A $50,000 reward was announced Thursday for information about a hit-and-run driver who struck an 86-year-old woman last week near the University of Southern California campus.

Barbara Summerfield remains hospitalized with leg and pelvis injuries suffered March 16 when she was struck by sport utility vehicle as she crossed Figueroa Street at Adams Boulevard. Summerfield continues to breath through a respirator, family members said a Thurday news conference to announce the reward.

After hitting the senior the driver made a U-turn and drove past her, before speeding through a red light and heading into the USC Campus according to Los Angeles Police Department investigators. Her daughter, Felicia Summerfield, previously said the person responsible would be forgiven if they surrendered to the law and faced the consequences.

The crash was captured on surveillance video, stills from which were presented at Thursday's news conference.

"I can't go past the image where the driver hits my mother and makes contact, I turn away," Felicia Summerfield said.

Described as a strong-willed woman who loves attending her South LA church and her community, the retired LAX drug officer trainer tried to shake off her injuries after being struck.

The vehicle, described as a late-model silver Infiniti SUV, had paper or dealer plates, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call 323-421-2500 or 1877-LAPD-24-7.

A family in mourning has started a memorial fund for boy who wandered into a neighbor’s pool and drowned.

“Four-year-old Gunnar was a true Aquarius by nature, an affectionate child who loved hugs and kisses as much as he loved the water,” a friend said on Gunnar Atkins’ GoFundMe page.

Among those grieving is the victim’s twin brother.

Gunnar Atkins died Saturday after he fell into a backyard pool in Ramona. When a dog started barking, the homeowner spotted Gunnar and called 911. Even though she and medics performed CPR, the boy did not survive.

Now, his family is raising money for his funeral, planned for this weekend. Their goal is to reach $5,000.

An attorney for a man who reported that his girlfriend was been abducted for an $8,500 ransom, later determined by police to be a hoax, said Thursday his client was drugged and held captive by kidnappers and subjected to "blatant lies" after she turned up in her Southern California hometown.

Northern California investigators said Wednesday they were suspicious when Aaron Quinn took hours to report that strangers broke into his Vallejo home and abducted his girlfriend for a ransom. Denise Huskins, 29, was missing for two days before she reappeared 400 miles away in Southern California on the same day police revealed they had no proof of a kidnapping and believe it was a hoax.

Attorney Dan Russo said Thursday that Quinn, 30, had nothing to do with a hoax and cooperated with police from the start of the investigation. He claimed the crime was not reported sooner because two kidnappers bound Quinn after forcing him to drink a beverage that contained a drug, adding another layer of mystery to an already bizarre case.

"He was forced to drink something and they told him he would have to pay $8,500," Russo said, adding that Huskins was returned after he paid the money.

Huskins uncle also defended her on Thursday. Jeff Kane said in a phone interview that police were reckless and overzealous in calling it a hoax after she turned up safe.He refused to reveal details regarding any conversations he had with his niece, but said he sincerely believes the disappearance was not a hoax.

But after the investigation turned to the couple, police said they weren't able to contact either Huskins or Quinn. Huskins had indicated she would talk to detectives, and the FBI had arranged to have her flown back to Northern California, police said. She hired an attorney, but the lawyer's name was not released.

The day began with what seemed to be a happy ending: Huskins showed up unharmed outside her father's apartment. Mike Huskins said his daughter called him to say she had been dropped off at her mother's Huntington Beach house. No one was there, so she said she walked the 12 blocks to his home, but he had traveled to Northern California to help with the search.

"She wasn't crying at all. She just said, 'Daddy, I'm OK,"' an emotional Mike Huskins told The Associated Press. "I feel very relieved. Can you imagine? You can't unless you've experienced it."

Her boyfriend, Quinn, had told police Denise Huskins was taken forcefully from their Mare Island home in Vallejo early Monday. He called police around 2 p.m. to report she had been abducted.

Vallejo police Lt. Kenny Park said the delay is part of what aroused suspicions.

"It was such an incredible story, we initially had a hard time believing it," Park said. "Upon further investigation, we couldn't substantiate any of the things he was saying."

It was not clear whether police have spoken with Quinn since they determined the case was a hoax. Park said he was "free on his own" for now and would not say whether the two had any accomplices.

Police expressed disgust at the resources squandered -- saying over 40 detectives had worked on the case -- and the fear the couple instilled in the community with a report of random violence.

"Devoting all of our resources 24 hours a day in a wild goose chase, it's a tremendous loss," Park said. "It's disappointing, it's disheartening."

In another bizarre twist in the case, the San Francisco Chronicle received an email Tuesday from an anonymous person claiming to be holding Denise Huskins. The person wrote that she would be returned safely Wednesday, the newspaper reported.

"We will send a link to her location after she has been dropped off. She will be in good health and safe while she waits," the email read. "Any advance on us or our associates will create a dangerous situation for Denise. Wait until she is recovered and then proceed how you will. We will be ready."

It included an audio file of a woman identifying herself as Denise Huskins, who mentioned Tuesday's airliner crash in the French Alps to verify she was alive. Her father confirmed the voice in the file was his daughter's, the Chronicle reported.

Police had asked the newspaper to wait to reveal the email until the voice was verified, Park said.

Huskins' uncle described her as a person of sterling character, saying she is career-oriented, independent and strong. She works as a physical therapist at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo.

The timeline of events below provides a look at the March 2015 disappearance of 29-year-old Denise Huskins, a case that authorities determined was a hoax spanning two days.

March 23, 2015

The Disappearance: Denise Huskins disappears from her home in Vallejo, where she moved from Huntington Beach about a year earlier to become a physical therapist with Kaiser Permanente.

Abduction, Ransom Report: Huskins' 30-year-old boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, reports that she was abducted at about 2 a.m. and was being held for ransom. The boyfriend contacted authorities nearly 12 hours after her disappearance.

Tuesday March 24, 2015

Anonymous Email: The San Francisco Chronicle receives an email from an anonymous person claiming to be holding Denise Huskins. It included an audio file of a woman identifying herself as Denise Huskins, who mentioned Tuesday's airliner crash in the French Alps to verify she was alive. Her father confirmed the voice in the file was his daughter's, the Chronicle reported.

March 25, 2015

The Phone Call: Huskins calls her father to say she is in Huntington Beach, according to police. Her parents are still 400 miles away in Vallejo at the time.

Back to Vallejo: Huskins indicates she will talk to detectives, and the FBI arranges to have her flown back to the Bay Area.

The Turning Point: Investigators announce that they have no proof of a kidnapping and believe the case is a hoax. Among the reasons for suspicion -- the delay in contacting authorities.

Contact Lost: After the investigation turns to the couple, police say they are unable to contact either Huskins or her family members.

March 26, 2015

Attorneys Respond: Attorneys for Aaron Quinn say he had nothing to do with a hoax. When asked why he did not immediately call police, attorney Dan Russo says Quinn was held captive by kidnappers who drugged him with a drink.

When days get longer, rattlesnakes come out -- and not just in rural areas. They've been seen near urban areas, in parks by rivers and lakes and at golf courses, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

So what should you do when you encounter a rattler to make sure you aren't one of the 800 Californians bitten each year? The Department of Fish and Wildlife has some tips for you:

Do:

• Stick to well-used trails
• Wear over-the-ankle boots and loose, long pants
• Step on logs and rocks, not over them
• Be careful when stepping through doorways -- they like the edges of buildings
• Teach kids to respect snakes and leave them alone

Don't:

• Go barefoot or wear sandals in wild areas
• Walk in tall grass, weeds or heavy underbrush
• Step or put your hands where you can't see
• Wander in the dark
• Hike alone
• Grab what look like sticks or branches while swimming (they can swim, too)
• Handle a freshly killed snake, which can still bite

If you get bitten:

• Stay calm -- most effects are limited to the area near the bite
• Wash the bite with soap and water
• Remove jewelry that may constrict swelling
• Don't move the affected area
• Get to a near medical facility safely

Source: California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

The father of ex-LAPD officer Henry Solis was arrested Thursday for allegedly helping his son evade authorities when he was wanted for the murder of a Pomona man.

Victor Solis allegedly told investigators that he drove his son to El Paso and dropped him off at a bus station the day after the murder, but no longer knows where his son is.

Henry Solis, 27, is accused of murder in the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Salome Rodriguez Jr. in Pomona earlier this month after a fight. Solis had been with the LAPD since June 2014 and was terminated from the department after the murder charges were filed

The elder Solis was arrested in Lancaster and is scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

A popular LA-area restaurant may have left nearly two dozen people with salmonella poisoning over a four-month period — and health officials failed to warn the public of the danger, an NBC4 I-Team investigation has uncovered.

Brent’s Deli in Westlake Village, a popular family-owned restaurant dubbed by Zagat as "the Cadillac of delis," was the suspected source of the poisonings, according to Ventura County records obtained by the I-Team. Some victims reported eating Brent’s famous corned beef sandwiches, some ate pastrami, and others believe it was salads or soups that sickened them.

"It felt like someone reached in and was tearing out my stomach," said J.D. Leadam of Simi Valley, 25, who said he became ill two days after eating a roast beef sandwich at Brent’s in Westlake in August. He said the nausea, body aches and diarrhea were so bad that his doctor thought he might have contracted Ebola.

Days later, tests confirmed it was salmonella.

Salmonella symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Severe cases can be deadly.

Eight patients traced back to the deli outbreak were hospitalized. One missed six weeks of work while recovering, and another continues to suffer symptoms eight months later.

State and Ventura County health officials began learning about salmonella cases from Brent’s customers months before Leadam ate at the restaurant, but both agencies failed to inform the public about the growing outbreak.

"I wouldn’t have eaten there if the county had warned the public," Leadam told NBC4. "I really don’t think the health department was looking out for the public."

Records from the state health department show the first Brent’s customer became sick with salmonella symptoms in late April, with more cases reported in May, June, July and August. In total, 21 cases of salmonella were associated with the 2014 outbreak, including two Brent’s employees, according to state records.

"We generally don’t notify the public when we’re in the midst of an investigation," said William Stratton, director of Ventura County Environmental Health, which investigated the Brent’s outbreak.

But county health departments in Los Angeles and San Francisco have alerted the public to food poisoning outbreaks within days of learning of the first cases, so that customers who experience symptoms can get proper medical care.

Nationally known food safety attorney Bill Marler is now representing several Brent’s customers. Marler has won multimillion dollar settlements in major food poisoning cases such as the 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli case which sickened 700 people.

He said county officials failed to fulfill their responsibilities.

"They clearly had an obligation to tell the public, from a moral and a public health perspective," Marler told NBC4. "This outbreak was an accident waiting to happen," Marler added, referring to Brent’s inspection history.

Since 2007, county officials have repeatedly cited Brent’s in Westlake for major health code violations — such as keeping food at unsafe temperatures and employees not properly washing their hands, both of which can spread bacteria to food.

The I-Team also found other Brent’s Westlake customers reported contracting Salmonella in 2007, 2010 and 2013 — well before the 2014 outbreak.

"I would have never gone there," said Tim Gagnon of Ventura, who took his family to Brent’s in July. He says his 13-year-old daughter, Hailey, ordered a corned beef sandwich and was hospitalized with Salmonella poisoning.

Gagnon said it was one of the most frightening moments he’s had as a father.

"It feels like you might lose the person you love," Gagnon said.

When questioned by the I-Team, Ventura County health officials say in hindsight, they could have made a public statement warning the public about the outbreak.

"Is issuing a news release or notifying the public one of those things we could have done? Perhaps it is," Stratton said. "That’s something we’re going to be evaluating."

NBC4 spoke by phone with one of the owners of Brent’s in Westlake, Marc Hernandez, who says his restaurant is now safe to eat at.

Read: Full Brent's Deli Statement

Hernandez declined to comment on camera, but says after learning of the outbreak, last August he voluntarily closed for a day, sanitized the entire restaurant, and has hired a third-party company to improve overall food safety.

"We’re constantly trying to improve," Hernandez said.

Apple Watches will come in a variety of styles and prices, and the company's retail division is reportedly being instructed on how to give fashion advice to customers.

9to5Mac published what appears to be a visual training guide for Apple retail employees to help them suggest the right Apple Watch to prospective customers based on fashion, lifestyle and job cues.

Among the tips: "Don't focus on price as a reason to recommend an option because many customers may be willing to spend more for a model that makes them feel good."

The tech media is already casting a side eye.

"The notion that a plainly dressed, modestly paid worker could become a fashion expert is a bit silly, and Apple's example customers don't always make sense," wrote Engadget. "What kind of waiter makes enough money to drop $1,000 on a steel smartwatch without flinching?"           

Apple Watch goes on sale on April 24, with a suggested retail price range of $349 to $1,049. There is also an 18-karat gold "Apple Watch Edition" option that starts at $10,000.

Construction workers inside a sushi restaurant in the East Village accidentally hit a gas line, causing an explosion that sparked a massive fire and caused two buildings to collapse, law enforcement sources tell NBC 4 New York.

The explosion inside 121 Second Ave., between East 7th Street and St. Marks Place, caused the buildings at 121 and 123 to collapse, and the ensuing fire spread to two other neighboring buildings at 119 and 125, according to city officials.

"The initial impact appears to have been caused by plumbing and gas work that was occurring inside 121 Second Avenue," said Mayor de Blasio at a news conference Thursday evening detailing the explosion that's injured at least 12 people.

Firefighters have managed to contain the 7-alarm fire to those four buildings.

Officials say 12 people were injured in the explosion, three of them critically. Two of those patients were taken to Cornell with serious burns and a third unconscious patient was taken to Bellevue. 

All firefighters were accounted for after the explosion, the FDNY said. De Blasio said there have been no reports of missing persons, but urged concerned relatives or friends to call 311.

Huge flames were shooting out of the front of the buildings at the height of the blaze, and thick plumes of white smoke could be seen billowing from the structures in the tightly packed, business-heavy neighborhood.

The tall flames and smoke could be seen from at least 20 blocks north, and the smell of smoke was detected as far north as midtown, including at the NBC offices at Rockefeller Center.

People were seen lying on the ground, apparently unconscious, immediately following the explosion, multiple witnesses told NBC 4 New York.

A neighbor who lives on Second Avenue and East 7th Street told NBC 4 New York he was home when he heard a loud explosion that "shook everything."

"When I went outside, I saw people running and broken glass everywhere," said the neighbor, a music producer who gave his name as David. 

He said within two minutes, at least 20 fire trucks rushed to the scene and more were still arriving as he spoke to NBC 4 New York.

David said the storefront was entirely blown out, with glass strewn over 200 feet. 

David's building and others nearby were evacuated, and firefighters continued to push back residents further and further away from the scene. 

Another witness, Loren Colon, said he saw the "entire building explode" and that there were "definitely people inside the restaurant," a sushi or ramen restaurant. 

A resident at 124 Second Ave. across the street, Larry, said he saw several people laying on the sidewalk in front the restaurant after the explosion and that others "were running around in a panic." 

Several people rushed to the buildings to help trapped or distressed residents, multiple witnesses said. One neighbor on the block and the Dallas BBQ restaurant manager separately recounted watching a civilian help a woman down from a fire escape on one of the collapsed buildings before firefighters arrived. One Twitter user also captured the rescue:

Major explosion on 2nd ave and 7th street. New Yorkers being awesome and helping this young lady get down! pic.twitter.com/YxGh2C68IP

— Niraj Desai (@nayramz) March 26, 2015

Larry, the neighbor across the street, said acrid smoke was permeating the neighborhood in the aftermath of the explosion. 

Con Edison were shutting down gas service in the area. The utility says it's looking into whether gas complaints were filed there recently. 

The search for a missing college student in San Bernardino was costly and based on false information given to investigators, the city's police chief said in a video posted online Thursday.

San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said he believed the department would seek to file charges for false statements that led them to believe Art Institute of California student Sahray Barber was the victim of a violent crime.

"We spent a great deal of resources on the case, and quite frankly we had to based on the information that we had," Burguan said in the video.

He estimated the overtime cost at lest $24,000 and that on-duty officers, helicopter and other search-and-rescue costs meant the department spent much more. He didn't have an exact estimate.

While police searched for Barber, she had checked herself into a Los Angeles hospital, where she didn't give her correct name, Burguan said. Barber saw herself on TV but didn't reveal she was the girl being sought.

It was only after she was discharged to a shelter, where workers questioned Barber about her identity, that her family and police were alerted to her presence, according to Burguan.

"I am happy to report that she is home and that she's safe with her family," Burguan said.

Investigators had scoured the apartment and inquired with her roommates, who were eventually given polygraph tests which determined they may have made deceptive statements, according to Burguan. The investigation was given added urgency because of a rash of attempted violent crimes on Cal State, San Bernardino campus, across from which was Barber's apartment.

Burguan did not name who was likely to be charged with making false statements. He said there was "a lot of angst and a lot of anger over the resources that were expended."

Veterans and military members have fired back on social media following threats made by ISIS targeting specific armed forces members.

A group called the Islamic State Hacking Division issued a threat earlier this week online against 100 service members.

In the threat, the group asked that attacks be carried out against members of the military conducting airstrikes on ISIS.

Now, some service members are arming themselves with strong words.

A user posted on Twitter a picture of ISIS fighters with the caption: “We are going to kill you” beneath a photo of Marines with the quote, “Hurry we eat chow at 1630.”

Another online post with a photo of a heavily armed soldier read: “Friends help friends kill ISIS.”

A few local residents expressed similar sentiments on NBC 7’s Facebook page. Brandon Garcia wrote: “If they can get through my door I’m hungry for some hand-to-hand combat.”

Another Facebook user, Derek James, wrote: “Add me. I’ll give them my address! I wanna play!”

The response to the online threats from ISIS is not a surprise to Nathan Fletcher, a Marine veteran and Truman National Security Project board member.

“Americans don’t react well to being bullied and service members in particular,” he said.

Former Clippers owner Donald Sterling's alleged mistress took the stand Thursday in a lawsuit by Sterling's wife to try to recover millions of dollars in money and gifts she says her husband gave his mistress.

V. Stiviano was defiant, sarcastic, and rarely cooperative as she took the witness stand.

She again denied that she and Donald Sterling had an affair, while at the same time, saying they loved one another.

She was often evasive when answering how much money Sterling actually gave her. She was often blunt but also confusing.

Stiviano was pointedly questioned Thursday afternoon by the attorney for Shelley Sterling.

Sterling is suing Stiviano to try to get back the millions of dollars in money and gifts she says her husband improperly gave her.

Stiviano said, "I do not hate Shelly Sterling," but she also said "she is an evil witch. She is a bully."

Regarding the marriage of the Sterlings, she said, "I can't break something that's already broken."

It was Stiviano's recordings of Sterling's comments about African Americans that forced him to sell the Los Angeles Clippers and banned him from the NBA.

Stiviano again denied being romantically involved with Sterling, but acknowledged he gave her tens of thousands of dollars, up to $300,000 between 2011 and 2013.

She also admitted using 10 of his credit cards to purchase various gifts. But she denied that hundreds of thousands of dollars in bank deposits came from Sterling and also denied Sterling bought her a $1.8 million duplex.

Pierce O'Donnell, Sterling's attorney, said Stiviano had no job since 2010.

"She had no money in the bank," he said.

In court Wednesday Sterling described Stiviano as an ex-friend. But Thursday Stiviano said they spoke as recently as Sunday and said that they love each other.

A Huntington Beach woman whose strange saga about being kidnapped for an $8,500 ransom that police called a hoax was "absolutely, unequivocally" a victim of kidnapping, her lawyer said Thursday.

Attorney Doug Rappaport said he spent the day with his client Denise Huskins at the Vallejo Police Department with the hope of clearing Huskins' name.

He called it a serious assault, emotionally and physically and that she does not know her captors. He said Vallejo police "threw her under the bus." He wouldn't say how she ended up in Huntington Beach.

"She is absolutely, unequivocally, 100 percent, positively a victim," he said. "This is no hoax. This is no laughing matter. She's emotionally and physically broken. And the fact that she's been designated as a suspect only hurts her further."

Rappaport hopes Vallejo police realize they jumped the gun when they claimed his client had orchestrated a hoax.

"When they thought that egg was going to end up on someone's face, they threw it on her," he said. "There was no egg here whatsoever, this is a legitimate crime."

Police did not comment on the attorney's statements Thursday, but said Wednesday night that the none of the claims have been substantiated.

This afternoon an attorney for Huskins' boyfriend, Aaron Quinn blasted back at police as well.

"There is a room full of evidence that they have," said attorney Dan Russo.

Huskins, originally from Huntington Beach, was reportedly abducted Monday morning from her boyfriend's Vallejo home, police said.

Huskins' boyfriend claims an intruder broke into his Mare Island home early Monday morning and took Huskins by force while demanding a ransom. But her boyfriend waited 11 hours to report it to police.

Russo said he had good reason: He was bound and drugged at the time.

Quinn was even prepared to pay the ransom by the kidnappers' deadline of noon Wednesday, but Huskins was reported safe by then, the attorney said.

"(Quinn) has basically died and gone to hell. He is in terrible shape," Russo said. "He is exhausted both mentally and physically."

Russo added investigators tested Quinn's blood to determine if he was drugged but haven't revealed the results yet. He declined to release other details about how the alleged kidnapping unfolded, saying he didn't want to impede the investigation.

"We are as at sea as most of you as to what happened," the attorney said. But he noted Quinn "has no responsibility for what's going on."

Police could not immediately be reached for comment on his statements.

Huskins, 29, turned up Wednesday in Huntington Beach, about 400 miles from Vallejo. Hours later, police revealed they found no proof of a kidnapping and believed it was a hoax.

After the investigation turned to the couple, police said they were unable to contact Huskins or her family members and did not know where she was. They also said she hired an attorney.

Russo said Thursday that police questioned Quinn for 17 hours. He added his client has not been in contact with Huskins and is staying with family.

Jeff Kane, Huskins' uncle, told The Associated Press he was infuriated by the Vallejo Police Department's announcement that his niece's abduction was a hoax. Kane, of Huntington Beach, said police interviewed Huskins and her family for hours.

"They said, 'If you don't start telling the truth, we're going to offer you or your boyfriend the chance to tell the truth, and whoever goes first will get leniency,'" Kane said.

"I believe when the truth comes out, people are going to look at each other and say, 'That is the most horrific story I've ever heard. I can't imagine what she's gone through.'"

The alleged kidnapping occurred in the pre-dawn hours Monday, but Quinn didn't report it until around 2 p.m. That delay is part of what aroused suspicions, Vallejo police Lt. Kenny Park said.

"Upon further investigation, we couldn't substantiate any of the things he was saying," Park said Wednesday.

Park said Quinn was "free on his own" for now. He wouldn't say whether anyone else was involved in the alleged hoax.

Huskins is a physical therapist at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vallejo. A Kaiser official declined to comment on her.

In 2005, Huskins pleaded guilty in Orange County to misdemeanor driving with a blood alcohol content over the legal limit. Her sentence included three years' probation and a first offenders' alcohol program, online court records show.

She obtained a physical therapist's license in Massachusetts after studying at Long Island University in Brooklyn, according state online records. The license expired in 2014.

No complaints were lodged against her, said Jayda Leder-Luis, a licensing division spokeswoman.

In California, Huskins was licensed as a physical therapist in October 2013, according to the state's physical therapy board.

Quinn also is a physical therapist licensed in California.

Their next-door neighbor Dana Vandeweg said Quinn has lived there for a few years and has been kind and thoughtful. He adopted a stray cat and alerted neighbors ahead of the one or two quiet parties he hosted annually.

"We all are having a hard time believing he'd have anything to do with a thing like this," Vandeweg said. "It was just, 'This can't be!' He's just a nice guy."

Riya Bhattacharjee, Kristofer Noceda and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

An after-school assistant in California was arrested after some bizarre behavior, including barricading several students into a classroom, taking off her clothes and upending desks, according San Diego County Sheriff's officials.

At about 4 p.m. Wednesday, Linda Lira, 31, started acting strangely at Lemon Grove Academy and shut herself into a room with students.

After several minutes, the children became scared by her behavior, so they used her campus radio to call for help and alert other teachers.

Staff fought Lira to get inside the classroom and get the children out, sheriff's officials say.

They told authorities Lira showed signs of being on narcotics or a hallucinogen. As she struggled with staff, she took off her clothes.

By the time deputies arrived, Lira had barricaded herself in the classroom again. Deputies say she was throwing things, toppling over desks and putting on and removing her clothes over and over again.

“She wasn’t threatening to harm the children, but her behavior was dangerous for those kids to be in the classroom,” explained Lt. Christopher May of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. “At one point she actually threw an object through a class window at the fire department, so that was a dangerous situation for the kids to be in.”

Law enforcement was eventually able to take Lira into custody, and she was first transported to the hospital for evaluation.

On Thursday, investigators returned to the school and interviewed students to count her offenses. Lira was taken to Las Colinas Woman's Detention Facility on 14 felony counts of child endangerment and 14 felony counts of false imprisonment.

The suspect could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.

The Lemon Grove School District had social workers and therapists at the campus for those affected by the incident. Lemon Grove Academy is a seventh and eighth grade school located at 7885 Golden Avenue.

On Friday, NBC 7 spoke with Lemon Grove School District Superintendent Ernie Anastos about the odd occurrence, which he said happened in a classroom where children attend an after-school homework club. The children in the club are between nine and 11 years old.

“It was unsettling and upsetting for the kids. This happened over a period of 20 to 30 minutes,” Anastos said. “The attendant was acting strangely. She started saying things that were unusual and she started acting in a behavior that scared the kids.”

“She was saying they don’t have to follow the rules anymore. She maybe referenced Satan,” Anastos continued. “She was behaving strangely and was clearly not herself.”

“One of the little boys in the class had the sense to take the walkie-talkie and press the button down so everyone else could hear what was going on. Once that decision was made, everyone arrived on the scene,” he added, praising that student’s quick thinking.

Anastos said Lira had been working for the school district for two months. He said all staffers, including Lira, undergo an extensive background check before employment that includes a physical exam, drug testing and fingerprinting. Lira was completely cleared through that process, Anastos said.

“What happened in the last couple days is beyond explanation that I might have,” he added. “This was unexpected, baffling behavior.”

The superintendent said the principal of Lemon Grove Academy met with parents following the incident and all parents of children in the after-school program were given details on what happened in that classroom.

Anastos said the 14 children involved in the incident were doing well on Thursday when they returned to the after-school program.

The Jenesse Center, a domestic violence shelter in Los Angeles, got a helping hand Thursday from one of the community's best known companies after Sit 'n Sleep donated 75 new Tempur-Pedic mattresses.

"Many times it's the first good night's sleep they've had in months," said Karen Earl, the director of the center, which houses 300 families. "Honestly, where I was I didn’t have a bed."

"Sarah" is one of 11,000 domestic violence victims in LA County.

She and 300 other women and children found sanctuary at the shelter in a secret location in South LA.

Along with brightly colored apartments, the shelter also includes a child care center, mental health care, education, and even a "style room" to prepare women to find jobs.

"The Jenesse Center has changed me tremendously," Sarah said. "I am a different person than when I first came here."

Experts say abused women on the run are most at-risk when they return home to get their belongings.

"We want to take away every excuse anybody can have," Earl said. "Just leave. We got stuff."

Sit 'n Sleep's iconic spokesman Larry Miller says he hopes his donation will inspire other companies to look for ways to give back.

"Maybe we can touch a few other business people," Miller said. "If everybody gives a little bit we’ll be much better off."

A man was arrested after driving a stolen cab all the way from Orange County to Lancaster.

The pursuit started when the taxi was left unattended with the keys in the vehicle while a taxi driver went into a 7-Eleven in Santa Ana at around 11 p.m. Thursday night, a Santa Ana Police Department spokesman said.

And after running a gauntlet of PIT maneuvers and spike strips, driving on burst tires for much of the way, he was finally apprehended in Lancaster at around 3 a.m. Friday.

The chase began when the taxi's owner went outside he saw that his cab was stolen and called police.

The pursuit traveled from Orange County to Los Angeles County over several freeways before encircling East Los Angeles. At one point the driver endangered lives by speeding through an active construction zone on the 5 freeway.

The chase started out at slow speeds of around 30 mph. But once officers tried to spin out the car, the driver sped up to 80 mph for a short time before slowing down.

Jason Kandel, Michael Larkin and Joe Studley contributed to this report

The toll lanes that promised faster freeway rides through Downtown Los Angeles may actually be creating more traffic headaches.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority converted the carpool lanes on the 110 and 10 freeways into toll lanes in 2012. The Metro ExpressLanes are basically carpool lanes, but solo drivers can pay to use them with a rate that depends on how bad traffic is at a particular time.

The goal is to improve travel times for all commuters by shifting single-occupancy vehicles into the toll lanes, thereby freeing up space in regular lanes.

But two years later, traffic in the paid lanes has grown by almost 20 percent, officials say.  In fact, drivers tell the I-Team that cars in the toll lanes are often moving at a much slower pace than those in the regular lanes.

One commuter who’s noticed the change is Orange County resident Jeremy Simmons, who navigates his motorcycle along the 110 Freeway to reach his job in downtown Los Angeles five days a week.

"Since they’ve turned into express lanes, they’ve actually gotten a lot worse," Simmons said. "They used to be pretty free flowing."

To illustrate the difference, Simmons videotaped his commute right after the lanes opened in 2012, and the exact route a year later. The video shows a dramatic increase in the volume of traffic in the MetroExpress lanes in 2013.

He repeated the experiment a few days ago, and the slowdown appears to be even worse. According to Simmons’ calculations, it’s now taking him more than 3 minutes longer to get to and from work every day – and having the option of lane-splitting on his motorcycle, he gets to travel more quickly and nimbly in traffic.

He told the I-Team that, according to his observations, "for carpoolers it’s gotten really bad. Their commute has gone from 8 or 10 minutes to 20 or 30."

Under federal law, high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane drivers must be able to go an average of 45 miles per hour or faster during peak hours.

"Ninety percent of the time… express lanes are traveling well above 45 miles per hour," said Rick Jager, spokesman for the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

Jager said some drivers who pay to commute faster may find traffic at a standstill after accidents and occasional police activity.

"If indeed the lanes show that they were slower than the 45 [miles per hour], we’ll credit their account," Jager continued. "We’re not here to gouge anybody."

Right now, tolls range from 25 cents to $1.40 a mile, for a maximum one-way price of $15.40 along the 11 mile route.

Motorcyclist Simmons says he’s not looking for a refund; he’d rather see the toll lanes living up to their original promise.

"All those people [who] used to drive in the carpool lane to get to work fast aren’t getting to work fast," said Simmons.

A woman was hospitalized after being dragged along by a car in a hit-and-run.

She was hurt after being struck by the vehicle at the junction of Wilmington Avenue and 120th Street in Willowbrook at around 10:30 p.m. Thursday, a Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman said.

She was dragged for 75 yards by the silver Hyundai sedan, and was found on 124th Street. She was taken to the hospital in an unknown condition. The driver is still at large.

Two teens are in custody after Philadelphia police say they forced a young woman into a gravel lot late Thursday night at gunpoint, then robbed and raped her in a crime so violent her screams could be heard by neighbors nearby.

The woman was walking home from the gym around 11 p.m. when the teenage boys approached her along the 3900 block of Richmond Avenue, not far from Castor Avenue, and one pulled out a gun, investigators said.

The pair then sexually assaulted the woman behind a factory and stole some of her belongings, authorities said. Someone in the area heard the woman's cries and called police.

"This was a very violent crime, a very heinous crime," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.

Responding officers took her descriptions of the suspects and apprehended two teens a few blocks away.

One suspect was found on the 3700 block of Richmond Street, the other on the 2300 block of East Butler Street, Small said. Both were positively identified and had cash and other items belonging to the woman, he said.

The woman did not have any injuries that required hospitalizion, said Small, who recalled the message the suspects gave before fleeing the scene.

"If she called the police or told anyone including her family, they would find and kill her and also her family," Small said. "You can imagine she was frightened when she was reporting this information to the Philadelphia Police officers who responded."

Police have not recovered the gun used in the crime. Authorities plan to review surveillance video from nearby businesses' security cameras as part of their investigation.