Here’s something worth a toast: a new batch of craft beer inspired by San Diego Padres baseball icon Tony Gwynn will be available to fans this Saturday, on what would’ve been Mr. Padre’s 55th birthday.

Last year, AleSmith Brewing Company created San Diego Pale Ale .394, a beer that pays homage to Gwynn’s long career with the Padres and his 1994 career-high batting average.

Now, the brewery has created an imperial version of the Gwynn-inspired brew dubbed Hall of Fame: Imperial San Diego Pale Ale .394.

On Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., the brewery will celebrate the late Gwynn’s birthday with an all-day event at the AleSmith Tasting Room on Cabot Drive featuring the imperial .394 brew and others on tap, including “Project 19,” a collaborative creation with Alicia Gwynn, and “Tony’s Take,” the .394 beer infused with grapefruit and orange.

There, fans will also be able to pick up their own bottles of Hall of Fame: Imperial San Diego Pale Ale .394. One-hundred percent of proceeds from the beer will go directly towards building a future Tony Gwynn Museum, which will then raise funds for the Tony & Alicia Gwynn Foundation, according to AleSmith.

The brewery said San Diego Pale Ale .394 was envisioned by Gwynn himself in early 2014, when Gwynn’s camp approached AleSmith to create a distinctive brew for the Major League Baseball legend.

Gwynn wanted the beer to be “light with a kick,” according to the brewery.

This imperial version of the brew is described as “bursting with even more American hops, lending the beer a diverse palate of citrus, tropical fruit and pine.”

It’s meant to be a tasty tribute to both Gwynn and the city that he loved.

"Tony Gwynn was incredibly proud to be a member of the San Diego community; he impacted lives all over the world. He was the heart, soul, and flavor of San Diego for so many years and now you can taste his passion with every sip," Gwynn’s wife, Alicia, has said of the beer.

AleSmith said fans can purchase up to four bottles of the limited Hall of Fame: Imperial San Diego Pale Ale .394 and pick up the brew from May 9 through June 21 at the tasting room. The beer costs $25 per 750 ml bottle.

In addition to craft beer, Saturday’s celebration at the brewery’s tasting room will feature the Gwynn’s Gourmet Food Truck serving some of Mr. Padre’s favorite snacks and Lil’ Miss Short Cakes selling .394 cupcakes.

Gwynn played for the San Diego Padres for 20 seasons, from 1982 to 2001. The 15-time All-Star’s legacy includes the league’s 18th best batting average of all time, plus 3,141 career hits, eight batting titles, five Gold Glove Awards and induction into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2007.

Gwynn died on June 16, 2014, after a long battle with cancer.
 

New England Patriots' locker room staff accused of deliberately releasing air from the Patriots game balls after the footballs were examined by the referee complained about the work and the team's star quarterback, according to a NFL report released on Wednesday.

In colorful text messages included in the report between Jim McNally, the attendant for the locker room used by officials at Gillette Stadium, and John Jastremski, an equipment assistant, McNally at one point refers to himself as "the deflator."

The so-called “deflategate” report, prepared by staff at the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, found that it was “more probable than not” that McNally and Jastremski doctored the balls and that the quarterback Tom Brady was “at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities.”

In the messages between McNally and Jastremski, the pair grouse about Brady’s unhappiness with the balls’ inflation levels and discuss Jastremski’s plan to provide McNally with a needle to inflate or deflate balls, the report says. The report says McNally requested cash and sneakers to be provided along with the needle.

A statement from the Patriots' chairman, Robert Kraft, defended the team and questioned the report's conclusions.

"To say we are disappointed in its findings, which do not include any incontrovertible or hard evidence of deliberate deflation of footballs at the AFC Championship game, would be a gross understatement," he said.

Attempts to reach McNally and Jastremski for comment have been unsuccessful.

On Oct. 17, 2014, after Brady had complained angrily, the men exchanged these texts, the report says.

McNally: Tom sucks...im going make that next ball a f----- balloon
Jastremski: Talked to him last night. He actually brought you up and
said you must have a lot of stress trying to get them done...
Jastremski: I told him it was. He was right though...
Jastremski: I checked some of the balls this morn... The refs f----- us...a few of then (sic) were at almost 16
Jastremski: They didnt recheck then after they put air in them
McNally: F--- tom ...16 is nothing...wait till next sunday
Jastremski: Omg! Spaz

Then on Oct. 23, three days before a Sunday game against the Chicago Bears, Jastremski and McNally exchanged these messages:

Jastremski:
“Can’t wait to give you your needle this week :)
McNally: F--- tom....make sure the pump is attached to the needle…..f----- watermelons coming
Jastremski: So angry
McNally: The only thing deflating sun..is his passing rating

Here was their exchange on the next day, Oct. 24:

Jastremski: I have a big needle for u this week
McNally: Better be surrounded by cash and newkicks....or its a rugby sunday
McNally: F--- tom
Jastremski: Maybe u will have some nice size 11s in ur locker
McNally: Tom must really be working your balls hard this week

And again on Oct. 25:

Jastremski: Size 11?
Jastremski: 2 or 3X?
McNally: Tom must really be on you
McNally: 11 0r 11 half......2x unless its tight fitting
Jastremski: Nah. Hasn’t even mentioned it, figured u should get something since he gives u nothing

Eleven days before the AFC Championship Game, McNally and Jastremski discussed McNally receiving items autographed by Brady the following weekend, before the playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens, according to the report.

McNally: Remember to put a couple sweet pig skins ready for tom to sign
Jastremski: U got it kid...big autograph day for you
McNally: Nice throw some kicks in and make it real special
Jastremski: It ur lucky. 11?
McNally: 11 or 11 and half kid

Finally before the start of the 2014-2015 season, McNally referred to himself as “the deflator.”

McNally: You working
Jastremski: Yup
McNally: Nice dude....jimmy needs some kicks....lets make a deal.....come on help the deflator
McNally: Chill buddy im just f----- with you ....im not going to espn........yet

Every mom loves a good Mother's Day brunch and San Diego eateries know how to treat mom right. This Sunday, celebrate Mother's Day with breakfast for the brood at one of these eateries touted by Yelpers. Seats are getting snagged up left and right so don’t delay: get your reservation on the books so you can properly toast mom.

Bottega Americano (East Village)
This Mother’s Day, guests can dine inside this brilliantly designed East Village restaurant or take a seat on the coveted outdoor patio as they enjoy new spring brunch and dinner menu items created by Executive Chef Dave Warner. Forget a special gift? Stop by the marketplace inside the eatery for hand-selected luxury items from various fine purveyors such as Taza Stone Ground Chocolate and Laguna Salt.

Davanti Enoteca (Carmel Valley/Del Mar)
What do moms want? Mimosas! When do they want them? Now! Dine in Del Mar for Davanti’s Mother's Day Bubbles Bar Kickoff Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mom’s get a complimentary glass created with in-house freshly-juiced pineapple, grapefruit and orange juice and can also kick it up a notch at the do-it-yourself mimosa station featuring locally-made mango/ginger, guava passion fruit and strawberry-mint fruit purees, plus fresh fruit garnishes.

Museum Café (La Jolla)
Offering a picturesque patio framed by blooming wisteria vines, guests dining here on May 10 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. will enjoy newly-crafted breakfast and lunch items made with only the freshest seasonal ingredients. Whether mom is in the mood for something sweet and indulgent or light and healthy, she will find it all at this La Jolla spot.

Kitchen 4140 (Clairemont)
Complimentary house-made truffles and a complimentary glass of Prosecco for every mom? You’ll be her favorite for sure! Featured dishes include favorites like Kitchen 4140’s ever-popular Red Velvet Waffles and Korean Style Hash. Setting the scene will be Kitchen 4140’s inviting patio adjacent to Chef Kurt Metzger’s newly-expanded garden, ripe with colorful spring flowers and produce.

Stake Chophouse (Coronado)
The elegantly-themed “Brunch Fit For Your Queen" at Stake Chophouse & Bar will be offering a luxurious specialty 3-course champagne brunch where mothers will be greeted with a flower upon dining. From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., for $49 per person, mothers and families can order dishes such as a lobster frittata or New York steak and eggs, followed by a beautiful display of self-serve desserts and pastries.

Rancho Bernardo Inn (Rancho Bernardo)
Multiple options here for a meal with mom. Choose from dining at the Aragon Ballroom buffet (featuring live music, a petting zoo and pony rides), Veranda Fireside Lounge with breakfast, lunch and dinner options or the stunning AVANT for a 3-course experience with a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar. This hidden gem property has something for every family. The menus and pricing can be found online.

A 41-year-old woman is facing federal charges after she allegedly bit a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer on the leg at a border crossing in south San Diego, officials confirmed.

CBP officials said the assault happened Monday afternoon at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The woman attempted to walk up through the vehicle lanes and into the United States. However, people on foot are not permitted to cross the border through those lanes because they are designated for cars only.

Instead, pedestrians must use the pedestrian lanes located in a processing building at the port of entry.

CBP officers spotted the woman in the vehicle lanes and asked her to leave and cross the border via the pedestrian lanes instead. Officials said the woman failed to follow order and allegedly attempted to walk past the officers.

CBP officers then took her into custody and as they did so, she allegedly became verbally and physically aggressive, biting one officer on the leg, according to officials.

The woman, who is a U.S. citizen, was arrested and booked into the Metropolitan Correctional Center. She faces federal charges of assaulting an officer. Her name was not released.

According to Pete Flores, Director of Field Operations for CBP in San Diego, though this case was odd, it’s all part of the job for CBP officers.

“CBP officers every day face unusual challenges in their work guarding our nation’s borders,” said Flores.

The San Ysidro Port of Entry is the nation’s busiest port of entry, processing nearly 100,000 people entering the U.S. every day.
 

The mother of a child whose one-year-old was saved by police officers that rushed in to provide CPR described one officer as her “angel in blue.”

Jessica Salas said on April 6, she dialed 911 after her husband woke her up, telling her their daughter Kendall was not breathing.

"Little by little, her lips kept getting [blue], she was losing her breathing, her lips were trying to get purple and blue," said Salas.

Her husband found the child suffering from a violent seizure for an unknown amount of time. The seizures were so bad, Kendall was unconscious and her face and lips were blue. She said she prayed to God, asking for an angel.

"I prayed, God please send anybody, anybody to help me and that's when I heard Officer Carlson say, this is police," Salas said.

Officers Robert Carlson and Thomas McGrath were close to the home when they heard the call come in over the scanner. They rushed to the scene.

“The first thing you hear when you hear that call is, I just need to get there,” said Carlson at a press conference Monday. “Because we don’t know how long the baby hasn’t been breathing, we don’t know what the circumstances are, like most are calls we go to.”

Carlson was first to arrive at the house, and McGrath came shortly after. Inside the house, the mother was crying and the dad was cradling Kendall in his arms, McGrath said.

Neither of them knew how to render aid, so the officers stepped in when they arrived.

"I remember Officer Carlson was like, ‘she's breathing, I can barely hear it but she's breathing,’ and I remember hugging the officer," Salas said.

The officer went with her to the hospital and waited for almost an hour for word that her daughter would be okay.

"He told the nurse what happened and he had to stop and he cried,” Salas said. “He cried with the nurse because he said nothing had ever shocked him like that in his career."

What they did on April 6, Carlson said, was a part of their job.

“We’re definitely not heroes,” Carlson said. “This is what we want to do, we’re here to help, we want to help people. It’s not anything any other person who has the tools and ability to help wouldn’t do.”

The officers said they plan to stay in touch with Kendall and her family throughout the years.

“I’d be lying if I said every time I drive past that street, I don’t smile,” Carlson said. “I park and want to say hi.”

Salas said she will not soon forget the officer.

"I'm never going to forget him,” Salas said. “He's like our angel in blue.”

A Los Angeles police officer and his girlfriend accused of trying to smuggle a man into the U.S. in the trunk of his car have been indicted, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Carlos Curiel Quezada Jr. and his girlfriend, Angelica Godinez, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that they tried to smuggle a Mexican citizen into the United States at the Otay Mesa border crossing in March.

According to court documents, Quezada drove his 2014 Nissan Juke, with Godinez as the front seat passenger, into the U.S. through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry on March 14.

They presented their U.S. passports and told a Customs and Border Protection officer they had nothing to declare. The officer decided to refer them aside for a more intensive inspection.

During the inspection, officers examined the car with a giant x-ray machine and detected something unusual in the rear cargo area of the vehicle. Antanasio Perez Avalos, a 26-year-old Mexican national, was found in a compartment in the spare-tire area. All three individuals were then taken into custody and interviewed.

Two days later, Quezada and Godinez were charged in a one-count complaint with "bringing in illegal aliens without presentation."

LAPD officials have said Quezada will not be returning to duty until this case is adjudicated — both on the criminal side and after an internal LAPD probe.

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

More than 80 neglected rabbits, some missing ears and toes, were taken in by the San Diego Humane Society.

Workers rescued the 83 rabbits from a farm in Riverside County, where the animals had been living in filthy, antiquated cages and without proper medical care, according to a news release from the humane society.

Humane Society officials likened the conditions to a puppy mill.

The rabbits were suffering from varying medical problems, including tumors, dental issues, overgrown claws, skin sores, hair loss and respiratory problems. Some of the rabbits were missing ears or toes, officials said.

The rescue effort was initiated by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Officials said they will need to provide veterinary care and behavior modification before the rabbits can be adopted.

“After the stress of transportation and acclimating to a new environment, our priority will be to give these animals time and space to adjust,” humane society president Gary Weitzman said in the news release.

A state Assembly committee advanced a bill Wednesday that curbs Civic San Diego's power to regulate and approve new development proposals downtown.

The move comes three years after the state pulled the plug on redevelopment, and picking up the slack in urban renewal have been local successor agencies.

Civic San Diego has been on the case here — but now Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D- 80th District) is on its case.

She appeared on NBC 7’s "Politically Speaking" show Sunday to discuss her bill.

“So far, the mayor has been aggressively silent about the changes that need to be made and we’re just hopeful they do it themselves so we don’t need legislation,” Gonzalez said.

At a Wednesday news conference in Encanto, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer ended that so-called aggressive silence to champion Civic San Diego, calling it a catalyst for change and urging Sacramento to stay out of local affairs.

He fired back, saying not only is the city keeping Civic San Diego but it plans to expand its influence into other neighborhoods like Encanto and City Heights.

“We’re here to help keep local control for our communities, and we’re here to ask our state legislators to put neighborhoods first, and we’re here to ring the alarm bell about Assembly Bill 504,” he said.

Surrounded by what were described as stakeholders in the Encanto community, Faulconer spoke about the success of Civic San Diego.

He said the Encanto news conference site, a dirt lot in the 5200-block of Market Street, is emblematic of the opportunity Civic San Diego has to spur development.

One of Civic San Diego’s bigger tasks is managing old redevelopment projects that still aren’t finished.

Elsewhere in California, cities take that on themselves.

Right now, Civic San Diego works strictly in downtown, approving conditional use permits and projects that already fit in line with the downtown area’s community plan.

The nonprofit also applies for the federal "New Market Tax Credit," reserved for projects in low income areas. It then distributes grants locally.

Faulconer touted the nonprofit’s success in bringing 6,000 affordable housing units to downtown.

But is the operation legal? Gonzalez, an attorney, says “no.”

“I just think there should be some oversight and accountability, and if you look at any other city in San Diego and the community input is taken into account,” she said.

Supporters of Civic SD say there hasn’t been one development approved by the group that the community has a problem with.

“So, it seems like it’s a solution without a problem,” said Downtown Partnership CEO Kris Mitchell said of Gonzalez’s bill. “Civic San Diego works. It works well for downtown. It will work well for Encanto. The Encanto residents want it, so let’s not mess with it. The communities that don’t want it, don’t have to have it.”

San Diego Building and Construction Trades, an umbrella organization for local construction unions, has taken issue with one downtown project to build a hotel on West Ash Street because it says the developer doesn't want to pay union wages to build it.

Faulconer vowed to continue fighting the advancement of Gonzalez’s bill.

“Assembly Bill 504 will be heard by committee today,” he said. “And we won’t be surprised if it moves forward. But as it makes its way to the Assembly and Senate floor, I want to make sure Sacramento legislators hear the voices of San Diegans who need this program to continue.”

City Attorney Jan Goldsmith issued a 27-page memo saying Civic San Diego’s operations are legal, but if the city wants to expand its role, it might need to rethink its free rein.

Ken Marlborough, in charge of the Encanto planning group, says his group wants the nonprofit to expand its role to other neighborhoods.

“I’m not a lawyer but I have faith in our Mayor and our City Attorney that they’re saying it’s OK to do that,” Marlborough said.

Dozens of stolen bikes are now in the hands of police after surveillance video helped catch the thieves.

Carlsbad police said they discovered the bikes on May 1 and May 5 as part of an ongoing investigation into bicycle thefts.

When they searched two residences in downtown Carlsbad, officers said they found what appeared to be 35 stolen bicycles and other bike parts.

One resident at Arbors Apartment complex in Carlsbad said his was one of the stolen.
That residence has close to a dozen cameras behind the gate.

A week ago, those cameras recorded the theft in the community he lives in, and took his bike from inside.

"And it was all done in about five minutes and they came peddling out on my bike," said Michael Galindo, talking about the incident that happened nearly a week ago.

The incident itself was quick, but was part of a larger investigation into bike theft in the area.

"We believe there is a strong connection between street level narcotics use and and the theft of these bikes,” Lt. Peter Pascual said.

He said the people in that video led investigators to a home in Downtown Carlsbad on Monday where they arrested five people on drug related charges.

Then, officers searched inside that home.

"It's a residence that was just full of bikes, 35 plus bikes with numerous bicycle parts strewn throughout the residence,” Pascual said.

Most of those bikes are now sitting at the Carlsbad police department, waiting to be claimed.

Michael Galindo now has his bike back.

"Really good, really good to have it back a little bit spray painted, but it'll be a project for me,” Galindo said.

Police are not releasing pictures of the bikes to make sure they are claimed by their proper owners. If you believe your bike was among the stolen, call Carlsbad Police at 9760) 931-2197.

Two people were hit and killed by a police car early Wednesday as they were walking along the New Jersey Turnpike after their SUV broke down, according to the New Jersey State Police. 

Jason Champion of Brooklyn and Nuwanah Laroche of Queens were both hit by a Washington Township Police car while they were walking in the left lanes of the turnpike's eastern spur near a service plaza in Ridgefield at about 1 a.m., the state police say. Both were pronounced dead about three hours later.

Police say that Champion, 41, and Laroche, 34, were on the soutbound side of the highway in a 2001 Cadillac Escalade when they vehicle broke down. They crossed five lanes of the road to the northbound side and began walking in the left lane. They had walked to mile marker 115 when they were hit by the police car, which was driven by 46-year-old Arsenio Pecora. 

State police say that Pecora was returning from a training exercise at Fort Dix when he hit the two pedestrians. He sustained minor injuries and hasn't been charged with any crimes.

Chopper 4 was over the scene as his squad car was towed away; the front bumper appeared heavily damaged and the windshield was smashed.

Laroche was a secretary for AIG. A relative at her Queens home asked for privacy for the grieving family. 

Police chaplain Father Thomas Norton, who was visiting the officer's home Wednesday, said Pecora was traumatized. 

"He's very dedicated not only to his work but he's PBA president, and he's a very popular and very talented young man, highly regarded by the other officers. So it's sad," said Norton. 

The crash shut down all northbound lanes, causing major delays throughout the early morning hours. All lanes reopened later.

-- Tracie Strahan and Pat Battle contributed to this report.

No knife was found on the man fatally shot by police after reports he threatened to stab someone, a San Diego Police lieutenant revealed Wednesday.

Investigators recovered a knife sheath from the body of Fridoon Zalberg, 42, who was shot to death by Officer Neal N. Browder, a 27-year veteran of the SDPD.

SDPD Homicide Lt. Paul Rorrison said Zalberg was holding a "shiny object" when gunned down and that object has been processed as evidence. However, he would not give any details about it or say if the object was considered a weapon.

Browder encountered Zalberg as he responded to a Midway District porn shop just after midnight on April 30. Reports of a knife-wielding man threatening an adult bookstore clerk brought police to the scene, the SDPD says.

When Browder saw Zalberg, who matched the suspect description, police say the officer gave Zalberg verbal commands. The suspect did not heed them and "continued to advance," police say, so Browder shot him.

Investigators have not revealed what Browder ordered or why he decided to open fire.

It later came to light that Browder did not hit record on his body camera before the encounter, so police have no officer video of the shooting. The fact prompted the local ACLU to raise concerns about police accountability.

Detectives discovered surveillance footage of the incident, which investigators will turn over to the District Attorney's office "at an appropriate time" for review, Rorrison said.

SDPDS Chief Shelley Zimmerman promised to conduct a thorough investigation into the shooting.

Police are investigating after video was posted online showing a man bash two others over their heads with a wooden chair at a Manhattan barbecue restaurant Tuesday.

Video posted to YouTube and Instagram on Wednesday shows a large scuffle inside the Dallas BBQ on Eighth Avenue in Chelsea. The person who put the video on YouTube told NBC 4 New York he was horrified watching the attack. 

"I don't think anybody can watch the video and not be outraged by how horrible this was," said Isaam Sharef of Newark. 

The video shows one man flinging at least one other person to the ground and kicking them repeatedly. Several people can be heard yelling “Stop! Stop!” as the attack progresses.

"He was in a rage. It didn't even seem like he was present," Sharef said of the attacker. 

Sharef said the fight started before he began recording the attack. He said a couple and the attacker had been "screaming and yelling at each other, cursing each other out."

Things seemed to calm down, and the restaurant staff and other diners appeared to have the heated argument under control. The two men can be seen heading over toward a front window as the attacker approaches them with a wooden chair. He then flings the chair over his head, and a loud crack and screams can be heard as he smashes it on the victims' skulls.

After the hit, one of the men lands in a seat and appears to be dazed by the impact; the other man appears to fall to the floor. The assailant, meanwhile, can be seen walking out of the restaurant.

The attack was so brutal that bystanders were afraid to confront the assailant. 

"He had just stomped on someone's head and hitsomeone on the head with a hard chair," said Sharef. "The last thing anyone wanted to do was get involved." 

John Snipes, one of the men hit with the chair, told DNAinfo he was attacked after two men hurled anti-gay slurs at him and his boyfriend after they spilled a drink. Snipes' tooth was knocked loose and the cartilage in his ear was torn during what he called a bias attack, according to the website.

"These guys attacked us specifically because they knew we weren't their type of people," Snipes told DNAinfo.

Snipes told DNAInfo he confronted the men after he heard the slurs, and that the man later seen hitting him with the chair stood up and knocked him to the ground. He said the man started kicking him in the face and back, then hit him with the chair as he tried to get away.

On his Facebook page Wednesday, Snipes thanked friends for their support and said in part, "We are in better spirits and believe that our assailants will be found and brought to justice." 

The victims did not seek medical attention. Police sources said they monitored themselves for a concussion and are now cooperating with police to help find the attacker. 

The sources said the NYPD is gathering information on the case and investigating it as a possible hate crime. 

Corey Johnson, the Democratic councilmember who represents Chelsea, among several other Manhattan neighborhoods, called the attack intolerable.

"The fact that this attack took place in the neighborhood of Chelsea, a place known around the world for its acceptance of all people, is particularly outrageous," Johnson, who announced he was gay when he was the captain of his high school football team more than a decade ago.
 

Four San Diego County water districts will be held to the strictest water saving standards in the state, according to goals set by state regulators.

The State Water Resources Control Board approved new restrictions Tuesday in an effort to get the state’s overall conservation to 25 percent — the level mandated by Gov. Jerry Brown. But that means some districts will have to save more than others.

In San Diego County, districts must save between 12 percent and 36 percent starting on June 1.

The districts ordered to save the most include the Santa Fe Irrigation District, the Valley Center Municipal Water District, the Rainbow Municipal Water District and the Fallbrook Public Utility District.

The Sweetwater Authority will have to save the least in the county: about 12 percent.

Here is a list of the water districts and how much each will have to save:

• Carlsbad Municipal Water District – 28%
• City of Escondido – 20%
• Fallbrook Public Utility District – 36%
• Helix Water District – 20%
• Lakeside Water District – 20%
• City of Oceanside – 20%
• Olivenhain Municipal Water District – 36%
• Otay Water District – 20%
• Padre Dam Municipal Water District – 20%
• City of Poway – 32%
• Rainbow Municipal Water District – 36%
• Ramona Municipal Water District – 28%
• Rincon Del Diablo Municipal Water District – 32%
• City of San Diego – 16%
• San Dieguito Water District – 28%
• Santa Fe Irrigation District – 36%
• Sweetwater Authority – 12%
• Vallecitos Water District – 24%
• Valley Center Municipal Water District – 36%
• Vista Irrigation District – 24%

The city of Del Mar and Yuima Municipal Water District have not been reporting their water use to the state water board.

Officials with the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA), a wholesale water supplier serving the region, said Wednesday they are pleased the state regulations protect the farm sector.

“However, we are disappointed that the board’s regulations do not encourage the development of new water supplies,” the utility said in a release. “Despite requests by the Water Authority and others, the regulations don’t give credit to regions that have prudently planned for dry periods by investing in drought-proof water supplies such as the Carlsbad Desalination Project, which will produce 50 million gallons per day for San Diego County starting this fall.”

Beginning on July 1, the Metropolitan Water District plans to reduce the SDCWA’s water supply by 15 percent, but the water authority says it expects to have enough supplies to meet nearly all the typical water demands next year.

The SDCWA’s board will meet on May 14 to discuss those cutbacks, ways to make sure agencies stay within their water allotments, restricting irrigation on ornamental landscaping and other conservation ideas.

If a community does not meet its target, the state water board says it will face hefty fines, though only as a last resort. Gov. Brown has given agencies the ability to issue fines of up to $10,000 for noncompliance.

This chart compares how much the districts have saved to the percentage of water they must now conserve.

This month of May is all about small businesses in the state of California, according to Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr.

This week, the governor declared May 2015 as “Small Business Month” and issued the following proclamation from Sacramento:

“California if home to the most innovative and competitive firms in the world, placing us consistently among the top ten economies. The vast majority of these businesses employ 500 or fewer workers.

Small businesses embody the entrepreneurial spirit that has driven the economy of our Goldent State. Over half of our private-sector workforce is employed by small business.

This month, we reaffirm our commitment to helping California’s small businesses thrive and prosper. The Governnor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, along with key agencies of state government, works to facilitate economic growth through collaboration with small businesses. Supporting small-scale priivate-sector job creators is among our most promising strategies to enhance California’s human capital, expand job opportunities and increase our competitice advantage in the global marketplace.”

Last month, Brown appointed Jesse Torres, small business advocate in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). GO-Biz’s Office of Small Business Advocate supports the state’s small business community with technical and financial assistance and provides information on state business requirements.
 

A San Diego State University professor is still teaching classes, despite internal investigations that confirm he sexually harassed at least two of his former students.

NBC 7 Investigates first exposed this situation by sharing details about a female student who accused Professor Vincent Martin of sexual harassment. That student provided copies of hundreds of texts and emails from Martin that she said were unwanted and inappropriate. Martin sent them to her during the summer and fall semesters in 2013.

A “Notice of Investigation Outcome” from SDSU summarizes a nearly year-long investigation by the University's Office of Employee Relations. According to the investigation documents, Martin was found to have "engaged in conduct of a sexually oriented nature… deemed sufficiently severe to constitute sexual harassment.”

Another of Martin’s former students is now voicing complaints against Martin, including allegations Martin was physically aggressive, sent obscene text message and tried to kiss her against her will.

A year-long investigation by SDSU substantiated her complaints.

“His behavior is not the normal behavior that a professor should have towards his students,” that second student told NBC 7 Investigates. “Especially female students.”

Both women asked NBC 7 not to disclose their names. They said they fear Martin could damage their standing in the Spanish department, hurt their chances of getting accepted to graduate school and harm their career opportunities. The two women also said they are scared Martin might try to physically harm them for publicly discussing their complaints.

According to the second woman, Martin crossed the line of proper behavior at an academic conference in El Paso, Texas in March 2013. Martin, his female assistant and five other graduate teaching assistants attended that conference on Spanish theater.

The student said she was shocked when Martin grabbed her hand in front of the other students, and said, “You and me, let’s go.” She said he took her to the hotel’s hospitality suite, where he encouraged her to steal a container of wine.

“So I mean, I did,” she recalled. “You’re talking about a person [who’s] my professor. He’s in a position of authority. I did it.”

What she said happened next was much more upsetting.

"He got really close to me,” she recalled. “He was about to kiss me. So I took a step back. And when I took a step back, he didn't take a step back. He took a step forward. Again, I took another step back, and he took another step forward.

“I was shocked,” the student said, “and I was really scared. I couldn't believe that a professor would get that close and would try to kiss me. I couldn't even speak."

She said Martin made other inappropriate comments to her – and about her -- to other students during that trip. She said Martin also sent a text message to a male student asking “Are you f***ing [the student]?”

“We were all in shock when we read that text message,” she said. “I never solicited that kind of behavior. He had absolutely no right to do that.”

Martin has not responded to our requests for comment on this story. His attorney told us last month Martin disagrees with the finding that he sexually harassed the first student, but that lawyer has not responded to questions about the second student’s allegations or the findings of that investigation.

The second student said Martin later sent her a series of rambling emails which she interpreted as veiled threats to her safety. She saved copies of those emails and showed them to NBC 7 Investigates. They are written in broken English and phrased as if they were written by a female. They were also sent from different email addresses, none of them directly linked to Martin.

She said those emails made her so nervous she avoided him on campus and parked her car in different locations so she could quickly get away after class.

The emails and Martin’s behavior at the conference, made her “really scared.” She said she feared for her safety, “not just for me, but for my family. I would always check on my tires, and when I was driving I would always check my rear view mirror.”

She filed a report with Chula Vista police, who suggested she contact SDSU campus police. After talking with SDSU campus police, she filed a formal complaint against Martin with SDSU’s Office of Employee Relations and Compliance in August 2013.

That investigation took a year. SDSU released its findings in a confidential report dated August 21, 2014, the same date as the other report related to the first woman's complaint.

A copy of that report, obtained by NBC 7 Investigates, confirms investigators interviewed the student, Professor Martin, three other faculty members and 14 current or former SDSU students.

The outcome confirmed her version of events at the El Paso conference and found Martin “...engaged in conduct of a sexually oriented nature... sufficiently severe to constitute sexual harassment."

Both women, along with other students in SDSU’s Spanish department, told NBC 7 Investigates Martin has harassed other female students besides these two women.

Outraged by those revelations, members and supporters of SDSU’s Andrea O’Donnell Womyn’s Outreach Association staged a silent protest Tuesday outside Martin’s office at the University’s Department of Spanish and Portuguese.

Employment law expert Bibi Fell said the findings of those two investigations put SDSU on notice that Martin is a risk.

"While he's still teaching, there's certainly the risk that other students are being harassed," Fell said. Fell is a senior trial lawyer with Gomez Trial Attorneys in San Diego.

If Martin harasses another student, Fell said that victim could have ample evidence to sue Martin, the University and California taxpayers for emotional distress and other damages.

"And what we find is that when a jury sees a pattern of conduct that should have been stopped but wasn't, they tend to hit the defendant hard."

NBC 7 Investigates confirmed Martin is still teaching classes. According to SDSU’s Chief Communications Officer Greg Block, Martin was scheduled to teach a Summer Session class this June at SDSU but the class was recently cancelled due to low enrollment.

The protestors and the two women said they are angry and insulted Martin continues to teach a full schedule.

"As a student, you file the complaint. And yes, he's guilty,” said the second student. “But that's it. You're not protected. And he's still going to be teaching. So we definitely need to change something about these regulations."

The university won't confirm or deny whether Martin has been disciplined and says it can't disclose anything about the investigative or disciplinary process without violating Martin's right to privacy.

Read the full statement from SDSU below:

“Given the nature of sexual harassment complaints and our desire to encourage individuals to come forward with complaints without fear that the complaint will become public, the university does not comment on specific complaints or investigations. While we appreciate that the campus community has significant interest when allegations of sexual harassment are made, it is also important that the process for adjudicating claims be a fair one and that all facts be heard. Any person accused also has rights, which includes privacy in connection with personnel matters. They also have rights, under either collective bargaining agreements or by law, to respond to any allegations, which could include appealing any disciplinary action. The university is committed to protecting the rights of all concerned. We urge the campus community to allow any required process to take place.”

NBC 7 Investigates is working for you. If you have more information about this or other story tips, contact us: (619) 578-0393, NBC7Investigates@nbcuni.com. To receive the latest NBC 7 Investigates stories, subscribe to our newsletter.

The mysterious lights spotted last week south of San Diego are a mystery no more.

And the source isn't a flying saucer that's going to whisk you away.

An NBC 7 news photographer believes the strange blinking lights he captured in a video last week were coming from TV news antennas in Mexico, about 15 miles from the U.S. border.

Reports of the mysterious lights generated attention on a number of national and international news sites, such as Buzzfeed and The Huffington Post.

The photographer was in San Ysidro last Tuesday night covering an unrelated story when he noticed the mysterious lights. He returned during daylight hours and noticed the TV antennas on the mountaintop at the same place he spotted the lights.

He believes the foggy conditions made the lights coming from the antennas more striking than other nights – and why so many people who saw them were so baffled.

A number of residents called NBC 7 to report the mysterious lights and a NBC 7 viewer also provided photos. Those who saw the lights all said they appeared to be south of downtown San Diego.

A Chula Vista man won’t fight murder charges for running over his estranged wife with his pickup.

Cesar Castillo pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder using a dangerous weapon, hit and run leading to death and violating a restraining order.

More than a dozen of his wife's family and friends were inside the courtroom for what was scheduled to be a preliminary hearing when Castillo’s attorney entered the change of plea.

Castillo's ex-wife Leonar was killed the day after Thanksgiving while her daughters were waiting at their grandparents' house to decorate the Christmas tree with their mother.

The girls, ages 3, 8 and 10, now live with their grandparents who are retired.

Police said Castillo fled to Mexico, but surrendered to authorities three days later at the U.S.-Mexico border.

He faces 20 years to life when he’s sentenced on June 17.
 

Three people accused of posing as police officers with a rogue force they said had existed for thousands of years wound up behind bars after trying to schedule meetings with real law enforcement officials.

The trio, including an aide to the California attorney general, claimed to be members of the Masonic Fraternal Police Department (MFPD) in letters sent to several agencies in Southern California, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman said.

After this aroused suspicion, detectives launched an investigation, and arranged for them to meet Captain Roosevelt Johnson of Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.  

During the meeting, the three said that their group was descended from the medieval order the Knights Templar and that their agency had been in existence for 3,000 years, authorities said. They also said their department had sovereign jurisdiction in 33 states and across the border in Mexico.

The group's website describes differences between the MFPD and "other police departments."

"The answer is simple for us. We were here first! We are born into this Organization our bloodlines go deeper then (sic) an application. This is more then a job it is an obligation," the website says.

During raids in the 28000 block of Linda Vista Street and the 17000 Block of Sierra Highway, in Santa Clarita, investigators discovered badges, identification cards, weapons, uniforms, police-type vehicles and other law enforcement equipment.

The three — David Henry, 46, who claimed to be the MPFD chief,  along with Tonette Hayes, 56, and Brandon Kiel, 36, who claimed to be chief deputy — were arrested and booked on charges of impersonating a peace officer. Henry is also accused of lying under oath, while Kiel is accused of misusing government identification.

Kiel has worked as deputy director of community affairs at the California Department of Justice, according to the Los Angeles Times. A department spokesman declined to comment, but told the Times Kiel is on administrative leave.

Detectives believe the suspects were trying to deceive individuals in the community as to their status as law enforcement officials for a purpose yet to be determined. They also believe there may be other individuals associated with this organization.

Jail records did not indicate a court date for the suspects. It was not clear Wednesday morning whether the three suspects had obtained an attorney.

Anyone with further information about their activities is asked to call detectives on  323-980-2211, or they can anonymously  call "Crime Stoppers" on 800-222-8477.

A former Navy SEAL that stole more than $1 million from 11 fellow SEALs and a family friend in an investment scam has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison. 

Jason Mullaney, 43, used a company he started called Trident Financial Holdings & Acquisitions LLC to swindle more than $1.1 million from 11 active or retired SEALs.

Prosecutors asked for 12 years and eight months, but probation recommended 10 years. 

In September, Mullaney accepted a plea agreement and entered a guilty plea on grand theft charges.

However, Mullaney argued he was misled about the consequences of the plea by his defense attorney.

"No buyer's remorse," Judge Frederick Maguire told the defendant Wednesday as he denied the defense motion and scheduled a sentencing hearing.

He was sentenced to the minimum of six years and eight months. The maximum he could have been sentenced to was 12 years and eight months. 

New defense attorney Patrick Dudley previously claimed his client would appeal the ruling to a higher court.

The body of a 28-year-old paraplegic woman found dead in her mother's San Diego-area apartment was wrapped in at least nine trash bags in a suitcase and weighed only 40 pounds, laying in a fetal position, according to an autopsy report obtained Wednesday by NBC7.

The remains of Brooke MacBeth, 28, who was wheelchair bound and functioned at the level of a two year old, were found in March in Lakeside.

On March 3, San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at Bonnie MacBeth's apartment to serve an eviction notice, according to a report from the Medical Examiner’s office obtained by NBC 7.

The details on this report may be disturbing to some readers.

When deputies knocked on the door of the apartment on the 11600 block of Woodside Avenue, according to the report, Brooke’s mother Bonnie answered and told deputies she had something to show them. When they entered, they immediately noticed a foul odor.

“My daughter is dead in the bedroom,” she told deputies.

When deputies walked into the bedroom but could not find the daughter, they asked where she was.

“In a suitcase,” she told them, according to the report. Her mother reportedly told officials she had found her daughter dead in the bedroom.

Under a pile of clothes and blankets, deputies found a black duffle bag with black duct tape around it. A deputy used his duty knife to cut into the duffle bag and found a second bag under it, which he also cut open. Under that second duffle bag sat a pink and brown suitcase with silver duct tape around the zipper.

In that suitcase, they found a black trash bag. Under seven or eight layers of the trash bag, they found a purple towel or blanket. It was then officials contacted the medical examiner. In the blanket, the medical examiner found evidence of bones, including ribs.

Brooke’s mother was taken to the hospital and placed on psychiatric hold, the report said. She reportedly told officials she tried to hang herself the evening before they arrived and had tried to commit suicide previously. She also told deputies she had been on a “vodka binge” for three days, the report said, because she knew someone would be coming to evict her.

Her mother told them her daughter had died six months ago, 18 months ago and two years ago when questioned and told them she “felt guilty” since she passed. She was reportedly seen alive by her sister one year ago, who said she had been losing weight. Medical examiners said they later weighed her body and found it weighed 40 pounds.

An autopsy report obtained by NBC 7 reported no evidence of trauma or obvious natural disease. 

Brooke may have died of natural causes, the autopsy report said, but determined the cause and manner of her death undetermined. The medical examiner could not determine a date of death, but determined based off the Sheriff’s investigation that Brooke was likely dead for several months before she was found.

When officials called her younger sister, they learned she had last seen her before Christmas in 2014, when she appeared to have lost some weight, according to the report, and her sister believed it was from having difficulty eating. Her sister said she had been diagnosed with temporomandibular joint dysfunction.