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No New Truck for Women Shot During Dorner Manhunt

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The two newspaper delivery women who were shot at during the manhunt for Christopher Dorner will not be getting a new replacement truck as promised by the LAPD, according to their attorney Glen Jonas.

It has been more than a month since LAPD Chief Charlie Beck promised the truck to Emma Hernandez, 71, and her daughter, Margie Carranza, who had been working in Torrance, Calif. before dawn on Feb. 7.

Police said it was a "case of mistaken identity" that prompted officers to open fire on the women. Beck later apologized and promised to replace their truck, now riddled with bullet holes.

According to Jonas, LAPD and Galpin Ford wanted his clients to pose for a photo opportunity and pay income tax on the truck. The women no longer want the truck after they were told they needed to fill out a 1099 form for the donation, Jonas said Monday.

"You tried to murder the woman, now you're telling her she can't have a four-wheel drive, you're telling her she can't sell it and you've got to be taxed on it?" Jonas said. "How would anyone react to that?"

Jonas plans on filing a government claim, which is a precursor to any lawsuit filed against a government agency. He said he felt the truck was being touted as a "reward or prize" instead of a sincere gesture by the LAPD.

Galpin Ford estimates the value of the truck – a 2013 Ford 150 SuperCrew – at $32,560. The dealership had planned on paying the sales tax, vehicle registration and title on the truck, according to a dealership spokesperson.

"It's really sad for us because we want to help these women move on with their lives, and help them move forward with that, we just can't get passed the 1099 issue," LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith said. "The government has to take their bite out of it, I guess."

The women's Toyota Tacoma was pierced with 102 bullet holes from the Feb. 7 shooting, according to Jonas. Emma Hernandez is still recovering from two bullet wounds to her neck, which are giving her life-threatening complications, according to Jonas, who described what his clients went through that morning.

"The grandmother, Emma, starts saying, ‘God have mercy on us,’ because she thinks for sure they're going to die," Jonas said. "She then clutches around the back seat of her daughter to protect her from the gun shots because her daughter has children."

The pair was driving a dark-colored pickup truck with its lights off when they slowly approached the home of an officer named in ex-officer Christopher Dorner’s angry manifesto. Apparently thinking Dorner was inside, police opened fire on the truck.

After the shooting, Jonas said he was shocked by the officers’ actions. He said neither the size of the women nor the blue Toyota Tundra truck they were in matched the description of Dorner's Nissan Titan.

Eight officers were involved in the shooting. They were assigned to non-field assignments "until the (police) chief decides otherwise."



Photo Credit: AP

Padres Lock Down 2013 Team

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The 2013 Padres are officially locked down.

Today the team agreed to terms with 24 new players for the 2013 season, including right-handed pitcher Anthony Bass, first baseman Yonder Alonso, and second baseman Logan Forsythe.

Eighteen players were already under contract for the 2013 season including outfielders Cameron Maybin, infielder Chase Headley, who led the National League in RBIs for the 2012 season and second-year closer Huston Street.

This roster gives a lot of hope for Padres fan this season. They finished the season strong last season, but needed to not only maintain some of their big-hitting veterans like Headley and Maybin, but gain some depth and youth in the bullpen.

Special Section: Padres 2013 Season

The team still has a month of spring training out in Peoria before kicking off the regular season in New York on April 1st. Opening homestand is Tuesday, April 9th against the Dodgers.

Last year, the Padres dug themselves an April hole they spent the entire season trying to get out of. They were 7-17 in the first month of regular season play. This year, the team is determined to avoid the same start.

“We have to take care of our own responsibilities and learn that we can’t bury ourselves in April and May” said outfielder Mark Kotsay in an interview with U-T San Diego.

The Padres played well for most of four months last season, but as any pitcher will tell you, it’s a complete game that gets the glory, not a few innings.
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

New Details: Sex Dungeon Marine Wife Murder Case

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A preliminary hearing began Monday morning for three suspects accused of killing a 22-year-old Marine wife last spring.

Fallbrook resident Brittany Killgore was reported missing in April 2012. Four days later, her body was found nude and mutilated in a ditch at Borel Road and Arosa Street near Lake Skinner.

Court documents later determined Killgore had been strangled to death. She also had injuries to her wrist and leg that court documents stated were “consistent with someone using a tool such as a saw [sic] an attempt at dismembering her.”

Court documents revealed Killgore – who had recently filed for divorce from her estranged Marine husband, Cory Killgore, who was deployed in Afghanistan -- had been an unwilling participant in a deadly sex game, allegedly at the hands of three suspects practicing a sadomasochistic lifestyle.

Camp Pendleton Marine Sgt. Louis Perez, 46, was arrested in suspicion of Killgore’s murder, as well as Dorothy Grace Marie Maraglino, 37, and Jessica Lynn Lopez, 25. All three were charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, kidnapping and torture in connection with Killgore’s death.

The three defendants pleaded not guilty.

Investigators said all three suspects lived together in Fallbrook at one point, at a home on East Fallbrook Street. That residence was searched by investigators, who found a room in the home that was set up to be an apparent sex dungeon, court documents stated. The suspects were allegedly involved in sexual behavior that included bondage, torture and master/slave role playing.

On April 13, 2012, investigators say Perez allegedly invited Killgore to a dinner cruise in San Diego. Minutes after he picked her up, Killgore sent a text message  from her cell phone to a friend that read “HELP.”

Killgore’s phone would later be found in downtown San Diego, after a homeless man attempted to sell it to a stranger on the street.

Prosecutors said Perez allegedly took Killgore to his Fallbrook home on April 13 and then had Maraglino and Lopez join them, luring the Marine wife into a deadly trap.

Killgore’s body was found on April 17, 2012, near Lake Skinner.

CLICK HERE FOR A FULL TIMELINE OF THE KILLGORE CASE

Nearly one year after Killgore’s murder, Perez, Maraglino and Lopez were all present in court Monday morning for a preliminary hearing that is expected to last five days. A judge is expected to hear grisly details of Killgore's murder throughout the hearing.

Ultimately, the hearing will determine whether there is sufficient evidence for the three defendants to stand trial.

On Monday, several witnesses took the stand inside a Vista courtroom including Killgore’s friend, Channy Tal, who spent time with Killgore on the day of her disappearance.

Tal is the friend Killgore texted "HELP" to on the night of April 13.

During her time on the stand on Monday, Tal said she had helped Killgore pack on April 13 because Killgore was moving back to Pennsylvania.

Tal said she remembered Perez stopping by Killgore’s home that evening and begging Killgore to go to a dinner cruise with him.

Tal said Killgore did not feel comfortable with Perez’s invitation, and did not want to go. Tal said Killgore ended up agreeing to go only after Perez promised he’d get five people to her her move the next day.

“He was having a conversation with Brittany, he was inviting her to go to the dinner cruise; she didn’t want to go. He was very persistent about it,” said Tal on the stand.

Killgore went missing that night.

Elizabeth Hernandez, who says she was Killgore’s best friend, also testified in court.

Hernandez said she and another friend of Killgore’s went to authorities the day after the Marine wife went missing.

Hernandez said she and Killgore befriended Perez, Maraglino and Lopez after Hernandez bought a fertility monitor from Maraglino.

Hernandez testified that Maraglino told them that she and Lopez had a sex-slave dominatrix relationship, and that Perez was the "master" of the house that the three defendants shared in Fallbrook.

Hernandez said the women would often walk around naked and that Maraglino would allegedly force Lopez to eat her food out of dog bowls.

Hernandez said both she and Killgore respected the group’s lifestyle choices, but that neither of them ever participated in their practices.

In addition to Tal and Hernandez, two women who were part of that sadomasochistic lifestyle also took the stand.

Those two women described how Lopez, Maraglino and Perez wanted to recruit Killgore and Hernandez into their lifestyle.

Killgore's husband, Cory, sat in the gallery during Monday’s preliminary hearing. Killgore's parents were also in attendance, at times weeping and shaking their heads as the salacious details of their daughter's murder case unfolded in the courtroom.

If convicted, all three defendants could face 25 years to life in prison in connection with Killgore's murder.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Pit Bull Victim "Suffered So Much:" Husband

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The husband of a San Diego woman whose limbs were nearly torn off in a pit bull attack asked a judge to make sure the dog’s owners suffer too.

Emako Mendoza, 75, was attacked June 18, 2011 when she stepped outside her home to get the newspaper.

Her husband, James Mendoza, spoke through quivering lips as he described his wife’s attack at Monday’s sentencing.

The dogs' owners, Carla Cornelio and her mother Alba Cornelio, were convicted of involuntary manslaughter and death from a mischievous animal.

The Mendoza’s Paradise Hills home shared a side fence with the home where the pit bulls were kept. The dogs entered the yard through a hole in the fence.

James Mendoza recalled the morning when his wife of 55 years was blindsided by her neighbor’s large dogs.

Mendoza said his wife, who was barely 5-foot, had no way of getting away from them. “She had no one to help her,” he said.

Even with his years in the military, Mendoza said he had never seen anything like it.

“She was completely tore up,” he said. “All of her limbs were completely dangling, hanging.”

Judge Richard Whitney said it was clear to him that one of the dogs was trying to feed herself and was probably in desperation of hunger when she saw Emako Mendoza as a potential food source.

In his sentencing, the judge described the violent attack in which the dogs chewed through the victim’s skin, fat, tissue, ligaments, muscle and bones.

“All along, Ms. Mendoza was alive, screaming for her life,” he said.

“The amount of suffering that woman went through is beyond human comprehension.”

Emako Mendoza suffered a heart attack and her left arm and leg had to be amputated. While still hospitalized six months later, she died on Christmas Eve.

"She suffered so much, she just finally gave up," James Mendoza said.

“I hope they do some suffering just like my wife did,” Mendoza said of the Cornelios.

Carla Cornelioreceived the maximum sentence of four years in prison. She was also ordered to pay restitution to the Mendoza family. The amount of restitution was not yet determined.

Alba Cornelio was not sentenced Monday because she's suffering a number of medical issues.

The dogs were euthanized by animal service officers, along with their three-week old puppies.



Photo Credit: NBCSanDiego

Judge Rules on Hotel Surcharge to Fund Convention Center Expansion

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A San Diego judge issued a tentative ruling Monday in support of hotel room-rate surcharges as a way to finance about 75 percent of the proposed expansion of San Diego's convention center -- some $520 million, according to projections.

In December 2011, the San Diego City Council approved a plan to have San Diego hotels bankroll the bulk of another convention center expansion.

It is a tri-level approach under which downtown hotels pay 3 percent of room revenues and outlying hotels pay 2 and 1 percent.

Proponents claim the expansion is needed to hang on to groups and events that are already using San Diego but have outgrown the venue.

Comic-Con, which annually brings thousands of visitors to San Diego from around the U.S., has already outgrown the space and has placed some events in nearby hotels and businesses in the Gaslamp.

Opponents including San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, San Diegans for Open Government (SDOG) and the San Diego Chargers argue the tax was illegal.

SDOG sued the City of San Diego. The San Diego Chargers want the city to pursue a stadium with a roof that could double as a convention center.

On Monday, Superior Court Judge Ronald Prager released a tentative ruling in which he sided with the City. Read the ruling

The special tax is legal the Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act Prager wrote.

City Council President Todd Gloria said, "The judge’s validation confirms that the hotel room surcharge agreed to by local hoteliers is a legal and viable way to improve our Convention Center and further strengthen San Diego’s economy.”

Prager is giving the lawyers a courtroom hearing Wednesday on his tentative ruling before issuing a final decision.

Chargers special counsel Mark Fabiani, while pointing out that the project would need Coastal Commission approval before it proceeds, says the rulling -- should it withstand appeals -- could have broad implications beyond San Diego.

"If this holds up, it really would open up the floodgates for special assessments that benefit the public at large," Fabiani told NBC 7. "Very interesting stuff."

Adds Voice of San Diego columnist Scott Lewis: "I think that car dealers could get together and pass a sales tax on car sales and build a new road with that. Bike sellers could do the same. Maybe a bunch of bar owners -- sports bar owners, for example -- want to build a stadium and pass a tax on beer to build a stadium."



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Army Reservist Victim in "Savage Murder"

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An arrest warrant released in the case of a U.S. Marine Corporal charged with the murder of an Army reservist, reveals the victim, Alvin Bulaoro, was shot twice in the head and stabbed numerous times.

Prosecutors called it a "horrific" murder, and said the suspect tried to conceal evidence of his alleged crime.

Evidence revealed in the warrant indicates Bulaoro was killed in a Fallbrook hotel room, and that the suspect, Cpl. Kevin Coset, then drove the victim's body to a shopping center parking lot.

The victim was last seen December 21st. His body was found January 3rd.

According to the arrest warrant, the victim and the suspect had met up in an Albertson's parking lot in Fallbrook.

Detectives say surveillance video shows that the suspect parked his car in the lot, got into the victim's Toyota 4Runner, and the two men drove away.

Evidence reveals the men knew each other for at least a short time before the alleged murder.

They allegedly met by agreement at a Fallbrook parking lot, and drove to the hotel.

Once there, investigators allege that Coset slit the victim's throat almost from ear-to-ear, and shot him twice in the head.

The warrant indicates that the suspect later drove the victim's Toyota back to the lot, with the victim's body inside.

Surveillance video, credit card receipts and interviews established that Coset is the suspected killer.

The arrest warrant also quotes the victim's brother as telling investigators that his brother was a homosexual, and may have been headed for a popular San Diego gay bar when he was first reported missing on December 23.

But the evidence indicated that Bulaoro never left the Fallbrook area.

Coset, who was arrested Feb. 22, was formally charged with the murder Monday afternoon.

At Monday's hearing, the judge said Coset is a danger to the community and a flight risk. In an unusual move, he set bail at $5 million, a million more than prosecutor requested.

Family members told NBC 7 San Diego that Bularo's sexual orientation is not important. They said they can't understand why anyone would want to hurt, much less kill, Alvin Bulaoro. 

Calif. Teacher Accused of Drugging Toddlers' Drinks

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A teacher at a California daycare center has been arrested after she admitted to drugging toddlers' drink cups with a sleeping aid, police said Tuesday.

Sgt. Troy Hoefling said investigators were called to the Kiddie Academy in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Monday, three days after teacher Deborah Gratz was fired. Administrators told police that Gratz had put Sominex, a sleep aid, into the drinks of children as young as one.

In a written statement, academy spokeswoman Rose Chin said that administrators spotted the laced drinks early in the morning on Friday, and none of the 10 children in the class ended up drinking from the cups.

The academy, which is independently owned, said that this was the only instance they are aware of regarding Gratz putting the sleeping aid in the drinks. She was immediately fired and later arrested on felony child endangerment charges.

The school statement read in part that the "safety" of the children is Kiddie Academy's "top priority" and that its 80 students are cared for by "exceptionally qualified teachers."

The news comes a day after reports exploded about a teacher at a school in a nearby city accused of taping up a 2-year-old for refusing to take a nap. The teacher has since been forbidden by the state to work at the school.

READ: State Investigates Pleasanton Christian Preschool Where Teacher Ties Up Toddler

Gratz has been a teacher at Kiddie Academy for the past five years. She was the full-time teacher of a class of toddlers aged 1 and 2 years old.

The case came to light when someone said they spotted Gratz puting an unknown substance into the drinking cups of some of the children last Friday, police said.

When Gratz was confronted by facility administrators, police said she admitted that the substance was Sominex.

Police said they searched Gratz's Hollister home on Monday and arrested her after the search.

She has since been booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail.

Sandy Hook Riders Arrive in Washington

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Twenty-six cyclists finished a 400-mile ride from Newtown, Conn. to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to advocate for gun reform.

The riders, who called themselves the Sandy Hook Riders, included 26 professional, top amateur and masters cyclists. Each represented one of 20 children and six educators killed during the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Team 26 wore green and white jerseys, the Sandy Hook colors.

"This incredible team of parents, teachers, veterans, and many more has sent a message loud and clear to people across the country that the time for common sense gun reform is now," U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in a statement.

"Today they bring that message straight to the U.S. Congress. We know that passing common sense gun reform will be tough, but with strong grassroots efforts like the Sandy Hook Ride on Washington, Congress will get that message and we will get this done," he said.

The group left from Sandy Hook Elementary School on March 9.

In addition to the 26 cyclists, others rode along for some or all of the ride, including Connecticut congressional representatives and members of the Virginia Tech Victims Cycling Team, according to U.S. Rep. Jim Himes’ office.

Organizers sold vinyl decals online and in local stores to fund food, tires and hotel costs for the riders and their support staff.



Photo Credit: Office of U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty

High School Paper's Sex Article Stirs Up Controversy

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Sex and Relationships made the centerfold of “The Oracle,” the Mountain View High School newspaper. The student journalists produced articles on the difference between lust and love, and even an article on sexual health entitled, “What They Teach You In Health, and What You Need To Know.”

“We hear about drugs, sex, money. There’s no way to avoid it, so what ‘The Oracle’ does is to try to take conversations kids are already having and trying to put it in the most unbiased way possible,” MVHS senior Claire Johnson said, who is also “The Oracle” photo editor. “It was really about making sure kids can understand how to make good decisions.”

But some parents in the community west of San Jose are none too happy with the candid and frank discussion. Not because of the sex, but because of the incomplete information presented, they say.

“One of the articles talked about, ‘you just need to get yourself tested’ and then you can just use oral contraception. There’s this idea being promoted that oral contraception protects against sexually transmitted diseases, and that’s completely ridiculous,” Sarah Robinson said, who is a parent of a MVHS sophomore, and also a physician.

An earlier edition of “The Oracle” discussed drug use. One article referenced the fact that some parents allow their teens to experiment with marijuana in the home where they are safe. The Mountain View High School parents contend that the article makes no mention of the fact that providing marijuana to a child is illegal.

“I just think some of the things haven’t been professional. And they’re students, we get that,” parent and former journalist Christy Reed said, adding “It’s just realizing that editing from an adult doesn’t have to be censorship. It can be helpful, it can be part of the writing process.”

The parents would like to see more adult supervision for “The Oracle” staff, for the district to adopt a journalism code of ethics and perhaps even for the student journalists’ grades to be tied to what they write for the newspaper.

NBC Bay Area reached out to the Mountain View High School principal and the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District for comment. Our requests were not answered.

Student journalist Claire Johnson says she will listen to the discussion at the district board meeting with an open mind.

“When we hear these parents talk, it really hits us, it really impacts us and we understand it,” Johnson said. “But at the same time, we don’t want to completely sacrifice what we’re getting at, and that is talking about things that are important to teenagers.”



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area

L.A. Schools Settles Some Elementary School Sex Abuse Claims

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The Los Angeles school district has settled dozens of claims in the scandal concerning an elementary school teacher accused of lewd acts involving dozens of students.

Several groups of parents and about half of the students who filed claims against former Miramonte Elementary School teacher and accused molestor Mark Berndt have agreed to a multi-million-dollar settlement with the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Miramonte Abuse Scandal: Timeline of Events

All told, nearly 200 claims were filed, close to two-thirds by students. Of those, 119 participated in mediation, and 58 students are covered in the settlement, according to David Holmquist, general counsel with the LAUSD.

The monetary value of the individual settlements is close to half a million dollars per plaintiff, with the total sum equaling an estimated $30 million according to an attorney for the victims. It could take several months for the judge to approve the settlement, Holmquist said.

The story broke on NBCLosAngeles.com Tuesday morning. The agreement was confirmed to NBC 4 Los Angeles by three attorneys representing more than two dozen of the plaintiffs. Holmquist confirmed the settlement at school district headquarters Tuesday afternoon.

The claims were filed with the district after the arrest of Berndt and another Miramonte teacher, Martin Springer, one year ago. 

Those suing the district agreed to postpone pursuing lawsuits in court to make time for mediation.  That process resulted in the settlement agreement.

However, some two-thirds of the plaintiffs have not yet settled with the district. Those not accepting the terms include families represented by Luis Carrillo, John Manly and Martha Escutia.

"They tried to shove it down our throats," Manly said, criticizing the amount of the settlement offer as "small" for this type of case. "After attorneys' fees, there's not enough for counseling for most of our families."

Manly said he and his plaintiffs also feel it is unwise to settle until the legal discovery process has provided more information regarding the district's culpability. No documents have been provided, nor have there been any depositions, according to Manly, who represents 30 plaintifffs. 

If unable to reach more favorable terms, Carrillo's group of plaintiffs "will go forward" with litigation, he said.

The civil settlement agreement does not affect the criminal cases against the former third-grade teachers. Berndt is accused of blindfolding students and feeding them his bodily fluid, sometimes taking photographs. The initial investigation was prompted by a South Bay film lab contacting law enforcement about photos of children brought in to be developed. 

Springer is accused of improperly touching a child in his classroom. Springer's case has already been through preliminary hearing and is headed to trial. Berndt awaits his preliminary hearing.

Local Immigrants Go Public With Undocumented Status

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It is a political statement that is causing a lot of controversy: Thousands of immigrants are going public with their undocumented status this week.

It is part of the national "Coming Out of The Shadows" week.

This is the first time a San Diego group is taking part in this national campaign.

“There are some things some issues that we don’t bring to the spotlight and we hope through acts of non-violence and peace, putting a banner up, it will show that we want to be inclusive," said Jose Gonzalez, an undocumented San Diego Mesa College student.

Gonzalez says although it is liberating to come out, it is more about political strategy.

Gonzalez was one of eight San Diego undocumented youth who came out of the shadows and into the streets Tuesday.

They call themselves the "San Diego DREAM Team."

They are a grass roots organization that gives support to more than two dozen undocumented youth who were brought to the U.S. illegally as young children.

From today’s banner drop in City Heights, to an online campaign sharing stories of undocumented youth – the group hopes to send a message about the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

“I really hope that comprehensive immigration reform passes because deferred action is not enough. It's only a temporary relief that it provides me and I'm trying to plan out of my future and with this uncertainty I can't really make much plans,” said Carolina Valdivia, an undocumented SDSU student.

The "Coming Out of the Shadows" campaign started in Chicago back in March of 2010, when hundreds of undocumented youth took to the streets declaring they were no longer afraid to reveal their status.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Teens Save Crash Victim's Life

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Two teenagers stopped to help a man who was seriously injured in an accident along I-805 in Chula Vista. NBC 7's Brandi Powell reports.

Starving Sea Lion Pups Stump Scientists

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An increasing number of California sea lion pups have been stranding along the coast of in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties.

The number of pups needing emergency care is so great that one rescue organization has declared a state of emergency.

“We don't know what the problem is now,” said Susan Chivers, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service.

“What we're seeing is a lot of skinny pups which suggests they’re not getting sufficient nourishment, and dying of starvation basically."

NBC 7 San Diego first reported on the unusual number of sea lion pups wandering ashore along San Diego’s coastline Monday.

SeaWorld San Diego staffers rescued 11 sea lion pups in just 3 days from locations like Mission Beach and .

The phenomenon has been happening for two weeks along beaches in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

On Monday, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach declared its own state of emergency after it performed 12 rescues Saturday – a single-day record for the organization.

The center released images of its center showing a large number of sea lions clustered in one room.

Chivers said marine mammal experts are beginning to discuss the problem and gather data to try and better understand why the pups are dying.

The number of rescues is concerning because not only are more occurring at an earlier time than usually reported but also because experts aren’t sure what’s happening.

“There’s something going on oceanographically that there’s not sufficient food available for the moms to nurse their pups or the pups, as they’re starting to eat on their own, to find,” said Chivers.

The typical sea lion pup is round and robust. As she looked at a photo of a California sea lion pup taken recently along the coast, Chivers described evidence showing dehydration and malnourishment.

"Basically, you can see its backbone. You can see its shoulder blades," she said.

The next step for all these groups is to work together to find out why.

Part of that process will be to perform necropsies on the dead sea lion pups that have been found. Scientists are hoping that finding the exact cause of death may help them find out what is happening.

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center is concerned about the funding needed to house and rehabilitate the large number of sea lions. The pups may need to stay at the center for two to four months before returning to the wild.

Northern California is not seeing the same numbers of stranded sea lion pups according to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito.

The center is just getting going with its local pupping season for elephant seals and harbor seals according to spokesperson Jim Oswald.

They expect in a month they’re going to see a lot more sea lions as that pupping season kicks into high gear NBC Bay Area’s Joe Rosato Jr. reports.

SeaWorld San Diego suggests anyone who spots a marine mammal that might be in need of help notify a lifeguard, park ranger or the local marine mammal rescue facility.

The hotline for the SeaWorld Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Program is 800-541-SEAL.



Photo Credit: The Pacific Marine Mammal Center

Local Housing Demand Creates Jobs

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The Las Ventanas housing development in Fallbrook sat dormant for more than six years because of the housing crisis. 

But last weekend, the first two model homes opened for buyers.

Developer Brad Termini of Zephyr Partners said the response was great.

"We've had such strong initial demand that we're going to start on the 11 remaining lots this summer and build the whole project at once," he said.

The planned building means more work for construction workers, carpenters, painters and landscapers. He said there's more to come.  

"We also control another 500 lots between apartments and for-sale residential and all those are going to be under construction this summer," said Termini.

To handle the work, he's working with interior designer Jules Wilson, who recently hired three people, plans to hire two more and just moved into a new office in downtown San Diego.

Wilson said her company is expanding gradually but she's also hiring other people to do the work.
 
"There's the clients, then there's us, and then there's other people that we bring into the project," she said. 

"So from that point of view, we're putting out a lot more volume of work to people in the building industry."

The U.S. Department of Labor showed the number of job openings rose 2.2 percent in January, compared to falling 5 percent in December.

But the Labor Department also said 1.5 million people were laid off, the lowest monthly number since the department began recording it in 2001.

Both Wilson and Termini are positive about the future and plan to hire accordingly.

"We think the economy is heading in the up direction," said Wilson. "So if we play our hand right then, it should work out we're hoping."



Photo Credit: Chris Chan

State Program Unused Locally for Mentally Ill

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A state law that could treat severely mentally ill patients before they turn violent is not being used in San Diego County.

Right now in San Diego, if a mentally ill person over the age of 18 refuses treatment there is virtually nothing family members or doctors can do to help.

A California state law called “Laura's Law” empowers the courts to require treatment for the severely mentally ill.

Laura's Law was passed statewide in 2002, but only one county in California enforces it, and it's not San Diego.

"We would treat someone with a stroke and couldn't talk as appropriately medically, if someone has schizophrenia and can't think clearly, then I also think it's on us to treat them appropriately,” said Dr. Brian Miller, the clinical director and chief psychiatrist at Grossmont Hospital. “There will be a team of people who are going to follow up with you, assist you in getting an appointment, getting medications, getting the treatment and making sure you know what's available."

The San Diego Psychiatric Society and the Mental Health Board said it’s wrong San Diego doesn’t utilize it.

"In 44 states, Laura's Law has been held up in every court of the land,” said Theresa Bish, former Chairperson, Health Services Advisory Board. ”Including the highest court. Furthermore our Attorney General says Laura's Law reduces crime.”

But not all agree with Bish and Miller.

Alfredo Aguirre is the Behavioral Health Director for the County and said Laura's Law is flawed and expensive.

“It offers a cookie cutter approach to the recommended treatment which we already offer anyway from a voluntary perspective, so it doesn't provide flexibility; it also sets up the county to basically fund all these referrals that require a very expensive level of care,” he said.

Instead of Laura's Law, the county set up a three-year pilot program called In Home Outreach Teams, or IHOT.

Critics say IHOT is a good program, but not a substitute for Laura's Law because outreach teams are not allowed to treat the mentally ill who refuse it.

"It's a real policy question, does the county have the responsibility,” said Aguirre. “It's really big government if you think about it that way... to be responsible for all the population that doesn't seem to connect with the private practitioner.”

There is available money from the state to help pay for Laura's Law that comes from the Mental Health Services Act, which raises hundreds of millions of dollars a year through a special tax on millionaires.

"I think we’ve hit our pain threshold where family members are saying with all due respect to our Board of Supervisors, we can no longer take it on good faith that Laura's Law is not appropriate for our county. We must see substantiated proof,” said Bish.

New County Supervisor Dave Roberts says he wants to see the data too. He's working with Supervisor Dianne Jacob to review Laura's Law and the county's alternative IHOT program, at the March 19th board meeting.

"We're really excited to bring it to our colleagues and get the county to look at what we're doing versus what we could be doing - are there improvements that we can make,” said County Supervisor Dave Roberts.

Nevada County is the only county in California to implement Laura's Law. During a 2.5 year period, they had a 46 percent reduction in psychiatric hospital days, a 65 percent reduction rate in incarceration days, a 61-percent reduction rate in homeless days and a 44 percent reduction in emergency interventions.

The net savings for the county was just more than $500,000.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Hueso Takes Strong Lead: Early Results

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Early election results Tuesday indicate state Assemblyman Ben Hueso secured enough votes to avoid a May 14 run-off for a South County Senate seat.

Results from Riverside, Imperial County and San Diego County indicate Hueso, a Democrat from San Diego, will ease into former Sen. Juan Vargas's 40th Senate District seat without further ado. Vargas left the seat after being elected to Congress.

Hueso has 50.9 percent vote, and his three challengers all fall below 20 percent of the vote, according to early results posted on the Secretary of State's website.

Running against him are Hector Gastelum, a conservative Republican businessman from Chula Vista; Democrat Anna Nevenic, a nurse and author; and Dr. Xanthi Gionis, a conservative professor and businesswoman.

The win pushes Senate Democrats back into a super majority, and opens the door for a new 80th Assembly District campaign, which is already in full-gear with labor leader Lorena Gonzalez and former Chula Vista Councilman Steve Castaneda battling to fill Hueso's seat.

 

 

Chicago Man Sparks Anti-Violence Campaign

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After the murder totals in Chicago started racking up after January of this year, South Side native Bryant Cross decided he'd seen enough.

The 28-year-old speech communications professor started thinking of effective ways to spread an anti-violence message and came up with the 500campaign, head shots of Chicagoans with the slogan "Angry Because Over 500 Youth Were Murdered in Chicago."

"I came across a picture of myself looking sad and that's what started it," Cross says. "I posted it on Instagram and Facebook with the text, and next thing I know, 20 people emailed me asking to do it for them."

He's had fairly steady requests over the past couple of weeks, but when 6-month-old Jonylah Watkins was fatally shot on Monday, the requests started coming in fast and furious.

He's edited hundreds of photos for his followers, who in turn are spreading the message on their own social media networks.

"There's a depression out here, people are wondering what they can do," Cross said. "I wanted to get people worked up so they at least feel like there's something they can do to address the violence."

Cross would like to harness the group energy into creating an anti-violence rally in downtown Chicago this summer.

"It's time to boost the morale of the city," Cross says. Whenever people outside of Chicago think of our city, they think of sports and violence. I want to see a day with no shootings and no killings ... a day of peace."



Photo Credit: instagram.com/500campaign

San Francisco Symphony Threatens to Strike

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EDITOR'S  NOTE: On Wednesday, the symphony announced it is on strike. Read more here.

That sour note you hear is labor negotiations at the San Francisco Symphony. As the prestigious symphony prepares to take its noted version of Mahler's Ninth Symphony on an East Coast tour, a contract dispute is threatening to derail the train before it hits the tracks.

"It's incredibly stressful and it kind of puts a cloud over everything," said symphony viola player Katie Kadarauch. The contract negotiations have stretched on since September, playing out along the traditional battlefield of dollars and cents.

The musicians are seeking roughly around a five percent raise to keep them on par with Los Angeles' and Chicago's orchestras, the only two earning more than San Francisco.

"Our musicians are among the highest paid orchestra members in the country," said symphony spokesman Oliver Theil. "Their average salary is over $160 thousand dollars a year with over ten weeks paid vacation."

The musicians insist most of their members earn closer to the starting salary of $140 thousand. "The management has come to us with a set of proposals that would freeze our salaries the first year," said David Gaudry, who plays viola and handles the musician's labor bargaining.

"We don't feel we're getting the support we need and have come to expect traditionally in the past."

On Tuesday, a string quartet of symphony musicians played Beethoven in San Francisco City Hall to rally support for their cause.

The musicians wore Dodger baseball caps to signify the Los Angeles Symphony earns more than San Francisco musicians.

The publicity event preceded new negotiations between musicians and management scheduled for the afternoon with a federal mediator.

"Our latest proposal offers the same benefit levels as our current contract," said Theil, "in addition to raises that keep the orchestra paid among the three highest paid American orchestras."

But Gaudry said the 5% salary increase the musicians are seeking is justified because the symphony's endowment had grown from $175 million in 2005, to its current level of $268 million.

He noted the symphony also spent $11 million dollars last year on celebrations for its centennial anniversary. Musicians recently voted to authorize a strike if a deal isn't soon hammered out. With an East Coast tour, including a concert in Carnegie Hall set for later this month, the saber rattling had reached a discordant climax.

"I think there's at least a very good probability there'll be a strike this week," Gaudry said.

The symphony threatened to cancel concerts and tours during a similar labor dispute in 2006. Like that occasion, both sides are hoping to strike a note of harmony just before the fat lady tunes up her vocal chords and steps out on stage.



Photo Credit: Joe Rosato Jr.

Naked Man Captured After Taking Baby: Police

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Police in Connecticut arrested a man they said was high on PCP as he ran naked through the streets of Bridgeport and an interstate highway while carrying a baby.

Surveillance cameras showed the man, who police identified as Santos Rodriguez, walking around naked around 4 a.m. on Saturday as he carried his girlfriend’s son. 

He stopped on Burr Road, near his apartment, took off the baby’s diaper, then tossed it in the middle of the street, according to police.

Seconds later, Rodriguez ran through a BP gas station on Fairfield Avenue, then onto Interstate 95 with the baby boy and streaked through both lanes of traffic. Police finally caught him on an exit ramp after receiving frantic calls from drivers.

“It was crazy,” Rodriguez’ neighbor said. “I never saw him do anything crazy like that. … A first time for me.”

Police said problems started when Rodriguez showed up at his apartment after a night of partying.  
They said he got into a fight with his girlfriend, snatched her baby out of his playpen and took off with him.

“I think he's gotten progressively worse, then just slipped off the deep end,” Sal Zucaro, a relative of Rodriguez’ landlord, said.

Police said the baby was checked out at the hospital and was not injured. He is back with his mother.
 
Rodriguez was in prison on Tuesday night, charged with first-degree kidnapping, risk of injury to a minor, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct.

Rodman Arrives in Rome to "Support the Cause"

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Dennis Rodman, fresh off a trip to North Korea, landed in Rome on Wednesday.

The former Chicago Bulls star known as "The Worm" showed up at St. Peter's Square to campaign for Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson to become the first black pope.

Dressed in a multi-color, flower-print blazer and yellow Converse shoes, Rodman told the media he doesn't have a favorite cardinal to become pope but said "the one from Ghana, he's gonna win."

"I'm just here to support the cause of the Church," Rodman said, "because I think the Church needs some revamping."

To prove his point, Rodman plans to return with a makeshift popemobile later in the day.

The campaign won't be heard by the 115 cardinals, who walked into the Sistine Chapel Tuesday to begin their secret meeting to choose a new pope. As of Wednesday morning, black smoke from the papal chimney signaled that no pope had been chosen.

This isn't the first of Rodman's recent worldly travels. He flew to North Korea last month and met authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un where the two watched basketball together and apparently foraged a friendship. Kim Jong Un told him, "You have a friend for life."

Upon his return home, Rodman told reporters Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung "were great leaders" and had only kind words about Kim Jong Un.

"He's proud, his country likes him — not like him, love him, love him," Rodman said. "Guess what, I love him. The guy's really awesome."

The two apparently plan on keeping in touch.

Rodman says he is vacationing with the leader in North Korea in August.

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