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Man Shot on Grant Hill Porch

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A 23-year-old man was shot in the face at 300 27th Street in Grant Hill early Monday. NBC 7's Matt Rascon reports.

Robbery Victims Outsmart Gunman

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A husband and wife team outsmarted a robber at a La Jolla restaurant overnight according to San Diego Police.

The couple was cleaning the TGI Friday’s on Villa La Jolla just after 3 a.m. when they were held at gunpoint.

When the husband walked outside to grab a mop, a man held a gun to the worker’s head and followed him into the restaurant.

There, the would-be robber held three people at gunpoint.

The husband suddenly announced he wasn’t feeling well and needed to get his medication from the car.

So the suspect allowed the man’s wife to get the medicine from the truck in the parking lot outside the restaurant.

That’s when the woman drove the car to a nearby pharmacy to call for help.

“It was pretty smart of him to do that just to get somebody to get outside and call for help,” said SDPD Lt. Steve Hutchinson.

San Diego Police arrived and set up a perimeter around the store. Officers searched but did not find the gunman.

He stole one cell phone and other tools from the cleaning crew.

The restaurant was closed at the time of the robbery.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Pedestrian Dies in Collision with Truck

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A man was struck and killed Sunday by an oncoming truck on an Escondido road, officers said.

Witnesses said the man was walking in the crosswalk against the light at Broadway and Lincoln where traffic exits from State Route 78.

When a white Chevy pickup drove into the intersection just after 11 p.m., the driver struck the man who was in the eastbound lanes of Lincoln Avenue.

Escondido Police arrived and found the truck stopped in the roadway with the victim lying nearby. Escondido Fire medics transported the pedestrian to Palomar Hospital where he later died.

They say the truck driver did not see the victim in time to avoid the crash.

The victim has not been identified.

Officers said the driver of the pickup truck would not be charged or cited.
 

How Hot Was It? Hottest March on Record

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This is going to end up the hottest March ever recorded in San Diego, and it's not even close.

When the final numbers for the month come in this week, the average temperature at Lindbergh Field will be right around 66°.  That will make it the hottest March since records began back in 1874!  The previous record is 64.3.  And in this case, a degree and a half is a landslide.  Consider the other four years in the top five are all separated by a degree or less.  

When we say "average" temperature, we mean the average between the high and low temperature for each day, but this month also had some very high highs.  The hottest day of the month came March 14th when we hit 90°, shattering the old record from 1951 before the clock even struck noon.  Records fell three consecutive days between March 13th and 15th.  And each of those three days all now rank in the top ten hottest days ever for March.  The all time March record of 99° still stands from 1879.  7 times this month, San Diego topped 80 degrees at Lindbergh Field.  

And if the heat weren't enough, it's also been an exceptionally dry month with slightly more than half the amount of rain for a normal March.  And all of it came at once.  The  0.93" of rain we did get all fell in the first four days of the month.  Since then, we've gone close to four weeks without any measureable rainfall at Lindbergh Field.  

It's a lot of numbers to take in, but to some it up, in 140 plus years, we have never seen a March like this one.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

SDG&E Now Allowed to Use Drones

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San Diego Gas & Electric will now be able to keep an eye on its facilities from the sky using drones.

The utility became the second in the nation to get Federal Aviation Administration approval Monday to fly unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) throughout its territory.

SDG&E hopes the technology will be especially useful during emergencies, when they need to assess if facilities are damaged.

“The new UAS technology will enable us to improve response times to emergency situations, inspect our electric and gas facilities in remote areas that are otherwise difficult to access, reduce the use of manned helicopters, enhance overall employee and public safety, and locate the cause of power outages faster,” said John Sowers, SDG&E’s vice president of electric distribution operations, in a news release.

Officials also plan to use the small drones, which measure 16 inches in diameter and weigh less than a pound, to monitor fires. They say by not deploying helicopters, the utility can save money, reduce noise and help protect the environment.

The UAS are equipped with cameras to fly over SDG&E grids and send live pictures back to their controllers. They should help inspectors keep an aerial eye on more than 26,000 miles of transmission and distribution power lines.

In 2014, the FAA allowed SDG&E to fly UAS for research, development and flight crew training in remote areas of the county. Monday’s approval means that drones can now be used in day-to-day operations.



Photo Credit: SDG&E
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Fear of Demons Led Woman to Barricade Class: DA

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A school employee who barricaded children in a San Diego-area classroom last week thought there were demons outside and wanted to protect the children, Deputy District Attorney Jessica Paugh said Monday.

Linda Lira, 31, of San Diego, is in custody facing three felony charges of false imprisonment of a minor and one misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest after what her attorney characterized as a breakdown at the Lemon Grove Academy where she works as an after-care assistant.

“Miss Lira suffers from emotional issues,” Defense attorney Corey Wlodarczyk said after his client's arraignment Monday.

Lira was taken to the hospital Wednesday evening after some strange behavior at the school.

Paugh said Lira was working as an after-care assistant when she started acting strangely at around 4 p.m.

Paugh said at the time, Lira said there were demons outside and that she wanted to protect the children ranging in age from nine to 11 years old. She locked herself in the room with the children and then moved to barricade the door. 

As children tried to leave the room, they were injured according to the prosecutor.

Two minors suffered minor injuries, she said, when one child was slapped on the hand and two were pushed to the ground.

When staff intervened, Lira fought them, undressed and dressed again, upended desks and threw things around the room, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO).

Lira was arrested and accused of 28 counts of felony child endangerment and false imprisonment initially. She was held at Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility, where bail was set at $2.1 million.

However, at her arraignment Monday, prosecutors filed just four charges against her saying any other allegations were still under investigation.

There were no charges filed regarding child endangerment, which lead the judge to order a reduction in bail.

Lira was now being held on $500,000 bail as requested by the prosecution.

Defense attorneys said they are still trying to piece together what happened that day in the classroom.

Wlodarczyk called the incident "uncharacteristic" for her and said he believed she had a breakdown triggered by something in her past.

According to some accounts, they said, Lira took off only her shoes in front of the children and later removed other pieces of clothing once she was with law enforcement. The SDSO told NBC 7 Lira undressed when staff intervened. 

When asked how his client was handling the incident, Wlodarcyzk said, “She’s scared. She’s never been in the criminal justice system before.”

“She wants to take it one day at a time,” he said.

Attorneys from both sides said Lira did not have drugs in her system at the time of the incident.

Her maximum exposure if convicted would be more than four years. 

Twenty-five family members attended the arraignment but did not want to address the media. 

The suspect’s sister, Cathy Lira, previously told NBC 7 that she had never seen that kind of behavior from Lira before, though she had been making some strange comments recently about Lucifer and warriors protecting her.

Lira has declined an interview request from NBC 7.



Photo Credit: Family

Deputy, Suspect Identified in Encinitas Fatal Shooting

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Sheriff’s officials have identified the deputy and suspect involved in a shooting last week in Encinitas.

The San Diego County sheriff’s deputy, identified as Steven Block, shot the 56-year-old man, Gary Kendrick, after Kendrick was found sitting in the grass with the gun pointed at himself.

Officials said that during the Friday morning incident in the 2000 block of Shady Tree Lane, Kendrick had told deputies to shoot him and began to turn the weapon in their direction.

That’s when they said Block feared for his safety and shot several rounds from his department-issued AR-15 rifle.

Kendrick died at the scene. No law enforcement officers were injured.

A neighbor told NBC 7 the suspect had been experiencing marital troubles and deputies had been called out his house before this incident, including a time when the man was throwing things out of the window.

Block has been with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for less than five years. Officials say he will be placed on a minimum of three days' paid leave.

Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for further details on this incident. To provide a tip, you can call the department’s homicide detail at 858-974-2321 or after hours at 858-565-5200.

To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers directly at 888-580-8477.

Drunken Mom Abandons Child: Police

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A mother has been charged with endangering her 7-year-old daughter after getting drunk and leaving her "hiding" in a trash bin overnight in a "high crime" area, Dallas police say.

Dallas police said 28-year-old Alicia Carroll called them Sunday morning alleging the person she left her daughter with Saturday night refused to return her.

Carroll told police she left the King Spa and Sauna on Royal Lane to clear her head at about 10 p.m., leaving her child inside with an acquaintance. A spa employee told NBC 5 that Carroll was drunk when she, along with her daughter, left a party at the spa Saturday night.

After the call Sunday morning, Dallas police began searching for Carroll's daughter by air and ground. The young girl wasn't found until about 11:15 a.m. when two passers-by flagged down an officer and asked if they were looking for a small black girl in a yellow shirt and shorts.

With the tip, officers quickly found the missing girl, describing her condition as hungry and thirsty, filthy, wearing no shoes and suffering from several cuts and scrapes to her arms and legs.

The girl told police she and her mother left the spa and were walking down the street when her mother started running. The girl said her mother told her they were being followed by the police and that they would have to hide.

Police said Carroll helped her child into the trash bin and then left her there alone in a "high crime area ... by a creek and wooded area." The child eventually fell asleep in the trash bin and woke up about 10 hours later. After exiting the bin, she began walking down Royal Lane toward the spa.

Carroll later admitted to police that she became intoxicated after having two vodka drinks in the parking lot and didn't remember much after that until the next morning when she couldn't locate her daughter. Police said Carroll also eventually remembered leaving the spa with her child and that they had been talking about the day, but then couldn't remember anything else.

The child was taken to a nearby hospital for an evaluation and then released to a family member, according to police. Child Protective Services was notified.

Police said they arrested Carroll Sunday afternoon and charged her with endangering a child. She is being held on $25,000 bond.

Carroll works as a daycare teacher, according to Dallas police.

Carroll's sister and neighbor both tell NBC 5 she is a good mother who loves her daughter very much. The family had no explanation for what occurred Saturday night. They would also not go on camera.

As of Monday evening, there was no attorney information listed for Carroll.

NBC 5's Todd L. Davis and Ray Villeda contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News
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Owner Seeks Injured Driver Who Damaged Liquor Store

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Weeks after a Mercedes rammed into his liquor store, the owner now wants to reunite with the injured driver to make sure she will recover.

A big part of Adam Barno’s business came crashing down with his destroyed racks of wine on March 16 when an 86-year-old woman lost control of her car and collided into Dick’s Liquor in La Jolla.

The driver’s son-in-law told NBC 7 she suffered a broken ankle and a severe cut to her leg in the wreck. But since that day, Barno has heard nothing about her condition.

“Me, my wife and my children would love to visit her,” Barno said Monday. “I think my kids could put a smile on her face if she is able to see them. We want to say a prayer for her together, just give some comfort to her family.”

However, he tried to reach out to the woman but has not heard back, he said. NBC 7’s calls to her were unanswered Monday.

In the meantime, Barno is contending with the possibility of closing up shop for a while as he repairs the estimated $300,000 in damage caused by the crash.

Boards block the outside corner where the car hit, but Barno told NBC 7 even more financial pain happened inside. The collision knocked over his wine racks, sending tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of liquid spilling in a red wave over the floor.

The chipped bottles remain boxed up in his now damaged wine room, and his air conditioner and walls need replacing. Contractors told him he’ll have to pull up the floor, which will force him to shut down the shop for a time.

“That would really hurt. It’s a little nerve wracking for me because I am a father. I’m a provider,” said Barno. “I have my responsibilities and have to pay my bills. It’s making it difficult on not just myself, but everyone in my family.”

The store has been turning away customers who previously came to Dick’s Liquor for its high-end wine selection, the owner said.

Barno is also still waiting on a check from his insurance company to pay for the fixes – another reason the process has been slow.

Wish Granted for 10-Year-Old Heart Transplant Patient

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A ten-year-old returned home Monday to find that his one true wish had been granted.

Caden Cunningham, who recently had a heart transplant, came home to find a beautiful backyard where he could play with his brothers, complete with a swing set, a trampoline and a playground, as well as some tropical flowers. 

Some 50 volunteers worked throughout the day to help transform Cunningham’s Otay Mesa backyard, previously a dirt lot, into the boy’s dream yard while Cunningham spent the day with his family at Legoland.

When describing his ideal playground he said he wanted “a slide, swings and other stuff."

But the playground wouldn’t be for him, it would be for his brother.

“He was scared and all that time he really wanted to play with me,” Cunningham said.

50 volunteers from AMN healthcare worked to make sure Caden and his siblings have the perfect backyard.

“It's pretty remarkable,” said Dawn Anderson, vice president of AMN Healthcare. “So, when you plan it, it sounds like a lot of fun, but when you're here doing the work and you see it start to come together it really touches your heart.

The boy’s mother, Cindy, said after seeing her son’s “amazing fighting spirit,” it is nice to see the response to help her son’s dreams come true.

“I just feel like he's been looked after,” Cindy said.



Photo Credit: Wendy Fry

Deputy Injured in Oceanside Traffic Stop

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A deputy was injured Monday night as he tried to pull over a suspect in Oceanside. 

The incident happened at Oleander Drive and Montrose Way at about 10 p.m.

When the deputy stepped up to the suspect's window, the driver took off, and the deputy was somehow injured in the process. He is conscious and talking, but the extent of his injuries is not clear.

The suspect has since been taken into custody.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department says they have opened up an investigation.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Escaped Prisoner Captured After 9-Hour Manhunt: Source

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A prisoner who escaped from a Northern Virginia hospital -- and who evaded capture for most of Tuesday morning -- hid in the trunk of a car before surprising the commuter on the way to work, kicking his way out through the backseat.

Wossen Assaye was found near Minnesota Avenue SE in Washington, D.C., following a massive manhunt that lasted nearly nine hours. A citizen in D.C. recognized Assaye from media reports and called police. He was taken into custody without incident at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Assaye appeared in federal court Tuesday afternoon and was ordered held without bond. He is charged with one count of escaping from federal custody and with one count of bank robbery.

Assaye was wearing a white plastic protective suit, which was open to his navel. He was not wearing socks or shoes, and he was surrounded by law enforcement in the courtroom.

"I'm thanking each and every community member in this region for apprehending a violent felon,'' Fairfax County Police Chief Col. Edwin C. Roessler Jr. said at a news conference.

Assaye, 42, was arrested by federal authorities last week for a series of bank robberies in Northern Virginia. Assaye allegedly committed the robberies while on a bike.

While being held at the Alexandria City Jail, Assaye attempted to hang himself with a bedsheet and was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital for medical treatment on Friday. Deputies with the Alexandria Sheriff's Office guarded Assaye for the first 24 hours of his hospital stay before he was turned over to two Allied Protective Service guards, who were contracted by the U.S. Marshals Service.

At about 3 a.m. Tuesday, Assaye overpowered one of the guards, taking the security officer's weapon. Assaye used the female contract guard as a shield as he fled down the hall and then released her and fled down a stairwell, U.S. Marshal Bobby Matheson said.

Police say one shot was fired, but no one was injured. It's not clear who fired the shot.

Assaye fled with the weapon into a nearby neighborhood, where he broke into the truck of a resident's 2002 Toyota Camry. The driver got into the car to go to work, and during the commute, police say Assaye began to kick out the backseat from inside the truck. The driver crashed the car, and Assaye carjacked the vehicle. Police say they later found the Camry near Monterey Drive in Annandale.

At one point in the chase, Assaye drove into the garage of a home on Oak Court in Annandale owned by Lorraine Giovinazzo. Then he entered the almost-empty house, apparently by jimmying the handles on a set of glass doors.

Assaye left behind the hospital gown he had been wearing and took some of Giovinazzo's old clothes, Giovinazzo said.

"I'm just so grateful that we had just moved, because otherwise my mother would have been in there by herself, and that would have been terrifying," Giovinazzo said.

Assaye was on foot for a short time before stealing a 2008 gray Hyundai Elantra in the same area.

Police say they've also located the Hyundai Elantra.

Police searched neighborhoods in Annandale with helicopter and heavily armed officers for a portion of Tuesday morning. In one neighborhood, Spence Limbocker said he heard a helicopter, went outside and saw a massive police presence.

"They told me to get back in the house and lock all my doors... It was a little scary,'' Limbocker said.

Assaye was arrested March 20 and charged with a robbery at Apple Federal Credit Union in Alexandria. In a court document, an FBI agent suggests that Assaye, of Arlington, is responsible for a string of 12 bank robberies in northern Virginia over the last year and a half.

In court documents about the robberies, the FBI agent said the robber seen in surveillance photographs and video recordings is "physically similar'' in the dozen robberies that end with the robbery of the Apple Federal Credit Union.

In all, the banks were robbed of about $32,000. In most cases, the agent said the robber entered the bank with a cellphone to his ear, demanded money and fled with cash on a bicycle.

According to a 2012 Virginia Parole Board document, Assaye has an "extensive criminal record" and "history of violence," indicating a "serious risk to the community," NBC News reports.

He has been charged with a variety of felonies — including breaking and entering in 1998 — with at least one conviction, for purse snatching in 1994, for which he was given a recommended maximum 12-month jail sentence.

The lockdown at the hospital, located in suburb just outside of Washington, D.C., lasted from 3:30 a.m. to 7:50 a.m., hospital officials confirmed.

During that time, no one could enter or leave the hospital. Emergencies were diverted to other emergency rooms. Patient care continued, though some elective surgeries had to be delayed.

Staff members inside the hospital told News4's David Culver that during the lockdown, some employees hid in back rooms and hallways for safety. 

Stay with News4 on-air and online for more on this developing story. The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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"I'm Not Running": Warren Shuts Down 2016 Buzz Again

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Sorry, "Elizabeth Warren for President" holdouts.

The U.S. senator from Massachusetts on Tuesday dealt another blow to supporters — and rivals on the right — hoping she'll enter the 2016 race, repeating her intention to stay on the sidelines. 

"No, I am not running and I’m not going to run," she told NBC's Savannah Guthrie in an interview.

"I'm not running. I'm not running," she repeated when asked again whether there was any room to hedge.

Warren, who has gained a national profile as a vocal critic of Wall Street, has insisted for months that she does not plan to run against likely candidate and frontrunner Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary. On Tuesday, as she appeared on the "Today" show to promote her new memoir, she said serving in the U.S. Senate is the best platform for fighting for changes on financial regulation, student loans and more.

“I’m in Washington and I’ve got this really great job and a chance to try to make a difference on things that really matter," she said.

The senator's own words haven't stopped supporters on the left from continuing a draft-Warren effort to lay groundwork and generate support for a run. Republicans have also used the buzz surrounding a possible Warren bid to rally their base — citing the progressive Democrat in fundraising emails and other appeals for support.

Even as she rejected the speculation surrounding her own plans, Warren sidestepped a question about whether Clinton is the best messenger on issues embraced by the party's liberal wing.

“I think we need to give her a chance to decide if she’s going to run and declare and to lay out what she wants to run on," she said. "I think that's her opportunity to do that.”



Photo Credit: AP
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WATCH: Indiana Gov. Addresses Law Controversy

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Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said in a Tuesday op-ed in the Wall Street Journal that a controversial bill he signed into law last week is not a "license to discriminate."

"I abhor discrimination," he wrote. "I believe in the Golden Rule that you should ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ If I saw a restaurant owner refuse to serve a gay couple, I wouldn’t eat there anymore."

"As governor of Indiana, if I were presented a bill that legalized discrimination against any person or group, I would veto it," he continued.

His published remarks are an attempt to quell the firestorm that's brewed since he affixed his signature to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act last Thursday. The measure prohibits state laws that "substantially burden" a person's ability to follow his or her religious beliefs. The definition of "person" includes religious institutions, businesses and associations.

Gays and lesbians are not a protected class under Indiana’s civil rights laws, and critics of the law maintain it could allow some businesses to refuse providing service or selling goods to some people based on religious grounds.

That's sparked outrage from many in Indiana's business community and others with ties -- established and planned -- to the Hoosier state. The public-employee union known as AFSCME announced Monday it was canceling a planned women's conference in Indianapolis this year because of the law. The band Wilco said it was canceling a May performance. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe issued an open letter to Indiana corporations saying Virginia is a business-friendly state that does "not discriminate against our friends and neighbors," while Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel sent letters to more than a dozen Indiana businesses, urging them to relocate to a "welcoming place to people of all races, faiths and countries of origin."

Republican legislative leaders said they are working on adding language to the law to make it clear it does not allow discrimination against gays and lesbians.

In a separate editorial with a clear message, Indiana's largest newspaper, the Indianapolis Star, stressed urgency: "Fix this now."



Photo Credit: AP

Indiana's Religious Freedom Law: Who Opposes, Favors

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Indiana’s new religious freedom law provoked fierce reaction from both sides — critics who believe it provides a poorly disguised excuse to discriminate against gays and lesbians and supporters who say it protects religious beliefs.

Gov. Mike Pence signed the law last week and but the backlash was so widespread that on Tuesday he called for additional legislation this week to clarify that the law was not a license to discriminate.  He continued to insist that the bill had been mischaracterized and did not permit the denial of services to anyone, including gays and lesbians.

"Heavens no," he said, when he asked whether he expected the reaction.

The federal government and 20 other states have similar religious protection laws but some legal experts say the Indiana law broadened who could claim a religious burden and under what circumstances. Gays and lesbians are not a protected class under Indiana’s civil rights laws.

Here’s a look at who has been speaking out about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Those Speaking Out Against the Law

The head of the NCAA told NBC News on Monday that he was "deeply concerned" about the Indiana law. Indianapolis hosts the Final Four in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's men's basketball tournament on Saturday.

The chief executives of nine major Indiana-based companies wrote to Pence on Monday saying they were worried about their own employees and the reputation of Indiana. Among the companies: Angie’s List, Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Eli Lilly and Co. and Roche Diagnostics.

Salesforce, the cloud computing company, said it was canceling all company travel to Indiana and in a Washington Post op-ed, Apple CEO Tim Cook, who is gay, called the new wave of legislation dangerous.

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce called the law unnecessary.

AFSCME, the country’s largest public-employee union, said it would move a planned women's conference out of Indianapolis this year because of the law.

Among politicians, Hillary Clinton, widely expected to run for the Democratic 2016 presidential nomination, tweeted: "Sad this new Indiana law can happen in America today."

Gov. Dannel Malloy of Connecticut signed an executive order banning state-backed travel to Indiana, and called the law “disturbing, disgraceful, and outright discriminatory.” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the mayors of San Francisco and Seattle also restricted government-sponsored travel to the state.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, told Fusion that Pence was on the wrong side of history.

Entertainers also took stands against the law.

The band Wilco said it was canceling a May performance.

"Parks and Recreation" star Nick Offerman canceled a comedy show in Indianapolis in May, citing the new law. But he said he would go forward with a show Wednesday at Indiana University and donate the proceeds to the Human Rights Campaign.

Supporting Indiana's Law

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a candidate for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, said Pence was protecting religious liberty. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who is weighing a run for the Republican nomination for the presidency, said on Fox News that he thought people should be allowed to live out their religious faith.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, another likely Republican candidate, said the law would allow people of faith to express their beliefs. Speaking on the Hugh Hewitt radio show, he said that once the facts were established, he thought people would see that the law was not discriminatory.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Indiana Gov: We Intend to Fix "Perception" Problem of Law

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Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Tuesday said a bill he signed into law week has been "grossly mischaracterized" and subjected to "shoddy reporting," but said he and legislators have been working around the clock to draft new legislation to clarify its intent.

"We've got a perception problem here ... and we intend to correct that," Pence told reporters during a morning press conference from Indianapolis.

The Republican reiterated earlier comments that the intent of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was not to discriminate but to protect religious freedom. The measure prohibits state laws that "substantially burden" a person's ability to follow his or her religious beliefs. The definition of "person" includes religious institutions, businesses and associations.

Gays and lesbians are not a protected class under Indiana’s civil rights laws, and critics of the law alleged it could provide some businesses the opportunity to refuse providing services or selling goods to some people based on religious grounds.

Pence said he found that claim "offensive," and called upon the state's General Assembly to address the issue.

"This law does not give businesses a right to deny services to anyone," he said. "The intent of the law was to give the courts in our state the highest level of scrutiny in cases where people feel that their religious liberty is being infringed upon by government action."

His comments Tuesday were a follow-up to an op-ed piece he penned for the Wall Street Journal that the law was not a "license to discriminate."

"I abhor discrimination," he wrote. "I believe in the Golden Rule that you should ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

The law sparked outrage from many in Indiana's business community and others with ties -- established and planned -- to the Hoosier state. The public-employee union known as AFSCME announced Monday it was canceling a planned women's conference in Indianapolis this year because of the law. The band Wilco said it was canceling a May performance. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe issued an open letter to Indiana corporations saying Virginia is a business-friendly state that does "not discriminate against our friends and neighbors," while Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel sent letters to more than a dozen Indiana businesses, urging them to relocate to a "welcoming place to people of all races, faiths and countries of origin."

In a separate editorial with a clear message, Indiana's largest newspaper, the Indianapolis Star, stressed urgency: "Fix this now."


Photo Credit: Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

How to Make Your Kitchen Appliances Last Longer

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Nothing lasts forever, but when it comes to your kitchen appliances, it would be nice to have them last for as long as possible. NBC 7’s Consumer Bob has advice on how to make that happen.

Suspicious Fire Rips Through Cars at Storage Lot

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More than a dozen cars were destroyed after a fire ripped through a storage yard in Otay Mesa Monday night and fire investigators are trying to determine what – or who – started it all.

The blazes started 8:20 p.m. at Hurio Towing and Storage in the 2200 block of Harvest Road and Otay Center Drive in San Diego’s South Bay area. Firefighters cut through a fence to gain access into the storage yard and quickly fought the flames, preventing the fire from spreading any further.

Within about an hour, crews were mopping up hot spots and starting clean-up efforts.

No one was injured, officials said. At least 15 parked cars – including vans, sedans and trucks – were severely damaged by the flames and officials estimated at least $35,000 in total damages.

Fire officials stayed on scene for many hours trying to determine how the suspicious fire began. The investigation is ongoing.
 

Fatally Shot Cyclist Was "Peacekeeper": Family

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The father of seven shot while riding his bicycle in the East Village was a “peacekeeper” who wanted to rebuild and reinvigorate that neighborhood, his family told NBC 7 in an exclusive interview Monday.

Duane Wicker, 47, was fatally shot in the back of the head Saturday afternoon along J Street. A suspect, 46-year-old Rafael Davis, was taken into custody Monday, accused of his death.

Wicker’s wife, Angela, said she was planning a night out for them when she got the news. “He was a good guy, love bug – my love bug. There’s no reason. No reason. None,” she said of the shooting.

The family believes Wicker was in the area to visit his mother. His death shocked his four children and three step-children, who said he always tried to keep the peace in the sometimes chaotic neighborhood.

“I was just confused, like just confused. I couldn’t move,” said his son Deouche. “I was just frozen, I was hurt, but I just know deep down inside he wouldn’t want me to be upset. That’s not who my dad was.”

A volunteer assistant coach with a Pop Warner football team, Wicker worked as a day laborer but stayed active in his community.

Though he lived in Paradise Hills, he was known to ride his bike in the East Village, both for his own health and the health of the area. Deouche described how his father would visit transient camps and troubled youth, offering them hope.

“It touched me heart because they would come out the tents and they would just see my dad,” he said as he teared up, “they'd see my dad and it was just like their day was made.”

Everyone who met him loved him, multiple family members told NBC 7, and before his death, Wicker was at a high point in his life. He was planning on relocating the family to North Carolina, where he wanted to work for a program helping youth.

According to his step-daughter Lashonte Allexander, Wicker thrived as he met people from all walks of life and tried to stay active and healthy.

“They have no idea what they took,” said Lashonte. “They have no idea they took the best thing that probably ever happened to this family ever. He was a good person, very good.”

Saddened and discouraged by his father’s death, Deouche nevertheless said Wicker would not want to see his family moping and mourning for too long.

It has inspired his eldest son to keep building on what Wicker started.

“I want my dad’s legacy to live on. I want his dream to keep dreaming. I want his dream to live on,” Deouche said. “My dad wanted to give back. He wanted that area, that neighborhood to rebuild, to get back on its feet.”

Now, the family wants answers about his killing.

The suspect, Davis, was arrested near National Avenue Monday afternoon – the area where Wicker’s mother lives. He has been booked into jail on a murder charge. Police have not released information about a motive.

LA Chargers Branding Raises Ire in Bolts Country

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Analysis

Losing the Chargers to L.A. is a nightmare to politicians, civic promoters and Bolts backers who bleed powder blue and sunshine gold.

Seeing that city's name printed in front of this town's team, as it was at least on Monday evening, was a rude jolt -- even if that happened by way of a digital accident.

Or not.

Until NBC 7 sports journalist Derek Togerson raised the issue, the website "Pro Football Reference-dot-com" had the Chargers home-towned in Los Angeles

Fifty-five years after the team was based there.

Did PFR’s web wizards jump the gun on some reliable "intel" that the Bolts are returning to the City of Angels?

Was it a hack job – or maybe an insider’s prank?

Whichever, it seems to have added insult to a potential injury for Bolts backers who bleed powder blue and sunshine gold.

"The city made too many mistakes early on with this -- they had a chance to negotiate, make it right, build a stadium ten years ago and they didn't,” says Kevin Hird, a Bay Park resident and 26-year Chargers season ticketholder.

“I'd hate to see 'em go, it'd be the worst thing in the world,” Hird said in an interview Tuesday. “Got a new baby -- I want to be able to take him to the games the way I went with my dad, you know? Tragic!"

Scripps Ranch resident Rockette Ewell was somewhat more optimistic about the team’s future in San Diego, and relatively unimpressed with the riches that moving to the L.A. market might bring.

"I'm an optimist, and I believe the Chargers are going to stay,” Ewell told NBC 7. “"I'm not sure that it makes that big a difference if you've got a slightly bigger bucket up north, and you have a bucket of money here and you get the new stadium you want."

Ewell dismissed the world of intrigue and speculation surrounding the city’s stadium scramble as a “first-world problem”.

But it's no third-tier concern to civic leaders, sports fans and business interests -- because the Mission Valley site now in financial planning stages for the project is not the site the Chargers want.

They're also looking 'up north' to the city of Carson.

And if that's where they wind up, it'll be real blow to civic self-esteem in San Diego.

Tossed into this recipe for paranoia is a bold-faced post on a "stats" page that Pro-Football-Reference dot-com has since taken down – keystroke-listing 'Los Angeles' in front of 'Chargers'.

The lame explanation, tweeted to Togerson?

It was "a bug" that made the team’s location “revert” to Los Angeles.

Really?

To whatever extent San Diegans may be less streetwise than Angelenos, that’s a hard sell.

In any case, local stadium planners see the Inglewood option a more likely out-of-town play the for the Chargers, owing to brighter financing prospects than in Carson.

And they’re not taking it lightly.

“If we don't present the Chargers with a viable working plan, they're going to make a case that they can't get anything done here in San Diego,” says Tony Manolatos, spokesman for Mayor Faulconer’s nine-member Citizens Stadium Advisory Group.

“Yes, I think Inglewood is a potential threat if we don't care of our business here in San Diego; we could lose the Chargers,” Manolatos acknowledged. “But I also think that's unlikely given the progress we've made and where this is all headed."

However, if pushback between the city and franchise comes to shove, and the team leaves town for whatever "gets done" in the L-A market, there's skepticism here in San Diego about their future there.

"Nobody wants a football team in L.A., nobody wants the Chargers,” Hird argues. “People are from everywhere else; they want to see their team play. So if anything, the Chargers could move there and whatever the opposing team is -- that's probably going to draw more fans."

We ran all this by Bolts' special counsel Mark Fabiani, who replied by email: “I’m afraid I wouldn’t have anything useful to add.”
add".

Silence can be golden, when the talk is about the “Los Angeles Chargers” -- and they're still in San Diego.

For the time being, if not the foreseeable future.

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