The Republican triumphs on Tuesday extended beyond Congress to victories in blue state governors’ races, and those successes could benefit New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the chairman of the Republican Governors Association and a potential presidential candidate in 2016.

But the gubernatorial wins, even while good news for possible candidates, probably say less about the mood of the voters than the results in Senate and House races. Whatever the reasons for the Congressional midterm rout — anger over gridlock in Washington, D.C., worries about the economy or dissatisfaction with the Obama administration — analysts say that voters are typically less ideological and more pragmatic when picking a governor.

"With senators, people often vote pure ideology," said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "With governors, party and ideology play a big role but people evaluate candidates differently."

Voters want to be convinced that the candidates have the managerial skills to lead a state, he said.

"They really do look at them as their 'little president,'" he said. 

On Tuesday, the GOP increased the number of governorships it holds from 29 to 31.

Republicans will replace Democrats in Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland and Massachusetts and beat back opponents elsewhere, including Florida, Iowa, Maine, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin. In Texas, Republican state Attorney General Greg Abbott outpolled state Sen. Wendy Davis to replace outgoing Republican Gov. Rick Perry.

At the same time, Democrats held onto the office in Colorado and Connecticut and picked up Pennsylvania, where Democrat Tom Wolf beat Republican Gov. Tom Corbett.

Still undecided is the race in Vermont, where a strong challenge to Gov. Peter Shumlin by Scott Milne means the state's Legislature will decide the winner in January. Democrats control both houses, which have by tradition gone with the candidate with the most votes when no candidate received 50 percent of the vote. Shumlin maintains a small lead.

Also too close to call is Alaska where challenger Bill Walker, a Republican turned independent, has a slight lead over Republican Gov. Sean Parnell. Absentee and early votes must still be counted.

“It just seems like such a mixed bag of results,” said Dianne Bystrom, director of Iowa State University's Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics.

Some of the Republican wins might have been a result of a general mood of discontent, partly with the economy despite indications of improvements, she said. 

“People aren’t feeling it in their heart and souls that things are getting any better and will be better,” she said. “So I think there’s just a general political malaise sort of sweeping the country, that they're just fed up."

Illinois’ race was largely about the economy, said Jennifer Duffy, a senior editor at The Cook Political Report. Gov. Pat Quinn’s attempted solution — one of the largest tax increases in the state’s history — was not successful and voters wanted a different approach, she said.

But Duffy attributed Democrats’ loss in the Massachusetts gubernatorial race to the lethargic effort by state Attorney General Martha Coakley after the primary. By contrast, Republican Charlie Baker had been campaigning since losing to Gov. Deval Patrick in 2010, she said.

“Governors’ races tend to exist in their own orbit,” Duffy said.

The most surprising race was in Maryland, where Republican businessman Larry Hogan defeated Democratic Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, she and Sabato said.

“You figure in a state as overwhelmingly Democratic as Maryland the guy would be able to win,” Sabato said.

Kelly Dittmar, a scholar at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics, said that the overall Republican success might be attributed to better mobilization of voters.

“Maybe that tells part of the story in some of these races,” she said.

As far as the number of women governors, the tally stayed the same at five, she said.

The Republican Governors Assocation outraised its Democratic counterpart by more than two-to-one, according to the latest tallies — $102 million by Christie compared to $47 million for the Democratic chairman, Shumlin.

The Republicans successes are a boost for Christie, who has now spent lots of time in states important for the 2016 presidential race, said Lee Miringoff, the director the Marist Institute for Public Opinion in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He criss-crossed the country for his fellow governors, visiting 37 states this year, some of them many times.

"When you’re out campaigning for president, you want a nice welcome mat from the sitting governor," he said.

Republicans hold Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan, all states Democrats would want to do well in, he said. Christie not only worked for the election of those governors, but also met other influential residents while visiting, Miringoff said.

And Tuesday's numbers helped to mute speculation that controversy over lane closures and subsequent traffic snarls on the George Washington Bridge — the so-called Bridgegate — had hurt Christie's effectiveness, he said.

"He's a big winner for Tuesday within the Republican party ranks should he decide to toss his proverbial hat in the ring," he said.

"He's done the introduction, now it will be reacquaint, not only the governor but I'm sure many of the folks he was at events with," he said. "In an earlier era, we would say he built a nice Rolodex."

Christie downplayed his role on the "Today" show, saying the credit belonged to the candidates. He told Matt Lauer on Wednesday that he had not decided whether to run for president.

"It's not about me," Christie said. "I was happy to help. I'm glad to have their confidence, but that’s all it is."

Besides the advantage for Christie's prospects, the results could also help Wisconsin’s Gov. Rick Scott and Ohio’s Gov. John Kasich, both of whom have been talked about as possible Republican candidates. Both were victorious Tuesday.

But on Democratic side, the loss in Maryland damaged former Gov. Martin O’Malley’s chance at his party’s nomination, Sabato said.

“He killed his candidacy for president, too,” Sabato said. “Nobody’s going to take that seriously now.” 

Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, said the results affirmed Republican leadership even in the bluest of blue states.

"Even the president's home state, where he campaigned vigorously, elected a Republican, and that's how big this victory really is," he said at a news conference.

San Diego Police surrounded a Point Loma home and told nearby residents to stay inside their homes after a gunshot was reported late Wednesday.

Ten police units responded to the report of a shot fired on the first floor of a home near Tustin and McCauley Streets, west of Nimitz Boulevard.

The call came from the suspect's wife who left the house after police arrived.

She was upstairs at the time of the shooting but was not harmed. Responding officers were concerned they might have a hostage situation or active shooter.

Officers surrounded the home and attempted to reach the gunman by phone. The suspect surrendered shortly thereafter.

Two guns, a hand gun and a rifle were confiscated. Police say the suspect was despondent and was transported to San Diego County Mental Health Clinic.

Residents in the neighborhood were not evacuated but were told to stay inside their homes. No one was injured.
 

I sat down to talk with NBC 7 Sports Director and former Chargers linebacker Jim Laslavic to discuss some of the pressing issues the Chargers are facing this week.

The Bolts get the week off as they try to forget an ugly 37-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins while looking forward to playing the winless Oakland Raiders next Sunday.

As always, he gave some great insight from both a player and reporter perspective. Here is Four Quarters with Laz.

1. What positives can you take out of Sunday’s game?

There are very few positives, if any, after a 37-0 loss. Among the positives, there were no serious injuries. That’s big for a team that’s had a ton of them.

More than anything else, the Chargers need to get healthy on defense. Sure, getting running back Ryan Mathews back will help the offense. But he’s not going to find much more running room than the rest of the backs who have taken his place.

Which brings me to the offensive line. They need to set the tone for the rest of the offense. Right now they’re getting pushed around. Hey Chargers fans, bet you never thought you would miss Jeromey  Clary (Chargers guard who had hip surgery right before the season) this much. Told you so!

2. If you’re coaching this team, what do you tell players to motivate them?

There appears to be a good rapport between the players and coaches. That’s what makes the team’s dismal performance in Miami so surprising. Most of these players were around last year. They know how their hard work paid off with a playoff spot.

Winning seasons are precious. This team has good leadership. Solid veteran players with character and high football IQ’s.

Forget all that talk about taking a good hard look in the mirror.  Go out and play like you want it.

3. How important is the bye week? How much do you wish they had bye weeks when you were playing?

The bye week will help everyone get rested and might give the injured guys a chance to get healthy.

I never went through a bye week. Heck, my first two seasons we only played 14 games.

4. Finally, is this a playoff team?

Ask me in two weeks.

The defense has to get healthy. Both the offense and defense need to control the line of scrimmage. And they need to get a few breaks as they did last season.

The key is to beat the Raiders and Rams to get in position for a late-season charge.

Residents of one San Diego County community concerned about a registered sex offender's placement near an elementary school are now even more worried after a report suggests GPS monitoring devices do not keep sex offenders from committing more crime.

“It’s pretty shocking honestly. It’s very shocking,” said Lakeside resident Beth Marshall. Her sense of security was rocked when she found out registered sex offender, Lee Austin, would be living on her street.

Austin, 33, was convicted in 2001 of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age. He was released last week to live with his family on Lakeview Road, just across the street from Lakeview Elementary.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) requires that Austin keep at least 250 feet from any location where children usually congregate and requires that he wear a GPS unit at all times while on parole.

Marshall said she found some comfort when she was told Austin would be monitored by a GPS device. Now, that’s also changed.

“Initially it kind of did make me feel a little safe but now, not at all. Now a little bit more wary,” she said.

A new report from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Inspector General found the ankle bracelets do little to keep ex-felons from committing more crimes.

The report also found one in five paroled sex offenders has no home. Those transients committed about 76 percent of all parole violations among sex offender parolees. Less than one percent of the violations were for sex-related crimes.

The report was requested after two Orange County sex offenders, who were wearing GPS devices, were arrested last spring for raping and killing four women. Their whereabouts were constantly tracked.

In light of the report, state legislators may consider making changes to Jessica’s Law.

Marshall says something else needs to be done to keep people safe.

“What do you tell the victims after something’s happened? I’m sorry we didn’t have enough money to really watch that guy,” she said. 

San Diego prosecutors have charged Padres’ star shortstop Everth Cabrera with resisting arrest relating to his traffic stop in September on suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana.

Cabrera has also been charged with possession of marijuana and will be arraigned on the charges on Dec. 8 in an El Cajon courtroom, a San Diego District Attorney’s Office spokesman confirmed Thursday morning.

Cabrera, 27, was stopped at 12:30 a.m. Sept. 3 on State Route 94 by Border Patrol agents. California Highway Patrol officers from El Cajon were called in and they said they detected signs that Cabrera was under the influence of marijuana.

He was cited on suspicion of DUI and released to his mother-in-law.

Cabrera has played all six of his major league seasons with the Padres. He was named to the National League All-Star team in 2013.

Further details surrounding the resisting arrest allegations were not immediately available Thursday morning.
 

A woman who lost thousands of dollars worth of family jewelry is just one of the victims of a spate of burglaries in Huntington Beach.

Karyn Gallagher lost the irreplaceable items after thieves targeted her house in Softwind Drive in what was the first of eight such incidents in the area since September.

According to police it took burglars merely minutes to commit the crime, but it has left a permanent mark on their victim.

"It was mostly my super sentimental jewelry the things my mom gave me, my dad my grandma. Things with my kids’ names on them," Gallagher said.

She failed to make her house fully secure before the incident, believing there was no way such a crime could occur in the desirable area.

"I consciously looked at them when I left the house at 6.15 p.m. I thought, ’I'm not going to close them, it's too hot. Who's going to crawl in through the front window,' " Gallagher said, "We live in a really quiet community and I know that other people leave their windows open. We don’t think about it."

Now she is making sure her home is always locked up, a step the Huntington Beach Police Department want everyone to follow due to the current spate of such incidents, making sure all doors and windows are locked before leaving their properties.

"Basically what's happening is the burglars are hitting during the day, when people are leaving their homes for a short period of time," Lt. Kent Ferrin said. “We are concerned that someone is going to be home. Someone can get hurt."

For the second time in two days, a construction crew ruptured a gas line in University City. 

The workers hit a two-inch line that runs parallel to the line struck Wednesday. The leak prompted the closure of several lanes along major roads and a controlled evacuation of a nearby medical facility.  A construction crew struck a gas line along La Jolla Village Drive near Regents Road at 8:15 a.m.

“Fire trucks all showed up and started measuring the atmosphere and came over and asked us to leave the site,” said roofer Gary Luke.

His crew wasn’t the only people evacuated. Firefighters had to wait a bit to evacuate nearby Regents Medical Plaza because there were two surgeries going on. Once the surgeries were done, some of the personnel and patients were evacuated, while others were told to shelter in place.

Linda Jones drives patients to the medical facility. She said one of her clients was concerned about the traffic delays.

“She was terrified because she thought she was going to lose her appointment,” Jones said.

Reports of ruptured gas lines have been on the rise since the beginning of this year.

In the first quarter of the year, 15 damaged gas lines were reported. In the second quarter the number of reports jumped to 36. In the third quarter 50 gas line breaks

San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Grace Yamane said it’s unusual to see such an increase in gas line breaks.

"Hopefully this one won't take as long as the one in Little Italy yesterday," Yamane said.

San Diego Gas and Electric crews suggest construction crews and project managers call 811. Crews will come out to any property and mark hidden gas lines to avoid future breaks.

San Diego Police found a body inside a car filled with chemical fumes Thursday in Sorrento Valley and immediately called for hazardous material experts.

The sedan parked near the corner of Miramar Road and Production Avenue had printed signs saying “Keep Away” and “Call Hazmat,” according to police officials.

When police officers first arrived at 4 a.m., they did not intervene and instead, called for the San Diego Fire-Rescue HazMat team and firefighters.

Nearby stores including a Starbucks was cordoned off from passersby while officials waited for the fumes to dissipate.

Some local reports said it took nearly three hours to clear the scene.

The person inside the vehicle died of what officials were calling an apparent chemical suicide.

Officials later confirmed the chemical used was a byproduct of hydrogen sulfide. When a human is exposed to a high-level of the gas, they can suffer significant shortness of breath and ultimately death.

The U-T San Diego reports that use of chemicals in suicide is rare in San Diego County, citing just five other incidents in the last four years.
 

Longtime San Diego television broadcaster Larry Himmel has died, his colleagues announced Wednesday.

Himmel, 68, reported on weather or sports for years for KFMB-TV but was known by so many for his ability to bring memorable stories about San Diego into our homes.

Former colleagues describe him as witty, funny, insightful, genuine and an iconic San Diego personality.

“What you see on screen, that’s exactly who he is off camera,” colleague Hank Bauer said in a video tribute.

He started as a feature reporter in San Diego in 1979. Part of that long television career was spent here at KNSD. He also produced a half-hour comedy show for years.

Larry's talent transcended all subject matters, said NBC 7's Marianne Kushi who once worked with Himmel.

"He was not the 'Jack of All Trades', he was the master of all of them," Kushi said. "He found the little stories, those little gems of San Diego and shared them with us."

NBC 7's Jason Austell said he admired Himmel and his "San Diego at Large" program and then found himself later in life sitting next to him at San Diego Chargers games listening to his stories in the press box.

"I had so many laughs with him," Austell said adding that Himmel was "absolutely genuine."

NBC 7's Artie Ojeda said he was a high school student when he started watching Himmel on local television.

"What an absolute honor it was to work alongside him during my tenure at Channel 8," Ojeda said Thursday describing Himmel as "a tremendous talent, but more importantly, an incredibly nice man."

Ojeda said all the tributes he's reading online about Larry are absolutely true.

"He will be missed," he added. "My thoughts are with his family and all of our friends at KFMB."

Himmel passed away after a battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife and son.

Share your favorite memory of Larry on NBC 7's Facebook page or in our comments section below.
 

In the middle of the 2014 season, the Padres moved one of their left field scoreboards and caught some flack from fans. Turns out, they had a reason for the change.

On Thursday the Padres announced a massive change to the left field area at Petco Park, and when I say massive, I'm speaking literally.

A new high-definition video display system is replacing the video board that's been there since the stadium opened in 2004.

It's 61.2-feet tall by 123.6-feet wide, covering 7,564.32 square feet, the third-largest in Major League Baseball (behind Seattle's Safeco Field and Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City). That's nearly five times the size of the current video screen (30-feet tall by 53-feet wide; 1,590 square feet). The entire board can be run full-screen to show live action or video replays, or it can be split into sections for statistical information, graphics and animations.

But that's not all! New LED ribbon boards spanning nearly 750 feet along the first and third base lines, as well as on the left field grandstand fascia, are going in.

Of course, a bigger board and more electronic screens take up more space, so seating will have to change a bit. Two new rows of seats (171 total) will be added to the front of the Left Field Lower Box spanning sections 126, 128, 130, 132 and 134, while 110 fixed seats will be removed from from the back rows of these sections. That back area will be replaced by a number of bar stool seats to create another fan gathering area.

The Left Field Upper Box overhang will also be scaled back and raised four feet. That means 192 existing seats will become 111 barstool seats.

Also, 610 seats from the top of the Left Field Reserved sections will be replaced by what the team calls a, "new social group space" that can hold 270 people.

All the changes will reduce Petco Park's overall seating capacity, but season ticket holders will have the option to choose new seats in at the same renewal price.

Oh, and there's one more change of note. The new seating arrangement is forcing the padded wall that runs from left field through left-center field to be brought in about three feet. It will also be lowered from eight feet to seven feet in height.

We'll have to wait and see how the alterations look aesthetically, but at this point, anything that might help the Padres score runs is a reason to be excited.

Demolition begins next week. All the changes are scheduled to be completed in time for the home opener on April 9 against the World Champion San Francisco Giants.

Tuscaloosa police have arrested former San Diego Chargers fullback Le'Ron McClain on a synthetic marijuana trafficking charge.

Police spokesman Sgt. Brent Blankley says 29-year-old McClain was arrested Wednesday after narcotics agents recovered 122 grams of synthetic marijuana, or spice.

Agents told McClain they'd issue a warrant when tests results on the substance came back later in the day. The release said authorities told McClain not to leave Tuscaloosa. Patrol officers serving the warrant at the home of McClain's mother said they were initially told that he had left the state.

Blankley says McClain is being held on $500,000 bond.

McClain, originally of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was released in March after two seasons with the San Diego Chargers. He also played with Baltimore and Kansas City in a seven-year NFL career.

A San Diego-area high school is backtracking after its administration received backlash when it  removed an Islamic selections from an upcoming concert lineup.

Earlier this week, Mt. Carmel High School asked the school’s choir director to remove an Islamic chant from the Thursday evening concert program after a parent complained it showed religious elements.

The choir director told NBC 7 that the concerned parent does not have child in the Classical Choir Ensemble.

Earlier in the week, the high school principal and assistant principals talked with their choir group and let them share their opinions, according to one of the students in the choir ensemble.

On Wednesday, the students were told to remove the Islamic Chant called “Zikr” and a Korean Chant because it couldn't be directly translated.

Choir student Alyssa Marine said the songs were connected throughout the concert to show how America is diverse.

“It kinda just sucks because they just like kinda hated just that one song and that one religion and I just thought that was kinda messed up,” Marine said.

Early Thursday, Mt. Carmel High School told NBC 7 that administrators reviewed all of the songs scheduled to be performed in a choir performance and a decision was made to change portions of the performance.

This decision was based on input from parents, students and teachers over the past two days, school officials said.

Students say they have been working on the songs since the beginning of the semester and enjoyed the fact that the concert would showcase different cultures.

But at about 4 p.m. Thursday, Principal Greg Magno sent an email to the choir families, announcing all the songs will be included in the performance.

Magno plans to read a statement before the concert that explains he has read through the Education Code and Board Policy, but in the end, the most important thing is to listen to students.

"The students performing tonight chose those particular pieces because they represent and honor the diversity in their choir, the diversity at their school, and the diversity in their community," the statement says. "These students made the right decision when they put together this program. They have my full support and the support of the Superintendent and the District for the performance you are about to hear."

The concert is scheduled to take place at the high school at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
 

Eleven-year-old Valina Lams was on her way with her mom to Ross Dress for Less in Mission Valley when, suddenly, a patrol cruiser slammed into their car.

“Omigod. I’ve never been in a situation like this. It just happened,” the De Portola Middle School student told NBC 7.

The California Highway Patrol car had been hijacked by a handcuffed suspect, who fled from Mission Bay and led police on a wild chase, clipping several cars while fleeing.

One of those cars belonged to Valina's mom.

Valina said her mom was driving on Friars Road when she saw the patrol car coming toward their car. Moments later, she said patrol car smacked into their vehicle from behind.

That's when her mom pulled the car to the side of the car. Valina said her mom didn’t have a cellphone.

“It was really scary for me. I’m only 11. I don’t know what to do,” she said.

She thought the red-headed female suspect behind the wheel of the patrol car was going to jump into her mom’s car. But officers soon came, setting off a beanbag round and dragging the suspect from the vehicle.

“I was on the floor of the car and I was just praying,” Valina said.

Valin said after the crash that she's doing OK and tried to stay calm during the ordeal.

"I knew I was going to be fine," she said.

Four lanes of Interstate 805 have been closed down after an SUV and a car collide, killing one person.

The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert just after 7 p.m. for the northbound lanes of I-805, south of I-5 in Sorrento Valley.

It's unclear what happened leading up to the crash, but the back of the white sedan was completely caved in, while the white SUV had bad front-end damage.

CHP has not said in which vehicle the fatality occurred. The other driver was taken to Scripps La Jolla Hospital for unknown injuries.

Another dark green BMW was damaged in the left rear, where a tail light is broken.

The lanes were shut down for about two and a half hours, reopened at about 9:30 p.m.

A tracking device likely used on many cars in San Diego helped Pennsylvania police track down the man whose brazen kidnapping was caught on camera. 

When 22-year-old Carlesha Freeland-Gaither was kidnapped off a Philadelphia street on Sunday, she was seen being dragged into a Ford Taurus.

Detectives say they began tracking down the suspect, Delvin Barnes, with a GPS device placed inside his car by the dealership because he had poor credit. He was later found with Freeland-Gaither in Maryland and arrested.

Brian Mackey, owner of Mike's Wholesale Inc. in El Cajon, says most businesses like his put tracking devices in cars these days.

With GPS getting cheaper – Mackey pays about $90 each – they provide an easy way to protect the dealership’s assets.

“From the get-go, it makes customers aware that there is a possibility that they'll lose their car. Plus it gives us the security to finance people with bad credit,” said Mackey.

David Cavano, manager of the Automobile Club of Southern California’s car buying service, says this type of practice is for certain types of car dealerships.

“It would not traditionally be franchise dealers. It would traditionally be that mom and pop shops that's been in business long enough to understand that people usually have good intentions but don’t always act on those intentions,” said Cavano.

Cavano says car dealerships disclose the information about a GPS up front because it puts the buyer on notice. If customers don’t make payments, dealerships can track them down and repossess their vehicle.

According to Mackey, most of his customers like the idea of the device in their car.

“They feel better. Their car is not gonna get stolen. They just feel a lot more comfortable and if they don't feel comfortable, maybe it's a sign to us dealers that maybe it’s not the customer we want to do business with,” said Mackey.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s gorilla matriarch is getting up in years, but you would never know from her youthful complexion.

Vila, a western lowland gorilla, celebrated her 57th birthday Tuesday morning, making her one of the oldest gorillas in the world.

Zoo staff honored the female of the hour with an ice cake made from and orange-flavored drink mix (sugar-free, of course). Vila was nice enough to share, allowing the seven other gorillas to scrape the cake with their fingers or just dive in and lick it, the safari park says.

With gift boxes and painted gourds galore, the gorilla troop indulged in treats scattered around the habitat including dozens of ice cupcakes – made from pureed sweet potatoes and raisins – and their favorite goodies like leafy greens, veggies, popcorn and the standard party snack, Chex Mix.

Born around October 1957 in the Congo, Vila was taken to the San Diego Zoo to be hand-raised. She was moved to the safari park in 1975, where she has lived ever since.

Vila stands as quite the parental figure as well, serving as a surrogate mother to several gorillas. Her troop looks to her as the matriarch now.

Zoologists know of three other western lowland gorillas close to Vila’s age: one at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio, born in December 1985; a second at the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas, born June 1958; and a third at the Berlin Zoo in Germany, born May 1959.

The average lifespan of a western lowland gorilla is about 35 years in the wild, according to National Geographic.

A hit-and-run investigation that led to a stolen CHP patrol car, multiple shots fires and a high-speed pursuit all started with a stolen car, the owner told NBC 7 in an exclusive interview.

John Machado, owner of Point Loma Plumbing, has had a terrible month.

His misfortunes began when someone broke into his van and stole three cases of plumbing tools and parts – equipment that would cost more than $10,000 to replace, he said.

Along with the tools, the thieves stole the keys to his Toyota, which Machado bought so he could travel to see his daughter and grandsons in Los Angeles.

Knowing full well the culprits could come back for his car, he got a quote to see how much it would cost to get the locks replaced. The first service center said it would cost $1,000, but Machado put it off in hopes he could find a lower price.

He waited too long.

“About three to four days later, that’s when they came and stole the car,” he said.

He believes an organized ring of professionals orchestrated the van break-in and subsequent car theft.

For weeks, he heard no updates on the whereabouts of his vehicle. But on Thursday, he got a call from California Highway Patrol. The officer said his car had been involved in a hit-and-run investigation that turned into something much bigger.

Officials told him they had found his car in Mission Bay with the whole front damaged, driven by a woman.

A CHP officer put the female suspect in handcuffs and loaded her into the back of the cruiser as he searched the vehicle for ties to a reported hit-and-run. That’s when the woman somehow slipped the handcuffs to the front of her body, hopped over the seat and drove off in the CHP patrol SUV.

CHP officials say she reached for the rifle stored there, so the officer opened fire as she drove out of the parking lot. San Diego Police picked up the chase as the woman sped over the freeways and got off in Mission Valley, ramming into at least three vehicles along the way.

Officers fired their weapons at the SUV , and the woman was finally arrested about 30 minutes later at Qualcomm Way and Friars Road.

Machado got all this information from various investigating agencies as he tried to find out the fate of his car, which started it all.

“Now, they say, the police are going to take the car for whatever reasons, for maybe two months,” he told NBC 7. “Two months, I can’t touch the car, so there I am for two months. I’m not going to see my grandsons. So crazy.”

That setback is the latest in a long, fatiguing line of problems. Because he only has partial insurance on his Toyota, he is not even sure if the damage done to it can be fixed.

“The feeling is like I have a headache. I’m tired, exhausted because it was one thing after the other. They took all the tools, now they took my car,” Machado said.

The female suspect, whose identity has not been released, was booked into a Santee jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and auto theft, among others.

One list wasn’t enough. There are way too many juicy burgers around San Diego. So get ready to salivate: It’s our second mouthful of beefy Yelp-found favorites.

Pit Stop Diner: Oceanside

This local diner is classic and a popular hot spot for the beloved beef it brings to town. With burgers under $2, how can you not be a fan? If a simple slab won’t cut it, get the 3 X 3 for fewer than $4 or the mushroom cheese. Pair it with homemade hard ice cream shakes and all the deep fried sides you crave, including onion rings to chili cheese fries.

Prepkitchen: Del Mar, Little Italy, La Jolla

Maybe not the first menu item that comes to mind when you think PK, but the WNL burger has a serious following among regional Yelpers, making it a meaty local favorite. This high quality burger comes perfectly cooked with Gruyere, applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onions and an over-easy farm egg. Order it up with the homemade potato chips.

BABS: Kerney Mesa

Bao’s Awesome Burgers and Sandwiches has a secret seasoning and a delightful website. Both will get your mouth watering. What makes this burger unique? Well, they’re stuffed with cheese for one thing, plus the price is right and it’s grilled to perfection. There’s even a breakfast burger filled with tater tots, Cajun sauce and a fried egg.

Oink And Moo: Fallbrook

We suggest going tried and true with the hand-cut, chuck steak-filled selections the chef has concocted. You won’t go wrong with the Goat-a-licious burger. It’s packed with bacon, goat cheese and tasty apricot/sundried tomato chutney, plus a topping of balsamic greens. You can even BYOB (Build Your Own Burger) complete with “Burger Bling” if you consider yourself a carnivore connoisseur.

Crazee Burger: North Park & Old Town

Purists beware: things get out of hand in the best possible way on this menu. While a simple sirloin patty is available, you’ll also find options like the Wild Boar Burger made with pears poached in red wine, mushrooms, bacon cream and plum jelly. There’s the Santorini (half beef, half lamb) and the El Jacobo chorizo and beef burger with queso fresco and jalapenos. You know you want it.

Halphen Red Burgers: Chula Vista

This joint’s secret to success is clear: the Halpen’s Red Hamburger Sauce. You can buy it bottled, but be sure to corral your herd in for a burger bite. They make ‘em “real good” and simple, too. Big or small, they’re served on buttered toasted brioche and come complete with the basics (read: fries). We suggest the aged parmesan and garlic variety and don’t forget to get a hand-scooped strawberry shake.

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.

Four teen girls hurt in a crash admonished former Murrieta Mayor Alan Long on Wednesday, one day after he was re-elected as a city councilman despite felony DUI charges against him.

The four Murrieta High School cheerleaders were hurt Oct. 16 when Long, who was behind the wheel of a full-size pickup, allegedly rear-ended a sedan carrying the girls shortly after 8 p.m. Oct. 16 at Jefferson and Lily avenues.

"I haven't felt good at all," said Mellisa Reynolds, who's wearing a brace while healing from a broken neck. "There hasn't been a day that I felt good at all since it happened. Everything on the right side of my body always hurts. I get very sharp pains and I constantly have headaches."

Reynolds’ mother Rosy Dewart is furious with Long and feels let down by the community, especially as her family has a history of tragedy because of DUI incidents.

"It's wrong, it's totally wrong. It's devastated our families," Dewart said, "I had a brother that was killed in 1990 by a drunk driver and I came to Murrieta to give the kids a better life."

Long's re-election into Murrieta City Council is leaving the girls in disbelief.

"He's supposed to be a role model," victim Andi Williams said. "No matter what he did, he tested positive for drinking, period."

"You mentally and physically hurt four people," Chloe Rogers said of Long. "You shouldn't be given the right to have a normal life. It was just frustrating for me to see the support of my own city not supporting minors instead supporting someone who can't even abide by the rules that he implemented."

"It surprises me that more parents in Murrieta aren't putting themselves in our shoes," her mother Cathy Rogers said, "We definitely didn't ask for our lives to be disrupted and the girls not to be able to cheer the rest of the season and not be able to attend the school anymore."

Her other daughter Camille Rogers was in the front seat and suffered head trauma.

"We are struggling. We are having these intense headaches, these side effects of a crash," Rogers said. "We didn't deserve that."

At the time of the crash, Long, an Anaheim Fire Department battalion chief, was serving his one-year term as mayor in a city that rotates its mayor among City Council members. He resigned from his post days after being arrested on suspicion of felony DUI.

The victims could not speak extensively about the crash, citing an ongoing criminal case, but Camille's sister, Chloe Rogers, said she was making a legal left turn and had her blinker on when Long's truck suddenly barreled into her car.

In the police report obtained by NBC4, the former mayor said he was driving 25 mph when the car in front of him slammed on the brakes for no reason, but the victims dispute that.

"I didn't ask to be hit," Chloe Rogers said. "I did everything I could to avoid being hit."

Attorney Jean Simon Serrano, who is representing Chloe and Camille Rogers, was not impressed with the claim.

"The photos we are seeing of the cars, I don't see how he was only going 25 mph," Serrano said.

The officer who wrote the police report stated Long, whose blood alcohol content was .08 percent, was visibly intoxicated and failed a field sobriety test.

San Diego Police are looking for a masked suspect after a woman says he forced his way into her Normal Heights home and sexually assaulted her. 

The man, wearing black latex gloves and some type of face cover like a hockey or goalie mask, got through the front door of a Wilson Avenue apartment at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, according to police.

The 18-year-old woman who lives inside told police the masked intruder sexually assaulted her.

Invesitgators have been filtering in and out of the apartment all afternoon, looking for clues that may lead them to the suspect.

Neighbors say the alleged victim lives with young children in the apartment, but police are not saying who was at home at the time.

"I have chills right now, you know," said neighbor Olivia Tyson. "It's very scary. I'm at a loss for words because I'm always taking precautions. It's what can you do. I extend my prayers to her." 

Police are searching for a man in his 20s wearing some type of mask, a hoodie, dark pants and latex gloves.

It does not appear that the victim knows the suspect, investigators say.