shoulder bruising as a result of the attack, authorities say. Bernier had eye swelling and facial pain.

The top count in the indictment carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison.

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