A 76-year-owoman has died after a taxi hit her as she was walking in a crosswalk in NYC on Saturday, emergency officials said.

The accident happened as the taxi was making a left turn off Madison Avenue onto East 60th St. in Manhattan's Upper East Side.

The woman, identified as Amelia Sterental of Miami, Florida, was transported to New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition. She was pronounced dead on arrival, according to the FDNY.

The driver remained at the scene after the accident, police said. He had not been cited or arrested as of Saturday evening.

The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission said the driver has been a TLC licensee since at least 1989, when the agency's records were computerized. His license has been suspended pending an investigation by the NYPD's Collision Investigation Squad, the TLC said.

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

San Diego police are pursuing a car after they attempted to pull it over during a traffic stop, they said. 

The car was heading southbound on Interstate 805, approaching Woodman. The police helicopter is assisting in the pursuit. 

Officers said the pursuit started around 8:27 p.m. Saturday. 

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

A Pennsylvania baby boy died from his injuries nearly a week after his own mother allegedly threw him from an Allentown bridge 52 feet above the banks of the Lehigh River.

Zymeir Perry, 1, of Allentown, was pronounced dead at 11:51 a.m. Saturday at the Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest.

Witnesses told police Zymeir's 19-year-old mother, identified as Johnesha Perry, was pushing the baby across the Hamilton Street Bridge in a stroller around 1:45 p.m. on May 3 when she stopped mid-span, took the child from the carriage and tossed him into the water, investigators said.

She then climbed over the railing and jumped in after him, officials said.

Neighbors said Perry often made the trip across the river but she never did anything like that before.

Police arrived moments later. They found Perry conscious on the river bank, according to reports.

In 911 calls obtained by NBC10, dispatchers can be heard giving locations on the mother and child.

"Be advised... they have recovered the child.

Two officers — identified as Joseph Iannetta and John Leonard — spotted the baby about 700 yards downstream, pulled him from the river and performed CPR.

Their efforts revived the boy, who was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest where he died from his injuries Saturday.

Perry was also rushed to the same hospital with minor injuries. She was guarded by Lehigh County Sheriffs, police confirmed.

Attempted homicide charges against the young mom were filed late Sunday night. She was also charged with two counts of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment, officials said.

Officials have not yet revealed whether the charges against her will be upgraded in light of the baby's death.

San Diego residents rallied at the site of a fatal police shooting Saturday evening, calling for justice for a man shot dead by San Diego police.

The San Diego division of United Against Police Terror demanded at their protest that the police release surveillance video from the incident to give a better picture of the incident.

The protest comes after Officer Neal Browder shot Fridoon Zalbeg Rawshannehad, 42, to death on April 30. The veteran officer did not hit record on his body worn camera before the encounter.

"All of us wish that that was captured on the body worn camera, and it wasn't captured. So we took a look at our policy to see how can we strengthen that going forward, that we would be able to capture that," said Zimmerman.

Following the incident, The San Diego Police Department announced a change to its body camera policy. Instead of hitting record when they contact a suspect, officers will now have to turn on their cameras before they arrive at a scene, SDPD Chief Shelley Zimmerman announced Thursday.

The previous body camera policy allowed officers to wait until they had made an enforcement contact before recording. Now they will have to switch their cameras on when they get the radio call.

In an exclusive NBC 7 interview Friday, a man who worked at a business near the site of the deadly shooting said he watched surveillance video that shows the fatal April 30 encounter from two angles and called it "unprovoked."

For more on this story, watch NBC 7 News at 11 live on TV or by clicking "Watch Live TV Now" on your desktop or phone app. 

Dover Police have released video of a corporal kicking a man in the head in Delaware during an arrest in 2013 — an action that now has the officer facing an assault charge.

The video, recorded by a patrol cruiser's dashcam, shows Cpl. Tom Webster and another officer placing Lateef Dickerson under arrest following a large fight at the Hess Gas Station along North DuPont Highway on Aug. 24, 2013.

A federal judge ruled the video could not be considered confidential any longer and it was released.

Dickerson fled the gas station, along with several others, and appeared to be cooperating with police when they ordered him to the ground. But as he was on his knees, Webster swiftly kicks Dickerson in the head, the video shows.

The man immediately drops to the ground. Dover Police said the kick broke Dickerson's jaw and knocked him out cold. 

An internal investigation was launched in November 2013 and Webster was placed on administrative leave. A grand jury heard the case in March 2014, but did not return an indictment. Webster did violate department policy and was disciplined, however. He returned to the force in June.

The U.S. Attorney's Office also reviewed the arrest and concluded the man's civil rights were not violated. The ACLU stepped in sued the Dover Police Department on Dickerson's behalf.

Then last month, Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn brought the case before a second grand jury and Webster was incited on 2nd degree Assault charges on May 4, officials said. He turned himself in the same day and was placed on administrative leave without pay.

Webster's attorney, Jim Liguori, blasted the indictment last week. "The evidence presented before the first grand jury and the second grand jury hasn’t changed. The atmosphere has changed," the attorney said in a statement.

"The coincidence of presenting this ancient matter to a new grand jury, while settlement negotiations between the parties have begun, is awful suspect as to the motives behind this indictment," he went on to say.

Liguori said Webster is innocent and was protecting the community from Dickerson, who is a gang member and armed robber. Denn denies those characterizations.

Webster is out on $5,000 bail.

A quick-thinking 6-year-old Southern California girl was being credited with saving her mother's life the day before Mother's Day by calling 911 when the woman apparently went into a diabetic coma.

The girl called for help just after 10:30 a.m. Saturday when her mother, Jovanna Nunez, became unresponsive.

"We pull up in front of the home and the little girl comes out with her iPhone in her hand and said that she was speaking to her mom and her mom became frozen," Hemet paramedic Chris Galletta said. "I think it's great, right before Mother's Day, too. When her mom came to, we told her that she called 911 for her mom and mom had a big smile on her face."

The mother was in good spirits after the medical episode.

"For Mother's Day I'm going to be pretty much cherishing her," she said. "She saved my life."

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.

Cardiff resident Matt Schiavon was hiking with three others in Nepal when, suddenly, he heard the loudest and most terrifying sound he’d ever heard before.

His first instinct was that a landslide was coming, so the group began to run.

“Luckily, we were on a pretty gradual slope and it held, but to either side of us there were gorges and huge landslides were triggered immediately,” he told NBC 7 by email.

It wasn’t until the group navigated down to the town of Phedi that they realized it had been a massive earthquake.

They were safe, but it would be days before Schiavon and his girlfriend, Dawn Lightfoot, found their way out of the country.

Schiavon and Lightfoot had set off on a trip around Southeast Asia after she wrapped up two years of teaching in South Korea.

Schiavon was in India this week and recounted to NBC 7 by email his experience during Nepal’s devastating earthquake. He and Lightfoot expect to be back in San Diego by the end of the month.

The day of the earthquake, Schiavon said when his traveling group arrived in Phedi, they discovered that the town’s only guesthouse had been destroyed. So they continued on with 12 others to a small, isolated village called Talu.

“We had to cross numerous steep landslide sections and broken ground along the way,” he wrote. “We are all extremely lucky to have made it to Talu safely.”

The villagers there took them in, offering between 30 to 40 people to sleep beneath a tarp. For the next few days, Schiavon and Lightfoot subsisted off two plates a day of rice with lentil soup, fed to them by the villagers.

At that time, Schiavon said he had no idea how they would get to Kathmandu. Trails were badly damaged. A bridge was destroyed. Cell phone service was spotty.

The villagers “were grateful and very accommodating, but it was communicated through our guides that they were running low on food and that they couldn’t support this number of people much longer,” he wrote.

Schiavon and six others requested helicopter evacuation. But after staying in the village for four days, Schiavon said the group started losing hope of helicopter rescue.

They then decided to hike out to Kathmandu.

“Miraculously, our guide got through using a villager’s cell phone that had just arrived and received information that they were sending a helicopter for us either that same day or possibly the next,” he wrote.

So they stayed where they were and the next afternoon, they heard the sound of an incoming helicopter. That's when they were taken to Kathmandu International Airport.

From there, Schiavon and Lightfoot got on a flight to India the next day, thanks to their insurance company.

Schiavon said that while they’ve left Nepal, they have a heart for those who stayed behind to provide relief.

A fellow traveler, Olga Becker, who was with the couple during the earthquake, stayed in Nepal and is now distributing tents and food, among other things, to those impacted by the disaster.

“She is doing great work out there and we would greatly appreciate it if you could help with her efforts,” he wrote.

You can donate to Help Nepal here.

Schiavon had a simple final message in his email: “Our thoughts are with Nepal and all the family and friends of those still missing or that have passed. Stay strong.”

A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a woman found nude, bound and hanging at the Spreckels Mansion in Coronado in 2011 continues to move forward, this time with key audio evidence, according to the family's attorney.

On July 13, 2011, Rebecca Zahau, 32, was found nude, hanging from a balcony at the famous home. Her death came two days after boyfriend Jonah Shacknai’s 6-year-old son, Max Shacknai, fatally fell at the home while under Zahau’s watch.

Ultimately, after what they say was a thorough investigation, homicide detectives from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department concluded that Zahau had committed suicide.

For four years, Zahau’s family has fought to have the case looked at again because they believe Zahau's death was a murder, not a suicide.

In October 2014, a federal judge allowed the Zahau family to move forward with a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against Dina Shacknai, her twin sister, Nina Romano, and Zahau's boyfriend's brother, Adam Shacknai, whom they believe were involved in Zahau's death.

Keith Greer, the Zahau family attorney, told NBC 7 there is now a piece of evidence he thinks could be the key to this mysterious case: an audio recording of investigators interviewing a woman who was near the Spreckels Mansion before Zahau's body was discovered.

In the recording, the woman says she heard screaming coming from the mansion.

"It was clear, it wasn't a muffled or far off sound,” she told investigators, according to Greer.

“Give me an example of what you heard, if you were mimicking what you heard,” an investigator asked the woman on the audio recording.

“She went, ‘Ahh, ahh. Then she went help!’” the woman told the investigator.

"It was more shocking evidence. How could you hear this, know this existed and still say this is a suicide that doesn't warrant further investigation?” Greer said.

NBC 7 reached out to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department about the recording. Department spokesperson Jan Caldwell sent us the following statement:

“This information had come to us during the investigation and we fully investigated it at the time. It did not have merit, however, as in any investigation, if anyone has new information, we will always accept and conduct follow up. We stand by the Medical Examiner's findings that this was a suicide.”

San Diego attorney Marc Carlos isn't associated with the Zahau lawsuit, but has represented families in similar cases.

“I think what you need to understand is that this is not a criminal case,” said Carlos. “It's a civil standard. While a criminal case is a reasonable doubt standard, civil is going to be a preponderance of evidence.”

Right now, this case is in the discovery process, which means evidence is being presented and scrutinized by both sides.

"It takes as long as it takes. The other side, both sides, will combat each other about what can be discovered and what is discoverable and so there's a fight over that, which takes time and so it's a slow process,” said Carlos.

NBC 7 also received a statement from Dina Shacknai, who is listed in the wrongful death suit.

She says:

“Nina and I have recently started to receive the documents related to Rebecca's death from the COPD and SDSD. However, although there were at least seven DOJ agents involved at the scene, we still have no files from the Department of Justice, nor the Border Patrol agents (under the auspice of the Federal Department of Homeland Security), so we have yet to review the complete file. However, regardless of our lack of complete information thus far, I could not comment on Mr. Greer's statement as I was with my son Maxie at Rady’s Hospital in Pediatric Intensive Care, praying for his recovery, and watching him fight for his life, trying to breathe on his own while on a ventilator.”

She adds:

“It would be impossible for me to hear any disturbances at Jonah's home as I was with our son alone at a hospital miles away. As well, my sister, Nina was with her son, and our close friend, none of whom heard a disturbance as they were five blocks from Jonah's house on Ocean Blvd. My sister and I would again publicly like to extend, for the fourth time since 2012, our offer to share all of the information we have with the Zahau’s and ask that they reciprocate. Perhaps an exchange of accurate data could help both families find answers, healing, and resolution.”

Greer said he is hoping anyone who may have heard those alleged screams or noises on that night in July 2011 comes forward with that information.
 

A close family friend of an officer shot dead in a Mississippi town said his friend did not have a mean bone in his body and takes comfort in the fact he died doing something he loved.

Sammie Scales said he was watching the news Sunday morning when he first heard about a shooting in his hometown in Mississippi. He started listening when he heard that the shooting happened in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and started making calls to back home when he heard the name ‘Liquori’.

“At first…When I heard the name Liquori, I couldn’t believe…I didn’t want to think it was Ronald’s son,” Scales said.

Liquori Tate, 25, and Benjamin J. Deen, 34, were shot after Deen pulled a car over for a speeding violation and called Tate in for backup. Early Sunday, four suspects were arrested and charged, and two were charged with capital murder.

Scales received a call from Liquori’s parents Sunday morning. He grew up with Ronald and Yolanda Tate and considered them members of his extended family. Scales said he knew Liquoir from the day he was born up until his death and thought of him as a nephew.

“It hit me like a ton of bricks,” Scales said.

Liquori’s father Ronald confirmed that his son had died.

"So we laughed together, we cried together…thinking about how, you know, this could've been my son being killed,” Scales said.

Scales said Tate wasn't even on duty last night when he left to help a fellow officer conduct a traffic stop in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

“And these three cowards got out of their SUV ran into the woods, two kept running, one stayed back so when officers went in to get them, to catch them, the one person that stayed back opened fire, and I call them cowards because that's exactly what they are, cowards,” Scales said.

Scales said Liquori had just graduated from the police academy a year ago before he went on to become an officer. He said his friend was the type of officer that would give someone a warning before writing them a ticket.

“There was not a mean bone in this kid’s body,” Scales said.

He said Liquori wanted to protect and serve and considered it his calling.

“It's just so surreal,” said Scales through tears. “Today's Mother's Day and I know Yolanda wanted to be able to hear her son say Happy Mother's Day to her. Her and her daughter was headed to Hattiesburg from Starkville, when they got the call that he was shot, but prior to them getting there, Liquori died."

Liquori’s father Ronald said he found out his son was shot through the news media, not through any officials.

Scales said in the past he has thought of officers negatively after hearing several news stories. But knowing Liquori personally changed the way he thought of the story.

“When it hits home and you actually know the officer, it’s totally different and it changes everything,” Scales said. “It’s just been so surreal for me.”

The timing is especially difficult for Liquori’s parents, Scales said, as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day roll around.

“We talked about how life was going to be different from him now, not having a son,” Scales said. “We talked about father's day coming up and him having his daughter around but not his son."

Scales said it comforted him knowing that his friend died doing what he loved, but said he will miss the young man’s smiling face and gentle soul.

“Protect and serve, he took it seriously,” Scales said. “It was about, what I can I do to be a role model for the kids in this community and where I can do the most good, and he choose being an officer."

Scales says he plans to fly out to Mississippi later this week or early the following week to visit Tate’s family and attend his funeral service.

One San Diego mother and her six year old son are pleading for whoever stole their wheelchair ramp, asking them to return it.

Six-year-old Miguel Swift has been in a wheelchair his whole life. He was born with mitochondrial myopathy, a muscle disease.

It makes something as simple as walking down their front porch steps extremely difficult for him and his mom, Angelena.

His mother says the young boy’s simple ramp, which covers three steps, was stolen in broad daylight. 

“I came out and it was gone,” Angelena said.

Before he left for school on Friday, the ramp was there. When he came back, it was gone.

“Could you bring my ramp back please?” Miguel pleaded.

Angelena has filed a police report but says they will not get back to her for another two to three business days.

Meanwhile, they have to apply and qualify to get another ramp from MediCal, which she says could take several months.

Since the airing of this story Saturday night, NBC7 has received numerous emails from viewers offering to donate wheelchair ramps to the family.

Angelena said she also received many messages from people reaching out and will be looking into possible options for her and her young boy.

"At first I was so sad, kind of heartbroken…who could steal from a kid let alone from a disabled child…and just having so many people care…Oh My Gosh, this is…this is just the best," Angelena said. "That alone made everything better."

She said one of the people that reached out was a childhood friend whose husband is a contractor. On Wednesday, they plan to go to Swift's home and start building a ramp as a more permanent solution to the problem. 

"[Miguel]'s really excited because now he feels super, super special like that everyone thought about him," Angelena said. 

 Officials are responding to a fire in a drainage channel that goes under State Route 163, just north of Interstate 5 near Balboa Park. 

San Diego Police say they have shut down the Robinson ramp to the 163 to prevent people from getting on the freeway. There are no other closures as of yet. 

The on ramp reopened shortly after. 

A command post has been set up on the 163 under the Laurel Street Bridge. 

HAZMAT teams and CalTrans are responding. 

More than 100 people were involved in a fight that broke out on the evening of Mother's Day on a Massachusetts beach.

Police responded to the melee near the band stand on Revere Beach around 6:15 p.m.

According to Mayor Dan Rizzo, the brawl started when two females began fighting. Their boyfriends joined in, and then their boyfriends' friends, and it kept growing from there.

Troopers from three Massachusetts State Police barracks, as well as Revere, Boston and Lynn, were on the scene.

Chelsea Police were on hand for mutual aid.

Bottles and rocks were thrown during the fight, including some at police officers.

Rizzo said at least 12 people were arrested.

Officials do not yet have any information about injuries.

Tushar Batra, who witnessed the brawl, shared video with necn.

Stay with necn as this story develops.

One person has died and another is suffering from major injuries after a rollover crash on Rancho Santa Fe Road in Carlsbad, Carlsbad police said. 

The incident happened around 5:30 a.m. Sunday at Rancho Santa Fe Road at Camino Junipero. 

Officers said a 2007 BMW sedan driving south had crossed the center median. The car flipped and rolled at least once before hitting a traffic signal police on the northeast corner of Rancho Santa Fe Road. 

The adult man driving the car was pronounced dead at the scene. A female passenger was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The identity of the driver will be released as soon as the family are notified. 

Police were on scene for several hours investigating. The road is now open.

Two high-definition, state-of-the-art cameras are now patrolling San Diego streets, from the skies.

The San Diego Police Department's Airborne Law Enforcement Unit (ABLE) just received its second FLIR 380 HD camera.

The cameras record very sharp images, and its zoom capability is extensive.

"Before, you would see an image, you might not be sure what it might be. It could be a human being hiding, or it could be a beehive. With the new camera, the pictures are so clear, it takes a lot of the guesswork out of it," says ABLE pilot Phil Cady.

Each camera is mounted on an Airbus A-Star helicopter, and uses a GPS moving mapping system.
That means the camera can automatically find a target, even from miles away, regardless of what direction the helicopter is flying.

The camera and police radio are monitored in the cockpit by a tactical flight officer (TFO) and a pilot.
The crew began using the first FLIR 380 HD in July.

"The HD camera helped us catch a burglary in progress before officers were able to get to the location. The GPS on the camera zoomed in when the helicopter was still two miles out," says ABLE Sergeant Craig Evans.

ABLE is on patrol 7 days a week, about 10 hours a day, and flies out of Montgomery Field in Kearny Mesa.

The crew helps patrol officers on the ground by frequently arriving at a crime scene first, setting up a perimeter from above, and offsetting potential dangers.

"When you take a dozen officers that need to search a canyon step by step, we can search that same canyon in a matter of minutes," says Cady.

ABLE has four Airbus A-Star helicopters, purchased in 2005.

By this summer, all four helicopters will be equipped to operate the new HD cameras.

The cameras use thermal imaging, which works by comparing heat sources. So no matter how dark it is outside, the camera still sees.

"We can change the angles and perspective that we're searching. It makes it more difficult for someone to hide from us," says Cady.

The new HD camera also has a longer lens and better stabilization.

"We're able to fly much higher and much further away from the scene than we did in the past and that lowers the amount of noise that we put out to the folks on the ground," says ABLE chief pilot Todd Jager.

One of the helicopter's most valuable assets is speed. It takes about 12 minutes to go from Del Mar to San Ysidro, at a top speed of 155 miles an hour.

"In patrol, you're point of view. You're what you see directly in front of you. Here we see the whole gamut, almost as if you're coaching the game from the press box. You can see the whole field at the same time," says TFO Ryan Welch.

ABLE has come a long way since it was formed by the San Diego Police Department in 1987, with two helicopters confiscated from a drug asset seizure.

In 2013, ABLE responded to more than 72-hundred radio calls, was first on scene in nearly 25-hundred calls, and took part in about 18-hundred arrests.

"The senior officers have figured out how to do a great job. They turned around and trained us. They don't hold anything back, and give us all the tricks of the trade they figured out over time," says Officer Welch.

ABLE is now known as the go-to unit for infrared tactics among law enforcement agencies around the country. Other agencies routinely ask for advice from ABLE when starting up their own air patrol unit.

"By us using the equipment, all the time, constantly, we're completely we're in tune with the gear. We're completely practiced with using it," says Officer Jager.

A police officer must have at least 4 years of experience in patrol to apply for a TFO position. Most have 8 -12 years at the department when they are accepted into the unit.

ABLE pilots must work as a TFO first, and have a private pilot's license. The department pays for commercial flight training.

Pilots must also learn to fly in a very complicated air space.

"With Lindbergh Field, military flights in and out of Miramar, and several general aviation airports, we're flying in the 9th most crowded air space in the world," says Sgt. Evans.

The FLIR 380 HD camera costs $380,000 dollars. A Homeland Security grant paid for the first one.

The San Diego Police Department used a state grant to buy the second camera.

ABLE recently secured funding for a third FLIR 380 HD camera, through a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

It will likely be operational early next year.

USC students knee deep in final exams evacuated a dormitory where a mattress caught fire Sunday night.

The fire, quickly extinguished by the Los Angeles Fire Department, left 12 people temporarily displaced and caused $2,500 in damage, more than half to the structure itself, according to a fire spokesman.

No one was injured when the fire broke out at about 11:30 p.m. but about 60 people evacuated the building in the 600 block of W. 35th Street, fire and school officials said.

"I tried to take a Snapchat selfie with the alarm in the background because I thought it was a fire drill," said Ellie Vachuska, who was working out at the time and "yanked off" an elliptical by a security guard.

Twelve students were relocated to other housing locations, according to USC Dept. of Public Safety Deputy Chief David Carlisle. The other students were allowed back into the residence at 12:30 p.m.

Fire investigators determined that candles that were briefly left unattended caused the mattress fire in a room on the third floor, fire officials said. Fire sprinklers held the smoky fire in check before 20 firefighters put out the fire entirely.

"If you're going to use candles, be very, very careful as to how close those candles, or open flame, are going to be to anything that could catch fire," Battalion Chief Jamie Moore said.

Students said they got the message and would start taking the school rule against candle use in the dorms more seriously.

"We have a candle in our room," Vachuska said. "We never think to light it. Gonna throw that out!"

 The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.

A fire truck responding to an emergency call got stuck in a sinkhole in the Bronx Monday, authorities said.

Firefighters parked their truck on Colden Avenue to answer the call, and when they came back shortly before 9 a.m., they saw the front right wheel of the rig had fallen into a 3-foot hole, authorities said.

The hole wasn't too large, a deputy fire chief at the scene said, but firefighters had to wait for a tow truck to haul it out. 

Con Edison and the city's Department of Environmental Preservation responded to assess the situation underground, but authorities said there didn't appear to be any threat to neighbors.

A plane that couldn't extend one of its landing gears made an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport Monday morning, authorities said.

No one was injured in the incident, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Passengers exited the plane and boarded waiting buses after what passengers said was a smooth landing, despite the circumstances.

"I've had worse landings with the wheels down," Toronto resident Joe Bone said.

Flying into Los Angeles from Monterey, the plane couldn't extend its left main landing gear, according to FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. The plane landed without that landing gear.

All 40 passengers and three crew members safely exited SkyWest Flight 5316, being operated as a United Express flight, according to a SkyWest news release.

"They were just very calm and cool and told us exactly what we should do," Monterey resident Traci Reid said of the flight crew.

While the runway remained closed at noon, only four United flights were delayed and one Aeromexico flight from Mexico City diverted to Tijuana, according to a statement from LAX spokeswoman Nancy Suey Castles.

Thirty-one passengers had connected flights and nine passengers were bound for LA, Castles said. Paramedics remained with passengers in case any medical issues were later reported.

She said the runway, 24L, would reopen after the aircraft is removed and the runway inspected.

"Mechanics will inspect the aircraft to determine what may have caused the issue," according to SkyWest.

Former New England Patriot and convicted killer Aaron Hernandez has been indicted on a new charge in connection to a 2012 double murder.

Hernandez has been charged with witness intimidation for allegedlly shooting a witness to the 2012 homicides of Daniel de Abreu and Safrio Furtado in Boston's South End.

On the morning of Feb. 13, 2013, Hernandez allegedly shot this former associate in the face and left him to die in Rivera Beach, Florida. The victim survived the shooting.

While the Suffolk District Attorney's Office did not identify the victim of the shooting, Hernandez's former friend Alexander Bradley filed a lawsuit against him in Florida, saying Hernandez had shot him in the face following an argument at a Miami strip club. 

Although this shooting took place outside of Massachusetts, the Suffolk District Attorney's Office says Hernandez can be prosecuted in the Bay State because he willfully caused physical injury with intent to impede a criminal investigation. The charge carries a maximum sentence of ten years in state prison. 

In connection to the double murder, Hernandez was previously indicted on several charges including two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of armed assault with intent to murder, and single counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Hernandez is currently serving a life sentence for the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd. 

Carmel Valley’s multi-use development project One Paseo will have to wait until May 18 to know if San Diego councilmembers will reverse their previous decision and put the item on a 2016 ballot. 

The city council, which approved One Paseo 7-2 in late February, must now decide whether to overturn their initial decision or take the issue to the voters as a ballot item. 

Councilmembers discussed the issue on Tuesday but did not make a final decision on the matter. They said no action will be taken until May 18 at 1 p.m., when the council will decide if they would like to rescind their approval and put it on the June 2016 ballots. 

The city clerk verified 51,796 verified signatures were collected of the 23,224 that were needed.

The $750 million, 1.4 million square-foot One Paseo Project includes the construction of stores and eateries, the expansion of a movie theater and the addition of more than 600 family apartments and a parking structure in Carmel Valley. Sixty of those apartment units will be affordable housing, the city council mandated.

According to opponents, the council disregarded the voice of community planning groups and thousands of locals who don't want the project to move forward.

They believe it is too big for the Carmel Valley area and will create a traffic nightmare.

But supporters, including the developer Kilroy Realty, say it will bring 1,600 new jobs, 600 new homes and $630 million to the local economy.

Multiple groups banded together to file two separate lawsuits against the project, hoping to block its development in the courts.