The Bronx Zoo has some adorable, pint-sized new penguins.

The Wildlife Conservation Society announced Wednesday that a colony of little penguins is being introduced in the zoo’s aquatic bird house.

The birds, known for their short statures and bluish hue, are native to Australia and New Zealand. Fittingly, little penguins are the smallest of the 18 penguin species, with adults reaching just 13 inches in height and 2 to 3 pounds in weight.

They penguins were hatched in the Taronga Zoo in Sydney and were brought to the Bronx Zoo as part of a breeding program.

The Bronx Zoo is one of just three zoos in the United States with the penguins.

A high-ranking leader of the Sinaloa Cartel admitted Wednesday to transporting tons of cocaine and marijuana into the U.S. and participating in cartel violence.

Jose Rodrigo Arechiga-Gamboa – also known as “Chino Antrax” – will have to forfeit $1 million in drug-trafficking earnings after he pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to import at least five kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms of marijuana into the U.S.

In his plea agreement, Arechiga-Gamboa said the Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel uses violence to intimate rivals. He admitted to being “a direct participant in, and communicated to other members of the Sinaloa Cartel, orders to commit acts of violence or threats of violence.”

Court documents allege Arechiga-Gamboa worked for the cartel as a bodyguard and the leader of “Los Antrax,” an enforcement group which provided security for drug shipments.

Before his arrest, Arechiga-Gamboa went to great lengths to conceal his identity, undergoing plastic surgery, trying to alter his fingerprints and traveling under the fake name “Norberto Sicairos-Garcia,” according to federal prosecutors.

However, Arechiga-Gamboa was still arrested in December 2013 when he got off a flight to Amsterdam, Netherlands. U.S. officials were able to confirm Arechiga-Gamboa’s identity through forensic techniques, they said. He was extradited to San Diego on July 11, 2014.

Arechiga-Gamboa now 10 years to life in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for Oct. 16, 2015.

Federal prosecutors say the Sinaloa Cartel imports narcotics into Mexico from parts of Asia, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala and other Central and South American countries. Cartel members move drugs any way they can, through cargo and private aircraft, submarines, various ships, boats, trucks, cars and carriers, according to an indictment in a related case.

Many of the drugs end up in San Diego, where they are stored in stash houses and warehouses. From there, the narcotics are distributed throughout the country, prosecutors say.

“Chino Antrax is one of the highest-ranking Sinaloa Cartel kingpins ever prosecuted in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy in a news release. “While we know that the world’s most powerful drug syndicate continues to operate, we also know that it is under intense pressure after a succession of high-impact, high-profile arrests and indictments of the organization’s highest-ranking players.”

The cartel leader was captured in part thanks to the Drug Enforcement Agency's "Operation Narco-Polo," which has involved more than 200 court-authorized wire taps. Another 117 people have been charged in the investigation. Among them are sons of two reputed cartel leaders.

The man accused of killing a Fallbrook family of four has hired a legal team to represent him, his new attorneys confirmed Wednesday.

Charles Merritt decided to retain the services of the Mettias Law firm the same week his preliminary hearing was supposed to move forward. Merritt is accused of murder in the deaths of his former business partner Joseph McStay, Joseph’s wife Summer and their two sons, 4-year-old Gianni McStay and 3-year-old Joseph Mateo McStay.

Until now, Merritt has acted as his own attorney in the case, a tactic he previously told Judge Michael Smith will allow him to move the case quickly to trial and prove his innocence.

But at the start of Tuesday's preliminary hearing, Merritt confirmed he is in negotiations to hire an attorney. Because of the development, the judge postponed the hearing until Friday.

Jimmy Mettias, Merritt’s lead attorney, said it is very possible the hearing will be delayed again – for months this time – so Mettias can study thousands of pages of evidence in the case.

“It is clear Mr. Merritt desires this matter to move forward quickly and without any further delay,” Mettias said in a release Wednesday. “As such our team has committed to moving this case along quickly. Nevertheless, while moving the case along quickly is important it is even more important to ensure that all the alleged evidence and lack thereof is examined closely and analyzed carefully.”

“Even a cursory review of the various documents and discovery confirm our position and belief that Mr. Merritt is innocent,” he added.

Tuesday’s much-anticipated preliminary hearing would have revealed the first details of the case against Merritt, including expected testimony from detectives and other witnesses about the evidence against Merritt.

Family members of both Merritt and his alleged victims attended the hearing but declined to talk with reporters about these latest developments.

The mysterious case of McStay family’s murders has been filled with twists, turns and delays in legal proceedings.

In early April, Merritt’s pretrial hearing was also postponed because, at that time, he was still representing himself and a judge ruled he was not ready to act as his own attorney in the courtroom in the case that could result in the death penalty.

Merritt is accused of murdering his former business partner, Joseph McStay, along with Joseph’s wife, Summer McStay, and the couple’s two sons, 4-year-old Gianni McStay and 3-year-old Joseph Mateo McStay in 2010.

The Fallbrook family was reported missing on Feb. 4, 2010.

The case of their disappearance stumped the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department: a family of four vanished from their California home, leaving eggs to rot in the kitchen, their dogs without food and freshly-made popcorn on the counter.

In November 2013, the skeletal remains of the family were uncovered in shallow graves in a very remote desert location in Victorville, Calif.

One year later, in November 2014, Merritt was arrested in connection with the mysterious murders.

He had originally chosen to serve as his own attorney because he only has six to eight months to live due to congestive heart failure and could not afford his own attorney. A judge offered a court-appointed attorney at no cost, but Merritt initially declined.

In February 2015, Merritt complained to a judge that he wasn’t receiving the documents needed for his defense. He asked for prosecution discovery documents and files on a computer that was seized by investigators, according to U-T San Diego reporter Teri Figueroa.

After Merritt’s preliminary trial, a judge will decide if there’s enough evidence to send Merritt to trial.

A hit-and-run driver got a big surprise in San Diego Tuesday when the victim he struck began chasing after him, catching him after a mile-long chase both by car and on foot.

The victim – a city employee who wished to remain anonymous – said a silver minivan came out of nowhere and hit his car at Miramar Road and Camino Ruiz at around 5:45 p.m. and then took off.

“I just hit the gas pedal, trying to get away, and he hit me,” the victim recalled.

The city employee, who said he had police training, immediately reacted, following the suspect with his vehicle.

“I followed him. I started honking so other cars would get out of the way,” he said. “I called 911 and gave them the plate information.”

After a mile-long pursuit in the middle of rush hour, the hit-and-run suspect pulled over in a parking lot. He tried to run away on foot across Black Mountain Road but the victim ran up to him and pinned him to the ground until police arrived.

“I was a police officer. I went through phase training and it just kicked in,” the victim said. “I told him to stop, just don’t keep running. I told dispatch that ‘I will take him down now because he keeps running.’”

“[I] grabbed him by his arm, turned around and put him on the ground and put my weight on him and him to not try to get away,” he said. “He just said, ‘Leave me alone, I’m scared. Leave me alone.’”

According to San Diego police, this wasn’t the only hit-and-run the suspect was involved in. Right before this incident, police believe the suspect hit another car in the 8600 block of Miramar Road and drove away.

The victim said he doesn’t recommend anyone else doing what he did to chase down the suspect, and police agree. Officers said the pursuits should be left to them.

The victim said he only chased the suspect because of his prior training.

“I would not have done anything to endanger anyone else,” he added.

A federal grand jury indicted the gyrocopter pilot who landed on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on six charges.

Douglas Hughes, 61, of Ruskin, Florida, faces up to nine and a half years in prison. He is charged with two felonies — operating as an airman without an airman’s certificate and violating registration requirements involving aircraft — and four misdemeanors. The misdemeanors include three counts of violation of national defense airspace and one count of operating a vehicle falsely labeled as a postal carrier.

Hughes steered his small gyrocopter through protected Washington airspace for 30 miles from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to the U.S. Capitol April. He apparently wanted to draw attention to campaign finance corruption.

Hughes flew through three no-fly zones, according to the government.

He was on leave from the U.S. Postal Service when he made his flight, but the gyrocopter bore the logo and emblem of the U.S. Postal Service without authorization.

Hughes has been free on personal recognizance and on home detention in Florida since the incident. Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday.

Three local hospitals have been fined for safety practice violations that include burning a newborn baby, according to the California Department of Public Health.

The San Diego County Psychiatric Hospital in San Diego, Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista and Kaiser Foundation Hospital in San Diego were fined after investigations revealed the facilities did not comply with licensing requirements. Their failures were likely to cause serious injury or death to patients.

In 2013, a newborn baby was badly burned at Kaiser Hospital, according to DPH.

The baby was put under an “unregulated radiant heat warmer” after its birth, spiking the child’s temperature to more than 107 degrees, according to the report.

The infant suffered second and third degree burns to the groin and thigh area after it was not properly monitored. A director at the hospital failed to report the incident, according to the report, saying the burns were not considered a “serious disability.”

"When an adverse outcome occurs, even if standard medical procedures were followed, we rigorously investigate the cause and work hard to make changes to help prevent it from occurring again. This reinforces our dedication to patient safety and our mission of providing the highest quality care possible."

At Scripps Mercy in Chula Vista, a failure to administer medicine within an hour of a doctor’s order resulted in a patient’s death, according to the report.

"We deeply regret that this occurred…We make no excuses for medical errors or lapses in the safe care of any patient. In response to this case, we disciplined or terminated the responsible employees, increased our training, and improved our processes… throughout our system.

At the San Diego County's Psychiatric Hospital, one employee resigned, another was suspended and a third disciplined after fracturing a patient’s arm in 2013.

Investigators say those employees did not follow the hospital's "de-escalation policy" when they grabbed a patient's arm during a “tussle,” while the patient was “agitated” and “abusive.”

Scripps Mercy was fined $50,000 as a penalty and it is the hospital’s first immediate jeopardy administrative penalty. Kaiser Foundation Hospital was penalized $75,000 and it is the hospital’s third immediate jeopardy administrative penalty. The Psychiatric Hospital was penalized $50,000 and it is the hospital’s first immediate jeopardy administrative penalty.

Erik Weber continues to prove people wrong.

In May, he became the first student with autism not only to graduate from Cal Western School of Law, but the first to pass the bar exam too. He did it on his first try.

“When I first opened it up on May 15th, I closed it down and checked it again to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating,” Erik said.

He was at Starbucks checking his score on his laptop.

“When I found out, I really did pass my keyboard got wet with tears of joy,” Erik said. 

The road to becoming a lawyer wasn’t an easy one. Erik was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. When he was five, doctors told his parents his autism was so severe, he’d have to be institutionalized the rest of his life.

Sandi Weber, Erik’s mother, refused to put her son in a home.

“You have to grieve the loss of the perfect child. What you thought you were going to have, is not going to be the same,” she said.

When Erik was first diagnosed there wasn’t a lot of information about autism, so Sandi had to improvise. She started videotaping her son’s behavior and playing it back for him as a teaching tool because Erik responded better to visual learning.

To help Erik understand facial recognition, she and Erik campaigned door to door for Councilwoman Marti Emerald. Sandi said having Erik see people’s reaction to cold visits helped him understand first impressions.

“Suddenly with his non-verbal face and big eyes, he realized I got him,” she said.

She also enrolled Erik in Special Olympics. The organization gave him confidence, friends and strength.

Now Erik plans to practice special education law.

“I got into it because I wanted to help other people with special needs, other people like me,” said Erik.

He’s already written a paper about group homes that house special needs people.

“Two thirds of them in Southern California are below standards on how they treat the residents in group homes," he said. "The oversight is not there.”

His paper has been shown to two assembly members and one state senator. He’s hoping his paper will encourage a change in the system.

Local oil relief crews are standing by to help wildlife injured in the 9-mile oil spill stretching along the coast of Southern California.

At SeaWorld San Diego, a team from the Oiled Wildlife Care Network said Wednesday they have a designated building where animals covered in oil can be treated. The animals would come from the Refugio State Beach near Santa Barbara, where a broken oil pipe spilled about 105,000 gallons of oil into the ocean.

Should they be called, the SeaWorld team will bring the oil-doused marine life and birds to their facilities.

Kim Peterson with the Oiled Wildlife Care Network described the cleanup process a bird would receive in their care. Before washing can begin, the animal’s health has to be brought back to a good condition.

"Prior to the wash we are, you tube feed them, and toss fish to them so that they can rebuild their strength,” said Kim Peterson with the Oiled Wildlife Care Network.

That can take several days. Then the washing can begin. In one bucket, workers place a Dawn dish soap solution. In two other buckets is fresh water.

"It would take one person to hold the bird, possibly a second person to hold the head, and a third person would be very gently running the soapy water through the feathers," Peterson said.

The bird is washed in the soap solution, rinsed in clean water, rinsed in clean water again, and then power washed over and over until the oil is removed -- a process that can take up to an hour.

"And then all the sudden, as you go over the feather again and again, water starts beading up and you can see the waterproofing actually returning to the feathers. And it's pretty magical,” Peterson described.

After the washing, the animal is prepped to be released into the wild. That can take weeks, or even months.

NBC 7 also contacted the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and the National Marine Mammal Foundation to see if they're responding to the oil spill. Both organizations say they haven’t been called yet, but they’re ready to go as soon as they’re needed.

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar was presented Wednesday with the 2015 EPA Federal Green Challenge Award for energy, becoming the federal facility with the greatest percentage reduction in energy use in the nation.

MCAS Miramar did it by building a new aircraft hangar which brought a natural gas system to the installation and eliminated the old diesel fuel system. The change cut base fuel consumption by 98 percent in 2014.

Base leadership say they are moving toward energy independence within the next four years by building a micro-grid that can power the entire flight line with a combination of large scale, onsite renewables and conventional generation.

Brigadier Gen. Edward Banta, MCAS Miramar Commanding Officer Col. John Farnam, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy spent part of the day at the base’s state-of-the-art green facilities, including a new zinc bromide flow battery for renewable energy storage to support energy security and cost savings through peak load reduction.

MCAS Miramar occupies 23,000 acres in San Diego, home to approximately 10,000 service members and their families. Located about 15 miles north of downtown, most of the land is rugged and used for training exercises.

The Federal Green Challenge is a national effort challenging federal agencies to reduce the government's environmental impacts in six target areas: energy, water, waste, electronics, purchasing and transportation. The base had the greatest percentage reduction in energy use of over 400 Federal Green Challenge participants nationally.

A judge set a $3 million bail for the El Cajon man accused of killing his mother and trying to kill his brother.

Erik Margain, 34, pleaded not guilty to murder and premediated attempted murder at his video arraignment Wednesday.

Earlier that day, San Diego County Sheriff’s investigators served a search warrant to Margain’s home on Hidden Crest Drive that he shared with his mother and brother. It’s where Martha Margain-Velarde, 63, was found fatally beaten Sunday, with serious injuries to her upper body.

Margain’s brother Carlos was also beaten, but he was able to escape and call for help. Carlos is still in the hospital.

The prosecutor told NBC 7 he could not discuss a possible motive because the case is still under investigation.

Now, family and friends are left with more questions than answers about why the mother of three boys was so brutally killed.

Neighbor Susan Bulster, who said she’s known the victim for 20 years, went to court to support her friend, whom she described as an involved, dedicated mother.

“I think it’s terrible because it’s the loss of my friend, of a lovely lady who had a large family who loved her,” said Bulster. “And I don’t know what the reason is or was, but to me it just seems so empty now.”

Bulster said Martha was a complete homemaker who always cooked and had gatherings for her neighbors and family.

Margain, according to Bulster, would walk up and down their street slowly, like he was not feeling well.

“They were busy at work and the son in question for some reason had just been at home day to day up and down the street,” said Bulster. “And I still would wave and he would wave at me but it was different. I felt uncomfortable.”

Margain has a twin brother, Andy, who was in Australia at the time of the killing, NBC 7 has learned. He is now back in East County.
 

A preliminary magnitude-4.0 earthquake shook up the Salton Sea area Wednesday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The shallow temblor hit at 8:15 p.m. near the Imperial County town of Calipatria, the USGS said.

The epicenter is about 27 miles northwest of El Centro.

Check back here for details on this breaking news story.  

A trolley parked in front of an East County home has a lot of people stopping by and talking.

The trolley car has been on the lawn of a Santee street since Monday, and people have been stopping by ever since.

Some neighbors walking by the trolley car parked on the front lawn are wondering what is going on.

“I think it’s kinda cool,” said Kathleen Cromwell, who lives two blocks away. She walks by the sight every day.

Mary Grant can see the trolley from her front window.

“I don’t like the view,” she said. “Oh, I’m past being angry,” she told NBC 7. “I’m over it. I’m livid.”

The owner of that trolley, parked on one Santee street, says there is a perfectly good explanation for the scene.

For the story behind the spectacle, NBC 7 visited a coffee corner, owned by Duane Parks and his wife. They also own that house and now that trolley…and they have plans for it.

"Kinda the idea of a food truck, but a mobile coffee shop where you have espressos, lattes, smoothies,” Parks said.

Parks says it used to be a working trolley car in Maine. The previous owner then drove it here and turned it into a coffee shop, which is what the Parks family will start using it for.

In the meantime, it may the most talked-about trolley car in the area.

“I think it's a really great idea,” a neighbor said. “They can move it all over the place, but I hope they move it, eventually." 

NBC 7 reached out to the City of Santee, asking if having the trolley there is legal. The City of Santee has not replied to a request for contact. 

The pipeline company that has accepted responsibility for Tuesday's Santa Barbara oil spill had previously pledged to improve its pipeline safety and leak detection technology as part of a federal consent decree, court records show.

Houston-based Plains All-American Pipeline LP entered into the agreement in 2010, after the federal Environmental Protection Agency brought a civil case alleging violations of the Clean Water Act. The EPA citied 10 separate oil spills totaling 273 thousand gallons in four states -- Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Kansas.

As part of the terms of the settlement, the company "neither admits nor denies any liability."

To minimize the risk of future leaks, Plains did agree to take steps including "enhanced integrity management and corrosion control," and "enhanced pipeline leak detection."

Tuesday's spill released some 21,000 gallons of crude oil into the Santa Barbara channel, Plains estimated. The source has been traced inland to a leak from a 24-inch underground pipeline that terminates at the Las Flores Canyon oil processing facility.

As much as 105,000 gallons could have escaped from the pipeline, said Rick McMichael, director of pipeline operations.

What caused the pipe to fail was not immediately apparent. A team of federal investigators from the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) was responding to the site Tuesday, according to Michele Rogo, EPA Emergency Response Coordinator.

"Once we identified the leak as coming from our pipeline, we shut it down immediately," said Darren Palmer, Plains District Manager.

Palmer acknowledged that monitoring equipment had not alerted the company to the leak before receiving outside notification. A leak detection probe known as a "pig" had been run through the pipeline two weeks earlier, Palmer said, but the results had not yet been "interpreted" before the leak became apparent.

"How come they didn't know? How come our people had to notify them of the leak?" asked Doreen Farr, a Santa Barbara County supervisor who represents the Goleta coast, where the spill
occurred. "If it had been monitored and inspected, it should not have been leaking as it did."

The pipeline flows about 2,000 barrels an hour, Palmer said. That would amount to more than 100,000 gallons an hour. A year ago, an estimated 10,000 gallons of oil spurted from another Plains pipeline in an industrial section of the Atwater Village neighborhood of Los Angeles, adjacent to Glendale.

"We're talking about a repeat offender here," said Damon Nagami, senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, where he directs the Souther California Ecosystems Project. "I think a lot of questions need to be asked of the company, and of regulators."

Under the terms of the consent decree, Plains agreed to pay a $3.25 million civil penalty, and to spend mllions more upgrading its system.

"Ideally you'd like a pipeline to shut off automatically when a leak is detected. That did not happen in Santa Barbara," said Nagami. He cited research showing that automatic leak detection systems in general fail 95 percent of the time.

So far this year, a total of 18 pipeline "incidents" have occurred in California, causing total property damage of nearly $44 million dollars, according to PHMSA. Moreover, 11 injuries and one fatality were reported.

It has been decades since a serious spill in Santa Monica Bay, west of Los Angeles County. In 1993, Chevron agreed to pay half a million dollars in fines and restitution after a spill of some 20,000 gallons of petroleum. It was released during a mishap at the offshore tanker berth connected to Chevron's El Segundo refinery via an underwater pipeline.

"The bottom line is there are risks when it comes to the oil transportation infrastructure," said Nagami.

The Long Island home where F. Scott Fitzgerald began writing his most famous work is for sale.

The 5,000-square foot home in Great Neck where Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda lived between 1922 and 1924 was listed by Coldwell Banker this month for just under $3.9 million.

Built in 1918, the two-story Mediterranean-style home has seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms and one half bathroom, as well as a large gourmet kitchen with two preparation islands and a vaulted-ceiling dining area.

Rich moldings and custom built mahogany cabinetry are found throughout the home, which includes a music room and several fireplaces, the real estate listing says. The private master suite, located in its own wing, features a balcony, large closets and an adjoining bathroom.

The home is located south of a home believed to be the inspiration for Jay Gatsby's West Egg mansion, situated on King’s Point of the Great Neck peninsula. The Fitzgeralds were frequent guests of many of Long Island’s Gold Coast parties, and the era and locale inspired one of America’s most beloved literary treasures, “The Great Gatsby.”

He wrote about three chapters of the iconic book before moving to France, where he finished the masterpiece.

The listing agent tells the Journal that the home’s current owners bought it for $4.2 million 2008. They’re moving because their children have grown. 

It’s graduation season and before your grad conquers the big, wide world, treat him or her to a solid celebratory meal. So, grab the family, friends, your graduate and that newly-minted diploma or degree and feast away. Yelp has put together this list of A+ spots to grab some grub with that grad.

Caroline’s Seaside Café (La Jolla Shores)
Tucked away at Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla, Caroline’s Seaside Cafe boasts endless ocean views and creative California-style cuisine. It’s a relaxing, casual and contemporary environment, not to mention it is the perfect backdrop for the impending photo-ops. Whether visiting for breakfast or lunch, a celebration at Caroline’s is sure to be one for the books.

Indigo Grill (Little Italy)
Now that school is out, the world is your oyster. Start by exploring Modern Latin Cuisine with Chef Deborah Scott’s inspired menu at the revamped Indigo Grill after your pomp and circumstance. The Anticucho Boards consist of Peruvian and Chilean street food in the form of skewered meats. Don’t stress if some of those in your party prefer more traditional cuisine: the Bucket of Fried Chicken with Serrano Vinaigrette is a solid choice too.

The Med at La Valencia (La Jolla Cove)
Graduates can grab a seat to celebrate this momentous occasion at the renowned “Pink Lady” of La Jolla. Dine on the chic (and pet-friendly) patio or reserve the stunning Ocean View Terrace for a meal of the highest degree. Chef James Montejano is basically an alumnus in the kitchen, creating perfect items for your celebratory event like the Maple Leaf Duck or the Spice Rubbed Skuna Bay Salmon.

Mamma Teresa (Poway)
Dig into that pasta: you deserve it. The menu boasts extra creditable items like a linguini in a 40 percent top sirloin, 40 percent pork and 20 percent veal Bolognese sauce, not to mention the homemade Porcini Mushroom Ravioli with sage butter. The family-owned location feels just like home, and you won’t have to worry about the mess. The whole crew can dine at this local Italian joint; just call ahead for any large group reservations.

The Land & Water Co. (Carlsbad)
History abounds at this hyper-local foodie paradise, making it the perfect North County location to put your school days behind you. Chef Rob Ruiz beams in his signature restaurant, with creations like the Bacon Lardon, crispy pork belly with red stone crab salad and jalapeno corn bread with touches of orange marmalade and mint. We also suggest the Papa Bear Salmon Roll from the sushi menu and you absolutely must dig into desserts.

Blue Water Grill (Temecula)
For graduates inland: Toast to your accomplishments with a glass of local wine and some stunning seafood at this newly-opened gem. The spot features an oyster bar, fresh catches daily and, if you have family in from out of town, the clam chowder is rumored to wow even East Coast palates. Throwing a whole party for your grad? Inquire about the banquets and really send your student into the next phase of their life in style.
 

One North County city has placed a ban on the sale of alcohol at fast food restaurants -- for all future locations.

The Oceanside City Council voted Wednesday evening on an ordinance to prevent other fast food restaurants from adding beer or wine to their menu. In this case, fast food restaurants are considered any restaurant with a drive-up, drive-thru or walk-up window.

However, the ban only applies to new establishments or those that don't have an existing license filed. Places that already have a beer and wine license can keep it.

Supporters of the ban say that there is nothing right now to prevent even a McDonald’s or Burger King from adding alcohol to their menu. A Taco Bell in Chicago recently applied for a liquor license, the supporters say, and the more alcohol available, the more the community tends to have problems. 

"They (fast food restaurants) tend to be where a lot of young people congregate, a lot of young people have their first job at fast food restaurants and we’re just trying to limit the expansion and availability of acohol to young people and the community in general," said Erica Leary, with the North Coastal Prevention Coalition. 

Those with concerns about the proposal say it would hurt breweries and jobs in the area.

Fast food restaurant Angelo’s Burger has been selling alcohol in Oceanside for nearly 40 years now. They are protected by the grandfather clause in the ordinance, but the idea of not being able to sell alcohol is still a concern for them.

"Absolutely, it would affect the business, because we have people that just come in; they drive home, they stop here, they come here after work, and they just get a beer, so yeah it would," said Eleni Regakis with Angelo's Burger's. "And I think not only would it hurt our business, we'd have a lot of upset customers; it would hurt breweries, it would hurt a lot of jobs."

Both Leary and Regakis appeared for the public comment part of the city council meeting.

Federal agents served a search warrant at a building in Pacific Beach Wednesday and took one man into custody.

Neighbors say they saw more than a dozen Alcohol Tobacco and Firearm agents and San Diego Police outside 2918 Garnet Avenue.

NBC 7 confirmed the warrant was served at a warehouse building, the same location of a SWAT standoff last month.

In that incident, a man was arrested after allegedly firing a gun at another man in some type of dispute.

Kevin McGuinness, 53, was charged April 8 with nine felonies and one misdemeanor in connection with the standoff.

The charges ranged from possession of an illegal assault rifle to making terrorist threats and resisting arrest.

He was also charged with possession of an inert grenade, which is an infraction.

The owner of a nearby business said the people using the warehouse are a nuisance.

"All the trash, the noise," the neighbor said. "It's just a big hassle is what it is."

He said there is trash, motorcycles, junk cars and tractors and other items in the lot.

"They've got a little bit of everything. Whatever you want is there," he said.

ATF agents confirmed one arrest but did not identify the man taken into custody. They also would not release information on the warrant, saying it was sealed as part of an ongoing investigation.

DNA found on a piece of a pizza led police to the man they believe brutally murdered a Washington, D.C., family and their housekeeper last week in the exclusive Woodley Park neighborhood in northwest D.C.

Daron Dylon Wint, 34, is wanted for first-degree murder while armed, police said late Wednesday. Just before midnight Wednesday, police were seen questioning people at Wint's last known address in Prince George's County, Maryland.

The break in the case came when investigators found DNA on a piece of a pizza that was delivered the night of May 13, sources close to the investigation told News4. 

Police believe three family members — including a 10-year-old boy — and their housekeeper were killed the next day, hours after someone delivered $40,000 in cash to the multimillion-dollar house.

The family had likely been kept bound and threatened over Wednesday night, sources close to the investigation tell News4. The cash had been withdrawn from an account at the company where one of the victims was the CEO, the sources said.

Sometime after the cash arrived on May 14, the home was set on fire, leading to the discovery of the bodies.

Wednesday's developments were major breaks in a case that seems almost unimaginable in its brutality and in its location. It happened in the 3200 block of Woodland Drive NW in Woodley Park, a neighborhood of security systems and landscaped lawns just blocks from the vice president's home and near the National Cathedral. 

Savvas Savopoulos, 46; his wife, Amy Savopoulos, 47; their son, Philip; and housekeeper Veralicia Figueroa, 57, were found dead after the home was set on fire. Three of the victims had been beaten and stabbed to death, and some of the bodies smelled of gasoline, police said.

Philip's body was so badly burned that investigators aren't sure if he was injured before the fire was set, and he still hasn't been officially identified, sources close to the investigation said.

Philip's body was found in his room; three other bodies were found on the floor in another bedroom.

The family Porsche was found burning in a church parking lot in suburban Maryland. Police had circulated the grainy image of a person leaving the scene of the car fire, wearing black clothing.

Wint, the suspect that police are seeking, has a court record that includes charges of assault, carrying concealed weapons and theft in Prince George's County. One of those records lists a home address that is less than a half-mile from where the car was found burning.

Message From the Housekeeper

Savopoulos was the CEO of American Iron Works, which helped build major D.C. construction projects, including the Verizon Center and CityCenterDC. Savopoulos and his wife, Amy, were well known in the neighborhood, often hosting parties for neighbors and friends, according to The Washington Post; the family had attended St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in the neighborhood.

Philip was a fourth-grader at St. Albans, the private school near St. Sophia and the National Cathedral; two daughters were away at private boarding schools.

Neighbors who have been in the home said the family had an extensive and valuable art collection, which was on display a couple of years ago during the Christmas house tour put on by St. Albans.

The timeline of events that investigators are working from seems to match information from a longtime housekeeper for the Savopoulos family, who said she was a good friend of Veralicia "Vera" Figueroa. 

Nelly, who didn't want her full name used for security reasons, owns her own cleaning company and worked for the family for more than two decades. Nelly allowed Figueroa to work with her at the Savopoulos family's home.

On that Wednesday, Figueroa texted Nelly to say she wanted to work at the home, and planned to finish by 3 p.m., Nelly told News4.

That evening, Nelly missed a call from Savvas Savopoulos, saying Figueroa was spending the night at the family's home. She heard the call on voice mail the next morning.

An Eerie Encounter

Nelly said Figueroa's husband went to the home Thursday morning to look for her and had an eerie encounter. No one answered the door when he knocked on it, but he told Nelly he had the feeling someone was standing just inside the closed door.

He went around the back of the house to knock again. As he did, Nelly said, Savopoulos called his cell phone. Savopoulos said Figueroa was OK and had spend the night, according to Nelly.

The fire at the home was reported about four hours later.

Nelly said Figueroa was hard-working and loved life. She'd come to the United States from El Salvador to earn money before planning to retire next year.

A GoFundMe page was created to help with her funeral costs.

Throughout the week, federal agents and D.C. police have continued to gather evidence at the Woodley Park home. Meanwhile, in New Carrollton, authorities used a bloodhound to try to track down the person who torched a 2008 blue Porsche 911 stolen from the home on the day of the fire.

The Porsche was burned in the parking lot of St. Christopher's Episcopal Church. That's where surveillance video of a person of interest in the case was captured on a camera at a nearby banquet hall.

The person is difficult to see in the video. The person is dressed in dark clothing, including a hoodie with the hood pulled up.

• WATCH the police video here

Meanwhile, neighbors and friends are mourning the family -- and left dreading the idea of what they endured in the hours they may have been held captive in their own home.

"This was a beautiful family, a wonderful family with children," said Coco Palomeque, a friend of Amy's. She described Amy as "beautiful, vibrant, full of life and full of energy -- ready to jump into any project to help others, to help her community."

"The community where they lived really loves them, and we are here to support them if they need us," she said.

Staff members Pat Collins, Meagan Fitzgerald, Mark Segraves, Jackie Bensen and Shomari Stone are among those who contributed to this report.

A Marine accused of causing a crash that killed two medical students had a blood-alcohol level of .14 and had been warned repeatedly by friends and bar staff not to drive, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Jason Riley King, 21, was arraigned Wednesday from his hospital room on two counts of murder among other charges. He suffered injuries in Saturday’s crash and has been hospitalized ever since.

Deputy District Attorney Cally Bright said in some cases, murder charges are appropriate for DUI crashes.

"If I can prove this indivudal had a conscious disregard for human life and knew the dangers of what he was doing, then we are going to evaluate and if appropriate, charge these cases as murder," Bright said.

King, an active duty Marine from Oklahoma stationed at MCAS Miramar, was driving the wrong way early Saturday morning on SR-163 in Mission Valley when his vehicle collided with an oncoming Toyota Prius.

Anne Li Baldock, 24, and Madison Elizabeth Cornwell, 23, who had both just completed their second year of medical school at UC San Diego, were killed.

Three others, also medical students, were injured in the crash, officers said.

Prosecutors said at Wednesday's arraignment that King had been drinking with friends at the Mission Valley Hotel that night. When he got up to leave, they tried to stop him.

Still, he left and met up with a female Marine friend at another bar, prosecutors said. When she went to the bathroom, he took his car keys and left -- but was stopped by a bar manager in the parking lot.

The bar manager tried to stop him from driving, as did his friend when she joined them in the parking lot, prosecutors said.

Still, King drove off and somehow got on SR-163 heading the wrong way, causing what one officer described as "the most horrific crash he had ever responded to," the prosecutor said.

King's BAC level was .14, nearly twice the legal limit of .08, investigators said.

A Miramar spokeswoman said the Marine Corps is taking the matter against King, who works with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, “very seriously.”

Capt. Melanie Salinas said in a statement that “he will be appropriately held accountable for his actions.”

Also on Wednesday afternoon, family members of the deceased women were gathering to honor and remember their lives.

Cornwell's brother and sister tearfully addressed reporters and news photographers before their sister's memorial service.

They had a powerful message for anyone contemplating driving drunk.

"Just don't do it. It's not worth it," said Cornwell's brother, Grayson.

 Grayson said his sister was always smiling, always thought of others ahead of herself and had high aspirations in the medical field.

"Madison was extremely accomplished, but she cared more about helping the world one person at a time," he said.

He said her family was so proud of the accomplishments she achieved in her short life.

"In the 23 years she lived, she did more with her life than most people could dream of," he said.

Grayson and his sister, Sheldon, declined to speak specifically about the driver who caused the wreck.

Instead, they wanted to focus on their sister's life.

"She's an amazing woman and I wish she could still be here today," Sheldon said.

Investigators with the San Diego County District Attorney’s public integrity unit are asking questions about Supervisor Dave Roberts' activities first revealed by NBC7 Investigates.

The supervisor's former administrative assistant Brittany Shaw told NBC7 she received a business card from a DA investigator taped to her door. Shaw is out-of-town, but a friend contacted her and told her about the card.

Others confirmed to NBC7 Investigates the District Attorney’s interest.

The investigation could involve allegations made by former staffer Diane Porter, who has filed a claim against the county, alleging the supervisor misused public funds and had an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.

Roberts' spokesman Gary Gartner planned a news conference for Wednesday afternoon, saying he will release documents that prove the allegations are untrue. However, they did not get the documents ready in time, so the conference was postponed until Thursday. 

Instead, Gartner sent this statement:

"A thorough investigation by the District Attorney will confirm that there is no wrongdoing by Dave Roberts. Supervisor Roberts will ask the county to release to the District Attorney the results of the county's confidential internal investigation into these false allegations. We are confident that the false allegations that have been made by a former employee will be proven to be untrue."

DA spokeswoman Tanya Sierra said in a statement, "We do not confirm or deny the existence of investigations."

Veteran political strategist Gary Gartner was hired by the supervisor to handle his current image problem. Gartner, from San Francisco's Bay Area, is a veteran of numerous political wars across California.

He told NBC7 he is being paid out of Roberts' campaign funds — a legitimate use of funds under current state law.

When asked about the legality, Jay Wierenga, communications director at the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission, said his office could not comment on specific cases, but in general, “It’s legal as long as the money is spent for political, legislative or governmental purpose," he said.

Crisis management for the supervisor qualifies for the funds.

Last week, legal experts told NBC 7 Investigates that if three of Porter's accusations prove to be true, Roberts could face a criminal investigation.

The allegations are:

• Roberts spent slightly just under $1,000 on personalized baseball cards and then asked Porter to “make them disappear.”
• Roberts offered a staffer money and a higher position to tell Human Resources that Porter was lying.
• Roberts double-dipped into the county car allowance benefit by accepting $1,000 per month for his personal car, but then used a county vehicle.

In her claim, Porter details how she was asked to perform Roberts’ campaign and personal tasks on county time.

Through her complaint, Porter also claims that Roberts pursued an “inappropriate” relationship with Harold Meza, an intern-turned-staffer who acted as Roberts’ chauffeur.

On trips to Brawley and the Colorado River, Roberts and Meza shared a room, Porter said. His chief of staff at the time, Glynnis Vaughan, confronted the supervisor about the situation, telling him it is not right to sleep in the same room as an employee. From that point on, Porter said Roberts sent his hotel booking plans to her personal email.

According to the claim, fellow employees took issue with Meza’s work, but when Vaughan and Porter brought it up to Roberts, “it just turned into Dave telling us how wonderful Harold was and he’s amazing and he’s perfect,” Porter said.

So Vaughan and Porter took their complaints to Human Resources. Later that night, they learned Roberts had been told everything they said. According to Porter, HR first told her she would be transferred elsewhere in the county, but then told her she had to return to work in Roberts’ office.

On April 1, another Roberts' staffer called Porter with a warning. She said Roberts was planning on firing Porter because he blamed her for the problems in the office. The staffer told Porter she was offered the official deputy chief of staff position with a pay raise, and in exchange, she would have to go to HR and tell them Porter's reports were a lie.

Instead Porter resigned on April 14.

The county’s board of supervisors has declined to comment on the accusations, but it did say earlier this week that any settlements with Roberts’ former staffers will be paid by him, not taxpayer dollars.