A former Baltimore Ravens cheerleader and the estranged wife of a prominent Maryland energy executive has been arrested and charged in connection with a sexual relationship involving a 15-year-old boy.

Delaware State Police said Wednesday that 47-year-old Molly Shattuck was indicted Monday on two counts of third-degree rape, four counts of unlawful sexual contact and three counts of providing alcohol to minors.

Shattuck's attorney did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday and her Baltimore home phone rang unanswered.

Police say a 15-year-old boy reported that Shattuck began an inappropriate relationship with him near Baltimore and that it culminated with sexual activity at a vacation rental home in Bethany Beach, Delaware over Labor Day weekend.

Shattuck is separated from Mayo Shattuck, former CEO of Baltimore-based Constellation Energy Nuclear Group.

Two skinned animal heads were found dangling from a light pole in Brooklyn's Park Slope Tuesday morning, police said.

The heads, which appeared to belong to a goat or a lamb, were tied to the top of the pole near Ninth Street and Fifth Avenue.

Police got a call about the heads around 11 a.m. They were taken down a short time later

The investigation is ongoing.

Gov. Dannel Malloy has won re-election in a bitter race against Republican challenger Tom Foley, who conceded defeat on Wednesday in a reprise of his narrow loss to the Connecticut governor four years ago.

"All right, we've got work to do," Malloy said Wednesday during a post-election news conference at the State Capitol in Hartford. "Elections are about the future. ... I am revved up for the next four years."

Malloy said his priorities include building a stronger economy, creating jobs and following through will his educational initiatives. The governor pledged to have a full legislative agenda ready to go by Jan. 7, the day his second term will officially begin.

Foley's concession came hours after Malloy claimed victory in a speech to supporters around midnight Wednesday. Minutes later, Foley took the stage in Greenwich to give what he said might have been a concession speech had Malloy given him the opportunity to concede.

“I regret that I will not be able to deliver the change that we have dreamed about and feel would be in the best interest of our great state," Foley said early Wednesday morning.

He stood alongside Somers and waved to the crowd, who chanted his name.

"We have forecasted the towns and the parts of the cities that haven't yet reported, and it looks to me that if our projections are right, we've probably not won this race, but we're not going to make that final decision until we've confirmed all the numbers," Foley said.

Malloy said Foley called him Wednesday to officially concede after poring over the numbers. Foley also thanked his supporters in a letter posted to his Web site Wednesday afternoon.

"Thank you for your support with my campaign for governor. We came very close. Our appeal for change in Connecticut – pro-growth policies including lower taxes, more responsible spending, and more support for job creators – was endorsed by more than 48% of Connecticut voters. Governor Malloy won this election with fewer votes than we won in 2010," Foley wrote.

The two candidates traded the lead throughout Election Day. As of Wednesday afternoon, the numbers showed Malloy pulling a three-point lead.

In a news conference Wednesday, the governor said he never expected to sweep 100 percent of the vote. 

"We're all Connecticut," Malloy said. "It's time to put our differences aside."

It's the second time Malloy and Foley have gone head to head. When the two last did battle in 2010 race, voting problems in Bridgeport prompted extended polling hours and days of recounts before Foley conceded to Malloy.

Unaffiliated candidate Joe Visconti suspended his campaign and endorsed Foley during a surprise announcement on Sunday, although his name remained on the ballot. Visconti has garnered about 1 percent of the vote as of Wednesday morning.

Full election results are available here.

A single $326 million-winning Mega Millions lottery ticket has been sold in New York’s Hudson Valley, officials say.

The jackpot-hitting ticket was sold at a Valero gas station on New York Route 302 in Middletown within the last week, lottery officials say.

The person who bought the ticket has yet to come forward, officials say.

"Whoever purchased this ticket is about to have their life changed forever,” said Gardner Gurney, the New York Lottery's acting director. “Whoever and wherever you are: sign the back of your ticket and keep it in a safe place, and when you’re ready to claim, we look forward to meeting you.”

The winning numbers for Tuesday night's drawing were 9, 15, 34, 39 and 41. The Mega Ball number was 1. 

The initial jackpot was $321 million, but the jackpot was increased because of surging ticket sales in the days leading up to the drawing.

The gas station will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket.

The lottery purse is short of the record $656 million jackpot that was split between three winners in 2012.

UPDATE: Carlesha Freeland-Gaither was found ALIVE in Jessup, Maryland. New details here.

Three days after her abduction off a Philadelphia street, Carlesha Freeland-Gaither's family continued to staple missing posters to poles in the neighborhood where she was taken.

"It's been three days now and nothing. We're just hoping that it doesn't keep going without answers," said Ana Mulero, the woman's grandmother.

"Inside I'm broken. I just want answers," she said.

Answers remain scarce, even as investigators piece together new clues in their search.

The FBI released new surveillance video of the person of interest Wednesday afternoon, as authorities try to find him and the missing 22-year-old victim.

The video was recorded Sunday afternoon, the day of the abduction, at an ACME supermarket in Northeast Philadelphia. Officials went to the store, located at 8200 Roosevelt Boulevard, Wednesday morning and collected the video. They have not said how they were led to the store.

Detectives are asking the public to look at how the man walks with a slight limp, his clothing and shoes and what he purchased. They also plan to run the photos through a facial recognition system in an attempt to identify him.

Local and federal investigators expanded their investigation outside of Philadelphia on Tuesday after learning the man, similar in description to the person captured on surveillance video violently kidnapping Freeland-Gaither, used her ATM card in Aberdeen, Maryland. That happened on Monday less than 8 hours after the abduction and 75 miles south of the scene.

Philadelphia Police named him as a person of interest, FBI agents collected forensic evidence from the bank and a gas station and new surveillance images were released.

Still, his identity remains unclear to authorities and Freeland-Gaither's family.

"Part of me makes me believe that this was random, but part of me when they talked about her ATM card being used in Maryland, it might maybe be somebody that she knows. You know, I'm not really sure," Mulero said.

The person of interest is not familiar to the family, but after watching new video showing the abduction, Freeland-Gaither's mother, Kesha Gaither, believes her daughter somehow knew the man. The video, released Tuesday night, shows the man approach the woman from behind at the corner of Greene and W. Coulter Streets. They appear to shake hands before he lunges and pushes her out of view.

"You see it's clear that, like, she knew him. She had to knew him. It was too calm, he was too calm. Like he timed her. Like he was out to come get her. Like she was his target," Keisha Gaither said.

The original video picks up there. Showing the man pulling Freeland-Gaither down the block and into a waiting gray metallic Ford Taurus. She struggles to get away and busts out the back windows of the car, but can't escape.

Detectives spent several hours Wednesday interviewing Keisha Gaither and other members of the family. They called the interview routine.

Smart, caring and full of life, Freeland-Gaither works as a nursing aide at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center's cancer center, according to her family. They call her a fighter, a trait displayed in the surveillance video of the attack.

"All we want to do is send our granddaughter back. Just send her back," Mulero said.

Mulero and other family members will be back out at the crime scene at 7 p.m. Wednesday to hold a candelight vigil.

The reward for the capture and conviction of her kidnapper has climbed to $47,000 with money put up by the city, FBI, Citizens Crime Commission, Fraternal Order of Police and Philadelphia Federal Credit Union.

Digital billboards with the woman's photo will also be put up along Interstate 95 from Pennsylvania to Virginia with the hope of gleaning some information about her whereabouts, an FBI spokesperson said.

Philadelphia Police are asking for anyone with information to call their tipline at 215.686.TIPS.

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

Voters in the South Bay did not re-elect two of the Sweetwater school board trustees who accepted a plea deal in connection with a pay-to-play scheme.

Arturo Solis, Kevin Pike, Frank Tarantino, Nick Segua and Paula Hall secured seats on the Sweetwater Union High School Board.

Bertha Lopez and Jim Cartmill, who were among multiple school administrators and contractors indicted in December 2012, were not re-elected.

When Lopez was sentenced earlier this year, she received three years of probation as well as community service and a fine.

Lopez told NBC 7 late Tuesday that she was the one who brought the scandal to light. She feels she has always served her community and no one can take that away from her.

A judge sentenced Cartmill to three years of probation, a $4,589 fine and 40 hours of community service for his guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge for accepting gifts above the legal limit.

The Sweetwater District serves residents of Bonita, Chula Vista, Eastlake, Imperial Beach, National City, Otay Mesa, San Ysidro and South San Diego.

A 13-year-old has been arrested after allegedly starting an arson fire in Glendora on Wednesday morning.

One person was treated at the scene for "shortness of breath," but there were no injuries following the incident at Wal-Mart at 1950 Auto Center Drive, which was reported just after midnight according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Some teddy bears were set alight on a shelf at the rear of the 24-hour store, but a quick thinking customer was able to put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived. The busy store was evacuated for almost three hours while the scene was dealt with. It is estimated the damage to the store is in the $200 range.

"I was shopping here at the Walmart picking up some essentials... next thing you know there is a fire coming out of the aisle," a shopper said.

After surveillance video was examined, a suspect who remained at the scene was arrested. According to police he has had no prior run-ins with the police, and is expected to be turned over to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey. The District Attorney will decide what further action will be taken over the matter.

A 90-year-old homeless advocate was once again cited for violating Fort Lauderdale's new ordinance that bans feeding the homeless when he began handing out meals Wednesday.

Advocate Arnold Abbott resumed his feeding mission Wednesday at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, three days after he was cited, along with The Sanctuary Church Pastor Dwayne Black, for violating a new municipal ordinance that outlaws groups from feeding the homeless in public.

"I think I'm grateful they allowed us to feed before they did this. I think that's wonderful.," Abbott said. "I was surpised they hadn't done it much earlier. They were very gentle and I kinda think they felt a little guilty having to do their job."

Abbott was cited again Wednesday and will have to appear in court.

"You can't sweep the homeless under the rug," Abbott said. "There are 10,000 homeless in Broward County, most of them in Fort Lauderdale, and there isn't a rug large enough to sweep them under."

Fort Lauderdale Police said they understand the positions of the advocates and are sympathetic to the homeless but have to enforce the laws.

"We would like to emphasize that the purpose of the ordinance is not to prevent the feeding of the homeless, but to balance the needs of the entire population of the city," Fort Lauderdale Police said in a statement. "The ordinance absolutely allows for the legal, clean and safe distribution of food in the City of Fort Lauderdale."

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler said the new ordinance is not meant to stop advocates, but to better serve the homeless.

"We're not a city that lacks compassion or lack kindness," said Mayor Seiler. "We just feel that if someone is homeless on the streets of Fort Lauderdale, we need to get them off the street and in the right places where they can improve their position, their situation."

Seiler said the city wants to help the homeless in a different way.

"Let's try to work with who is on the street and why they're on the street and actually address the problem rather than just enabling them to just remain on the street and not receive the assistance they should be receiving," he said.

Yet Abbott and Black have vowed to continue feeding the homeless.

"I'm awfully hard to intimidate," Abbott said. "I certainly will follow this through until we beat them."

A toddler was hospitalized Wednesday morning after the family dog ripped off the child's left ear in the backyard of a Riverside County home.

The dog, identified by authorities as a 2-year-old neutered male pit bull, attacked when the boy was at his Jurupa Valley home with his grandmother, according to officers. The child was in the backyard with the dog about 8 a.m. when the grandmother, who was inside the home, heard screams.

The boy, identified as Daniel Sanchez, was hospitalized with what authorities described as severe injuries. The severed portion of the boy's ear was placed in a freezer in hopes surgeons could reattach it later, the grandmother said.

The dog had released the toddler by the time his mother had arrived home from running errand.

"My daughter was screaming and crying. I called 911, I almost passed out," said the grandmother, Alejandra Martinez. "She called me, 'Mom, why did you let the baby out?' I was in the restroom, he was sleeping in the bed."

Riverside County Animal Control officers at the home on Pontiac Avenue found neighbors with baseball bats who had responded after hearing the child's screams. It was not immediately clear whether the residents used the bats to fend off the dog, named Poncho.

"They were standing outside with bats because they heard the attack and went out to help the boy," Animal Services Officer Tiffany Fuller said.

Officers used a control stick to retrieve the dog, which was surrendered for euthanasia. The dog was licensed and neutered, according to animal services officers who met with the boy's mother at Loma Lina University Medical Center.

"It just broke my heart -- he's just a baby," Fuller said of the boy. "To see him in that shape, in that condition. He'll be scarred for life."

The boy's mother told officers she had not experienced previous aggression issues with the dog. Animal services officers said the dog displayed no signs of aggression toward them. The family also surrendered two other dogs.

Investigators are offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information to help solve a homicide that happened in September in Logan Heights.

Jaime “Sonoe” Espinoza was found shot to death at about 10:20 p.m. Sept. 11 in the south alley of the 2900 block of National Avenue, investigators said.

Investigators say they believe there was a fight between the victim and the shooting suspect or suspects.

After the victim was shot, the suspect fled the area. Espinoza was rushed to UCSD where he was later pronounced dead.

Anyone with information on the person or location of the person involved in the crime should call the San Diego Police Department’s homicide unit at 619-531-2293 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477.

Anonymous email and text messages can be sent in here.
 

This year’s midterm elections ushered into office a wave of Republican candidates. But some of America’s most debated issues were also at the forefront in several states and were a boon for liberals.

Here's a list of winners and losers in contests you may not have followed and other trends: 

Marijuana Gets the OK

Voters in Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C., approved limited recreational pot use, joining Colorado and Washington state in letting adults possess and consume marijuana just for fun. But a medical marijuana initiative in Florida failed to pass when it got less than 60 percent of the vote.

The Oregon measure hands regulatory control of pot to the state’s liquor control agency and allows Oregonians to grow up to four plants at a time. NBC News projected Wednesday that Alaskans had passed a similar initiative by a narrow margin, after two earlier pot-legalization measures had failed.

The D.C. initiative, meanwhile, allows residents to grow up to six plants in their homes and possess up to 2 ounces for their own personal use.

Mixed Decisions on Prohibition (Yes, Prohibition)

Arkansas voters turned down a proposed constitutional amendment that would have legalized alcohol sales statewide. Arkansas is one of a few states that allow local municipalities to make their own decisions on alcohol sales, creating a patchwork of wet and dry counties throughout the state.

But voters in the Connecticut town of Bridgewater, the state's last dry town, made the historic decision Tuesday to end prohibition and reverse its alcohol sales ban there.

Political Legacies Come Out Ahead

Scions of a number of high-profile political dynasties, from Kennedys to Bushes, were on the ballot on Tuesday night, and some of them won.

Ted Kennedy Jr., the son of the late U.S. senator and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, won his first political race for a seat in the Connecticut state Senate.

Jason Carter came up short in Georgia’s gubernatorial race, a position that his grandfather Jimmy Carter held before winning the White House in 1976.

In Texas, another Bush is back in office. George P. Bush, the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, was elected Texas land commissioner.

Historic Firsts for the GOP

Congress got its first-ever black Republican woman Tuesday and, depending on the outcome of a race whose results are still being counted, could also get its first-ever openly gay Republican member.

Mia Love, Utah's latest congresswoman-elect, was already Utah's first black female mayor and a widely-touted rising star in the GOP. Now, she will be Congress' first-ever black Republican woman.

In Southern California, Republican challenger Carl DeMaio was trying to unseat Rep. Scott Peters, and if he does, he could become Congress' first openly gay Republican member. DeMaio was leading there by fewer than 1,000 votes Wednesday, though the race had not yet been called.

Divide on Abortion

Coloradans rejected a constitutional amendment that would have modified the criminal code to include fetuses under the terms “person” and “child” in legal statutes, nixing the notion at the polls for the third time in six years. Opponents argued that it could lead to a statewide ban on abortion.

Similarly, North Dakotans said no to a measure that would have provided “the inalienable right to life” for humans at “any stage of development.”

But Tennessee voters backed a measure that gives state lawmakers more power to restrict and regulate abortions.

Minimum Wage Hikes Pass

Voters in Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota all voted to increase their hourly minimum wage.

Arkansas voted to boost its hourly minimum wage from $6.25, a wage below the federal minimum of $7.25, to $8.50 by 2017. Nebraska will raise its hourly minimum to $9 by 2016 from $7.25. South Dakota will raise its hourly minimum from the federal minimum to $8.50 next year, and tie future increases to inflation.

Big Night for Women in Politics

The country marked a milestone in Tuesday’s midterms: There will be 100 female members in the next Congress, the highest number in history. That means women will make up close to a quarter of U.S. lawmakers.

Democrat Gina Raimondo defeated Republican Allan Fung on Tuesday to become the first woman elected governor of Rhode Island.

Republican Shelley Moore Capito, a seven-term congresswoman from West Virginia’s 2nd District, became the first woman elected to serve the state in the U.S. Senate.

In Utah, Mia Love will become the first black Republican congresswoman in American history.

Gun Control Advances in Washington

Voters in Washington state approved a measure that requires background checks for all gun sales and transfers, including private transactions. They rejected another that would have prohibited background checks on firearms until a federal standard is established.

An "American Idol" Runner-Up Again

Clay Aiken, the 2003 runner-up on “American Idol,” lost yet again, this time in a congressional race.

Aiken had run against Republican incumbent Renee Ellmers for a House seat in North Carolina. Had he won, Aiken would have become the first openly gay congressman elected from the South.

Nation's First Voter-Approved Soda Tax

San Francisco voters defeated a measure that would have taxed sodas and other sugary drinks to fight obesity and related diseases. The measure on Tuesday's ballot to levy the two-cents-an-ounce tax on soft drinks fell short of the two-thirds support needed to pass. 

But in Berkeley, California, voters became the first in the country to approve taxing sodas (at 1-cent-an-ounce) in an effort to curb consumption. 

No Drug Tests for California Doctors

Voters in California rejected a ballot initiative that would require mandatory drug tests for doctors, and an increase on malpractice settlements.

California's 1975 medical malpractice law was the first in the nation to impose caps on damages for pain and suffering caused doctor negligence.

Passage of a ballot initiative to reduce the penalties for low-level drug and property crimes will have an immediate and sweeping impact on San Diego’s judicial system, attorneys said Wednesday.

Under Proposition 47, shoplifting, forgery, fraud, petty theft, and possession of small amounts of drugs including cocaine and heroin are among the offenses that will be treated as misdemeanors rather than felonies.

The initiative passed by a decisive margin on Tuesday evening. It takes effect immediately.

That means a lot of changes for prosecutors handling those type of cases. Chief Deputy District Attorney Dave Greenberg said his office will hand off about 3,000 defendants’ cases to the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, which deals with misdemeanors.

“They’re absolutely going to be impacted, so they’re going to have to figure out their staffing,” he said. “They’re going to be receiving up to maybe 280 to 300 new defendants a month that they’re going to have to review and then make decisions on.”

Proposition 47 aims to alleviate prison crowding and save prisoner expenses – instead putting that money toward drug treatment facilities.

Passage of the proposition doesn’t mean inmates will get out of jail immediately, but it does mean future defendants will only be cited by an officer and not booked in jail.

Inmates and prisoners can file petitions to have felony sentences reduced, meaning judges will have to look at each case, delaying any potential prison savings.

“There won’t be money for the substance abuse treatment for at least 18 months to two years,” Greenberg said.

Marked by attack ads, sexual harassment allegations and a campaign headquarters break-in scandal, one of the nation’s most closely watched races was still undecided early Wednesday.

Thousands of provisional and mail-in ballots are still being counted in the contentious race for the 52nd Congressional District where Republican challenger Carl DeMaio holds a lead over incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott Peters. 

DeMaio was ahead with just 752 votes after all precincts reported late Tuesday. The San Diego County Registrar says about 148,000 mail and provisional ballots have yet to be counted. The number of those affecting the 52nd District Race will be known later today.

"Every vote will be counted in this election," DeMaio said. "I believe when all votes are counted, we will prevail."

Peters' campaign manager MaryAnne Pintar was equally as determined, saying they will not concede.

"It's not over yet. Still many days of absentees and provisional votes to be counted," Pintar said.

Despite high-profile mudslinging that came to typify this race, both candidates felt they ran strong campaigns.

DeMaio described the campaign as "very negative" and "painful" as he addressed members of the media Wednesday morning.

He said his campaign will have monitors involved in the ballot count at the registrar while he takes part in the freshman orientation preparation for newly elected members of Congress.

"It’s been a really exhausting campaign, what’s a few more days,” DeMaio said of the ballot count.

Six days before June’s primary election, DeMaio reported a break-in at his campaign headquarters. Computer screens were shattered, cords and cables were cut, water was poured over the electronics and DeMaio’s campaign strategy book disappeared, the candidate said.

In a taping of NBC 7’s “Politically Speaking” in October, Peters said he felt as if he’d initially been cast as the perpetrator of the break-in, though DeMaio later accused former staffer Todd Bosnich.

DeMaio alleged he was the break-in culprit at the same time Bosnich released the results of a polygraph test to support his claims that the candidate sexually harassed him.

In a CNN report on Oct. 10, Bosnich said he was the victim of unwelcome touching and repeated sexual harassment by DeMaio while working for him on the congressional campaign and during his 2012 mayoral run. Bosnich described an alleged incident where he was called to DeMaio’s office and the candidate exposed himself.

DeMaio denied the allegations, saying his former employee had “manufactured a story” to cover for a plagiarism incident.

The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the Chief of San Diego Police announced on Oct. 20 there is not enough evidence to press charges in Bosnich's claim or DeMaio's counterclaim.

Over the weekend, another former campaign staffer, Justin Harper, told KPBS DeMaio had exposed himself in a restroom on July 10, an accusation the DeMaio campaign called an “outrageous lie.”

On Sunday, protesters outside DeMaio's campaign headquarters demanded an apology for sexist emails they say he sent.

Their claim stems from an email DeMaio purportedly sent in January featuring a demeaning image of a Peters campaign aide. DeMaio has denied sending the email and told the UT San Diego that Bosnich fabricated it.

The tension in the race was evident in a failed handshake moment just before the taping of a "NBC 7 Politically Speaking" episode, when DeMaio did not accept Peters’ hand outstretched for a handshake. 

One of San Diego’s most wanted fugitives – a man accused of siphoning millions of dollars from people – has been arrested, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed Tuesday.

John Gordon Baden, 38, was arrested Nov. 1 in Tijuana, Mexico, the FBI said. Baden was returned to the U.S. Monday and is scheduled to appear in federal court in San Diego Wednesday.

In October, the FBI announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to Baden’s arrest. Officials said it was a tip that helped them find the fugitive.

Baden, along with Jason Ray Bailey and Victor Alejandro Fernandez, are accused of stealing the identities of approximately 40,000 people, accessing their bank accounts and using the stolen money to buy electronics.

The suspects hacked into an unnamed mortgage broker’s servers and used mortgage applications to steal people’s personal information, including Social Security numbers, birth dates and assets, the FBI said citing an indictment.

Officials said victims came from California and across the country. The alleged crimes happened between July 2011 and August 2013.

Bailey and Fernandez were arrested in February, but Baden remained on the loose until now.

Baden faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and computer hacking.
 

Law enforcement officers are looking for a motorcyclist accused of shooting a man while he was sitting in a parked vehicle in Golden Hill early Wednesday.

The victim was near the corner of 26th Street and E Street around 6:30 a.m. when he was shot while sitting inside his Mazda, officials said.

The shooter, described as a person on a motorcycle with full helmet and long-sleeved gray jumpsuit, shot into the window of the victim’s vehicle, police said.

The shooter may have been driving on an older-model Honda or Kawasaki motorcycle with chrome exhaust pipes. After parking the bike, the motorcyclist approached the victim and shot him multiple times, officials said.

After the shooting, the person got back on the motorcycle and drove off eastbound on E Street.

Lt. Paul Rorrison said the victim was slumped over the steering wheel and apeared to be suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the upper body area.

Rorrison could not say if the victim, described as in his 40s, lived in the residential neighborhood.

He was transported to Mercy Hospital where he was rushed into surgery, Rorrison said. San Diego police initially told NBC 7 the victim had died from his injuries but later updated that information to say he was not expected to survive.

Detectives say the crime does not appear to be gang-related. 

When Rhonda Connolly had her second son, Casey, she and her husband brought him back to their Del Mar home thinking everything was fine.

She was breastfeeding her seemingly healthy baby, not knowing every meal was putting protein into his body that turned into brain damage-causing toxins.

Three days after Casey’s birth, his pediatrician called saying his newborn screening test results were abnormal.

Their son tested positive for Phenylketonuria or PKU, a rare condition in which a baby is born without the ability to properly break down an amino acid called phenylalanine. If a person with PKU has too much protein, it builds up toxins that can cause permanent brain damage.

The Connolly family received the newborn screening results on time, and it was imperative they did. Doctors were able to treat Casey immediately.

However, in some hospitals around the country and in San Diego County, samples are taking longer than the recommended three to five days to reach a laboratory.

Federal health advisors and newborn screening advocates say the dangerous delays put babies in danger and their families at risk of having to deal with expensive, lifelong medical bills.

The California New Born Screening Program screens more than 98 percent of babies born in the state, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). It tests for 31 conditions.

“The baby can look normal, but in a few days or after that may exhibit abnormal findings that can be associated with a serious neurological disability, developmental problems or even death,” said Dr. Joseph Bocchini the chairman of the Secretary Advisory Committee for HRSA on heritable disorders in newborns and children.

“There are some conditions that are severe that may manifest themselves in the first week of life. They can be fatal, critical conditions,” he said.

NBC 7 Investigates obtained CDPH information revealing 24 samples from Fallbrook Hospital in 2013 took more than five days.

At Rady Children’s Hospital, where babies are born elsewhere and transferred to its NICU, 35 samples in 2013 exceeded the time limit. Fifteen late tests have been recorded from Rady in 2014 so far.

For Scripps and Sharp hospitals, the percentages of delayed tests were very low, varying between 0 and .75 percent.

Jill Levy-Fish is the president of the Save Babies Through Screening Foundation. She said one delay is one too many.

“We’ve lost children and children have become impaired for the sheer fact samples have been delayed and there is no excuse for that,” she told NBC 7 Investigates.

All the hospitals NBC 7 reached out to declined on-camera interviews, but Fallbrook Hospital’s Marketing and PR Director Monique Murphy-Mijares released the following statement:

“Our hospital has processes in place, including use of overnight delivery services, to ensure that specimens are received by the state lab within the standard of five days or less after collection. Monday through Friday, our specimens are picked up within 24 hours, while specimens drawn over the weekend go out on Mondays. We monitor our results to ensure consistent processing and delivery on an ongoing basis. Everyone in our organization understands the sensitivity of these shipments and the important part we play in getting timely test results to parents.”

Rady Children’s Hospital Senior Public Information Officer Ben Metcalf also responded to the NBC 7 investigation by email, clarifying some of its numbers.

“These numbers reflect an improvement over the numbers in the Sentinel Journal report you referenced. Although the statistics have improved, we continue to look for ways to come as close to 100 percent as possible. Another fact to consider is that some of the samples that took more than 5 days were re-tests, meaning the initial sample was sent to the lab within the 5 day guideline, but had to be retested due to being an inadequate specimen. Rady Children’s has the only level 5 NICU in the region, so we care for the sickest babies. The nature of these samples can lead to higher numbers of inadequate specimens and therefore more re-tests.”

Rhonda Connolly’s son, Casey, is now 22 years old. He’s healthy, although dealing with PKU is a day-to-day struggle.

When Casey was eight years old, his mother had a third son they named Brady. Brady’s screening, which they also received on time, revealed he too had PKU.

“If it was your child being diagnosed with something, every day makes a difference,” Connolly said.

Voters have rejected a measure to replace the former Escondido Country Club golf course with tract housing.

There was no mistaking their distaste for Prop H -- they defeated the proposition 61 to 39 percent. But Michael Schlesinger, who owns the property in question, won't take no for an answer, saying he’s optimistic he will prevail in court.

Schlesinger is suing the City of Escondido after it zoned the former golf course as "open space."

‘Yes on H’ campaign strategist Jason Roe said Schlesinger hoped not to have to pursue the legal route, but now that Prop H failed, it’s his only option.

Roe estimates a judge could grant Schlesinger $75 to $100 million.

“When he bought the property, it was zoned for 600 residential homes,” said Roe. “After he bought it the city then rezoned it as permanent open space, thus taking the value of the property away from him.”

City attorney Jeffrey Epp told NBC 7 that’s “the silliest thing (he’s) ever heard.” He said that’s “just rhetoric.”

Epp said Schlesinger hasn’t even tried to work with the city on another use for the land, but instead, has rushed it to court.

He added that it could be years before the situation is resolved. Either way, Escondido residents will likely put up another fight.

“It's been our life and so when this was going to be taken away from us, we said ‘wait a minute.’ The community got together we had a group of leaders. They brought ECCHO and we just fought like heck," 'No on H' volunteer Linda Linderman said. "We won this round. It’s not over."

San Diego has elected its first Asian-American to the city council in nearly 50 years.

City Councilmember-Elect Chris Cate won the District 6 seat with 55 percent of the vote. The Republican beat challenger Democrat Carol Kim, also Asian-American.

District 6 encompasses Clairemont Mesa, Kearny Mesa, Miramar, Rancho Peñasquitos and Mira Mesa.

Many Asian-Americans in District 6 told NBC 7 they’re optimistic they will have more say in city government with a councilman they believe will represent not only their interests but also that of the surrounding community.

“Our voice is being heard in the community. We are coming together now where we used to be always separate. You know, there was the Chinese community, there was a Korean community, there was a Filipino community, the Japanese community. Now we're being heard as one voice," said Tress Balch, owner of Happy Sushi.

That's because the newly drawn district encompasses areas boasting an Asian Pacific Islander (API) community that makes up more than 30 percent of its population.

Cate said he’s humbled to represent this community.

“I'm excited about serving the API community and making sure we're giving back. I'm looking forward to working and leading the next generation of APIs and getting them involved and active in community service," he said.

It was a tough choice for some voters between Cate and Kim. Balch said he was won over by Cate’s dedication to law enforcement and small business issues.

“He ran on the fact that he wants to improve law enforcement. His father was a law enforcement person, and as a parent, I want a safe neighborhood,” he said.

Balch employs 20 people at his restaurant and hopes Cate’s policies will help him hire even more.

“If you make business easier, maybe we can employ 25 to 30 people,” he said.

Cate's victory also changes the city council's veto-proof majority for the Democrats. The Republicans now have a more equal hand with five Democrats to four Republicans.

Berkeley has passed the nation's first soda tax. Could it open the door to other cities and states doing the same thing?

Shopper Robert McCormack doesn't like the idea.

"All you're doing is costing people more money," said McCormack. "Wages are down, people are struggling and now you can't even go out and have a soda?"

The one-cent-an-ounce tax on soft drinks could raise more than a million dollars a year for the Berkeley city government.

That money will be used to pay for a government panel to look into financing health promoting projects.

"I actually think that's a great idea," said shopper Teresa Druijter.

She says charging more for soda could discourage some people from buying it. But Judi Curry isn't so sure.

"I will make the decision whether I'm going to drink less, not somebody else," said Curry.

The tax is not just for soft drinks. Energy and sports drinks are included along with sugar-added fruit juices and teas.

However chocolate milk will not be taxed, and neither will 100 percent fruit juices and diet sodas.

Soda makers like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo contributed more than $10 million to fight the tax.

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who tried to ban supersized drinks in his state, contributed more than a half-million dollars to support the tax.

San Francisco voters approved a similar soda tax by 66 percent, but the measure required a two-thirds vote, so it didn't pass.

That's fine with Robert McCormack who says government is going too far.

"It's not their job to come into my home and tell me, 'We want you to only drink this or that.' That's a no-no," said McCormack.