Two animals at the Summerfield Zoo in Belvidere, Illinois, were killed in Thursday's severe weather, just as two "miracle" baby goats were birthed, zoo officials said. 

Officials at the facility said that while an emu and a black swan were killed during the storm, two healthy baby goats were also born.

"We have a small barn we keep all of our bottle fed baby goats and there was disaster all the way around it," said Summerfield Zoo Owner Rick Anderson. "Their building just stood in the middle of it."

Roughly 200 other animals at the zoo, including a mother swan who sat on a nest of eggs during the severe weather, were uninjured, the zoo said. 

The facility lost hundreds of yards of fencing and three barn shelters and suffered about $200,000 in damages. 

"We are heart broken at the devastation," read a late night Facebook message.

The organization said insurance will help cover some of the damage to buildings but not the cost to repair or replace fencing or outside structures.

"We had buildings that were completely gone, they are not on the property anymore," said Anderson. "They just disappeared."

An account on the fundraising site GoFundMe.com was created on behalf of the zoo, which was set to open for the season later this month.

As of 2 p.m. Friday, supporters of the zoo had donated more than $46,000. 

"I do believe miracles and just the fact that we've had so many people come out and help us has been a big one," said volunteer Christopher Foster.

Anderson said he hopes to stil open the zoo April 25, despite the damage. 

"We won't have things perfect but we'll work on it," he said. 

There were no tornado sirens in the small town of Fairdale, Illinois, which was leveled by a devastating tornado that killed at least two people and left nearly a dozen others injured.

Kirkdale Fire Chief Chad Connell said Friday that residents received warning from media outlets and county warnings and credited social media with notifying many in the area. Officials noted the area is unincorporated.

“Municipalities are not regulated at this time to have [sirens],” Connell said. “In this day and age with social media it’s, in this case, I really think that it helped more than anything so I don’t want to get wrapped up in a tornado siren in a town and think that’s really going to save lives over anything else.”

Officials said the two people killed in the storm were in the hardest hit area of the town and at least one of them had sought cover in a bathroom because she didn’t have a basement.

The two neighbors, 67-year-old Geradine M. Schultz and 69-year-old Jacklyn Klosa, were identified Friday as crews continued to search through debris for any other victims.

“Those victims that were in the areas were the most devastating spots in this town,” Connell said. “There were 17 homes leveled and debris piles that are just unbelievable up there.”

DeKalb County Sheriff Roger Scott said as of 2:30 p.m., 11 people had been transported to area hospitals, one in critical condition, but no known residents were left unaccounted for.

Canine cadaver dogs were searching the areas Friday, police said.

First responders said several people were rescued from basements Thursday night.

“My level of confidence is that we have everyone out of the area,” Connell said.

Recovery efforts were expected to continue into the evening hours. 
 

A man who led police on a two-hour, slow-speed pursuit through South Los Angeles on Friday surrendered when a police SUV spun out the green Toyota Prius taxi the man was in.

The pursuit began at 1:30 p.m. in the Inglewood area in connection with an alleged carjacking in South Los Angeles, authorities said.

It ended before 3:30 p.m. when police in armored SUVs cornered the tax and the man surrendered.

He was believed to have been armed with a handgun and was suspected of stealing a Bell taxi cab, according to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman. 

About an hour into the chase, groups of people stood on street corners when the taxi passed, appearing to cheer the driver on. The driver occasionally stopped in the street to speak with pedestrians and other drivers.

He appeared to throw money out of the car at 92nd Street and Compton Avenue, just after driving onto train tracks as a Metro train passed. The taxi avoided hitting the train, which stopped in front of the cab.

The gunman initially got into the cab as a client, said Bell Cab Co. spokesman Simon Momennasab.

He showed the driver the gun, then took the car after the driver got out.

The driver led police around Inglewood, Hyde Park and other areas in South LA. Police tweeted for motorists to avoid a stretch of road in Inglewood while the pursuit was in progress.

Police say a "substantial" amount of cash was scattered along a seven-mile stretch of Interstate 20 in Texas on Friday after falling out the open door of an armored truck.

Weatherford police said they started getting calls just before 3 p.m. regarding drivers stopping on westbound I-20 between mile markers 403 and 410 and collecting the money that fell from a Brinks truck that was driving to Abilene.

“I saw people all over the ground picking things up, and I thought maybe it was wreckage,” explained witness Joel Aldridge, who recorded the mad dash for cash. “And as they started walking toward me the first guy I saw had a big wad of cash with money sticking out.”

Aldridge told NBC 5 the scene appeared to be chaotic, with at least two dozen people grabbing as much money as they could while their vehicles sat abandoned, doors ajar along the side of the interstate.

“Everybody else was picking up handfuls and running around, kinda like an Easter egg hunt,” Aldridge said.

Police said the money is property of Brinks, and anyone who picked up loose money and didn't return it to Brinks or the police department could be prosecuted.

San Diego-based Green Flash Brewing Co. plans a May 16 opening for Cellar 3, a new tasting room and specialty brewing facility that it will operate in Poway.

Company officials said the 12,000-square-foot industrial space, at 12260 Crosthwaite Circle, will have 2,500 square feet reserved for a tasting room and intimate beer garden. The new facility will be focused on “craft beer innovation through barrel-aging and wild yeast experimentation.”

Green Flash recently announced the debut of a new series of barrel-aged beers called Cellar 3, for which the new tasting room is named. Customers at the new tap room will be able to sample the Cellar 3 beers, which are being produced at the Poway facility.

The new tasting room will have 30 beers on tap and space for up to 155 guests, and visitors will be able to observe barrelmaster Pat Korn and his team at work. A focal point of the Cellar 3 design will be a “deco-inspired” metal starburst façade behind the bar, situated against a bustling backdrop of stacked barrels and related production equipment.

The facility will also have a gallery of curated artwork that is slated to rotate quarterly. Green Flash also plans to post a food truck at the facility, with items including sandwiches, chips and cheese platters.

Officials said Green Flash’s current main facility in Mira Mesa will remain the national hub for its products.

Led by co-founders Mike and Lisa Hinkley, Green Flash is the local region’s fourth-largest craft beer maker and ranked at No. 48 on a list of the nation’s 50 largest brewers based on 2014 sales volume, published recently by the Colorado-based Brewers Association.

Weekend, we’ve missed you. From a downtown block party to baseball and brews, your days off in America’s Finest City are sure to be enjoyable.

Thursday, April 9

5th Annual East Village Opening Day Block Party
10 a.m. to 7 p.m., J Street between 6th and 10th avenues
Celebrate the start of baseball season with the Opening Day Block Party in downtown San Diego’s East Village. The baseball block bash is free and family-friendly and will include live music, interactive games, food vendors and a beer garden. Sounds like a home run to us.

Padres Home Opener
3:40 p.m., Petco Park
The San Diego Padres take on the San Francisco Giants at their 2015 Home Opener at Petco Park. Grab your gear and a hot dog and come cheer on your home team. Check out the Padres schedule here.

Brewery Night With Mission Brewery
6 p.m., Slaters 50/50 Liberty Station
Burgers and brews unite for this craft beer event at Slater’s 50/50. Mark Schultz, the 50/50 “beermonger,” will showcase four Mission Brewery beers in one flight on this special night: EL Conquistador; Dark Seas with Roasted Coffee; Coconut Brown; and Mission Hefeweizen. As a bonus, patrons can keep their beer glass with purchase of a flight. Cheers to that!

Friday, April 10

VinDiego Wine & Food Festival
6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday; 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Liberty Station
Wine connoisseurs will enjoy the spread at this wine and food festival featuring gourmet eats and more than 200 handcrafted wines from top-tier wineries. Expert winemakers will share their knowledge with guests as they sip and savor their way through unlimited tastes of vino. Appetizers will include cheeses, artisan breads and olive oils. A steady stream of musical entertainment is also part of this evening out. Tickets to either day can be purchased here, or through The Goods here for a savings of $20.

Spirit of Baja Featuring Celebrity Chef Flor Franco
6 p.m., The Westgate Hotel
Downtown’s Westgate Hotel will welcome Chef Flor Franco for a south of the border culinary journey inspired by the flavors of Baja California, Mexico. The evening starts with a tequila cocktail reception and hors d’oeuvres created by Executive Chef Fabrice Hardel. Chef Franco will then step in for the main event, a six-course pairing dinner and tequila tasting at the hotel’s Le Fontainebleau Room. Tickets are $129 per person and can be purchased here.

SoundDiego Suggestion:

Andrew Jackson Jihad
7 p.m., the Irenic
Folk with a punch, Andrew Jackson Jihad play lyrical, open music, reminiscent of early acoustic Flogging Molly, but without the Irish influence.

Saturday, April 10

Meet The Brewers at Insurgente
11 a.m., Cueva Bar
Craft Beer and delicious food come together at this event, where you will have the chance to meet the people who make it all happen at Insurgente. Try out tapas as you sip on beer from Cueva Bar. Free admission, though attendees will have to pay for food.

Hope for Haiti Carnival
5 p.m., Rock Church Park
Enjoy games, food, a raffle and more at this fun-raising festival to benefit the church and its community. Tickets are $20.

SoundDiego Suggestion:

Elliott Brood
8:30 p.m., Casbah
Elliott Brood have come through town in both headlining and supporting roles, and the Canadian trio never disappoints. Their alt-country strums make for great dance-abouts, and with a new-ish record out, they’re sure to bring something a little different to the Casbah this time around.
 

Sunday, April 11

San Marcos Spring Festival
9 a.m., Via Vera Cruz
We all love Spring, don't we? Get out and enjoy one of the largest spring street fair festivals of the year with family-friendly arts, crafts, food and commercial vendors. Admission is free.

Family & Food Truck Festival for Abraxas High
10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, The Church at Rancho Bernardo
Help benefit students and teachers at Abraxas High School by eating at several food trucks following service. Suggested donation amount is $10 to $25 and will get you a student and teacher tote bag.

SoundDiego Suggestion:

Yasiin Bey (a.k.a. Mos Def)
8 p.m., Observatory North Park
A lot of the great shows in San Diego have age restrictions, so having a name like Mos Def play an all-ages show is pretty killer. The hip-hop powerhouse hasn’t put out an album since 2009, but with a career than spans more than two decades, he’s got plenty of material to work with.

A 13-year-old boy died and an 8-year-old child was in grave condition after their family's vehicle that they were in slipped into the ocean and they became trapped inside at the Port of Los Angeles.

Two adults found swimming in the water near Berth 73 were in fair condition, Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

Witnesses say they saw the car go over the edge after 6 p.m. and go straight into the water. Two panicked adults surfaced moments later.

"She was screaming," said Frank Palazzolo, a witness. "He was screaming, 'My kids! My kids!'"

Another witness, Roger Velasco, said he heard the commotion.

"The lady was screaming, like, 'Oh! There's some kids in the water! Kids in the water!'"

Rescue crews arrived in three minutes, the couples' car sinking fast, with two children trapped inside.

LA Fire Deputy Chief Darren Palacios said a paramedic took off his emergency gear and quickly dived into the water. But divers had a hard time extricating the second patient, Palacios said.

"They were strapped in the car," he said. "Took a little extra time."

The father had been driving the car at the time it ended up in the water. Investigators will try to determine whether the brakes failed, or if the driver may have accidentally hit the accelerator when he meant to hit the brake.

Witnesses were left wondering how such a popular place could lead to tragedy, while others were left with memories they would just as soon forget.

"It's very traumatizing," said Josue Garcia, a witness. "I have two nieces. My sister's a new mother. It's very ... I can't. It's tough."

City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who lives in San Pedro, praised LAFD firefighter Miguel Meza, who jumped into the channel after the car.

"This man is a true hero in the City of Angels and I am so proud of him," Buscaino said on his Facebook account.

A fire that sparked on a patio spread quickly to an adjoining home in San Marcos Friday morning, leaving a pet cat dead and two residents displaced, officials said.

The blaze began just before 10:45 a.m. in the 2000 block of Sleepy Hollow Road.

San Marcos Battalion Chief Bill Frederick said a heavy fire broke out in the patio area and then spread to the 2-story, split-level house. Before the first 911 call came in, crews arrived to heavy smoke and flames shooting from the residence.

With multiple North County fire agencies working together, the fire was knocked down within 30 minutes, the battalion chief said. They believe it started in the back of the house.

The residents – two elderly adults – were not home at the time of the fire. However, when firefighters searched the home, they found a dead cat inside.

Frederick estimated the fire, which gutted the home, had caused about $200,000 in damage. Besides the pet, there were no other injuries.

As they sifted through debris, fire investigators say about 80 percent of the home is a total loss.

The two adults living in the home were displaced. Red Cross is helping them find a temporary place to stay.

"They know it could have been much worse, but with the actions of Escondido Fire, they saw the smoke from a distance and attached themselves to the call by them getting here quickly and getting a water supply and getting water on the fire," said Battalion Chief Bill Frederick with San Marcos Fire. "It could have been a lot worse."

The cause of the fire is under investigation. The homeowner said he thinks an electrical cord with furniture on top of it may have sparked the flames.

The community is pitching in to support two San Marcos sisters who have lost both their parents within the last five years.

This hasn’t been the first time they’ve been without parents.

The sisters, Cassie and Hannah Flagg, were both adopted from China as infants. They were born to different mothers 15 months apart and abandoned before they found their way to their late San Marcos parents.

Now teenagers, the girls attend Mission Hills High School and lost their mother five years ago to Leukemia and their father just days ago.

“With my mom passing, I always thought like, ‘OK, my dad will walk me down the aisle, no problem,'” Cassie Flagg said. “But now it’s those kind of things that get you.”

The sisters plan to move out of their parents’ San Marcos house and into an apartment, as cousins stay with them.

The future is unclear for them. Hannah, 16, is a cheerleader and artist and wants to attend Stanford when she graduates. Cassie, 17, is on the yearbook team and plans to attend a junior college to stay close to her sister.

One of the things seeing them through is the kindness of the community, strangers and friends alike. It was strangers who set up a GoFundMe page for the sisters, so folks could donate money to help the Flaggs financially.

“A lot of people started to share it and when I saw students start to share it, I was blown away,” Cassie Flagg said.

If you wish to donate to the Flagg sisters, go to their GoFundMe.page.

The parents of an NYPD sergeant and two others were found dead inside a Queens, New York,  home in what authorities suspect is a case of carbon monoxide poisoning, sources familiar with the response say. 

Police say four people died inside the Floral Park home on 86th Avenue, and according to sources, carbon monoxide poisoning is a leading theory in the investigation into their deaths. 

Investigators are looking into whether a car left running in the garage is the source of the carbon monoxide, sources said. Authorities don't consider it suspicious at this point.

Neighbors and law enforcement sources identified the couple as Jerry and Marie Hugel, 83 and 80 years old, respectively. Marie was found in the kitchen area of the home, and Jerry was found near the car in the garage, law enforcement sources said, citing preliminary information from the ongoing investigation. 

An 76-year-old friend of the couple, a man, was found in the first-floor living room, and a 70-year-old tenant living upstairs, a woman, was found in a doorwell, police said. Those victims have not been identified. 

Neighbor Helga Harter said the elderly couple who lived in the home was from Bavaria, Germany, and that the couple went back to Germany at least once a year. 

The couple danced once a week at Plattduetsche, a local German restaurant, and Jerry was the former president of the local German society, said Harter, who has been friends with the couple for 40 years. 

"They were wonderful people," she said. "They've been married for 60 years."

Jerry and Marie Hugel had five children, including their NYPD sergeant son. 

The Sergeants Benevolent Association said in a statement, "Our prayers are with Sgt. Hugel and his family." 

Earlier this week, a mother and her 6-year-old daughter were found dead in their New Jersey home, victims of carbon monoxide poisoning from a gas generator they were using after their electricity was cut for non-payment, family members said. The medical examiner confirmed their causes of death Friday. 

Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless. Here are some ways to protect your family from being exposed:

• Make sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors. They cost as little as $30 at home improvement stores. Install one on each floor of your home.
• Check your appliances. Gas appliances like ranges, ovens or even clothes dryers can produce carbon monoxide if they're not installed or working properly, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Have your chimneys and vents inspected every year by a service technician. A block could cause carbon monoxide to back up in to your home.

A rare but potentially deadly virus has made its way to Connecticut and could soon be transferred from ticks to humans, according to state officials. Human cases of the virus have been reported in other states in the northeast, including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maine.

Dr. Theodore Andreadis, director of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, said researchers identified ticks carrying the Powassan virus as part of a study published in 2012.

According to Andreadis, 2-3 percent of ticks surveyed in North Branford and Bridgeport tested positive for the virus. By comparison, some 30-40 percent of ticks in Connecticut carry Lyme disease.

Although there are no known cases of the virus in Connecticut, Andreadis said he expects the state could be seeing human cases soon.

"It’s an emerging tick-borne disease that we’re going to be looking at more closely. Right now, we know it’s in the state," he explained. "We don’t know how widespread it is but we’re going to be doing more work to find out, and with reported cases in surrounding states, it’s quite likely we’re getting some human exposure here in Connecticut."

Although the Powassan virus is "relatively rare," it "has the potential to cause very serious disease" and can produce encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, Andreadis said.

The virus was first identified in 1958 in Powassan, Ontario, when a child contracted the disease and died, according to Andreadis.

Andreadis said the CEAS is expanding its survey to determine the prevalence of the virus in Connecticut.

Residents should be diligent about checking for ticks when hiking or camping the woods.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends using tick repellent and wearing long sleeves and pants when spending time in wooded or bushy areas.

Slurpee fans, this one is for you: 7-Eleven is hosting “Bring Your Own Cup Day” on Saturday, allowing customers to fill their own cups with their favorite frozen Slurpee drink for just $1.49 per cup.

Here’s the lowdown: From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the convenience store chain will let customers all over the country bring their own cups in for the sweet Slurpee deal.

Customers are encouraged to “express themselves” by bringing whatever type of cup suits their fancy – from sand buckets and hard hats, to tea kettles and everything in between.

But, of course, there are rules.

Cups must be clean, leak-proof, have a definitive shape and must fit upright through a designated, 10-inch-in-diameter cup cutout displayed in stores.

Once the cup passes that screening, Slurpee sipping can commence.

7-Eleven plans to promote “BYOC” Day on social media using the hashtag #BYOCupDay on Twitter and Instagram and through the “REALLYSLURPEE” account on Snapchat.
 

Sherman and Curie elementary schools, in Sherman Heights and University City, respectively, were placed in lockdown Friday morning following phoned-in threats.

Two hours later, at 11 a.m., the lockdowns were lifted after police said both campuses were all clear.

School district officials said those campuses as well as City College’s early middle college program received telephone threats at about 9 a.m.

Students at the early middle college program were evacuated in addition to the lockdowns.

Police swept the campuses for any suspicious devices or objects. At 10:30 a.m., a teacher at Sherman Elementary told NBC 7 that students were being allowed back into classroom.

Just before 11 a.m., a long line of parents were seen outside Sherman Elementary and people were moving about the school.

City College students and staff at the early middle college program were allowed back into their classrooms at about noon.

If losing her home in a fire wasn’t tough enough, one Vista resident says supposed good Samaritans ended up stealing the few belongings she had left.

Fire engulfed Katherine Fisher's home in the 1200 block of Cinchona Street in Vista on Wednesday. Firefighters say it started in the kitchen.

“I woke up and the door was hot. I got blisters trying to open the door and had to climb out of the window. I was alone. My daughters were away, thank God,” said Fisher.

After firefighters extinguished the blaze, she says, only a few people answered her early morning calls of help to move her belongings. The people she got a hold of agreed to come over. Fisher thought they were friends and thought they were supporting her. That wasn’t the case.

“So when I went to go sift through my stuff yesterday, it wasn’t in there. My Kindle’s gone. My daughter’s laptop gone. The Wii station is gone. All the important stuff I know I wanted for my kids,” she told NBC 7.

Fisher says one man told her he’d drop off her belongings at another location. When he never showed up to that destination, Fisher went back to the house and found several rooms emptied of her and her daughters’ things. Those items include electronics, clothes and even linen.

“I mean why would you take from someone’s kids? And my daughter’s laptop was in there. It’s gone. So, I came back thinking these people are my friends and it’s gone,” Fisher said.

Fisher says she has filed a report with the Sheriff’s Department. NBC 7 reached out to the department’s spokesperson and the Vista Sheriff’s Station Thursday and is waiting to hear back.

Fisher's two daughters are staying with relatives during this time and the American Red Cross is helping her with motel costs for the next few days.

San Diego police have launched a suspicious death investigation after a man was found shot in Mira Mesa, officials said Friday.

Homicide investigators were called to the 9000 block of Jergens Court at about 2:45 p.m. for reports of a man shot inside a home. 

When officers arrived, they found the man dead from an apparent gunshot wound to his upper body, according to SDPD Lt. Paul Rorrison.

One person has been detained for questioning.

Officers are waiting for a search warrant to get into the house and investigate further.

Check back here for details on this breaking news story.

At least two tornadoes, but likely more, touched down on several Northern Illinois communities on Thursday, National Weather Service forecasters said, based on reports from trained storm spotters and chasers as well as radar and environmental evidence.

The first report came a little after 6 p.m., with the storm tracking to the northeast. It hit the communities of Kirkland at 7:05 p.m., Woodstock at 7:50 p.m. and Lake Villa at 8:10 p.m. before dissipating.

The hardest hit communities were Cherry Valley, Flagg Center, Fairdale, and Kirkland. At least two people were confirmed dead in Fairdale as of midday Friday.

Federal prosecutors are planning to file murder charges against the San Diego County man accused of killing his girlfriend in Panama and undergoing an elaborate scheme to cover it up.

Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Mark Conover writes his office will pursue charges against Brian Brimager for foreign murder of a U.S. national, according to a status report filed Thursday.

Brimager is suspected of killing Yvonne Baldelli, 42, who went missing while they were on a 2011 vacation in Central America.

The U.S. Assistant Attorney General in Washington D.C. recently gave the local office written approval to prosecute Brimager. Conover said they plan to seek an indictment against him before April 17 and arraign him on that day.

According to the court document, prosecutors are still waiting on the results of a DNA test and tool mark comparison examination in the case, which they should have next month.

In September 2011, Brimager, a former Camp Pendleton Marine, and Baldelli traveled to Panama to stay on Isla Carenera, an island off the coast accessible only by boat. Baldelli was last seen with Brimager at a Panamanian restaurant on Nov. 26, 2011.

Prosecutors say Brimager killed Baldelli and later disposed of a bloody mattress at their hostel. According to another indictment, Brimager had used Baldelli’s laptop to search how to get blood stains out of a mattress.

The suspect is accused of then packing up Baldelli’s belongings into garbage bags and leaving them on the dock outside their hostel.

Throughout this time, prosecutors allege Brimager posed as Baldelli and sent emails to her friends and family to make seem as though she was alive. The emails said she met another man and was going to Costa Rica with him. Brimager then allegedly used her ATM card in Costa Rica and San Jose.

When investigators questioned the suspect about Baldelli’s disappearance, they said Brimager lied to them and claimed she took her laptop to travel. That same laptop was found in his possession in 2012, at which point he changed his story and said the device never went to Panama and he never sent emails from it.

Nearly two years after she vanished, Baldelli’s body was found on a small island off the Isla Carenero coastline. Scientists used DNA analysis on her skull and bones to identify her.

Brimager is back in the U.S., though charges are pending against him in Panama.

NBC 7 is attempting to reach out to Brimager’s defense attorney for a comment on this story.

Sheriff’s deputies had an unusual suspect in the back of their patrol squad car this week in Imperial Beach, San Diego, California.

Let’s just say fingerprinting him could be tough.

A sea lion pup wandered away from the shoreline on Wednesday and waddled five blocks to Mar Vista High School. School staff called in San Diego County sheriff’s deputies to “investigate.”

Deputies detained the little guy, or put him in the back of the patrol car. Animal Control officers and SeaWorld workers arrived soon after to tend to the pup.

In a news release, sheriff’s deputies jokingly described attempting to figure out the sea lion’s motive.

“While deputy sheriffs attempted to interview him as to his activities, he clammed up and requested his lawyer,” the news release said.

On a serious note, an increasing number of sea lion pups, in search of food, are washing up on California's shores and scientists have said they don't know the remedy.

Ten deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department were placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation into the beating of a suspect at the end of a horseback pursuit.

During a press conference Friday San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said the beating "appears to be excessive based on what I saw on video."

McMahon asked for the public's patience during the investigation. He referenced his own time spent on pursuits during his 30 year career and said "at the end of a pursuit it is a very difficult time to control your emotions and clearly to control the adrenaline, not that that's an excuse for what occurred yesterday."

NBC4's chopper was rolling overhead when it captured the beating of 30-year-old Apple Valley resident Jared Pusok Thursday, April 9. Deputies attempted to serve a search warrant at Pusok's home when he fled in a car leading officials on a pursuit through Victor Valley before he abandoned the vehicle and stole a horse that he rode on dirt trails, authorities said.

Pusok's mother said the officials acted like they were on a "joyride."

NewsChopper4 caught the end of the pursuit where up to 10 deputies descended on Pusok and appeared to punch and kick him repeatedly for two minutes. The video has since gone viral.

Police have signed an arrest warrant for a Philadelphia woman after she allegedly left her quadriplegic son with cerebral palsy alone in the woods for over five days with nothing but a blanket and a Bible.

Nyia Parler, 41, is accused of leaving her 21-year-old son in a wooded area along Cobbs Creek Parkway near Catharine Street around 11 a.m. Monday before traveling to Montgomery County, Maryland to visit her boyfriend.

After several days of cold temperatures and rain, the victim was found 100-feet into the woods around 9 p.m. Friday, according to Philadelphia Police Lt. John Walker. Investigators say the victim likely would have died if not for the man who spotted him while passing by.

"They found [him] about 100 yards off the roadway here, laying in leaves. He's got a blanket over him and a Bible on his chest," Walker said. "He has a wheelchair about 10 feet from his body."

Rescuers took the man to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia where he is being treated for a cut on his back, dehydration, malnutrition and exposure to the weather, police said. He is currently in stable condition.

"A lot of things could've happened out there," Walker said. "Obviously he's in the middle of a wooded area. You have wild animals out there. You never know what's going to happen."

Several of his aunts are by his bedside, said police, who added the relatives are being interviewed about his medical history and his mother.

Officials describe the victim as "non-verbal" and completely dependent on others for his care.

"What we've learned so far is that the 21-year-old child lives with his mother, completely dependent on mom as a result of his condition," Walker said. "She also has a 16-year-old son who is staying with other family members."

The man, who attends the School of the Future at 40th Street and Parkside Avenue, didn't show up for classes and officials called Nyia Parler, his mother, police said. When she didn't answer, they contacted his aunt and then she phoned his mom, according to investigators.

At that time, Parler lied to authorities, claiming her son was safe with her in Maryland along with her boyfriend, according to investigators.

"We know she left for Maryland on Monday to go see her boyfriend on a bus," Walker said.

Eight hours after authorities found the man, Parler remains in Maryland, Walker said. Police signed a warrant for Parler's arrest Saturday night. She will be charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, neglect of a care-dependent person, unlawful restraint, kidnapping and false imprisonment.

"We've been working all night with Maryland authorities so the county in Maryland we're working with has assisted us in this investigation," Walker said. "They have been in contact with her and the boyfriend she's staying with." 

NBC10's Jesse Gary was at the scene when officers took the man's wheelchair in as evidence.

@NBCPhiladelphia #exclusive @PhillyPolice recover wheel chair of handicapped man abandon in Cobbs Creek Pk Deets530a pic.twitter.com/H1HRgW1dHo

— Jesse Gary (@JesseNBC10) April 11, 2015

Police said the victim and Parler live in a West Philadelphia home that does not have a handicapped-accessible ramp. They are working with DHS in the investigation.

"It's heartbreaking to see another human, especially a mother, treat someone like that," Walker said. "You had all the opportunities in the world to turn that kid to your family members who wanted to care for him."