A preliminary 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northern Japan, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The quake was reported up to 140 miles offshore of Honshu at 3:06 p.m.
Forecasters do not expect a tsunami for California, but have issued an advisory for coastal Japan, according to the National Weather Service.
A hemp-based product is gaining traction among some San Diegans using it to treat their pets’ illnesses, though veterinarians argue more research is needed. The issue has sparked a sort of medical marijuana debate for animals.
David Bourgouin’s 11-year-old dog Reef still wants to play like he’s a puppy. But about a year ago, the dog’s separation anxiety caused him to jump over a fence and injure his shoulder.
The pain for Reef was unbearable, his owner told NBC 7; the dog couldn’t put any weight on his front left leg after the injury. It turned out that Reef developed a cyst after the accident – the main source of his pain.
“It’s so large, the size of a lemon, that it’s pressing on the nerve that’s going on to this leg,” said Bourgouin.
He said the only options he had were a $6,000 surgery or something called cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is extracted from hemp-oil, which is in the cannabis family.
“Knowing what I know about CBD, I decided this is what I needed to do for him,” said Bourgoin. “I have to give him the best shot I can.”
Bourgouin went to Hemp Health Inc. in Carlsbad. Vice President Katarina Maloney told NBC 7 pet owners come in and ask for the product for many medicinal reasons.
“A lot of them are inflammation, pain, separation anxiety,” Maloney said.
Not enough research has been done to determine how exactly CBD works, but another big question on people’s minds: can your pet get high?
“You cannot get high from our products at all,” Maloney said. “Our oil is made from industrial hemp, where there is no THC in our product.” THC is the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana products.
To find out what animal experts think of the treatment, NBC 7 reached out to the San Diego County Veterinary Medical Association to review these CBD products for our report.
Veterinary anesthesiologist Amber Hopkins with the association said she is no stranger to sick and nervous animals, and when it comes to using CBD products for medical purposes, she feels conflicted.
“I think that there has been shown to be a lot of potential for cannabinoids to be very beneficial in animals for management of various things like epilepsy, pain management, anti-nausea,” she said.
But Dr. Hopkins added, “There's very little scientific evidence that supports efficacy, safety studies, dose regimes that have been well defined in animals.”
Veterinarians cannot prescribe CBD since it’s not federally approved to be used medicinally. Right now, the FDA considers it as a “dietary supplement.”
NBC 7 reached out to other veterinarians across the county to see what they thought of CBD-use on pets. They were all for it and noted that they have seen benefits from its use, but that it’s a matter of the FDA performing the necessary tests and research so one day it can be legally prescribed.
Bourgouin knew all of this and when it came to Reef, he said he had no choice. Looking at Reef now after using the CBD products, he’s active and can spend more time playing like a puppy, the owner said.
For more information on Hemp Health Inc., click here to view the organization’s website.
San Diegans can now order alcohol with just a few taps on their phone.
The alcohol delivery app Saucey has launched in San Diego, the company announced on Twitter.
It also delivers to residents of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The application has its own team of drivers, according to the website, and promises delivery in 20 to 40 minutes.
To download the application, visit the application's website.
It could take up to 30 days for Boston transit service to be fully restored — but that would be if there is not another major storm, according to the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority's chief Dr. Beverly Scott.
The news of the "Reduced Core Service" plan came Monday night, shortly after the agency announced it will continue to operate on a limited schedule on Tuesday. The Boston area is closing in on the record for snowiest winter.
Scott announced last week she was stepping down, effective April 11, amid criticism of how her agency has handled delays, suspensions and massive snowfall. On Monday, Scott said the goal of the reduced plan is to "take back the system."
Service was previously suspended Sunday due to blizzard-like conditions, and limited service resumed on Monday.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's office responded to the MBTA's move later Monday with a statement.
"The administration has been directing significant resources including heavy equipment and personnel to the MBTA to aid in recovery efforts over the past several days to restore a regular operating schedule for commuters as quickly and efficiently as possible after unprecedented impacts from recent storms," a Baker spokesperson said.
A string of snowstorms has wreaked havoc on the MBTA, and frustration among commuters is growing.
The red line from Braintree to JFK is the top priority for the T, with dozens of inmates and union members pitching in to clear snow from the tracks one shovel at a time.
“It’s quite an undertaking, it’s a herculean task to get all the snow removed here and we’re all hands on deck at the MBTA right now,” said Tom Crowley the MBTA Supervisor of Transportation Contraction for Subway Operations.
Here are the details of Tuesday's limited schedule:
Red Line
Orange Line
Blue Line
Green Line
Bus service
Commuter Rail
For complete information on all MBTA routes and schedules, click here.
For your latest weather forecast, click here.
Someone shot a pellet gun at a Los Angeles Metro bus Monday night, breaking a few windows, and then did the same to a relief bus sent to assist passengers, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The first bus driver was heading east on Imperial Highway approaching Central Avenue when he heard a popping sound, according to Lt. Rich Maradiaga of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Transit Division.
Some windwers were broken.
The driver pulled the bus over and notified authorities, Maradiaga said. When a relief bus came to take away passengers stranded by the investigation, that bus was also shot with a pellet gun.
No injuries were reported, and no suspect information was immediately available.
Pump prices are kicking up once again, leaving many drivers feeling the pinch.
Southern California saw some of the lowest gas prices in the last 5 years at the beginning of January, bottoming out at just over $2.50 in Los Angeles, the Inland Empire and Orange County, according to AAA.
Prices have climbed about 30 cents since then, rising for 17 consecutive days, as Genaro Fernandez knows too well -- he commutes to his overnight job every day.
"I'm always back and forth to my family in Whittier to over here, so gas can get kinda pricy," Fernandez said at a gas station in Montebello.
The average price for regular gasoline at that station was at $2.97 Monday, but just a few weeks ago, it had reached a low of $2.39 a gallon.
The 17-day streak of increases is the longest since an 18-day streak from March 31-April 17 last year.
The City News Service contributed to this report.
A 17-year-old boy fatally shot himself in the head Monday after family members pleaded with him to put down a gun during what investigators said was a game of Russian roulette in the bedroom of a Torrance apartment.
"They were pleading with him not to play with the gun, not to play Russian roulette," said Sgt. Scott Hoglund, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "The victim did not listen and proceeded to put the gun to his head and pull the trigger."
Deputies responded to the building in the 900 block of West Carson Street at about 4 a.m. after a report of gunfire. The gunshot victim was transported to a hospital, where he died, according to the sheriff's department.
A security guard told NBC4 he called 911 after investigating reports of an argument, which authorities said might have been the boy's three cousins pleading with him to drop the gun, a .38 Special revolver. Several neighbors said they heard what sounded like screaming for about one minute and a single gunshot.
Donald Gordon, the security guard, said he found the victim bleeding on the floor after responding to the disturbance reports.
"He was on the ground, gasping for air, saying he really needs some help," said Gordon.
The victim suffered a single gunshot wound to the head, according to investigators with the sheriff's department. The gun used in the fatal game of chance was recovered at the scene.
Russian roulette involves loading a single chamber of a revolver, spinning the cylinder and squeezing the trigger after putting the gun to one's head.
Family members and friends were in the apartment at the time, but family members, who declined to speak on camera with NBC4, said they were not aware the boy had a gun, authorities said. Others who were inside the apartment are being questioned, authorities said.
"Additional information about the weapon is still under investigation," the sheriff's department said in a statement.
No one was arrested in connection with the shooting. At midday, sheriff's officials said they were attempting to determine to whom the gun was registered and how the teen obtained the weapon.
It's being called one of the biggest bank heists in history. But there were no guns and no getaway cars.
It all happened online and we explain why this cybercrime should serve as a wake up call for you.
Be first to see Randy Mac’s newest story: "Debit Card Dangers." Choosing to use your debit card instead of credit at the cash register could cost you much more than you expect. The I-Team reveals the risk, and offers tips to protect your bank account, tomorrow at 6 p.m.
The robbers hit at least 100 banks in 30 different countries, including the United States.
Evidence suggests that in the past two years, the bad guys have stolen as much as $1 billion.
This so-called cyber gang sent emails to bank employees, with what looked like a link to a news story from a co-worker.
When recipients clicked on the link, they unwittingly downloaded "malware" that allowed hackers to track their online activity.
The crooks allegedly recorded bank employees' keystrokes and captured screenshots.
The thieves were able to connect remotely to ATMs around the world and trigger them to spit out cash at specific times.
They also transferred millions into their own accounts.
The New York Times reports that JPMorgan Chase is among the banks that were targeted.
No other financial institutions have been named, but it appears banks in Russia were hit especially hard.
So far not one bank has come forward to comment on the crime.
At this point it's unclear what kind of impact this will have on bank customers, though the criminals seem to have been after the bank's money, not personal information.
Still, it shows just how vulnerable even the most security-conscious businesses are to hackers.
Here's how to protect yourself:
If you have a tip on this story — or anything else — the I-Team wants to hear from you. Give us a call at 818-520-TIPS or email nbc4iteam@nbcuni.com.
Unseasonably warm weather since summer has led to a spike in the number of water rescues in Southern California.
Lifeguards in Los Angeles County made nearly 16,000 rescues last year, a record. In Santa Monica alone, lifeguards made 2,605 rescues in 2014. That's a 60 percent jump from 2013 and more than double the number in 2012.
An unusually hot summer and unusually warm winter has sent people flocking to the beach on days they normally don't go.
Swimmers like Philip Pocknell is being extra careful.
"I always try and keep like a marker on the beach, like an umbrella or some sort of landmark on there because pretty soon, after five minutes or so, you can be a hundred yards down the beach," he said.
The ocean has more swimmers but also more risk because of consistent surf, strong rip currents, and unexpected holes, surprising people who think they're on firm footing.
"There's a lot of holes in the ocean floor," said Capt. Remy Smith, an LA County lifeguard. "People are getting caught into these holes and we have to go get them."
Also increasing are beach violations such as alcohol. There has also been a steady increase in the need for emergency vehicles.
Adding to the challenge are fewer lifeguards patrolling this time of year. A fraction of lifeguards are working compared to summer, when every tower is patrolled, Smith said.
"It's very challenging right now," he said.
That's why lifeguards are asking beachgoers to stay close to a tower where lifeguards are present. And to ask lifeguards about the conditions in the water.
A squirrel outfoxed a mutt that became stuck in a cliff crevice and had to be rescued by firefighters Monday afternoon, high above the beach in Santa Monica.
Smoky, the 80-pound mutt, was at the park with his owner when he spotted the swift-moving critter and chased it into some bushes.
Next thing it knew it became lodged in a crevice and had to be hoisted to safety by two Santa Monica firefighters atop a ladder. The drama took place on a cliff at the edge of Pacific Coast Highway, and it was all caught on camera by Newschopper4.
How many companies does it take to transfer the lines from an old utility pole to a new one?
It sounds like the setup for a joke. But Malibu resident Gracee Arthur is not laughing.
Since moving to a unit in a West Malibu fourplex four years ago, Arthur has been beset with recurring electrical outages that repeatedly brought repair crews to the power pole nearest her home, she said.
Arthur was initially delighted last month to see an entirely new pole replace the old one. Edison moved its power lines to the new pole. But leaning off-kilter next to it was a shorter pole carrying all the telecom cables - phone, cable, Internet - that shared the old utility pole.
Those lines would have to be relocated by their respective companies, and that would be done within two days, Arthur recalled being told.
Three weeks later, it still has not happend.
"We consider that a dangerous situation," said Lou La Monte, member of the Malibu City Council.
Potentially overloaded or weakened utility poles are taken seriously in this coastal city, particulary after the 2007 Malibu Canyon Fire that destroyed 14 structures and burned nearly four thousand acres. Investigators concluded it had been ignited by downed power lines from three poles that snapped in strong Santa Ana wind.
"The fire showed us the poles were not safe," La Monte said.
The NextG telecom company later acknowledged that one of the failed poles had been overloaded with its equipment, and Southern California Edison stipulated it had not taken action to prevent the overloading.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) pursued regulatory action. By 2013, Edison, NextG, and three other telecoms had agreed to settlements which included setting aside funds to ensure that poles were maintained to standards.
Edison alone committed $17 million, and the process of surveying poles is underway.
Even before that settlement, Arthur had already gone to Malibu City Hall and to the CPUC to
pressure Edison to replace the power pole nearest her home.
Arthur expressed dismay that the various utilities could not coordinate the transfer of their respective lines and equipment to the new pole.
Unable to get a commitment from the telecoms, she said, she contacted the CPUC and was told the lines would be transferred within two months.
Neither she nor Councilman LaMonte understands why the work cannot be scheduled sooner, especially in light of Malibu's history.
Apart from the 2007 fire, just last April a power pole failed in Trancas Canyon, igniting spot fires that fortunately did not spread. During summer a power pole near Corral Canyon collapsed and interfered with traffic on Pacific Coast Highway for two days.
Monday being the President's Day Holiday, the front offices of the utilities were closed, and officials could not be reached to respond.
Two hikers who went missing in the San Gabriel Mountains Monday were found safe and well early Tuesday.
The male walkers, who are 62 and 75 years old, were found with apparent injuries and had started a camp fire to stay warm. The duo had been dropped off at the Mount Wilson Observatory at around 2 p.m. Monday for a five-hour hike, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
When they did meet up with family members as planned at 6 p.m. at a picnic area, they were reported missing two-and-a-half hours later.
A search began at 10:30 p.m, with Montrose, Altadena and Sierra Madre Search and Rescue, and Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s deputies assisting.
Almost three quarters of rape kits used in Orange County over the past decade have never been tested.
Of the 740 rapes reported there in the last 10 years, authorities said 70 percent of those were not tested and never will be, partly because the victim recanted or refused to cooperate
It comes as Vice President Joe Biden is set to promote a new funding plan Tuesday aimed at ending a nationwide backlog of untested kits.
"There's a large majority, a high percentage of rape kits that have not been tested over the course of the last 12 or 14 years, but that is because the cases were… unfounded, there was no investigation. There was a reason that that kit did not need to be tested," Lt. Jeff Hallock of the Orange County Sheriff's Department said.
California now has a law that is very specific in setting out how quickly rape kits must be tested. It is important as the kits provide the physical evidence that can be crucial in securing a conviction.
In 2016, all rape kits must be tested in California, and the OC Sheriff's Department began testing every rape kit last September, while the Los Angeles Police Department cleared its backlog after a major push in 2011 to test nearly 6,000 kits.
Despite this, backlogs are still a problem in much of California and the country as a whole.
Part of the problem is the expense of the tests, which cost about $1,200. However, Vice President Joe Biden is announcing Tuesday a $35 million federal funding package to help take care of the backlogs in cities that have them. There are still 400,000 untested rape kits in storage across the country.
Natasha Alexenko, who was the victim of a brutal sexual assault in New York in 1993, has spearheaded a campaign to end the backlog and knows how important they can be to jailing rapists. Her rape kit, which contained biological information about her attacker, sat on a shelf for nine years.
During that time the man that raped her went on a nationwide crime spree, however the results from the test eventually brought the man to justice.
"It was very painful, it was very intrusive that being said it is something (I will )never regret doing or else this monster will still be on the streets today," Alexenko said.
A grandfather was viciously beaten by a man he described as "crazy" during a confrontation at an ATM on Valentine's Day.
Raul Fonseca was hospitalized following the assault at the Bank of America in Temple City at around 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The 79-year-old said he was waiting in line when a man in his 30s started screaming "do you know me" in his face.
He tried to defend himself by swinging at the man, however the situation rapidly escalated.
"Maybe if I hit him, he run away but, no, it was worse," Fonseca said.
His attacker easily overpowered him, raining down punches to his face, arms and head, then kicking him as he lay on the floor.
Fonseca blacked out during the beating, and when he came too he was covered in blood. He was surrounded by good Samaritans and paramedics.
"I don't remember anything until a half hour later," Fonseca said.
The motive is unknown, as the attacker did not steal any of his money. The assailant is described as being around 6 feet tall, 160 pounds.
Fonseca said he is having trouble sleeping at night knowing his attacker is still on the run, and fears he could hurt others.
"He was angry, angry with anybody," Fonseca said, "Catch him put him in jail because he can hurt anybody else."
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators are hoping surveillance footage from the bank will be able to help them identify the attacker.
A security guard was shot dead during an apparent botched robbery at an illegally operated marijuana dispensary in San Bernardino Monday.
The shooting occurred at the strip mall store on the 2800 block of West Rialto Avenue at 10:15 p.m, the San Bernardino Police Department said.
Two assailants forced their way into the business as it was closing for the night, and at least one opened fire on a security guard in a backroom. The security guard returned fire and one of the subjects was shot, police said.
When officers arrived they had to force entry because workers had locked up the business.
A pool of blood was found outside the shop. Officers found the security guard, identified as 25-year-old Anthony Victor Pineda, alone in the backroom.
San Bernardino Police said people who work at the business have been "very uncooperative," going as far as to claim they do not have a code to access the surveillance footage. Their Hi-Tech Crime Unit will attempt to crack the encryption and gain access to the footage.
The store is one of up to 35 illegal marijuana dispensaries in the city.
Joe Studley and Annette Arreola contributed to this report
Moving forward with just a few of the projects outlined in an earthquake action plan unveiled last year would be "the biggest step forward" in Los Angeles' efforts to fortify its buildings and infrastructure against damage from violent shaking, according to the mayor's point person on earthquakes.
Full Report: Resilience By Design
The mayor's earthquake action plan, released in December, was presented Tuesday by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and USGS seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones at a Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce event. Jones talked about proposals for protecting the city's buildings, water system and telecommunications infrastructure in the event of a devastating earthquake.
"Even if we only get to part of this, it's the biggest step forward that we've ever seen," said Jones. "I love LA. I was born and brought up here, and I want my grandchildren born and brought up here.
"This earthquake is absolutely inevitable. Let's get ready for it."
The action plan states that future earthquakes along the San Andreas Fault are expected to reach magnitude-7.8 or higher. The devastating Northridge quake was magnitude 6.7, but Los Angeles should "set a higher standard than having recovered" from the 1994 earthquake, according to the report.
Garcetti said he hopes to have ordinances passed this year that will open the door for some of the plan's elements. Some motions regarding the plan are already being considered by the Los Angeles City Council.
Garcetti commissioned Jones to create the earthquake action plan to address issues such as water supply lines that could be damaged in a quake along the San Andreas Fault. Jones noted Tuesday that the vast majority of Southern California's water supply comes from outside the region, specifically the San Jose-San Joaquin River Delta.
"Every drop of that water has to cross the San Andreas Fault to get to us," Jones said.
The water system plan is designed to ensure firefighters have access to enough water to fight fires following a damaging quake. Fires would likely account for a significant portion of total losses, making access to water one of the top priorities, Jones said. That might involve use of seawater near coastal communities, local water resources and reclaimed water, she added.
"If we don't have water, we're going to be in really bad shape," Jones said.
The proposal also involves use of earthquake-resistant pipes, such as those installed late last year near Dignity Health Northridge Hospital Medical Center. The segmented iron pipes are designed to bend without breaking.
"Those pipes are buried," Jones said. "Nobody wants to deal with that infrastructure they don't have to look at."
Elements of the 126-page "Resilience by Design" plan were unveiled in December, including measures to retrofit certain homes and concrete structures vulnerable to collapse during an earthquake. The retrofits would be required within five years at "soft first story" structures, typically wood-framed apartment buildings with weak first-floors that are built above carports.
The plan includes a seismic safety rating system that picks up where building codes leave off. Building codes are created around requirements that ensure a low probability of collapse. The ratings system would encourage building owners to make sure their buildings not only remain standing, but remain functional.
The mayor's plan also recommends improving Internet and cellphone networks in Los Angeles by working with telecommunications companies. He also proposed creating a solar-powered, citywide wireless Internet network and fortifying cellphone towers.
Funding details for the projects have not been outlined. Garcetti said it will be expensive, but that doing nothing to improve Los Angeles' ability to recover from a devastating quake will be more costly.
A woman was left in tears as her new car was engulfed in flames just hours after someone shattered her car window in a mysterious case of vandalism in the San Fernando Valley.
Jyoti Patil was already devastated when someone smashed the driver's side window of her Honda Civic moments after she reported to police a fellow resident's car had been vandalized at the 6200 block of Owensmouth Avenue in Woodland Hills at around 11:30 p.m. Monday.
And just hours later she woke up to discover her vehicle was one of three that had been engulfed in flames in a residential carport, with a Ford Taurus and a BMW also being completely gutted by the fire.
"I was already crying when I went up (to my apartment) as mine is a new car," Patil said, "It took a lot... for me to buy a new car. I just bought it six months back."
Her fellow resident Dwayne Garner, who is another of the victims, said the Ford was the first vehicle to catch fire, and it later spread to the BMW and then Patil's Honda.
"That one (the Honda) started exploding, (there was a lot of ) glass exploding," Garner said.
The blaze was reported at around 3 a.m., Los Angeles Fire Department said. It took firefighters around 15 minutes to extinguish the flames.
They managed to prevent it spreading to nearby town homes, though there may have been some smoke damage. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and arson investigators are working to determine whether it was started deliberately.
Cal Fire is ready to start focusing on a potentially early fire season.
Applicants are expected to begin lining up outside the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection headquarters in Morgan Hill on Tuesday as the agency begins hiring seasonal firefighters.
About 300 recruits who made the cut from a pool of more than 1,200 will be interviewed on Tuesday. Cal Fire says the recent rain, as well as weather projections, make extra staffing crucial.
The hiring process was moved up to get new firefighters trained and into stations at least a couple of weeks before the "official" fire season.
"It gives us extra hands so that we can make those hose lays and fight fires more aggressively,” said Cal Fire Capt. Ken Myers.
A wildfire that started about 4:30 p.m. Monday afternoon in San Jose, near Interstate 680 south of Berryessa, was quickly knocked down, but it could be a sign of things to come.
The seasonal hiring is starting earlier than usual, and thanks to special drought funding from the governor, some stations – such as at Mount Hamilton, which is usually shut down during winter – have stayed open.
"Support staff worked really hard across the department to accomplish getting all of our hiring processes done even earlier so that we can get folks trained and deployed to the stations,” said the Cal Fire South Santa Clara County Fire District division chief in charge of administration, Jim Crawford.
Cal Fire said it expects to hire around 120 or so firefighters statewide, with between 20 and 30 added to Bay Area stations.
Cal Fire officials said the agency generally declares fire season in mid-April, and while it hasn't said that will change, they acknowledge they plan to have new firefighters in place by the start of April.
A woman known as the “bubbly bandit” turned herself in to authorities on Monday.
Santa Cruz police say Laurie Soderman was caught on camera last month allegedly stealing $600 worth of high-end champagne from the Shopper's Corner store in the 600 block of Soquel Avenue.
Investigators posted a picture from a surveillance camera on their Facebook page last week. The next day, they received a tip, identifying the woman.
Soderman has an extensive history of theft and was out on probation for prior convictions, authorities said.
A 12-year-old girl experienced bizarre hallucinations after being given a powerful sleeping pill instead of her prescribed antibiotics from a Southern California pharmacy, her mother claims.
Family members have filed an initial claim against CVS in Corona, the first step toward a lawsuit, for what they call complete negligence.
In cell phone video of the incident, Riley McDougall can be seeing screaming and crying, nearly incomprehensible. She said the video is hard for her to watch because she doesn’t remember any of it.
"I looked really scary,” she said. “And I didn't look like myself."
According to Riley’s mom Coleen, her daughter was having severe hallucinations.
"She was pulling the stair railing, trying to pull it off the wall thinking that it was a curtain and it shouldn't be there," she said.
Coleen says she took Riley to the emergency room, and doctors told her the hallucinations may have been caused by bad reaction to Sudafed, an over-the-counter cold medicine the girl was taking because she had a bad cold.
Riley had also been prescribed and was taking an antibiotic called Azythromyacin. So, the next day Coleen only gave Riley the antibiotic.
"And within 20 minutes she was seeing double vision," Coleen said.
Coleen called the Corona CVS pharmacy where she picked up the antibiotic prescription, and described the medicine in her possession to the pharmacist, including the name and number on the pills.
"And that's when the pharmacist was like ‘Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. It's Ambien,’" Coleen said.
Ambien is a powerful sleeping drug, and the family's attorney said the white pills look nothing like the pink ones often used for Azythromicin.
"This is pure negligence. They have protocols in place to prevent these things from happening," said attorney Jeffrey Greenman.
A company spokesman for CVS couldn't comment on the allegations because of a pending civil lawsuit.
“The health and safety of our customers is our number one priority and we have policies and procedures in place to ensure prescription safety,” the company said in a statement.
But Coleen says what happened to her daughter should be a warning for everyone.
"Make sure you really read your prescriptions,” Colleen said. “And make sure it's the right thing."