The local mother of a UC Santa Barbara student who contracted meningitis said she is “absolutely thrilled” a vaccine has been approved to treat it, even though it was too late to save her son’s feet.

Carlsbad resident Kirsten Loy doesn’t like to focus on the what if’s.

“I mean, if only we had had that available a year ago, we would have been on it,” she said.

Last November, her son Aaron, a La Costa Canyon graduate and freshman lacrosse player, caught a rare strain of bacterial meningitis during an outbreak at UCSB.

While nearly 500 students on campus were given antibiotics to fight the disease, it had already spread too far in Aaron.

He lost both legs below the knee.

The athlete had contracted the potentially deadly Neisseria meningitis serogroup B strain, which just weeks ago killed San Diego State University freshman Sara Stelzer and hospitalized a student at Palomar Community College.

A vaccine to treat and prevent the illness, widely used in Europe, was only brought to the U.S. during outbreaks, like the one that sickened Princeton students last year.

But on Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration cleared Pfizer’s Trumenba drug to prevent the subtype of meningococcal disease in people ages 10 to 25.

Kirsten Loy said hearing about the vaccine comes as a relief.

"Actually I've been worried about other kids constantly, and I watch the news,” said Kirsten. “To know they can have something to prevent this is amazing, and Aaron will be absolutely thrilled.”

Her son is now back at school, with a new pair of prosthetics.

“He gets up every day with a smile on his face, puts his legs on and just carries on,” his mother said.

Current vaccines only protect against serogroups A, C, Y and W-135, but the addition of the new serum is an important breakthrough, said Dr. Mark Sawyer, a professor of pediatrics at UC San Diego.

“Type B disease makes up somewhere between 30 to 40 percent of the disease we see in adolescent populations, so to have now a vaccine that will cover that is great news,” said Sawyer.

Kirsten told NBC 7 she hopes her son’s story has helped to save others.

“Maybe he was a catalyst to help this vaccination go through. Maybe just a little bit,” she said.

Pfizer said parents interested in getting the Type B vaccine for their children should work with their doctor's offices. They hope to have it available within a few months.

In case you can’t snitch some candy from your kid’s trick-o-treating bag, be sure to go out and grab some treats for yourself this Halloween weekend. We’ve got a list of local haunts with menus to please the grown-up palate, brought to you by Yelp.

Le Parfait Paris, Downtown

The stunning creations here are perfect for an All Hallows Eve-indulgence. Stop in for some French Macarons, a perfectly inspired pumpkin with adorable décor and delicious traditional flavors like Framboises (raspberry), bacon and citron (lemon). There are also plenty of petit pastry creations and they’re open until the witching hour of midnight on the weekends!

Northern Spirits, San Marcos
The only thing that haunts this inland joint is a cocktail menu full of exotic flavors and spooky spice. Order up a Far East Martini garnished with lemon grass or a Chili Mango Martini made with vodka, mango puree, agave and fresh chili – perfect for taking the edge off that creepy Freddy Krueger movie.

Werewolf, Gaslamp

Why Werewolf? The website explains: “Maybe cause ownership is hairier than the average person. Maybe cause werewolves generally like to be even keel during the day and rage at night.” Sounds like the perfect spooky weekend choice to us! Go for a drink in honor of Brad’s Dead Grandpa: A white Russian with a root beer schnapps float with an order of garlic fries or grilled garlic ginger wings.

Cusp, La Jolla

The view is a treat in itself. Grab a Fear and Loathing libation made by mixologist Nate Howell: It’s a concoction of rum, chinato, 15-year Drysack Oloroso Sherry, hickory smoked Mexican cola syrup and bitters. On the dining side, Chef Donald holds happy hour from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. daily with menu items priced at only$5. Try the chicken fried chicken skins with honey chile paste or the daily ceviche.

Vintana Wine + Dine, Escondido

Vampires and werewolves can relax on the lanai; you’ll have the perfect Halloween view to howl at the moon. If you can go out in sunlight, happy hour goes from 2 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. each day and features seven items for $7 each. And the vodka bar is open all the time, so you can get a signature cocktail as your Halloween treat. We recommend a fall favorite, the Spiced Creamsicle with vanilla and Clementine vodka, orange cream and cinnamon.

The Land and Water Co, Carlsbad

This historical building isn’t full of ghosts (that we know of) and there’s more flavor than spook in their small plates/tapas menu. Go for the Finger Roll (un-severed) made with sashimi poke, cucumber wrap, Hass avocado, bonito flake and house-pickled ginger or stab a Crispy Beef Skewer: created with 5-hour braised lengua, pickled daikon, tsume and horseradish whipped Japanese style mayo.

Trish Sanderson is the community manager and marketing director for Yelp North County San Diego. She leads the local community of Yelp reviewers both online and off.

A familiar face in the San Diego political scene stepped into the fray of the 52nd District Race and raised new questions about recent sexual harassment claims levied against Republican candidate Carl DeMaio.

“What I believe is that there are other victims,” former City Councilmember Donna Frye said Wednesday. Fry was referring to former DeMaio staffer Todd Bosnich’s recent allegations that he was repeatedly sexually harassed by DeMaio while working on his Congressional campaign.

San Diego Police investigated the claims and forwarded the case to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. No charges were filed in that case or in the counter claim made by DeMaio that  Bosnich was responsible for vandalism at a campaign headquarters.

Bosnich continues to stand by his claims.

On Wednesday, Frye offered no specifics on why she thinks there are others only to say: “Based on others I’ve spoken with recently where there is smoke, there’s fire.”

Hours later, DeMaio did his best to focus on job creation, reform and bipartisanship in the remaining days leading up to the election,but instead he was questioned about Frye’s accusations that he would leave council meetings and take credit for the work of others.

“This display is nothing more than a desperate politician who is about to lose his job,” DeMaio said of incumbent, Democrat U.S. Rep. Scott Peters’s decision to host Frye at his campaign headquarters.

Frye stood in front of a Peters-for-Congress sign and relayed how a grocery-store meeting with a constituent led her to urge the public not to vote for DeMaio.

“This is a close race. I don’t want to be responsible for Mr. DeMaio getting any votes from using my names, not one,” she said.

Frye, honored as a “Woman of Courage” for famously exposing former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner and his treatment of women,  decided it was time to describe what it was like to serve on the council with DeMaio from 2008 to 2010.

Twice recently, DeMaio has mentioned Frye as an example of his ability to reach across the aisle. She said he’s been creating a false impression of how they worked together.

Frye recalled what she described as DeMaio's tendency to belittle people who don't agree, to take credit for others’ work and to leave council meetings during public comment sessions.

That lack of respect and courtesy is conduct unbecoming of a public servant, she said.

In response, DeMaio said he views his work with the council during the fiscal crisis as a team effort.

“I’m so proud of the fact that we found a city on the brink of bankruptcy and we were able to bring people together,” DeMaio said.

He also said that San Diegans know him to be a reformer.

“I think this campaign is a perfect example of the sort of Congressperson they’re going to see me be in Congress,” he said.

Anyone arriving in California from an area with an active Ebola outbreak and came into contact with someone who had the deadly virus must be quarantined for 21 days, the state’s Department of Public Health ordered Wednesday, the same day a Stanford doctor decided to put himself in voluntary quarantine after treating Ebola patients in Liberia.

Dr. Colin Bucks is healthy but will remain in isolation for a total of 21 days, San Mateo County health officials said. He is in isolation and avoiding all close contact with others, meaning he is not going to work at Stanford Medical Center, but he is allowed to leave his house to go jogging by himself.

Health officials said Bucks remains healthy, showing no signs of contracting the virus, and continues to take his temperature twice a day.

The California Department of Health released new regulations regarding the Ebola virus Wednesday morning.

How and where affected people will be quarantined will be left to each county’s public health officials, the order said. Anyone traveling from the affected areas will be initially screened by federal officials at the airport.

State officials are informed of anyone meeting the criteria threshold, and local departments will now be asked in turn asked to manage individual cases.

Observation, monitoring and possible restriction of travel and movement can be ordered.

“This tailored approach for each traveler, implemented through partnership between the California Department of Public Health and local health officers, respects the individual circumstances of each traveler while protecting and preserving the public health,” the agency said in a statement.

Currently, active areas include the West African countries of Guinea, Mali, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The order from Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the agency, also makes clear that failure to comply could result in misdemeanor criminal charges.

In Southern California, Riverside County's health department announced Tuesday that two people recently returned from West Africa but said they did not contact any patients and were being monitored for 21 days. They are considered low risk.

Orange County health officials are monitoring two recent travelers as well, according to the Orange County Register.

It’s critical to note, to date, there have been no reported cases of Ebola in California.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Department of State Hospitals has withdrawn a proposal to house a sexually violent predator in a Borrego Springs home that’s already occupied.

The withdrawal came Wednesday just hours after NBC 7 asked the agency for an explanation.

The proposal as set forth Tuesday was to place 49-year-old Gary Snavely, a man convicted of molesting two girls under age 10, at a residence in the 3100 block of Club Circle East.

But that residence belongs to Victor Egemo, who just moved in a month ago and had no plans to leave.

“I’m going to be living there for a while,” Egemo said. “This Gary guy, I’m not associated with him. I don’t know this guy.”

Egemo said he had no idea the state wanted to place a sexually violent predator in his home until people started calling and messaging him, concerned for his safety.

NBC 7 contacted the Department of State Hospitals to find out if there had been a mistake. A spokesperson said he’d check into the matter but didn’t provide any answers despite our follow-up attempts.

Then, hours later, the SAFE Task Force issued a news release, stating Snavely will remain in the Coalinga State Hospital in Fresno County and that the public will be notified when another site location is identified.

It’s a huge relief to Egemo, who joked he wasn’t looking for a roommate.

Egemo’s biggest concern was people believing he supported the placement, or worse, mistaking him for Snavely.

Snavely was convicted of molesting two girls in Orange County in 1987.

The Arlington Independent School District has banned a high school football team T-shirt with the slogan "Shhhhhhh just let it happen" after the school newspaper's editorial staff questioned whether the message were a rape innuendo.

Martin High School's bi-monthly newspaper The Warrior Post raised concerns about the shirt, designed by senior football team members and printed by the football booster club, in a staff editorial headlined "Out of Bounds" in its most recent edition.

"Can this saying be easily misunderstood? Yes. Though it certainly was not the goal of the shirt, its slogan connotes rape culture. This is not what we want to display as a slogan for our Varsity football program," the editorial read in part.

The shirt reads "Martin Football" in big gray letters above an image of a Native American man that represents the school's Warrior mascot. To the left of the man is a pirate flag, with a skull and crossbones, along with the words "We take what we want," and below the flag is the phrase "Shhhhhhh just let it happen."

The Warrior Post's editor-in-chief Jerred Osterman, 18, a Martin senior, told NBC 5 that the paper's staff was motivated to write its editorial after a female student approached a news staff member with concerns over the T-shirt.

Osterman said neither he nor his staff questions the motivation of the players or their message of team unity behind the shirt — only the wording of the message and how it might be perceived.

"It's inappropriate, and it's not something that you want to represent Martin with," Osterman said.

Both Martin coach Bob Wager and booster club president Kevin White told NBC 5 they never considered the message on the shirt to be potentially inappropriate, saying that if they had, they would have never allowed it to be made or worn. Wager said the shirt's pirate theme denotes the team's mentality of trying to force turnovers.

"Certainly the booster club and the coaches, nobody construed it in that manner," said Leslie Johnston, director of communications for Arlington ISD, who estimates that around 50 of the shirts were printed. "They just thought it was a football shirt. And when that was pointed out, that it could be taken in that way the students have, they are no longer wearing them.

"They would never want to condone any kind of behavior like that," Johnston added.

Thomas Jefferson School of Law said it signed a restructuring agreement with its bondholders, reducing its debt from $127 million to $40 million, and lifting the cloud of default.

In return for the huge discount, the bondholders became owners of the school’s Gaslamp Quarter building, which cost about $90 million and was completed in 2011.

The school issued some $133 million in bonds in 2008 to construct a new campus, and defaulted on its monthly payment in June.

In addition to taking ownership of the property at 1155 Island Ave., bondholders also get $40 million in newly issued debt, carried at 2 percent. The school previously had been paying interest of 7 percent on the non-taxable portion of the bonds, and 11 percent on the taxable part, according to the law school.

With the reduced debt, the San Diego law school said it cut its annual debt payments in half from $12 million to $6 million, which includes $5 million in rent, and $1 million in interest expense.

Thomas Guernsey, Jefferson’s dean and president, said the restructuring is a major step. “It puts the school on a solid financial footing and will enable Thomas Jefferson to continue to fulfill its mission serving a diverse group of students in a collegial, supportive learning environment.”

Guernsey said school operations remain unchanged under the new agreement that was officially signed Oct. 28.

 The Business Journal is the premier business publication in San Diego. Every day online and each Monday in print, the Business Journal reports on how local business operate and why businesses leaders make the decisions they do. Every story is a dose of insight into how to run a better, more efficient, more profitable business.

A bear visited a Lancaster business district early Thursday in an early morning search for food in trash bins at a pet grooming store before using storm drains to head back toward the wilderness.

The black bear was reported near 15th Street West and West Avenue K in the northern Los Angeles County community in the Antelope Valley. A security guard patrolling the area responded to a report of someone knocking on the business' back door.

"I heard the noise so I know something's out there, but I don't want to meet it face to face," said Lupe Telles, who works in the area.

The security guard arrived to find the bear, which appeared to have a scratch by its eye, going through trash. Deputies arrived before the bear ran down a street and into a storm drain channel.

At about 5:45, the NBC4's crew in Lancaster caught the bear on video as it climbed an embankment above the channel.

Witnesses told NBC4 they think the bear has probably made previous visits. The bear has been seen searching for food at a homeless encampment.

One lifelong Lancaster resident said bears do not usually come "this far down" from nearby mountains.

California's black bear population is at about 25,000 to 30,000, with most living in mountain areas above 3,000 feet, according to what the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife calls conservative estimates. In 1982, the statewide bear population was estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000.

Less than 10 percent of the state's black bear population lives in the central western and southwestern California region, according to agency estimates. About half of the population resides in an area north and west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Increased bear sightings -- and other wildlife -- might be partially attributed in recent years to the state's ongoing drought as animals are forced to search for food in areas outside their usual habitat, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. California has just finished its third-consecutive dry year with no end in sight to the dry spell.

The FBI is investigating a cyber attack on the city of Cleburne, Texas, that shut down the city’s website and appears to be motivated by a police officer’s controversial shooting of a dog, the mayor said Wednesday.

"We're under attack as we speak,” said Cleburne Mayor Scott Cain. "We consider an attack on the city an attack on the residents, and we're not going to put up with it."

Video showing a police officer shooting a dog has been viewed more than 200,000 times on YouTube. The officer was dispatched to a report of three vicious pit bulls and shot one of them.

The officer is on paid leave while an investigation is underway.

Hackers are using a “denial of service” attack to overwhelm the city’s servers, slowing emails and all but shutting down the city’s website, which residents use for everything from paying utility bills to reporting potholes.

"Our IT guys are working on it around the clock,” Cain said.

Cain promised a transparent investigation into the dog shooting.

"When the review is completed we are going to let the chips fall where they may,” he said.

Regardless of what happens with that, he said whoever is behind the hacking is picking on the wrong city.

"If somebody thinks that they are going to send a message to an officer or the city of Cleburne, don't mess with Cleburne, Texas,” he said. “We will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. And we're not going to put up with it."

Katherine Chaumont, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Dallas office, confirmed the bureau is assisting Cleburne with the cyber-crime investigation.

Two cars were damaged in a garage fire in Mira Mesa just after 8 a.m. today.

Heavy fire and smoke poured from the garage at Frobisher Street and Reagan Road. It was confined to the garage and knocked down about 15 minutes later.

No injuries were reported.

Firefighters are cleaning up along with SDG&E crews.

Out in Cleveland they’re talking 70 wins and a championship for the Cavaliers.

Quick reminder I: Only one NBA team has ever won 70 games in a season, and the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls had a guy named Michael Jordan leading the way to a record 72 wins.

Quick reminder II: The Cavs are 0-for-44 in their all-time quest for an NBA championship.

But it’s easy to see why expectations are through the Quickens Loan Arena roof, just off the shores of Lake Erie: On Thursday night, LeBron James will put on a Cleveland uniform in a regular-season game for the first time since 2009-10. 

“This is my first home game,’’ he says in a new Sprite commercial, trumpeting his return to his hometown team.

The ad shows him getting a hero’s welcome as he walks into Akron’s Patterson Park, where he played as a youth. It’s as if he never left Cleveland back in July, 2010, to take “my talents to South Beach.’’ That night he became Public Enemy No. 1, with his once-adoring fans burning his wine-and gold No. 23 jersey and the Cavs’ owner, Dan Gilbert, emasculating the franchise’s all-time greatest player in a venomous email seen ‘round the world.

Now he’s back and the NBA has never seen a homecoming like this one.

The Cavs open the season Thursday at the New York Knicks at 8 p.m. He returns with a new baby in tow, having welcomed daughter Zhuri Nova with his wife last week. James also has two sons.

“They all hated him for leaving, but now it’s a great story because he’s the hero again,’’ NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal said on Monday. “Villain one day, hero the next. Now all is forgiven. That just shows you how fickle fans can be.’’

O’Neal, who played two seasons in Cleveland with James, had an idea that James would be headed back home. It’s not just that LeBron always had it in the back of his mind to return to where he first became a legend, playing for St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. Shaq also saw some basketball logic in James’ decision to leave Miami Heat as a free agent, even after leading the Heat to two titles, in 2012 and 2013, and helping the Heat become only the third franchise in league history to go to four straight Finals.

“When a guy goes to four straight Finals, like LeBron did, you figure everything is good and he’ll be staying,’’ O’Neal said. “But what nobody is talking about is what happened to the Heat.’’

In last June’s Finals the Heat’s vaunted “Big Three’’ was reduced to James trying to go one-on-five and getting obliterated in five games by the San Antonio Spurs. With one-time Finals MVP Dwyane Wade looking calcified, and their top big man Chris Bosh largely ineffective, James found himself trying to outduel the Spurs by himself.

Turns out, he had every reason to head back to Northeast Ohio. But first, he had to hear a very big “I’m sorry’’ from Gilbert, the long-time meddling owner. The two met in secret in Florida before he decided to make the move. Gilbert apologized and James proved to be one forgiving soul.

“You hash it out and move on,’’ the four-time MVP said.

James signed a two-year deal for $42.1 million, with an option to rework his contract next summer. What he went back to was a far cry from what the Cavs have now, as they prepare to take the court for their season-opener against the New York Knicks.

“I didn't envision our team being like this right off the bat," James said during pre-season. “I felt like me coming, we could hopefully add some pieces. Obviously it happened quicker than I thought."

The Cavs have the makings of a championship contender. Kyrie Irving, who was once intent on returning home to the New York area to play for his beloved Knicks, opted to stay when the Cavs gave him the $90 million maximum salary, just before James announced his return. Then the Cavs used their third No. 1 overall pick in the draft in the last four years, Kansas prodigy Andrew Wiggins, and traded him to Minnesota for the Timberwolves' disgruntled All-Star power forward, Kevin Love.

Irving and Love have zero playoff appearances between them and have never had to perform under such lofty expectations, which is probably the reason James refuses to call his new set-up “the Big Three.’’ But they’re bound to benefit from playing with James, who will be seeking his sixth trip to the Finals since 2007 and his third ring. With the King back on his throne, the Cavs had an easy time adding the necessary fill-in pieces for a strong supporting cast. Players with championship pedigree like Shawn Marion, Mike Miller and James Jones ran to play with James. They might be shaky defensively, lacking a big man to protect the rim, but the Cavs should be an offensive juggernaut.

“I don’t see anybody in the East giving them problems,’’ O’Neal said. “Chicago needs to find another scorer to help Derrick Rose. He can’t do it by himself and he’s undersized. The only concern I have about Cleveland is their coach.’’

A veteran of coaching in Russia and Israel, David Blatt, a former Princeton player under legendary coach Pete Carril, has never coached a second in the NBA, not even as an assistant. But he now has the best player on the planet, who still doesn’t turn 30 until December, meaning this is a learning curve that should be relatively easy to negotiate.

Of course, there hasn’t been a champion in Cleveland since the Browns in 1964.

“For LeBron, winning one championship in Cleveland will be the equivalent of winning five titles in Miami,’’ said O’Neal’s TNT teammate, Charles Barkley. “Even if he doesn’t win it this season, you just have to love the fact that LeBron went back home. That’s what I was rooting for and what a lot of people were rooting for.’’

Nowhere more than out in LeBron’s old stomping grounds. He might not win 70 games this season, but no one will be surprised if sometime in June he’s out in front, leading a championship parade.

Longtime New York columnist Mitch Lawrence continues to write about pro basketball, as he’s done for the last 21 years. His columns for NBCNewYork.com on the Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and the NBA, along with other major sports, will appear twice weekly. Follow him on Twitter @Mitch _ Lawrence.

The injury news keeps getting worse for the Chargers.

Cornerback Jason Verrett is expected to miss the next two to three weeks after he was diagnosed with a torn labrum (shoulder). NFL.com's Ian Rapoport tweeted that he “will look at surgical options after the season.”

The defensive backfield continues to thin, as Brandon Flowers (concussion) didn’t practice on Wednesday and is still in doubt for Sunday’s game with the Miami Dolphins. Safety Jahleel Addae was also diagnosed with a concussion after Thursday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano said the team will move on without their first-round pick in this year's draft.

"We’re not going to try  to change too much if a guy’s in there or not," he said. "We’re gonna do what we do and keep getting better at it. All those thing defensively, we just have to execute."

Verrett made a game-saving interception in the final seconds against the Oakland Raiders in Week 6. He then missed the next week against the Kansas City Chiefs, but returned for last Thursday’s game. The Bolts lost both of those games.

Chargers coach Mike McCoy dismissed the idea that he came back too soon.

"We’re not gonna put anyone out there if we don’t think they’re ready to play,"

The Chargers get a break with a bye week after Sunday’s game. We’ll see if that’s enough time to get the rookie back on the field.

The team also made a change to its practice squad on Wednesday, adding cornerback Kendall James and terminating corner Aaron Hester.

Nineteen people were being monitored under California’s new Ebola guidelines for travelers returning from West Africa.

Out of those, three people were being monitored in San Diego County. County health officials described those individuals as showing no symptoms and being at low risk for contracting the Ebola virus.

The county defines low risk patients as those who have either visited an Ebola-affected country, been in the same room with a person showing Ebola symptoms, had contact with a person showing symptoms or traveled on a plane with someone with symptoms.

"So the individuals again are being monitored, which means we are asking them to take their temperature and check for signs and symptoms of Ebola twice a day, and we actually call then twice a day," said county Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten, MD, MPH.

They do not have any travel or movement restrictions, so they can carry on with their daily activities as normal. The monitoring will continue for 21 days.

All three were travelers, not health care workers, in West Africa, so they have had no contact with someone who has been diagnosed with the deadly disease, as far as county health officials know.

When asked why a public notification was not put out when they started monitoring the patients, Wooten said, "[There] was not a need to make that a public announcement because these individuals do not have Ebola. They've not been exposed to Ebola."

She said health authorities expect to monitor one or two people arriving in California from Guinea, Sierra Leone or Liberia everyday.

Now state health officials are recommending a 21-day quarantine for anyone who treated Ebola patients in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia within the last 21 days and had direct contact with an Ebola patient.

The final decision to whether to quarantine will be left up to local officials.

"In public health, our job is to protect the people of California and prevent the spread of disease, and we have to balance that with the rights of individuals," said Dr. Ron Chapman with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

The monitoring system will determine if a person is at a "high risk" or "some risk.” For those at a low risk, there may be more freedom for how they are monitored. This could even mean being quarantined at home for that time period and being watched by health officials.

The CDPH plans to post data on its website every Friday showing the number of people it is monitoring.

Police have arrested the man they say gunned down an Oakland mother of four in a road rage shooting as she and her husband returned from grocery shopping Sunday.

Carlos Stephen Dubose, 20, of Oakland, was arrested Wednesday in Elk Grove on a murder charge, Oakland Police Chief Sean Whent said at a Thursday news conference.

"Perla's life mattered," Whent said. "All life matters in Oakland."

Not many details were released on why police suspect Dubose of being linked to the shooting death of Perla Avina, 30. She was shot on 98th Avenue as she and husband Mando Lopez had just bought breakfast ingredients near their home about 12:30 p.m. She died of her wounds shortly afterward.

Lead investigator Leo Sanchez said he was limited in what he wanted to release about the "road rage" death, which is "still unfolding." Dubose was arrested in connection with a murder, but as of Thursday morning, he was not formally charged.

Sanchez said there are no other known suspects and would not comment on how many other people may or may not have been in Dubose's car at the time.

Police did confiscate a silver four-door Volvo and a firearm from Dubose. He added there was some type of "confrontation" involving Dubose, though he wasn't specific. Police credited "a significant amount" of surveillance video and community tips for the arrest.

Since Sunday, police had been looking for who fired bullets into Lopez's 1998 Toyota Camry in what police spokeswoman Johnna Watson said was likely related to some type of road rage.

Earlier this week, Lopez, whose full name is Luis Armando, told sister station Telemundo that he remembers a car tried to veer in front of him on the way back from the market, and "I guess I didn't let him go."

Avina and Lopez have four children, ages 1 to 14. She was a medical receptionist and, according to neighbor Dwyane Jackson, who performed CPR on Avina before she died, "the heart of the family."

A 53-year-old Florida man will spend 10 years in prison after stalking an ex-girlfriend who lives in Stamford and planting bombs filled with hydrochloric acid in her car, severely burning her, prosecutors say.

"I don't know what possessed me to do what I did," Frank Mendoza wrote in a letter to the court just before he was sentenced Thursday, apologizing and saying he had intended only to "scare" his victim.

Mendoza was sentenced to 10 years followed by three years of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to one count of interstate stalking in June. His plea deal had stipulated a sentence ranging from seven to 10 years.

Mendoza, formerly of Jacksonville, Florida, was arrested in Jacksonville on Aug. 17, 2012, almost two years after he is accused of having planted the bombs that left his ex-girlferiend with severe burns.

Prosecutors said Mendoza began dating the victim in 2008 and “became emotionally and psychologically abusive” toward her. The victim told authorities Mendoza had a lengthy criminal background and claimed to be part of a gang, and that she also noticed him carrying a gun.

The victim tried to break off the relationship and told Mendoza she was moving to Rhode Island for work-related training in September 2010, prosecutors said. In reality, she moved to Stamford.

A month later, Mendoza discovered her real address and began making harassing phone calls to the victim and her friends and colleagues, according to prosecutors. He allegedly traveled to Connecticut in November and showed up at her home and workplace, then returned home to Florida.

Mendoza returned on Dec. 8, 2010, when he flew into New York City and rented a car to drive to Connecticut, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He drove to the victim’s home in Stamford and planted two bottle bombs in her car containing hydrochloric acid and aluminum foil wicks, according to prosecutors.

The victim went out to her car around 11 p.m. and noticed the interior was wet. She opened the driver’s side door and noticed a bottle on the floor, which began to “smoke and fizz” when she picked it up, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said the victim put it down, and the bottle exploded behind her as she ran away. Investigators learned that the first bottle had blown up before she arrived at her car. As a result, the victim “nearly suffered a horrible, disfiguring injury at [Mendoza’s] hands,” prosecutors said.

The California Highway Patrol on Thursday announced the arrest of a 32-year-old professional motorcycle stunt rider who allegedly shot video and rode recklessly while filming a pack of motorcyclists popping wheelies and speeding along a Bay Area highway.

CHP Officer Ross Lee identified the suspect as Guruardas Singh Khalsa of Brentwood. Khalsa was arrested Wednesday night on felony charges for allegedly shooting the video. The charges stem from Oct. 11, when a  pack of about 50 motorcycle riders taunted an officer along Interstate Highway 680 in San Jose, and they refused to stop when the officer told them to.

Lee said that Khalsa is a professional motorcycle stunt rider with "multiple endorsements" who used a GoPro camera to film an illegal and reckless ride. It was his video, Lee said, that will be used against him as evidence.

"He was the videographer," Lee said.

Khalsa was booked at the Martinez detention facility in Contra Costa County on charges of accessory after the fact in the commission of a felony. He also faces misdemeanor obstruction and marijuana possession charges. A booking photo was not immediately released. On Thursday, Khalsa also has not formally been charged and it wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney. Sgt. Jimmy Lee said Khalsa bailed out of jail Thursday after bond was set at $45,000.

The ride was captured on video and posted on Youtube on Oct. 21 by a user named "GuruStunts."

The video is titled "Cop Chases Bikers Then Bikers Then Biker Makes Cop Leave," and as of Thursday had 1.5 million hits. The video shows riders standing on their bikes, driving in between cars and refusing to stop when an unnamed CHP officer tells them to. Lee said riding in this reckless manner is a misdemeanor.

Lee said the officer asked for backup, but the group ended up exiting on McKee Road before help arrived. No one was arrested at the time, Lee said, because the officer decided not to pursue them, fearing it would be too dangerous.

The person who posted the video, GuruStunts, emailed back and forth with NBC Bay Area on Oct. 24. He did not want his real name to be used, and he insisted that he didn't take the video, was not part of the ride and has "no affiliation with them. It was sent to me by an anonymous rider."

"GuruStunts" wrote that he "strictly buys and posts videos on YouTube as the brand GuruStunts."

He also said that he represents StreetFighterz clothing and merchandise, which states on its website that the company is a Streetbike Freestyle Stunt Team based out of St. Louis, Missouri.

Lee said he is not sure if "GuruStunts" is Khalsa. No one from the GuruStunts email addressed responded to a request for comment on Thursday. But the alternate name listed on the gmail account was listed as: GURUARDAS KHALSA. And there were other connections.

On social media, GuruStunts had supporters. "Noooo!!! #Freeguru @Gurustunts," one person put on Instagram. "Looks like Gurustunts better lay low, lol," another person tweeted.

Lee said the investigation is ongoing and that the investigators are looking for more of the riders that day. "We anticipate more arrests," he said.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash on Interstate 8 offramp onto Rosecrans Drive in the Midway District of San Diego.

The driver of a dump truck reported that he struck a pedestrian in the middle of the off ramp at 4:46 a.m. Thursday.

The truck driver told CHP he saw the man on the right side of the road before the man darted into traffic. Officials said the truck and two other vehicles could not stop in time.

The victim was thrown several feet and died at the scene, officers said. He was described by investigators as a man in his 50s.

CHP officers arrived and began directing travelers away from the area.

It’s unclear if the pedestrian was in the road or was standing and crossing the road at the time of impact.

Investigators said the ramp could be closed a couple of hours.

Drivers on westbound I-8 were being diverted to southbound Interstate 5.

A water main break is causing some major problems at a Salvation Army in Oceanside, flooding multiple rooms, canceling a Halloween event and collapsing a walkway.

Officers discovered the water line had broken at 10 a.m. in The Salvation Army at 3935 Lake Boulevard, according to Director of Communcations Suzi Woodruff Lacey.

Water has poured into many rooms, front lawns and the entrance, forcing the concrete along the entrance walkway to buckle.

Because the main is connected to the emergency fire sprinklers, Salvation Army officers have been ordered by firefighters to carry out a fire watch every hour as crews jackhammer their way to the broken line. The water has been shut off.

The organization estimates it will cost more than $30,000 for the excavation alone to repair the break. The full cost is not yet known.

The huge flooding has forced the Salvation Army to cancel their Fall Festival planned for Friday.

“We are deeply concerned,” says Salvation Army administrator and pastor Lt. Dave Preston. “We ask for your prayers and, of course, we ask you to help us get the word out that our festival is cancelled.”

Woodruff is directing those who planned to go to the festival to the free trick-or-treating at the Westfield Plaza Camino Real instead.

A Manhattan resident is frustrated by the runaround she says she's gotten from the city while trying to get gore removed from the scene of a gruesome midtown crash last week. 

Cassandra Dunn first contacted NBC 4 New York with photos of what appear to be small bits of remains spattered on a light pole at 33rd Street and Lexington Avenue.

Dunn said she believes the remains were left from a crash involving an SUV, taxi cab and several pedestrians last Thursday. The FDNY confirmed two pedestrians were hurt in the crash. 

She said the carnage included fat, blood and hair.

"It's pretty gross, definitely a major biohazard," she said. "People are walking by with their dogs, their children." 

Though the remains haven't been tested, biowaste worker Sal Pain of Bio Recovery Corporation said at the scene Wednesday he's positive they are human.

"You have human hair, all different types of fluids," said Pain, whose company has several high-profile contracts with the city, including for potential Ebola waste removal. 

Pain said the remains will likely "just sit there until someone decides to hose it down." 

Dunn has been on a mission to get the scene cleaned up since the accident, but can't find anyone to help. She called 311, who referred her to the NYPD, who referred her to the sanitation department. 

She then called the state health department, who referred her to the medical examiner -- who then referred her to the forensics department. 

She tried the CDC, who pointed her back to the state health department.

Dunn finally emailed the mayor's office, and she said she's still waiting for a response. 

"Basically, I've been run around and no one wants to help me with this," she said. 

NBC 4 New York's attempts to reach the same departments and agencies yielded the same results: each department referred questions to another. 

A spokeswoman at the city's sanitation department said it was their understanding that "NYPD generally calls a medical waste removal company to crime/accident senes to remove any potential medical waste." 

The NYPD did not respond to a message Wednesday. The FDNY said in certain instances, it hoses down accident scenes as a courtesy but they are not responsible for doing so. The department said it was not asked to do that in this case.

But the mayor's office said Thursday the FDNY typically does wash down the street in those situations and that it cleaned the scene the night of the accident, despite evidence of remains still there Wednesday night. A spokeswoman said a fire battalion went back after NBC 4 New York's report aired and washed it down a second time. 

-- John Chandler contributed to this report. 

An overturned crane on Interstate 5 in San Clemente is causing a major traffic backup that’s spilling into San Diego County.

CalTrans says at about 3 p.m., the driver of a crane transport lost control, hitting the highway divider and bridge deck and rolling the rig on its side.

No one was injured, but the sprawling equipment blocked all northbound lanes near Avenida Pico.

Within a few hours, one lane was opened, but the process to get through remained slow.

"Everybody is like nervous and stressed," said Elda Aguila, who sat in traffic for at least four hours. "We are all like that in this part where everybody has to go to one lane, they don't let you go."

The incident has congested the freeway as far south as Basilone Road in San Diego County, officials said.

Significant delays are expected, and transportation officials expect the freeway to be blocked 8 to 10 hours. Drivers are being encouraged to take alternative routes.

By midnight, CalTrans hopes to have at least a couple lanes open, if not the whole interstate, as long as they can find the right truck to carry the crane.

A spokesperson says it should not affect the morning commute.

This story will be updated as more information comes available. Check back for updates.