Two men snagged in a medical device fraud investigation were charged with 61 felony crimes Friday, accused of tricking people into investing millions in a supposedly safe syringe.

Both defendants, Matthew Mazur and Carlos Manjarrez, entered not guilty pleas to all charges after investigators found records Thursday indicating the men amassed some $64 million from victims of the scheme, according to Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gianera.

The fraud worked like this: The men would carry a prototype of a syringe called “SafeSnap” in which the needle safely folded into a container that could be thrown away.

They would tell investors they sold millions of the SafeSnap syringes, tricking them into investing in the U.S. Medical Products company, Gianera said.

“There’s no evidence the syringes were ever even produced on that scale,” the prosecutor said.

The case brought by the District Attorney’s office includes charges for 15 victims who paid $4 million to the company.

Investigators believe many more victims are out there, investing some $64 million since 2008.

Those victims may not see justice because the alleged crimes could have happened outside of the statue of jurisdiction, according to the prosecutor.

The judge set bail at $2 million for each defendant for charges that include elder abuse, tax fraud, grand theft and fraud.

In court, the defendant's attorneys asked for $100,000 bail, stressing the men haven't fled during the 18-month criminal investigation.

“He does have a passport and he has traveled,” said Mazer’s defense attorney Earll Pott. “On each and every case, he has returned to the United States, despite the fact that he has known for nearly a year and a half of this investigation.”

Each defendant faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on all charges. The next court date in the case is scheduled for March 27.
 

They're already heroes, but Los Angeles firefighters and police officers were among 200 volunteers who decided to "brave the shave" Saturday to raise money for cancer research, as event organizers put it.

The fundraiser aimed to bring in $120,000 for the St. Baldrick's Foundation, which holds head-shaving events across the country to raise money for and awareness about cancers that afflict children.

Now in its 13th year, the event at Fire Station 89 in North Hollywood was held jointly by the Los Angeles Fire Department and Los Angeles Police Department.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck helped shave a boy's head at the event, which featured magicians, kids' activities, a pancake breakfast and silent auction.

"They need the help, and I think that all of us have an obligation to do that," Beck said.

The money pledged to the volunteers who shaved their heads at Saturday's event will go to the St. Baldrick's Foundation, which calls itself "the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants."

Beck said "an amazing amount" of police officers were willing to participate.

"Some of them even let the chief do it, which is not the greatest idea, by the way," he joked.

A Brooklyn neighborhood is mourning after a blaze sparked by a hot plate killed 7 children and critically injured their mother and teenage sister.

The blaze early on Saturday at a home at Bedford Avenue and Avenue M in Midwood claimed the lives of four boys and three girls between the ages of 5 and 15, according to fire officials. The tragedy, which is the deadliest fire in the city in 7 years, has members of the community mourning on what is a day of rest and religious observance in the community, which has a sizable population of Orthodox Jews.

Fire officials say that the blaze was likely sparked by a hot plate, which had been left on overnight to heat food for the Sabbath and malfunctioned around midnight.

The flames spread through the home quickly, and without any smoke detectors to alert the family of the flames, all the children became trapped. Their mother and one teenage girl, 14, were able to escape by jumping out of the windows. The other 7 children were all found in bedrooms and were either pronounced dead at the scene or shortly thereafter at area hospitals.

Saturday, as many headed out to clear snow or walk to temple, members of the Midwood community had stunned faces as they went by the gutted remains of the house. One woman, Becky, said she knew the family personally.

“Her kids were very active and they used to wash cars before Passover,” she said. “She was very involved in the community. It’s a terrible loss.”

Another neighbor said he would see the children playing often, and that the entire community is grieving from the loss.

“To the neighborhood, it’s devastating,” he said.

The children’s grandparents, in Deal, New Jersey, were notified of the fatal fire early Saturday. Police tell NBC 4 New York their grandmother fainted upon hearing the news. Their grandfather declined comment.

The father of the children was out of town at a conference at the time of the blaze, firefighters say.

A vigil outside the home is planned for 7 p.m. Sunday.

Most of the 57 dogs rescued from the butcher in South Korea are doing well at a San Francisco animal shelter and are getting ready to find new homes in the United States.

On Friday, the dogs, mostly puppies, were being sent to four adoption agencies in San Francisco, the East Bay, Marin and Sacramento. The dogs were rescued from a meat farm outside of Seoul, where dog meat is considered a delicacy, according to the SPCA.

"We're making a difference for these 57 dogs," said Lisa Bloch, San Francisco SPCA spokeswoman. "We're shining a light" on a "gruesome industry."

The International Humane society rescued these 57 dogs from a slaughterhouse in South Korea after their owner decided to get out of the dog meat business and grow chilies instead.  People kill an estimated two million dogs a year for food, where in South Korea, dog meat is considered a delicacy. 

Because these particular breeds are considered food in South Koreans, people don't view them as pets. That's why these dogs ended up here in the United States.

Over $300,000 worth of methamphetamine was seized from a Coachella home Thursday evening, according to officials from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Officials served a search warrant to the residents of a home in the 85-500 block of Avenida Crystal where they confiscated over 17.5 pounds of narcotics and about $1,000 in cash.

Eduardo Maciel, 19, from Imperial and Oscar Ramirez, 29, from Coachella were both arrested on suspicion of possessing the drugs.

Anyone with information is asked to call 760-341-7867.

A Mercedes was incinerated after it crashed into another Mercedes that plowed into the front of a home after someone threw a Molotov cocktail into one of the vehicles causing the driver to crash Friday evening in San Bernardino.

Humberto Zubia, 22, stopped at a red light at the intersection of 2nd Street and I street at 8 p.m. when another vehicle pulled up along the driver’s side of his car.

Someone from the other car threw a fiery device into Zubia’s sedan that immediately started a fire on the floorboard of his car, officials from the San Bernardino Police Department said.

Zubia tried to extinguish the fire and continued to drive westbound on 2nd Street before crashing into a Mercedes SUV. The SUV then plowed into the front of an abandoned home causing major structural damage.

Zubia managed to get out of his car before it was engulfed in flames. He was transported to a nearby hospital for non-life threatening injuries. It was unclear if the driver of the SUV was also injured.

Investigators were on scene for several hours after the crash.

Gardeners in Los Angeles can now get free mulch for their backyards thanks to the Free Mulch Give-Away Program.

Greenwaste is one of the largest components of the city’s “waste stream,” according to The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation’s website.

In an effort to alleviate the waste the bureau designed a recycling program “Closing The Loop,” where the last step of the process is giving away mulch in 11 different locations in the Los Angeles area.

The compost come from residents who trim their trees and leave the trimmings on their curbside for collection. The waste is sorted and turned back into the nutrient rich product.

Aside from being a layer of material added to the top of soil that acts as an insulating barrier it’s also known to improve gardening conditions.

For more information about the program visit: san.lacity.com.

Stop & Shop is taking a walnut and trail mix blend off the shelves that may be contaminated with Salmonella.

The national grocery store chain pulled select products carrying the Aurora and Stop & Shop labels because of Aurora Products, Inc.'s recent recall.

The following food products are included in the recall:

• Stop & Shop Walnuts, 6.5 ounces, UPC 8826713594, with "best if used by" dates between Oct. 29 and Dec. 7, 2015.
   
• Stop & Shop Cranberry Health Mix, 21 ounces., UPC 8826713692, with "best if used by" dates between Oct. 30 and Dec. 13, 2015. 
   
• Stop & Shop Cranberry Health Mix, 9.25 ounces, UPC 8826714713, with "best if used by" dates between Oct. 30 and Dec. 13, 2015.
   
• Stop & Shop Roasted Salt Mixed Nuts, 9 ounces, UPC 8826714736, with "best if used by" dates between Nov. 4, 2015 and Dec. 13, 2015.
   
• Aurora Forest Bounty Grail Mix, 17.5 ounces., UPC 65585200496, with "best if used by" dates between Oct. 28, 2015 and Dec 13, 2015.
   
• Aurora Roasted No Salt Mixed Nuts, 9 ounces, UP

No reports of anyone getting sick from the products have come in, according to Stop & Shop. However the company gives the following warning.

"Consumption of food contaminated with Salmonella can cause salmonellosis, one of the most common bacterial foodborne illnesses," according to Stop & Shop. "Salmonella infections can be life-threatening, especially to those with weak immune systems, such as infants, the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy. The most common manifestations of salmonellosis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within eight to 72 hours. Additional symptoms may be chills, headache, nausea and vomiting that can last up to seven days."

Anyone who has bought any of the recalled items should throw them out and bring in a receipt to Stop & Shop to get a refund.

More information is available by calling Aurora Products at 1-800 898-1048 or Stop & Shop customer service at 1-800-767-772. More information is available at www.stopandshop.com.

Two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash earned praise from Los Angeles Lakers' players and coaches Saturday on the news of his retirement.

"(He's) one of the best players and one of the best people I've ever been around," coach Byron Scott said. "I wish I had the opportunity to spend more time with him and coach him for a few years, but obviously that didn't happen. But as a person and as a basketball player, there's nobody better."

Scott added, "He was the modern day Bob Cousy."

Nash clearly announced his retirement via an article published on the Players' Tribune on Saturday morning: "I'm retiring." 

In the article, Nash went on to identify several experiences that helped shape him and thank several of the people that helped drive him to his Hall-of-Fame caliber career. At one point in the article, Nash stated, "I will never play basketball again. I already miss the game deeply, but I'm also really excited to learn to do something else."

I'm retiring from basketball. Thanks for all the love through the years. http://t.co/CMqDBSYIrr pic.twitter.com/iNTG6eap4D

— Steve Nash (@SteveNash) March 21, 2015

How great was Nash in his prime? Scott offered his experience as an opposing coach faced with the unenviable job of slowing down Nash.

"The one thing I always said about [Nash] when we played him is, 'Guys, we can't give him a steady diet of one thing. He's too good. He's going to pick it apart.' I had a team in New Orleans that was pretty good, and we changed up every quarter on our pick and roll coverage with Steve Nash just because of Steve Nash."

Scott added, "We didn't do that with anybody else in the league, but every quarter, we gave him a different look."

Fans in LA famously grew frustrated with Nash being unable to play regularly following a broken leg suffered in only his second game with the Lakers. Fans called talk shows and flooded the internet with criticism, and the Lakers' coach offered perspective on how fans of the team should still respect Nash's time with the Lakers.

"I think the fans also need to look at the fact that the guy did everything possible to get on the court," Scott said. "I don't think they take into consideration that he's hurt. He had some physical problems, but he did everything possible to get on the court, and I think they should really take that in consideration."

Scott added, "Take a look at everything he's done over his career and judge him by that, not by what ended up happening here [in LA]."

"From growing up in Vancouver, he's always been that guy that Canadians have always looked up to," Lakers' teammate and fellow Canadian Robert Sacre said on Saturday. "It's kind of sad to see it coming to the end, but I've been so honored and blessed to be able to play with him and just be a teammate."

"I've never seen anybody work harder," Sacre added. "People are always down on, 'well, he's always hurt,' but you don't understand how hard he works just to get five minutes on the court."

Nash's work ethic consistently came up during his career, and even amidst injuries, his coaches and teammates praised the aging point guard for working hard despite his body clearly not having enough left in the tank to be an NBA player.

Nash may be done as a player, but he still continues on as a mentor. For the Canadian national team, Nash plays an integral in recruiting and managing the team. For the Lakers, he has been working with rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson in one-on-one sessions to improve the 22-year-old's game.

"It's definitely hard to give it up, but he still wants to be involved," Clarkson said on Saturday. "You can tell when he comes in and works in the gym [with me].

The rookie added, "He still has love for the game."

Inland Empire businesses are making extra crash as thousands of race car enthusiasts visit the area for NASCAR weekend.

“We have people coming in from the general area, maybe 50 to 100 miles radius outside of the race track. We also have people coming in from all over the country, so it really impacts the local economy,” said David Allen, president of the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

It's still unknown just how much money the NASCAR Auto Club 400 race will bring to the local economy, but officials say in the past it generated nearly $100 million.

Some hotels were fully booked and restaurants were packed as the weekend got underway.

"We've been booked for months for this weekend," said Andrew Fuentes of the Ayres Suites in nearby Ontario.

The three-day event began Friday with practices of both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, according to the NASCAR website.

California native Kevin Harvick won his second Xfinity Series on Saturday.

The race for the Sprint Cup Series will take place Sunday afternoon.

It's going to be tough for this couple's honeymoon to top their weddings.

Cheetah Platt and Rhiann Woodyard didn't want the average wedding, so they packed their bridal dress and suit and left on a world tour. They've held ceremonies at locations around the world — in front of waterfalls and aqueducts, in an ancient temple, with a giraffe -- taking eye-catching pictures at each one.

The Los Angeles couple had gotten married 21 times as of Saturday, March 21, and they plan on tying the knot 17 more times before May 2, Platt said.

The icing on their wedding cake: They say that getting married around the world has saved them money, compared to the traditional, one-day affair.

The average American wedding costs more than $31,000, according to a recent survey conducted by wedding publication The Knot. Despite traveling to six continents, the couple said their trip to six continents cost less.

"It has been amazing talking to others who see the world the same way and are so excited to create their own wedding experience," the couple said in an e-mail to NBC4.

To the bride, Rhiann Woodyard, the most memorable ceremony so far was being married in India's centuries-old Ajanta Caves, a Buddhist temple carved into a mountain.

"It is such a surreal experience," Woodyard said in an e-mail.

For Platt, it was "riding camels across the sand, then standing in the ancient Egyptian desert and marrying the love of my life in front of the pyramids of Giza."

Both professional acrobats, Woodyard and Platt met at a gathering for acrobatics enthusiasts, the couple told Buzzfeed.

Their registry, posted on honeyfund.com, doesn't consist of the usual pots, pans, plates and dishware -- instead, they listed elephant rides, a Spanish hot-air balloon ride, snorkeling and flights to every corner of the globe.

Couples from around the world have reached out after hearing about their decision, they told NBC4.

And while they caution that their wedding isn't right for everyone, they believe every couple should think about what would make a wedding perfect for them.

"If you are open to changing tradition and exploring other options, you can absolutely create (and afford) the perfect wedding for YOU," said the couple, who signed their e-mail CheeRhi.

The couple does plan a ceremony for their immediate family in Big Bear, a small mountain-top town near LA.

"Nothing will change with the wedding itself, but we can't wait to share it with our family," they said.

An overnight standoff continued into Sunday morning when a man evaded police and ran to the rooftop of a residence in Anaheim, officials said.

Officers from the Anaheim Police Department arrived at the 1500 block of W. Chanticleer Road at about 11:30 p.m. Saturday to make contact with a man who had violated a court order, Lt. Eric Trapp said.

Police said they believed the man was under the influence of drugs and possibly armed but that he did not pose a threat to nearby residents. Four homes were evacutaed out of precaution, police said.

The man ran to a rooftop where he remained through the evening when officers arrived at the location.

Negotiators were at the residence trying to “engage” him for several hours. He was talked off the rooftop just before 8 a.m. Sunday and was being taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation, officials said. 

Actress and activist, Rosario Dawson discusses her organization Voto Latino and her thoughts on immigration.

The proud Latina shares the lessons she's learned since co-founding the youth empowerment organization with her mother and her thoughts on the immigration policy in the United States.

For more information on Voto Latino, visit votolatino.com. For information on Rosario Dawson and her upcoming projects visit rosario-dawson.net and follow her on Twitter @rosariodawson.

 Previous interviews on Cafecito:

• Edward James Olmos
• Jessica Alba
• Paul Rodriguez III
• Gina Rodriguez
  
• William Levy
• Danny Trejo
• Thalia
• Kate Del Castillo
  
• Michael Pena
• Robert Rodriguez
• Gabriel Iglesias
• Becky G: Part 1, Part 2
• Guillermo del Toro
• Rosie Perez
• John Leguizamo
• Eva Longoria
• Demi Lovato
• Cheech Marin
• Zoe Saldana

A suspected car thief was taken into custody after leading police on a dramatic high-speed pursuit that ended in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night.

The driver maneuvered into oncoming traffic, blew through stop signs, struck several vehicles and narrowly missed hitting police cruisers as he attempted to evade Los Angeles Police Department officers for more than 30 minutes.

The driver jumped out of the moving Honda Civic on 9th Street just west of Hill Street and ran down an alley. He was taken into custody when a police cruiser cut him off on the other end.

The pursuit began when officers pulled the car over. The driver got out of the car with his hands up, but returned to the vehicle and took off, police said.

No one was hurt during the incident, police said.

The car had an anti-theft device installed. Officers hoped to return it to its owner.

The San Diego Humane Society shelter Saturday welcomes more than 2,000 orphaned kittens to their shelter Saturday.

The organization hosted a “kitten shower” to welcome their arrival and encourage people to donate kitten food and care supplies. A complete registry can be found at www.sdhumane.org/KittenShower. 

"Our Kitten Nursery program and its dedicated volunteers provide specialized, around-the-clock care to these tiny kittens during the most critical stage of their lives," Jacqueline Noble, Kitten Nursery Supervisor, said in a statement. "We are the only animal shelter in Southern California that can give them the 24-hour support they need to reach full development, so making sure we have all the supplies we need is crucial."

Volunteers helped foster more than 1,400 kitten last year and organizers expect this year to be just as busy, if not busier, for the organization.

For more information on this event and current animals available for adoption, click here. 

Calfiornia Gov. Jerry Brown tore into climate change skeptics on Sunday, saying one major presidential hopeful's position on climate change should disqualify him from the highest office in the nation.

Brown warned that climate change would be a major issue for America's next president in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," days after announcing a roughly $1 billion plan to combat California's drought.

"That man has rendered himself absolutely unfit to be running for office," Brown said, when asked about Texas Senator Ted Cruz's claim that there isn't a scientific consensus that climate change is caused by human activity.

Cruz made his remarks on "Late Night With Seth Meyers" this week, saying that "climate alarmists" have a problem because scientific data doesn't back up their claims.

"My view actually is simple. Debates on this should follow science and should follow data," Cruz said.

The Associated Press reported Sunday that Cruz was preparing to formally announce on Monday that he will run for president in 2016.

Brown, who has sought the White House three times, said more than 90 percent of climate scientists "are absolutely convinced" that human and industrial activity are leading to heat-trapping greenhouse gasses that caused both California's drought and severe cold and storms on the Eastern seaboard.

According to NASA, 97 percent of climate scientists agree that warming trends in the last 100 years are "very likely due to human activities."

When pressed by NBC's Chuck Todd, Brown didn't directly link his state's drought crisis to climate change, but said more droughts are inevitable in the coming decades. Two-thirds of California are in an extreme drought after more than three years of low water levels, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Brown also called the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) letter to convince states to block or ignore the EPA's proposed carbon pollution regulations "a disgrace."

"Here's the point, that the buildup of carbon coming from coal and petroleum and other sources, that this is going to create these droughts and much, much worse. And that's why to have the leader of the Senate, Mr. McConnell representing his coal constituents, are putting it at risk, the health and well being of America, is a disgrace," Brown said.

Calling the drought California's new normal, Brown wants a presidential campaign "almost at the level of a crusade" to make the public aware that man-made carbon dioxide emissions can have an affect on the climate. He implied that politicians who dismiss the scientific consensus on climate change are doing the bidding of profit-hungry constituents and corporate donors.

"The coal companies are not as important as the people of America and the people of the world," Brown said.

Climate change, balancing the country's budget and investing in science and technology are the three issues presidential candidates should be talking about, Brown said.

Asked if he would consider running if he was 10 years younger, the 76-year-old Brown said, "Yes, I would."

"If I could go back in a time machine and be 66, I might jump in. But that's a counterfactual, so you don't need to speculate on that," he added.

Several cars were destroyed in an early-morning fire in front of an apartment building in South Los Angeles Sunday.

Arson investigators were trying to determine the cause of the blaze that happened at 4 a.m.  near the intersection of Avalon Boulevard and 108th Street, officials from the Los Angeles Fire Department said.

Plumes of smoke filled the sky while flames roared within inches of the housing complex.

It took firefighters 15 minutes to knock down the fire that engulfed the three vehicles parked in front of the building.

Injuries were not reported.

A Venice restaurant owner was nursing an injury Sunday after having part of his finger bitten off during an alleged attack the day before.

The attack happened at The Cow’s End Cafe just after 9:30 a.m. Sunday in the 30 block of W. Washington Boulevard. It's a popular area of the beach only a few blocks from the infamous Venice boardwalk.

The owner of the busy cafe was dealing with a transient who was “causing a scene,” officials said.

When the owner approached the transient he was allegedly attacked and lost the tip of his finger during the assault. 

Other business owners in the area were concerned the attack was a precursor for others to come. They expressed concern about transients becoming more aggressive in recent months and said safety was an issue for the community and the thousands of tourists that flock to the coastal town.

The transient was arrested in connection with the attack.