More than 30,000 people, many of them dressed in costumes, participated in the 102nd annual Bay to Breakers race Sunday morning, making their way from the South of Market (SOMA) neighborhood, across the city to Ocean Beach.

According to preliminary results, runners from Ethiopia and Burundi were first to cross the finish line.

Ethiopian Tolossa Gedefa Fufi was the top male runner, completing the 7.46-mile course through San Francisco in 35 minutes and 1 second, race spokeswoman DeeDee Taft said.

The second fastest in the men's competition was American Ryan Hall, with a course time of 35 minutes and 40 seconds.

One the women's side, Burundi athlete Diane Nukuri-Johnson finished first, running the course in 40 minutes and 12 seconds, according to preliminary results.

Adrienne Herzog of the Netherlands came in second with a time of 40 minutes and 42 seconds.

Someone broke into an Ontario church and stole $10,000 worth of musical instruments, forcing the church's pastor to buy new equipment using credit cards for Sunday services.

The burglary happened Thursday between noon and 5 p.m. at the Word of Life Christian Fellowship. The burglar left pry marks on the back door and made off with keyboards, speakers, an electric guitar and microphones, said Pastor John Bunch.

"At first I felt violated, I felt just a little bit agitated. Maybe even angry," Bunch said. "But the more I thought about it, I thought, you know, this can be replaced. Nobody's hurt. These are instruments. They're material things."

No one has been arrested in the case, police said.

Bunch has installed a new security system in hopes of preventing a similar burglary in the future.

The rain may have been coming down in Atlanta, but a storm is brewing in Los Angeles, as the Dodgers were swept by the Braves in embarrassing fashion.

Rookie starter Matt Magill provided most of the Dodgers highlights during Sunday’s 5-2 loss to Atlanta, and he did not even have a great outing.

Magill showed improved command and effectiveness than in previous starts, allowing three walks and striking out eight. He was in line for the win despite only lasting five innings on 96 pitches.

Matt Magill’s outing was spoiled by the bullpen and a lack of hitting. He was left with a no decision but would have gotten the loss, if not for Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.

Crawford reached base to lead off the first and the third inning, with Adrian Gonzalez bringing him in to score both times.

That was the extent of the Dodgers offense. The team had only three hits, with none coming past the third inning.

19 Dodger batters were retired in order, capping off an embarrassing sweep courtesy of Atlanta. AJ Ellis’ walk with two outs in the ninth was the lone Dodger baserunner past the third inning.

The bullpen, meanwhile, was assigned to convert 12 outs in relief, with a one run lead. There was a feeling of impending doom as each new pitcher was brought in, finding themselves in a worse situation than the last.

J.P. Howell, Ronald Belisario, Paco Rodriguez, Kenley Jansen and Brandon League were all used, in that order.

The wheels started to come off in the eighth as Kenley Jansen gave up a single to Freddie Freeman and a walk to Brian McCann. Brandon League came in for Jansen, and let the flood gates open, allowing the game-tying run after just two pitches.

League gave up another four runs, making the score 5-2 and giving Jansen the loss. It was his second of the series.

The Dodgers send aces Clayton Kershaw and Zach Greinke to the mound for the next two games. If they both deliver strong, seven or eight inning starts it could give the bullpen some much needed rest.

The Dodger’s trip out to Milwaukee was delayed several hours due to rain. The 1:35pm EST start time was pushed back over an hour and a half, and another rain delay in the sixth lasted half an hour.

The team will arrive in Milwaukee late on Sunday and start a three game series with the Brewers on Monday. The Brewers currently sit in last place of the NL Central with the same 17-25 record as the Dodgers.
 

Police officers fatally shot a machete-wielding man who was allegedly smashing patrol car windows in front of the Inglewood Police Department headquarters, authorities said.

The man, whose name was not released, was shot once in the torso just before 6 p.m. on Saturday. He broke windows on at least eight squad cars before the shooting, police said.

The incident was under investigation.

A road raged driver intentionally hit a motorcycle carrying two people on the Coronado Bridge, San Diego Police Department officials confirmed.

The incident happened just before 6 p.m. on Saturday in westbound traffic atop the Coronado Bay Bridge.

According to CHP officials, a motorcyclist exchanged words and hand gestures with the driver of a blue BMW. The driver of the vehicle then allegedly intentionally struck the motorcycle, and two people were thrown from the bike.

SDPD Lt. Paul Rorrison said the incident was an act of road rage.

“I was a deliberate act – it was not an accident. [The male driver] tried to crash into the motorcycle,” Lt. Rorrison told NBC 7.

Police say a woman and toddler were inside the BMW with the male driver when the collision occurred. The driver was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

Lt. Rorrison said an off-duty officer traveling on the bridge at the time of the incident saw the whole thing. The officer first noticed the BMW swerving in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed.

“He almost hit our sergeant’s car and he almost hit another vehicle that was right next to our sergeant’s car,” Lt. Rorrison explained.

Police say the off-duty officer saw the motorcycle come up from behind, then maneuver past the BMW.

Then, tempers flared.

“It appeared to our sergeant that there were some words exchanged between the motorcycle rider and his passenger and the driver of the BMW,” said Lt. Rorrison. “Our sergeant saw the driver of the BMW look at the motorcycle, make some sort of gesture and turn directly into it, striking it.”

Police say both occupants of the motorcycle were thrown off it in the crash. The driver then fled the scene, and the sergeant chased him, detaining him once he stopped in Coronado.

Lt. Rorrison said the road raged driver began following orders once the sergeant identified himself.

The driver was directed to stay in the car, but allegedly attempted to get out of the vehicle and flee at least twice, according to police.

The two motorcycle victims were taken to UCSD Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

The incident is under investigation. The names of the driver and motorcycle occupants have not been released.

A man accused of killing his father in Canyon Country was in jail Sunday after sheriff's deputies acting on a tip pulled him over and arrested him without incident, authorities said.

Juan Alexander Mejia Dubon, 30, faces charges on Monday in the fatal shooting that occurred Friday night.

Since his arrest about 4 p.m. on Saturday, he has been held in the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station on $1 million bail.

President Obama speaks to the class of 2013 at Morehouse College.

 

A deaf 11-year-old mini Yorkie apparently taken by dognappers demanding $1,000 from his owners was dropped off by someone in a white car near his owner's home on Saturday, the dog's owner told NBC4 News.

Someone speeding by in a white car with tinted windows dropped off the dog named Walter. A woman walking her dog in the neighborhood noticed the Yorkie, checked his dog tag and called the owner, Tricia O’Kelley.

Walter, who weighs about 5 pounds, hadn't been seen since Thursday afternoon in the family’s fenced-in backyard along Los Feliz Boulevard in the Griffith Park area. 

A blocked number called O’Kelley’s cellphone, which is listed on Walter’s tags, about 10:15 p.m. Thursday.

The man on the other end of the line told O’Kelley he wants $1,000 for the dog’s safe return. O’Kelley said she heard another man laughing in the background.

Her husband took over negotiations. The dognapper said he’d call back and hung up.

Within minutes, the blocked number called back and this time, O’Kelley’s husband, Adam Rosenblatt, put the call on speaker so the police on a second phone could hear.

The dognapper laid out his demands.

He wanted the family to create phony fliers offering a $1,000 reward for Walter’s return and listed streets on which he wanted them posted. Then, he would bring one of those posters to a Chevron station on Western and Franklin avenues where he would exchange the dog for the cash.

Police suggested they make the fliers and meet the men at the gas station with a plain-clothed officer.

O’Kelley’s husband was in the process of hanging up the fliers when the man called back, saying he’d been lied to and that police were at the gas station.

“He said, ‘Don’t lie to me. I’m keeping your dog,’” O’Kelley said.

That last phone call at 11:15 p.m. Thursday came from a 7-Eleven payphone in North Hollywood, O’Kelley said. And that was the last time she heard from whoever has Walter.

Walter has a condition that causes his trachea to collapse, which is common for his breed.

Walter was outfitted with tags and has a microchip.

A body was found near where a 59-year-old woman with medical issues went on a hike with a friend five days earlier in Big Bear, San Bernardino County Sheriff's officials said on Saturday.

Karen Dalman went hiking on Tuesday in the Crystal Mountain area with fellow Big Bear resident Bruce Jackson and his pit bull.

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The two became separated from their dog and each other at some point and Jackson made it to his car on Thursday, officials said. He appeared to be delirious and was treated for dehydration, authorities said.

From his home, he reported Dalman missing on Thursday when a search was launched, officials said. Authorities said Jackson waited to report his friend missing until he got home because he didn't have a cellphone with him.

Dalman only set out for what appeared to be a day hike, officials said. She had light clothing and no food, officials said. She suffers from a health condition that affects her ability to walk, authorities added.

It was unclear whether she brought medication with her.

The missing pit bull was found dehydrated and tired late Friday in Cactus Flats, north of Baldwin Lake. Along with the discovery of the dog, authorities found Dalman's purse, a small bucket and a nearly empty bottle of water.

The Southern California baseball community united on Sunday for the annual “Home Run for Chelsea” baseball tournament held in honor of slain Poway teen Chelsea King.

The one-day charity baseball tournament raises money for the Chelsea’s Light Foundation, a local organization spearheaded by the King family that aims to make a positive difference in the lives of youths and protect children.

"The sport of baseball is special to our family and some of Chelsea's favorite memories were of watching her brother Tyler pitch. She would encourage him on every pitch, whether it was a ball or a strike!" Chelsea’s father, Brent King, said in a statement.

"It's our hope that the players will keep score in a different way at this tournament and realize that while they are experiencing the joy of baseball, they are also helping Chelsea's Light protect children in California and beyond. Our goal with this event is to have the community join us in bringing positive memories to each park through the love of baseball and the sense of community," King continued.

On Sunday, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., baseball teams from all over Southern California gathered simultaneously at eight separate locations, including Del Norte High School, Poway High School and Rancho Bernardo Community Park, to play ball. More than 60 volunteer umpires supervised the games.

The Chelsea’s Light Foundation teamed up with Super Series West, Southern California Little Leagues and PONY Baseball to orchestrate the student athlete event, which included teams from San Diego, Riverside, Orange and Los Angeles Counties.

At Rancho Bernardo Community Park – the site where 17-year-old Chelsea disappeared on February 25, 2010, after going for an after-school run – thousands gathered in support of the 2013 “Home Run for Chelsea” event.

The park was filled with baseball, live music, activities, food and raffles throughout the day.

Organizers say this year’s tournament celebrated the “taking back” of the park that was once filled with tragic memories of Chelsea’s disappearance and death.

Chelsea’s body was discovered on March 2, 2010 in the Lake Hodges area, several days after her disappearance. Chelsea had been kidnapped, sexually assaulted and killed by John Gardner, who also confessed to killing 14-year-old local Amber Dubois, who went missing in February 2009.

The violent murders of both teens shook the San Diego community to its core.

Since the murder of Chelsea, her parents have been active in the San Diego community through their foundation and events like “Home Run for Chelsea.”

Last year, more than 1,500 student athletes ages five to 14 participated in the baseball tournament, which raised more than $50,000 for the Chelsea’s Light Foundation.

To find out more about the baseball tournament, click here.

A 14-year-old girl riding a city bus in Queens, New York Saturday on her way home from a sweet 16 party was shot in the head and killed by a stray bullet from gunfire on the street, police said.

Police identified the victim Sunday as Daja Robinson of South Jamaica.

Robinson was sitting about three rows from the back of the Q6 bus at about 8:45 p.m. near Sutphin and Rockaway boulevards in South Jamaica when the shot came through the bus and killed her.

The shots were fired towards the bus while it was moving, according to police. Investigators recovered nine bullet shell casings.

Robinson was with two friends returning from the party at Onyx Lounge on Rockaway Boulevard, according to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

Kelly said police didn't believe Robinson was the intended target, and they are looking into possible gang involvement in the shooting. 

No arrests have been made. 

Smartphones don't necessarily make their users any smarter. In fact, the technological distractions might even make users dumber.

Researchers at University of California, Irvine and Carnegie Mellon University have found that people taking cognitive tests with access to smartphones and other gadgets scored 20 percent lower than those without.

Students couldn't concentrate for more than two minutes before sending an email or checking social media, the studies found.

Read more about this at NBC News.

It's all about the odds, and one lone ticket in Florida has beaten them all by matching each of the numbers drawn for the highest Powerball jackpot in history at an estimated $590.5 million, lottery officials said Sunday.

The single winner was sold at a supermarket in Zephyrhills, Fla., according to Florida Lottery executive Cindy O'Connell. She told The Associated Press by telephone that more details would be released later.

"This would be the sixth Florida Powerball winner and right now, it's the sole winner of the largest ever Powerball jackpot," O'Connell told AP. "We're delighted right now that we have the sole winner."

She said Florida has had more Powerball winners than any other state.

The winner was not immediately identified publicly and O'Connell did not give any indication just hours after Saturday's drawing whether anyone had already stepped forward with that winning ticket.

With four out of every five possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, lottery executives said earlier that someone was almost certain to win the game's highest jackpot, a windfall of hundreds of millions of dollars — and that's after taxes.

Saturday night's winning numbers were 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball of 11.

Estimates had earlier put the jackpot at around $600 million. But Powerball's online site said Sunday that the jackpot had reached an estimated $590.5 million.

Terry Rich, CEO of the Iowa Lottery, initially confirmed that one Florida winning ticket had been sold. He told AP that following the Florida winner, the Powerball grand prize was being reset at an estimated jackpot of $40 million, or about $25.1 million cash value.

The chances of winning the prize were astronomically low: 1 in 175.2 million. That's how many different ways you can combine the numbers when you play. But lottery officials estimated that about 80 percent of those possible combinations had been purchased recently.

While the odds are low for any one individual or individuals, O'Connell said, the chance that one hits paydirt is what makes Powerball an "exciting game to play."

"There is just the chance that you will have the opportunity and Florida is a huge Powerball state. We have had more winners than any other state that participates in Powerball."

Such longshot odds didn't deter people across Powerball-playing states — 43 plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands — from lining up at gas stations and convenience stores Saturday for their chance at striking it filthy rich.

Calls by AP to the Publix supermarket outlet in Florida where the winning ticket was sold were not answered Sunday.

Elsewhere, Rich said, lottery officials reported 33 winning tickets for a $1,000,000 prize each were sold around 17 states, led by six tickets in New York. He said lotteries reported 2 winning tickets each for the $2,000,000 PowerPlay, one in New York and the other in South Carolina.

Before the drawing, there was a rush for tickets around the country.

At a mini market in the heart of Los Angeles' Chinatown, employees broke the steady stream of customers into two lines: One for Powerball ticket buyers and one for everybody else. Some people appeared to be looking for a little karma.

"We've had two winners over $10 million here over the years, so people in the neighborhood think this is the lucky store," employee Gordon Chan said as he replenished a stack of lottery tickets on a counter.

The world's largest jackpot was a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot in March 2012. If $600 million, the jackpot would currently include a $376.9 million cash option.

Clyde Barrow, a public policy professor at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, specializes in the gaming industry. He said one of the key factors behind the ticket-buying frenzy is the size of the jackpot — people are interested in the easy investment.

"Even though the odds are very low, the investment is very small," he said. "Two dollars gets you a chance."

That may be why Ed McCuen has a Powerball habit that's as regular as clockwork. The 57-year-old electrical contractor from Savannah, Ga., buys one ticket a week, regardless of the possible loot. It's a habit he didn't alter Saturday.

"You've got one shot in a gazillion or whatever," McCuen said, tucking his ticket in his pocket as he left a local convenience store. "You can't win unless you buy a ticket. But whether you buy one or 10 or 20, it's insignificant."

Seema Sharma doesn't seem to think so. The newsstand employee in Manhattan's Penn Station purchased $80 worth of tickets for herself. She also was selling tickets all morning at a steady pace, instructing buyers where to stand if they wanted machine-picked tickets or to choose their own numbers.

"I work very hard — too hard — and I want to get the money so I can finally relax," she said. "You never know."

A University of California, Berkeley study testing 32 common lipsticks and lip glosses found metals like lead, titanium, manganese and chromium.

Scientists were concerned that overexposure to the metals could lead to health problems in the long term, and asked government officials to take a closer look at regulations. Women who applied lipsticks several times each day were particularly at risk of overexposure.

The U.S. does not ban metals from cosmetic products, unlike European nations.

"Just finding these metals isn't the issue; it's the levels that matter," study principal investigator S. Katharine Hammond, professor of environmental health sciences, said in a prepared statement. "Some of the toxic metals are occurring at levels that could possibly have an effect in the long term."

Lead was found in 24 products at fairly low levels. Chromium, which has been linked to stomach cancer, was present in potentially dangerous levels in some lipsticks and lip glosses.

The European Union bans cadmium, chromium and lead in all cosmetic products.

"I believe the FDA should pay attention to this," said study lead author Sa Liu, a UC Berkeley researcher in environmental health sciences in a prepared statement. "The lipsticks and lip glosses in our study are common brands available in stores everywhere. Based upon our findings, more thorough survey of lip products - and cosmetics in general - is warranted."

An Amtrak train traveling from New Orleans to Chicago derailed Sunday with at least 197 passengers on board, according to officials.

The City of New Orleans train No. 58 was scheduled to arrive in Chicago, but derailed at 9:30 a.m. CDT just outside Chicago’s Union Station on 16th Street, officials said.

Shuttle buses transported passengers to Union Station and no injuries have been reported, authorities said.

Amtrak officials said the wheels of the train "lost contact with the tracks," but no further details were immediately available Sunday morning.

Trains on Metra's Rock Island District line are blocked from entering or exiting the LaSalle Street station. Commuters on delayed Metra trains are being routed to CTA buses, which will take them around the blockage, according to Metra's website.

CTA is honoring Metra passes for commuters between LaSalle Street station and their 35th Street station on the Green Line. Commuters can then board metra trains from the Lou Jones station, Metra said.

Metra trains No. 214 and 209 will not operate Sunday due the obstruction, according to Metra.

Amtrak train No. 391 is also delayed up to three hours, Amtrak officials said.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

Chicago's Navy Pier went into the record books this weekend for longest ride on a Ferris wheel.

Beginning Friday, pier operations manager Clinton Shepherd attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the longest ride on Chicago's iconic attraction. Shepherd hopped on at 2:30 p.m. with plans to stay on for a full 48 hours.

The previous record was 30 hours and 35 seconds. Shepherd broke that record and Navy Pier lit up the sky with fireworks after 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, but he didn't stop there.

He remained on the wheel for another 18 hours to reach his 48-hour goal, setting a new record of 48 hours, 8 minutes and 25 seconds on the Ferris wheel with no sleep.

Throughout the process, fan could follow Shepherd on Twitter and ask him questions via #FWRecord. Or ride along with him to be a part of history.

Navy Pier also offered free rides on all Pier Park attractions to all active military men and women and their families ahead of Armed Forces Day on Saturday. 

“This achievement highlights Navy Pier as the number one tourist attraction in the Midwest and serves as a great attraction as the City of Chicago honors the men and women of the Armed Forces,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said.

“Navy Pier is excited to host Clinton’s world record attempt,” Navy Pier, Inc CEO Marilynn Gardner said. “We support his commitment to bringing the world record to the city of Chicago where the first Ferris wheel was built in 1893 and we are proud to partner with him to dedicate his ride to the men and women of the armed forces.” 
 

The MTA says that the clean-up process has begun at the Metro-North Railroad crash site after Friday's rush hour derailment in Connecticut that injured 72 people.

The National Transportation Safety Board authorized the removal of rail cars from the crash site on Saturday night, allowing the investigation and clean-up process to proceed. All rail cars were removed by Sunday afternoon and taken to the Bridgeport railyard, according to the NTSB.

"Our crews will essentially be rebuilding two thousand feet of damaged track, and overhead wires and signal system," said Metro-North Railroad President Howard Permut.

Crews will work around-the-clock over multiple days to rebuild, which means disruption to the New Haven line will persist in the coming week, Permut said.

Investigators are looking into a broken part of the rail that underwent repairs last month, but have not determined whether it was a pre-existing fracture or if it occurred as a result of the accident, according to NTSB spokesperson Earl Weener, who spoke at a news conference on Saturday afternoon. The board said the FBI has ruled out foul play in the investigation.

The trains were traveling at approximately 70 mph at the time of the crash, which is the posted speed limit, according to the NTSB.

Officials arrived on the scene on Saturday morning to begin investigating the cause of the train crash, injuries sustained by the commuters and operator performance.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and other officials spoke at a news conference on Saturday morning where they described a grisly scene after a Metro-North commuter train heading east from New York City derailed and was hit by an oncoming train heading west from New Haven.

"The damage is absolutely staggering," Sen. Blumenthal said. "Ribbons on the sides of cars are torn away like ribbons of clothes."

The NTSB's investigation could take seven to 10 days but that does not mean that service shutdown will take that long, board spokesman Earl Weener said..

The eastbound Metro-North train derailed just after 6:00 p.m. and was hit between the Bridgeport and Fairfield stations, officials said.

"We came to a sudden halt. We were jerked. There was smoke," Alex Cohen, a Canadian passenger on the westbound train en route to New York, told NBC Connecticut.

"People were screaming; people were really nervous. We were pretty shaken up. They had to smash a window to get us out," he said.

St. Vincent Hospital in Bridgeport, Conn. said on Saturday that it saw a total of 46 patients, six of whom were admitted for treatment.  As of Saturday night, all patients remained in the hospital and were reportedly in stable condition.

Bridgeport Hospital saw 26 patients and admitted three. Two of those patients were in critical condition a day after the accident, and one was in stable condition.

In less than a week Hyun-jin Ryu has made another two million fans.

Not for his pitching that could net him the 2013 Rookie of the Year. Not for his South Korean nationality, which has earned him fans across the globe. And not even from the exposure of playing in Los Angeles.

No, Ryu gained the fans because of a YouTube video in which he plays catch with a young fan at Dodger Stadium.

Ryu's viral video follows the positive exposure Matt Kemp received for giving a disabled fan his jersey - an act caught on video that also went viral.

Uploaded on May 13th from a fan video account, it shows the Korean pitcher playing toss during batting practice with a young fan in the bleachers. The fan was wearing a number 2 Dodgers jersey with the embroidered name, "Deuce."

If you have not made it out to games the last few years, "Deuce" is practically a fan favorite of Dodger fans.

When the "Don’t Stop Believing" Guy started to wear out fans with his staged theatrics, the young "Deuce" charmed stadium-going Dodger fans by making it onto the video boards practically every night with his dancing, jumping, air guitar shredding, and overall childhood antics.

How Deuce started playing catch with Ryu is not shown in the video, but I can only assume that it happened on an impulse. He even imitates Ryu and his wind-up, making the video that much more charming.

Ryu is a quiet figure, usually associated with a cultural quirk or “Gangnam Style” reference amongst fans. That is why this video is even more special, it shows that he is still friendly even if he may not have adapted to the states yet.

He could have ignored “Deuce” and nobody would have ever noticed, but he played a simple game of catch and now everyone is talking about him.

Video commenters were touched.

“That’s a cool move, that kid won’t ever forget that moment,” one wrote. “Wow, Ryu is a class act” said another.

Those were typical of the 1,000-plus comments on the video.

For a team that deals with a barrage of negative sentiment every day, at least these viral acts of kindness show character among these high-dollar players and a reason for fans to continue to love this team.

When the opposing team has the same number of home runs as the Dodgers have hits, things will not turn out well.

The Dodgers offense was completely shut down in Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Atlanta and pitcher Kris Medlen. In seven innings he gave up only two hits, three walks, and one run while striking out five.

The lone run came in the fourth inning after an Adrian Gonzalez walk. Skip Schumaker doubled on a drive down the left field line, Justin Upton bobbled the ball as it caromed off the wall, allowing Gonzalez to score.

This was the quickest I have seen Gonzalez hoof it around the bases, and without the extra effort he may have been stopped at third leaving the Dodgers scoreless for the night.

Chris Capuano was the Dodger’s only star of the night with another quality outing to the tune of 7.1 innings pitched, five strikeouts, and five hits allowed.

He has excelled his last two starts, with a combined twelve strikeouts, one walk, two earned runs and 10 hits in 13.2 innings. He is projected to start against the Cardinals during the next home stand.

After Capuano gave up a single in the eighth, Kenley Jansen was brought in. Jansen has been the Dodgers most reliable man out of the pen this year, but even he is prone to a bad night.

Jansen allowed back-to-back home runs to Evan Gattis and Adrelton Simmons, giving the Braves a 3-1 lead. Before Saturday he had only given up five earned runs and two homers in his 21 appearances of 2013.

The Dodgers, who had not produced so much as a hit since the fourth inning, went down quietly with two strikeouts to end the game.

The Braves have scored seven of their 11 runs this series with the long ball, not entirely surprising as they rank second in the NL in home runs, but still impressive.

Atlanta could have had another one added to their total, but in the first inning Matt Kemp robbed Jason Heyward of a solo jack with a perfectly-timed play at the wall.

The Dodgers send rookie, Matt Magill, to the mound on Sunday as they look to salvage at least one win from this series with Atlanta.  

 The San Jose Sharks have been dominant on the power play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and they showed that again on Saturday night, scoring twice with the man-advantage and knocking off the Los Angeles Kings 2-1.

The second PP goal came mere seconds into overtime, as Logan Couture beat Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick from in close. Couture missed most of the second period when he collided with Kings center Jeff Carter and went awkwardly into the boards, but he showed no ill effects after his return, and his game-winning goal emphasized that. 

The ending was reminiscent of the conclusion of Game 2, when Dustin Brown and Trevor Lewis scored in a 22-second span to take advantage of two late penalties committed by the Sharks. 

The game featured early scores by both the Sharks and Kings, with Dan Boyle scoring 1:34 into the contest on the Sharks’ first power play and the Kings’ Tyler Toffoli scoring his first career playoff goal halfway through the first.

After that, the scoring dried up completely, as both Quick and San Jose goaltender Antti Niemi exchanged stellar saves during the remainder of regulation. Quick had an excellent sequence late in the second period, when he stoned a shot from below the circle by Sharks forward Patrick Marleau, and was then able to smother the puck despite two Sharks being inches from the blue paint of the crease.

Niemi also had some second period drama, coming well out of his net to stop a wrister from Kings defenseman Drew Doughty and then scrambling to cover up the puck when he let a rebound leak loose from his pads.

In the end, however, the story of the game was the Kings’ inability to stay out of the penalty box. Even though they only conceded five power plays to the Sharks, it was enough to tip the scale in San Jose’s favor, as the resulting shifts in momentum and tempo played into the home team’s hands.

The teams will renew hostilities on Monday night, with the Sharks looking to tie the series up and the Kings hoping to send the series back to the Staples Center with a chance to win it in five games.

A California Highway Patrol officer from Oakland working the Amgen Tour of California was seriously injured Saturday in Brentwood.

The officer was riding ahead of the pack of bicyclists just before 12:30 p.m. providing traffic control for the race when the crash occurred, according to CHP spokesman Jonathan Fransen. 

The CHP said he collided with a car on Marsh Creek Road, just east of Deer Valley Road.

The CHP said it appears the driver was making a u-turn when he or she collided with the motorcycle officer.

This happened at 12:30 p.m. The officer was life-flighted to John Muir Hospital with what was considered moderate-to-major injuries, according to the CHP.  

After being evaluated by doctors, his condition was improved. The officer is expected to recover and could be released as soon as tomorrow, Fransen said.

Investigators said Saturday that it was too early to tell if the driver will face charges. A photographer on the scene said that the motorcycle appeared to be totaled.

The Tour of California was on one of the final legs of a cross-state race. Cyclists were racing from Livermore to the top of Mount Diablo.

Firefighters gained ground Saturday on a pair of wildfires in rugged areas north of Los Angeles – the Los Padres National Forest and in the suburb of Castaic.

The Grand Fire, which ignited in mountainous terrain midday Wednesday, has grown to more than 4,300 acres but was 80 percent contained, according to CAL Fire. The fire was expected to be fully encircled by Monday.

At one point, nearly 1,900 firefighters were working the Grand Fire, with costs estimated at $3.7 million. A state-run off-roading area in Hungry Valley and Piru Creek remained closed, as did roads leading into those places.

Isolated flare-ups in unburned areas were occurring, CAL Fire said in its 6:30 a.m. update Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Lake Fire, which broke out in the Castaic area just after 1 p.m. on Friday, was 75 percent contained after spreading to 712 acres, CAL Fire said at 8:45 a.m. Saturday.

The blaze had been reported at 575 acres on Friday evening.

The fire had burned toward Castaic Lake after prompting the temporary evacuation of 19 homes, the lockdown of a nearby elementary school, and the closure of one lane of the 5 Freeway.
 

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New York City authorities are investigating the deadly overnight shooting of a 32-year-old man in Greenwich Village as a hate crime after detectives learned the suspect taken into custody at the scene may have made anti-gay remarks to the victim before pulling the trigger, authorities said.

Law enforcement officials say Marc Carson, who lived on West 131st Street, and a friend were near a 99 Cent Pizza shop on Sixth Avenue around midnight when the suspect, who was with two other men, hurled anti-gay slurs at them, Carson's friend told detectives.

Carson made some remarks in response to the suspect's taunts and walked away, law enforcement sources said. 

A short time later, the suspect, who was by himself, confronted Carson and his friend again near a building on West Eighth Street, and words were exchanged for a second time, law enforcement officials said. Then the suspect allegedly pulled out a .38 caliber revolver and shot Carson in the face, killing him.

The suspect ran off and police responding to the shooting put out a description of him. An officer on foot patrol saw a man who fit the description of the suspect near McDougal and West Third Streets and tried to question him, but the suspect fled. The officer chased him down and took him into custody. A silver revolver was found in his possession and charges are pending against him, authorities said.

Detectives are looking to question the two men who were with the suspect during the initial confrontation near the pizza shop, but they do not believe they were with the suspect during the shooting. 

Law enforcement officials say the suspect has refused to identify himself to officers questioning him at the precinct, and he appears to have a fake ID in his possession.

Police are reviewing surveillance video from the area.

Before the shooting, police say the suspect had a separate confrontation with a manager and bouncer at the West Village restaurant Annisa on Barrow Street. Both men told detectives the suspect made anti-gay comments and threatened them. 

State and local officials blasted the slaying Saturday, citing a spike in alleged anti-gay crimes in Manhattan over the last several months.

On May 10, police said a gay couple was attacked on West 32nd Street and beaten so severely that one of the men needed eye surgery. Days earlier, another gay couple was assaulted by a group of men in the same area near Madison Square Garden.

As the Powerball jackpot grows to an estimated $600 million before Saturday night's drawing, Southern Californians are talking about the dream of owning the sole winning ticket.

The drawing is at 7:59 p.m. PT, and the cut-off time to buy a ticket is 7 p.m. Drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday, according to the California Lottery.

California joined the Powerball club in December so Southern Californians can now find tickets wherever Super Lotto or Mega Million tickets are sold.

For those wondering how to get in on the buzz, California Lottery officials list their lucky retailers.

The list includes 33 area convenience stores stretching from Ventura through Los Angeles to Riverside and San Bernardino counties that have a history of selling winning tickets.

Scroll down to the bottom of this story for the complete list of winning lottery stores in the area.

As for this week’s Powerball jackpot, lottery officials say the prize is growing quickly because so many people have been purchasing the $2 tickets.

The jackpot has grown by an estimated $236 million since Wednesday’s drawing.

The last jackpot was won on March 30, so it's been growing for about six weeks. The next drawing is Saturday night.

The largest jackpot ever was a $656 million Mega Millions prize won in March 2012. The prize was split three ways with winners in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland.

Odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are about 1 in 175 million.

Los Angeles County

MR C'S LIQUOR

1925 S PACIFIC AV
SAN PEDRO, CA90731

TOWN AND COUNTRY NEWSTAND
6330 W THIRD ST
LOS ANGELES, CA90036

MIKE'S BEVERAGE SHOP
42263 50TH ST W #101
QUARTZ HILL, CA93536

7-ELEVEN 2173-24171B
2512 S FIGUEROA ST
LOS ANGELES, CA90007

DEL GAUDIO'S MARKET
10567 SAN FERNANDO RD
PACOIMA, CA91331

LIQUORLAND
928 E COVINA BL
COVINA, CA91724

7-ELEVEN 2175-13993D
530 N DIAMOND BAR BL
DIAMOND BAR, CA91765

ALCON LIQUOR
21315 SATICOY ST
CANOGA PARK, CA91304

7-ELEVEN 2175-18394B
2150 S FREMONT AV
ALHAMBRA, CA91803

SMOKE N' STUFF
750 W 7TH ST
LOS ANGELES, CA90017

LIQUOR BOX
1445 LINCOLN AV
PASADENA, CA91103

VALENCIA LIQUOR STORE
22925 LYONS AV
SANTA CLARITA, CA91321

WASHINGTON MARKET
5390 W WASHINGTON BL
LOS ANGELES, CA90016

7-ELEVEN 2133-15127
2873 E AVENUE R
PALMDALE, CA93550

7-ELEVEN 2176-23050C
13701 HAWTHORNE BL
HAWTHORNE, CA90250

7-ELEVEN 2176-24207A
5870 E DEL AMO BL
LAKEWOOD, CA90713

7-ELEVEN 2136-13889G
15601 NORDHOFF ST
SEPULVEDA, CA91343

7-ELEVEN 2136-16278C
6625 LANKERSHIM BL
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA91606

SAN DIMAS LIQUOR
1427 W ARROW HWY
SAN DIMAS, CA91773

Orange County

7-ELEVEN 2174-26109
4320 KATELLA AV
LOS ALAMITOS, CA90720

7-ELEVEN 2174-26109
4320 KATELLA AV
LOS ALAMITOS, CA90720

CLUB HOUSE LIQUOR #2
628 CAMINO DE LOS MARES
SAN CLEMENTE, CA92673

7-ELEVEN 2172-19969
290 S MAIN ST
ORANGE, CA92868

7-ELEVEN 2174-15194
3259 ASSOCIATED RD
FULLERTON, CA92835

HANSHAW LIQUOR #1
10971 WESTMINSTER AVE
GARDEN GROVE, CA92843

AL'S MARKET
15456 BROOKHURST ST
WESTMINSTER, CA92683

BAYCREST LIQUOR
333 E 17TH ST
COSTA MESA, CA92627

PHIL'S MOBIL
1465 S MAIN ST
SANTA ANA, CA92707

Riverside County

7-ELEVEN 2112-16690
1798 N SUNRISE WAY
PALM SPRINGS, CA92262

STEWART'S LIQUOR
5505 VAN BUREN BLVD
RIVERSIDE, CA92504

San Bernardino County

SAV A MINIT MARKET
17690 ARROW HWY
FONTANA, CA92335

R & R LIQUOR
871 N RANCHO AVE
COLTON, CA92324

 Ventura County

7-ELEVEN 2133-17957C
2201 E CHANNEL ISLAND BL
OXNARD, CA93033

Here's the complete statewide list.

The roommate of a missing OC student and Army veteran, whose body was found in the wilderness, has been arrested in connection with her death, police announced Friday.

Maribel Ramos, 36, was last seen on surveillance video dropping off her rent check about 8:30 p.m. May 2 in Orange, said Lt. Dave Hill, with Orange police. She was reported missing by her family the following day.

Kwang Chol "K.C." Joy was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with Ramos’ murder, Hill said. Joy shared an apartment with Ramos on Rose Avenue. He spoke to the media on May 8 calling Ramos his “best friend” and the “only family I have.”

“I want her to come back, that’s all,” he said at the time.

Ramos’ body was found Thursday evening in a remote area of Modjeska Canyon after someone had reported a foul odor near Santiago Canyon and Jackson Ranch roads, police said.

She was set to graduate from Cal State Fullerton May 26 with a degree in criminal justice and had served eight years in the Army in South Korea and Iraq, according to the university's student newspaper, the Daily Titan.

Ramos' younger sister Lucy Gonzalez said her sister "accomplished all her goals."

She was "a wonderful example of a Latina woman," Gonzalez said.

Cal State Fullerton released this statement shortly after police announced that Ramos' body had been found:

“Maribel was a beloved student and military veteran, who was actively engaged here on our campus and in the community. She was a wonderful role model for our students, faculty and staff. And we honor her for her past service to our country as an airborne paratrooper in the Army and her commitment to her education.”

Joy, pictured at right in his mug shot, was arrested Friday and booked for murder into the Orange County Jail.

In an email to NBC4’s Vikki Vargas, a man identifying himself as Ramos' roommate said detectives had been speaking with him at least twice a day.

“Of course, my number one concern is safe return of Maribel. I miss her so much and I have been so depressed and stressed out and (sic) same time,” part of the email read.

Joy wrote that three detectives had been “asking redundant questions for a week" and confiscated his phone, forcing him to check and write his emails from a library.

He also suggested that Ramos' and her new boyfriend met through an online dating site, and he made claims of the dangers of online dating.

“Anyway, keep on broadcasting. More people get informed about Maribel, better chance we will have,” he wrote.

A Craigslist ad associated with the same email address Joy used to contact NBC4 was posted on April 24. In that ad, Joy wrote that he is seeking a new apartment in the Orange or Huntington Beach area.

He says he recently moved to Orange County from Knoxville, Tenn., and was recently laid off but has enough “savings to keep me going for awhile (sic) and pay rent on time.”

“I am a social drinker, non-smoker, straight and I like to keep things clean,” the ad reads. “I am easy going and get along with most of people. If you have a dog, that would be great.”

Joy was arrested on suspicion driving under the influence in 2011 in Tennesse, court records show. He paid bail but skipped his court appearance, leading to an arrest warrant.

In 1986, he was charged with assault and battery, and a year later was charged with aggravated assault, according to court records. Both charges were dismissed.

The Los Angeles Kings will look to take a 3-0 series lead when they skate into HP Pavilion Saturday night to take on the San Jose Sharks. The Kings have won their last six games, and look increasingly like the team that was able to take home the Stanley Cup last season.

Kings fans need to make sure to temper their enthusiasm, however.

Not only are the Sharks an incredibly difficult team to beat on home ice, losing only twice in regulation in 26 games in San Jose this season, but they are also amped to be able to get the bitter taste of their catastrophic Game 2 loss out of their mouths.

So how can the Kings prevent the Sharks from chomping their way back into the series? There are three keys for Los Angeles’ continued success on Saturday:

1. Keep the Penalty Killing Bored, Effective

In their first round series, the San Jose Sharks scored seven power play goals and had a mind-boggling 24 man-advantage opportunities against the Vancouver Canucks.

In the first two games of this second round series, the Kings have surrendered seven power plays to the Sharks, but San Jose has been unable to take advantage of any of them.

While credit for this kind of success has to go to guys like Drew Doughty and others, the reality is that the Kings have to be especially leery of giving the Sharks more power play opportunities in the Shark Tank. The Sharks torched the Canucks for six power play tallies in two games, and used their team speed to full advantage in drawing a slew of undisciplined penalties by Vancouver.

Yes, the Kings have looked really good in both special teams areas in this series, but there’s no need for them to continue to press their luck against the Sharks.

2. Kings Must Assert Their Will on Game's Pace 

The Sharks are a fast team, and the Kings are going to lose if they try to get into a track meet with them. In that vein, the Kings cannot allow the kind of shot disparities that they did over 40 minute intervals in Games 1 and 2 of this series.

In the first game, the Kings were outshot 27-12 by the Sharks in the last 40 minutes of the game, and in the first 40 minutes of Game 2, the Sharks outshot the Kings 24-13.

In fairness, the Kings did come back and outshoot San Jose 18-7 in the third period of Game 2, but those wild swings in shots indicate that the Kings are losing control of the tempo of games.

Whereas the Kings like to play a bit more deliberately, the Sharks are a “press the gas” kind of team, and if Los Angeles continues to let them have their way with the puck over long stretches like they have in the first two games of this series, then they could be in for a rude shock in Game 3.

3. Continue Shutting Down Pavelski and Couture

Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture of the Sharks combined for 17 points in the team’s first round sweep of the Canucks, but have been held in check by the Kings this series. Couture’s assist in Game 2 is the only point that the duo have managed to score, and while that is in large part due to the success of the penalty killing unit of the Kings, the duo has been lackluster at even strength too.

With the Sharks getting the benefit of the last change in these two home games, the Kings are going to have to dig deep in order to continue shutting down the Sharks’ prolific scorers. They may not always be able to get guys like Doughty onto the ice to slow things down, so a more aggressive backchecking job by forwards like Anze Kopitar and Mike Richards is going to have to be part of the game plan as well.

A 21-year-old rock climber died after falling 150 feet at a popular climbing area in the San Jacinto Mountains, the Riverside County Coroner’s Office reported Saturday.

Lucas Dunn of nearby Idyllwild was climbing on Lily Rock in the Humber Park area when he fell, according to the coroner’s report.

Medical personnel from the California Department of Forestry responded to a call at 11:30 a.m. Friday to the Hemet Sheriff’s Station about the injured climber. When they arrived after hiking to Lily Rock, paramedics found him dead.

The Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit responded and, with the help of a sheriff’s helicopter, took Dunn to a firefighting base near Idyllwild, where Dunn’s body was released to the Coroner's Office.

The man's climbing partner said Dunn was standing on an unstable rock when it gave way and sent him into a free-fall down the rock face, according to Southwest Riverside News Network.

Lily Rock, also known as Tahquitz Rock, has long been a destination for rock climbers.

History will have to wait at least one more year.

Orb, the Kentucky Derby champion who many hoped would become the first Triple Crown winner in 35 years, finished fourth in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, as 15-1 longshot Oxbow pulled off a surprise wire-to-wire win at Pimlico.

"It's so special," said Oxbow jockey Gary Stevens, who came out of retirement this year at age 50. "We were kind of flying under the radar after the Derby. Didn't get a lot of respect."

Oxbow trainer D. Wayne Lukas seemed to take pleasure from dashing Orb's Triple Crown hopes.

"I get paid to spoil dreams," Lukas said.

Orb's fate may have been sealed days before the race, when he drew the No. 1 post position along the rail -- only two horses have won the Preakness from that position over the last 63 years. Sure enough, Orb got boxed in against the rail by a pack of horses early in the race, and could never find room to break free.

Meanwhile, Oxbow pulled ahead of the pack and never relinquished the lead.

"When I hit the half-mile pole, I just said, 'Are you kidding me, is this happening?'" said Stevens, who worked for NBC as a racing analyst during his seven-year retirement.

Oxbow finished the 1 3/16th-mile race in 1:57.54. Itsmyluckyday finished second, Mylute finished third and Orb, the 3-5 favorite, finished fourth.

But nobody ever gave Oxbow a serious threat.

It's a landmark win for Lukas: Oxbow's Preakness victory marks the trainer's 14th Triple Crown win, the most ever. He's won the Preakness six times, and the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont four times each. He passed James Fitzsimmons, who has won 13 Triple Crown races.

Jockey Gary Stevens has now notched three wins apiece at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont over his career.

Oxbow's win means the Triple Crown drought continues.

In the lead-up to the Preakness, Orb seemed like a prime candidate to end that drought, and bettors made him a heavy favorite. His breathtaking late push in the Kentucky Derby had people believing: He emerged from the back of the pack down the stretch, blew past a large group of horses and pulled away from the pack for a dominant win. Combined with a pedigree to make race fans drool -- his blood lines includes two Triple Crown winners, Seattle Slew (1977) and Secretariat (1973) -- many thought the three-year-old colt would take a place among the horse-racing elite.

Instead, he'll become another in a long line of almosts and what-ifs. Only 11 horses have won the Triple Crown, and none since Affirmed in 1978.

Orb wasn't the only one trying to make history on Saturday who came up short in Baltimore.

Rosie Napravnik, the jockey riding Mylute, hoped to become the first female jockey to win the race. Instead Mylute finished in third place.

Kevin Krigger, the jockey riding Goldencents, hoped to become the first African-American jockey to win the race since 1898. He too came up short as Goldencents finished in fifth place.

Family members of Big Bear resident Karen Dalman, 59, are still hoping she will be found alive after being reported lost in rugged, mountainous terrain.

"Always hoping for the best, you know?" said her son Dan Neilsen.

Since his mother was reported missing Thursday, Neilsen has been riding his motorcycle on dirt roads around the Baldwin Lake area east of Big Bear Lake, searching for her.

She went hiking in the Crystal Mountain area with fellow Big Bear resident Bruce Jackson on Tuesday morning, along with his pit bull.

On Thursday, he called deputies and reported Dalman missing.

According to San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department investigators, Jackson said they were hiking near Baldwin Lake when his dog took off. All three apparently got separated and lost.

Jackson finally made it to his car on Thursday and reported Dalman missing from his home.

Deputies said he appeared to be delirious and was treated by medics for dehydration.

A search for Dalman, pictured at right, immediately began and since then more than 40 people have been looking for her, including family and friends.

A sheriff's spokeswoman said there is extra concern for Dalman because she suffers from health issues including one that affects her ability to walk.

Dalman wasn't prepared to stay overnight, and seasonal streams were dry.

"They didn't have any food or water with them," sheriff’s spokeswoman Tiffany Swantek said. "(We're) unsure if she had any medication with her, and the type of clothing that she was wearing really was for a day hike."

It's also unclear if Dalman brought medications with her.

"She's an awesome woman, definitely not too physically fit, doesn't hike. The whole situation is a little bizarre," Neilsen said of his mother.

Late Friday morning, friends of the family found the missing pit bull in Cactus Flats, north of Baldwin Lake. The dog was dehydrated and tired. They also found items belonging to Dalman, including her purse, a small bucket and a nearly empty bottle of water.

The search continued briefly after dark using infrared technology from a sheriff's helicopter but was called Friday night. It will resume Saturday morning at daybreak.

A deaf 11-year-old mini Yorkie was snatched from a Los Feliz yard and his dognappers are demanding $1,000 from his owners, who are pleading with the public to help bring their dog home.

“I’m scared for him because he’s used to being inside and cozy and cuddled with,” owner Tricia O’Kelley said, her voice quavering. “He slept with me every night for the last 11 years.”

Walter, who weighs about 5 pounds, was last seen Thursday afternoon in the family’s fenced-in backyard along Los Feliz Boulevard in the Griffith Park area. 

A blocked number called O’Kelley’s cellphone, which is listed on Walter’s tags, about 10:15 p.m. Thursday.

“From the second I answered the call, I knew this guy was bad news,” she said.

The man on the other end of the line told O’Kelley he wants $1,000 for the dog’s safe return. O’Kelley said she heard another man laughing in the background.

Her husband took over negotiations. The dognapper said he’d call back and hung up.

Within minutes, the blocked number called back and this time, O’Kelley’s husband, Adam Rosenblatt, put the call on speaker so the police on a second phone could hear.

The dognapper laid out his demands.

He wanted the family to create phony fliers offering a $1,000 reward for Walter’s return and listed streets on which he wanted them posted. Then, he would bring one of those posters to a Chevron station on Western and Franklin avenues where he would exchange the dog for the cash.

Police suggested they make the fliers and meet the men at the gas station with a plain-clothed officer.

O’Kelley’s husband was in the process of hanging up the fliers when the man called back, saying he’d been lied to and that police were at the gas station.

“He said, ‘Don’t lie to me. I’m keeping your dog,’” O’Kelley said.

That last phone call at 11:15 p.m. Thursday came from a 7-Eleven payphone in North Hollywood, O’Kelley said. And that was the last time she heard from whoever has Walter.

Walter has a condition that causes his trachea to collapse, which is common for his breed.

“He’s not just some puppy,” O’Kelley said. “He needs special care.”

The family’s two young daughters – ages 2 and 4 – ate breakfast outside Friday morning in the hopes that Walter would smell the food and come home, O’Kelley said.

“It’s unbearably terrifying and heartbreaking,” she said. “The whole thing about pets and kids, they trust you to take care of them and keep them safe.”

Walter is outfitted with tags and a microchip. He can be brought to any shelter and they can activate the microchip to let the family know where he is.

O’Kelley said she’s willing to pay the money if the men would return her dog, which she’s had since he was a puppy.

NBC4 obtained an incident report number in the case. Calls to LAPD to confirm the report had not been returned by the time of publication.

Anyone with information is asked to call the LAPD Hollywood Division, which is handling the case.

Justin Upton’s sixth-inning grand slam is burned into the minds of Dodgers fans.

An absolute, no-doubt jack that displays just how much power the league’s home-run leader is packing. It has been on replay in my mind since yesterday, when the Atlanta Braves beat the Dodgers 8-5.

It was amazing as much as it was horrific.

Things started off in the Dodgers’ favor on Friday. But with Hyun-jin Ryu’s command issues, Gonzalez and Kemp combining to go 0-9, and questionable defense the Dodgers could not get the win.

Just as I praised Hyun-jin Ryu for his pitch command during his last start, he comes into Atlanta and gives up five walks. He threw 100 pitches on Friday, with a whopping 44 of them missing the plate.

Ryu did manage to get out of some sticky situations, but he left the game in the fifth inning, leaving the Dodgers bullpen with four innings of relief.

The loss will mostly be pinned on the bullpen, but in the sixth inning some questionable fielding gave the Braves too many opportunities to score.

Matt Guerrier struck out B.J. Upton, before giving up a bloop, fly ball to shallow, left-center that fell in for a hit to Jordan Schafer. Kemp and Crawford both took a poor path to the ball, but it should have been caught.

Andrelton Simmons then hit a line drive straight at third baseman Luis Cruz. The ball hit Cruz in the glove but he could not hold on to it, leaving runners on first and second when both could have been outs.

Paco Rodriguez replaced Guerrier and he walked Jason Heyward to load the bases before giving up a monster grand slam to Justin Upton, his major-league-leading 14th homer this year.

The mind of a young pitcher can easily get messed with after a home run of this magnitude, but hopefully Paco Rodriguez has the resolve to brush it off and maintain the great relief pitching he has shown this year.

If it weren’t for Scott Van Slyke, the Dodgers would have been blown out on Friday.

His two solo home runs kept the Dodgers in the game and proved why he was a valuable call-up.

Van Slyke usually does not start, so it will be exciting to see him pinch-hit rather than Skip Schumaker or Luis Cruz for a while.

Matt Kemp went 0-5, breaking his 14-game hitting streak. The streak raised his batting average 22 points but he only had three extra base hits and struck out 16 times during it.

On Saturday, Chris Capuano takes the mound looking for his second win of the season.
 

A local U.S. Airman has nearly completed the climb of his life – all the way to the top of Mount Everest.

About 50 days ago, Santee-based GPS Operations Mission Commander Capt. Colin Merrin set out to scale Mount Everest as part of a U.S. Air Force team hoping to become the first group ever of active-duty U.S. military to reach the top of the world’s highest mountain.

Capt. Merrin's parents say their son isn’t making the climb to show off his athletic and mental prowess, but rather to honor friends and comrades who’ve died while serving the U.S

According to Capt. Merrin’s family, the group should reach the peak – at a staggering elevation of 29,029 feet – either Sunday or Monday. On Friday, his family told NBC 7 the group was currently at camp, about 25,000 feet up the mountain.

Since 2005, the group, known as the USAF Seven Summits Challenge team, has climbed peaks all over the world including Mt. Elbrus, Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Aconcagua, Mt.McKinley, Mt. Vinson, Mt. Kosciuszko and now, Mt. Everest.

The team’s website lists the group’s mission as this:

“For U.S. Air Force members to carry the American and USAF flags to the highest point on each continent, ending atop the highest point on Earth. In doing so, we will be the first team of active duty American military members to reach the summit of Mt. Everest and the first team of military service members from any nation to reach all of the famed seven summits.”

Capt. Merrin’s biography on the team’s website says his biggest takeaway from climbing is that “existing in the mountains instills a humility found nowhere else in the world.”

His family -- father Joel Merrin, mother Pamela Merrin and brother Ian Merrin – live in Santee and told NBC 7 they’re extremely proud of Capt. Merrin’s Everest endeavor.

His father says his son and the Air Force team have been doing well thus far on their journey, steadily making their way up the mountain.

"Mount Everest is a very dangerous mountain. A lot of people died up there, so if the weather is good and they're all in pretty good physical condition, there really shouldn't be any problem," Joel told NBC 7.

His brother, Ian, says he looks forward to speaking to his sibling as he gets higher and higher up the peak.

"You can tell his altitude [when we talk on the phone], he's short of breath. I just want to know how everything's going,” Ian told NBC 7.

The family says they’ve been communicating with Capt. Merrin throughout the climb to make sure the guy they describe as “soft and gentle” is still going strong in the Himalayas.

“As long as he was at base camp it was fine, but then as he started progressing up the mountain it got a little more nerve-racking,” his mother, Pam, told NBC 7.

Earlier this week Capt. Merrin called Pam to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day.

“Hey, Mom, it’s Colin. It’s like 7:45 or 6:45 or something, you're probably not up yet, but I just wanted to call and say Happy Mother's Day and I love you. Everything's still going well up here," he said in his voicemail.

Once he makes it to the top of Mount Everest with his team, it will be a major relief for his family.

But it won’t be over just yet.

Capt. Merrin's family says waiting for him to get back down the world’s highest peak will be just as nerve-racking, but they have total confidence in him and the USAF Seven Summits Challenge team.

A silver Porsche crashed in front of the Ayres Hotel in Costa Mesa Friday night, police said.

Aerial footage showed a gnarled car without plates sitting in front of the high-end hotel at 355 Bristol St., a portion of which is closed in front of the hotel.

The condition of the driver or any passengers was not immediately known.

The car appeared to have a decal on the driver’s side for Targa Trophy, an exotic-car club. The organization hosted an event in Orange County on May 11, according to its website.

Refresh this page for updates.

Firefighters on Friday were battling a 575-acre blaze that scorched hillsides in Castaic, prompting evacuations, backing up traffic for miles on the 5 Freeway and forcing the temporary lockdown of an elementary school.

Nineteen homes in the area were evacuated just after 3 p.m., but that order was lifted about two hours later, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department officials. The houses affected were on Elk Ridge Road and Vista Point Place, the department tweeted.

The fire was reported at 1:30 p.m. off the southbound side of the 5 Freeway north of Lake Hughes Road. It was initially burning on Ridge Route Road, fire officials said.

The blaze was burning north-northwest at 4:30 p.m. toward Castaic Lake, which was expected to act as a natural firebreak for firefighters. Fire officials at one point had said 600 acres had burned.

The blaze was 60 percent contained as of about 7:30 p.m., according to a county fire tweet. 

Deputies were in the area in case the fire moves toward a community to the south and southeast. No on had been injured as of just before 5 p.m.

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Northlake Hills Elementary School was briefly locked down as precaution as flames came to within 100 yards of the campus. Aerial video later showed children getting into cars as school got out for the day.

One lane of the 5 Freeway was shut down to traffic, which was backed up for miles.

Water-dropping planes and helicopters were sent in to help douse the flames from above.

Fire trucks were deployed to protect structures, and about 115 firefighters were on scene.

View Castaic Fire May 17, 2013 in a larger map

A former Philadelphia police officer, once hailed as a hero and given a seat next to the first lady at a speech by President Obama, is being held on $60 million bail after he allegedly raped two women and assaulted another.

A source tells NBC10 former officer Richard DeCoatsworth, 27, met one of the women at a bar on North Front Street two weeks ago, then forced her into prostitution at a Days Inn hotel along Roosevelt Boulevard.

Between 2 a.m. Thursday and Friday evening, DeCoatsworth went to the woman’s home along North Howard Street in the Fishtown-Kensington area, according to the source.

Once he arrived, DeCoatsworth forced that woman and a second woman, both in their 20s, to use drugs and perform oral sex on him at gunpoint, according to the source. The alleged victims reported the assault Friday only after DeCoatsworth went home, according to police.

Police raided DeCoatsworth’s house on the 2700 block of Salmon Street in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. He was charged with rape, sexual assault, terroristic threats and related offenses. Police also confiscated drugs and guns from the home, according to a source. No word yet on what kind of drugs were removed from the home.

According to court documents, bail was set at $25 million for each of the alleged victims. Another $10 million bail was set in a separate domestic violence case DeCoatsworth is now being charged with, according to investigators. Police say he assaulted his live-in girlfriend on May 9. The $60 million bail is reportedly one of the highest set in Philadelphia history. Decoatsworth faces more than 32 crimes in all three cases.

• Criminal Court Docket - Alleged Victim 1
• Criminal Court Docket  - Alleged Victim 2
  
• Criminal Court Docket - Alleged Domestic Violence Assault

One of DeCoatsworth’s neighbors said she was relieved to hear about his arrest.

“I am scared to be saying this now but I hope he stays where he is at, he has been a thorn in the side of this neighborhood for so long,” said the woman who did not want to be identified.

DeCoatsworth was shot in the face back in 2007 when he was a rookie officer. After being shot, he managed to chase down the suspect for several blocks before collapsing. He called in enough information by radio that police were able to track down and arrest the suspect later the same day.

His heroism earned him an invitation from Vice President Joe Biden to attend President Obama’s first congressional address at the U.S. capital in February of 2009. The officer sat with First Lady Michelle Obama during the address. He was also honored by his peers as a 2008 Top Cop. He was involved in two more dramatic incidents soon after.

In April of 2009, police say DeCoatsworth was jumped and attacked by a man when he tried to disperse a crowd at the Logan section of the city. During the struggle, sources say DeCoatsworth’s gun went off and hit the suspect who took off running. Another officer responding to the scene shot the suspect dead, according to sources.

In September of 2009, police said DeCoatsworth and another officer stopped a man on a motorcycle in the Kensington section of the city. While they were questioning him, a second man allegedly jumped on the motorcycle and drove at the officers. Police say DeCoatsworth shot at the suspect, who sped off. The suspect was found later at the hospital where his mother had taken him to be treated for a shotgun wound.

During the incident, local witnesses claimed the two suspects did nothing wrong and that DeCoatsworth and the other officer acted recklessly, shooting while children were nearby.

In November of 2011, Internal Affairs investigated an alleged scuffle between DeCoatsworth and another officer, according to Philly.com. The Daily News also reports he amassed nine citizen complaints, accusing him of assault, abuse and misconduct.

DeCoatsworth retired from the police force on disability back in December, 2011.

In February of 2012, an arrest warrant was issued for DeCoatsworth after he allegedly threatened a woman in Port Richmond.

A deaf 11-year-old mini Yorkie was snatched from a yard in Hollywood and his dognappers are demanding $1,000 from his owners, who are pleading with the public to help bring their dog home.

“I’m scared for him because he’s used to being inside and cozy and cuddled with,” owner Tricia O’Kelley said, her voice quavering. “He slept with me every night for the last 11 years.”

Walter, who weighs about 5 pounds, was last seen Thursday afternoon in the family’s fenced-in backyard.

A blocked number called O’Kelley’s cellphone, which is listed on Walter’s tags, about 10:15 p.m. Thursday.

“From the second I answered the call, I knew this guy was bad news,” she said.

The man on the other end of the line told O’Kelley he wants $1,000 for the dog’s safe return. O’Kelley said she heard another man laughing in the background.

Her husband took over negotiations. The dognapper said he’d call back and hung up.

Within minutes, the blocked number called back and this time, O’Kelley’s husband, Adam Rosenblatt, put the call on speaker so the police on a second phone could hear.

The dognapper laid out his demands.

He wanted the family to create phony fliers offering a $1,000 reward for Walter’s return and listed streets on which he wanted them posted. Then, he would bring one of those posters to a Chevron station where he would exchange the dog for the cash.

Police suggested they make the fliers and meet the men at the gas station with a plain-clothed officer.

O’Kelley’s husband was in the process of hanging up the fliers when the man called back, saying he’d been lied to and that police were at the gas station.

“He said, ‘Don’t lie to me. I’m keeping your dog,’” O’Kelley said.

That last phone call at 11:15 p.m. Thursday came from a 7-Eleven payphone in North Hollywood, O’Kelley said. And that was the last time she heard from whoever has Walter.

Walter has a condition that causes his trachea to collapse, which is common for his breed.

“He’s not just some puppy,” O’Kelley said. “He needs special care.”

The family’s two young daughters – ages 2 and 4 – ate breakfast outside Friday morning in the hopes that Walter would smell the food and come home, O’Kelley said.

“It’s unbearably terrifying and heartbreaking,” she said. “The whole thing about pets and kids, they trust you to take care of them and keep them safe.”

Walter is outfitted with tags and a microchip. O’Kelley said she’s willing to pay the extortion if the men would return her dog, which she’s had since he was a puppy.

NBC4 obtained an incident report number in the case. Calls to LAPD to confirm the report had not been returned as of 8 p.m.

Anyone with information is asked to call the LAPD Hollywood Division, which is handling the case.

Three people were fatally shot in the head and another shot dead in the chest in weekend violence that wounded at least 14 others across Chicago, according to police.

The most recent fatality to strike the weekend occured at 9:10 p.m. in the 6800 block of South Lowe Avenue when shots were fired into a group of people, striking a 30-year-old woman in the head, police said.

In the same shooting, a 27-year-old woman suffered a gunshot wound to the wrist and a 37-year-old man was shot in the back. Both were taken to Saint Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center where their conditions were stabilized, according to the Chicago police news affairs Officer Sullivan.

The weekend's first fatality took place at 7:24 p.m. Friday in the 7800 block of South Langely Avenue when a 17-year-old man was shot in the chest, according to news affairs officer Jose Estrada.

The man, identified as Clifton Barney, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Barney was reportedly on the street when an offender shot him once in the chest and jumped into a light-colored vehicle, Estrada said. No one was in custody as of Saturday morning.

Less than an hour later, a 40-year-old man was shot in the head in the 200 block of North Mayfield Avenue, police said.

The shooter ran up to the man firing several times before hitting him in the back of the head and fleeing on foot, Estrada said.

The man, Ramar Bonner, was taken to Loyola University Hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the medical examiner's office.

The third fatality of the weekend took place around 3:50 a.m. Saturday in the 4800 block of West Iowa Street where a man was found dead with a gunshot wound.

The 27-year-old man was reportedly involved in a verbal altercation with an unknown offender prior to the shooting, Estrada said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Earlier, a 16-year-old was shot in the leg around 9:58 p.m. Friday in the 5400 block of West Wrightwood Avenue, according to police.

The teen was walking with several others when the group was approached by a male who began firing shots. The teen was transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the right leg in stable condition. No others were injured in the shooting.

The shooting occurred around 10 p.m. Friday near the 4800 block of Golf Road in Skokie, where officers discovered a male juvenile shot in the abdomen, according to police.

The victim was taken to an area hospital where his condition was stabilized, police said.

Shortly after, two 18-year-old men were shot around 10:20 p.m. in the 5800 block of South Laflin Street, Estrada said.

The two teens were in separate groups when a verbal altercation erupted and shots were fired, police said. One teen was shot in the left calf and the other was shot in the hip. Both men were taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital in stable condition.

Around 10:50 p.m., a 34-year-old man was shot in the back and abdomen during a drive-by shooting in the 120 block of South Perry Avenue, Estrada said.

The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition.

Three others were shot in the Lawndale neighborhood around 11:25 p.m. on the 1200 block of South Kolin Avenue, police said.

The victims were in a group with several others when unknown offenders approached on foot and fired shots from a nearby alley, Estrada said.

A 38-year-old man was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition with a gunshot wound to the back. A 38-year-old woman was shot in the arm and taken in serious condition to Mount Sinai Hospital. The third victim, a 27-year-old woman was shot in the neck and was reported to be in “grave” condition at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to police.

Police recovered three guns from the alley and discovered the shooters’ emptied vehicle in the 1200 block of South Kostner Avenue.

Around 3:35 a.m. Saturday, a 20-year-old man walked into Mount Sinai Hospital with a gunshot wound to the shoulder, police said.

The man claimed to be riding in a vehicle when another car pulled up with occupants flashing gang signs and shouting gang slogans before firing at the victim.

No shots were reported in the area, however, and the shooting is still under investigation.

The weekend's most recent shooting occurred around 3 p.m. Saturday when a 12-year-old boy was shot  in the 2300 block of West 23rd Street, according to a tweet from Chicago Fire Media. 

Two boys were reportedly playing with a gun when it accidentally went off. 

The boy was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital with a gunshot wound in his arm in stable condition, according to police news affairs. 

A third boy is being charged in the shooting for bringing the gun into the home, police said. Details of the charges were not immediately available.