An eerie projection of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden appeared on a war monument in Brooklyn's Fort Greene Park early Tuesday, hours after a large bronze bust of the ex-CIA worker that had been affixed to the statue overnight was removed by police and parks crews.

The projection of the 4-foot bust illuminated the sky before dawn, hovering over the same monument pillar where an anonymous artists' group had erected the 100-pound sculpture the night before. The word "Snowden" glowed at the bottom of the statue at the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument, where the name had been adhered before it was removed Monday afternoon.

The Illuminator Art Collective, the mission of which is to "smash the myths of the information industry and shine a light on the urgent issues of our time," according to its website, recreated the bust "ephemerally by projecting an image of the sculpture in a cloud of smoke," its Facebook page said.

"The Parks Department and NYPD censored the work by placing a large tarp over Snowden's epitaph, so that while they worked to remove the artwork it remained concealed to the public," the Illuminator Art Collective wrote on Facebook. "Our feeling is that while the State may remove any material artifacts that speak in defiance against incumbent authoritarianism, the acts of resistance remain in the public consciousness. And it is in sharing that act of defiance that hope resides."

The group and some neighborhood advocates are calling for a community-based process to determine what happens to the bronze bust. The installation was captured on video; it showed several people in construction gear carting the bust into the park, then using a scaffold to hoist it to the top of the pillar. The anonymous artists who put it there told Animal New York it cost thousands of dollars to make and that they made a mold so they could create more Snowden effigies.

The NYPD says its intelligence division is looking into the statue and will be looking for DNA and other clues that may lead to arrests. It's not clear what charges could be filed in the case.

The Prison Ship Martyrs Monument is a centerpiece of Fort Greene Park and marks the burial sites of more than 11,500 men and women who died aboard British prison ships during the Revolutionary War. 

A Southern California man who fought to survive a fiery freeway crash is now battling his insurance company for a peaceful night’s sleep.

In October 2013, Donovan Dixon was driving a fuel tanker on the 710 Freeway in Commerce when a bus being towed in front of him lost its rear axle. The debris from the axle caused Dixon’s truck to jackknife and smash through a barrier, which left the cab dangling 100 feet in the air off an overpass. His big rig exploded in flames, forcing him to make a leap of faith to survive.

"Once I heard the boom, I knew I had to get out. Either that, or I’m just going to burn up," Dixon told the I-Team. "I just closed my eyes and I just let go."

Injuries from the 70 foot drop put Dixon in a coma for three months. He regained consciousness, but his injuries left him disabled and burned over more than 60 percent of his body.

"He had a fractured pelvis, fractured sacrum, he had surgery, he lost part of his intestines and he had kidney failure," Dixon’s attorney Keith More said.

Insurance company AIG has been paying for Dixon’s medical bills and rehabilitation under workers' compensation, but has refused his latest claim.

It is literally what keeps him up at night.

"When I’m in bed, it’s pain," he said.

Since the pain and fatigue from his injuries limit Dixon’s mobility when he’s lying down, his doctor has recommended a special adjustable bed that can help him sit up, and features a unique mattress that can prevent the bed sores caused by burns and skin grafts.

But, according to Dixon’s attorney, despite his primary physician’s recommendation, AIG requested further medical review, then denied the claim for the $4,000 bed.

AIG declined to speak with the I-Team about the specifics of Dixon’s case, but sent the following statement:

"We do not comment on specific workers’ compensation claims. AIG works closely with doctors, other medical providers, and our customers to help people heal and recover from their injuries as quickly and as completely as possible. AIG is obligated to follow California’s workers’ compensation laws and carefully considers the decisions of independent doctors when it comes to questions about the medical necessity of treatments. AIG devotes extensive expertise and resources to help ensure that all injured people covered by our insurance are treated within the expert care guidelines established by California’s medical community."

Dixon’s attorney, Mr. More, criticizes the company’s decision.

"He is entitled to medical treatment and the workman’s comp carrier has an obligation to provide reasonable and necessary care," said More. "Isn’t reasonable and necessary care a bed for him to sleep in? Something that can assist in wound care for him, something can heal the 60 percent of his body that’s covered in burns? I gotta say yes. But AIG in this case has said no."

More also places blame on California’s complex workers' compensation laws, which he says create more red tape, making it easier for insurance providers to challenge coverage for critical or disabling injuries.

Caught in the middle of it all is Dixon. Now that he can no longer work as a truck driver, he simply can’t afford to buy the bed on his own.

"I don’t want [AIG] to have to pay for anything I don’t need," Dixon said. "When I’m done with this bed, they can come get if they want. I just need it for the time being."

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.

The images below illustrate the severity of California's drought with past and recent images from around the state, now in its fourth consecutive dry year.

Some of the images are from north-central California's Lake Oroville, where receeding water levels over the past four years have revealed large swaths of lakebed. Other images from NASA show the dramatic snowpack reduction in the Sierra Nevada range, where springtime runoff provides water for an estimated 25 million Californians.

App Users: Scroll to bottom of article to access images on mobile site

Lake Oroville: July 20, 2011 - Aug. 19. 2014

The image below shows Lake Oroville near the Bidwell Marina in north-central California. The first image shows full water under the Green Bridge in July 2011. The second image from August 2014 shows a dramatic change as the lake reached 32 percent of its total 3,537,577 acre feet.

Folsom Dam: July 20, 2011 - Aug. 19, 2014

In the image below, full water levels are seen at Folsom Dam at Folsom Lake on July 20, 2011 in El Folsom, California. Significant lower water levels are visible behind the dam on August 19, 2014 in the next image, which shows the lake at 40 percent of its total capacity of 977,000 acre feet.

Bidwell Marina, Oroville: July 20, 2011 - Aug. 19, 2014

The images below show Bidwell Marina at Lake Oroville in north-central California in July 2011 and August 2014. Lake and reservoir water levels across the state are at historic lows.

Lake Oroville, Enterprise Bridge: July 20, 2011 - Aug. 19, 2014

The before-and-after images below provide an aerial view of Enterprise Bridge over Lake Oroville. The first image show full water levels in July 2011, the second image shows a significant water-level drop in August 2014.

Sierra Nevada Range: January 2013 - January 2014

These NASA images show the difference in Sierra Nevada range snowpack between January 2013 and January 2014. Springtime runoff from the snowpack provides water for millions of Californians.

Mount Shasta: Nov. 1, 2013 - Jan. 4, 2014

NASA's Operational Land Imager on the Landsat 8 satellite captured these images of California’s Mount Shasta. The first shows a snow-covered peak in January 2014, the second shows a naked landscape in November 2014 after a dry season.

More California Drought Images

Click on the galleries below to view more drought images from around California, including a look at the dismal snowpack in the Sierra Nevadas.

A ruptured gas main prompted evacuations of about 150 people in Temple City Tuesday morning, according to officials from the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The break happened in the 9200 block of Pentland Street just before 8:30 a.m. when a 2-inch gas line was ruptured by a plumbing company doing construction in the area, officials said.

The break sent a mixture of gas and dirt spouting into the air. Officials wet the area around the leak to prevent any static sparks that could cause a fire. 

Ernie Rodriguez said it was the biggest leak he'd seen in the 23 years of working construction. 

"When we heard the pressure coming out, we could smell it right away," he said. 

Over 100 people at a nearby adult learning school were safely evacuated to La Rosa Elementary School in the 9300 block of La Rosa Drive.

Officials with the LACFD suggested that the elementary school go on lockdown out of precaution.

"Gas dissipates quickly into the atmosphere so it's a local threat but with the school right next to it where the gas leak was we wanted to make sure we had the students moved away," Dave Thies said, battalion chief for the LACFD. 

Pentland Street between Encinita and Alessandro avenues and Fratus Drive between Pentland and Kennerly streets were both closed “due to a gas leak”, officials from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. Both roads were reopened shortly after 11 a.m. 

No one was injured during the incident. Officials expected crews to complete repairs on the broken line by the afternoon. 

Travelers left more than $675,000 in loose change at Transportation Security Administration airport checkpoints last year.

Where did passengers leave the most money?

App Users: Scroll to bottom of page to view graph on mobile site

About $41,500 in loose change was discarded and never picked up by travelers at Los Angeles International Airport in fiscal year 2014, an amount second only to the $42,550 left behind at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. TSA agents at San Francisco turned over $34,889 in unclaimed changed, third on the list.

The agency makes "every effort" to return the money, usually removed from pockets and placed in containers at checkpoints before passengers pass through screening areas, according to the TSA. But money that goes unclaimed is turned into the TSA financial office.

The money is deposited into a special fund account and used for security operations in accordance with a 2005 law passed by Congress.

The $675,000 left at checkpoints in fiscal year 2014 is a nearly $37,000 increase over 2013. The figure is a significant increase over 2008, when $383,400 went unclaimed.

Two children and two adults were hurt in two-car crash in Brentwood on Tuesday afternoon, fire officials said.

The collision took place in the 13100 block of Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles Fire Department officials said.

Sunset Boulevard was shut down in both directions at Mandeville Canyon Road as first responders worked at the scene, officials said.

Preliminary information from LAFD indicated that five people had been hurt, three critically. Officials later revised that number.

No further information was immediately available.

Refresh this page for updates on this developing story.
 

A Pacific storm system brought rain and snow to Southern California Tuesday, along with strong winds, but the wet weather will end Wednesday, forecasters said.

Light showers began developing across San Luis Obispo County late Monday evening, then spread southeast across the area on a trajectory that will put them in the Los Angeles basin this afternoon and evening, according to the NWS.

The storm is currently leaving Ventura County and moving into LA County, according to National Weather Service spokesman Stuart Seto.

Showers will continue in Los Angeles County this evening, and a slight chance of showers will linger over northern and eastern mountain slopes late tonight into Wednesday morning, said an NWS statement.

The snow level will fall from 5,500 to 5,000 feet by the afternoon, then to near 4,500 feet by late Tuesday, but by then only light showers are expected, along with snow flurries and little accumulation, the statement added.

Between two and four inches of snow are expected above 5,000 feet, although up to six inches is possible in some spots, forecasters said. Nonetheless, no weather-related difficulties or road closures are expected in the Interstate 5 Corridor, they said.

Gusty southwest winds will also lash the region. The strongest will be in the San Gabriel Mountains and the Antelope Valley, where gusts of between 40 and 50 miles per hour will be common, NWS forecasters said. A wind advisory will be in effect from noon until 9 p.m. Tuesday in the San Gabriel Mountains and the Antelope Valley.

"As we anticipate the storm, we’re going to get the wind first," NBC4 meteorologist Crystal Egger said. "The strongest winds will be over the mountains and deserts today, coming up out of the southwest ahead of that upper level low."

Total rainfall amounts resulting from this late-season weather system out of the Gulf of Alaska are expected to be between a quarter-inch and a half- inch in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, half the volume expected in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, although up to one inch of rain may fall in the mountains and foothills, and between a quarter-inch and a third of an inch of rain per hour could come down when the rainfall reaches a peak, according to the NWS.

The quick-moving storm won't be enough to quench California's thirst, however. In terms of total rainfall, California has received around 7.5 percent per year for the last four years. This equates to a 50 percent decrease of what the state typically experiences, which is 15 percent per year, according to the NWS.

"We need four years of rainfall," Seto said. "But anything helps," he added.

"This storm should bring localized ponding of water on low-lying streets and highways due to clogged drains," warned an NWS statement.

"Wet oil-slicked roads due to the first significant rainfall in a while will impact the morning and afternoon commutes" today, it added.

The threat of mud and debris flows over slopes denuded by wildfire "is low," although it should be monitored, forecasters said.

In Glendora, where residents near the Colby Fire burn area are constantly on the lookout for rain that could generate mudslides, city officials raised the alert level even though problems were not anticipated. The Yellow alert level calls for residents to remove vehicles and other objects from roadways to ensure emergency crews can access the hillsides and to protect them from any potential mud and debris flows.

The NWS forecast highs Tuesday of 44 on Mount Wilson; 56 in Palmdale; 57 in Lancaster; 58 in Saugus; 59 in Avalon; 60 in Burbank and Woodland Hills; 61 in San Clemente; 62 in Pasadena and Laguna Beach; 63 at LAX and in San Gabriel; 64 in downtown L.A., Anaheim and Newport Beach; 65 in Long Beach and Fullerton; 66 in Yorba Linda; and 67 in Irvine and Mission Viejo.

Sunny skies will return to the Los Angeles area Wednesday, and temperatures will be slightly higher — two or three degrees in several communities.

Philadelphia Mayoral candidate Lynne Abraham is recovering after a scary moment during Tuesday night’s mayoral debate.

The former Philly District Attorney collapsed as State Senator Anthony Hardy Williams answered questions.

Abraham was quickly helped to her feet and taken off stage.

A doctor checked out Abraham and told NBC10 she had fallen ill but would be okay. She did not return for the rest of the debate.

Abraham later told NBC10 her blood pressure was low but that she was feeling fine though she regrets missing the rest of the debate.

"I fell gracefully," she said. "The lights went out."

Stay with NBC10.com for updates on this developing story.
 

A dramatic NYPD rescue of a suicidal woman from the Kosciuszko Bridge Monday was captured on video, showing the moment two veteran officers were able to convince the woman to allow herself to be pulled up over the railing and onto the ground above the bridge. 

The 45-year-old Brooklyn woman was standing on a 5-inch pipe on the outside of the bridge, which connects Brooklyn and Queens over the Newtown Creek, when officers were called there, according to police. 

Emergency Service Units responded, as did a detective from the 108th Precinct station in Long Island City, police said. Det. Meghan Kinsella, a 14-year veteran who worked as a domestic violence officer for more than nine years, had just finished a home visit when she heard the 911 call and went to assist in the response.

Kinsella, along with Det. Steven Stefanakos of the ESU, began talking to the woman and taking turns engaging in conversation, despite her not being responsive at first, they said. 

"As a woman and a mother, I was nervous for her," Kinsella told NBC 4 New York. "I knew I wanted to do my best to get her back up." 

Kinsella said she tried to convince the woman the officers would be withe her every step of the way. She and Stefanakos took turns speaking with her for nearly two and a half hours. 

Stefanakos, a 24-year veteran with 20 years in the ESU, said when he first started speaking with her, she released a wire she was holding onto and bent her knees as if she was going to jump.

"I told her, I don't know what is going on and what is happening with you, but give us a chance to talk to you," he said. When he mentioned family and children, she grabbed back onto the wire.

Stefanakos, a father himself, said that's when he knew he'd made a critical connection with her. An instructor with the ESU, he teaches officers how to interact with emotionally disturbed persons in crisis and he was able to recognize that the woman was calling out for help, the NYPD said. 

Eventually, Stefanakos and Kinsella were able to convince the woman to come off the ledge, and that's when the officers reached over, grabbed the woman and pulled her up to safety.

"The first thing I did was I grabbed her, hugged her and kissed her, and I said, 'You're so brave,'" said Kinsella. 

EMS took the woman to Elmhurst Hospital for treatment. 

"It's a huge relief," said Stefanankos. "It actually is euphoric because you made a difference in somebody's life, right there and then."

Kinsella said, "I'm a mom, so I just wanted to get her home safe with her family." 

Do you love or hate your supermarket? A lot of it may depend on how fresh it seems, according to a Consumer Reports survey.

The survey found that some supermarkets deliver much fresher food than others. Consumer Reports rated 68 supermarkets across the country on the quality of their fresh food, based on a survey of almost 63,000 of its readers.

They were asked about the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, store-prepared foods and baked goods, as well as things like cleanliness, staff courtesy and prices.

Only about 60 percent of shoppers say they’re highly satisfied with the quality of their store’s poultry and meat. And only half are happy with their store’s prepared food and bakery options.

Walmart Supercenter, the biggest grocery chain in the country, scored near the bottom of the ratings. People gave Walmart low marks in all freshness categories. It also didn’t do so well for its courteous staff and store cleanliness.

It did score better than many chains for its prices, but it wasn’t the best for price. Consumer Reports contacted Walmart for a comment and was given a statement from the CEO, Doug McMillon, which he delivered to an investors meeting and said in part: “Every store I go in has room to improve … And if we nail those, one store at a time, our short-term performance gets better.”

Consumer Reports’ top-scoring supermarkets included several regional stores like Sprouts Farmers Market as well as Trader Joe’s and Costco, which both got better ratings than Walmart for prices.

Other top ranking San Diego stores include Stater Brothers, Whole Foods Market and Food 4 Less. The survey questions included price, store cleanliness, store-prepared foods, courteous staff and checkout speed.

In a ruling originating out of Orange County, the state Supreme Court today ruled that circumstantial evidence such as an officer's observations can be used to show a motorist had a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit.

The case began with Ashley Jourdan Coffey suing the state Department of Motor Vehicles, which suspended her driving privileges after she pleaded guilty to a ``wet reckless'' charge.

Coffey was arrested Nov. 13, 2011, about 1:30 a.m., after an officer spotted her swerving while southbound on the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway. The officer concluded Coffey was drunk based on her red eyes, a strong odor of alcohol and her difficulty with field sobriety tests, according to the high court's ruling.

Coffey ``denied having consumed any alcoholic beverages, offering the rather implausible story that she had just turned 21 years old, had been in a bar, but had not herself consumed any alcoholic beverages,'' the justices' ruling says.

Coffey also had difficulty with breath tests, requiring several attempts by officers to get a sample.

About an hour after she was pulled over, her blood-alcohol level was measured at .08 percent. Another test three minutes later showed her level had risen to .09 percent, above the legal limit. Blood tests done later showed a level of .095 percent. Coffey later accepted a plea deal to admit misdemeanor reckless driving and then requested a hearing before the DMV to challenge the suspension of her license.

Coffey hired an expert to testify that her blood-alcohol level was below the legal limit when she was arrested, and that the tests proved it was rising while she was in custody.

A DMV hearing officer rejected the expert testimony, saying it was not supported by the evidence provided by law enforcement. An appellate court sided with the DMV, and the state's high court granted a review of the opinion. The state Supreme Court agreed with Coffey on at least one point -- that her expert's testimony should have been considered and not rejected, but it did not set precedent on that issue because the law is unclear whether it applies to administrative hearings.

The Supreme Court suggested lawmakers consider clarifying the law to make it clear whether it applies to administrative proceedings as well as ``prosecutions.''

Attorney Chad Maddox, who represented Coffey in the lawsuit, said it's possible the ruling could have a ``ripple effect'' in criminal prosecutions. The ruling establishes for the first time some guidelines on how to handle a DUI defense when the chemical tests are not conclusive and other circumstantial evidence is taken into account, Maddox said.

For instance, it can now be argued that a DMV hearing officer cannot just reject testimony from an expert and must consider that evidence, as well, Maddox told City News Service.

``They did throw the defense a bone or two and gave us some silver linings,'' Maddox said. The ruling, however, could grant greater weight to circumstantial evidence such as a heavy odor of alcohol, he said. ``The danger is (DMV hearing officers) will think everything is strong enough,'' Maddox said.

The ruling also may provide attorneys more guidance on the issue of field sobriety tests, he said.

For instance, they should only be used to decide whether an officer has probable cause to arrest a motorist and then subject him or her to blood or breath tests. The results of a field sobriety tests should not be used to prove impairment without other evidence, Maddox said.

The ruling ``has the potential to weaken criminal prosecutions on the impairment statute only,'' Maddox said.

A key difference between an administrative hearing such as a license suspension at the DMV and the criminal courts, Maddox noted, is that the agency must prove its case by a ``preponderance'' of the evidence as opposed to a criminal court case which requires the higher threshold of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Businesses and homeowners in Newport Beach are taking steps towards conserving water that will hopefully add up in the fight against California's drought and limit the fines the city faces for not meeting the statewide quota of reducing water consumption by 25 percent.

"Making people ask for a glass of water, instead of just handing them a glass of water, and then going to more disposables to cut down on a lot of the dishwashing," Andrew Gabriel said, a restaurant owner in the coastal community.

The city of Newport Beach already limits lawn watering to four times a week and prohibits residents from refilling their pools more than one foot a week.

After months spent "educating" residents about what days they can water lawns and how much water they use, Newport Beach officials are seeking new authority to issue fines and have been sending out hundreds of warnings.

"We liked the friendly approach, and it seems to be working well, but we aren't afraid to issue citations," said George Murdoch, the city's utilities general manager.

Since last July, Newport Beach residents used 124 gallons a day, compared with 100 gallons a day used by others who live in nearby beach communities. Much still has to be done, but officials say they they're at least heading in the right direction.

"Especially on the outdoor irrigation. Restricting the days of the week was challenging for some. A lot of homeowners don't even know how to change the timer on their sprinkler system so they call in and say, 'how do I do this?', so we know that they're getting the message and reducing," Murdoch said.

The water board has given local water departments discretion to come up with their own conservation rules but has set some statewide regulations, such as banning lawn watering 48 hours after rain and prohibiting restaurants from serving water unless customers ask.

The agency is also going to direct municipalities to charge customers in a way that penalizes overconsumption.

Delays are expected on the Wednesday morning commute after a cargo train got stuck due to a broken railway line in Orange County Tuesday night.

The locomotive became trapped, but did not derail, near where Imperial highway meets the 91 Freeway in Anaheim.

Metrolink said workers would be fixing the tracks overnight, but there was no estimated time for completion of the repairs.

The company said the following services would be affected:

• IEOC Line: Major service disruption is expected Wednesday morning due to BNSF derailment. Please use alternate transportation if possible.
• 91 Line: Major service disruption is expected Wednesday morning due to BNSF derailment. Please use alternate transportation if possible.

A man saved from a burning office building in Los Angeles' Westlake neighborhood said he is overjoyed he will still be able to spend time with his grandkids.

Dickie Molina and his wife were stuck on the fifth floor of the high rise on West Olympic Boulevard, and had taken refuge next to a window as they tried to get the attention of the people below. Eventually a Los Angeles Fire Department ladder truck was deployed, and the couple made the long descent to safety on the street below.

Tearfully recalling his rescue, Molina said, "(The firefighter) said it is not your time. I still get to see my grandchildren."

The couple had found themselves trapped as the inferno raged through the building, and quick-thinking Molina decided they would be better off staying near fresh air than trying to find their way out inside.

"I knew that usually the fire doesn’t get you, the asphyxiation, the inhalation will kill you, so I said go back in, open up the window," Molina said.

He tried to get the attention of people below by waving, shouting and throwing anything that came to hand.

Nelson Linares was leaving a nearby gym when he saw Molina.

"I just spotted him throwing stuff out of there. I don't know if it was newspaper, paper, trying to get someone's attention," Linares said.

Within minutes a truck was sent to save him, and he was heading down five stories on a ladder.

The fire in the 1500 block of West Olympic Boulevard was reported at 7:45 p.m. The cause of the fire is  unclear.

Several other people managed to escape the flames by evacuating.

Dinosaur bones estimated to be 100 million years old recently discovered in Mansfield by a 4-year-old boy are now on their way to Southern Methodist University in Dallas for further study.

The dinosaur bones were first discovered in September next to a Mansfield retail center that was under construction.

Since the discovery, experts have been digging and excavating near the Sprouts grocery store on Matlock Road and Debbie Lane.

When all of that earth and dirt was dug up to make way for the shopping center, a Dallas zookeeper who lives nearby thought he'd be able to find fish fossils.

The whole area was covered in water millions of years ago, said the Dallas Zoo.

Zookeeper Tim Brys thought his son Wiley, 4, would enjoy going on a fossil hunt.

"We commonly go collect fossils as something we can do together to be outside. Wiley enjoys coming with me on my trips," Brys explained.

"We were finding some fish vertebrae in the hillside, and then Wiley walked a little ways ahead of me and came back with a piece of bone. And I paused and was like, 'OK, where did you find this?'"

Wiley didn't know it at the time, but what he discovered was a 100-million year old dinosaur bone, according to experts at SMU's Digital Earth Sciences Laboratory.

Talk about beginner's luck.

"It's probably a once in a lifetime opportunity," Brys said with a smile. "And he was four."

Experts believe the bones belong to a group of dinosaurs called the Nodosaur — about 15-feet long with hard, scaly plates on their back. Nodosaur's were herbivores, and lived in the late Jurassic to early Cretaceous periods.

Wiley was a bit camera-shy and didn't want to talk on camera, but like a true paleontologist he had no problem showing NBC 5 how to properly dig for dinosaurs.

At SMU's Digital Earth Sciences Laboratory the cement-and-plaster casing currently protecting the bones will be carefully broken apart over the next few weeks. Then, the bones can be analyzed and studied by expert paleontologists.

"It was awesome, it was really exciting," Brys said. "It's a really rare dinosaur, it's possible it could even be a new species."

Four suspected smugglers have been charged in a Southern California kidnapping scheme, accused of holding a Mexican national in a padlocked shed and beating him because he could not pay their smuggling fee.

The man got into the U.S. on Nov. 8, 2014, with the help of Jose Duerte, Kandra Teleford, John Vincent Bellino II and Raul H. Perez, according to a federal indictment unsealed in El Centro Tuesday.

But five days later, the plan started to go awry when the suspects discovered the victim could not pay the $5,000 smuggling charge. The man was taken to Los Angeles and then to a hotel in Brawley, where he says two of the men assaulted him.

Finally, he was put in a shed, which his captors chained and padlocked, the indictment states.

The victim says on Nov. 15, he overheard the suspects, standing outside the shed, talking about killing him. That evening, he decided to call 911 on his cellphone.

Police traced his call to the 1500 block of A Street in Brawley, where they found one of the suspects. While talking to him, the police sergeant heard yelling and banging coming from inside the shed, according to prosecutors.

They pried the doors open and freed the man inside. He told them the suspected smugglers had beaten him and taken his money.

Court records say the suspects also made ransom demands to the man’s family, eventually accepting a wire transfer from his daughter and stealing a car from her home at gunpoint.

Duarte and Telford, both of Arizona, were arrested the day police discovered the victim. Bellino II was arrested April 2 in his hometown of Phoenix, about the same time Perez was taken into custody in his hometown of Brawely.

Perez was charged with conspiracy to commit hostage taking and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Bellino was charged with same counts, as well as carrying and brandishing a firearm in the commission of a crime.

Duarte and Teleford face charges of kidnapping, hostage taking and transportation of “certain aliens,” as well as conspiracy to commit hostage taking and kidnapping.

All defendants could get life in prison if found guilty. It’s unclear if they have obtained attorneys.

Mexican soldiers announced Tuesday they had discovered an unfinished tunnel in Tijuana, intended to smuggle drugs into the U.S.

Authorities found the tunnel, which stretched nearly 500 feet, beneath a house under construction. It sat about two blocks from federal police offices and near the Tijuana International Airport.

Nine people were arrested in the operation, and soldiers seized 44 pounds of marijuana from the illegal project, equipped with electricity and ventilation systems.

The tunnel had not yet reached U.S. soil before the bust, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lauren Mack.

Two drivers are sought in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a man early Wednesday as he crossed an Orange County street.

The 30-year-old victim was struck by a silver Honda Pilot on Brookhurst Street south of Warner Avenue at around 3:20 a.m, a Fountain Valley Police Department spokesman said. Police reviewed surveillance video that showed the vehicle and said a second driver later ran over the victim.

The vehicle in the initial crash likely has significant front-end damage, police said.

The pedestrian was taken to a trauma center with critical injuries, but later died. He was walking outside of a marked crosswalk, police said.

The southbound stretch of Brookhurst Street were closed south of Warner Avenue until just after 7 a.m.

An Arizona evangelist who has sparked a whirlwind of controversy with his phone call to an Orlando-area bakery says he's being wrongly portrayed as "anti-gay."

Cut the Cake bakery, in Longwood, tells NBC affiliate WESH it has lost business and faced harassment since last week when evangelist Joshua Feuerstein posted a video of the bakery owner refusing to make a cake that said, "We do not support gay marriage."

Feuerstein talked to WESH 2 News via Skype on Tuesday and said he opposes same-sex marriage, but he has no hatred for the LGBT community.

He said his goal was to show that those on both sides of the issue should have the freedom to refuse service when it conflicts with their beliefs.

"We wanted to see if a pro-LGBT bakery would bake a cake for something that it was opposed to, what they believed in, and you know what, I actually believe that Cut the Cake has every right as an American to refuse to print that on a cake. But now, of course, the news story all across the nation is that I'm a bigot and a homophobe," he said.

As for the impact of Feuerstein's phone call on the baker, he said he quickly removed the posting when he learned that the owners were being harassed.

The bakery owner said she may pursue criminal charges against Feuerstein for recording the phone call without her consent.

It is illegal in the state of Florida to record a phone conversation without the knowledge of both parties. It is not known if Feuerstein taped his conversation with the bakery without informing them.

A GoFundMe account for the bakery has brought in over $14,000 to cover its losses.