Police are looking for a man that told two young children playing outside to "get in the car" Saturday morning in Coronado. 

At approximately 10:20 a.m., Coronado Police said a man drove a minivan past a family's house on the 500 block of C Avenue in Coronado, where the family's nine-year-old and two-year-old children were playing. 

The van reportedly drove by the girls as they played outside, made a U-turn and drove back toward them, police said. 

The suspect yelled out out the driver's side window at the girls, "Get in the car." The nine-year-old girl picked up her sister, screaming, and ran back toward the house, police said.

Police said the car was last seen driving northbound on C Avenue. 

Police are looking for the suspect, described as an Asian male adult with dark hair. He was driving a white, older model minivan. 

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to all the Coronado Police Department at (619) 522-7350 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-TIPS(8477).

A spark of hope visited a grieving Fairdale family Saturday afternoon in the form of a missing pet.

Missy, a white German shepherd, returned to her family after she went missing following the deadly tornado Thursday. The dog belonged to Fairdale resident Geraldine "Geri" Schultz, who died in the storm.

A ComEd crew member found Missy when he was riding in a truck and saw what he thought looked like a white shadow a field. The crew then called the police, who alerted the family. 

Still traumatized from the deadly storm, Missy initially fled from everyone. Tyler Rowan, Schultz's grandson, said the family chased the dog for 2.5 miles before they caught up with her. 

Schultz's husband, Clem Schultz, hasn't let go of the dog since, Rowan said. 

A Facebook page called "The Search for Missy" was created in the hopes of finding the dog. On Saturday afternoon the group posted a message saying Missy had been found and was reunited with Schultz's family.

As residents of the Fairdale and Rochelle communities return home to search for any belongings they can salvage, others frantically search for the pets they had to leave behind.

Another Facebook page called "Fairdale and Rochelle Illinois Pet Recovery" has been created to assist in the search. People can post pictures of their missing pets and help identify any strays they find wandering in the area.

People searching for their missing pets can also reach out to the National Disaster Animal Response and Recovery Teams (NDARRT) in DeKalb and surrounding areas.

Those who would like to foster animals who haven't found their families can contact Traci Ann at the Kirkland Fire Department.

An attorney for a man beaten by sheriff's deputies after a pursuit in the San Bernardino County high desert said his office was searching for dispatch recordings after two women came forward saying they heard the takedown over police scanners.

The women said they heard what sounded like an open radio microphone and deputies talking to each other about kicking 30-year-old Francis Pusok as they attempted to take him into custody, attorney Jim Terrell claims.

"You can hear the dispatch saying, 'There's an open mic. There's an open mic,' warning officers what your words are saying are being recorded," Terrell told NBC4.

Terrell first described the audio as a recording, but later said the account was told to his investigator.

Terrell said his office plans to subpoena the dispatch recording as well as any audio from recorders the deputies were wearing the day of the incident.

The attorney visited Pusok at the West Valley Detention Center on Saturday afternoon to ensure that Pusok was receiving proper medical care for injuries to his head and back, including a gash on his head.

"His body is battered, there's bandages over his legs, his arms, his back," Terrell said.

During the visit, Terrell said Pusok recalled several moments from his arrest.

"He remembers that he was hit by a stun gun and the stun gun was definitely effective," the attorney said. "He put his hands behind his back. I think he said things like, 'Stop beating me.'"

The pursuit about 90 miles northeast of Los Angeles began after San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies attempted to serve a warrant at an Apple Valley home as part of an ID theft investigation. The suspect left the home and led deputies on a pursuit by car, then horseback.

Pusok fell from the horse in rough terrain. Aerial footage captured by NewsChopper4 showed deputies using a stun gun on Pusok, then punching and kicking him while he was face down.

Ten deputies were placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation into the beating.

The FBI has also launched an investigation to determine whether civil rights were violated in the incident.

NBC4's Kate Larsen contributed to this report.

A wheelchair-bound San Diego man is taking on the city’s transit system, saying they stripped him of his freedom, after his transit pass from taken from him because he did not have proper proof of his disability.

31-year-old Joey Canales recorded a video Friday as a Metropolitan Transit System officer took his discounted transit card because he did not have proof of his disability.

“It’s his job to confiscate my card because I don’t have sufficient proof I’m disabled,” Canaldes said in the video, posted to Facebook. “Obviously I am. I’ve been disabled since I was three days old.” 

Canales said he rides the trolley to work but will not be able to do that now because his pass has been taken by an MTS security guard.

MTS policy says that being in a wheelchair is not proof enough that a person is disabled. 

In a statement, spokesman Robb Schupp said they require “all people with discounted fares to carry proof of eligibility.” The MTS said medicare cards and disabled plaquard receipts can also be used as proof of disability. The ID that the MTS requires costs $7.

Canales, however, disagrees and said the MTS is stripping him of his freedom.

“I have an obvious disability,” he said in an interview. “I’m not trying to scam you. My disability is not hidden.”

He said he loves the freedom the trolley provides for him, but thinks the policy is ridiculous.

You can watch the full video here. 

In a reflection of California's bone-dry conditions after four years of drought, fire agencies along the state's central and southern coasts are ramping up staffing levels well before they normally do.

Ventura County Fire, Santa Barbara County Fire and state fire crews in San Luis Obispo County and the San Benito-Monterey area are adding firefighters, fire engines, bull dozers, helicopters and air tankers on Monday for this year's fire season, fire officials announced. The Los Padres National Forest is also adding firefighters and equipment.

Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Dave Zaniboni tells the Los Angeles Times his department used to ramp up at the end of May or in June. But he said the state's drought has made the early call up the new normal.

State fire crews have responded to 640 fires since January, more than twice the number over similar periods before the drought, state fire spokeswoman Lynne Tolmachoff told the Times.

She said some state fire units began adding additional firefighters in March.

The chance of a wildfire in California typically peaks in autumn. But fire officials say the ongoing drought has made wildfires a year-round concern in the state.

The concern is heightened in areas such as the central coast that have also experienced higher-than-normal temperatures this winter, fire officials said.

People there are being warned to create 100 feet of defensible space around their homes and use fire resistant building materials to harden the structures.

People are also being urged to restrict their use of power equipment such as chain saws outdoors because more than 90 percent of wildfires are the result of human activity.

All lanes on State Route 78 have been reopened after a brush fire, fire officials said. 

A Sig alert had previously been issued for the brush fire, which closed down two lanes of the highway. 

The fire started around 1:30 p.m. Sunday at state route 78 near San Marcos, approaching Sycamore Avenue between Rancho Santa Fe road and Sycamore Avenue.

The brush fire was on the right shoulder and fire crews were blocking two right lanes as they worked to put it out.

Cal FIre and the California Highway Patrol responded.

Coronado Police have released a sketch of a person they say drove up to two kids and told them to “get in the car” Saturday morning.

Police are asking for the public’s help in finding the suspect, described as an Asian male adult with dark hair. He was last seen driving an older model minivan, possibly a Chevy Astro, they said.

At approximately 10:20 a.m., Coronado Police said a man drove a minivan past a family's house on the 500 block of C Avenue in Coronado, where the family's nine-year-old and two-year-old children were playing.

The van reportedly drove by the girls as they played outside, made a U-turn and drove back toward them, police said.

The suspect yelled out at the driver's side window at the girls, telling them to "Get in the car." The nine-year-old girl picked up her sister, screaming, and ran back toward the house, police said.

Police said the car was last seen driving northbound on C Avenue.

Police are looking for the suspect. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to all the Coronado Police Department at (619) 522-7350 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-TIPS(8477).

A 30 acre wildland fire near the San Luis Rey gate at Camp Pendleton is burning, fire officials said. 

The fire is close to the golf course in the area, but officials said they anticipate it to be under control shortly.

The windy conditions are not having an impact on the fire, Camp Pendleton officials said, and the wind is not suspected to be the cause. They do not have a cause yet. 

No structures are threatened, though the golf course was evacuated at the start of the fire, Camp Pendleton officials said. 

Cal Fire is assisting the crews to help with one copter, two crews and a Battalion Chief, though this a not a Cal Fire incident.

NBC 7 has a crew at the scene working to get information. Refresh this page for updates on this breaking news story.

Four people have died after a plane crashed in Florida near the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport Sunday afternoon, according to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Piper PA-31 aircraft had taken off from Orlando Executive Airport and was attempting to land at the airport in the 2200 block of West Cypress Creek Road around 4:30 p.m. when it experienced problems. It was unclear what kind of problems the pilot had.

Witnesses saw the plane coming in for a landing and said they knew something was wrong.

"It sounded low, it looked low," Bobby Bemis said. "It nosedived right into the floor. It sounded like a semi truck hit a wall, it was so loud."

"It was a large aftermath and loud explosion, a big fireball," Bavon Sylvain said. "From what we saw, with the fireball, you could tell immediately that whoever was on that plane unfortunately passed away."

Fort Lauderdale Police confirmed that the four people on-board died in the crash.

Rescue crews responding to the scene said the plane crashed in a wooded area, and responders had difficulty arriving to the scene.

The FAA released a statement, saying in part, "A Piper PA-31 aircraft that was inbound to Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport crashed into a nature preserve near the airport at 4:30 pm after declaring an emergency. Four persons were on board. Check with local authorities who will release their names and conditions. The airport is open, but Runway 13 is closed due to it's proximity to the accident site."

The NTSB is investigating the crash.

#PlaneCrash: FLPD confirms aircraft landed in wooded area near the 2400 blk of NW 62 ST - (4) deceased occupants.

— Fort Lauderdale PD (@FLPD411) April 12, 2015

#PlaneCrash: Aircraft did NOT strike any structures or pedestrians in the area. #FLPD PIO & @FAANews PIO are coordinating updates.

— Fort Lauderdale PD (@FLPD411) April 12, 2015

Twelve patients were involved in a head-on collision with three cars in Chula Vista.

The incident happened at Third and L Street just before 3 p.m. 

Nine of those patients refused treatment, and three were transported with moderate injuries.

An overturned Jeep Grand Cherokee, Honda minivan hit on the side and Nissan Titan with heavy front end damage were all involved in the crash.

The San Diego Fire Captain said he had no idea how the crash happened or which patients from which vehicles refused treatment. He had no comment on whether alcohol was involved in the crash.
 

The San Diego Police Department is expanding its K-9 unit, and will begin interviewing officers this week to fill at least 4 new handler positions.

It's the first time in two years the department has offered tryouts for its officers.

The candidates passed the challenging physical tests during an all-day tryout in March. That's when full time K-9 handlers and command staff evaluated the candidates' endurance and ability to follow instructions under pressure.

"The big thing is leadership and the ability to multi-task. Each test in and of itself will not tell the full story. It's a combination of the whole thing. There's no way to replicate what we're going to ask them to do in the field," says Lieutenant Duane Voss.

The first physical test to becoming a K-9 handler is picking up the dog. Most are Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds.

"It's kind of a test of the nerve, to see if the potential candidate has the ability to pick up a live, squirming animal, and put them onto a table," says Sergeant Casey Gini.

Officers must be able to pick up a 70 pound bag, the average weight of a K-9. They must toss the bag over a 6 feet wall, the height of most backyard fences, then climb over it.

Another test of strength for the officers is lifting a 70 pound bag into an attic, then pulling themselves up into the attic behind the dog.

"That's a job specific task. We'll deploy (the K-9) when it's unsafe for an officer to go in and take that person into custody," says Sgt. Gini.

Then comes a new qualification test. Officers hold a 50 pound kettle bell under their chin for 30 seconds. This simulates the strength it requires to physically pull back the K-9.

"When we take the dog off a bite, we want to have physical control of the dog so he doesn't re-bite the suspect, or he doesn't bite another officer," says Sgt. Gini.

The test most of us are familiar with involves the bite suit. A K-9 is released from its leash, runs towards the officer, and bites the suit.

"Part of it is nerve. It's the ability to catch the bite without injuring an animal. And the strength to deal with that animal and take 10 steps back," says Sgt. Gini.

The timed obstacle course is a test of endurance. Candidates run 185 yards in a bulky bite suit, allow the K-9 to hold its bite for 30 seconds, then get back up again within 10 seconds.

K-9 tryouts also include firearms skills. Accuracy is measured at 25 and 15 yards, a standard proficiency test.

Then at 7 yards and 5 yards, there's a new pressure test. Officers must be able to hold and drop a leash in one hand, while firing a weapon in the other.

"We're evaluating their ability to follow instructions under stress," says Sgt. Gini.

Many of the candidates build up their skills for months, or even years, trying to get into the K-9 unit.

"'I've been working hard to get myself prepared, with going to the practice tryouts and practicing the shooting," says Officer Joel Van Proyen.

He currently works in patrol at Mid-City division, and has been riding along with K-9 officers whenever he can, over the last year.

"Instead of being assigned to patrol in one division, you can help out wherever it's needed around the city," says Officer Van Proyen.

The candidates also know becoming a K-9 handler will make them valuable to the force.

"It's definitely unique, in that you don't see a lot of people higher ranked than you are coming to you and asking, what do you want to do? What do you think?" says Officer Christina Berg.

The K-9 unit is staffed around the clock. Currently, at least two K-9 officers are on patrol on every shift. Lt. Voss says his goal is to have three to four dogs per shift.

Lt. Voss also wants to implement a full-time training staff at the K-9 unit, and purchase equipment K-9 handlers can use as diversionary tactics while on patrol.

"Our officers are thinking a lot more legally than patrol officers. Can we deploy the dog? Because the dog in the back seat is a use of force. Is it going to meet the requirements and the protocol of the law? Is it going to meet the protocol and requirements of the San Diego Police Department? So there's a lot on their plates when they're responding," says Lt. Voss.

The police department uses its K-9s to help neutralize threats.

"I've got droves of incidents where the dog shows up and just the mere presence got the submission of a suspect. We can only speculate what may or may not have happened. But we can guarantee in those cases, the suspects were taken into custody without further incident," says Lt. Voss.

The 4 new K-9 handlers will be chosen in May. Their three month training academy begins in June.
 

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an audit into the Calexico Police Department.

The move comes alongside an FBI investigation into allegations of corruption within the police department in Calexico, a small border town east of San Diego.

The Collaborative Reform Initiative for Technical Assistance was announced at a press conference Tuesday by the DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

The independent program will look at the department’s policies, practices, training, tactics and accountability methods around key issues facing law enforcement.

“The COPS Office will conduct a thorough, independent assessment of the Calexico Police Department’s policies, practices and responsiveness to the community to ensure that they are taking into account national standards and community expectations,” said COPS Office Director Ronald Davis in a statement.

In November 2014, the newly-appointed police chief publicly accused his predecessor, some members of his own department and city officials of illegally trying to undermine a criminal investigation, comparing their actions to those of the New York mafia.

“The councilmembers in conjunction with the police officers association and members of that association have used city funds and city resources to run what I would call an extortion racket,” Calexico Police Chief Mike Bostic said at the time.

“I’ve literally had it,” Bostic said. He was brought in last October to replace former Police Chief Pompeyo Tabarez who was fired Oct. 13 “in the interests of the citizens.”

He claims some of the elected officials and POA members were using thousands of dollars in surveillance equipment recently purchased with department funds to follow other members of the city government.

In March, federal investigators released an audit looking into recent officer misconduct within the San Diego Police Department. The report found that 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.

The DOJ said their DOPS office is providing the program for departments in Spokane, Wa., Philadelphia, St. Louis, Baltimore, Salinas, Calif., and Fayetteville, N.C.

San Diego community colleges will be offering 200 additional summer session classes starting in June, bringing the number of total courses back to pre-recession levels.

The San Diego Community College District, which includes City College, Mesa College and Miramar College, will begin offering the classes on June 1.

“After years of budget cuts, the district is pleased to be able to restore our summer session to where it was before state budget cuts,” said SDCCD Chancellor Constance M. Carroll in a statement. “Our students rely on summer classes to accelerate progress toward graduation and/or transfer. Many university students also attend our colleges over summer to enroll in classes they need for their bachelor’s degree. In either case, the result is increased student access.”

Four summer sessions will be held over the summer. One will start June 1, then June 8, June 15 and July 6. In addition to the for-credit classes, the San Diego Continuing Education will offer free, noncredit classes until Aug. 22.

The San Diego Community College District serves approximately 100,000 students annually.

After 60 years of baking its famed cheesecakes in New York City, Junior’s is moving its baking operation across the river and into New Jersey.

The New York Times reports the restaurant, which has been in Brooklyn since 1950 and has expanded to three other locations since then, has started baking in Burlington. The new, 103,000-square-foot facility replaces a considerably smaller one in Maspeth, Queens that has been around for the last 15 years.

By July, most of the restaurant’s cakes and confections will be made at the Burlington bakery, according to the newspaper.

Alan Rosen, grandson of Junior’s founder Harry Rosen, tells the Times the change of venue won’t affect cake quality, and says the new cakes are “actually coming out better.”

“Just trust me, O.K.?” he said in a phone interview with the newspaper. “As my grandfather is looking down on me, I tested cheesecakes made in New Jersey yesterday and they are identical to the ones we make in Brooklyn.” 

Beech-Nut is voluntarily recalling thousands of jars of baby food it says could have bits of glass inside, after a customer reported a mouth injury from the food, federal regulators say.

The baby-food giant is recalling 4-ounce jars of sweet potato and chicken baby food produced in December, after a customer found a piece of glass in one jar and contacted the company.

About 1,920 pounds of the baby food are being recalled, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Wednesday. They were shipped to stores nationwide.

The recalled jars have a December 2016 expiration date, bear the establishment number "P-68A" inside the USDA mark of inspection and include product numbers 12395750815 through 12395750821.

The FSIS has not received any other reports of injury or illness from the product. Jars with different production dates as well as other varieties of Beech-Nut products are not affected by the recall. 

The company encourages customers to return the jars to the store they purchased them from for a full-refund or exchange.

"The quality and safety of our products is our number one priority. We know that our high quality expectations were not met in this situation, and we apologize to our loyal consumers,” president of Beech-Nut Jeff Boutelle said in a statement.

Customers with additional questions about the recall can call the Beech-Nut Consumer Hotline at (866) 674-444. 

The FBI and NYPD said Wednesday they've identified several persons of interest in the 2008 bombing of an armed forces recruiting station Times Square and increased a reward for information leading to an arrest to $115,000.

The two forces said that they have also identified the origin of the components used to build the bomb that was planted in the Crossroads of the World on March 6, 2008. The attack shattered the window and door of the recruiting center at Seventh Avenue and Broadway, but no one was injured.

The news comes nearly a year after authorities released video showing a suspect moments before the bombing.

Authorities say the suspect was riding a blue Ross bicycle, and came from the east. He is believed to have ridden west on 37th Street, up Sixth Avenue, west on 47th Street and then down Seventh Avenue to the station, and the video released Tuesday shows that path.

Authorities say he rode away south on Broadway after planting the bomb, and police later found a Ross 10-speed bicycle in a Dumpster on East 38th Street that they believe belonged to the bomber.

Although the suspect appears to be working alone, he or she may have had a lookout or surveillance team of as many as five other individuals in Times Square at the time of the attack. It's not clear if any of the people identified by the FBI and NYPD were part of that team.

At the bomb scene, investigators recovered a metal ammunition can filled halfway with black powder and detonated with a fuse.

The device is similar to two other unsolved bombings by a suspect on a bicycle in Manhattan -- one outside the British consulate on East 42nd Street in 2005 and another outside the Mexican consulate on East 37th Street in 2007.

The FBI and NYPD say the three attacks may be connected.

The FBI tipline is 212-384-1000. 

A prominent San Diego personal injury attorney pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding clients, forging their signatures to gain millions of dollars from investors, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Todd Macaluso, 52 -- a lead player in personal injury, plaintiff’s and aviation law -- once helped represent high-profile defendant Casey Anthony, a Florida mother acquitted in her 2-year-old daughter’s death.

Now, he has admitted in his plea deal to bankrolling his law practice through “funding agreements” with investors.

Under the plan, Macaluso would offer them the right to collect part of his clients’ future recoveries if they advanced him money.

However, his clients did not know about these deals. The U.S. attorney’s office says Macaluso forged their signatures on financing documents instead of telling them about the agreements.

To make it seem legitimate, the defendant then forged stamps and signatures from notary publics who should have witnessed the documents’ signings, according to prosecutors.

“Individuals who have suffered a personal injury should not have to worry about being victimized by their own advocate,” said U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy in a statement. “The defendant’s conviction should be a stark reminder that attorneys and other fiduciaries will be prosecuted if they fraudulently misuse the privileges society has given them.”

Macaluso is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13. He faces 20 years in prison and will be ordered to pay restitution to his victims.

Excessive money from a San Diego County jail fund was not transferred to be used for inmate education and benefits, according to a county audit.

The audit found the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department accumulated excessive profit in the Jail Stores Commissary Fund. At one point, in December 2013, the fund accumulated a profit of $5.14 million, according to the audit.

Profits generated from the fund are supposed to be transferred on a quarterly basis to another fund called the Inmate Welfare Fund. It is used by the sheriff’s department to provide education and other benefits to inmates in San Diego County.

According to the audit, while the profits were not “transferred on a timely basis to the Inmate Welfare Fund to be used for the benefit of the inmates; OAAS (Office of Audits and Advisory Services) determined that these funds have not been used improperly.”

In an email, Jan Caldwell, the Public Affairs Officer for the sheriff’s department, said the profit accumulated was not distributed due to an administrative error.

She also said, “there have been no public donations to the fund and we are in the process of reclassifying the fund according to Audit and the Board of Supervisors.”

The money is currently awaiting transfer.

The commissary fund was established in 1965 to keep track of the jail's commissary activities. The commissary is like a store, allowing inmates to purchase items like snacks, hygiene items, over-the-counter medications and phone time.

Members of the public also donate to the commissary fund, purchasing gift packs and phone time for inmates.

According to the audit, in recent years, actual profit from the commissary fund has been greater than the amount of money the sheriff’s department budgeted. Since the department was only transferring the budgeted profit amount on a quarterly basis, the commissary fund accumulated an excessive fund balance over the years.

The Internal Service Funds audit was published in January by the County of San Diego’s Office of Audits and Advisory Services. Click here to read the complete audit.