A tornado ripped parts of rooftops from buildings and spewed debris in South Los Angeles on Friday as a powerful fall storm walloped the region, the National Weather Service confirmed.

The small EF0 tornado touched down about 9:20 a.m. and damaged an apartment complex roof, the roofs of two homes and a steel billboard, and knocked down trees.

Video captured by a witness showed winds bending palm trees before a sudden surge of roof material and debris went flying into the air.

The twister blew through streets from South Vermont and West Gage avenues to 57th and Figueroa streets, according to the NWS.

Wind speeds during the tornado reached 65 to 85 mph.

The whirling wind comes on a day when rains soaked SoCal, sending mudslides into Ventura County neighborhoods and burying homes under piles of rocks.

Arthur T. Demoulas and his family have completed the acquisition of Market Basket, ushering in an end to a years-long boardroom family feud over the grocery chain's future, they announced Friday.

The purchase of the 50.5 percent of the company they didn't already own was completed as of 1 p.m. Friday.

A spokesperson for Arthur T. Demoulas said specifics about the financial terms of the transaction will not be released, since the company is privately owned. Demoulas offered $1.6 billion in the buyout proposal.

Employees and customers of the New England supermarket chain staged protests and boycotts last summer after a family feud came to a head and beloved CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was ousted by his cousin. Artie T., as he is known to employees, bought back the company after the two sides reached an agreement in August.

Since Arthur T. Demoulas' team returned to Market Basket on Aug. 28, three new stores have opened, 1,300 new jobs were created and employee bonuses were paid out.

"Arthur T. Demoulas and the Market Basket team remain fervently dedicated to our customers and our More For Your Dollar commitment to them," said David McLean, Market Basket operations manager. "We eagerly embark on this new chapter for the company, and expect steady growth in both the near and long term. The world witnessed just how incredible our customers and Associates are and the rock solid commitment we have to our 'people first' culture."

Market Basket operates 73 stores in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Founded in 1917, it is based in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.

Congress has passed a bill that could potentially resolve the long-running church-state conflict featuring San Diego's Mount Soledad veterans memorial and cross.

The Senate passed the bill that sets defense policy by a vote of 89-11 on Friday. The legislation contains a provision from Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr. that authorizes the defense secretary to essentially sell the land containing the veterans memorial and a 43-foot cross to the Mount Soledad Memorial Association Inc., a private group that already maintains the site.

The House passed the bill last week, so now it goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.

Federal courts have consistently ruled that the cross is an unconstitutional effort by the government to endorse a religion. A judge has ordered the cross's removal.

It's unclear whether Hunter's legislation will end the litigation, however. Before the federal government took possession of the land in 2006, the city of San Diego tried to sell it to the same private group on two occasions, but neither attempt passed muster in the courts because the judges found that the sales process aided a sectarian purpose in violation of the California Constitution.

"This is a significant development in the decades-long fight against efforts to dismantle the memorial," said Hunter, whose district covers an area east of the site. "The assumption remains that legal challenges will continue, but at least now, this one veterans memorial, which is an important piece of the San Diego community, can no longer be perceived as a government endorsement of religion."

Local attorney James McElroy represents Steve Trunk, an atheist and Vietnam Veteran who sued the federal government to get the cross removed. McElroy said he is ready to talk about what it would take to settle the case. Whether the lawsuit continues will depend upon negotiations between the federal government and the association now maintaining the memorial, he said.

The government's failure to sell the land at a reasonable value or to give up full control of the memorial and cross would be signals that the government is still violating the Constitution.

"I'm not saying a settlement can happen, but it's at least something worth talking about," McElroy said.

The federal government has owned the land since 2006, when Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter Sr., the current congressman's father, authored legislation transferring ownership from the city of San Diego. At the time, the city faced fines of $5,000 each day if it did not remove the cross.
 

Two people are in police custody after a triple shooting in New Haven injured three people, one of them critically, when gunfire was exchanged near Sargent and Long Wharf drives Friday morning.

The shooting sent three local schools into lockdown as a precaution, and police roped off the area while they investigated the scene around 10:20 a.m.

All three people involved are young, and the shooting was not a random incident, police said.

Police have arrested 20-year-old Jose Antonio Rodriguez Aponte, 25-year-old Luis Rodriguez and 25-year-old Michael Claudio, a convicted felon.

"The general public knows that, with all great probability, this was not random, that the people involved in the shootout knew one anther and that they were specifically targeting one another," said New Haven police Chief Dean Esserman.

Aponte, who was shot in the head, is hospitalized in critical but stable condition. Rodriguez was shot in the leg. Police said Claudio was not hurt and was taken into custody in a marshy area on Sargent Drive after state police spotted him carrying a gun on traffic cameras nearby.

Police responded to the intersection this morning after receiving a 911 call and found Aponte bleeding from the head. Based on the preliminary investigation, police believe he had been driving a silver Honda that was struck by bullets. He got out of the car and collapsed at the scene. 

A woman who was in the car with him drove away and headed to Vernon Street, where she called someone to report she'd been shot in the foot, according to police.

Both victims were taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where the Aponte is listed in critical but stable condition. The passenger's injuries are not life-threatening, according to police.

Police said Rodriguez was driving another car involved, a black Honda with Maryland plates.

He was also shot, left the scene and lost control of the car on Howard Avenue at Second Street, where he ran, broke into a nearby home, hid on the second floor and called a relative, police said.

Police said the Rodriguez's injuries prevented him from being able to go back downstairs, so officers broke down a door to the home and coaxed him to surrender. He was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital and is listed in stable condition.

"He didn't know if we considered him a suspect and so it was just my job to diffuse the situation for him in his head and make him focus on the fact that he needed  medical attention, so that's what I did, and that we were able to help him, not make matters worse," said New Haven police Lt. Otniel Reyes.

Investigators have found four guns they believe are connected to the case and said they expect to make additional arrests. Aponte and Rodriguez have been charged with weapons violations and Claudio has been charged with gun crimes and first-degree assault.

Police said they expect to also charge Rodriguez with burglary for breaking into the home on Second Street.

"There's a lot to piece together, but amazingly, there's a lot of direction in how this is going to go," Esserman said.

A precautionary lockdown was issued for Sound School at 60 South Water Street, Betsy Ross Magnet School at 150 Kimberly Avenue and New Horizons School at 103 Hallock Avenue to make sure all students and staff were safe.

New Haven's police chief is apologizing for his behavior toward an usher at a Yale University football game in September, which prompted a Yale professor to complain to a city alderman.

Yale professor Daniel Weinberger sent a letter to his local alderman after a Yale-Army game during which, he said, New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman declined to show an usher his ticket.

The usher told Weinberger that Esserman was a "jerk," at which point the chief yelled at him and asked the usher's supervisor that he "be removed from the premises," according to Weinberger's complaint.

Chief Esserman admitted that he was wrong and said he apologized for the confrontation after it happened.

"He did the right thing by writing that letter," Esserman said of Weinberger Friday afternoon. "Not only did he do the right thing, but it reinforces how much I did the wrong thing."

The chief said he never tried to hide his conduct and has reflected on the events of that day.

"What I said was so off-base that I hope I win back my citizens' good faith over the years ahead," Esserman said. "Having a bad day is not an excuse. When you're wrong, you have to acknowledge it and you got to reflect on it."

New Haven Mayor Toni Harp declined to comment on the situation Thursday, citing personnel matters. Esserman said he hopes his dedication to serving the people of New Haven will compensate for his actions.

"But when you make a mistake, you need to acknowledge it. You need to be humbled by it, you need to really think on it and not try and defend yourself," he said.

Multiple aldermen said the complaint will be acknowledged at Monday's meeting but not discussed.

A Hartford firefighter who was arrested and placed on administrative leave after accidentally shooting his friend in the neck and jaw last month faced a judge in court today.

Justin Wood, 25, of East Hartford, has been charged with reckless endangerment and unlawful discharge of a firearm.

He has been with Engine 5 on Sigourney Street since December 2012 and is one of four or five members of the department currently on administrative leave.

According to the warrant for his arrest, Wood and victim Jose Medina were at a friend's apartment on Webster Street shortly after midnight Nov. 2 when Wood and the other friend began showing one another their guns. Police said both men were licensed to carry them.

Wood told police he handed the weapon to his friend, and when the friend was giving it back, the pistol accidentally discharged, striking Medina in the neck and jaw. The bullet pierced his jaw, fracturing it in several spots, and became lodged in the back of his neck.

Medina's lawyer said in a letter to the assistant state's attorney that Medina's injuries are inoperable and that his jaw is wired shut. He may need facial reconstruction surgery.

“The doctors also believe he suffered a minor stroke which affected three parts of the brain based on inadequate blood flow immediately after the shooting,” attorney John Ritson wrote in the letter, dated Dec. 9.

Wood, whose pistol permit has been remanded back to the state, told investigators he had brandy and two beers to drink prior to the shooting, according to the warrant.

He appeared briefly in court Friday and is due back before a judge Jan. 12.

Firefighters are responding to Park Street in Hartford after flames broke out at a building on the 700 block Friday night.

Smoke could be seen emanating from the fifth floor of the building, which houses residents, according to a neighbor at the scene.

It's not clear if anyone was inside the building when flames broke out. Authorities have not released any additional information.

Stay with NBC Conneticut for updates on this developing story.

L.L. Bean has just added a third shift at its factory in Brunswick, Maine, in an attempt to keep up with demand for its iconic boot.

Orders have quadrupled in the past few years as the boots have become more popular among a younger, more urban crowd.

The company says it saw the trend coming and tried to prepare, but orders outpaced projections. They expect to sell 450,000 pairs of boots in 2014.

People hoping to have the boots in time for Christmas are likely going to be disappointed. The boots are back ordered through February and even March.

"I've been told it's a good problem to have but I"m disappointed that customers not getting
what they want as quickly as they want," said Senior Manufacturing Manager Royce Haines.

Customers like, Mary Clifford, tried to order boots on line, but they were back ordered until January.

"I was very surprised this is what they are known for and at Christmas time you can't get them when you need them," said Clifford.

People who do have boots are trying to capitalize on the shortage and are selling them on Ebay at a much higher cost.

L.L. Bean says it has hired dozens of new boot makers, but it takes up to six months to train someone to make a boot.

The company has also spent a million dollars on new equipment to try and keep pace with demand.

Some customers are having luck at the retail stores. They have a separate inventory, and while sizes are limited, those stores have boots on the shelves.
 

It's been years in the making, and now Coltsville and its iconic dome are finally getting national park status.

Congress approved the plans for Coltsville Park, the first and only national park in the state, as part of a huge defense policy bill.

Congressman John Larson has spearheaded the effort for more than a decade, and Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra has testified in Washington, D.C. in favor of the move.

"[It's] an incredible monumental win, not just for the city of Hartford, for the whole region and our state," Segarra said. "To have a federal park designation here is just an incredible opportunity for our city in terms of growing jobs, in terms of attracting more tourism."

With its elevated title, the city expects the park to generate $150 million and create 1,000 jobs over the next five years.

Improvement plans to the more-than-200 acres of land are already in the works, and with the help of federal funds, the mayor says it will only accelerate from here.

"There's been a lot of infusion of capital dollars into this, and we are going to have to invest even more dollars for the world to see," said Segarra.

Plans include the creation of a museum and observation area overlooking the park.

"In many ways Coltsville helped to make America, and it is important now we have a museum and a place to tell the story," said Segarra.

Residents say the status will do a lot for the city's reputation.

"I think Hartford has a big misconception toward both the people and what's around, and this will hopefully be one step toward letting people understand how great Hartford can be," said Hartford resident Sean Sailer.

The mayor said he plans to work with the National Park Service and request the necessary resources to set the park up for success.

The city's police union is asking Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito not to attend funerals of NYPD officers killed in the line of duty, saying the pair doesn't "support and respect" police.

A petition letter, shown below, was sent to the mayor's office Friday, the Patrolman's Benevolent Association confirmed.

The petition, titled “Don’t Insult My Sacrifice,” reads in part:

“Due to Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Mark-Viverito's consistent refusal to show police officers the support and respect they deserve, I believe that their attendance at the funeral of a fallen New York City police officer is an insult to that officer's memory and sacrifice.”

The PBA has criticized city lawmakers after some council members have come out against a recent grand jury decision not to indict an NYPD officer in the chokehold death of an unarmed man.

Earlier this week, council members said they would ask the city's new police watchdog to investigate how the NYPD tracks abuse complaints against officers. The city's Civilian Complaint Review Board will also create community outreach offices across the city so New Yorkers can file complaints about police conduct.

PBA President Pat Lynch has issued a statement lambasting the city council's decisions and calling their rhetoric "double talk."

"They praise police with words and then take actions that clearly demonstrate their true lack of support for the very people who protect them and make their communities safe," Lynch has said.

Meanwhile, spokesmen for the mayor and speaker criticized the PBA's petition, calling it divisive and incendiary.

“This is deeply disappointing,” says the joint statement from spokesmen Phil Walzak and Eric Koch. “Incendiary rhetoric like this serves only to divide the city, and New Yorkers reject these tactics. The mayor and the speaker both know better than to think this inappropriate stunt represents the views of the majority of police officers and their families.” 

The Philadelphia Police Department has spent nearly $700,000 on overtime for policing recent protests in the city related to the deaths of unarmed black men Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

In a two week span, the overtime tab to have officers shut down streets, blockade highway entrances and ensure safe demonstration by protesters has reached approximately $683,000, Philadelphia Police spokesman Lt. John Stanford tells NBC10.

The demonstrations began on the evening of Nov. 24 after a Missouri grand jury declined to indict former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Brown, a unarmed black teenager. A little more than a week later, a grand jury in New York City declined to indict a New York Police officer in the chokehold death of Garner. The 43-year-old father was unarmed and the chokehold was caught on video.

Hundreds of people took part in the loud, but peaceful protests that included marches around Center City Philadelphia, North Philadelphia and die-in demonstrations inside 30th Street Station and outside Lincoln Financial Field. During the die-in protests, demonstrators lay down for 4 minutes and 30 seconds to represent the 4 hours and 30 minutes Brown’s body was on the ground after his death.

The protests, similar to ones held in cities across the United States, have questioned police treatment of African-Americans and sparked a national debate about race.

Philadelphia Police were out in force for these demonstrations. There were Civil Affairs officers, Strike Force officers, bicycle police and, at times, air support from the department’s helicopter fleet.

“Clearly, it’s a significant expenditure, but a necessary one to maintain public safety for all of those who are exercising their First Amendment rights and others who are impacted by demonstrations,” Mark McDonald, spokesman for Mayor Michael Nutter, said on Friday.

In the past, police have spent big bucks on overtime for both planned and unplanned events.

The department spent more than $1 million in overtime covering the Phillies World Series victory parade on Oct. 31, 2008. For the first five days of Occupy Philadelphia in 2011, the city spent $164,000 in officer overtime. An audit by City Controller Alan Butkovitz last year said the city spent nearly $64 million in police overtime overall in 2012.

The protest-related overtime bill will most likely grow before the end of the year.

The numbers were tabulated by the department at NBC10’s request. They account for police overtime worked for demonstrations through Sunday, Dec. 7, when demonstrators held a die-in outside the Philadelphia Eagles game. There have been at least two other protests since, including a die-in by medical students at the University of Pennsylvania and a march and demonstration at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

Authorities are investigating after a 20-year-old man was shot in the jaw in the area of the Hudson Street Projects in Hartford, according to police.

Police said the victim's injuries are not life threatening. The Hartford Police Department Major Crimes Unit is responding to the scene and has blocked off the road from 60 Wadsworth Street o Park Street.

Investigators are interviewing witnesses.

Check back for updates.

The town of Westbrook has filed an animal cruelty complaint against a woman whose horse was so weak and thin he had to be euthanized after falling into a pile of debris and struggling for 24 hours to get up.

According to the complaint filed Dec. 11 in Middletown Superior Court, animal control officers and veterinarians were called to the home of Kristin Calabrese and her husband Nick at 145 Green Meadow Drive in Westbrook on Nov. 30.

One of their horses, a 13-year-old Standardbred gelding named Killian, had wandered into a room full of junk and knocked over a paint can, falling to the floor. He never got back up.

Witnesses whose accounts are included in the complaint said the horse had apparently been lying there for a full day before the owners sought help. Officials said Killian was half his healthy weight.

“I have had many neglect cases over the years. This one was one of the worst,” one witness said in the complaint.

According to the witnesses, Killian’s stall was so full of manure he was able to climb over the rope keeping him in and ended up in a cluttered section of the garage, where he fell.

There was blood on the floor, and Killian was kicking his feet trying to get up. His body was covered with sores and he thirstily lapped at glasses of water the witnesses poured down his throat, according to the complaint.

“It was very sad to watch this horse try so hard to lift his head,” a witness said. “This horse was extremely dehydrated and was suffering.”

A vet who responded to the home said Killian was so weak he wouldn’t have the muscle mass to stay on his feet if they were able to get him up, so she opted for euthanasia.

Jeff Blaschke, owner of Connecticut Horse Cremation, said Killian's condition "just brought tears to [his] eyes."

An inspection of Killian’s stall revealed no food and water. Dust had collected on the bottom of his water bucket, and the one container of food in the barn was almost empty and had two dead mice at the bottom, according to the complaint.

“I noticed that the outdoor paddock was loaded with feces around the perimeter as well as twine used around hay bales everywhere,” one witness wrote. “This is dangerous as the horses can ingest the twine by accident and choke.”

The couple also had a pony in the barn, who was malnourished and full of parasites. According to the complaint, there was no food or water in her stall either and the floor was covered with excrement. Chloe, the pony, was taken into custody and brought to a rescue barn to be nursed back to health.

"It was a little rough for a while. I think they had been having a tough time with money and I think they were having issues, you know, getting the horses fed," explained neighbor Christa Diaz, who said she'd buy apples and carrots for the animals to eat. "I'd say at least a few years, I noticed the horses getting thinner and thinner."

Investigators checking the family home noticed a strong smell of ammonia and said the floor was littered with garbage. Two dogs and four cats living in the house seemed to be in good condition, but witnesses said they were worried about the safety of the couple’s 12-year-old daughter.

“I am concerned that if they neglected the horses so badly it may happen to the child,” one wrote in the complaint.

Kristin Calabrese has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty and has been issued a summons to appear in Middletown Superior Court on Dec. 18. She said she's been dealing with health problems but admitted that the situation got out of control. Calabrese said she will not own horses again.

"As an animal lover myself, it's tough, because, you know, animals sometimes have diseases which cause them not to gain weight and things like that," Diaz said. "So I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt hoping that they could figure it out, because I have seen vets here and there."

Nick Calabrese has not been charged because the horses are in his wife’s name, but witnesses said he “knew what was going on in the stable with both horses and did nothing to help them.”

"It was really upsetting. It really was," said Blaschke. "It's one of those things, when I came home, I had problems sleeping from it."

A box truck struck and knocked down a utility pole and wires in Westport Saturday morning, closing Sylvan Road to southbound traffic.

Cars can still get by on the northbound side of the road.

Connecticut Light & Power is on scene repairing the damage and working to restore power.

The accident remains under investigation and police said at 11:41 that they expect the road to be closed for another four to six hours. Police advise motorists to seek an alternate route.

More information will be provided when it becomes available.

A Southern California family is grateful to a woman who rescued their baby from a fiery wreck.

Early morning on Nov. 1, probation officer Maria Esparza was driving to work — a few minutes late — when she saw a car spin out on the freeway ahead of her.

The truck spun out of control and crashed into a wall and pole. The engine ignited and threatened to burn everything and everyone inside.

Esparza pulled the child out, while another passer-by helped pull out the driver.

"There is some primal instinct there," Esparza said. "You see a child cry and the adrenaline just shoots through the roof."

After pulling out baby Aaliyah, Esparza loaded the baby into her car and drove away to avoid explosions coming from the car's engine.

Almost six weeks later, Esparza still can't believe what happened.

The baby's family is grateful for her heroic actions.

"It was really early in the morning and a lot of people … don't do this much," said mother Sue Escalona. "They don't want to get hurt too, you know?"

Eighteen-month-old Aaliyah suffered a fractured skull and broken leg in the crash, but just got her cast off Friday and is recovering well.

Escalona said she thinks she would not be spending Christmas with her child were it not for Esparza's quick thinking.

"I really appreciate what you did," Escalona said to Esparza, adding that she's like family now. "Thank you."

A sailor who hadn't seen his children for more than 90 days in the last two years surprised his young sons while disguised as a knight at a dinner and show Friday night.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer Steve Hallock was at Medieval Times in Schaumburg, Illinois, clad in a knight's costume, and his young sons had no idea.

“I was very nervous,” Hallock, who was returning home from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, told NBC 5. “I’m still shaking a little bit. To [be able to] spend time with my boys, I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.”

Hallock's fatigues and his shoes were the only clues of his true identity. His two unsuspecting sons, Patrick, 9, and Seth, 5, were called from their seats, thinking they were becoming knights in front of the theater’s audience.

That is when Hallock removed his mask to the cheers of the crowd and the delighted surprise of his children.

Hallock remembered the day he had to tell his sons he was leaving for his second tour of duty.

“When I told these wonderful boys I was leaving, they were very upset,” Hallock said. “Skype is a wonderful thing.”

The crowd thanked Hallock for his 18 years of service in the U.S. Navy, and his family became emotional as they witnessed the surprise for the boys.

“I’m [almost] having trouble talking,” Hallock's father said. “I’m very proud of him.”

Now that Hallock is home, he's made some big plans with his sons. The next item on their agenda? Disney World!

While many Santa-clad celebrators will drink in the holiday season at New York City bars for the annual SantaCon pub crawl, people will not be able to do that on the train ride to and from the city for 24 hours due to the event.

The ban on Metro-North trains and at the stations will last from 9 a.m. Saturday to the same time on Sunday "to maintain orderly travel" during SantaCon. While alcohol is usually allowed on the trains, Metro-North is imposing the temporary ban "for the safety of customers and train crews," according to a news release.

While SantaCon has drawn some opposition from neighborhoods in the Big Apple, event organized are working to improve the reputation of the festive pub crawl and have hired a civil rights lawyer to ensure they are permitted in bars provided they abide by the laws, NBC New York reported.

MTA police officers at Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan and train stations on the route will be enforcing the liquor restriction, according to a news release. They will confiscate any alcohol people are carrying.

Anyone who violates the ban risks being escorted off the trains and out of the stations and could be fined as much as $50. Not heeding the ban could also mean prison time lasting up to 30 days.

A 19-year-old passenger died after the car she struck a light pole and rock wall before flipping multiple times.

Isabella Susanne Gozzo, 19, of Cheshire, was thrown from the car due to the impact of the collission after Anthony W. Longo, 22, of Berlin, lost control and veered off onto the right shoulder of the highway in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutio, state police said. After hitting a light pole and a rock wall, the car rolled over several times and landed on the highway median at the exit 21 on ramp to Route 9, state police said.

The one-car accident near Route 215 shut down the on and off ramp in the area for several hours, but the crash scene has since been cleared.

Hunter's Ambulance transported both Longo and Gozzo to Hartford Hospital, but Gozzo later died at the hospital.

The car owned by Longo's family member was heavily damaged and towed by Berlin Auto.

The crash remains under investigation and the cause is unknown. There is no word on whether any charges will be filed.

State police and firefighters responded to a one-car rollover crash on Interstate 91 south in Wethersfield on Saturday afternoon.

The accident happened around 1 p.m. near exit 25 and blocked traffic temporarily on that side of the highway.

The crash scene has since been cleared and traffic was moving through at 2:25 p.m.

There's no word on injuries.

No more details were immediately available.

Route 83 ihas reopened in Ellington due to a crash.

Wires were knocked down in the crash, which happened after 2:30 p.m. near Highland Avenue. A car struck a telephone pole.

Connecticut Light & Power responded to shut off the power and then Ellington firefighters extricated the driver from the car.

The power company is working to replace the pole. It's unclear how long that will take. CL&P's outage map reported that 1,033 households didn't have power as of 4:34 p.m. due to the crash.

There is no word on whether the driver was injured.