The use of body cameras by San Diego Police officers was initiated in early 2014.

At the time, the police chief wanted a way to monitor officer misconduct in the wake of several rogue officers convicted of crimes against women.

The current chief has said body cameras give the department a way to be more transparent and not only hold officers accountable but the public as well.

In May 2015, the department revised its policy on how officers would activate the recording device following a fatal police shooting in the Midway District.

Officer Neal Browder, a 27-year veteran of the department, shot and killed 42-year-old Fridoon Zalbeg Rawshannehad in an alley.

Browder was outfitted with a body camera but did not activate it before firing his weapon, according to department officials.

The SDPD launched an investigation into the details surrounding the shooting.

Here is a look at the history of body cameras in San Diego:

January 2012 - Coronado Police Department becomes the first agency to outfit its officers with personal cameras. Five are deployed in the field.

January 29, 2014 - Former SDPD Chief William Lansdowne requests body cameras. "It would help us with the misunderstandings, with lawsuits," he said. Cameras were already in the 2015 budget but Lansdowne requested the process move faster after the arrest and arraignment of former officer Christopher Hays and the investigation into SDPD officer Donald Moncrief.

The initial ask was for 100 cameras at a cost of $200,000.

March 10, 2014 - A park ranger with the City of Del Mar records a 10 minute confrontation with a reserve deputy that led to a nine-month suspension of the body camera program.

March 19, 2014 – New SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman proposes expanding the body camera program to outfit every officer.

April 10, 2014 - The San Diego Police Officers Association is concerned about implementation of cameras. The leadership wants to discuss policy to ensure officers' privacy.

Early April, 2014 – SDPD begins field testing with 10 body cameras worn by officers in Central Division.

May 2, 2014 – Escondido police release body camera video showing an officer rescuing a person from a fiery automobile accident.

June 9, 2014 - San Diego police officers begin training on how to use body cameras mounted on their chest, collar and glasses.

June 18, 2014 – The SDPD issues a memo regarding the use and storage of the body cameras.

June 21, 2014 - The first phase of body cameras are rolled out to police officers with future phases planned for July and August.

Sept 18, 2014 - The U.S. Border Patrol will begin wearing cameras this year at its training academy, a test to see if the technology should be used in the field to blunt criticism about agents' use of force.

October 15, 2014 - SDPD Chief Zimmerman said video from body cameras will not be easily accessible. She also says that barring a particular complaint or court case associated with the video, the clips will be removed from storage after six months.

November 6, 2014 - Chula Vista City Council unanimously approves purchase of 114 body worn cameras, an investment the police department has been researching since 2010.

December 9, 2014 – El Cajon city leaders agree to research obtaining and implementing body cameras for the police force. The cameras could cost the city $75,000 and, if approved, could be rolled out in 90 days once the council conducts a series of public meetings.

December 16, 2014 - Del Mar city officials agree to reinstate body cameras for park rangers following a review of procedure.

January 2015 - The first batch of body cameras to be deployed to Chula Vista Police Officers are used in the field. A police captain tells the San Diego Union-Tribune they are not currently releasing the video to the public.

January 9, 2015 - San Diego Assembly Member Shirley Weber (D-79th) introduces AB 66, which would create a statewide task force to establish "best practices" guidelines in regards to police body cameras.

Chief Zimmerman says SDPD has more cameras in the field than any other department in the nation, “We’re the eighth largest city in the United States, and if you take all the other larger cities above us, we have more body-worn cameras out right now - 600 cameras- than all of the others combined.”

February 6, 2015 - AP reports that San Diego's five-year contract with Taser for 1,000 cameras would cost $267,000 for the devices -- but another $3.6 million for storage contracts, software licenses, maintenance, warranties and related equipment.

March 3, 2015 - The San Diego County Board of Supervisor approves the request to research outfitting deputies with cameras. The SDSO starts taking bids from 18 interested parties.

March 25, 2015 – City Council Member (District 4) Myrtle Cole shares report from Chief Zimmerman with her constituents – “In our Southeastern Division, there has been a reduction in complaints filed and a reduction in allegations made in the six months the body cameras have been deployed.”

April 16, 2015 – A body camera records a rookie cop in Ohio not using deadly force when confronted by a suspect. The officer was praised by some for showing restraint however others say it could lead to costing lives if other officers are fearful of using justified force.

April 21, 2015 – SDPD Chief Zimmerman tells city officials that after 300+ body cameras were deployed in the Southeastern, Central and Mid-City divisions, the number of complaints dropped 40 percent within six months.

Between November 2014 and January 2015, the police chief said body cameras reduced the number of use of force incidents dramatically.

April 30, 2015 - The ACLU launches a mobile app designed to help people record police incidents and prevent the video from being deleted or destroyed.

May 1, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Justice announces a $20 million pilot program to extend the use of police body cameras for “transparency.”
 

Two masked men robbed an auto parts store in Spring Valley Thursday night, demanding cash from employees at gunpoint, officials said.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said the robbery happened around 9:40 p.m. at an O’Reilly Auto Parts Store located at 8375 Paradise Valley Rd.

Two men wearing motorcycle-type masks that covered their faces entered the business armed with semi-automatic handguns. At gunpoint, they ordered employees to give them money. After getting some cash, the robbers fled the store.

No one was injured, deputies confirmed.

The investigation is ongoing. Deputies said the men were wearing dark-colored jumpsuits, hats and gloves during the robbery, but no further suspect descriptions were available.

Anyone with information on this case should contact the sheriff’s department at (858) 565-5200 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
 

A spring storm has brought an inch of snow to Julian, east of San Diego.

For the first time since early March, a storm brought snow to the mountains in the East County.

Adam Baratz traveled to San Diego from Ohio to tackle the Pacific Crest Trail. He was one of more than a dozen other PCT hikers who stayed the night at the Pine House Café.

“San Diego has taken us by surprise,” he told NBC 7. “We’ll make it work."

Despite the cold conditions, the hikers plan to cover 20 miles Friday.

NBC 7 Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh reported on the strange occurrance with updates from various high points around Southern California.

Six inches of snow fell on Big Bear with four inches reported at Blue Jay and Running Springs and three inches in Crestline.

John McWay with the Laguna Mountain Lodge sent images of the snowfall to NBC 7 saying he recalled a similar storm over Memorial Day several years ago.

McWay said he didn't recall the snow sticking to the ground like it was Friday.

Share your images or video of the storm by emailing to isee@nbcsandiego.com, #NBC7 on Twitter or Instagram or through our Facebook page.

One of two school properties up for sale by the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) is now the source of a lawsuit heading to a San Diego courtroom later this month.

The Excelsior Academy, which caters to special needs students, filed suit saying SDUSD violated the terms of its lease when it exercised a three-year notice to terminate.

“They want to only give us the three years. We feel that we should have up to eight years at this school site,” said Excelsior Academy principal Matt Callaway.

The district sold the former Benchley Elementary campus to the Islamic School of San Diego in February for $2,775,000.

The Excelsior Academy, which has leased the campus since 1994, had hoped to purchase the property themselves, but feels the district violated the terms of the lease and the state education code by not giving them adequate time to raise funds.

“The first time we actually heard directly from the district that our site was indeed going to be up for sale was about a month before it was to be voted on by the board,” said Callaway. “Just having a month to change directions and try to put together a bid was just not a reasonable amount of time for us.”

The Academy helps students who deal with a variety of attention and learning disabilities by providing unconventional teaching methods and small class sizes.

“At public school my grades were Fs most the time. Here, I don’t think I’ve failed one class since I’ve started,” said student Maddy Ringer, who deals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Ringer and other students say they’re aware of the bitter lease dispute.

“If we change sites it’ll just be all confusing,” Ringer added.

Administrators say the 4.5-acre campus is perfect for their goals, which include a heavy dose of health and fitness.

“We have a great field – two basketball courts – and it’s going to be hard to find another school site to meet the needs of all the things we do,” said Callaway.

The expedited trial is set to begin May 21.

An unfavorable judgment for the SDUSD could jeopardize the sale putting additional stress on its cash-strapped bottom line. The Excelsior Academy says a favorable judgment would give the school more time to find a new home.
 

The Pine House Café is an oasis in the Mount Laguna wilderness for most visitors, but it usually closes after the dinner hour.

Friday night was different, however. With gusting winds, freezing temperatures and snow on the ground, the café became refuge for some three dozen weary hikers.

Pine House Café employee Nica Knite had her hands full.

The bathroom tissue refills weren’t the half of it. She had hikers in the restaurant, hikers filling the bar. Hikers – and their gear – filled the lobby. Hikers were even in the kitchen, lending a hand.

“We're basically having a giant slumber party,” Knite said.

The dinner rush was spending the night. The café posted an open invitation on Facebook to Pacific Crest Hikers passing through who were not prepared for the surprise spring snow storm.

“We started 20 miles down the trail this morning and half-way through we were like, ‘We gotta make it there,’” hiker Chloe Lalonde said.

Lalonde and friend Tara Cooper are first-time hikers on this trail. It took years to plan this trip, but they definitely didn’t expect or plan for snow.

“When I saw this place [the café], I wanted to start crying tears of joy,” Cooper said.

First-timers and veteran hikers, some from out of state and others from out of the country, shared 1200-square-feet of restaurant floor. Each guest was asked to pitch in any way they can to help the others.

The roof over their head, warm fire and sing-along tunes from the band Barb Wire were free, adding to the slumber party feel of the impromptu event.

“I am amazed by the snow. I am grateful for it, otherwise we wouldn't be here for this party,” hiker John Benson said.

Knite said she hasn't seen May snow in five years on Mount Laguna but the hikers come every spring. And kindness itself goes a long way.

“We don't want them sick and beleaguered, we want them happy and healthy and enjoying the heck out of The Pacific Crest trail,” Knite said.

More than 30 hikers Friday night, 20 of them Thursday night.

Snowy conditions are expected to improve but if not, look for the light at The Pine House Café.
 

One person is in the hospital after a man shot him in the arm and chest with a rifle in Encanto, San Diego Police said. 

The incident happened around 1 p.m. Saturday on the 6200 block of Wunderlin Avenue. 

Police said a 51-year-old man was shot in the arm and chest by a 51-year-old suspect he knew during an argument on the street. The man was related to someone that lived at the house, police said. 

The man was getting into a car or was in the car when he was shot, Lt. Kevin Mayer said. He drove into a chain link fence and was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. 

The suspect fled and police are looking for him. No suspect description was provided by police.  

An NBC7 Photographer on scene at the time said police had the house surrounded. 

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

A man lying near the railroad tracks in San Diego was killed by an oncoming Amtrak train Saturday morning, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.

The deadly incident happened at 6:15 a.m. at Mile Post Marker 259.9, near the intersection of Damon Avenue and Santa Fe Street near Pacific Beach, authorities said. The train was carrying 70 passengers at the time of the collision.

According to witnesses, the man – who has yet to be identified – was lying on a blanket adjacent to the railroad tracks when the northbound train approached the area.

The Amtrak train used its emergency braking system, but it could not stop before it struck the victim, the sheriff’s department said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The collision remains under investigation. Anyone with information on the case should contact the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department's Railroad Enforcement Unit at (858)565-5200.
 

A female guard was sexually assaulted by a male inmate at an Arizona prison last month in the second such attack on an employee in the last 18 months, corrections officials said.

The April 13 attack at the state prison complex in Yuma was only revealed by the state Department of Corrections late Friday after inquiries by The Associated Press.

When asked why the department didn't acknowledge the attack earlier, corrections spokesman Andrew Wilder said the agency was focused on investigating the assault.

"Our priority is to have a full and thorough investigation of the facts and make sure that is conducted to ensure that justice is served for the victim in the matter."

The assault follows the January 2014 rape of a female teacher at another prison that brought intense criticism of the Arizona prison procedures for safeguarding corrections workers. The bare-bones details of that attack were announced by the department shortly after it occurred, and other inmate assaults on staff often are announced by the department in press releases.

The most recent attack occurred in an office while the corrections officer was meeting with inmate Fernandes Masters, Wilder said.

"The inmate attacked the officer during a scheduled meeting in the housing unit office and no weapons were involved," Wilder said. "The officer called for assistance, staff in the housing unit immediately responded to the location and pulled the inmate away from the officer and secured him."

The officer, who was not identified, was treated at the prison before being taken to a hospital for evaluation. She was later released, but Wilder did not provide additional details of injuries, the assault or how the officer called for assistance. He also wouldn't say whether any security procedures were violated or will be changed as a result of the incident.

He said a criminal investigation by prison officials is ongoing.

"Pending the outcome of this investigation and due to the nature of this violent attack, the department intends to pursue criminal charges against inmate Masters including sexual assault, kidnapping and attempted murder," Wilder said.

Prosecutors in Yuma County, the Yuma County Sheriff's Office and police in San Luis, where the prison is located, were unaware of the attack when contacted by the AP on Thursday.

Maricopa County Superior Court records show Masters pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in 2007 in a plea agreement that came after prosecutors dropped the death penalty. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Details of the Dec. 22, 2004, murder were not immediately available.

Prison records show Masters, 31, has repeatedly been disciplined and has a history of assaults. Online Corrections Department disciplinary records show at least three previous assaults, including one on a prison staff member, and an indecent exposure incident.

Emilio Ruiz, a board member for the state prison guard's union who represents staff at the Yuma prison, declined to comment Saturday. Calls to the executive president of the Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association were not immediately returned.

The teacher who was raped last year is suing corrections officials for failing to protect her. She was alone in a classroom giving assessment tests to inmates in a sex offender unit at the Eyman prison in Florence when she was attacked.

The state workplace safety agency opened an investigation after details of the teacher's assault were reported by the AP in June. In January, the agency levied fines of $14,000 for two violations of workplace-safety rules, but the Department of Corrections is appealing.

Inmate Jacob Harvey, who was less than a year into a 30-year sentence for a brutal home-invasion and rape, lingered after other inmates left the room on Jan. 30, 2014, then repeatedly stabbed the teacher with a pen before raping her, according to investigative reports and the teacher.

Harvey, now 21, has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault, kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon charges and awaits trial. His public defender, Paula Cook, has repeatedly declined to comment on the charges.

A day before Cuban President Raul Castro visits the Vatican, his daughter has sponsored a blessing ceremony for gay couples in a country where gay marriage remains illegal.

Nearly two dozen gay couples held hands or embraced as American and Canadian Protestant clergyman blessed them Saturday. It was part of official ceremonies leading up to the Global Day Against Homophobia on May 17.

Castro's daughter Mariela heads Cuba's Center for Sex Education, which has been pushing for gay rights in a country with a history of persecuting homosexuals.

Cuba has also been growing closer to the Catholic Church, which had a troubled relationship with the communist government during much of the Cold War. Mariela Castro was careful not to call Saturday's ceremony a wedding.

A 21-year-old San Diego man suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol when he slammed head-on into a car carrying a family of five has been released from jail after posting bail, his attorney confirmed.

On Wednesday – with his right leg and left wrist bandaged, sitting in a hospital bed, Shane McDonald pleaded not guilty to two counts of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and five counts of felony DUI causing injury or death in connection with the May 2 wrong-way crash that killed two members of a family and injured three others on Interstate 15 near Scripps Ranch.

Defense attorney Lindsay Mercer told NBC 7 McDonald was released from the hospital and booked into jail. He has since posted bail and is now staying at an undisclosed location so he can continue to receive medical treatment for injuries he sustained in the deadly collision.

On Saturday Mercer said McDonald and his extended family, both in San Diego and in Guam, where he is originally from, will be spending this weekend “praying and holding vigils for everyone affected by this tragic accident.”

At McDonald’s arraignment earlier this week, Mercer said her client is a student and “rarely drinks.” She said the suspect and his family are heartbroken and devastated for all involved.

The Deputy District Attorney on the case said McDonald’s actions killed two members of a family and left three others seriously injured within a matter of seconds.

According to CHP officials, the deadly crash happened around 3:10 a.m. on southbound I-15 north of Mira Mesa Boulevard.

The CHP said McDonald was driving his black Audi A4 in the wrong direction in the express lanes of the freeway when he collided head-on with the Honda Civic carrying five people.

The Honda Civic changed lanes to avoid the collision with the wrong-way driver, but the wrong-way driver simultaneously did the same maneuver and the vehicles collided head-on.

The CHP said the Honda Civic came to rest in the freeway lane while the Audi was high-sided on the concrete barrier.

The impact was so strong, officials said, both the driver of the Honda Civic — 55-year-old Escondido resident Rodolfo De La Torre, 55, and his 84-year-old passenger and relative Teresa Esparza Hernandez died at the scene.

Officials said at least one person was ejected from one of the mangled cars.

Meanwhile, fire crews had to pry out three more passengers from the back seat of the Honda Civic, De La Torre’s wife, Angelica, and their two children, Julio and Carolina, ages 21 and 19.
McDonald also had to be extricated from his car.

The De La Torre family told NBC 7 the surviving family members were taken to the ICU at Scripps La Jolla and the ICU at Sharp. Angelica and Julio suffered broken necks, head trauma and severe abdomen injuries from their seat belts. Carolina suffered broken ribs, broken clavicle and head trauma.

On Saturday, the De La Torre family confirmed all three surviving family members were in stable condition and “living day-to-day.”

The family was driving to the Tijuana airport to catch a 6 a.m. flight to Aguascalientes, Mexico, when they were hit by McDonald.

CHP officials said he admitted that he had smoked marijuana on the morning of the crash and had drank too much.

The driver, who has no previous criminal history, faces 20 years in prison if convicted.

A 27-year-old motorcyclist was killed in San Diego’s East County Saturday after he slammed into a parked car, officials confirmed.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said the deadly accident happened around 11:10 a.m. in the 8200 block of Jamacha Road.

The motorcyclist was riding his 2006 Honda eastbound when he struck the back end of a 2004 Nissan Xterra parked on the curb.

Officials said the motorcyclist was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash. The investigation is ongoing. His name was not immediately released.
 

A transformer exploded at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Facility in Westchester, New York, on Saturday, police said.

There were no reports of injuries in the blast and resulting fire, which Indian Point Energy said was caused by a "transformer failure" that happened around 6 p.m.

"Saw a huge ball of black smoke and then alarms audible across the river," Gustavus Gricius, who witnessed the explosion, said.

The fire started up again after being extinguished but has since been put out, officials said. There are no ongoing emergency threats.

Governor Cuomo said a review of the plant will be done to make sure all safety protocols were followed correctly. The governor has been vocal about his concern over having a nuclear power plant in the area and said no situation at a nuclear plant is minor.

There is now concern that the foam used to extinguish the fire could seep into the nearby Hudson River, Cuomo said. He said crews are working to keep foam out of the storm drains.

Indian Point Energy said there was no danger to employees or the public and that Unit 3 of the facility safely shut down as designed after the transformer failed.

Unit 3, which supplies 5 percent of the power to New York state, sits near the Hudson River, about 300 to 400 feet away from the reactor building, which is reinforced by a 4 to 6 foot wall of steel and concrete.

A spokesperson for Entergy, which owns the plant, said that a sprinkler put out the initial fire with the help of an on-site fire brigade.

Entergy said the fire was an "Unusual Event" -- the lowest of four emergency response classifications.

Dave Lochbaum, who is the director of the Nuclear Safety Project, said the transformer is in the switch yard outside the plant, but within the security perimeter.

He said oil is used to cool the transformers and that an electrical short may have caused the explosion.

"Transformer explosions are not uncommon -- they happen roughly three or four times a year across the industry," Lochbaum said.

He said it's unlikely that such an explosion would cause any harm to the public.

Engineers and inspectors are investigating what caused the transformer to fail.

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.

A 28-year-old motorcyclist out on a ride with his father Saturday morning was killed after crashing into a car and being thrown off his motorcycle into oncoming traffic in north San Diego, officials said.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said the motorcycle accident happened around 10:20 a.m. at the intersection of North Rancho Santa Fe Road and Peppertree Lane in Encinitas.

According to deputies, the man was riding motorcycles with his dad. As the duo rounded the curve at the intersection, a Hyundai sedan started to turn into their path. Both riders swerved on their motorcycles to go around the car on opposite sides.

With this maneuver, the son’s motorcycle hit the Hyundai and he was thrown off his bike and into the roadway. Deputies said the driver of an Infinity SUV then approached the area and was unable to avoid running into the victim.

The man’s motorcycle then caught fire, officials said.

The downed motorcyclist was rushed to a local hospital but died a short time later. His father and the two drivers of the cars were not injured.

The sheriff’s department said the deadly crash is under investigation, but alcohol does not appear to have contributed.

The name of the motorcyclist was not immediately released by deputies.
 

If you are searching for a job in law enforcement, the San Diego Police are looking for officers.

The SDPD held a job fair at the Jacobs Center in Lincoln Park.

Hundreds of officers are now up for retirement and the department is starting heavy recruiting efforts to bring in new talent.

In the next four years, SDPD says it plans to hire up to 800 officers.

Despite a growing scrutiny of police, organizers hope this will have a positive impact on the force.

"If you're transparent in your organization and you work closely with the community.. .we're able to come to a consensus to solve problems and issues and social disorder here in San Diego County,” said Lt. Alberto Leos.

The department holds four academies each year.

You must be at least 20 and a half years old, a U.S. citizen and have a high school diploma or GED equivalent to apply.

To learn more about how to apply, click here. 

The owner of a popular restaurant in Evanston, Illinois, has filed a lawsuit against her brother, who owns another restaurant in Highland Park, claiming he stole her menu.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Marla Cramin, owner of Sarkis Cafe, is suing her brother, Scott Jaffe, as well as his wife, Debra Jaffe. The Jaffes own Uptown Diner in Highland Park. In the lawsuit, Cramin alleges that her brother, who used to manage Sarkis Cafe, copied the restaurant's complete menu. She also claims he is misrepresenting Uptown Diner by trying to affiliate it with her restaurant.

The menu at Sarkis Cafe shows typical diner fare, including omelets, French toast, hashbrowns and sandwiches, but there are a few specialty items, such as the "Original Sarkis Sandwiches." These sandwiches are all served on French bread and topped with white cheese, mayo, green peppers, tomatoes and onions.

Uptown Diner's menu also features typical diner food as well as "Uptown Sandwiches" that use similar ingredients to the "Sarkis Sandwiches," namely French bread, cheese, mayo, green peppers, tomatoes and onions. The menu is, however, more extensive than Sarkis Cafe's menu, including salads and other dishes that don't appear on Cramin's menu.

Jaffe told the Tribune that he rejects the idea that he serves the same food as Cramin.

The brother and sister were entangled in a previous lawsuit that was settled in December in which Cramin claimed her brother was affiliating himself and his restaurant with Sarkis Cafe against her will, according to the Tribune.

Late San Diego Padres icon Tony Gwynn would’ve turned 55 on Saturday and one local brewery celebrated his birthday with a party featuring a craft beer inspired by Mr. Padre himself.

AleSmith Brewing Company celebrated Gwynn at its Tasting Room with an all-day party where patrons could pick up bottles of a brew dubbed Hall of Fame: Imperial San Diego Pale Ale .394.

Last year, AleSmith 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.

This new, imperial version was released for the first time Saturday as a tribute to the Padres icon who died on June 16, 2014 after a long battle with cancer.

San Diegans lined up to get their own bottles and celebrate Gwynn.

“It’s just a testament to how much people in San Diego love Tony. They’re showing up today in big numbers,” Peter Zien, owner of AleSmith Brewing Company, told NBC 7.

“Tony lives forever in the hearts of San Diegans. He is Mr. Padre,” added Zien. “We are just so honored and privileged to be brewing a beer for Tony.”

Zien said the imperial version of San Diego Pale Ale .394 was inspired by talks with Gwynn back in March 2014. The brewery describes the beer as “bursting with even more American hops, lending the beer a diverse palate of citrus, tropical fruit and pine.”

The brew costs $25 per 750 ml bottle and can be purchased here. Fans can pick up the brew now through June 21 at the AleSmith Tasting Room.

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.

Zien believes Saturday’s turnout would’ve made Gwynn smile that unforgettable Mr. Padre smile.

“We’re throwing a party for him – and I’m sure he’s watching us,” he added.
 

Neighbors and friends that knew a 17-year-old high school student accused of threatening to kill students and teachers at an Oceanside high school said the incident is shocking. 

The student, who had body armor and wrote of killing others, was arrested Friday on suspicion of threatening El Camino High School, according to Oceanside police. 

Neighbors said they saw police cars and an evidence van parked outside their apartment complex at the 4100 block of Brisbane Way. Neighbors that knew him said they were shocked by the arrest. 

"I'm just kind of shocked because he's a really quiet kid and I used to have him in Earth Science last year and I didn't really expect it," said Asia Maelapid, a neighbor.

Those that knew him say the boy came from a nice family and kept to himself. 

The Ocean Shores High School student was brought to administrators for writing a note, under a false name, that threatened a teacher, investigators say.

When they performed a safety check on him, officials found an empty handgun holster in his pants.

They also discovered his journal. Police say in it, he had written about killing people in a school shooting at El Camino High, where he had gone to school before attending Ocean Shores High.

At that point, the 17-year-old was taken into custody. When detectives served a search warrant to his house, they went through his bedroom and found body armor, replica guns and handwritten notes threatening violence toward people at school, according to police.

They say in his writings were references to the Sandy Hook school shooting.

"I don't know what his plans were, but you have to assume that for the safety of everyone else, expect the worst," said Lt. George Darrah. "My reaction is you have to keep the school safe." 

Police with canines were seen searching the Ocean Shores campus Friday night, looking for evidence.

One parent said she worried because the police have been called out to the home twice before. 

“Because I have a teenager and like the 16 and 14 and I want them to be to be safe coming home from school or leaving them alone in the house just in case I have to go somewhere and now when I saw the police cars yesterday and I heard that something's going on then it started making me think that," Revilina Griffith, a parent, said. 

NBC 7's Liberty Zabala knocked on the door that neighbors say was searched by officers, but no one answered. 

NBC 7 has reached out to both schools but has not heard back.

No weapons were found on either campus. The student is now facing criminal charges.

A driver on Highway 101 in Redwood City, California, had their car windshield impaled by a motorcycle sprocket, firefighters said Friday.

The Redwood City Fire Department said the motorcycle part embedded itself in the roof of the vehicle and narrowly missed hitting the driver when it went through the window.

No other information was immediately available.

In California's second-largest city, memories are still fresh of a devastating drought 25 years ago that saw the area's water supplies slashed by about a third.

Billions of dollars were invested to prepare for the next drought, an effort that included building the Western hemisphere's largest desalination plant, which opens this fall.

Yet the moves count for nothing under sweeping statewide cuts to urban water use approved this week that require hundreds of cities, counties and local agencies to reduce consumption between 8 percent and 36 percent from 2013 levels, starting June 1. The largest per-capita users must make the biggest percentage cuts, no matter how and where they get their water.

San Diego isn't the only place complaining. The Orange County Water District, which serves 2.4 million people near Los Angeles, wanted credit for sending wastewater through ground basins for drinking. It started recycling water in 2008 and is boosting production to 100 million gallons a day from 70 million.

San Diego, which imports nearly all of its water, launched its quest for water independence in 1991, after the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California said it was cutting deliveries in half. Metropolitan, a giant wholesaler based in Los Angeles, supplied 95 percent of San Diego's water at the time.

Surprise rains reduced the cut to 31 percent, which lasted 13 months. Still, businesses led by the city's biotech industry demanded change.

"That really was a wakeup call," said Dana Friehauf, water resources manager for the San Diego County Water Authority, which supplies 3.1 million people in the city of San Diego and its suburbs. "We heard loud and clear from residents and businesses in San Diego County that we needed to take action to avoid that from happening again."

Metropolitan now supplies less than half of San Diego's water and will deliver less than a third in 2020. But the diversification has been costly.

In 2003, San Diego began buying water from California's Imperial Valley in the nation's largest farm-to-city water transfer, a move that San Diego leaders said would offer protection during drought because Imperial Valley's senior rights to Colorado River water put them at the front of the line.

In 2012, San Diego sought more protection by agreeing to buy water from a $1 billion desalination plant in suburban Carlsbad. The hemisphere's largest such plant will produce 50 million gallons a day by 2020, enough to satisfy 7 percent of regional demand. It will raise the region's average residential water bill by $5 to $7 a month.

San Diego's march to independence earned little sympathy from the State Water Resources Control Board, which approved the cuts to achieve Gov. Jerry Brown's target of reducing urban water use 25 percent. Board officials say those who prepared for drought will be better off in the long run.

"This is not about being fair, giving kudos for past performance," said board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus. "This is about dealing with what is an emergency out in front of us that may not be right here, but we can see coming at us."

In November, the city of San Diego moved ahead on a $2.5 billion plan to recycle 83 million gallons of wastewater a day for drinking by 2035, about one-third of the city's supply. It warns, however, that public support may wane if cities don't get credit for such investments.

"The frustrating thing is it feels we have done the right things, invested in the right things and tried to be very responsible," said Mark Cafferty, chief executive of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., a business coalition.

"I absolutely agree with the narrative" to diversify supplies, said Mayor Steve Vaus of Poway, a San Diego suburb that must cut use 32 percent. "The problem is that, to date, it has fallen on deaf ears."

Steve Erie, a political science professor at University of California, San Diego, said the cuts "absolutely blindsided" the region, which erred by locking in long-term contracts for desalinated water and with the Imperial Valley deal.

"They were overeager investors," he said. "It's a failure of planning."

Many San Diego government officials and business leaders insist it is a temporary setback. They say any unused water can be stored in a newly retrofitted dam and tapped if drought persists.
Gary Arant, general manager of Valley Center Municipal Water District, said state regulators had to act quickly. His agency, which serves homes with fruit trees on large lots north of San Diego, must cut use 36 percent.

"In the short term, the investment hasn't worked out as we hoped," he said. "We think, in the long term, the San Diego region will be better off."