Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert made regular bank withdrawals below a limit that would require reporting and then lied to federal officials when asked about those withdrawals, according to a federal indictment handed down Thursday.

The Department of Justice and IRS allege Hastert, 73, withdrew $1.7 million from various banks between 2010 to 2014 and provided the funds to an unnamed person "to compensate for and conceal his prior misconduct."

The indictment indicates the Illinois Republican promised "Individual A," a resident of Yorkville, Illinois, a total of $3.5 million for "prior misconduct" against that person. The indictment does not describe the misconduct Hastert was trying to conceal.

Hastert's withdrawals over the four years were in increments less than $10,000 each in an effort to evade the filing of "Currency Transaction Reports" required by banks and avoid detection by the IRS, an act known as "restructuring."

The withdrawals spurred the FBI and IRS to begin investigating whether Hastert was trying to avoid reporting requirements for bank transactions or if the former speaker was a victim of an extortion scheme, according to court documents.

When questioned by the FBI last December, Hastert said, "Yeah . . . I kept the cash. That’s what I’m doing," when in fact he was handing the money over to someone else, the indictment alleged. 

If convicted, Hastert faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

A spokesperson with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago told NBC Chicago that a judge has not yet been assigned to the case and that Hastert is not likely to appear in court until next week.

"I am speechless. He is my friend, has been my friend [and] will always be my friend," said Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross.

Hastert was a history teacher and coach in Yorkville when Cross was his high school student, and Hastert recruited Cross into the Republican Party and into politics. Hastert served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007 before joining the Washington, D.C., lobbying and law firm of Dickstein Shaprio as a senior advisor.

A spokesman for Dickstein Shapiro says that the former House speaker has resigned, The Associated Press reported. 

The website for Dickstein Shapiro LLC had Hastert's biography as a "featured attorney" as late as Thursday afternoon, but Hastert's contact details appeared to have been removed from the website hours later.

A passenger jet heading to LaGuardia Airport had a close call with a drone near Prospect Park in Brooklyn Friday morning, just hours after five pilots reported someone had pointed green lasers at their planes near New York-area airports, officials say.

Shuttle America flight 2708 was heading toward LaGuardia from Washington, D.C., when it encountered the unmanned aircraft in its flight path, officials say. The plane's pilot had to pull up about 200 feet to avoid the drone, authorities said. The plane later landed safely.

It wasn't clear how many people were on board. The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating.

The close call comes after the FAA said pilots flying passenger jets reported being targeted by a green laser while flying Thursday night.

Four of the planes were flying at an altitude of 8,000 feet about 4 miles northwest of Farmingdale on Long Island between 9:30  p.m. and 10 p.m. when the lasers were pointed at them, the FAA said.

The affected flights included one from American Airlines, one from Shuttle America, and two from Delta airlines. At least three of the flights had taken off from John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Later, around 11:30 p.m., a Sun Country Airlines flight pilot reported a green laser pointing at the aircraft when it was about 14 miles southwest of JFK, the FAA said. 

No injuries were reported.

A 27-year-old reporter was gunned down in Skyland in Southeast D.C. Wednesday night — and her parents were told their daughter was a bystander used as a human shield.

Charnice Milton was shot by a man on a dirt bike about 9:40 p.m. Wednesday on the 2700 block of Good Hope Road SE, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said. The gunman, riding in a group of dirt bike riders, was trying to shoot someone in another group of riders, police said. 

"At 9:28, she texted me and said, 'I'm on my way home,'" the victim's mother, Francine Milton, said. "So, I was waiting for her to text me back and let me know if she needed me to pick her up, if she needed us, where she was. And we never got that text last night."

Milton, who was a contributor for Capital Community News (CCN), was taking the bus home after covering a story on Capitol Hill at the time of the shooting, her parents told News4's Derrick Ward. She was rushed to a hospital, where she died.

"She was on her way home doing what she did every single day," Lanier said at a briefing Thursday afternoon. 

Ward 8 resident advocate Nikki Peele said she admired Milton's devotion to covering D.C. neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River.

"The story was being told by people who did not live here, and it took those citizen journalists like Charnice ... who gave the true story," Peele said. "She ate with us, she shopped with us, she worshipped with us."

Milton began working for CCN, which publishes East of the River News and Hill Rag, in August 2012, editor Andrew Lightman said. 

"We lost one of our own yesterday," he said. "Charnice really loved doing community stories. She loved talking to people." 

Milton attended Ball State University and earned a master's degree in journalism from Syracuse University, her Linkedin page says.

Police described the suspect as a male in his late teens with long dreadlocks, last seen speeding away on a dirt bike or moped.

Lanier made an impassioned plea for witnesses to come forward with anonymous tips. 

"Help us get to the person who would be so reckless as to take this life in the manner it was taken," she said. "We need closure for this girl, for this community."

Anyone who has information regarding this case is asked to call police at 202-727-9099. Information can also be submitted to the Metropolitan Police Department's text tip line by text messaging 50411.

Several dozen paramedics and EMTs hit the picket line Thursday, arguing for higher wages. They say they earn less money than fast food workers.

With chants like “Highly trained, lowest paid” during their informational picket, the group protested their employer Rural Metro, a company that provides medical services for the city of San Diego.

This week, the vocal paramedics and their union overwhelmingly rejected a new contract offer from Rural Metro, which called for a 17.6 percent wage increase over four years.

That is not enough, the group said, because they make salaries starting around $13 an hour for long, hard work. EMTs make $10 an hour when they start.

“Just to make ends meet, we have to work extra hours,” said paramedic Philomena Zangar. “There's not possible way to keep up in San Diego with the cost of living with what we're paid.”

The spokesman for Rural Metro, Michael Simonsen, said the majority of the company’s workforce does not support this protesting group or its union.

“Remember, it’s not just the wage. It's also the health benefits; it's also the vacation time, sick leave and everything else that comes with it,” Simonsen said.

Union representatives say they do, in fact, have majority support and any talk otherwise is meant to distract from the real issue.

No matter what, it’s all about paying fair wages, said union President Jennifer Restle.

“We want people to know that Rural Metro should be fair and pay us a livable wage,” she said. “Most of us, 340 of 420 employees make less than $15 saving lives.”

On Monday, the San Diego City Council is set to vote on renewing its contract with Rural Metro. The picketers would like to see that vote delayed for 60 days, until the company can come to an agreement with its staff.

A San Diego man was arrested Wednesday, accused of having a sexual relationship with a Temecula teenager.

Lance Dhuyvetter, 28, was in custody accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl. Temecula Police Officers took Dhuyvetter into custody with the help of San Diego Police. He faces “numerous charges” including stalking, officials said.

The relationship has been ongoing since 2014, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Dhuyvetter was held on $250,000 bail.
 

Just before Charles Manson was set to go on trial for multiple murders in 1970, a young up-and-coming artist was looking for a job.

"As a kid I always had an interest in news," said Bill Robles, a nationally-known courtroom sketch artist based in Los Angeles. "It all started about 45 years ago with the Charles Manson Trial."

Robles studied at the Art Center College of Design and has taught at LA Trade Technical College teaching illustration and drawing.

In 1969, Robles convinced bosses at CBS News to give him a shot — for nine months he sat in on the trial, following every minute and capturing some of the most infamous moments. Robles drew his way into a business that barely existed until he put pencil to paper.

“The Manson trial had celebrity, murder, family, followers. It was fascinating," he said.

When Manson shaved his head and his followers followed suit, Robles got that image too. The job is time consuming with time constraints, he says, and while his focus is the main person involved, he says often “the cast of characters come as time permits.”

One image Robles created during the Manson Trial still stands as iconic as the trial itself — the moment Manson attempted to attack the judge, leaping from his chair behind the defendant's desk.

"Pencil in his hand that he dropped," Robles said, "he was wearing flip-flops and he was tackled in midair by the bailiff. That image led with Walter Cronkite on the news that night, so that was kind of cool."

Back then there were seven courtroom sketch artists — today, Robles is one of only a few in Los Angeles. NBC4 enlists Robles as well as local sketch artist Mona Edwards when TV cameras are not permitted to cover important court cases.

Robles knows the skill is a gift. He is the visual for court cases where cameras aren't allowed and he has to work on tight deadlines.

"You have to freeze the moments," he said. "You have to capture that image.”

Through his eyes, the public is present.

"TV needs an image," he said. "And that’s where we come in.”

Robles was there when Rodney King explained his injuries at the hands of LAPD officers. He sketched the Menendez brothers as they cried through the jury's murder conviction. When Michael Jackson went on trial for child sex abuse, it was Robles who captured what cameras could not.

“Media from around the world would like up to shoot the artwork,” he said.

Robles said Jackson's facial features were unique to draw.

He said he likes to draw on the unique looks, particularly women, "because you really can create something a little more unique," pointing to his depictions of Lindsay Lohan, Christina DeLorean and Cameron Diaz.

Men with facial hair come easy, too.

"Great big beard, or a big mustache or huge hair," he said, pointing again to Manson and the accused shooter in the Aurora theater massacre in Colorado, James Holmes.

Robles' gift got him into a little trouble during the OJ Simpson murder trial when Judge Lance Ito subpoenaed him to court because he thought the sketches of the jury — faceless because it was against the court rules to show the jury — were still too accurate.

"Judge Ito saw it on television and he was astonished by the accuracy. So I was subpoenaed,” he said. "He had me put glasses on people, tone down hairdos.”

It lead to an official "Ito-Approved" stamp sketch artists had to have cleared before submitting sketches to the media.

His art has painted the picture of history. His image of Manson leaping at Judge Older in 1970 is the cover of a book released last year called "The Illustrated Courtroom: 50 Years of Court Art" -- 45 of those years by Robles' own hands.

"When the cameras aren't allowed, we're king," he said, as he adds color to what's supposed to be a black-and-white system.

A stretch of Southern California coastline remained closed Friday morning due to mysterious globs of a tar-like substance, enough to fill a large dump truck, that washed ashore earlier this week.

Beach cleanup is expected to continue into next week as authorities attempt to identify the tar patties -- ranging from the size of golf balls to football -- and determine their source. Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo beaches remained closed Friday, two days after the blobs floated onto a six-mile stretch of coastline.

Authorities initially said Thursday that beaches might reopen by 6 a.m. Friday. The U.S. Coast Guard, fire officials and other agency representatives planned to provide an update on conditions later Friday morning, likely around 11 a.m.

Hazardous material teams collected samples, but authorities said at a Thursday news conference that the source and nature of the substance has not been determined.

"We are continuing to analyze the beaches and trying to determine the source of the tar balls and tar patties," said Commander Charlene Downey, of the U.S. Coast Guard. "We've made significant progress on the shoreline, and that's where the bulk of the tar balls have been found."

No new tar balls washed ashore Thursday, officials said. About 30 cubic yards, enough to fill a large dump truck, had been collected by Thursday afternoon.

Downey was asked at a Thursday morning news conference whether the substance might be related to an oil spill last week off the coast of Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County. She said it's too early to tell whether there's a connection.

"It could be anything," said Downey. "It could be naturally occurring, we just can't tell right now what might be the source.

"I can't tell you right now what specifically that product is. Those analysis and tests take time."

Results might take days or weeks, she added.

They will be analyzing samples to see if they can pinpoint whether the globs been processed by a company or naturally occurred. The waste is also being collected so the cost of the clean up can be calculated, and if anyone is found responsible they will be billed.

The cleanup is expected to continue for five to seven days, according to the Mahattan Beach Police Department. The length of the beach closures will be determined by tests for bacterial contamination in the water, according to the department.

The environmental group Heal the Bay warned that the beaches should not be reopened "until all the oil is cleaned up."

"Heal the Bay has concerns about opening the beaches and even allowing people on the sand between the lifeguard towers and the water," said Sarah Sikich, one of two scientists the group deployed to the scene. "It's nearly impossible to walk along the beach in that area without encountering a small oil glob, and from a human health perspective, exposure through skin contact is a concern."

There has been no impact to area wildlife, said Sal Garcia, of the California Depart of Fish and Wildlife. People who find distressed animals should leave the animal alone and call 877-823-6926.

California regulators are expected to vote Friday on water limits for new lawns as the historic drought persists.

The Building Standards Commission is scheduled to consider updating landscaping ordinances for new and renovated homes, office buildings, schools and hospitals.

The proposal comes in response to Gov. Jerry Brown's executive order to save water because of continuing dry conditions in the fourth year of the drought.

The rules don't spell out how lawns should be watered or what types of grass and shrubs should be planted, said Brian Ferguson, a spokesman for the Department of General Services.

Instead, the standards lay out how much water should be used depending on the size of landscapes.

The State Water Resources Control Board has already prohibited watering lawns that don't meet rules developed by the commission.

California officials have targeted the watering of ornamental lawns as an easy sacrifice for saving water, noting that outdoor irrigation accounts for roughly half of residential water use.

Communities are under order to cut water use by as much as 36 percent compared to 2013 levels.

Programs giving residents cash to rip out grass and add drought-tolerant shrubs and bushes are growing in popularity.

Brown's executive order also called for a ban on traditional sprinklers in favor of drip irrigation and micro spray. His administration has since decided that wasn't an effective way of saving water.

Manhattanhenge, the moment when the setting sun aligns precisely with the street grid in Manhattan, can be seen this weekend. 

Half the sun will align with the grid on Friday at 8:12 p.m., and the full-sun Manhattanhenge will happen the same time on Saturday, according to the Hayden Planetarium.

The best view can be seen as far east in Manhattan as you can go without losing view of New Jersey. Good spots are cross streets like 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd and 57th streets.

Long Island City in Queens should also get a spectacular view -- so much so that the nonprofit Hunters Point Parks Conservancy will host "LICHenge" Thursday night at LIC Landing in the park.

According to the group, there's a day-and-a-half window around the Manhattanhenge dates where viewing will still be optimal, DNAInfo reports. 

Manhattanhenge happens twice a year; in addition to the May dates, it will happen again July 12 and 13. 

On a clear day, the typical resulting effect of Manhattanhenge is a "radiant glow of light" across the skyscrapers and buildings, "simultaneously illuminating both the north and south sides of every cross street of the borough's grid," according to Hayden Planetarium. 

Show us your Manhattanhenge photos by uploading them here or uploading them on Instagram or Twitter with hashtag #NBC4NY!

The City of San Diego has the green light to give Balboa Park's Plaza De Panama a facelift.

A state appellate court has reversed a Superior Court ruling which delayed the project for more than two years.

The new ruling clears the city's plan to improve parking and traffic in the park and add pedestrian-friendly plazas and gardens.

The city-approved plan was challenged by the Save Our Heritage Organisation who argued it violates the city's preservation laws.

The controversial project included the construction of a bypass road off the Cabrillo Bridge and an 800-space underground paid parking lot in the large public park in the heart of San Diego.

In February 2013, Judge Timothy Taylor ruled the City of San Diego and The Plaza de Panama Committee (RPI) violated municipal code.

The historic heart of Balboa Park began as a pedestrian promenade for the Panama-California Exposition nearly a century ago.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend a rally at a Phoenix mosque Friday that includes a “Draw Muhammad" cartoon contest, an event similar to the one attacked by two would-be terrorists in a Dallas suburb earlier this month.

The FBI and local police have been informed of the event that will take place at a mosque that received a threatening letter this past weekend, according to NBC affiliate KPNX. The mosque was also once a place of worship for suspects in the Garland, Texas, cartoon contest.

Event organizer Jon Ritzheimer, who has held two protests in the city since the Texas shooting, told the station that the event is supposed to be peaceful.

“I don't condone any threats being made to the mosque,” Ritzheimer said.

But when the station asked him about the potentially hateful message of the protests, citing anti-Islamic shirts people have worn to past protests, he said: "I'm a Marine, and I'm far from politically correct. I’m outspoken, and I've just had it."

A Facebook page for the event says it's "in response to the recent attack in Texas where 2 armed terrorist (sic), with ties to ISIS, attempted Jihad."

Usama Shami, president of the community center, told KPNX that he respects people’s right to protest.

"Everybody has the right to be a bigot," he told the station. "Everybody has the right to be racist."

The suspects in the Texas attack, Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, opened fire on an unarmed security officer stationed outside the contest on May 3 in the Dallas suburb, according to The Associated Press. The security guard was wounded in the leg before the gunmen were killed at the scene.

Phoenix police declined to comment about security for Friday's event, the station said.

Dozens of parents, school leaders and police officers met at a school in Chula Vista Friday to talk about 13 sex offenders living in the area and share tips for families with young children.

A community meeting was held at Feaster Elementary School on Flower Street. The Chula Vista Police Department and school officials presented information to parents about the sex offenders.

Officials said having that many sex offenders in the area is not unique to the school, but they wanted to have a discussion with parents to make sure they’re aware of the situation and are taking the necessary steps to keep their children safe going to and from school and while playing outside with friends.

Officials also encouraged parents to write to their senator to support the changing of a law so sex offenders have to live a certain distance away from schools.

A one-sheet handout was given parents that included tips on how to talk with their children about safety.

The tips included, in part:

• Inform children that it is wrong for adults to engage children in sexual activity
• Listen to your children. Pay attention if they tell you that they do not want to be with someone or go somewhere. This may be an indication of more than a personality conflict or lack of interest in the activity or event.
• Make an effort to know the people with whom your child is spending time.
• Knowledge is power. This is especially true for protecting children from sexual assault. Teach your children about their bodies, give them the correct language to use when describing their private parts. Emphasize that those parts are private.
   

A man who allegedly shot at a woman in San Diego’s Chollas View community threw his gun out the window of his truck as he led police on a chase along a freeway Thursday, officials said.

San Diego Police Department Lt. Kevin Mayer said suspect Jose Gonzalez, 60, threw his gun out of his driver’s side window as he was pursued by police along eastbound State Route 94 near Massachusetts Avenue.

Mayer said Gonzalez was being chased because he failed to stop for officers who tried to pull him over at College Avenue and Federal Boulevard.

Police wanted to speak with him because at around 9:20 a.m., Gonzalez had allegedly fired a gun at his ex-girlfriend’s daughter in the 800 block of Dassco Street near 49th Street in Chollas View.

Mayer said the woman was following Gonzalez in her car when he shot at her from his truck. The woman was not injured.

Gonzalez took off and the woman reported the incident to police who were then on the lookout for the suspect’s white truck. Officers spotted the truck a short time later, but Gonzalez failed to yield, giving way to the pursuit.

The chase came to an end around 11 a.m. on northbound State Route 125 just before Mission Gorge Road near Santee. Mayer said Gonzalez surrendered at that point without incident and was arrested.

Mayer said no one was injured in the chase and the suspect’s gun was recovered from the freeway. The suspect has a history of domestic violence involving his ex-girlfriend – the mother of the woman he shot at – the lieutenant confirmed.
 

Crews worked to fix a gas meter in Scripps Ranch after authorities say a driver ran into it Thursday, causing a gas leak and a dangerous situation for people in the area.

Many businesses and restaurants were evacuated just after 8 p.m. after a damaged, large diameter line started releasing gas at the Scripps Ranch Business Park at 9925 Carroll Canyon Road, which near Interstate 15. Investigators believe someone backed into the gas meter and took off.

About 50 people were told to leave the complex as the gas leak until the meter was shut off around 2 a.m.

A firefighter told an NBC 7 crew to move back "because if this thing blows, half this property is going with it." 

"We have an explosion risk," said Capt. Daran Osborne with San Diego Fire-Rescue. "We don't want to get to close to it. We want to make sure there's no source of ignition, so we're not letting any cars in. We are trying to keep everybody at least 100 feet away." Police aided in traffic control.

Firefighters say it took so long to stop the gas because SDG&E crews were busy with another call of a similar magnitude. Thankfully, there was no wind blowing the gas in a concentrated direction, so it dissipated into the air.

However, construction crews must dig deep under asphalt to even reach the broken line, officials said.

Then they will search for the hit-and-run driver. An employee of one of the businesses said they have security cameras pointing right at the gas meter, so police will go through the footage Friday to try to get a vehicle description.

Live video will appear in the player above. From time to time the signal may go black — this is normal and the video should return soon.

Heavy thunderstorms dropped several more inches of rain in North Texas overnight Thursday, setting a rainfall record while also triggering a Flash Flood Emergency.  The flash flooding is being blamed for another North Texas death and for leading to dozens of high-water rescues Friday morning.

Mesquite Fire Department Capt. Kelly Turner said a man's body was found early Friday morning after his truck had been swept into a culvert and submerged.

Turner said people stranded on two cars that were also swept off the road told responders about the truck. He said the truck had been underwater for some time before they found it, and that authorities believe the man, whose name has not been released, was alone in the vehicle.

Recent storms are being blamed for killing four people in Oklahoma and at least 21 people in Texas, where 14 remain missing.

Rainfall Sets New Record

The latest heavy thunderstorm, which dropped nearly five inches of rain at Dallas Love Field and more than two inches elsewhere, helped set a record for the wettest May in Dallas-Fort Worth history.

The previous record for May rainfall was set in 1982 at 13.66 inches. As of midnight Friday, the DFW area had received 13.87 inches this month. By 8 a.m., the total rose to 16.07 inches; 8.62 inches were received in the last week.

According to The National Weather Service in Fort Worth, those 16 inches of rainfall amount to more than 35 trillion gallons of rain. 

The wettest month ever recorded in North Texas goes all the way back to April 1922 where 17.64 inches were recorded.  With more rain expected Friday night and into Saturday, shattering that record remains a possibility.

Dallas County

Flooding has blocked a busy highway west of Downtown Dallas, causing major traffic delays in both directions.

Overnight rain caused water to pool on Loop 12, under the Interstate 30 overpass Friday morning, trapping commuters for several hours.  Some of the drivers said they have been there since 5 or 6 a.m.

Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Hartzel said a crane was brought in after 11 a.m. to remove a section of median so that motorists trapped in the southbound lanes could get off the roadway. The northbound lane had already been cleared.

He said the southbound lanes were more challenging because streets where people could have exited were flooded as well. He said they think that the area where the road usually drains to flooded as well, so there was nowhere for the water to go.

At 10:20 a.m., Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said they had received more than 270 calls for help, most of which were for cars stranded in high water.  Evans added there were about 70 crashes reported.

"Obviously 'turn around don’t drown' is the phrase of the day," Evans said in a news release. "In addition to turning around, we would encourage drivers to map out at least two alternate routes to where they’re going, that way they don’t feel pressured to put themselves at risk. Better to be late to something than to put yourself in a situation where you just don’t get there at all."

Evans also reminded drivers that if they see an emergency vehicle blocking a roadway, it's there for a reason and to not drive around it.

"While not seeing a warning sign, for high water, can be understood; what’s inexcusable is drivers who drive around emergency and service vehicles to drive into the same high waters from which we are rescuing people," Evans said.

Tarik Hawkins told NBC News he was became stranded while trying to drive to work. He said it took him two hours to drive about a mile and described the situation on the road as "very chaotic."

"Right off I-35, there has to be 50 or 60 cars stranded," he said.

Israel Ramos, a 32-year-old tower inspector, said there was three inches of water inside his home and the street outside resembled "a river." He told NBC News that his neighbor called police when he saw an SUV floating down the street with a person inside.

The American Red Cross opened a shelter at the Tony Shotwell Life Center in Grand Prairie, according to spokeswoman Anita Foster. Supplies should arrive at the center at about 8 a.m.

Tarrant County

Arlington police said they blocked East Abram Street near Texas 360 because of major flooding over the roadway.

Authorities also received high-water calls on Interstate 30 near Oakland Boulevard and University Drive, 7200 Wichita Street and Trinity Boulevard near Precinct Line Road.

An NBC 5 viewer reported that Walnut Creek in Mansfield is swollen and pushing toward residential areas. Nearby Oliver Nature Park is also reportedly under water and closed.

Johnson County

Officials have evacuated or rescued about 19 people, according to Johnson County Emergency Management Coordinator Jamie Moore, but many more could be trapped in their homes.

"This is our fourth major flooding since April 26," he said. "We're doing rescues and having homes that are inundated with water."

About 45 roads are closed in the county due to flooding.

Parker County

Authorities said the Brazos River in Parker County is rising again due to new rain and the opening of two flood gates upstream at Possum Kingdom Lake.

County emergency management spokesman Joel Kertok said Friday that the river had risen above flood stage again after dropping below it Thursday night.

On Thursday, water was lapping at the foundations of 11 homes as the river crested at 23.58 feet before dropping to about 20 feet. The flood stage is at 21 feet. The level rose Friday to 21.4 feet and was expected to rise to nearly 27 feet Saturday.

Residents of about 250 homes near the river, most in the Horseshoe Bend community, were asked to voluntarily evacuate.

"The river is already above flood stage and will continue to rise through today and tomorrow," county emergency management coordinator George Teague said. "This situation will get worse before it gets better."

Flights Impacted

As of 10 a.m., officials reported that 44 flights into Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport had been canceled; 56 arrivals were delayed. Thirteen flights departing from the airport were canceled and 52 more delayed.

One of D/FW Airport's runways closed temporarily after a storm drain crews were repairing to address a nearby sinkhole collapsed. Officials said they expect the closure to have minimal impact on flights.

Nineteen flights departing from Dallas Love Field were delayed and 19 more canceled. Eighteen flights into the airport were delayed and 18 more canceled.

Dallas Love Field also experienced a power outage caused by a surge overnight, according to airport official Jose Torres. Power has since been restored.

Why would former employees make false allegations they knew were not true? That’s the question San Diego County Supervisor Dave Roberts wants answered.

In an interview with NBC 7 Investigates Thursday, he said he feels betrayed by the staffers who have turned against him, filing claims that allege he misused public funds, practiced favoritism and was abusive to personnel in his district office.

Roberts said he had no clue why they would turn against him like they have. It would be a reoccurring theme throughout the interview: Roberts saying he was distraught that his former Chief of Staff Glynnis Vaughan and his former appointment scheduler Diane Porter misled him, lied and kept him in the dark about staff problems.

He accused the women of appearing to support his efforts for the district but then turning on him. “The truth will come out,” Roberts promised.

Vaughan was the primary problem, he said. The supervisor, who now admits his hiring of Vaughan was a mistake, faulted Vaughan for her lack of leadership and inability to keep him posted about problems in the district office.

“I first learned of all of this from Diane Porter,” he told NBC 7. Porter quit on April 14 and is now suing the county for $250,000 in a complaint alleging a hostile work environment, among other things.

It was Porter who told Roberts that staff members were upset over what they perceived as the supervisor playing favorites, specifically with staff member Harold Meza, whom some viewed as the “teacher’s pet.”

“Why didn’t Glynnis Vaughan come and tell me there was something she was not happy with?” asked Roberts. “She told the CAO (County Administrative Office), she told the county counsel, she told the head of Health and Human Services.”

In her claim, Vaughan said she did go to the supervisor and laid out the problems of favoritism and other issues she was seeing in the office. But she said Roberts ignored her suggestions and concerns.

Roberts defended Meza, his community representative. He has done an excellent job, said Roberts, and has a great future with the county.

“To say he is having an inappropriate relationship, that’s wrong, when you make charges like that against somebody,” he said, explaining that they have a good working relationship “I am very comfortable as a gay man and Mr. Meza is very comfortable as a straight man.”

He added that he is truly offended by the allegations made by Porter and Vaughan.

“[Meza]has done a declaration under oath under the penalty of perjury that he is telling the truth,” said Roberts. “When these two other claimants do the same, then we are going to have something to talk about because it will be a lie.” It’s his contention that the two claims filed were signed by their attorneys and therefore the women have made no accusations under oath.

Attorney Chris Morris, representing Porter, and attorney Lynne Lasry, representing Vaughan, said their clients signed their claims against the county of San Diego under oath. They stand by their claims as previously reported.

Months before Thursday’s interview, Roberts had told NBC 7 Investigates that Vaughan had taken a couple sick days off and would return the following week. However, she never returned and instead filed a claim against the office for $425,000, accusing the supervisor of misusing public funds, among other allegations.

Roberts had also told NBC 7 Investigates in the same, on-the-record conversation how happy his staff was. This contradicted what we had found: that eight of his 11 staffers had left since the first of the year. Roberts had said we had our information wrong.

In Thursday’s interview, the supervisor back-tracked on his earlier statement, explaining, “I didn’t know the information you had.” He alleges he was kept in the dark about problems with the staff.

He went to say the two women were providing NBC 7 Investigates with information about problems in the office that he was unaware of. “That’s one of the main mysteries in all of this, you had information I did not have,” said Roberts.

Another alleged problem swirling around the supervisor’s office was the printing, at taxpayers’ expense, of baseball cards with Roberts’ picture on the front of them. When asked if this was an issue of using public funds to advance his political career, Roberts said no, it’s been done before to keep the public informed on topics.

According to the supervisor, Vaughan really liked the idea. He said he decided to stop the project when he reviewed the cards and thought, “This looks terrible.” He said the cards were taken from the office to Porter’s garage without his permission, which contradicts her claim. In it, Porter said Roberts called her and told her to “make the cards disappear.”

She provided NBC 7 Investigates a copy of an April 3 email that she sent to county counsel advising them that the cards were in her garage. Roberts said he knows that “you can’t take government property” and the cards will now be returned to the county.

The claim filed by Lasry on behalf of Vaughan alleges the supervisor had been involved in an unapproved contract with an Arizona consultant, a person who was versed in “one of my top priorities, public safety issues” said Roberts.

The bill for the consultant’s services was $28,900. Roberts said he thought Vaughan was “going to look into it but that obviously never happened,” adding that it was acceptable practice for supervisors to hire outside consultants.

Following the supervisor’s interview, NBC 7 Investigates talked to Diane Porter regarding the allegations made by Roberts.

“What proof does he have?” she asked. “I have pages and pages of texts and emails.” She said some of the more recent allegations against both her and Vaughan made by the supervisor and his supporters were inaccurate.

As to her accusing Meza and the supervisor of having an inappropriate relationship, she said that during a road trip to the Colorado River, “I never questioned why they ended up in a room together. I just made notes that they did. It may raise the eyebrows of other people.” However, Porter said there was a text message sent to her during that trip that she found inappropriate.

NBC 7 Investigates is working for you. If you have more information about this or other story tips, contact us: (619) 578-0393, NBC7Investigates@nbcuni.com. To receive the latest NBC 7 Investigates stories subscribe to our newsletter.

The family of a man shot to death by a San Diego Police officer who did not record the incident on his body camera has filed a $20 million claim against the city and the officer, claiming he used excessive and unreasonable deadly force.

The claim centers on the death of Fridoon Rawshan Nehad, 42, outside a Midway District adult bookstore early in the morning on April 30. 

Nehad, a native of Afghanistan, struggled with PTSD and mental illness after he was drafted into the Afghan army as a teenager to fight the Mujahedeen forces during the country’s civil war, his parents said in the claim, which also detailed how he spent two months in captivity.

The SDPD said officers were called to the Highlight Bookstore on Hancock Street for a report of a man threatening people with a knife. Officer Neal Browder, a 27-year veteran of the SDPD, encountered Nehad in an alley beside the store. The claim alleges Browder did not activate his siren, turn on his police lights or use his megaphone when he confronted Nehad, who is also known as Rawshannehad or Rawshan.

Police say the officer gave Nehad verbal commands, but when he didn’t follow them and kept coming toward Browder, he was shot. However, the claim says Nehad was still 20 feet away and did nothing wrong.

“A police officer can use deadly force only if he is confronted with deadly force or if somebody’s life is in danger,” the document reads. “Nobody’s life was in danger here. Fridoon did not challenge Browder with deadly force. Fridoon did not challenge Browder at all.”

Browder is accused of purposefully not turning on his body camera, and Nehad’s family believes the SDPD tried to help him hide what really happened. Though multiple security cameras recorded the fatal encounter, the agency has not released the video to the public.

“It knew the shooting had been captured on a nearby surveillance video,” the claim states. “Nonetheless, the SDPD tried to ‘spin’ the story against Fridoon.” After the fatal shooting, investigators told media they did not find any knife on Nehad’s body, though they did find a “shiny object” on him. Nehad’s parents said that statement falsely suggested he had a knife and threatened the officer.

After the incident, the SDPD changed its policy on body cameras, requiring officers to turn them on when they are called to a crime in progress, not just when they interact with a suspect. The claim says the agency has a “practice of officer misconduct and deceit, and this case is part and parcel of it.”

The shooting ended Nehad’s long struggle with PTSD and mental illness, his parents said in the claim. While in the Afghan army, Nehad was captured by a Mujahedeen group and spent nearly two months in captivity, being tortured, according to the claim. He was released when his mother met face-to-face with his captors.

To prevent further injury to their son, his parents said they sent him to Germany for the next 14 years, where he lived away from his family. After the parents fled Afghanistan in favor of the U.S., Nehad joined them there in 2003.

Here in the U.S., he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disease. “Fridoon battled against his illnesses for years. He was intelligent, learning new languages (German and French) and taking classes on computer programming, linguistics and literature,” the claim reads.

But Nehad suffered manic episodes, becoming aggressive and getting him in trouble with the law. He pleaded guilty to battery in 2005, was sentenced for burglary in 2008 and was charged with petty theft in 2014.

“Fridoon was loved. His family spent years and countless hours helping him cope with his PTSD and mental illness,” the claim said.

However, during one episode, he threatened his mother and sister and said he would light the house on fire so they could all burn. Investigating police recommended the family get a restraining order to help get Nehad into a shelter in Oceanside, according to the document. His mother filed for the restraining order two days before his death.

NBC 7 has reached out to the SDPD officials for their response to this claim, but they have not yet responded.

May hasn't been kind to Ian Kennedy.

The San Diego Padres right-hander lost his fourth straight start Thursday night, surrendering three home runs in the first three innings of an 11-5 defeat to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"We've had a good run of starts here and this was a severe bump in the road for our rotation," manager Bud Black said. "Nobody feels worse than Ian about this one. He just got some pitches elevated and they didn't miss them from the first inning on."

Jung Ho Kang hit a three-run homer, and Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco also went deep off Kennedy.

Kennedy (2-5) was chased by Andrew McCutchen's RBI double with two outs in the fourth. He lost his fourth straight start, allowing seven hits and seven runs, striking out five and walking two. Kennedy has allowed seven homers and 20 earned runs in his last four starts.

"It's been a roller-coaster for Ian this year," Black said. "We're trying to work through that. We're trying to get the consistency from Ian, and Ian's trying to do everything he can to string together some good starts."

"It's really frustrating," Kennedy said. "Fastball command was all over the place. They hit a couple of breaking balls for homers. It's really, really frustrating, really inconsistent, not what I like to do. As a pitcher, you try to go out there and be as consistent as possible. This has been a real test so far, the first month or so that I've pitched."

A.J. Burnett (5-1), who no-hit the Padres in 2001 while with the Marlins, won his fifth straight start. McCutchen, Neil Walker and Francisco Cervelli each had three of the Pirates' 15 hits.

The Pirates' first six runs scored on homers, including no-doubters by Kang and Polanco. Kang's shot with two outs in the first, his third, went an estimated 430 feet into the second deck in left field. Polanco led off the second with a 414-foot homer to center, his second.

Marte hit a two-run shot in the third, his 10th. McCutchen was aboard on a leadoff single.

Burnett allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits in 5 2-3 innings, struck out six and walked two.

Josh Harrison and McCutchen hit RBI doubles in the four-run sixth and two runs scored on shortstop Alexi Amarista's throwing error.

An elementary school in San Diego’s Emerald Hills community was recently targeted by thieves who stole approximately $7,000 worth of parts from an air-conditioning system that had recently been installed on campus.

According to the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), the suspects stole approximately 500-feet of copper piping from an air-conditioning system at Johnson Elementary School on Kelton Road.

In order to get to the AC units and steal the parts, the thieves had to climb onto the roof of a building on campus. The loss is valued between $5,000 and $7,000, officials said.

School district detectives are handling the investigation, which includes looking into whether surveillance cameras captured any images of the suspects.

An NBC 7 viewer said the AC system was recently installed after years of waiting for funding and because of the theft of the parts, it’s no longer working.

Johnson Elementary School is a year-round school, which means students are there from September through mid-July -- during some very hot summer months.

Principal Dr. Tracey Jenkins-Martin said the school has been working for the past seven years to get the AC system installed on campus.

Now, without it, she said learning will prove much more difficult for students.

“It’s really hot in those rooms – it can get upwards of 90-degrees in some classrooms. It really makes learning difficult when it’s hot inside the rooms,” said Jenkins-Martin.

The principal said the excessive heat leads to more nosebleeds, headaches and trips to the school nurse for students.

She said it's awful that someone would steal the piping and ruin their AC system with summer just around the corner.

“Shame on you for doing this to our school, to our students and to our community,” she said.
“It’s really heart-wrenching. It’s very disappointing that someone would take this opportunity that we’ve had for our students and steal from them.”

“They are actually taking away opportunities of learning for them because when it gets hot it really decreases their learning opportunities because of the heat in the classrooms,” Jenkins-Martin added.

Parent volunteer Delores Reed said she's also shocked and disappointed that someone would steal from the school like this, especially after so many years of hard work to get the AC system to students.

“We were so excited about getting air-conditioning. And, now for this to happen, the kids are going to be miserable again this summer," said Reed. "It’s taken years and years and years to get air-conditioning at this school and for somebody to take it from the children…”

“It’s very frustrating. I really don’t understand how people can just take away from children and have them suffer so much. The kids are going to be very hot – suffering in the dead heat of summer. It’s going to be very terrible for the kids," she added.

Anyone with information on this theft should contact the San Diego Police Department or the school district.

Reed said the suspect or suspects should remember this: ”Please, you really took from our children, and they really need the air-conditioning."