Serena Williams returned to the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday, ending a 14-year personal boycott of the $5 million tournament that began when she was booed as a teenager on her way to winning the title in 2001.

Williams took questions for 10 minutes a day before the world's top-ranked women's player is to compete in her first match.

She never thought she would return to the two-week tournament in the Southern California desert. She even stayed in Los Angeles an extra day because she wasn't yet ready to start the journey.

"I was a little nervous to come out here," she said. "In the beginning, I was like, 'What was I thinking?' I kind of had to overcome that hurdle."

Earlier in the day, Williams practiced with security on hand to keep fans and media away. She has played just one Fed Cup match since winning the Australian Open in January.

Last month, Williams announced her change of heart toward the tournament in a column for Time.com.

She said Thursday she was nervous informing her parents about her decision. She said they were both supportive, with her father Richard telling her "it would be a big mistake if I didn't go back. I thought that was really admirable."

Now 33, Williams is deep into a career that boasts a gaudy resume: 19 Grand Slam singles titles, the world's No. 1 ranking, and millions of dollars in prize money and endorsements earned.

In 2001, she was just 19 and matches between Serena and older sister Venus were still a novelty. Fans were tantalized by the prospect of two siblings dueling in a semifinal.

When Venus pulled out of the match 20 minutes before the start with tendinitis, boos rained down on stadium court, startling Serena. She was offended by later accusations that the sisters' matches were fixed by Richard.

"I think everyone knows that's not necessarily a true statement. But I guess you do have to ask those questions," Williams said. "I have had nothing but integrity for my whole career."

Serena went on to win the final against Kim Clijsters. Her father later said he heard racial slurs in the crowd.

"He's been through some things when he was growing up as a young man," she said. "It was a really emotional time for me when I was talking to him (about returning)."

Williams recalled praying during the final, when she fell behind in the first set.

"I said, 'I don't want to win this match. I just want to get through this moment,'" she said.

Williams learned to play tennis about two hours and a world away in Compton, California, a crime-riddled suburb of Los Angeles. She won her first pro match at the Indian Wells tournament, playing doubles with Venus in 1997. Her victory over Steffi Graf in the 1999 singles final was her first big title.

Williams has said her decision to return was influenced partly by a film about Nelson Mandela and his dedication to reconciliation.

"In order to forgive you have to be able to really let go of everything," she said. "I went through something that wasn't the best for me. Trying to get over those nerves of coming back and how will I feel and what's it going to be like. I have to experience that. When you do forgive and you do try to let go, you have to let a lot of those emotions go as well."

Venus Williams has chosen not to play in the tournament, but Serena said her sister encouraged her to come back.

Williams' return was welcomed by several other players, including top-ranked men's player Novak Djokovic.

"Sooner or later she needed to come back, so good for her that she managed to overcome the mental challenges and maybe some fear," he said.

Fifth-ranked Caroline Wozniacki described her close friend Serena as a "very forgiving person."

"She has her principles and she stands by what she believes in," she said.

Williams will play Monica Niculescu of Romania in a second-round match Friday night.

Saturday is Pi Day, a national celebration of the mathematical concept, which is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Pi equals 3.1415... and Saturday, 3-14-15, the only day this century that matches pi.

Schools and museums across the country have planned events to celebrate the concept, which has fascinated humans for centuries. Pi Day is also a good excuse for paying tribute to pies, whether sweet or savory. 

In the spirit of the holiday, here are 3.14 things you may not know about pi:

1. No one is certain who discovered pi as we know it today

But we do have some ideas. It seems that the Egyptians used pi in the construction of the Great Pyramid because when the perimeter is divided by its height, one gets a close approximation to 2&pi. It’s the same result if one divides the circumference of a circle by its radius.

But the most significant pi research might have come from the astronomer, Archimedes, around 250 B.C.

His mathematical calculation showed that pi was "between three and one seventh and three and 10 seventy firsts,” Steen Strogatz, an applied mathematics professor at Cornell University, told NBC Owned Television Stations. “He approached that putting a six sided figure into a circle, then made it 12 sided, and went all the way up to a 96-sided polygon.”

He proved that pi was found somewhere between these two numbers, which applied to all circles.

2. You can find your identity in pi

One myth is that since pi is a continuation of numbers, people’s identities can be found in the pattern: like social security numbers or birthdays. Professor Strogatz argues that yes, combinations of existing people’s identities can be found because pi is infinite—every combination of every number ever can be found in pi.

This theory became popular when this meme appeared on George Takei’s Facebook:

3. Proving pi with toothpicks

You can prove pi exists with matches, toothpicks, a pen, or anything else that is the same length, explained Johnny Ball, the author of “Why Pi? (Big Questions).”

“There’s a wonderful way to find pi for yourself. You find a floor with parallel lines; you find matches, pins, pens, exactly the same length. If you drop a hundred of them at random on the floor, the points touching a line will equal pi,” Ball said.

The matches' length must be equal to the distance of the two parallel lines. After the matches are dropped, you multiply the number of matches thrown down by two and divide it by the total number of matches that touched a line, which will equal pi.

This problem was discovered in the 18th century by French mathematician Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon.

3.14...Legislating against pi

In 1897, Indiana state legislators tried passing a Pi Bill that legally defined pi as 3.2. Edward J. Goodwin, a physician, convinced a well-known mathematical monthly newspaper that he had solved what mathematicians had tried to do for generations: squaring the circle. Simply put, squaring the circle is the impossible task of finding the area of a circle by finding the area of a square around it. Goodwin claimed that pi was 3.2 instead of a continuous number. The bill never became a law thanks to Professor C. A. Waldo who convinced the Indiana Senate that Goodwin’s discovery was not possible.

The 16-year-old girl arrested in connection with a vicious brawl involving a group of girls inside a Brooklyn McDonald's earlier this week has been arrested half a dozen times since September on various offenses, including for allegedly attacking her own grandmother, records show.

Aniah Ferguson was arraigned Friday in Brooklyn on robbery and gang assault charges in connection with Monday's brawl, which was recorded on cellphone and posted on Facebook, prompting outcry from parents and community advocates. Ferguson is charged as an adult.

Law enforcement records indicate Ferguson has a history of violence. She was arrested last month on assault, weapons and other charges after allegedly stabbing her brother with a knife during an argument. Ferguson was arrested twice in October for allegedly attacking her grandmother. In one of the cases, she allegedly scratched the woman's face and punched her twice. Eight days later, Ferguson allegedly harassed her grandmother and resisted officers trying to get her into custody.

In December, Ferguson was arrested in yet another altercation involving her grandmother. Earlier arrests in September stem from fighting with police in an emergency room after allegedly punching a stranger and stealing watches from her niece.

It wasn't immediately clear if those cases were all still open.

In court Thursday, Ferguson's public defender said the teen has been attending counseling once a week for the past year in an effort to "better her life." Prosecutors allege she was the ringleader in the McDonald's beatdown and stole the victim's bag, makeup and phone after the attack.

They also allege she is part of the Young Savages gang, a violent group known to be involved in patterns of violence and credit card scams.

Ferguson, who lives with her mother and grandmother she has been accused of attacking, was ordered held on $500,000 bail. She also has a 1-year-old daughter. None of the three attended her arraignment Friday. 

Video of the McDonald's attack, which was posted on Facebook, shows four girls, all believed to be Erasmus Hall High School students, repeatedly punching and kicking another teen wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt while throngs of bystanders shout in the background.

The larger group continues to attack the teen in the blue sweatshirt, even pulling out her hair extensions, until the girl huddles underneath a table with her hands over her head. At one point, one of the girls in the group stomps on the victim's head. The victim suffered a concussion, bruises and contusions, according to a criminal complaint. 

At several points during the fight, bystanders can be heard saying, "She’s dead," and, "You murdered her."

The video ends with several students picking the girl up off the ground and putting her on a bench.

Police initially said the investigation had been hampered by a lack of cooperating witnesses, including the girl in the blue sweatshirt in her mother, but NBC 4 New York learned Friday that the victim had come forward to file a police report. 

The Department of Education, meanwhile, called the actions seen in the video "abhorrent." 

A big, ice cake-filled birthday bash filled the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s gorilla habitat Thursday as the smallest member celebrated her first birthday.

Little Joanne had a hard welcome to the world a year ago. Born via emergency C-section, she was treated for both a collapsed lung and pneumonia within her first week. But under the watchful eye of zoo caretakers, she recovered and was reintroduced to her troop at the Gorilla Forest.

Thursday morning, Joanne rode in like a queen on her mother Imani’s back. But when the older gorilla became distracted by a peanut butter-smeared toy, the 1-year-old jumped down and went for a Joanne-sized ice cake, made of oranges, orange juice, pureed yams and sweet potatoes. Another, larger cake was shared among the rest of the troop.

"When the gorillas arrived outside to the party area, the first thing they all went for is the cupcakes, and those are made with ground-up yams and different fruits and vegetables, and they love those," said Animal Care Manager Peggy Sexton.

Caretakers spared no effort in making sure this was a special birthday. A volunteer created a cardboard doll house for the little gorilla, and the grassy yard was filled with gift boxes. Inside, the animals found some of their favorite treats: sunflower seeds, peanuts, fruit slices and vegetable.

The zoo says scattering the gifts help encourage the gorillas to forage for their own food, and Joanna could be spotted foraging on her own, eating flowers and plant trimmings.

The youngster has become a rambunctious part of the gorilla habitat. She often runs and plays with the other troop members, especially 3-year-old Monroe and 6-year-old Frank. While Imani is protective of her little girl, she’ll let Frank hold her from time to time, the zoo says. Monroe plays the part of an obnoxious older brother, poking and prodding Joanne and then running away.

Joanne still gets most of her nutrition from nursing, but she has started to mimic her mother’s foraging, taking an interest in what Imani eats. She’s taken a special liking to kale and grapes.

As the mayor’s advisory group announced recommendations for a new Mission Valley stadium Thursday, Chargers officials were in Carson, helping gather signatures to put a proposed Chargers-Raiders stadium on the ballot there.

Both teams are paying for a campaign that seeks to get 8,041 valid signatures to qualify a stadium initiative for the ballot, according to Chargers special counsel Mark Fabiani. Both paid and volunteer signature gatherers are joining in the effort.

If the initiative qualifies, the Carson City Council can adopt it as written or put on a special election to let the voters decide.

If the proposal is approved, the teams will have a green light to start construction on their $1.7 billion stadium, financed by Goldman Sachs.

Thursday morning, San Diego’s Citizens Stadium Advisory Group made its first public recommendation for a proposed stadium, saying Mission Valley made the most sense for a multi-use stadium already zoned for that purpose.

But the Chargers have made it no secret that they prefer a hybrid stadium-convention center in downtown San Diego – if they stay in this city at all.
 

A sharp knife designed to fit inside your wallet is the latest gadget causing concern at security checkpoints countywide.

Sheriff's deputies who run security screenings at county courthouses are now specifically trained to look for the knives after they started popping up on x-rays with increased frequency.

“The more items around the credit card knife, the harder it is to detect," said San Diego Sheriff’s Lt. Fran Passalacqua. The blades are difficult to spot when they're inside a purse, backpack or bag.

You can find the knives on the internet, and they’re a popular giveaway item at conventions and conferences.

The knives are also being confiscated daily by airport security screeners with the Transportation Security Administration.

"Most of the time, it's people forget things are in their wallet, people forget what business cards they have, they forget they do have them," said Lt. Passalacqua. "They can be purchased, they are not illegal to carry on the street, they do follow california penal code guidelines."

If found at a county courthouse, the knife is returned to the owner - who is asked to leave it outside. If pressed for time, they can opt to have it confiscated on site.

A provocative purse is being removed from the racks of a New York-area clothing chain following an NBC 4 New York investigation into one shopper's complaints.

The controversial clutch, sold by fashion chain Easy Pickins, has a realistic-looking 3-D imprint of a handgun that could make it look like the wearer is holding a real firearm.

"If I saw a woman walking down the street with this purse I might look at her and say, 'Oh my god, that girl has a gun in her bag,'" said Natalia Perez, a former news reporter who told NBC 4 New York about the pocketbook.

Fernando Cacoillo, head of operations for Easy Pickins, said he was unaware his chain carried the pistol-themed bag and quickly ordered more than 20 stores to stop selling it.

"We’ll take it off the shelves right away,” Cacoillo said. “I would go out to the manufacturer of this handbag and have them take it off the market completely.”

Easy Pickins uses an outside company to choose and purchase merchandise and store managers were not immediately able to determine who manufactures the $18 handbag.

Perez says she is concerned a police officer responding to a crime in New York City might see a purse imprinted with a pistol and mistake it for a real gun.

“All of these things we’re seeing in the media about Ferguson, shootings, and police brutality — this is just not the message you want to send to young women to just go out and look cute with a gun in their purse," she said. "That looks crazy.” 

A controversial guardrail lining highways in California and across the country, has met all crash test criteria, a U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration official said.

The ET-Plus, manufactured by Trinity Industries, was retested earlier this year after the FHWA ordered the Dallas-based company to conduct new crash tests for the highway safety product. The demand for new testing came in October, after a jury in a federal whistleblower case found the company was liable for defrauding the federal government.

FHWA outlined the results of four crash tests conducted by Southwest Research Institute on Trinity Industries’ ET-Plus guardrail end terminal in a conference call with the media Friday.

FHWA is the agency responsible for certifying which road safety products are eligible for federal reimbursement and states look to the agency for which products are approved for use on their highways.

Trinity, a highway manufacturing heavyweight, has been accused in lawsuits and complaints across the country for making a change to a widely used version of its guardrail end terminals, the ET-Plus.

The changes, according to the lawsuits, cause the metal railing of the guardrail to jam up inside the terminal chute, instead of passing through the chute and pigtailing out the side, away from the vehicle. The metal then sometimes pierces through a vehicle like a spear, cutting through cars and sometimes the people inside.

Click here for more about the controversy surrounding the ET-Plus.

Tony Furst, FHWA Associate Administrator for Safety pointed out two specific anomalies in the testing. According to the test results:

• In the angle test of the pickup truck, speeds were below the average impact speeds for this kind of test by 2 mph. Furst said, experts came to the conclusion that is was unlikely any vehicle traveling 3 mph or higher would have impacted the safety of that crash test or had different results.
• The last crash, involving the smaller car, showed impact from the guardrail into the vehicle. Furst said according to the testing criteria there “should be no penetration. If it does (penetrate) it fails.” The testing criteria also requires no serious injuries to be caused by the crash. FHWA with help from NHTSA determined the risk of serious injury from the impact into the driver side door, similar to what was seen in the last crash test, is 0.3%, Furst said.
• Keith Cota, wtih the New Hampshire DOT described the last crash test involving the smaller car as “uniquely different.” He said it was “not surprising to see it react the way it did,” but was very supportive of the crash test.

More than 40 states, including California, have banned future installation of the ET-Plus guardrail system. The company has also stopped selling the product pending the outcome of these retests.

Greg Nadeau, FHWA Deputy Administrator said the data from these tests “is going to be useful” for states to make any decisions about continuing to install these on roadways.

Nadeau would not say whether the department would recommend states continue to install the ET-Plus. He said the decision is up to each individual state DOT but the end terminal “remains eligible for federal funding.”

It is estimated there are 200,000 of the guardrail end terminals on roadways across the country.

The California Department of Transportation is in the process of taking a complete inventory of how many units are on state roadways, according to Matt Rocco, Caltrans Public Affairs Chief.

Some lawmakers are calling for new crash tests of a controversial guardrail after claiming the tests were “flawed.”

Weeks after a series of crash tests were completed on the guardrail-end terminals a document filed in federal court in Texas claims the guardrails used in the testing process could have different dimensions than the ones that line the nation’s roadways.

In a review by the FHWA Nadeau said the devices tested are “representative of what is on the roadways. Measurements (of the devices) do not support there is a second version on roadways.”

Senator Richard Blumental and Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. wrote three letters to the head of the Federal Highway Administration expressing their “grave” concerns about what they called “flaws” in the testing process.

“These tests are in fact a sham,” said Sen. Blumental.

Nadeau and Furst both outlined an on-going plan to continue to study the crashes and data surrounding the ET-Plus end terminal. Part of the plan includes reviewing real-world crash data. Some of results from the studies could be done as early as this summer.

The retesting was conducted by the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Rocco said, Caltrans pulled eight ET-Plus units from its warehouse in Sacramento to be used for the testing.

AASHTO represents all 50 state department of transportation agencies.
 

Traffic backed up for more than 12 miles early Friday in the San Fernando Valley after a crash involving two FedEx big rigs, one of which smashed through a freeway barrier and rolled onto its side, closed the southbound 5 Freeway.

Map: Traffic Page

One of the FedEx drivers suffered minor injuries, according to authorities.

The road was closed in the Sun Valley area near Sheldon Street at about 5 a.m. after a series of collisions that began with a utility truck that slammed into a stalled sport utility vehicle. One of the big rig drivers swerved to avoid the vehicles and crashed through the concrete freeway barrier, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The cab and part of the big rig's trailer ended up on the other side of the barrier on the side of the freeway near its split with the 170 Freeway.

One lane reopened at about 5:40 a.m. The remaining lanes will remain closed during the crash cleanup, which involved a fuel spill, and investigation -- expected to last "several more hours," according to the CHP.

Packages in will likely need to be removed before the damaged trailer can be pulled upright. It was not immediately clear whether freight was damaged, but a FedEx representative said customers would be notified.

Southbound 5 Freeway drivers were advised to take the southbound 170 Freeway to avoid the closure.

The FBI's famed and feared "Most Wanted" list is turning 65.

Saturday marks the anniversary of the launch of the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” program, which began on March 14, 1950. The “Top Ten” aims to publicize dangerous fugitives, garnering help from the public to capture criminals.

The idea began in 1949 when a reporter for the International News Service asked the Bureau for a list of the “toughest guys” the Bureau wanted to capture, according to the FBI. The reporter’s story gained so much interest that late FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover created the program.

As of December 2014, 504 fugitives have been named to the “Top Ten” list, the bureau says. About 470 of those have been apprehended or located. Here are some facts about the history of the list, released by the FBI ahead of the anniversary: 

Making the list:

Who decides which criminals are bad enough to make the cut? The fugitive must be considered an especially dangerous “menace to society,” according to the Department of Justice and the FBI, or have a long record of serious crimes. The Criminal Investigative Division at FBI headquarters puts together the list by contacting 56 field offices to submit candidates, who are reviewed by special agents and the office of public affairs. FBI executive management makes final approval.

As for getting off the list, in addition to being captured, found dead, or surrendering, a fugitive's name is erased if any federal process pending is dismissed or they no longer fit the criteria. Six fugitives have been removed for such reasons in the list's history.

Top crimes change over time:

The types of criminal acts committed by "most wanted" fugitives have changed over the years. The 1950s and '60s saw bank robbers, burglars, car thieves and kidnappers. In the 1970s, those involved in organized crime and murder were frequent offenders. From the '80s through the late ’90s, drug-related crimes and serial murders were top priority. In recent years, fugitives who commit violent crimes, drug trafficking, and international money laundering have made the “Top Ten.”

First "wanted" fugitive:

The first person named to the list was Thomas James Holden, who was wanted for murdering his wife, her brother and her stepbrother. Holden was listed on March 14, 1950, and located on June 23, 1951, after a citizen recognized his picture in an Oregon newspaper. Ruth Eisemann-Schier, wanted in connection with the kidnapping for ransom of a wealthy college student, was the first woman named to the list, on Dec. 28, 1968. She was located by authorities the following March and later sentenced to prison. Since then, seven other women have appeared on the “Top Ten,” with the most recent being Shauntay L. Henderson, who authorities allege was the leader of a violent Kansas City gang. Henderson, who has reportedly denied involvement in any gang, was apprehended less than 24 hours after she was placed on the list in 2007. She later pleaded guilty to a 2006 killing.

Getting caught:

The public have played a big role in catching people from the list, helping capture or locate 156 fugitives.  And those wanted criminals have been tracked down coast to coast; the bureau says it has apprehended fugitives from the list in every state except Alaska, Maine and Delaware. Some apprehensions are quicker than others. In 1969, convicted robber Billie Austin Bryant, on the run after escaping prison and killing two FBI officers, was on the list for just two hours, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Victor Manuel Gerena, meanwhile, has been on the list for more than 20 years, since May 14, 1984. He's wanted in connection with a $7 million heist from a Connecticut security company. The FBI offers a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading directly to the arrest of a “Top Ten” fugitive. In some cases, the amount is more.

An Indian bride walked out of her wedding ceremony after the groom failed to solve a simple math problem, police said Friday.

The bride tested the groom on his math skills and when he got the sum wrong, she walked out.

The question she asked: How much is 15 plus six?

His reply: 17.

The incident took place late Wednesday in Rasoolabad village near the industrial town of Kanpur in northern Uttar Pradesh state, local police officer Rakesh Kumar said Friday.

The groom's family tried persuading the bride to return, but she refused. She said the groom had misled them about his education.

"The groom's family kept us in the dark about his poor education," said Mohar Singh, the bride's father. "Even a first grader can answer this."

Local police mediated between the families and both sides returned all the gifts and jewelry that had been exchanged before the wedding, Kumar said.

Last month, another bride in Uttar Pradesh married a wedding guest after the original groom had a seizure and collapsed at the wedding venue.

The groom's family had not revealed that the groom was epileptic. While the groom was rushed to a hospital in Rampur town, the bride asked one of the wedding guests to step in and married him.

Most marriages in India are arranged by the families of the bride and groom. Except for brief meetings, the couple rarely gets to know each other before the nuptials.

A Los Angeles elementary school teacher who allegedly placed a bag over a student's head was set to appear in court Friday, two days after he was arrested, authorities said.

Thelmo Garcia, who taught fourth grade at Rosewood Elementary School, is accused of child abuse for the alleged bag incident, which occured in class, according a statement from the LA County District Attorney's Office.

"Garcia allegedly placed a plastic bag over a 10-year-old girl's head during class on Feb. 5. After several seconds, he removed the bag," according to the statement.

A teacher at Rosewood Elementary since 2011, Garcia was removed from class in early February, according to the Los Angeles Unified School District, which sent crisis counselors to Rosewood Thursday, the day Garcia's arrest was announced.

A lawyer listed for Garcia didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Garcia faces up to six years in state prison if he's convicted of child abuse, according to the DA's office. The Los Angeles Police Department is still investigating the case.

Pacific Coast Highway was closed in both directions for about three hours in Malibu as a result of a nearly 9-acre brush fire, authorities said.

The highway was closed from Topanga Canyon Boulevard to the 19400 block of PCH, according to a statement from the city of Malibu.

PCH reopened at around 3 p.m., according to tweets from Los Angeles Sheriff's Department spokespeople.

Crews in helicopters were fighting the fire with water dropped from helicopters, officials said.

On the ground, firefighters cleared vegetation from around the fire, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Chris Reed.

The blaze was 80 percent contained by about 3 p.m., county fire officials said.

Refresh this page for updates on this developing story.

The drought that's plaguing the Golden State is into its fourth year. That's long enough for you to have soaked up plenty of info about the lawn-browning dry spell.

You probably think you know it all about the drought. Let's hope your knowledge is deeper than the state's water supply...

CLICK HERE: Complete coverage of California's drought

Deputies arrested a man on suspicion of indecent exposure Thursday after a school bus driver in Moorpark reported that he had exposed himself.

A bus driver for Moorpark Unified School District was waiting for a student when Richard Patrick Ford apparently approached her bus at about 9:14 a.m. near the 14000 block of Crystal Ranch Road, a Ventura County Sheriff's Office spokesman said.

He allegedly started up a conversation with her and then directed her attention to his groin area, the spokesman said. His zipper was down and he had exposed his private parts.

He continued to talk and expose himself to her without trying to cover himself, the spokesman said.

Ford has been booked on one felony count of indecent exposure.

Authorities are looking for two suspects they say attacked a random couple in Queens, slashing the man's throat in what police are investigating as a racially motivated act of violence.

Police say the 24-year-old victim was walking with his girlfriend near Seneca and Gates avenues in Ridgewood early Thursday when a man and woman ran across the street into their path.

The male suspect walked up to the victim and said in Spanish, "I'm going to kill you, white boy," then slashed his throat with an unknown object while the female suspect acted as a lookout, police say.

The duo ran off after the attack. The victim needed multiple stitches to close up the wound to his throat, police said.

Police released surveillance video of the suspects approaching the couple.

Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

Deputies on Friday shot and wounded a kidnap suspect in a gunbattle after a pursuit in South Los Angeles.

The gunbattle began at 5:25 p.m. in the 900 block of 43rd Street, authorities said.

The suspect got out of a white SUV at the end of a pursuit, fired a gun at deputies who returned fire, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida. He was hit at least once.

No deputies were hit.

"(He was) waving his arms back and forth, then I don't know what happened 'cause I just run back, 'cause I thought he was gonna, like, shoot," witness Jorge Gonzales said. "These patrol cars just came from the corner and told us to back away, then … gunshots just happened."

After he was hit, the man refused to surrender, holding deputies at bay for nearly 90 minutes.

With a red blood stain visible on the back of his white T-shirt, the man then staggered to the front porch of the home, where he remained, at times sitting up, until about 6:45 p.m., when he surrendered and was taken into custody.

A helicopter dropped a sheriff's team of SWAT medics from the Special Enforcement Bureau off nearby as the standoff unfolded and residents were evacuated from nearby homes.

The team was then seen moving into place near the house, where other deputies and firefighters were standing by.

He was wanted in connection with kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon against his wife in Paramount on Sunday, sheriff's officials said.

Deputies spotted the vehicle Friday, ran the license plate and discovered the vehicle was wanted for an armed kidnapping.

The SUV sped off, giving way to a pursuit.

Rosa Ordaz contributed to this report.

The FDA issued a consumer advisory about some Texas-made Blue Bell ice cream products Friday, after three patients who had eaten the ice cream in a Kansas hospital died of a foodborne illness.

The illnesses prompted the Brenham, Texas-based creamery to issue the first recall in its 108-year history. Blue Bell has stopped production and distribution of ice cream products from that line and has removed them from stores and any other retail outlets.

The problem was discovered about a month ago, Blue Bell CEO Paul Kruse told NBC 5. He said the company picked up the affected products approximately three weeks ago from hospitals and stores.

The contaminated products were traced back to one machine, which has been shut down, Kruse said.

This is the first time in 108 years the company has experienced this type of problem, he added.

The affected products include the following novelty items made on the line:

• Chocolate Chip Country Cookie
• Great Divide Bar
• Sour Pop Green Apple Bar
• Cotton Candy Bar
• Scoops
• Vanilla Stick Slices
• Almond Bar
• No Sugar Added Mooo Bar (regular Mooo Bars are not included)

Consumers should not eat these items and should discard any of these products they may have in their freezers.

The advisory does not include Blue Bell cups, pints or half gallons.

Recent laboratory tests of three ice cream products from the Brenham production line — Country Cookie, Great Divide and Scoops — indicated the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can cause severe illness.

The company is calling back additional ice cream items because they were made on the same production line.

No Texas cases have been reported in connection to any Blue Bell products.

Five people in all developed listeriosis and three of them died at Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita after eating products from the one production line at the Brenham creamery between December 2013 and January 2015, hospital officials say.

The patients who fell ill with listeriosis during their hospital stays had all initially been hospitalized for unrelated causes, hospital spokeswoman Maria Loving said.

The hospital was unaware that some items produced on one of the 25 production lines at Blue Bell's Central Texas creamery had been contaminated with listeria bacteria, Loving said.

She said all Blue Bell Creameries products were immediately removed from all Via Christi Health facilities in Kansas and Oklahoma once the risk was discovered.

"If you're worried about some sort of potential source of infection, and two weeks have gone by and nothing's happened to you, you're going to be fine," said Dr. Cedric Spak with Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.

Spak said symptoms include vomiting, nausea and muscle ache, and they can appear suddenly.

He said those that are most at risk are those with compromised immune systems.

NBC 5's Holley Ford and Ray Villeda contributed to this report.

Explosions at a Riverside County high school Friday morning led to the arrest of a student, authorities said.

Police responded to a report of a small explosion inside the boys' locker room at Heritage High School at 9:15 a.m. in the 26000 block of Briggs Road in Menifee, police said.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department Hazardous Device team arrived, took over investigation and found the explosion was the result of an explosive device from dry ice, authorities said.

Police arrested a student for allegedly being in possession of a destructive device on school grounds and for the explosion of the device on school grounds. He was booked into the Southwest Juvenile Detention Center.

A second student believed to be involved was released to his parents but could face conspiracy charges, officials said.

The school locked down as a precaution.