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Va. Cop Resigns Over Use of Force

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A police officer resigned after inappropriately using a Taser and pepper spraying a man who was driving recklessly while suffering from a health emergency May 4, according to the Fredericksburg Police.

About 5 p.m. that day, 34-year-old David Washington of Fredericksburg was driving southbound on the Jefferson Davis Highway when his car crossed over the median into the northbound lanes and struck a Jeep, police said.

After Washington attempted but failed to drive away, the driver of the Jeep called Fredericksburg Police, authorities said. Two officers arrived, held Washington at gunpoint and ordered him out of the car, police said. When Washington did not comply, a third officer, Officer Shaun Jurgens, arrived at the scene and promptly used his Taser on Washington, police said. But the Taser did not make a proper connection and was ineffective, so Jurgens pepper-sprayed Washington as well, police said. Washington was then removed from the car.

During transport to a local hospital, it was learned Washington was suffering a medical emergency that started hours earlier, police said.

The other officers at the scene reported the use of force to superiors, and the command staff reviewed the incident and determined it was inappropriate, according to Fredericksburg Police.

Jurgens subsequently resigned from the Fredericksburg Police Department May 14.

“The use of force demonstrated in the incident involving Mr. Washington was not in compliance with department policy or training,” Capt. Rick Pennock said. “We take matters such as these very seriously and require that officers at all times exercise appropriate restraint and good judgment in their dealings with citizens."

Washington faces several charges, including hit-and-run, reckless driving, property damage, and a third offense of driving on a revoked or suspended license. Washington has yet to be served these charges.


Boy, 11, Graduates From College

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At age 11, Tanishq Abraham was the youngest this year to graduate from a Sacramento college with three degrees on Wednesday night, and possibly in the school's 60-year-history.

"The assumption is that he's the all-time youngest," American River College spokesman Scott Crow told NBC Bay Area on Thursday. "But we don't have all the archives to completely confirm. He was definitely the youngest this year."

Tanishq walked across the stage, complete with rainbow-colored scarf knit by his 82-year-old grandmother and decked-out cap with reference to "Toy Story's" mantra "To Infinity and Beyond."

Quite the overachiever, Tanishq didn't earn just one associates degree from the community college. He earned three. They are in math and physical science, general science and language studies.

Afterward, he told NBC affiliate KCRA that the entire ordeal, especially sitting next to classmates twice his age and size, wasn't "much of a big thing for me."

He said some of the roughly 1,800 or so graduates and other college classmates were "intimidated of me."

But others liked having his young spirit around.

"A lot were really happy that there was a kid in their class," he said.

As for his parents, they looked pretty low-key about their son's unsual accomplishments at such an young age.

"Even in kindergarten," his mother Taji Abraham said, "he was a few years ahead. It just went from there."

Tanishq made headlines last year as well, when he graduated from high school at age 10, eight years earlier than most Americans do. He was home-schooled because he got "bored" in regular school, and ended up graduating with a 4.0 GPA.

His mother, a veterinarian, put her own Ph.D studies on hold to teach him, though his studies were complemented by taking classes at American River College since he was 7 years old.

His father, Bijou, a software engineer and Cornell University graduate who himself earned a perfect SAT score in math, said in a previous interview: "He came out smart."

When he was 4, Tanishq joined Mensa International, a group for people whose IQ is in the top 2 percent of the population. His sister, Tiara, who is now 9 and quiet a singer, also joined Mensa and also takes classes at American River College.

As for post college plans, Tanishq's summer plans include taking an eight-week Calculus II course and a family vacation.

And for the long-term future? He's toying with the ideas of becoming a doctor, medical researcher or president of the United States.



Photo Credit: KCRA

Marathon Victim's Family Grateful

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The Chinese family of Lingzi Lu, the 23-year-old Boston University graduate student who was killed in the Boston Marathon bombings, have thanked Boston for the "unending river of love and kindness" they've received from the city and its "true heroes."

Lu's family thanked first responders, health care professionals and strangers who risked their lives to save others in an open letter in the Boston Globe.

"During the darkest days and nights since the passing of our dear daughter Lingzi, we have been gifted with an unending river of love and kindness from the Boston community and people from all over the world," the letter read, in part. "We are humbled and forever grateful for your continued generosity, support, and encouragement."

Over 260 people were injured and three people were killed, including Lu, in the April 15, 2013 bombings.

Lu's family also thanked the jurors who convicted and sentenced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death in the bombings for their work during the trial.



Photo Credit: Facebook

Pizza Spurs Mansion Murder Manhunt

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The man accused in the brutal murder of three members of a Washington, D.C., family and their housekeeper was seen in Brooklyn Thursday morning and may already be back in Maryland.

Daron Dylon Wint, 34, is wanted for first-degree felony murder while armed.

Authorities searched several locations in Maryland for him Wednesday night and Thursday. Law enforcement sources said Thursday afternoon they believe Wint took a bus to New York City and arrived in Brooklyn sometime in the previous 24 hours. He also may be back in Maryland by now, they said.

Wint's girlfriend, a Brooklyn resident, talked to New York Police Department officers at the 69th Precinct in Brooklyn for hours Thursday after being picked up at her apartment. She is not under arrest, NBC New York reports.

Police believe victims Savvas Savopoulos, 46; his wife, Amy Savopoulos, 47; their son, Philip; and housekeeper Veralicia "Vera" Figueroa, 57, were killed May 14, hours after someone delivered $40,000 in cash to the multimillion-dollar house.

Police publicly identified Wint as their suspect Wednesday night. Sources say DNA on a piece of Domino's pizza that was delivered the night of May 13 led investigators to Wint. The crust was analyzed at a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lab.

From 2003 to 2005, Wint worked as a welder at American Iron Works, where victim Savvas Savopoulos served as CEO, sources said. He also had a relative who was fired from the company.

An American Iron Works welder who said he lost a great friend in Savopoulos told News4 Wint couldn't get along with anybody when he worked there.

The family was likely kept bound and threatened overnight on the night of May 13, sources close to the investigation tell News4.

The cash was withdrawn from an account at American Iron Works, the sources said.

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

Attorney Robin Ficker, who has represented Wint in the past, told News4 he doesn’t believe Wint did it.

“He is a gentle guy. He was a student at Prince George’s Community College. He wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Ficker said. “He’s the kind of guy that you wouldn’t mind your grandmother going to lunch with.”

The case 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.

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 has a court record that includes charges of assault, carrying concealed weapons and theft. In a 2010 case, he was arrested after a Prince George's County Police officer found Wint with an open beer and a bookbag carrying a two-foot-long machete and a black BB gun near the trash bins at a Shell gas station.

At least one police record lists a home address that is less than a half-mile from where the Porsche was found burning.

Wint also had four previous arrests from Oswego, New York, including assault, harassment and violating an order of protection, a source familiar with the investigation told NBC New York.

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 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 Figueroa.

Neliy, 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. Neliy allowed Figueroa to work with her at the Savopoulos family's home.

On May 13, Figueroa texted Neliy to say she wanted to work at the home, and planned to finish by 3 p.m., Neliy told News4.

That evening, Neliy 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

Neliy said Figueroa's husband went to the home the morning of May 14 to look for her and had an eerie encounter. No one answered the door when he knocked on it, but he told Neliy 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, Neliy said, Savopoulos called his cell phone. Savopoulos said Figueroa was OK and had spent the night, according to Neliy.

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

Neliy 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 has been 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 found burning in the parking lot of St. Christopher's Episcopal Church. At a banquet hall nearby, surveillance video of a person of interest in the case was captured on a security camera.

Police say Wint is the person of interest seen in the video. While he is difficult to see, police say Wint was dressed in dark clothing, including a hoodie with the hood pulled up.

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.



Photo Credit: AP
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Agreement Reached in One Paseo Project

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An agreement has been reached on a scaled down version of the controversial One Paseo Project.

As part of the deal, the San Diego City Council will rescind an earlier approval of the $750 million development in Carmel Valley.

The 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.

The city council approved One Paseo 7-2  in late February, but opponents to the plan collected enough signatures to send it back to the council. They believe it is too big for the Carmel Valley area and will create a traffic nightmare.

But supporters, including 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.

On Thursday, San Diego City Councilmembers spent the day with attorneys from both sides in closed-door meetings.

Developer Kilroy Realty Corp. describes the compromise as still providing the needed housing but reducing the scope of office and retail components.

Among the changes are a reduction in average daily automobile trips by half, a 30-foot setback on several major roads, the elimination of one traffic signal on Del Mar Heights Rd. and a height limit of seven stories on office buildings, according to Kilroy Vice President Jamas Gwilliams.

Crews Battle Fire in Escondido

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Fire crews gained the upperhand Thursday after a fire sparked in unincorporated Escondido that initially posed a threat to some nearby homes, officials said.

The blaze – which had scorched five acres – began just after noon near Windsong Lane and Deer Springs Road, burning dangerously close to homes.

Cal Fire officials said no evacuations were ordered and no injuries were reported.

As of 1 p.m., Cal Fire's Kendal Bortisser said the fire was no longer threatening structures and crews were making good progress on knocking it down. He said additional units would not be called out to the scene.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department said deputies were assisting Cal Fire by contacting residents in the area and workers at a nearby winery, alerting them to the fire.

Meanwhile, more than 50 firefighters tackled the blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but officials believe it may have started at a power line.
Despite Thursday’s cloudy skies and chance of rain, fire officials said this brush fire is proof of the dry conditions that will be challenging as we head into summer.
 


 



Photo Credit: Steven Luke

D.C. Mansion Murder Suspect Caught

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The man suspected of brutally killing a family of three and their housekeeper in a northwest Washington, D.C., mansion last week was arrested late Thursday night in a traffic stop across town, capping a manhunt that had expanded to New York.

Daron Dylon Wint, 34, who had once worked for the company run by one of the victims, is now in custody in northeast D.C., the Metropolitan Police Department confirmed.

In a statement released through a spokesperson Friday, the Savopoulos family thanked the law enforcement agencies involved in Wint's arrest.

"While it does not abate our pain, we hope that it begins to restore a sense of calm and security to our neighborhood and to our city," the statement read in part.

Wint showed little emotion when he was captured, Robert Fernandez, commander of the U.S. Marshal Service's Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force told The Associated Press on Friday.

"He was stoic," Fernandez said.

Investigators had tracked Wint to the Brooklyn area of New York City, where they barely missed him Wednesday night, Fernandez said.

"We believe he saw himself on the news and just took off," Fernandez said. Investigators then tracked Wint to a Howard Johnson Express Inn in College Park, Maryland, on Thursday night, he said.

A team realized Wint was probably in one of two vehicles in the motel parking lot: a car or a moving truck. The vehicles left together and the team followed as they took a U-turn and a strange route -- seeming to be lost or trying to shake those who followed, Fernandez said.

Officers eventually got between the two vehicles in 1000 block of Rhode Island Avenue NE at about 11 p.m. and took Wint, three other men and two women into custody, Fernandez said.

"We had overwhelming numbers and force," Fernandez said. "They completely submitted immediately."

Fernandez said he noticed a big wad of cash in the moving truck, but he didn't know how much was there. The Washington Post has reported that at least $10,000 was found in the moving truck.

It was not clear whether that money might have been connected to the Savopoulos family. Fernandez said he did not know whether any weapons were found as the group was taken into custody.

Wint is charged with first-degree murder while armed in the deaths of Savvas Savopoulos, 46; his wife, Amy Savopoulos, 47; their son, Philip; and housekeeper Veralicia "Vera" Figueroa, 57.

Their bodies were found in the Savopoulos family's burning mansion early in the afternoon of May 14.

Authorities had searched several locations in Maryland for Wint on Wednesday night and Thursday. Law enforcement sources said Thursday afternoon they believed Wint took a bus to New York City and arrived in Brooklyn in the previous 24 hours, before returning to the D.C. area.

A law enforcement official told NBC 4 New York's Jonathan Dienst that they tracked Wint to Brooklyn in part through his phone, which his girlfriend had when they interviewed her Thursday.

Wint's girlfriend, a Brooklyn resident, talked to NYPD officers at the 69th Precinct in Brooklyn for hours after being picked up at her apartment Thursday. She told police Wint was going back to D.C., possibly to surrender. She is not under arrest, NBC 4 New York reports.

Police believe the victims were kept bound and threatened overnight the night before they were killed.

Sometime that night, someone called Domino's from their house and ordered pizza. Sources say Wint's DNA was found on a pizza crust

The next morning, someone delivered $40,000 in cash to the multimillion-dollar house. The cash was withdrawn from an account at American Iron Works, where Savvas Savopoulos served as CEO. 

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

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.

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

Later on the afternoon of May 14, the family's 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.

Police said Thursday that they haven't ruled out the possibility that other people were involved in the slayings, but no other suspects have been identified.

Who is Daron Dylon Wint?

From 2003 to 2005, Wint worked as a welder at American Iron Works, where victim Savvas Savopoulos served as CEO, sources said. One of Wint's relatives was also fired from the company.

An American Iron Works welder -- who said he lost a great friend in Savopoulos -- told News4 that Wint couldn't get along with any of his coworkers when he worked there.

Attorney Robin Ficker, who has represented Wint in the past, told News4 he doesn't believe Wint did it.

"He is a gentle guy. He was a student at Prince George's Community College. He wouldn't hurt a fly," Ficker said. "He's the kind of guy that you wouldn't mind your grandmother going to lunch with."

Wint was born and raised in Guyana and moved to the United States in 2000, when he was almost 20 years old, according to court records filed in Maryland. He joined the Marine Corps that same year and was discharged for medical reasons, the records show. Following his discharge, he worked as a certified welder, the records show.

Wint was convicted of assaulting one girlfriend in Maryland in 2009, and he pleaded guilty the next year to malicious destruction of property after he allegedly threatened to kill a woman and her infant daughter, breaking into her apartment, stealing a television and vandalizing her car.

"I'm going to come over there and kill you, your daughter and friends," Wint told that woman, according to the records.

"The defendant advised he was good with a knife and could kill them easily and was not afraid of the police," a detective wrote.

Also in 2010, Wint was arrested while carrying a 2-foot-long machete and a BB pistol outside the American Iron Works headquarters, but weapons charges were dropped after he pleaded guilty to possessing an open container of alcohol.

At least one police record lists a home address that is less than a half-mile from where the Porsche was found burning.

Wint also had four previous arrests from Oswego, New York, including assault, harassment and violating an order of protection, a source familiar with the investigation told NBC 4 New York.

Message From the Housekeeper

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 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 Figueroa.

Neliy, 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. Neliy allowed Figueroa to work with her at the Savopoulos family's home.

On May 13, Figueroa texted Neliy to say she wanted to work at the home, and planned to finish by 3 p.m., Neliy told News4.

That evening, Neliy 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

Neliy said Figueroa's husband went to the home the morning of May 14 to look for her and had an eerie encounter. No one answered the door when he knocked on it, but he told Neliy 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, Neliy said, Savopoulos called his cell phone. Savopoulos said Figueroa was OK and had spent the night, according to Neliy.

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

Neliy 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 has been 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 found burning in the parking lot of St. Christopher's Episcopal Church. At a banquet hall nearby, surveillance video of a person of interest in the case was captured on a security camera.

Police say Wint is the person of interest seen in the video. While he is difficult to see, police say Wint was dressed in dark clothing, including a hoodie with the hood pulled up.

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 and the Associated Press are among those who contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: AP
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Allegations Are "False, Defamatory": Supe Spokesman

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A spokesman for San Diego County Supervisor Dave Roberts said allegations by a former staffer are "false, defamatory" and will be refuted by documents and witnesses.

In a claim filed against the county last week, former scheduler Diane Porter accuses Roberts of misusing public funds, carrying on an inappropriate relationship with 26-year-old staffer Harold Meza and retaliating against those who objected.

At a Thursday news conference, Roberts’ spokesman Gary Gartner handed out documents that he said prove those allegations are untrue.

"Throughout his entire term, Dave Roberts has held himself to the highest ethical standards, and he has done nothing unethical improper or in appropriate," said Gartner.

When asked why Roberts was not addressing the public himself, Gartner said because there is potential litigation, the supervisor is being advised about what he can and cannot say. “He has nothing to hide and he wants to speak to you," Gartner said.

INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIP ALLEGATIONS ARE A LIE: STAFFER

As he walked through Porter's claim, Gartner addressed the allegations surrounding Roberts and Meza's relationship, reading a statement prepared by Meza under oath. 

Meza described starting as an intern in Roberts' office, and after 11 months, he was hired on as a policy adviser and community representative. Although he and other staffers have driven Roberts to events, he "is not merely a driver," Meza's statement read.

“I’ve never engaged in any inappropriate conduct sexual or otherwise with County Supervisor Dave Roberts," said Gartner, reading the statement. Any suggestion is a lie, Meza said, pointing out that he is a heterosexual man. Roberts is a married gay man.

In Porter's claim, she said Roberts and Meza’s relationship took an inappropriate turn when the two started sharing hotel rooms on trips to Brawley and the Colorado River. Meza said everyone attending the Colorado River event was supposed to share rooms — male with male, female with female. Roberts said he was assigned the shared room and did not request it, which a San Diego County Water Authority letter confirms, according to Gartner.

“All that happened was that I went to sleep in my separate bed," Meza said in the release. "There was no sexual activity of any kind."

Meza also said he was not on the Brawley trip, though an email about it, sent to Porter by Roberts, says, "Harold will stay in the room with me. (Brave man!)" Garter provided a Lions Club attendance sheet from the Brawley trip, which shows Roberts' name and the name of another staffer, Kimmy Roberts. Meza's is not on the list.

In text messages between Porter and the supervisor provided to the media, Gartner pointed out that Roberts told Porter only Kimmy went to Brawley. In a follow-up text, Porter asked why Meza did not go.

MISUSING COUNTY FUNDS?

Porter's claim also details alleged misuse of county funds and time by Roberts.

She said the staff was ordered to make personalized “Dave Roberts baseball cards” for just under $1,000, but Roberts later told Porter to “make them disappear” when he was told they look like part of his campaign, she said in the claim.

Gartner told the media the cards were inspired by those used by former California Gov. Pete Wilson. "There was no inappropriate use of county money to produce those cards," the spokesman said. In memos, Roberts' chief of staff at the time, Glynnis Vaughan, said the cards initially appeared to be campaign related, so she suggested that they instead promote the county's "Live Well" efforts on the back, according to Gartner.

He said Vaughan took the lead on the cards, went through the proper county channels and got the right authority to produce them. Porter took them home on her own, not at Roberts' suggestion, Gartner said.

According to Porter, Roberts also accepted the county’s $1,000 per month car allowance for his personal car, but then used a county vehicle — mostly driven by Meza. Gartner said that started in October 2013, when Roberts drove himself to an event. As he walked back to his car, he was the victim of an attempted stabbing. From that point on, the staff decided they would be with Roberts at almost every event.

NO HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT: SPOKESMAN

Tensions and dissatisfaction with Meza’s performance came to a head when Porter and Vaughan confronted Roberts in March 2015. They took the conversation behind closed doors into the supervisor’s office and told him about their concerns regarding Meza. Roberts then called in Meza to defend himself.

“It just turned into Dave telling us how wonderful Harold was and he’s amazing and he’s perfect. ‘He’s the best staffer I’ve ever had. Nobody else compares.’ And we’re like, ‘He doesn’t do anything. He drives you,'" said Porter.

According to Gartner, Porter texted Roberts the following day that she no longer trusted the chief of staff and claimed that Vaughan had twisted her words. The next day, Porter complained to Roberts about a scheduling conflict between Vaughan and herself.

In April, the women took their complaints to the county’s human resources, saying Roberts had created a hostile work environment. However, they soon learned everything they said in that office was reported back to Roberts, Porter said in the complaint.

Another Roberts’ staffer soon called Porter, telling her Roberts planned on firing her because he blamed her for the office's problems, according to the complaint. The staffer said she was offered a higher position and more money to go to HR and tell them Porter’s reports were a lie.

Porter and Vaughan eventually resigned — two of eight people in Roberts’ office to leave since the beginning of the year.

At the news conference, Gartner handed out copies of text message conversations between Porter and Roberts. He said they show Porter was texting positive messages to Roberts until the day she resigned. There are also references to the "difficult" relationship between Vaughan and Porter, according to Gartner.

“What I'm trying to show here is that for somebody who says it was a hostile work environment and didn't get along with her boss,” Gartner said. “The text messages don't show that.”

In a text message to NBC 7 Investigates Thursday, Porter gave her take on Gartner's news conference. "Most of those texts 'being nice' [were] before the March shouting match and BEFORE he offered someone money to lie. And sure I did try after Glynnis left to maintain a good working environment, we had no idea what was going on. I needed to feed my family. I was threatened with being fired. But once I was told he offered someone money I couldn't even try anymore."

She said there was a scheduling disagreement between her and Vaughan because "emotions were high that week.

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. Porter's claim requests $250,000 to settle it.

NBC 7 Investigates confirmed with multiple sources Wednesday that the San Diego County District Attorney’s public integrity unit is asking questions about Roberts. DA spokesman Steve Walker said the office does not confirm the existence of ongoing investigations.

Ed. Note: NBC 7’s live stream of the Roberts staff’s news conference lasted an hour. For more details, watch NBC 7 News at 4, 5 and 6.



Photo Credit: Morris Law Firm

UCSD Rady School's New Workplace Compassion Class

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The University of California San Diego said its management school will offer a “Mindful Executive” program, a nondegree course series to mentor business leaders on fostering workplace compassion, improving mental intelligence and dealing with difficult conversations.

A collaboration between the Rady School of Management’s Center for Executive Development and the UCSD Center for Mindfulness, the program is one of only a handful nationwide to focus on mindfulness practice, according to the school.

UCSD claims mindfulness training improves concentration, cuts down on stress and can make practitioners more efficient. The Mindful Executive program builds on research data showing the benefits of the practice, UCSD said.

“People who engage in mindfulness trainings have told us that they become more aware of their own stress level and as a result are better able manage it, they have less emotional reactivity and are more resilient in the face of challenges,” said Christy Cassisa, director of WorkLife Integration Programs at the UCSD Center for Mindfulness.

The course will teach executives to attain present-moment awareness and how to use that awareness in their workplace decision-making and communication. Courses include The Art & Science of Emotional Intelligence and Managing High Performance Teams. They cost between $350 and $695 each.
 



Photo Credit: Google Maps

2nd Claim Has New Allegations Against Supervisor

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A second unhappy, former county employee has filed a claim against San Diego County, alleging Supervisor Dave Roberts misappropriated county funds and county officials failed to protect her as a whistleblower.

Glynnis Vaughan, whose resignation led to a series of stories by NBC7 Investigates, said she is owed $475,000 for her treatment while working for Roberts. Her attorney Lynne Lasry filed the claim late Thursday evening.

THE ARIZONA CONSULTANT

Details in the claim reveal allegations that the supervisor’s office attempted to pay for a consultant through nefarious means. Vaughan described how she uncovered a deal Roberts made with an Arizona consulting which had provided services to his office for two years -- a deal, she said, that was “never properly authorized by the County of San Diego.”

According to Vaughan's complaint, the consulting firm said it was owed $28,900 for its work. At first, Roberts denied to Vaughan the deal existed, but she alleges she found notes and work product that contradicted what the supervisor had told her.

The project for which the firm was hired was “Advisory Board Development: Strategic Business Consulting,” and the consultant was to help create an “Advisory Board of Directors for the San Diego County Fire Authority,” among other services.

Vaughan’s claim contends the consultant was told by Roberts’ former Chief of Staff, John Weil, the county didn’t have the money to pay him. Instead, Roberts’ office suggested “that the consultant apply for a San Diego County grant” to pay off the bill, according to Vaughan. The consultant was told a staff member would help in drafting the request and would “ensure the grant application would be approved.”

In the claim, Vaughan alleges the consultant looked into the grant process and refused the offer because it would “require the consultant to misrepresent the nature of the arrangement.” Vaughan, the claim said, didn’t feel the county should compensate the consultant in the manner requested. Whether this bill was eventually paid is unknown, since Vaughan quit before the issue was resolved, according to the claim.

IMPROPERLY TRAINED STAFF

The claim also described Vaughan as a “seasoned professional” and an ideal candidate for the chief of staff position. When she took the job in December 2014, Vaughan said she soon discovered the staff was inexperienced, was not familiar with the rules “that govern public officials” and had not received ethics training. It appeared to Vaughan the staff did whatever Roberts’ told them to do in order to stay in his good graces.

As she took over, she realized the staff was already disturbed about the “nature and the relationship between Supervisor Dave Roberts and a young male staffer,” which included favoritism, gifts and “improper use of County resources and public funds,” the claim said.

Vaughan felt she had an ethical and legal duty to tell county counsel and county administrators what she was observing. In every instance, she said, officials told her she was doing the right thing, but her efforts to “curb the improper conduct of Supervisor Dave Roberts” were unsuccessful, according to the claim.

This is the second claim filed against the District 3 Supervisor in two weeks. In the first claim filed former scheduler Diane Porter accuses Roberts of misusing public funds, carrying on an inappropriate relationship with 26-year-old staffer Harold Meza and retaliating against those who objected.

At a Thursday news conference, Roberts’ spokesman Gary Gartner handed out documents that he said prove those allegations are untrue.

"Throughout his entire term, Dave Roberts has held himself to the highest ethical standards, and he has done nothing unethical improper or in appropriate," said Gartner.

NBC 7 Investigates reached out to the county and to Gartner about Vaughan's claim. County Spokesman Michael Workman said the county received the claim but does not have a comment at this time.

Gartner said, "We just received the claim from the County Counsel's office and haven't had time to review it."

ROBERTS' "BODY MAN"

The claim said Roberts had a young male staff member he described as his “Body man—worth his weight in gold.” In political jargon, the term refers to a personal assistant to a politician or political candidate. While it may not be unusual for the President of the United States, the claim said, it isn’t common practice for a county supervisor to have a body man.

While the claim never names the body man, other NBC 7 Investigates interviews and a news conference by Roberts’ spokesman indicate the person in question is staffer Harold Meza. He is the same person Vaughan alleges she had heard complaints about shortly after becoming chief of staff. In the claim, Vaughan said she warned the supervisor it was not appropriate for Meza to pick up and drop off his children, nor should chauffeuring the supervisor be his only job in the office.

Meza's salary was $47,008.00, so Vaughan said she expected more work out of the staffer. But, according to her claim, “substantive tasks assigned by Ms. Vaughan were generally not completed” by the employee.

The claim said Vaughan had told the staffer he could not share a hotel room with the supervisor when they traveled, but Roberts would “orchestrate the desired arrangement though another staffer” behind Vaughan’s back.

“Other staff members complained that they could not do their job and/or get access to the Supervisor because the young male staffer was ‘always there,’” she said in the claim.

On Thursday, Gartner read a statement written by Meza, in which he says he "never engaged in any inappropriate conduct, sexual or otherwise, with County Supervisor Dave Roberts."

QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOR

In another allegation, Vaughan said Roberts practiced gender favoritism demonstrated in how he compensated men who held the same position that Vaughan did. She uses the salaries paid to the previous chief of staff and the new chief of staff – both of whom are men -- to show how there was a double standard when it came to her salary.

Through the California Public Records Act, NBC 7 Investigates learned the former Chief of Staff John Weil received a salary of $159,000. Mel Millstein, Roberts' current Chief of Staff, was earning a salary of $151,000 as of April 15, the same amount Vaughan was earning before she resigned, according to county records, though Vaughan said she had much more experience than Millstein.

The claim also is critical of how the county failed to protect her. Vaughan alleges she was a whistleblower, pointing out the problems in the office and the behaviors of the supervisor to county counsel and human resources. But the Board of Supervisors “had decided to wash their collective hands as it relates to Dave Roberts” and his conduct toward Vaughan, refusing to pay any settlements between Roberts and his former staffers.

Attached to Vaughan's claim are a series of exhibits. A number of them reference the first claim filed against the supervisor by former employee Diane Porter, who has been interviewed by NBC 7 Investigates. Other exhibits go into detail about some of the questionable behavior and activities alleged against the supervisor.

Vaughan described how baseball cards with the supervisor’s photo on the front were created. She was not in favor of Roberts’ insistence on creating baseball cards in his likeness, she said, but the supervisor was insistent, telling staff that politician Pete Wilson had successfully used baseball cards when he was an elected official.

Wilson is a political icon for many in San Diego. He served as governor of California from 1991 to 1999, and he held positions as a U.S. Senator, California State Assemblyman and San Diego mayor.

Vaughan went on to say that the staff racked up hours to “create, order and ultimately hide” the baseball cards. Vaughan also spent time with the county’s legal counsel trying to vet the cards until they were considered legal and not campaign materials. In the end, the cards were “watered down” so their use was authorized, the claim said.

However, according to both Vaughan and Porter's claims, when some of Roberts’ non-county advisers told him the cards looked too political and were “not a good use of County funds,” the supervisor told Porter to first hide the boxes in his county office and then to "make them disappear," both staffers said.

Roberts' spokesman Gartner disputed that allegation, saying that there was no inappropriate use of county money to make those cards and that Porter decided to take them home on her own.

Vaughan's claim also said Roberts was an enthusiastic supporter of the Lion’s Club, becoming a district governor and pressuring his staff to join the club at their own expense, except for one young staffer.

When staff members complained to Vaughan, she reminded the supervisor that the Lion’s Club was not a county activity, nor was joining a condition of employment. Still, he continued to pressure employees, undermining her authority with staff, according to the claim.

The complaint also details how Vaughan reportedly attempted to reign in the supervisor’s prolific fundraising for Teri, Inc. The organization is a nonprofit based in Oceanside that works with children and adults with special needs, according to its website.

Vaughan said county time was spent trying to avoid conflicts of interest involving the supervisor and the many committees and boards he was a member of. Vaughan’s contends her attempts were rejected by the supervisor.

As depicted in calendars accompanying Vaughan’s claim, Roberts’ time away from the county building was often spent with Meza. In her claim, Vaughan described how this became a series point of contention in the office.

Some examples include:

  • Oct. 21, 2014: "Harold to accompany Dave” to an event at the Bernardo Heights County Club
  • Oct 22, 23, 26, 27, 29, 30, and 31: "Harold to accompany Dave” during the day to various events

The calendars provided with the claim describe the scheduling of “Harold to accompany Dave” through March 14, 2015.

The complaint also includes a letter from Vaughan to Susan Brazeau, human resources director for the county of San Diego. In it, she resigns and says she “acted responsibly,” trying to do the best job she could under the circumstances.

It says “Supervisor Dave Roberts’ unprofessional conduct” was not something unknown to the county; some of the “questionable behavior was not new.” She added “similar behavior had already been the subject of concern” before she had been hired.


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Yearbooks Recalled Over Mean Quotes

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Dallas' W.T. White High School is recalling hundreds of yearbooks after someone removed the personal quotes beneath the photos of some seniors and replaced them with insulting remarks.

Senior Juanita Cedillo, the school's prom queen, has cerebral palsy. She uses a wheelchair to get around school because the neurological disorder has affected her muscle coordination and makes using her legs difficult.

Under her senior picture is an insult where a personal quote should be.

"'Want to hear the most annoying noise in the world?'" Cedillo said, reading the quote. "I questioned myself. I was like, 'What could be that annoying noise? Was it my voice?'"

Below other students' pictures are sexual innuendos. Under one picture is written, "The only negativity around here should be a pregnancy test."

"I went in there Monday, thinking, 'Yay, it's here. The thing that I've been waiting for is here,'" explained Cedillo. "For them to taint it, it's not OK. It really isn't. Don't taint something that's important."

Parent Monty Walker, who attended White High School and whose son will soon graduate from there, talked with the principal.

"You know, somebody had to proof it, and proof it again, proof it 10 times. You don't make this mistake," said Walker. "I'm a graduate of W.T. White, and it tarnished the reputation of my high school and alma mater."

The principal is listed in the yearbook as its adviser. The staff even thanks her for proofreading the book and for stepping in to help after the they lost their original adviser halfway through the school year.

The Dallas Independent School District has recovered about 90 percent of the yearbooks and said they are working to determine who made the changes to the book and how it happened.

In a statement, the district said: The district is in the process of reviewing the complete contents of the yearbook, as well as determining the individuals responsible for the unfortunate quotations. Distribution of the yearbook has been ceased until corrections can be made and new yearbooks are printed. Individuals who were responsible will be held accountable. This will be an unfortunate but valuable lesson for all involved."

An email was sent to parents late Thursday, and we are told a note will go home with students as well.

Cedillo said when the book is reprinted she wishes she could have a different quote under her name.

"Be the change you wish the see in the world," Cedillo said.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News

School District Offers Free Summer Meals for Kids

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A new program headed by the Escondido Union High School District (EUHSD) will help needy Escondido families feed their children once school gets out for the summer.

The EUHSD has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its healthy 2015 Summer Feeding School Program which will offer free meals to kids 18 and under over summer.

Free breakfast and lunch will be offered across multiple locations mostly Monday through Thursday. No application or pre-registration is necessary.

The locations running the free summer meal program include:

  • Escondido High School (1535 N. Broadway; June 15 through July 15; Breakfast: 7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.; Lunch: 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.)
  • San Pasqual High School (3300 Bear Valley Parkway; June 15 through July 15; Breakfast: 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.; Lunch: 9:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
  • Del Lago Academy (1740 Scenic Trail Way; June 8 through July 8; Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.; Lunch: 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
  • Orange Glen High School (2200 Glenridge Road; June 15 through July 15; Breakfast: 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.; Lunch: 10 a.m. to 12:05 p.m.
  • Valley High School (410 N. Hidden Trails Rd.; June 18 through July 15; Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.; Lunch: 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Iglesia Latina Emanuel (152 E 5th Ave.; July 27 through July 31; Breakfast: 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
  • Washington Park (501 Rose St.; June 15 through Aug. 7; Breakfast: 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
  • Westside Park (333 South Spruce St.; June 15 through Aug. 6; Lunch only: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
  • Grove Park (745 N. Ash St.; June 23 through Aug. 6 – Tues., Wed., Thurs. only; Lunch only: 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.)

All sites will be closed on July 3, ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, the district said. The meals served through the program must be eaten on site.
 

New Rules: 2 Days to Water Lawns

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Several cities in San Diego County announced new restrictions on lawn watering Thursday in response to the statewide drought.

Residents in Oceanside, Del Mar and San Marcos are among those given two days to water lawns and other outdoor landscaping under new rules announced this week.

In San Diego County, districts must save between 12 percent and 36 percent starting on June 1 under restrictions issued by California to get the state’s overall conservation to 25 percent.

In Oceanside, single-family homes are now limited to watering landscape and lawns on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Apartments, condos, businesses and public agencies will water Mondays and Thursdays.

City officials are instructing residents to water before 10:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. and for no longer than 10 minutes each assigned watering day.

The city must conserve an additional 20 percent from 2013 levels under the new mandatory water use restrictions put in effect by Governor Jerry Brown’s executive order.

Residents can request a free watersmart checkup through the county’s website

The Vallecitos Water District Board of Directors voted Wednesday to limit outdoor irrigation to 8 minutes, two days per week from June 1 through October 31.

The district has found more than 250 water wasters since its drought patrols began May 11. Nearly all were due to irrigation runoff. The district offers a free irrigation audit through its website.

Vallecitos serves approximately 97,000 people in a 45-square-mile area that includes San Marcos; the community of Lake San Marcos; portions of Carlsbad, Escondido and Vista.

In Del Mar, new drought restrictions will take effect June 1 limiting landscape irrigation to two days a week and banning outdoor watering for 48 hours after a measurable rainfall.

City officials say there will be a schedule of assigned water days released by the beginning of next month. Until then, customers are being asked to voluntarily begin watering lawns and other outdoor landscaping just two days per week.
 



Photo Credit: AP

Quarry Blast Damages Homes, Cars

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A blast at a Loudoun County, Virginia, quarry sent rocks and debris smashing into nearby homes and cars, leaving one person injured Thursday morning.

Dwight Brooks said a huge rock from the quarry tore through the roof of his parents' house a half mile away and landed in a bedroom several feet from his brother's bed. Brooks said his brother, who was sleeping in the room, was cut by debris that fell from the ceiling and needed eight stitches. 

"If that had hit him, damage could have been much worse," Brooks said.

The debris came from a scheduled quarry blast, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said. Falling debris damaged several structures and cars.

Security camera video shows a rock flying through the air and shattering glass in the nearby Fairfax Auto Parts store. Three large windows at the store were shattered when a rock went through the front of the store. 

Employees said they are used to the building shaking from nearby quarry blasts, but the size of these rocks was unprecedented.

Mike Quinn of Fairfax Auto Parts said he had "never in my wildest dreams" seen "the size rocks that we saw that came through the window."

At least a half dozen cars were damaged in the store's parking lot.

First-responders arrived in the area near the intersection of Old Ox Road and Oakgrove Road in Sterling shortly before 11 a.m.

County officials said only one person was injured in the blast.

Inspectors from the blasting company, Winchester Building Supply, surveyed the scene to try to determine what went wrong.

The Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office and the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy were also called to the scene.

Residents who were affected can call the Virginia DMME at 434-951-6310.



Photo Credit: Loudoun Fire Rescue
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State Faces New Water Cuts for Farmers

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Farmers along the river delta at the heart of California agriculture expected to get an answer Friday on their surprise offer to give up a quarter of their water this year in exchange for being spared deeper mandatory cutbacks as California responds to the worsening drought.

Regulators with the state Water Resources Control Board promised a decision on the proposal by a group of farmers along the delta of the Sacramento-San Joaquin rivers, a rare concession by holders of some of California's strongest water rights.

For the first time since a 1977 drought, California regulators are warning of coming curtailments for such senior water-rights holders whose claims date back a century or more.

Earlier in the current drought, the state mandated 25 percent conservation by cities and towns and curtailed water deliveries to many farmers and communities with less solid claims to water.

The most arid winter on record for the Sierra Nevada snowpack means there will be little runoff this summer to feed California's rivers, reservoirs and irrigation canals. As of Thursday, the U.S. Drought Monitor rated 94 percent of California in severe drought or worse.

About 350 farmers turned out Thursday at a farmers' grange near Stockton to talk over the delta farmers' bid to stave off deeper cuts.

"That doesn't necessarily mean they'll all participate'' in the proposed voluntary cutbacks, said Michael George, the state's water master for the delta. Based on the farmers' comments, George said, he believed many will.

If the deal offered by farmers goes forward, delta farmers would have until June 1 to lay out how they will use 25 percent less water during what typically is a rain-free four months until September.

The delta is the heart of the water system in California, with miles of rivers interlacing fecund farmland. Its water is critical to wildlife and farmers in the country's most productive agriculture state.

Agriculture experts, however, say they would expect only modest immediate effects on food prices from any reduction in water to the senior water-rights holders. Other regions will be able to make up the difference if California moves away from low-profit crops, economists say.

State officials initially said they would also announce the first cuts of the four-year drought to senior rights holders on Friday. Water regulators said Thursday, however, that the announcement involving farmers and others in the watershed of the San Joaquin River would be delayed until at least next week.

It is unclear whether the delta farmers' offer would go far enough to save drying, warming waterways statewide.

Farmers use 80 percent of all water taken from the land in California. Senior water-rights holders alone consume trillions of gallons of water a year. The state doesn't know exactly how much they use because of unreliable data collection.

The 1977 cutback order for senior rights holders applied only to dozens of people along a stretch of the Sacramento River.

Although thousands of junior water rights holders have had their water curtailed this year, Gov. Jerry Brown has come under criticism for sparing farmers with senior water rights from the mandatory cutbacks. Increasing amounts of the state's irrigation water goes to specialty crops such as almonds, whose growers are expanding production despite the drought.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Rain Showers Greet the Weekend

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Rain arrived in San Diego Friday morning as drivers reported precipitation ranging from scattered showers to strong bursts.

The National Weather Service was predicting rain showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 11 a.m. followed by scattered showers.

We can expect gradual clearing this evening.

As of 6 a.m., Valley Center had just under a half an inch of rain. Most fell between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m.

“While it’s mostly a morning event with the pockets of moderate rain, we could get a light shower even this evening,” said NBC 7’s meteorologist Jodi Kodesh.

A wind advisory was in effect for San Diego through Saturday with gusts up to 55 miles per hour possible.

Download the NBC 7 free mobile app for weather updates.



Photo Credit: Spencer Thornburg, NBC 7

Fire Damages Used Car Lot

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Flames ripped through a San Diego car lot, damaging an office building but sparing dozens of used cars parked nearby.

The fire was reported at 1:19 a.m. Friday inside the Pacific Honda used car sales office at 4720 Convoy Street.

When firefighters arrived, they could see flames and smoke shooting from the windows of the office building.

Just outside the building were dozens of used cars. Just one SUV caught fire, officials said.

Flames were knocked down in about 20 minutes.

Some of the roof caved in on the office. Computers and other office supplies were melted by the intense heat.

The building has been here for about 35 years.

Fire investigators say it was an accidental electrical fire.

No injuries were reported.
 



Photo Credit: Matt Rascon NBC 7

McStay Killings Pretrial Delayed Until Next Month

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Once again the preliminary hearing for the man accused of killing a Fallbrook family of four was postponed Friday, set to pick up next month, if all goes according to plan.

Charles 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 February 2010.

Originally, Merritt had chosen to represent himself in the case. However, at his scheduled pretrial onTuesday, Merritt revealed he was considering hiring an attorney.

Due to his change of heart, Tuesday’s pretrial was delayed. On Wednesday, attorneys confirmed Merritt had hired a legal team to represent him from the Mettias Law firm.

On Friday, a judge ruled the preliminary would be postponed once more so the defense could have enough time to review the evidence. Also, the prosecution, Deputy District Attorney Sean Daugherty, was unable to present Friday because two investigators were absent from court.

Both sides requested a continuance and were granted it. A judge set a date of June 12 for Merritt’s readiness hearing and June 15 for the preliminary hearing.

At Merritt’s pretrial, prosecutors are expected to reveal never-before-seen evidence in the McStay family murder case that baffled officials for years, including expected testimony from detectives and other witnesses about the evidence against Merritt.

Until now, Merritt had chosen to act as his own attorney because he said he’s suffering from congestive heart failure and only has months to live. He claimed representing himself would allow him to move the case quickly to trial and prove his innocence.

Now, Merritt’s legal team – including attorney Jimmy Mettias – will need to study thousands of pages of evidence linked to the case.

In a press release issued Wednesday, Mettias stressed the importance of “moving this case along quickly,” despite these recent delays.

“It is clear Mr. Merritt desires this matter to move forward quickly and without any further delay. 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,” the release said.

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

The delays this week are not the first time legal proceedings in this case have been slowed.

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 case that could result in the death penalty.

Merritt’s legal switcheroo is one of many twists and turns in the mysterious case of McStay family killings.

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. In February 2015, Merritt complained to a judge that he wasn’t receiving the documents needed for him to act as his own 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 occurs, a judge will decide if there’s enough evidence to send Merritt to trial.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

2 Allegedly Tried to Join ISIS

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Two men from Orange County, California, arrested Thursday allegedly hoped to help or join the Islamic State, a terrorist group, according to Department of Justice officials.

Anaheim residents Muhanad Badawi and Nader Elhuzayel, both 24, were charged Friday in U.S. District Court of Central California with conspiring to support ISIS. The pair arranged for one of the men to fly to Turkey so he could join ISIS, according to a DOJ news release.

Badawi and Elhuzayel were arrested by a joint terrorism task force that included FBI agents Thursday night; Elhuzayel was taken into custody at Los Angeles International Airport, while Badawi was arrested at an inn in Anaheim.

Elhuzayel allegedly admitted to FBI agents after he was arrested and read his Miranda rights that he planned to join ISIS after flying to Turkey, according to an affidavit filed in court. The ticket was allegedly purchased with Badawi's credit card, and both spoke of supporting ISIS online, according to the affidavit.

While the men awaited a court appeareance Friday, Elhuzayel's parents said he was not a terrorist.

"I don't believe my son is like that," said his mother, Falak Elhuzayel. "I know my son is a good kid."

His parents told NBC4 that they dropped Elhuzayel off at LAX's Tom Bradley International Terminal Thursday afternoon on a flight to Israel. Falak Elhuzayel said it was a one-way ticket, but that he only planned to visit family for the summer.

However, Elhuzayel planned to "pledge allegiance to (ISIS), and defend (ISIS) against attackers" after getting off the Tel Aviv-bound plane at its layover in Turkey, the affidavit said.

An affidavit in support of a criminal complaint, filed today in Santa Ana federal court, outlines an alleged scheme in which Badawi and Elhuzayel used social media to discuss ISIS and terrorist attacks, expressed a desire to die as martyrs and made arrangements for Elhuzayel to leave the United States to join ISIS, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

During an initial court appearance this afternoon in Santa Ana federal court, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Block found that Badawi posed both a flight risk and a danger to the community. He will be held without bond pending trial.

Elhuzayel will be held pending a detention hearing set for Wednesday.

The defendants were not asked to enter pleas.

Block set a preliminary hearing for June 5, which will take place unless an indictment is issued prior to that date. Arraignment scheduled for June 8.

According to the affidavit, on May 3, Elhuzayel saw a Twitter post from Elton Simpson, one of the two gunmen who were killed trying to attack a conference in Garland, Texas. In the tweet, Simpson stated that he and his "bro" had pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS, prosecutors said.

In response, Elhuzayel tweeted his support for the attempted attack and praised Simpson as a "martyr," according to federal prosecutors.

In recorded conversations last month, Badawi and Elhuzayel "discussed how it would be a blessing to fight for the cause of Allah, and to die in the battlefield," and they referred to ISIS as "we," according to the affidavit.

Prosecutors allege that when Badawi expressed concerns about ISIS struggling due to airstrikes by coalition forces, Elhuzayel responded that they had to be patient, and "can you imagine when al-Qaida joins with Islamic State?"

According to the affidavit, Badawi responded: "We will be huge."

The two men also discussed local Muslim leaders, with Elhuzayel complaining that these leaders were not "legitimate" because they believed in democracy and were not fighting for an Islamic State, prosecutors contend.

The men discussed where in the Middle East they would rather be, and Elhuzayel said he wanted to fight and did not want to be in the United States, according to the conversations recounted in the affidavit.

On May 7, Badawi allowed Elhuzayel to use his credit card to purchase a one-way airline ticket for travel from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv, Israel, via Istanbul, Turkey, on a Turkish Airlines flight scheduled to depart Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Badawi indicated that he would be traveling to the Middle East in the future, according to the affidavit.

According to the allegations in the complaint, Elhuzayel admitted after being read his Miranda rights that he planned to disembark in Istanbul to join ISIS and did not intend to travel on to Israel.

If convicted of the charge in the criminal complaint, Badawi and Elhuzayel each would face up to 15 years in federal prison for conspiring to provide material support to ISIS, prosecutors noted.

Elhuzayel's parents said their son was traveling to spend the summer with relatives, not to join a terrorist group.

"Completely beyond any sensible thoughts,'' his father, Salem Elhuzayel, said. "He is not the type. He is a good kid."

His mother, Falak Elhuzayel, said the FBI kicked in the door of their room at the Crystal Inn motel, 2123 W. Lincoln Ave. in Anaheim, and ransacked it.

"They stole my computers from the car,'' she siad. "They took my checkbooks, my credit cards, everything was gone."

Elhuzayel's parents said their son and Badawi were classmates together at Cypress College.

Kate Corrigan, attorney for Badawi, said her client had done nothing wrong.

"My client did not make any steps, according to what I've seen from the government so far, to leave the United States,'' she said. "He's a young man. He's a college student. He's lived here for many years. He's somebody that is very concerned about his family at this point, and he's obviously scared. He understands the severity of the charges and he's, you know, we're planning to address them as we get the evidence."

The Muslim Public Affairs Council issued a statement saying the arrests were based on the two suspects' social media comments, in which they expressed support for ISIS. Both men had purchased plane tickets, with Elhuzayel bound for Turkey, according to MPAC.

"ISIS uses social media to prey on impressionable people," according to MPAC. "According to law enforcement, ISIS puts out close to 100,000 tweets per day and there are at least 50,000 ISIS-related Twitter accounts."

The group said it is "working to bridge the relationship between law enforcement and communities to ensure that communities are safe and are treated as partners rather than suspects."

Toni Guinyard and City News Service contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Family photo provided to NBC4

WATCH: Dramatic Cockpit Video

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Stunning cockpit video has been released showing the emergency landing of a World War II-era plane during a historic flyover above D.C. earlier this month.

On May 8, the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, the planes flew in formations to represent the major battles of WWII -- but about 30 minutes into the flyover, a Curtiss Helldiver was forced to make an emergency landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport because of mechanical problems.

This week, a YouTube video was posted showing the heart-stopping moments after smoke appears to waft into the cockpit, growing steadily thicker.

"Are we on fire?" a passenger shouts from the back seat as they fly over the Lincoln Memorial. The pilot quickly assesses the situtation and radios for an emergency landing.

Then, moments later, he radios, "We're landing at Reagan. We're on fire."

Information on an available runway quickly comes over the radio as the plane descends, flying low over the Potomac River.

By that point, the pilot believed his passenger was unconscious, according to text superimposed on the video. "Gut wrenching," he said.

In actuality, the passenger had simply removed his headset to look for what they believed to be a fire. 

The plane was on the ground just a minute after the smoky substance was first spotted.

"It was an overwhelming sense of relief to see [the passenger] was conscious," the pilot wrote.

The pilot and his passenger later learned fire wasn't to blame. Instead, a pinhole hydraulic leak had vaporized in the cockpit, appearing like smoke.

"It moved and acted like smoke, [and] combined with fluid heat on the legs of my passenger, it was mistaken for fire," the pilot wrote on the video's YouTube page.

The pilot said they had trained on what to do in case of an emergency during the flyover, and Reagan National Airport officials had been cautioned that they were the alternate airport in case of a problem.

The Curtiss Helldiver was taken off the runway quickly, was repaired and flew out later that afternoon, causing no delays at Reagan.

But the pilot said there was a bigger message behind what happened: "This event, especially on this day, gave a somber reminder to all those who didn't have a runway conveniently aligned," he wrote. "To those who were hundreds of miles away from the nearest carrier, in enemy waters. To those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We remember."


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