The man shot and killed by a San Diego County Sheriff's deputy in Alpine has been identified. 

Simon D. Hubble, 33, of Alpine died Wednesday after an incident involving Deputy Aaron Miller.

Miller, a six-year veteran of the department, was called to Emmanuel Way to help search for what had been reported as a mentally ill, violent man.

The suspect left the area but officials say Miller met up with him on the road sometime later.

Lt. John Maryon said it's not clear what happened, but officials say Miller deployed his Taser and then shot at Hubble, striking him.

Deputies and paramedics tried to perform CPR, but Hubble died a short time later, officials said.

A screwdriver was found by his body, according to Maryon.

The incident is under investigation.

A tiny Yorkshire terrier that was dumped down a trash chute in the Bronx in September has recovered from its injuries and has a new home -- and its very own Instagram account.

The ASPCA said that the dog, named Frankie, is thriving with a new owner, months after the pup was found at the bottom of the chute with a fractured skull and neurological trauma that left him nearly blind.

Veterinarians monitored Frankie for three months after he was rescued, and he quickly became a favorite at the ASPCA.

Frankie didn’t have to wait long to find a new home once he recovered, the ASPCA said. The rescue said an Amherst College student home on winter break visited the rescue and fell in love with the pup and eventually returned to adopt him.

The ASPCA said that after a difficult adjustment process compounded by his partial blindness, Frankie is at home with his new owner. He even has an Instagram account chronicling his adventures and collection of stylish sweaters.

“He is now well-adjusted, like any other fun-loving, cuddly Yorkie,” his owner said. “He loves his new home where he is meeting lots of new people and experiencing new things.”

San Diego home prices rose 4.8 percent in the year since March 2014, according to a national index measuring housing prices, barely less than the 5 percent increase seen across the country’s 20 largest cities and nudging out the 4.7 percent growth reported for February.

The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price Index said on Tuesday the largest gains were in San Francisco and Denver, which each had about 10 percent growth. The jump was San Francisco’s first double-digit increase since July. Denver saw similar growth in last month’s Case-Shiller report. Cleveland and Washington, D.C., tied for last place with 1 percent growth.

The pace of price hikes has slowed nationwide in the last year, with the national index growing 4.1 percent since last March compared to a 10 percent leap between August 2013 and February 2014, the report said.

David M. Blitzer, managing director and chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices, shot down talk of another housing bubble. He argued that since housing prices are rising faster than per capita income and wages, the pool of future home buyers is shrinking and moderations in home prices are likely.

“Home prices have enjoyed year-over-year growth for 35 consecutive months,” Blitzer said. “Given the long stretch of strong reports, it is no surprise that people are asking if we’re in a new house price bubble. The only way you can be sure of a bubble is looking back after it’s over.”
 

Video posted to a "MyC-SPAN" account on Thursday of a phone call former House Speaker Dennis Hastert received during an appearance on the network has raised questions as to whether there's any link between the call and the federal charges brought against Hastert.

The Washington Journal episode aired on a Nov. 13, 2014, one week after the midterm elections. The caller identified himself only as "Bruce" from Illinois.

"Hello, Denny," the caller said.

"Do you remember me from Yorkville?" he added, before laughing and hanging up.

"Yeah, go ahead," said Hastert.

"I think he's gone," said C-SPAN host Pedro Echevarria before moving onto the next caller. 

Hastert on Thursday was charged with making regular regular withdrawals from his bank accounts below a limit that would require reporting and then lying to federal officials when asked about those withdrawals. 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 did not specify the alleged misconduct or identify "Individual A" other than saying the person was someone from Yorkville, Illinois, where Hastert was employed as teacher and wrestling coach from 1965 to 1981. District officials on Friday said they had no knowledge of any alleged misconduct.

A federal law enforcement official on Friday afternoon told NBC News the misconduct involved an alleged sexual relationship between Hastert and a former male student at the school.

"The Hill" newspaper noticed the video after it was posted to the C-SPAN website.

A would-be thief who tried to grab a 22-year-old mother's iPhone at a Bronx laundromat punched the woman's 6-year-old son in the face when the boy stepped in his way as he tried to flee the mother's grasp, authorities said.

The man walked into the laundromat on Boone Avenue in Crotona Park East shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday and tried to sell the woman DVDs. She said she wasn't interested in buying any, and the man grabbed her iPhone, which was charging on a chair next to her, authorities said.

The suspect tried to run off with the phone but the woman grabbed him, trying to keep him there. He managed to break free with the phone and started running toward another exit when the 6-year-old boy stepped in his path.

Police say the suspect punched the young child in the face, knocking him to the ground, before running out to the parking lot. The boy's mother chased the suspect outside and wrestled her iPhone from the suspect before he managed to break free and ran off again.

Surveillance video shows the mother chasing the suspect back and forth across the laundromat (above).

The woman suffered minor injuries in the altercation and her 6-year-old son had facial swelling and lacerations. Both were treated at an area hospital.

"I really can't imagine a grown man punching a 6-year-old in the face," said Luis Rodriguez, a patron at the laundromat. "That's horrible." 

Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert's old school employer, current House Speaker John Boehner and family member are speaking out after the federal government charged Hastert with allegedly evading banking rules and lying to the FBI.

"The Denny I served with worked hard on behalf of his constituents and the country," Boehner said in a statement. "I'm shocked and saddened to learn of these reports."

In a statement, U.S. Senator Mark Kirk said anyone who had ever worked with Hastert is "shocked and confused" by the new developments and that the former speaker "should be afforded, like any other American, his day in court to address these very serious accusations." 

Hastert supported Kirk's campaign for U.S. Senator in 2010.

Officials from the Illinois school district that used to employ Hastert as a teacher and wrestling coach said Friday they have no information regarding the alleged misconduct with which Hastert was charged.

"The District was first made aware of any concerns regarding Mr. Hastert when the federal indictment was released on May 28, 2015," a Yorkville Community Unit School District #115 spokesperson said in a statement to NBC Chicago.

In a Facebook interview with Charles Hastert of Joliet, nephew of Dennis Hastert, the family member said: 

"I don't believe it. Denny has always been honest and clean as they come. He is loved by his family and community."

Federal charges were handed down Thursday against Hastert, accusing him of evading banking rules and lying to the FBI when asked about them. The Department of Justice and IRS allege the 73-year-old made repeated withdrawals from his accounts and handed the cash over to an unnamed person "to compensate for and conceal his prior misconduct."

In its statement, Hastert's former school district said it had no knowledge of the alleged misconduct, nor had anyone come forward to report misconduct.

A federal law enforcement official on Friday afternoon told NBC News the misconduct involved an alleged sexual relationship between Hastert and a former male student at the school.

Hastert's employment with Yorkville Community Unit School District #115 began in 1965 when he was hired to teach history and coach the wrestling team. Eleven years later, Hastert was named Illinois Coach of the Year after leading Yorkville to state wrestling championship.

He left the district in 1981, shortly after entering politics.

Controversy is shaking up a Southern California apartment complex after a flier appeared in community elevators specifically asking African-American residents to speak quietly and to turn down music levels at night.

The fliers were posted in at least two of the elevators at the Toscana Apartments, located near the campus of University of California, Irvine, and advised and reminded residents about the appropriate noise levels, citing several recent complaints.

And, at the bottom left, this:

"We would like to remind our African-American residents to keep conversation volume down and reduce music levels between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.”

The complex is located about a mile from the UC Irvine campus, many students live at this complex.

"I definitely feel uncomfortable here, I don't feel safe here,” one resident, who did not want to be identified by name, told NBC4.

The flier ends by thanking residents for their cooperation and is signed as if it is from Toscana’s management. It includes the actual address and phone number to Equity Residential, the company which manages the complex.

"I want the lease cut off, I don't feel comfortable here, I don't want to be a part of this community and obviously the apartment complex doesn't want us to be here either," the resident NBC Los Angeles interviewed said.

The regional manager for Equity Residential, Mary Linder, categorically denied any involvement.

"The flier is a fake. No one from Equity, not any of our employees or Equity Residential had anything to do with the creation or the distribution. We're outraged with the content and we are investigating it," Linder said.

Still, some residents remain infuriated.

"This is what happens, they try to deny it and they try make it private and try to talk to us and try to deal with it, they send cops and security to intimidate and try to stifle us," a resident who asked to be identified as DD said.

Irvine police did visit the complex Friday, mostly hearing residents concerns.

"(I’m) really surprised,” resident Christine, who asked to be identified by her first name, said. “I think it's horrifying that someone would write specifically about one culture and point that out."

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert was making payments to a man in order to conceal a sexual relationship they had while the man was a student at Yorkville High School, a federal law enforcement official told NBC News on Friday.

Hastert was indicted Thursday with making regular withdrawals from his bank accounts below a limit that would require reporting and then lying to federal officials when asked about those withdrawals. 

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 accused Hastert of promising a total of $3.5 million to the unnamed person.

The indictment did not specify the alleged misconduct or identify "Individual A" other than saying the person was someone from Yorkville, Illinois, where Hastert was employed as teacher and wrestling coach from 1965 to 1981.

District officials on Friday said they had no knowledge of any alleged misconduct.

Hastert's name was removed Thursday from the Washington, D.C. lobbying and law firm where he worked, and a spokesperson there said Hastert had resigned.

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

Deputies arrested a man on suspicion of murder after a woman was found dead in a Santee motel earlier this week.

Mark Michael Everitt, 52, was taken into custody in La Mesa Friday at about 3:30 p.m., according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. He will be booked into jail for murder in the death of Julie Ann Marie Ulm.

Ulm's body was found in the Rodeway Inn on Mission Gorge Road at noon on Monday. A citizen had flagged down a deputy to say a person was down in a room.

The medical examiner has not released Ulm's cause of death, and sheriff's officials have not detailed what led them to accuse Everitt in her killing.

Ulm would often stay at the Rodeway Inn when she needed time alone, Sheila Kelly Paradise -- who knew the victim for 36 years -- told NBC 7 on Friday.

Before her murder, Ulm had stayed at the motel for three days, the friend said. On the fourth, she called Paradise to ask if she could stay with her. Paradise declined, explaining she had just suffered a bad fall and couldn't host her.

That was the last Paradise heard from Ulm.

“Then I saw on TV… 55-year-old woman murdered at Rodeway Inn," said Paradise, "and I went, ‘Oh my God, that’s Julie.’ And it just clicked."

She could not imagine why anyone would want to kill Ulm, describing the victim as someone who would give you the shirt off her back.

Paradise and Ulm lived in the same El Cajon apartment complex for years.

“She was the most outgoing, funny, giving person you ever hoped to meet," said Paradise. "She could find humor in the darndest places. She had what I called black humor.”

For a time, Ulm's daughter lived with her in El Cajon, but she had since moved out. Alice Ulm, a family member in New York, told NBC 7 that Ulm's daughter and the rest of the family had been keeping their distance from her because of recent "lifestyle choices."

Ulm's in-laws were actors James Whitmore -- known for his turn in "Shawshank Redemption" -- and Audra Lindley of "Three's Company" fame, according to Paradise.

After her husband's death, Ulm started cleaning homes and businesses under Paradise's suggestion -- an endeavor she continued for 15 years.

A Catholic priest was found guilty Friday in federal court of sexually assaulting a woman aboard a flight from Philadelphia to LAX.

A federal jury found Father Marcelo De Jesumaria, who is based out of Arrowhead, California, guilty of abusive sexual contact on the US Airways flight to Los Angeles last August.

The FBI told the NBC4 I-Team that a female passenger, identified in legal documents only as "BD," woke up during the flight to find the priest’s "hands on her breast, groin, and buttocks."

De Jesumaria had previously served in the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino, but was removed from the ministry in November when the allegations against him surfaced, the diocese said in an emailed statement. He is a member of the Chicago-based Congregation of the Resurrection, which will determine his future in the priesthood, the statement said.

Last year, the NBC4 I-Team exposed the growing problem of sexual assaults reported aboard airplanes. The FBI told NBC4 that most of the assaults happen on red-eye flights when the cabin is dark and the victims are asleep or dozing off.

• MORE: FBI Investigates Rash of Sex Crimes at 30,000 Feet

The FBI urges anyone who is assaulted aboard a plane to immediately report it to the flight crew while still in the air.

"Criminal activity aboard an aircraft that is reported several days or weeks after an incident occurs presents greater challenges for investigators," said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller.

In the US Airways incident, FBI agents met De Jesumaria at the gate, when the plane landed last August. They gathered enough evidence to indict him in October.

Friday, after a three-day trial in federal court, a jury found De Jesumaria guilty of abusive sexual contact, which is defined as "the intentional touching… of the groin, breast, inner thigh or buttocks of any person with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade and arouse."

De Jesumaria will be sentenced Aug. 24. He faces a two-year statutory maximum sentence.

NBC4 asked the Diocese of San Bernardino for comment and they emailed this statement:

"The Diocese of San Bernardino considers the actions alleged of Father De Jesumaria in the federal indictment to be sinful and unlawful. We removed him from ministry in the diocese immediately after we became aware of this allegation in November and we are deeply regretful of any harm that may have occurred as a result of his actions. He belongs to a Chicago-based religious order, the Congregation of the Resurrection, that will determine the future of his priesthood."

Former U.S. House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert has resigned from the board of the Christian school's public policy and government center that bears his name, a Wheaton College spokesperson said.

The resignation was the latest fallout from a federal indictment accusing Hastert of violating banking laws. The indictment alleges Hastert was paying hush money to keep someone silent about "prior misconduct."

A federal law enforcement official on Friday afternoon told NBC News the misconduct involved an alleged sexual relationship between Hastert and a former male student at the school.

Wheaton College is home to the J. Dennis Hastert Center for Economics, Government and Public Policy. The center was established in 2007, when Hastert stepped down from Congress after eight years as speaker.

A college spokewoman told the Chicago Tribune that no decisions had been made Friday about possible changes to the center's name or programming.

Hastert's name was removed Thursday from the Washington, D.C. lobbying and law firm where he worked, and a spokesperson there said Hastert had resigned.

Rain moved across North Texas once again on Saturday morning flooding roads and adding to the already rising lake and creek levels.

For the second day in a row, flash flood warnings were activated for many of the bigger counties including Dallas, Tarrant, Denton and Collin.

From Dallas to Lewisville, Denton and beyond, police departments, cities and residents reported high water and road closures.

People who live along Singleton Boulevard in West Dallas are watching the weather very closely after Dallas Police officers drove through the neighborhood on Friday night urging residents to evacuate.

Some waited until Saturday morning.

"We knew it was going to flood since we stayed in front of the little river so we just left," said Juanita Hernandez.

Garland, one of the hardest hit areas, has seen 9 inches of rain fall in the last two days.

And in Dallas about 6 inches fell as of Saturday morning. The rain is not a welcomed sight for many in Dallas County after flooding blocked Loop 12 under Interstate 30 overpass on Friday. That area is expected to be closed well into next week.

In Lewisvlle John Beachman who has lived by Timber Creek since 2001 said 8 feet of his property is now under water.  

President Barack Obama signed a disaster declaration amid the severe weather, offering federal funding to affected people in Harris, Hays and Van Zandt counties, the White House said in a statement early Saturday. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had earlier requested a presidential disaster declaration to get federal help for affected counties.

Two Dead in North Texas Flooding

Two North Texas deaths have been blamed on the flooding. 

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.

The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office identified the flood victim as 47-year-old John Jeffrey Usfrey.

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.

In Dallas, police said Friday afternoon the body of a man was found near California Crossing and Northwest Highway as flood waters receded. Police did not release the man's identity, but did say he was not found in a vehicle.

Recent storms are being blamed for killing seven people in Oklahoma and at least 23 in Texas, where 13 remain missing or unaccounted for. 

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 had 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.

On Friday an NBC 5 photographer captured video of a driver maneuvering around a police cruiser beneath an overpass on Northwest Highway early Friday and heading directly into high water.

Rescue crews used a raft to help that driver to safety after the SUV gave way to the water.

"We have a sincere plea with our drivers. If you see a barricade or a sign, please do not try to drive through that area," said Sana Syed, City of Dallas spokesperson.

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.

A Navy veteran died several hours after a mishap on a platform dive attraction making its debut at a Southern California fair Thursday night, authorities said.

Sabrina Gordon, 31, of Hesperia fell from the FreeDrop USA ride at the San Bernardino County Fair Thursday night at 8:14 p.m., and was airlifted to a hospital, deputies said. Less than five hours later, at 12:20 a.m. Friday, Gordon died.

Her heartbroken family remembered her as a wonderful person whose death could have been prevented.

“She was a very funny little girl… Always independent, doing her own thing,” Lyle Bell said, Gordon’s father.

She followed her father’s footsteps and joined the Navy right out of high school.

“Like I did and my dad… His father, two older brothers, one younger… we all served,” he said.

It appeared Gordon hit the air cushion and bounced onto the asphalt ground, subsequently injuring her head, according to her father.

"This was stupid, this was something for professional stunt people," Bell said.

Three platforms let participants jump 20, 28 or 36 feet onto the inflated pillow that stands 13-feet tall, according to a news release from the fair. FreeDrop USA was making its debut in California at the fair, according to the release.

A video posted to the San Bernardino County Fair's Facebook page showed the attraction in action, and its caption described the ride as "no bungee cords, no wires, no harnesses, just pure free fall."

"The ride was immediately closed and will remain so indefinitely," San Bernardino County Fair CEO/General Manager Geoff Hinds said in a statement. "The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is conducting a thorough investigation."

Gordon reportedly dove off the 28-foot platform, according to the fair’s news release.

She was working at the fair for a vendor when friends egged her into making the jump.

"There were no safety nets ... this accident could have been completely avoided," her husband said, Clifford Gordon. He was not there when she fell but said that when they saw the attraction days before, they both agreed it was too dangerous.

The company that makes FreeDrop defended its safety record in a statement, saying more than 50,000 people have made safe jumps on the ride across the country.

Fair Board of Directors President Paul Russ said in a statement: "This is a heart wrenching tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family."

Police released the name of the man Friday accused of shooting his neighbor 19 times before sparking a 10-hour-long standoff with law enforcement at an apartment complex in Chula Vista, south of downtown San Diego.

According to the Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD), Michael Majerus, 42, shot and killed neighbor Nicholas Reynolds, 43, at the Mission Gardens apartment complex located at 160 E Street on Thursday morning. Witnesses told police the men had a long-standing dispute over neighborhood issues.

Police said Majerus shot Reynolds 19 times with an AR-15 rifle as Reynolds was getting into his car at the apartment complex.

After the deadly rounds were fired, Majerus barricaded himself inside his apartment along with his wife, Laura, and two young children, still armed with the AR-15.

Dozens of police officers and SWAT officials surrounded the apartment complex and crisis negotiators were called in as a lengthy standoff with Majerus ensued.

A number of other agencies were called in for backup, including the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the San Diego Police Department and National City Police Department.

Officials shut down major roads in the area and evacuated dozens of residents from the apartment complex as the standoff unfolded.

MTS assisted in transporting evacuees to the nearby Norman Park Senior Center where the residents remained for hours. The American Red Cross provided food to the evacuees and police officers throughout the very long day.

After hours of on-again off-again negotiations with the suspect and sending a direct message to Majerus via news cameras, the suspect released his wife and the children from the apartment at around 3:35 p.m. They were unharmed.

Majerus remained holed up inside the apartment.

About an hour later, three shots rang out. CVPD Lt. Fritz Reber said the first came from a police test canon shot. The second was inside the apartment and did not come from officers. The third was a flash bang grenade that shattered a window so the SWAT team could send in two robots and check on the suspect.

One robot spotted a man down in an upstairs room, and a SWAT team soon followed to confirm. They found Majerus dead inside from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Police said two other handguns were found inside the apartment.

Investigators believe there was no verbal argument before Majerus shot his neighbor. According to the CVPD, officers had been called on two prior occasions to the apartment complex regarding the ongoing dispute between the neighbors.

However, in both instances, police determined there was no crime and no police report was filed. Police confirmed Majerus had no significant criminal history.

The deadly shooting remains under investigation. No other residents or law enforcement were injured in the standoff.
 

NBC 7's Gene Cubbison offers this analysis on the turmoil in San Diego County Supervisor Dave Roberts' office.

San Diego County's Republican Party is getting a big jump on next year's election cycle -- attracted by blood in the political water surrounding 3rd District County Supervisor Dave Roberts.

Until a few weeks ago, Roberts looked unbeatable – with no opposition from either party in sight.

Then his office staff imploded.

Bitter accusations surfaced.

Now, district attorney’s investigators are on Roberts’ case.

Civil lawyers on the clock.

And ultimately, county taxpayers may be on the hook to cover six-figure severance claims filed by his former chief of staff and scheduler.

Since 1995, the County Board of Supervisors had been all-Republican until Roberts was elected in 2012 took office in early 2013.

But given widespread media coverage of his legal troubles, there are growing doubts about the popular, energetic first-termer winning a second term on the board.

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” said Tony Krvaric, chairman of the Republican Part of San Diego County. “It’s just a matter of if he leaves office before the election.”

Roberts flatly denies every allegation of misconduct and improprieties lodged by those former staffers, and told NBC 7 in an interview Thursday that he’s confident of withstanding any recall or re-election challenges.

In a Friday recording session for this weekend's edition of NBC 7’s “Politically Speaking with Gene Cubbison" program, San Diego County Democratic Party chairwoman Francine Busby vehemently defended Roberts.

"He is one of the most successful, hard-working supervisors that we have had in years -- he has brought a fresh breath to the county board," Busby declared. "And he's pointing out the fact that he had two staff members that were disgruntled -- they made that very clear publicly. They're looking for compensation for that."

Krvaric offered this rebuttal: "If we are following the legal process, Bob Filner would still be mayor today. This man has no credibility, whether he makes it to the end of his term. There's no doubt he will not end up being able to run for re-election, at least not with any credibility. We will have several candidates, and that'll be a race."

The early talk of an electoral challenge to Roberts revolves around a state assemblyman, a North County mayor and a San Diego city councilman.

Busby downplays the severity of Roberts’ political peril.

"This is not the first time a supervisor has run into headwaters, and every one of them has survived -- from Bill Horn's issues and Pam Slater-Price's,” Busby noted. “ Some of the other ones have come into pay fines, they've had penalties, they've had problems. Dave Roberts has to prove that he is doing his job, that he has his office in order. And I think he will do that."

It's probably too early – and bad form -- for Democrats to think out loud about Roberts' viability for re-election.

But behind closed doors, off-line?

It may get too late to hold onto District 3 if they're not already making contingency plans.

NBC 7's Politically Speaking airs at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

It’s usually all about baseball at Petco Park but this winter, the downtown stadium will try its hand at hosting a basketball game on an outdoor court to be built on the ballpark’s infield.

On Friday, it was announced that Petco Park will play host to the first college basketball game in the venue’s history on Dec. 5, 2015, at 2 p.m. as the men's San Diego State University Aztecs take on the University of San Diego Toreros.

Now, if you’re having a hard time visualizing a basketball game at the ballpark, here’s the game plan on the set-up:

Reps say the local college teams will compete on a special outdoor basketball court that will be situated length-wise between third base and home plate. Bleacher seating will be laid out on the field erected around the open sides of the court.

The seats will accommodate nearly 3,300 spectators, supplementing the existing options in the Petco Park seating areas.

Capacity for the winter basketball event is set at nearly 20,000, reps said.

“Petco Park has been a versatile facility that has taken on different shapes and sizes in recent years, from a tennis court to a Supercross course,” said Padres President and CEO Mike Dee in a press release issued Friday. “We look forward to hosting basketball activities and welcoming two local schools to play outdoors in the middle of downtown San Diego. We’d like to thank the leadership at both San Diego State and USD for working closely with us to make the vision for this game a reality.”

Both college teams said they’re looking forward to playing at the unique venue.

Tickets for the game will go on sale in June exclusively to Padres Members, Toreros Season Ticket Holders, SDSU men’s basketball 2015-16 full season ticket holders, Aztec Club members and Aztec football full season ticket holders.

Tickets for the general public will go on sale later this summer, ranging in price from $20 to $350. In the fall, $10 student tickets will be available for purchase.

A seating map for the game can be seen here. For more details on the sporting event, visit this website.
 

The former Hotel Sandford manager who is being investigated on possible charges of embezzlement told NBC 7 Investigates Friday he is cooperating with detectives.

Michael Shew was hired by Royal Property Management (RPM) to manage the affordable housing complex from October 2014 until April of this year when he resigned.

In an email to NBC 7 Investigates, Shew said:

"I have spoken with the San Diego Police department and I am working/cooperating with them and their investigation. I made a few serious mistakes in judgement and I am trying to do anything that I can to help correct those mistakes."

NBC 7 Investigates reported last week that RPM lost the Hotel Sandford property management contract this month after the San Diego Housing Commission and SDPD were alerted to possible cases of embezzlement at the complex. RPM was awarded the property management contract last October by the San Diego Housing Commission.

In 2010, the San Diego Housing Commission bought the former hotel and converted the building into housing units for seniors.

The owners of RPM said they hired Michael Shew to run the day-to-day operations of the housing complex when they were awarded the property management contract last year.

Last month, the owners of RPM said they were first alerted that rent checks, made payable to the Hotel Sandford, were not being cashed into the hotel’s accounts.

When RPM brought this to the attention of Shew, the owners said, he submitted his resignation the next day, citing personal health issues.

San Diego Police say the investigation is ongoing.

At this time, no charges have been filed against Michael Shew or RPM’s owners.

The man accused of driving a San Diego International Airport jet fuel tanker while intoxicated has pleaded not guilty to charges against him.

James Stewart, 56, was appointed counsel and arraigned Friday on a DUI charge after his arrest on April 16. According to Harbor Police, Stewart had a blood alcohol content of 0.24, three times the legal limit to drive, when he arrived to work that day.

In court Friday, Stewart swore he did not own a vehicle and would not drive. He was also ordered to attend five Alcoholic Anonymous classes before his next court date scheduled for June 12, according to a spokesman for the city attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the DUI charge.

“He was there to fuel an aircraft, and that’s when he had gotten out of the vehicle, and he was walking around, and that’s when the ground service workers thought there was something wrong with him,” Harbor Police Lt. John Forsythe said.

Officers noted Stewart had bloodshot, watery eyes, smelled of alcohol, slurred his speech and staggered, according to an arrest record. The report details how employees alerted police to come to the tarmac near the Delta airline gate after Stewart got out of the fuel truck and was seen swaying and staggering.

He was taken into custody shortly after.

A Harbor Police official said the danger of operating the highly-flammable jet fuel tankers while intoxicated is obvious.

Stewart’s jury trial is scheduled for July 2.

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.

When two people serving in the military say “I do,” Congress could soon say “we don't” to paying both service members military housing benefits.

Currently, each spouse serving in the military gets a basic allowance for housing (BAH) to help them cover the cost of living off-base.

But under the Senate Armed Services Committee’s defense authorization bill, only the higher-ranking member in dual-service marriage would draw the housing benefit with a “dependents rate.” The other member would be ineligible.

“There can be a lot of controversy around this, whether that person is considered to be double dipping or not. Both of these service members joined the service under their own contracts; they have their own benefits and their own entitlements. Just because they are married, should they receive less benefits than a single person?” asked Tony Teravainen, CEO of Support the Enlisted Project. The organization helps struggling military families with basic needs and other financial help when they can't pay their bills living on a military salary.

The change is aimed cutting the near $500 billion defense budget, which has had a more than 30 percent increase in personnel spending over the last 14 years.

But this cut may not be so cut and dry. Teravainen said there are 85,000 junior enlisted, lower pay grades in the Navy in San Diego County. “Sixty percent of them are considered low income and 30 percent rely on food assistance regularly to feed their families, so anytime you make any adjustments to military pay, it's a very sensitive issue,” he said.

Members of the military who talked with NBC 7 Friday said this is complicated by a number of other issues. For instance, sometimes married military couples don't live in the same city because the military can't always station couples at the same location.

“I think they should not take that benefit away from them even if they are married. It is expensive to live, period. So if they are going to serve their country, they should get it,” said Penny Sloan.

After moving from the Armed Services Committee, the change has to pass the Senate and the House.
 

A woman was under arrest Friday, accused of murder for striking and running over a motorcyclist on a busy San Diego highway at rush hour.

Imperial Beach resident Darla Renee Jackson, 26, was driving a black Nissan Altima northbound on Interstate 5 near E Street in Chula Vista at around 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers said Jackson and a man on a red Ducati motorcycle got into some type of disagreement on the roadway.

After the two drivers transitioned from I-5 to eastbound State Route 54 and passed National City Boulevard, Jackson hit the Ducati from behind and ran over the rider, CHP officers said.

The motorcyclist — identified by friends as 39-year-old Zachary Buob — died about an hour later at a hospital. A Santee resident, Buob was an active duty Chief Petty Officer in the Navy's special operations.

Jackson was arrested and now faces one count of murder in what officers are calling a road rage incident. She was booked into Las Colinas Detention and Re-entry Facility and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

The crash caused a Sig Alert for more than two-and-a-half along SR-54 in the middle of a very busy evening commute. Investigators are in the process of tracking down drivers who may have witnessed the act of road rage from start to finish.

Anyone who may have seen anything involving these two vehicles should contact the CHP investigator at (619) 220-5492.

Describing the victim, friend Kathryn Cramer said Buob served in the military for more than 20 years and completed many tours overseas.

"He was so strong but his heart was so sweet," she said in an email. "He was truly one of the 'good guys' and my heart is broken. My prayers are with his Mom and Dad and family. He loved them so much."

Another good friend, Tim James, told NBC 7 Buob worked as an elite special boat operator, but motorcycles and trucks were his passion — only overshadowed by his love for family and friends.

"Zach was energetic, intelligent and a superb leader. He would light up any room he entered with his friendliness and wittiness...a heart of gold," said James in an email.

CHP Officer Jake Sanchez warned drivers Friday to not let road rage ever escalate to such a deadly point. He warned drivers not to pick fights with others on the roadway because you don't know what that person may be going through or if that person could be capable of something like this.