An Orange County neighborhood was on edge after a flasher exposed himself to a woman in an act caught on camera, residents said Friday.

The flasher happened to pull over right in front of a home that belongs to the head of the neighborhood watch program, who has eight working cameras -- just in the front yard.

"To me, it looked like this man was making U-turns in our neighborhood. He was specifically looking to approach someone who was by themselves," Jessica Ottengheime said.

Ottengheime's cameras were rolling for the three minutes when a gold or tan car came into frame approaching the driver parked in front of her home.

Orange police say a man called a woman over to ask her for directions in both English and Spanish. In the video, a young woman--18 or 19 years old--can be seen approaching the assailant's car.

During the conversation, the man exposed himself to the woman, police said.

"To me it seemed like her initial reaction was in disgust," Ottengheime said.

The indecent exposure incident occurred when it was still light outside - at 7:20 p.m. on June 14 at Sycamore Avenue and Wayfield Street.

"It's pretty shocking," resident Bon Huynh said.

Ottengheime and the neighborhood watch would like help from the public in finding out who's behind the wheel of the sedan, which appears to be missing the front passenger side hub cap.

"This could happen to your daughter to your wife, grandchild. We don't want this to go on any longer. We want it taken care of immediately," Ottengheime said.

All recreational activities at Diamond Valley Lake have been suspended indefinitely due to a large bloom of blue-green algae at the bottom of the lake, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California announced Thursday.

Boating, fishing and hiking are just some of the activities suspended around the lake until the district determines it is safe to use again. The algae, called cyanobacteria, sometimes releases harmful cyanotoxins into the water, which in high concentrations can be poisonous when ingested.

"We do know that this bloom is producing some of these cynotoxins, and so that's why we've taken this precautionary measure of temporarily closing the lake," said Paul Rochelle, microbiology unit manager.

Water quality experts, however, said local drinking water will not be impacted at all.

"This is a recreation issue, not a drinking water issue," said Mic Stewart,the Metropolitan Water District quality manager, in a news release. "We are not using [the lake] as a drinking water source right now. Even if we did, our processes for withdrawing the water from the lake and treating it will ensure its safety."

Metropolitan posted a signs at the lake last week telling visitors and their pets to stay away from the water due to the algae bloom, which looks like mats of green scum floating on the water.

Rochelle said he and his team will continue to monitor the situation and test bacterial levels daily. The district will lift suspensions "when conditions improve," which could take a week or more.

Rochelle expects the lake to reopen far before the end of summer, but cannot say exactly when due to the unpredictability of the natural phenomenon.

"It could be days, it could be weeks," Rochelle said. "In some extreme circumstances, blooms like these have lasted for a month or longer, but I don't expect that to be the case here."

A Virginia woman says her Uber driver refused to give her a ride because of her wheelchair.

Kelley Simoneaux said she ordered a ride Wednesday night after leaving a restaurant in Arlington.

According to Simoneaux, the driver pulled up in a minivan and she then opened the front door and got herself into the van. The driver didn't get out and someone else at the restaurant offered to help her with her wheelchair.

"It's easy. My wheelchair is light, it's able to be broken down very compact. As he was wheeling it around, the gentleman, the driver who had not gotten out of the car at that point or looked at me or acknowledged me, turned around, got out of the car and said, 'No, no, stop! You can't put your wheelchair in there I don't have space for it,'" Simoneaux said.

Simoneaux said she explained to the driver that the chair could be broken down easily and it wasn't much bigger than a size of luggage but the driver kept insisting there was no space for it.

"Are you saying that you're not able to give me a ride because of my wheelchair? And he said, 'I don't have space. I don't have room in this vehicle for your wheelchair," she said.

At that point, she said she felt very uncomfortable and upset and got out of the van.

"The people around me who were witnessing this happen, as well as myself, were honestly in shock. It's not often that you have someone so blatantly discriminating someone to their face,"she said.

She called another Uber, which took her home without incident.

Simoneaux later received a notification the first driver had charged her.

"So I was charged $6.80 for a ride that he refused to provide me," she said.

After the interaction with the driver she started looking at other online groups and connecting with people who had experienced similar situations with ride-share drivers.

"This is not an isolated incident. This is something that is happening within Uber," Simoneaux said. "I've been trying to reach out to them multiple times saying there needs to be a conversation. We needto talk about how ridesharing businesses can accomodate and give equal access to people with disabilities."

Uber refunded her the $6.80, but Simoneaux said she wasn't satisified with their response to her complaint.

She said she wants to have a discussion with the company's Executive Officer of Diversity and Inclusion about the issue.

Uber gave the following statement to News4:

“Our Community Guidelines prohibit any type of discrimination in serving riders with disabilities. We have been in contact with the rider and continue to investigate this matter.”

A new record was set this week at Baylor University Medical Center Dallas when a baby boom hit Tuesday morning.

Over a 48 hour period, doctors and nurses delivered 42 babies.

“We’ve had a ton of people come in in active labor. Some come in for inductions and some come in at 10 centimeters ready to have a baby, and it’s just been crazy,” said chief-resident Shannon Miller.

Within hours, nearly all of the rooms were full. Residents kept moving, sometimes even running room to room.

“We’re like what’s going on? Everyone around here’s going into labor. Someone said, ‘Ok. We’ve got a patient here who’s seven centimeters.’ And I said, ‘Yeah. I just checked her in.’ And they said, ‘No. This is a different one,'” said first-year resident Dana Potter.

By Wednesday afternoon, more mothers were arriving. It all culminated around 4 p.m. when resident Jenny Uremovich, who was running the board, noticed nine patients were ready to deliver at one time.

“We were just passing each other in the halls, pointing to which rooms we thought were going to deliver next. Sometimes the moms have to push for a while, but it seemed like nobody, especially these nine babies, nobody even pushed for a long time. It was just like boom, boom, boom. Babies everywhere.”

Those nine babies were delivered in just 40 minutes. And by the end of the day, history had been made with 42 deliveries over 48 hours, in a hospital that averages 12 a day.

“You realize how much coordination is required among all staff members. Whether it be resident physicians, attending physicians, the nurses, the people that clean the rooms so that patients can continue to move in, it’s just a really smooth orchestra that took place in the last 48 hours,” said third-year resident Emily Spurgin.

As they got a chance to recover from the excitement and sheer exhaustion, the question of ‘why’ started to come up. What happened nine months ago to result in a baby boom?

“I don’t know. We’ve thrown out a couple of ideas amongst the residents,” said Spurgin.

“I think I’ll have to go with the natural disaster or something going on nine months ago,” said Potter.

After all, it’s been about nine months since both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Maria ravaged American soil.

“When there’s emotional events; when there’s news and stories like 9/11; or natural disasters and other things, then typically around 9 or 10 months later we get a baby boom. I don’t know if it’s just families looking at what’s important and reevaluating life. We’ve just kind of had that cycle for years,” said nurse manager of labor and delivery Kristine Debuty.

In Debuty’s 24-year career, she’s never seen a boom like this one. That is why she is calling this week’s newborns the Baylor 42, as they take their place in the hospital’s history.

After police called the death of a 10-year-old Lancaster boy suspicious, investigators confirmed Friday that there were allegations of prior abuse.

Anthony Avalos, 10, died Wednesday after being taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police were told initially that he suffered injuries from a fall at the family's apartment complex in the 1100 block of East Avenue K.  

Avalos' aunt, Maria Barron, told authorities the boy was being abused.

Three years prior, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed they had investigated alleged abuse, but the investigation was halted after children involved recanted their statements or changed their stories. 

His grandmother, Concepcion Ramirez, claimed that Anthony never wanted to go home after visiting with her.

"It had been happening for a long time. When he came to visit me, he use to tell me things. He said they abused him physically," Ramirez said.

The alleged abuse ranged from keeping him in closets to burning him with cigarettes, Ramirez said.

Avalos' death is the second child death connected to Department of Family and Child Services Lancaster office since 2014. 

"The concern that I have is whether this is a systemic problem," said Bobby Cagle, director of the LA County Department of Children and Family Services. "As we look into this very deeply, that answer will become very clear; and if there is, we will take the appropriate action. At this point in time, I think it's premature."

The case would not considered a crime until more interviews could be conducted and a coroner's investigation could be completed.

NBC4's Lolita Lopez contributed to this report.

A boy was rescued in Laguna Beach Friday afternoon after becoming trapped in a hole in the sand, authorities confirmed. 

The child was reportedly pulled to safety at Aliso Beach Park.

The 6-year-old had been running along the beach when he fell into a 3-feet-deep hole, and then became buried in sand, authorities said. 

Three urban search and rescue trucks were called to the scene and one heavy rescue vehicle with a huge vacuum was summoned.

A New Jersey couple who survived one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history has a new reason to smile: They're now holding one of the youngest survivors of that harrowing night. 

Back in October, Valdo Panzera Jr., of North Haledon, and then-girlfriend Megan Iannuzzi -- a Fair Lawn native who recently moved to Las Vegas to teach kindergarten -- were two of the thousands of people who ducked, then ran for their lives while rapid gunfire rained down on the Las Vegas Village from a pair of busted-out windows at the Mandalay Bay hotel. That's where a gunman was perched with an arsenal of weapons. He killed 58 people and wounded nearly 500 others.

Panzera said that he and Iannuzzi -- both country music lovers -- had planned for months to go to the Route 91 Harvest Festival so they could see some of their favorite acts and sing their favorite songs together. When they learned she was pregnant, it turned into a celebration. 

At the concert, they decided to sit in the bleacher seats. The decision may have saved their lives, as they weren't in the immediate line of fire when shots rang out. 

"If Megan wasn't pregnant, we would have been right up front, right by the stage," said Panzera. 

Things took a turn when they heard a mysterious "clap." Speaking to News 4 in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Panzera said that as soon as he realized that the noise was gunfire -- and not fireworks, the crowd or the PA system -- his thoughts shifted to his burgeoning family.

"Megan is six weeks pregnant. I'm going to be a dad and I'm just thinking that it's my girlfriend," he said. "My future wife and my child I have to worry about."

"Megan turns to me and goes, 'Babe, what was that?' -- I'm like, 'I don't know, fireworks?'" he said. "All of the sudden you hear it again. 'Clap, clap, clap, clap.'"

By the third round of fire, he knew what he was hearing.

"The third round of bullets, you hear 'Bah! Bah! Bah!' and I felt the vibration," he said. "I told Megan, 'Get down. Get Down!' and we literally got down and you kept hearing it."

Months later, holding Valdo Panzera III, the new parents want to thank all the  strangers who helped them survive that night. They recall a mystery man in the crush of the crowd.

"I turn to the guy behind me and I'm like, 'Please don't push her, she's pregnant. Please don't push her,'" Panzera said. "The guy starts screaming [to the crowd], 'Stop, stop pushing. Stop pushing!'"

"If it wasn't for him, [baby Valdo] might not be here, too, because people may have pushed us and trampled us," he said. 

And then there were the strangers who ripped down a fence for Panzera, Iannuzzi and many more to escape. 

"Thank you for breaking down the fence," Iannuzzi says. "Thank you for being that strong to get us out of there." 

"Because of them, he's here and we're here. They're heroes, too," said Panzera.

In the eight months since that night, Panzera and Iannuzzi have gotten married, moved back to New Jersey and bought a house in North Haledon. But they still have not been to a concert since the shooting and aren't sure if they will ever take their son. Iannuzzi said she doesn't feel comfortable yet. 

But for now, mom and dad are enjoying the little things. 

"The day when you become a father, it's a life-changing experience," said Panzera. 

"This is my world right here. I love it. I love every moment of it." 

Dick Leitsch, a titan of the early gay rights movement who led "sip-in" protests in the 1960s, died in New York City on Friday, Ken Lustbader, the co-director of NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project confirmed to NBC News. He was 83.

Leitsch became an icon of the LGBTQ movement after leading protests that pre-dated the Stonewall Inn uprising, increasing the momentum of the gay rights movement.

Born on May 11, 1935, Leitsch moved to New York City in 1959 from his home state of Kentucky.

He went on to lead the New York City chapter of the Mattachine Society, one of the oldest gay rights organizations in the country. It was during his time at the Mattachine Society that he came up with the idea for "sip-ins," where demonstrators would go to bars, announce they were gay and ask to be served.

The Nickerson Gardens Housing Project in South Los Angeles has a long history of violent criminals terrorizing law-abiding citizens. Gangs that claim ownership of the area have drilled in the idea of fear to keep residents from acting as witnesses to crimes, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Those crimes include a 2010 murder that remains unsolved.

Oscar Cornejo, 34, was arriving home around 2 a.m. on Saturday, July 24, 2010 when LAPD South Bureau Homicide detectives say he was approached by five men.

"As he's approaching his front door," Det. Jason Turner recalled, "a group of five male blacks are hanging out over here by the baseball field and they start walking up close to him."

Turner said Cornejo ducked his head as if to avoid a confrontation.

“The guy in the middle walks up to Oscar, and at that point in time the suspect produces a pistol, presses it against his head and basically executes him,” Turner said.

As Cornejo fell to the ground, the shooter fired two more shots before running away with the group. While police believe some 15 to 20 people were standing by and watching the scene unfold, no one has come forward with the information needed to catch the killer.

“We’re hoping that since time has passed, the people that did that might be less scary,” Turner said. “They might be in jail. They might have moved and now people might be willing to talk.”

With Nickerson Gardens’ history, however, it could be harder to get that information than police even think. The area has been under siege by local gangs claiming “control” and threatening residents who attempt to become witnesses.

“We need bravery from within this neighborhood,” Turner said. “You have to take ownership of where you live. This may not be where you want to live forever, but you’re here now and you can make a difference now and make your neighborhood better.”

Cornejo’s family understands the fear more than most. Just one day after the shooting, his wife and four kids moved out of the complex to the sounds of sneers and jeers and neighbors calling them “cowards.”

“It’s the worst thing that could ever happen,” Cornejo’s mother, Maria says, “I spend every day at the cemetery.”

Maria said she relives her son’s death every day, imagining the man who put the pistol against her son’s temple and fired those rounds without as much as a hint of humanity.

She believes the group of men who approached her son that night eight years ago are part of the gang that “controls” Nickerson Gardens.

“They live there,” she said.

Her hope is that someone will have the courage to come forward – even anonymously – so police can make an arrest.

“I want justice,” she said. “That’s all.”

LAPD South Bureau Homicide is asking anyone with information on the case to come forward. Callers can dial into 323-786-5113 or submit anonymous tips to 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

A four-mile stretch of Van Nuys Boulevard running from Panorama City to Pacoima will be closed to vehicles from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday for an event put on by CicLAvia.

CicLAvia is a nonprofit that temporarily shuts down urban LA streets so nearby communities can use them like they would a public park, according to its website. People can walk, skate and bike along the street without any concern for vehicle traffic during the events, which are free.

The next closure, which CicLAvia has dubbed "The Valley" event, will take place along Van Nuys boulevard between San Fernando Road and Roscoe Boulevard.

The event will have crossing points for cars at certain intersections along the route. Those points will be at Nordhoff Street, Plummer Street, Woodman Avenue and Laurel Canyon Blvd.

More information about the event can be found on CicLAvia’s website or by calling 213-355-8500 or emailing info@ciclavia.org.

One person was arrested as crowds gathered overnight in Pico Rivera and Arcadia to watch a series of street "takeovers."

The gathering in Pico Rivera began around 12:05 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of Paramount and Washington boulevards as people crowded to see cars doing donuts, said Sgt. Cardenas of the city's Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department station.

Deputies dispersed the onlookers, but they gathered half an hour later about 2.5 miles down the road at the intersection of Beverly and Rosemead boulevards, Cardenas said. There, people blocked the intersection as cars continued to do donuts, some waving large Mexican flags.

One person was arrested after throwing and striking a deputy with a bottle, Cardenas said. That deputy will be OK. 

Though people also set off illegal fireworks, nobody else was injured, no property was damaged and no further arrests were made as deputies dispersed the crowd, Cardenas said. 

In Arcadia, people gathered at W Duarte Road and S Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia Police Department Sgt. Juarez said. That "takeover" was unrelated to the one in Pico Rivera, he added. 

Onlookers dispersed as soon as Arcadia police arrived at the intersection, though they later tried to gather on the 210 Freeway, Juarez said. The California Highway Patrol stopped the crowd from making it onto the freeway and no arrests were made, he said.

Six people were taken to a hospital for injuries suffered after a suspected DUI driver caused a four-car crash in Santa Ana.

The "high-speed" crash was reported just after 11 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of west Warner Avenue and south Flower Street, the Santa Ana Police Department said.

Video from the scene showed the mangled remains of a car that had flipped onto its roof, while other vehicles also showed extensive damage, including to the front end.

Three people had to be rescued from the wreckage, the SAPD said.

The driver of the vehicle that caused the crash, who has not been identified, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of narcotics.

You get a home run, you get a home run, everyone gets a home run!

Justin Turner hit the Dodgers' seventh home run of the game, a go-ahead drive in the 11th inning that led Los Angeles over the New York Mets 8-7 Sunday.

Cody Bellinger and Kike Hernandez each homered twice as the Dodgers beat the Mets for the 12th straight time dating to 2016. Max Muncy and Joc Pederson also connected for Los Angeles. Hernandez and Muncy led off the game with back-to-back shots.

"He threw me a bunch of sliders and I was pulling off a little bit, so I told myself to wait a little longer," Hernandez said of his second homer of the game against Mets' reliever Chris Beck. "He hung the next one…I was using Chase Utley's bat so that ball went kind of far. That's what we do, we hit homers."

The seven home runs were all solo shots, and it tied the single-game record for most solo homers in a game in the modern era (since 1900). 

"It was very impressive," said Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts of the home run barrage. "A very good offensive display. Getting good pitches to hit and squaring them. The ball was flying out of the ballpark and it was very good to see."

The Mets matched a team record for the most homers allowed in a game, and lost their sixth in a row overall.

Combined, the two teams hit nine home runs in the game, the most by any two teams in a game this season.

Turner, a former Met, homered off Chris Flexen (0-1) with two outs to put the Dodgers up for good. Los Angeles had squandered a 7-4 lead in the eighth when Kevin Plawecki hit a tying, three-run shot.

"I was just trying to hit a ball on the barrel there," Turner told SportsNetLA's Alanna Rizzo after the win. "What a day. Guys swung the bats well, a bunch of homers and sweep the series against the Mets here on the road is going to make for a happy flight going home."

Daniel Hudson (2-2) picked up the victory with two scoreless innings. He worked around a leadoff walk in the 10th and stranded a runner at second in the 11th.

The Mets lost for the 13th time in 14 games at Citi Field. They previously allowed seven home runs on April 30, 2017 at Washington.

The depleted Mets were forced to start longtime reliever Jerry Blevins in place of Jason Vargas, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday due to a strained right calf.

Making his first major league start in 533 appearances, Blevins gave up back-to-back homers by Hernandez and Muncy to begin the game. It was just the second time since 1900 that a pitcher had allowed two straight home runs to begin his first start in the majors, the Elias Sports Bureau said — Don Hendrickson did it in 1945 with the Boston Braves.

"Leading off the game against a lefty, I just wanted to make the best of the at-bat. I wasn't sure if that was going to be my only at-bat of the day," joked Hernandez who historically has success against left-handers like Blevins. "2-0, he left a fastball right down the middle and we got off to a good start."

The Dodgers have hit an MLB-best 46 home runs in the month of June, and are just six homers shy of the franchise record for most home runs in a month (53), set by last year's team in June. 

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (right rib microfracture) threw in the bullpen before the game. The 23-year-old rookie, who is 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA in nine starts this season, has been on the disabled list since June 12.

Mets: Flexen was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas, taking Vargas' spot in the 25-man roster. . OF Brandon Nimmo was removed from the game due to a sore right pinkie. He injured it when he was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning and was replaced by Conforto in the top of the seventh.

SITTING IT OUT

Mets SS Amed Rosario was held out of the starting lineup as part of a mental break over the next couple of days. His mentor, Jose Reyes, started in his place, Rosario entered to play short in the top of the 11th. The struggling 22-year-old, who's hitting just .249 with four home runs and 21 RBIs over 71 games, has had a tough time adjusting to major league pitching after hitting .328 with seven homers and 58 RBI at Triple-A Las Vegas before making his big league debut last season on Aug. 1, 2017.

"I'm just having a couple of days for me to relax and enjoy the game," said Rosario, who has hit only .212 (14 for 66) through 19 games in June.

Mets manager Mickey Callaway and his staff sat down with the youngster to come up with a plan heading into their three-game series with Pittsburgh on Monday.

"We brought him in and talked to him, sat him down and we're going to make sure that we take these next couple of days to work on some things in his overall game," Callaway said. "This young kid is still trying to develop at the major league level and these couple of days will allow him to get some work done in the cage, some work done in the field tomorrow taking groundballs and things like that. So we thought this would be really good for him."

UP NEXT

Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda (4-4, 3.11 ERA) starts the opener of a 10-game homestand with the first of four against the Chicago Cubs.

Mets: RHP Seth Lugo (2-2, 2.85) starts the first game of a three-game set against Pittsburgh. It will be Lugo's fifth start of the season.

Check out all seven of the Dodgers home runs in the video below: 

If you can't view the embedded videos, click "VIEW THE FULL MOBILE SITE"  at the bottom of this page.

If the Fourth of July is just around the corner, you can count on seeing a few things around your neighborhood and the larger area.

Bunting? That will be available for purchase at the local party store, yes, in all sorts of red, white, and blue patterns.

Hot dog buns? You'll find those prominently displayed at the market, along with the other sorts of edibles we look for when planning a holiday barbecue.

Animal shelters actively reaching out to the community on the topic of adopting ahead of Independence Day?

That's something you can't find in a store, but if you look within your heart, and you browse back through your memories of falling in love with a pooch or kitty or a rabbit, you'll find it.

And you can expect a number of Southern California animal shelters to do just that in the days immediately preceding Wednesday, July 4, 2018.

One annual example that's coming around again in 2018? The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA, which will hold its 5th Annual Free Adoption Day just ahead of the Fourth of July.

The Fourth is a (literally) booming occasion that has become an especially hectic one for various shelters as they take in lost animals, animals that may have been startled by the big sounds and hubbub of the fireworks-filled holiday.

Free Adoption Day at the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA is on Friday, June 29. Cats and dogs will be there, yes, as will "... rabbits, birds, pocket pets, and reptiles," so if your household has been hoping to welcome a new sweetheart, your fateful moment to find such a sweetie is coming up.

The shelter is looking to "empty kennels" before the holiday and match its wet-nosed, scaly-tailed, feathery-wing'd denizens with their perfect people.

Pasadena Humane says that 152 pets departed Raymond Avenue for their forever home on Free Adoption Day 2017, making it the center's "largest adoption day of the year."

"All dog and cat adoptions include the spay and neuter surgery, a microchip and age appropriate vaccines," is the good word. Also, a health-and-wellness exam — it is also free — is part of the adoption package, too, and a packet that provides important tips on caring for your newest family member.

Find more information on the 5th Annual Free Adoption Day at the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA now.

Police said Sunday that a 15-year-old boy ran away from the Texas shelter for migrant children, Casa Padre, NBC News reported. 

The boy had been in conversations to be reunited with a man whom he called his father, but details on the man weren't immediately clear. There was a discrepancy with a DNA test, and before it could be sorted out, the child ran away Saturday. 

A police source told NBC the boy is in Mexico and the man he calls his father is sending him money to get him back to Honduras. 

"As a licensed child care center, if a child attempts to leave any of our facilities, we cannot restrain them," Southwest Key said in a statement. "We are not a detention center. We talk to them and try to get them to stay. If they leave the property, we call law enforcement."

Seventy-year-old Greg Broughton from Venice Beach was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease three years ago. The neuro-degenerative condition limits his movements and causes tremors.

"Just trying to button my shirt, open a carton of milk, everything I find takes much more deliberation," Broughton said.

For the past few months, Broughton has been coming to Gerry Blank's Marital Arts Center in Pacific Palisades for a boxing class specifically tailored to people with Parkinson's.

"We do know that forced intense exercise keeps some of the symptoms of Parkinson's at bay and, in some cases, even reverses them." said Sarah Lahalih, a coach at the gym. "A lot of the movements are oppositional movements which helps with cognitive training and strengthens the core."

The class is part of a nationwide non-profit program called "Rock Steady." It emphasizes gross motor skills, balance, core strength, and rhythm.

"The punching part feels really good, almost sort of like a release and also just to accomplish it," Broughton said. "But I have to admit the footwork part of it doesn't feel very good at all because I'm totally clumsy."

There is one aspect of this type of boxing that Broughton especially loves.

"It was particularly appealing when I found out no one was hitting back!" Broughton joked.

Lillian Roth, diagnosed with Parkinson's 8 years ago, never thought she would get involved in a sport like this.

"My kids particularly think it's hilarious," Roth said. "They're middle-aged and they say, 'Boxing?'"

Like others in this class, though, she is beginning to notice improvements.

"I think it's good for my shoulders and arm strength, and hopefully my movement will get better," Roth said.

The class also includes exercises to increase mobility and hand-eye coordination.

Lahalih, a 4 time Chicago Golden Gloves champ, says the program is changing lives everyday.

"We've had students come in on walkers and a month later [they] ditch their walker because they don't need it anymore," Lahalih said.

The students also benefit from the sense of community.

"It illustrates that you're not by yourself," Broughton said. "You've got [other] folks are in the same circumstances."

Together, they're knocking out symptoms one by one, fighting for a healthy future one punch at a time.

To learn more about the Rock Steady program, you can visit their website at rocksteadyboxingla.com.