Natalie Winger was in a motorized wheelchair Sunday night in a Hesperia street, her puppy Angel on her lap, when a dark sedan struck her and drove off.

The impact split Winger's wheelchair in two and left her with a concussion, a broken nose and eye socket and other broken bones in her face.

"It's almost like he gunned it," said Winger, nursing a black eye. "And didn't care where he was going."

Her boyfriend, Paul Lejk, was close behind in his own wheelchair. He thought the driver was going to stop because the car slowed down.

"I just heard a big collision," he said.

The car kept going east on Main Street and went up over a bridge.

Police hope surveillance video will help identify the driver.

Angel did not recover and was euthanized.

Winger says losing Angel is more painful than the injuries she suffered from the crash.

"I feel like my family has been torn apart," she said. "We were that close."

Natalie is now demanding the driver come forward and accept responsibility for what happened.

"Get on your knees and pray 'cause judgment day is coming," she said.

If a poor credit rating is keeping you from realizing that dream of buying a new car, or your first home, you are far from alone.

Recent research from the nonprofit Corporation for Enterprise Development, or CFED, has found that 56 percent of American consumers have subprime credit scores, which prevents them from qualifying for credit or financing at prime rates.

Emma Kane of Compton is one of them, but she’s fighting her way back. One year ago, the teaching assistant was saddled with $50,000 in debt, making just $20,000 a year.

"The debt was… medical bills and student loans," Kane recalled. "[I had to decide] am I going to have gas for the month and am I going to pay my car note, or am I going to pay this medical bill."

Randy Mac will be armed with more than a dozen financial experts tomorrow, available to help you with your finances. We're calling it "Your money... Your future..." a free call-in with our partners at Telemundo 52.

Randy and the team will be available from 5 until 8 tomorrow night... Right here on Channel 4 and T-52.

Kane says her decision to skip paying some of her bills, and pay others late, wrecked her credit.

In desperation, she turned to Operation Hope, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides free financial counseling. Counselor Emily Grajeda put Kane on a "fiscal diet."

"It's just a spending plan, having a goal," described Grajeda.

Kane took a second job, moved in with family, cut her spending, and in just one year has paid off $5,000 in debt.

"I do have a good amount in savings right now," she boasted. "It's over $5,000...which is more than I ever had."

Kane is hoping to keep building her savings, and eventually buy a home of her own.

"It's time to leave the nest, and get my own nest!"

If your credit score could use a boost, here are some steps to take:

• Get a copy of your credit report, you're entitled to one free report annually.

• Dispute any errors you find with each rating service. You can now do this online.

• If you've missed payments, try negotiating to erase debts that have gone to collection, by offering to pay the creditor what you owe in return for having the black mark erased from your report.

 Additional resources for finding ways to manage your debt and credit can be found here.

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.

On Monday night, the Los Angeles Lakers fought valiantly before losing for the 49th time this season.

The Lakers came in as 18-point underdogs against the team with the best record in the NBA in the arena with the best home record. Only two teams still had claimed victories in Oakland during the 2014/15 NBA season: the San Antonio Spurs (the defending champions) and the Chicago Bulls (with Derrick Rose). The LA Lakers nearly became the third team on that exclusive list, save for a few late mistakes that cost the team late.

Playing for the second time and in the second city in as many nights, the out-of-contention Los Angeles Lakers could have easily gone into Oracle Arena against the Golden State Warriors, played selfish basketball, accumulated statistics and lost by 30 points. Not a soul would have batted an eye at that result.

The Lakers, thankfully, did not do that.

Instead, the visitors came out and went blow for blow with the best team in the NBA. Previously, the Lakers had shocked the Warriors earlier in the season at Staples Center, so fear was not a factor for the visitors. After Lakers coach Byron Scott complained about ball movement, or lack thereof, after Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Monday was a different story.

By the end of the game, six different Lakers would finish scoring in double figures.

Playing for each other, the Lakers matched the Warriors with 30 points in the first quarter. Were it not for 14 turnovers in the half, the Lakers would surely have been leading entering the break. Instead, LA trailed the Warriors by four points despite Stephen Curry, who is the leading candidate for the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award, only scoring two points through the first 24 minutes.

Wayne Ellington got off to a bright start and logged 15 first-half points to lead all scorers, but the Warriors made adjustments, and the former University of North Carolina Tar Heel did not hit a field goal in the second half.

In the third quarter, Curry attacked and scored 11 points, which helped the Warriors' lead hit eight points after the point guard completed a four-point play. However, continued balanced performances by the underdogs kept LA alive. At the horn for the end of three quarters, the Lakers trailed by only four points with momentum swinging the Lakers' way.

However, the officials should have awarded Curry two free throws when Jeremy Lin fouled the Warriors' point guard with 30.4 seconds remaining in the third quarter since it was the second foul in the last two minutes of the quarter. As such, the home team started the fourth quarter with a couple free throws that quickly splashed through the net.

Down by six points entering the final quarter on the second night of a back-to-back, the Lakers could have folded. Thankfully, this team continued to fight. Fueled by 12 second-half points from Lin and 10 second half points apiece from both Jordan Clarkson and Carlos Boozer, the Lakers clawed back to tie the contest at with 4:42 to go in the ball game.

In the blink of an eye, a couple bad Lin turnovers and a trio of Curry assists gave the Warriors a seven-point lead with two and a half minutes remaining. Fatigue likely played a factor in Lin's errors, and Scott quickly switch the backup point guard for his rookie starter approaching the final couple minutes.

Clarkson played well, scored a bucket and hit a couple clutch free throws that brought the Lakers to within one point with 6.3 seconds to play. That was as close as the Lakers would come.

After two games in two nights, the Lakers should get Tuesday off and return to practice on Wednesday morning. Then, the Lakers face the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on Thursday night.

Mayor de Blasio confirmed Monday that he would not be marching in New York City's main St. Patrick's Day Parade, despite organizers' decision to allow a single gay group to march.

Last year, the mayor also skipped the event, saying he disagreed with organizers' policy of banning gay groups from marching under their own banners. A few weeks ago, he marched in the St. Pat's for All parade in Queens, an inclusive event.

This year, organizers have said they have dropped the ban, and announced plans for OUT@NBCUniversal, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employee resource group at the company that broadcasts Tuesday's parade, to march. Other gay groups can apply to march in future years, spokesman Bill O'Reilly has said.

WATCH LIVE: The 2015 St. Patrick's Day Parade

But some gay activists have called it a token gesture. The group Irish Queers has argued that OUT@NBCUniversal members should not march until the parade is opened up more broadly to gay organizations.

The chief diversity officer for NBCUniversal called the inclusion of the group a "historic point."

"We approach the opportunity with respect for the event's heritage, culture and tradition, as well as hope and excitement for this first step towards an increasingly inclusive era for the Parade," Craig Robinson, executive vice president and chief diversity officer for NBCUniversal, said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, the Catholic League has also said it will sit out this year's march up Fifth Avenue because event organizers aren't letting an anti-abortion group march.

Organizers had been facing increasing pressure to change their policy as acceptance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has become more widespread. Last year, the makers of Guinness, the popular Irish beer, announced they had withdrawn sponsorship of the event, citing its "policy of exclusion."

Three people were hospitalized and a firefighter injured after fire broke out at a home in Westmont.

It took around 25 minutes to extinguish the blaze at a single story house at the junction of 111th Street and Budlong Avenue, which broke out around 2:01 a.m. Tuesday, a Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman said.

Three people suffered smoke inhalation, and had to be taken to the hospital for treatment. A fireman also suffered a small second degree burn. In total 13 people were displaced by the fire.

An investigation is underway to discover the cause of the blaze.

An 18-year-old man was charged Monday with the murder of a 15-year-old Long Beach high school student who was killed walking home from school, Los Angeles prosecutors said.

Giovanny Montelongo faces one count each of murder, second-degree robbery and attempted second-degree robbery. The case includes a special circumstance allegation that the murder was committed during the commission of a robbery and an allegation that the crimes were committed in association with a criminal street gang.

Montelongo allegedly stabbed Cabrillo High School student Keyshawn Brooks to death on Thursday while he tried to rob the victim, prosecutors said. The defendant also is accused of attempting to rob a second victim, authorities said.

Prosecutors said the suspect is eligible for the death penalty.

"My son was not a gang member," said Keyshawn's father, Keeyon Layton, during a news conference announcing Montelongo's arrest. "This was a murder and he did not deserve to die."

The incident occurred across the street from Stephens Middle School as children were being let out, and numerous parents were in the area picking-up their kids. Detectives believe many parents witnessed some or all of the incident, and want them to come forward.

The father of a 22-year-old woman who went missing last week begged for the public's help Monday to find his beloved daughter.

Sahray Astina Barber, an Art Institute of California — Inland Empire student, was last seen early March 9, when she left her apartment in the 1500 block of Northpark Boulevard, police said.

Some of Barber's personal belongings, including a laptop and her cellphone, were found in bushes near a bus stop where she may have been heading.

Her father shared a new photo of his daughter at a Monday afternoon news conference.

"I want to let Sahray know that a tremendous effort is being made to locate her and everyone is keeping the faith," Stephen Barber said. "Just know that we'll have you safe at home again soon. Just keep your head up. I know it's got to be rough wherever you're at, but we love you and can't wait to see you again."

The woman's two roommates reported her missing. They were previously questioned, along with her ex-boyfriend, police said.

San Bernardino police on Sunday said they were investigating two people of interest, but did not provide additional details.

Willian Avila contributed to this report.

Flowers like sunshine, of course, but, quite clearly, there's a limit to all good things.

While the beaches bustled and swimming pools filled up over the second weekend of March the namesake blossoms of Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve struggled under the swelter. What looked like a healthy showing of our state flower only a week ago was flattened, in some areas, by the extremely high temperatures.

"We're astonished to find that our big bloom of desert-adapted, ruggedly persistent poppies has all but cooked away by the heat we've had over the last week," says a March 15 post on the reserve's Facebook page, which cited "desiccated poppy petals" where the "densest poppy germination anyone's seen in a decade" had taken hold.

Be strong, poppy people, because not only does the reserve say "all is not lost!" but fans have weighed in with places they're still seeing other flowers, and, yes, poppies, in strong profusion.  

West of Quartz Hill and the north slopes of the reserve are still seeing some stem-and-petal action. Think "goldfields, forget-me-nots, gold cups, cream cups, owl's clover, and lupine" among the lovely bloomage.

If you're going to get out to enjoy the springtime show, best don't delay, though, and keep an eye on the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve social media sites, which are keeping poppyists, and lovers of all flowers, updated on what is happening weather- and bloom-wise.

The post about the heat does conclude on an upbeat note: If more rain arrives, and puts a jump on it, more poppies could be seen. C'mon rain -- the poppies and their public need you.

An arrest warrant has been issued for a rookie Los Angeles Police Department officer wanted in the slaying of man gunned down last week in Pomona.

Officer Henry Solis, 27, is considered armed and dangerous, according to the warrant obtained by the Pomona Police Department that charges him with murder in the shooting death of 23-year-old Salome Rodriguez Jr. The victim was found after Pomona police responded to 911 calls reporting gunfire Friday in the area of Third Street and Main Street.

He died at a hospital, and his family are looking for answers.

"He looked at my son and shot him, cold blooded. I want him to come forward and tell us, brothers and sisters and parents, why did he do this to junior?" His mother Lidia Rodriguez said.

A vehicle wanted in connection with the crime was recovered Sunday in a Pomona alley near Main Street and Monterey Avenue, police said. The location is several blocks from where Rodriguez Jr. was gunned down after what authorities described as a fistfight.

On Monday, police said Solis might now be using a brown or tan 1992 Ford pickup with California license plate 4J79703.

Solis, a probationary LAPD officer who was off-duty at the time of the shooting, joined the force in June and was assigned to a station in the San Fernando Valley. He has not reported to work since the slaying.

Police asked anyone with information to call 909-620-2085.

Whether you have a spray of shamrocks woven into your hair or not -- or you're just wearing a ginormous green bow tie -- you can find your celebratory St. Patrick's Day outing around Southern California on Tuesday, March 17. There are the pubs and taverns, yes, but there is also...

Pershing Square: The downtown meet spot has hosted Erin-Go-Bragh-ian high jinks for years, and, as is tradition, those doings don't come with a dollar amount. Aye, the party is free, and it has an earlier time than most of the indoor St. Paddy's gatherings: 10:30 a.m.. A parade starts it all off -- City Councilmember Tom LaBonge is a host and the Emerald Society Pipes and Drums will be in attendance -- and Swagger'll keep the sound a-rockin', Celtic-style, into the noontime hour. Food trucks'll be there, too, into the early afternoon.

Tom Bergin's: If you think that an old-time traditional pub that has a neon shamrock outside, year-round, one that says "House of Irish Coffee," will throw what is, pretty much, a day-long party in honor of St. Patrick's Day, you'd be 100% correct. The day-long party is actually 22 hours -- we'll call that day-long, for sure -- and runs from 6 a.m. on March 17 to 2 a.m. on March 18. A band, a DJ, "Irish-inspired cocktail," and a full-on Guinness truck up the on-Fairfax festiveness.

Casey's Irish Pub: A post on Facebook pretty much sets the convivial scene: "460 kegs of beer and 100 cases of Jameson just made it into #CaseysIrishPub!" Like Tom Bergin's, the bash heats up in the wee smalls ("wee smalls"=6 a.m) with the street festival revving at 11 a.m. You're also close enough to the Pershing Square celebration if you want to take in both (and, of course, Metro is right there). 

The Original Farmers Market: Magee's Kitchen has the longtime, been-around-for-decades cred that one looks for in a traditional St. Patrick's Day happening -- heck, Farmers Market, the meat-and-more counter's home, does, too -- and it also has corned beef and cabbage and lots of it. Follow the people in green to the foodie favorite, and stay for live tunes, too. Just don't forget the horseradish, something Magee's has perfected over the years.

Tam O'Shanter: Over the hills and through the dell and to Atwater Village you may go, to find another pub-y party of St. Patrick's-big proportions. One of the oldest restaurants in all of SoCal welcomes The Ploughboys on March 17, and Whiskey Sunday, too. As is the case with other raise-a-pint parties, the parking lot will be host a lot of the shenanigans. And will there be Bailey's cupcakes, too, in addition to the large beer selection? We'll have three, please.

A Southern California teen accused of arson in connection with last year's devastating wildfire told investigators she "didn't want to kill anybody" -- only to "see what would happen" when she set the first of two fires in her backyard, according to an audio tape played in court on Monday. 

On the tape, the San Marcos girl, now 14, could be heard asking investigators multiple times: "What if it was me?"

The teen girl admitted to starting fires with a lighter the same week the Cocos Fire swept across San Diego’s North County, destroying dozens of homes last May, according to her mother’s testimony in court on Friday. 

The suspect said on tape that she felt "really bad" when she set the second fire. On that tape, her mother can be heard asking why the teen did it, to which the girl replies: "I wanted to tell you earlier. I love you, mom. Sorry. Don't hate me. I won't do it again."

In a nearly two-hour long conversation with investigators, the teen said she felt "like a bad person now" and said she didn't mean to do what she did.

The questioning and subsequent confession happened without the girl's mother at her side, though she was asked to tell her mother what happened and told investigators once her mother came in. The recorded admission came about two months after the Cocos Fire. 

On the tape, the girl described setting the first of the two fires.

"I got a branch," she's heard saying on the recording. "And I lighted it on fire. Then I put it down, like quick. I told my sister and then I went back out and it was getting bigger. So I went up to tell my mom I was scared."

Prosecutors claim the defendant set two fires in her family’s backyard on May 13 and May 14. One of those fires, prosecutors say, left behind an ember that floated away and eventually sparked the Cocos Fire. That fact, however, has been disputed by defense attorneys.

The Cocos Fire on May 14 prompted the evacuation of a large area of San Marcos and ultimately destroyed 36 homes and caused $10.4 million in damage.

The girl faces four felony charges, including two counts of arson of an inhabited structure or property in which multiple structures were burned, and two counts of arson of a structure or forest land in a reckless manner. She also faces a misdemeanor of unlawfully allowing a fire to escape from one’s control.

It is NBC 7’s policy not to identify juvenile defendants; we are not identifying family members to conceal the defendant’s identity.

Earlier, under cross-examination on Friday, the teenager's mother said she did not believe her daughter could have set the Cocos Fire.

“There was no reason for us to even think that one of the children did that,” the defendant’s mother testified.

Previous testimony from a sister alleged that the defendant laughed about setting the fires.

Defense attorneys argued earlier this week that a so-called "phantom ember" from the girl's backyard could not have traveled the distance prosecutors have alleged.

Prosecutors told NBC 7 the family rejected a plea agreement offer in the weeks before trial began.

Officials have set up an information line for victims, where they can call for basic information on the case and leave messages with questions. That number is 858-694-4241.

Download the free NBC 7 mobile app to stay updated on trial developments.

Three people were killed and a vehicle was split in half in a two-car crash in Ventura County.

The crash happened in the 7800 block of Pacific Coast Highway near Point Magu at around 12:13 a.m. Tuesday, Ventura County Fire Department said.

A black Mercedes is believed to have been speeding as the driver headed northbound, then spun out of control and smashed head-on into a Honda heading south, California Highway Patrol said. The driver was partially thrown from the Mercedes, which was split in two by the impact of the crash at La Jolla Canyon.

A shoreline search was launched in case anyone was ejected into the water, however no one was found. The Air National Guard and the United States Coast Guard were both assisting with the search.

The scene was cleared at around 4:15 a.m, before the morning commute.

Annette Arreola contributed to this report

A furry stowaway who had been missing from his South Carolina home since 2013 has been found hiding in a trailer in Southern California.

Kevin the orange tabby cat made the more than 2,500 miles to the Arizona-California border without detection until he was discovered during a routine state food and agriculture check.

And now his owner Cheryl Walls is looking forward to getting her pet back, after assuming he had found a new home.

"I assumed someone must have picked him up," Walls said, "Now he has seen more of the country than me."

Kevin was found when an inspector asked the truck driver to open the trailer, she complied, and the surprised pair could hear muffled meows inside. 

The woman did not have a clue as to how the animal ended up on board, and the feline was taken to Riverside County Animal Services’ Blythe shelter. 

After the dehydrated moggy was fed and watered,  employees discovered he had a microchip, and workers got in touch with South Carolina resident Walls, who had adopted Kevin  from her local shelter in June 2013. 

Kevin, who shares the name of her late fiancé, seemed to get wanderlust, and disappeared months later during the fall when she allowed him to go outside.

"We have handled some pets with crazy back stories, and this is one more for the list," Riverside County Department of Animal Services Director Robert Miller said, "The good news is we know the owner, she wants her pet back, and we’ll make that happen."

Two nonprofit organizations, Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team  and the Animal Solutions Konnection Foundation and shelter employees have made donations to pay for the cat’s journey home. 

Riverside County is coordinating the cat’s flight plan, and he is tentatively slated to fly home Wednesday morning. 

The Chicago woman charged with killing her mother at a resort in Indonesia and helping her boyfriend stuff the slain woman's body in a suitcase gave birth Tuesday.

Heather Mack's attorney confirmed to NBC Chicago that Mack, 19, delivered her 6 pound, 10 ounce daughter via cesarean section at about 6:09 p.m. (5:09 a.m. Central Time). Both mother and baby were said to be doing fine, according to attorney Anthony Scifo. Mack will likely remain hospitalized for a few days, he said.

It was not immediately clear if the birth would delay Mack's trial or where the baby will stay.

Mack and her boyfriend, 21-year-old Tommy Schaefer, are being tried in separate trials in the death of Sheila von Weise-Mack. They are charged with the premeditated murder of 62-year-old von Wiese-Mack and face a maximum penalty of death by firing squad if found guilty by a three-judge panel.

Mack told the court last week that Schaefer, 21, killed von Weise-Mack in anger after she threatened to kill their unborn baby. Mack said Schaefer beat her mother with a metal soup bowl after von Weise-Mack made the threat in an argument.

The Department of Justice has filed a suit against a San Diego storage company that allegedly sold service member’s personal property while he was deployed overseas.

Across Town Movers allegedly sold the personal property of 11 service members without obtaining the required court order to do so, violating the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), the complaint said.

After selling some of that property, the company still received payments from the U.S. government for the storage of that sold property.

Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas E. Ward, a 30 year Navy veteran, was deployed overseas in 2006. When he returned, he learned the company had auctioned off all his property he had put into storage, including vintage, original car parts and other household items and car parts.

“Service members, especially when deployed overseas, should be able to focus on protecting our county and shouldn’t have to worry about losing their personal property,” said U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California in a statement. “Congress enacted the SCRA for this purpose, and we will pursue all appropriate remedies to ensure that our service members’ rights are protected. Whether large or small, businesses will be held accountable for violating those rights.”
The lawsuit was filed Monday in the Southern District of California.

SCRA seeks damages for the value of the auctioned goods in addition to providing monetary penalties of up to $55,000 for the first offense and $110,000 for each subsequent offense. The DOJ plans to seek injunctive relief.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dylan M. Aste and Leslie M. Gardner of the Southern District of California are working on the case.

If you have had a similar situation happen to you, contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program office.

In a blow to boaters that underscores the growing extent of California's water squeeze, the level of Diamond Valley Lake is falling so low it will have to be closed to recreational uses on April 15, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) announced Tuesday.

Water is receding so far that ramps in the Diamond Valley Marina are being left high and dry, said MWD spokesman Bob Muir.  

It would be the first recreation closure forced by low water since the 2009 drought, but the second time for the reservoir since it opened to the public in 2003. The lake's ramp was shuttered from October 2008 to December 2009 because of low lake levels.

"This action speaks volumes about the seriousness of the water-supply situation Southern California faces now and next year. That's why continued conservation is essential," MWD General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger said.

The largest reservoir in Southern California, Diamond Valley was built a generation ago to provide a buffer against drought.

During the suspension, the lake will remain open to the public with three miles of shoreline for public fishing. Kayaks and canoes "that meet guidelines" will be allowed as long as the boarding docks are serviceable.

Drawing on its reserves the past three years has so far enabled the Southland to avoid impacts already being felt in other parts of the state.

But now the insurance account is running low.

Diamond Valley is now down to 48 percent of capacity, Muir said, especially significant because this is the end of the winter season when California banks water reserves for hot, dry season. Barring a miraculous series of storms, by fall, it is expected that Diamond Valley could be drawn down to only a quarter of capacity, the lowest it has been since first filled in 2002.

"Diamond Valley Lake's exposed shoreline and dry boat ramp serve as a stark reminder to Southland consumers about the importance of saving water during this drought," Kightlinger said.

For more than a century, since Los Angeles built an aqueduct from the Owens Valley, semiarid Southern California has relied on imported water to augment its own natural supplies. Metropolitan is the largest wholesale supplier to Southern California, serving 26 member agencies, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.  

MWD imports water from the Colorado River and from Northern California via the State Water Project, the major source for Diamond Valley. However, in this statewide drought, precipitation is down throughout the state, and the Sierra snowpack is far below historic normal. California's Department of Water Resources has projected it will be able to deliver only 20 percent of its usual allocations. That may be revised upward, but MWD is not expecting it to go above 25 percent.

Construction of the reservoir took three years, and nearly doubled the Southland's surface water storage capacity. At full capacity, Diamond Valley holds 800,000 acre-feet of water, or 860 billion gallons, six times the capacity of nearby Lake Perris.

Next month, the MWD board is expected to reduce allocations to its member agencies on the order of 10 to 20 percent, Chairman Randy Record said Friday. Member retailers who go over will face surcharges.

The family of a music video producer is seeking answers after the 29-year-old man went missing in the Compton area a month ago during a business meeting.

Raymond Tremaine Collins, who goes by Ray Rich, was last seen by his family about 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15 when he left his home in Chino to meet a friend in Compton to discuss filming a music video for the following day, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials said.

Collins was seen leaving the area of Alondra Boulevard and Dwight Avenue about 2 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 16 in his Toyota Camry.

About one hour later, a witness saw a man get out of the Camry in the 400 block of Raymond Street. Detectives found the car a week after Collins disappeared. His wallet was inside.

"There was nothing to indicate that there was a struggle," said sheriff's Det. Toni Martinez.

Neither family nor friends have seen or heard from Collins since Feb. 16. Detectives said his social media accounts have gone silent.

"I'm worried, I'm sad, I'm angry, I'm mad, because I know someone knows something," said his mother, Annie Collins. "We need to know where our son is. We need to know what has happened to him."

Collins has ties to the Compton area. His family lived there until 2006.

Collins was described as black, 5-feet-11-inches tall, weighing 160 pounds. He has brown hair, brown eyes, a mustache and goatee. Collins has several tattoos, including one that reads "Blessed" on the left side of his neck, "Ray" on his right knuckles, "Rich" on his left knuckles and "Annie" on his left forearm.

Anyone with information was asked to call the LA County Sheriff's Department.

A small group of protesters gathered outside a McDonald's restaurant on Chicago's west side Tuesday morning to lobby for more training and protective equipment that would protect injury, primarily burns.

The demonstration inside and outside the restaurant, on the 3200 block of West Roosevelt Road, comes one day after employees around the nation filed 28 health and safety complaints against the Oak Brook-based company.

"We don't have any actual cream or Band-Aids or none of that, so if you get cut, that's it. Or if you get burned, mustard is the treatment," said employee Adriana Alvarez.

Protesters marched with signs in English and Spanish that read "McDonald's, Don't Burn Me" and others that alleged employees have been told to treat burns with condiments.

The complaints were filed with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The federal agency said it would investigate the allegations.

A statement from the McDonald's corporate office said the restaurant and its independent franchisees "are committed to providing safe working conditions for employees in the 14,000 McDonald’s Brand U.S. restaurants. We will review these allegations."

Spokeswoman Heide Barker Sa Shekhem added that the company believes the complaints are part of a larger strategy to tarnish the McDonald's brand.

The protest was organized by the group "Fight for 15," which has held a number of demonstrations around the country to push for a $15 per hour minimum wage.

Thieves stole $52,000 worth of gold and other valuables from the Hollywood home of songwriter to the stars Toby Gad.

A safe inside the chart-topper's multi-million dollar mansion in the 3500 block of Wonder View Drive was raided while it underwent remodeling work. His wife Li Fan reported the theft on Monday, Los Angeles Police Department said.

Grammy winner Gad, who has written songs for the likes of Madonna, Beyonce and Robin Thicke, said he was convinced his precious items were safe, despite being away from the home for two weeks.

"My wife came in today in the afternoon, looked at the safe and it was open and broken," Gad said. "We never thought a safe like this could be opened that easily. It is a very solid safe. All the gold we had in there was taken."

Father-of-two Gad also said there had been a number of break-ins in his neighborhood recently.

Gold coins and other items were stolen from the safe, which was attached to the floor of a garage, not part of the renovation. Li Gad said she found the family's social security cards, passports, vehicle documents and other items on the floor.

Detectives are looking at a two-week timeframe for this probe and are investigating to see if there is surveillance video.

According to Zillow.com, the four-bedroom home is estimated at $2.6M and was purchased for $1.8M in October 2013.

Gad has co-written some of the biggest hits of the last few years, including John Legend's " All Of Me," Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry " and Beyonce's "If I Were A Boy."

He has also worked with One Direction, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Alicia Keys.