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SoCal Teen Arrested After Threatening School Shooting

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A Southern California teenager was arrested after he allegedly threatened to kill students at his high school and then himself, police said Friday.

Deputies got a call about 2 p.m. Thursday about a sophomore at Adolfo Camarillo High School threatening to shoot and kill another student earlier that day, according to the Camarillo Police Department.

After deputies talked to the 15-year-old boy and his parent, they found out the boy told a student he planned to "shoot up the school" and then take his own life, officials said.

The frightened student who was threatened helped police arrest the teen.

"Another student threatened to shoot him and come back and possible shoot up the school," Camarillo Police Detective Julie Novak said. "He immediately was very smart and Immediately reported the incident not only to school officials but to law enforcement ."

Several thousand people were at the school for graduation ceremonies when officials found out about the threats, police said.

The teen was later arrested at his family's home, where parents chose to give police all the weapons in their home, police said.

"We do want to remind parents it is important to keep weapons locked up and safe. If you have teenagers who are going through any issues, it's best just to not to have them in the house."

The teen admitted to police that he made the threats, but said he had no intent of shooting anyone, police said. He was cited and released.
 


Motorcyclist Who Posted High-Speed Chase With Police to YouTube Sentenced

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A Westmont, Illinois, man was sentenced to four years in prison Friday after he was convicted of speeding away from police officers on his motorcycle and later posting the high-speed chase video on YouTube.

Prosecutors say 31-year-old Hamza Ali Ben Ali ignored orders to pull over in October 2012, and was able to elude police in a chase that reached speeds of up to 115 mph.

Ali later posted video of the chase on YouTube, taken from a camera mounted on the back of his motorcycle.

But it wasn't the video that did him in. Ali was wearing a GPS device on his ankle given to him by immigration authorities and that's how police tracked him down.

The judge admonished Ali for putting others in jeopardy and boasting about it, the Daily Herald reports.

Ali was already serving a three-year sentence for an assault charge in Cook Count and may be deported to Algeria, according to the newspaper.

Runners Remember Sandy Hook Victim Charlotte Bacon

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When the sun finally came out Saturday morning in West Haven, more than 300 runners were there to sing its praises and run in memory of first-grade Sandy Hook victim Charlotte Bacon.

“I think she would just be absolutely excited to know that all this is for her,” Charlotte’s dad Joel told NBC Connecticut. “She was very intelligent, just full of life.”

That liveliness was personified by Saturday’s event, a 5K road race to raise funds for the Sandy Ground Project, which was simultaneously putting finishing touches on a playground in Charlotte’s honor, just down the road at Sea Bluff Beach.

Joel Bacon explained that Charlotte’s perfect day was always a trip to Sea Bluff followed by a dinner of “shrimpies,” as she liked to call them, at Stowe’s Seafood on Beach Street.

“We have a lot of very happy memories of coming to here,” Joel Bacon recalled, “and we’re just thrilled to have the playground here now so we can come back to visit and just remember all the fun times with Charlotte.”

As has been the case with the previous 22 Sandy Ground Project playgrounds in the tri-state area – eventually there will be one for each of the 26 Sandy Hook victims – this playground bears distinctions of the person for whom it’s named.

“She loved animals, loved puppies, loved the color pink,” Bacon said. “Some of the art panels that we picked out – so we selected some of Charlotte’s art work that was most meaningful to us.”

He described safety partitions impressively adorned with renderings of his daughter’s drawings of various animals including a dog, a cat, and an elephant. The apparatus framework is, of course, pink, in keeping with Charlotte’s taste.

The race raised an estimated $14,000 for the Sandy Ground Project, much to the delight of co-director Denny Peterson.

“I’m speechless,” he said Saturday. “I think it’s amazing how the community has come out.”

Official ribbon cutting at Charlotte’s playground is set for 2 p.m. Sunday, June 15.

Man Killed in Hartford's 6th Homicide of the Year

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Authorities are investigating after a man was shot to death in the area of Park Street and Main Street in Hartford, according to police.

Police said it's the city's sixth homicide of the year. The victim, a man, was shot in the head and died of his injuries.  His identity has not been released. Police said this appears to be a targeted attack.

The shooting happened in the area of South Green Park, police said.

Homicide detectives are on scene. Police are searching for a possible suspect described as a tall, thin black male wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and a black backpack. He was last seen running north on Main Street.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact Sgt. Brandon O'Brien at 860-757-4089 or report anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 860-722-TIPS.

Check back for updates.

Obama Speaks at UC Irvine

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President Barack Obama challenged a young, "super underrated" generation to take on climate change and protect the planet during a UC Irvine commencement speech Saturday.

After praising California for leading the way in environmental issues, he said Congress "is full of folks who stubbornly and automatically reject the scientific evidence" and say climate change is a hoax or fad.

"Look, I'm not a scientist either, but we've got some good ones at NASA," Obama said. "And I do know that the overwhelming majority of scientists who work on climate change, including some who once disputed the data, have put the debate to rest."

Obama told the 8,000 graduates that it would be up to them to make change as they grow into leadership roles.

"I am not trying to discourage you, I am trying to light a fire under you," Obama said.

Obama said that he couldn't wait to see what this generation of college graduates would do, adding that they are "super underrated."

"Consider this: since the time most of you graduated from high school, fewer Americans are at war," Obama said. "More have health insurance. More are graduating from college. Our businesses have added more than nine million jobs. And the number of states where you're free to marry who you love has more than doubled. That's just some of the progress you've seen over your four years at UC Irvine."

During his speech, Obama also announced a nearly $1 billion competition that will help communities recover from natural disasters and plan for future ones as well.

The president accepted the school's invite after students, faculty and athletes sent signatures, postcards, and a student-made video featuring the university’s 7-foot-6 basketball team center to the White House.

The Saturday ceremony coincides with the 50th anniversary of then-President Lyndon B. Johnson’s dedication of the land that university is built on, but will take place at nearby Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

The president and First Lady Michelle Obama begin their time in California with a brief stay in the Palm Springs area - the president's third time in a year.

With the president's visit comes traffic closures as well. They include:

  • Closure of PCH from Newport Coast Drive in Newport Beach to Ledroit Street in Laguna Beach from 8:30 a.m. to 8:50 a.m.
  • Closure of PCH from Newport Coast Drive in Newport Beach to Ledroit Street in Laguna Beach from 10:00 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.
  • Katella Avenue and Douglas Road closures in Anaheim from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • Highway 57 north and southbound closure at Katella Avenue in Anaheim from 1:00 p.m. to 1:10 p.m.
     

The White House has not confirmed where the Obamas will stay during their visit, but the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, where he hosted a summit with King Abdullah II of Jordan in February, is a possibility.

Saturday morning, Obama will travel to Orange County, where he will be at a Laguna Beach roundtable with 25 fundraisers who each donated up to $32,240 to the Democratic National Committee, before delivering the commencement address.

City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

Governor Launches 2014 Summer Meals Program

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Today Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy met with Rep. Rose DeLauro and representatives of Connecticut No Kid Hungry to launch the 2014 Summer Meals Program.

This program provides free or reduced-price lunches to children during the summer months via food truck. Currently the truck has stops planned in the New Haven, Hamden and New London areas, with more expected later in the summer.

DeLauro emphasized that no child should go hungry. “We’ve got the food to feed them, we need the will to do it,” she said.

Click here for more information on the program and to find a meal site.
 

World's Fastest Wooden Coaster

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Six Flags Great America announced Saturday that the amusement park's newest roller coaster Goliath, which is being hailed as the world's fastest wooden coaster, will open Thursday.

"We are incredibly excited to be so close to debuting this triple world record breaking ride to the public," Six Flags Great America spokeswoman Katy Enrique said in a statement.

The ride is expected to be the world's fastest wooden coaster with the tallest and steepest drop, plunging riders down 180 feet at a near-vertical 85 degrees. It will reach speeds of 72 mph.

Goliath was expected to debut last month, but the ride's rollout was pushed back because of "delays in the final touches," Enrique said.

"The world’s tallest, steepest and fastest wooden roller coaster, Goliath, is coming soon," the amusement park said in a statement. "Thanks to Mother Nature’s freezing temperatures this winter and unseasonably cool and rainy spring, the final touches on Goliath have been delayed."



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Shooting in Hartford Leaves Man in Critical Condition

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Hartford Police are investigating a shooting that left a man in critical condition Saturday.

Police say the victim, a 20-year-old man, was shot once in the back. He was being transported to St. Francis hospital in a private vehicle when that vehicle struck another one at Oakland Terrace and Albany Avenue.

The vehicle then continued to the hospital.

This is the second shooting incident in Hartford today. A shooting earlier in the day left one man dead.

Check back for updates.


Body Found in NY Woods Identified

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A body found in a wooded area on Long Island has been identified as Sarah Goode, a 21-year-old woman who went missing a week ago, and police are investigating the death as a homicide.

The woman's body was found Thursday evening, nearly a week after Goode vanished.

Detectives found the body within a mile of where Goode's car was found earlier this week, about a mile from her home. 
 
Goode, a medical technician and the mother of a 4-year-old girl, was last seen a week ago, when she was out with friends in Shirley on the night of June 6, according to police. 
 
Her 1999 BMW was found parked on the street about a mile from her home in Medford. Police said it is unusual that it was found there, but did not elaborate on what, if any, evidence of her disappearance was found inside.
 
"I think we all kind of knew it was her,” said Joe Pronti, a friend of Goode’s who was part of the search party that found the body. “Such a sad thing to happen."
 
Police say Goode was the victim of a violent crime and her death is being treated as a homicide.
 
So far investigators have not released a possible motive and have made no arrests.
 


Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

Rare California Condor Spotted

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After 110 years, a California condor has returned to San Mateo County.

The first California condor spotted in San Mateo since 1904 is a three-year old female that flew over 100 miles from San Benito County to Pescadero, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Condors are big birds with wing spans of up to nine feet, according to wildlife experts. They're also breeding again "on their own" after hunting and habitat loss cut the condor population down to 22 in 1982.

All 22 of the condors were captured and made to breed in captivity. About 195 condors live at zoos, but 238 of their offspring, like the condor that decided to visit San Mateo, are now breeding in the wild.

Most condors are in Big Sur or Pinnacles, if not in Mexico or Utah, the newspaper reported.

 

Cheshire Woman Found Dead Inside Cluttered Home

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Cheshire police are investigating after a homeowner was found dead in her basement at 22 Winslow Road on Saturday.

Officers responded to the home Thursday to check on 66-year-old resident Beverly Mitchell but said the home was cluttered and suffered significant structural damage to the first floor, and police couldn't enter safely until Saturday morning.

Once inside, police found Mitchell's body in the basement. The Cheshire Citizen reports that the first floor had given way and her body was found buried in the rubble.

Cheshire police confirmed Saturday night that they were investigating a basement collapse.

Mitchell's remains were taken to the state medical examiner's office for an autopsy. The cause of death is unknown but police said there are no signs of foul play.

Police said the home is considered a hazmat situation. The town is working with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to clean up the property and secure the scene.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Charles W. Morgan Departs New London for Newport

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The world's last remaining wooden whaling ship has departed New London on the second leg of her first open-water voyage in 73 years.

The sun was shining and the waters were calm as the Charles W. Morgan left the dock at New London Harbor Saturday morning, where she had spent the past four weeks since arriving from Mystic.

"It's something about hte beginning of a voyage that's very exciting," said the ship's captain, Kip Files. "You know, it's like any trip you take, so I guess it's getting on with the mission, starting to go. Newport's a nice spot."

The 173-year-old ship was originally scheduled to leave New London on Saturday, but poor weather conditions pushed the send-off back a day.

Now the Morgan is bound for Newport, where she'll stay until Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, depending on the weather.

Next, she's headed to Vineyard Haven, New Bedford and Provincetown and will finally arrive in Boston mid-July.

The Morgan will then turn around and head home to Mystic. She's due back around Aug. 9.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

27 Shot in Chicago Over Father's Day Weekend

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At least two people have been killed and 25 others wounded in shootings across Chicago over Father's Day weekend.

The weekend's latest homicide took place on the city's West side just after midnight Sunday.

Police said a 17-year-old boy was shot while standing with a group in the 3100 block of West Polk Street.

The teen was shot in the head and transported to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County where he was pronounced dead.

On Friday, a 28-year-old man was shot killed in an apparent drive-by shooting.

The shooting, which also took place on the West Side, occurred just after midnight in the 1300 block of South Central Park Avenue.

Police said a dark-colored sedan drove by and someone inside the vehicle opened fire on the man.

He suffered gunshot wounds to the back and was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

At least 11 others were wounded in shootings Saturday evening and into Sunday.

  • Around 4:20 a.m. a 20-year-old man walked into Jackson Park Hospital with gunshot wounds. Police said the man told officers he was walking near 79th Street and Maryland Avenue when he got into an argument with a group of people and was shot. He was last listed in stable condition.
  • Around 4 a.m., a 37-year-old man was shot while walking in the 9300 block of South Greenwood Avenue. The man told police he was walking home and did not hear or see anything before he realized he was shot in the elbow and back. He was being treated at Advocate Trinity Hospital.
  • Just before 3 a.m., police said a 21-year-old woman was shot in the knee near Lyndale and Sacramento avenues. The woman was transported to Norwegian American Hospital for treatment but her condition was not immediately known.
  • Ten minutes earlier, two people were shot in the 1700 block of West 18th Place. The two were sitting in a car when someone approached the vehicle and opened fire. One man was shot in the side and was listed in serious condition at Stroger Hospital. The other man was shot in the shoulder and was listed in good condition at Stroger Hospital.
  • Around 11:10 p.m. Saturday, a 23-year-old man was shot in the leg in the 2900 block of South Poplar Avenue. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, but details surrounding the shooting were not immediately available.
  • About 20 minutes earlier, a 33-year-old man was shot while standing on a sidewalk near 57th Street and Racine Avenue. The man was standing on the sidewalk when a light-colored truck drove by and fired shots, police said. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition.
  • At 2:45 p.m., a 38-year-old man was shot in the buttocks in the 400 block of West 118th Street. The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in stable condition.
  • At the same time, a 22-year-old man was shot in the leg in the 1600 block of South Indiana Avenue. The man took himself to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was listed in stable condition, police said.

At least 14 other people were wounded since Friday afternoon.



Photo Credit: Brad Bartley/NBC Chicago

Woman Falls on Ice After Game

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Not everyone can be as graceful on ice as professional hockey players.

Following the Stanley Cup victory at the Staples Center, NBC4's Mario Solis was reporting live when one woman was caught on camera attempting to cross the ice in heels, a feat that proved just as difficult as it sounds as she slipped and fell during a live television broadcast.

Someone rushed over and immediately helped Hannah Hunsinger up.

Hunsinger, a member of the Kings ice crew, caught up with Solis following her spill.

"Yes, I am OK," Hunsinger said. "You'd think that after skating on the ice, I'd be OK with walking on it but that wasn't the case."

Though a little embarrassed, Hunsinger tweeted reporters in good spirits after the video quickly went viral.

“Thank you @Deadspin and @NBCLA for capturing such a fantastic fall,” she tweeted. “At least I got a good ending pic out of it.”

The Kings beat the Rangers 3-2 in double overtime Friday night.

@HiddenCash Originator Stashes Envelopes in Chicago

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The man who originated the "hidden cash" Twitter craze that started in San Francisco and sparked copycat events across the nation has made his way to Chicago.

Anonymous benefactor and San Francisco real estate investor Jason Buzi, who started the Twitter handle @HiddenCash, has been making his way to various cities this weekend, dropping money-filled envelopes around New York and Houston.

On Sunday, he targeted the Windy City.

Within 10 minutes, one envelope had already been found and the first clue started a mini-gold rush in the city's Millennium Park.

Fernando Fernandez spent his morning searching for the hidden money and his hunt eventually paid off when he found an enveloped tucked underneath a bench.

"I found $60 from Hidden Cash on Twitter," he told NBC Chicago. "It's been a great time. It's fun, really fun."

Fernandez said he has been following the movement since it first gained popularity on the West Coast.

"I'm definitely going to help people out now when I get the chance," he said. "All because [@HiddenCash]."

Employees working in the area said they were surprised by the scavenger hunt.

"We came to work and were setting up the concession stands and a man was screaming he was happy, really, really, happy," said Park Grill Concessions employee Cyara Tanon. "We went to go see what it was and he picked up an envelope and then he pulled out the money."

Tanon said the man found the envelope on a set of stairs.

"It looked like a lot," she said. "Big bills."

But not everyone was quite as lucky.

"We've been looking for like an hour," said Sydney Lenzini. "It's getting a little annoying, but it's money."

According to the Twitter page, the green gifts in Chicago may not end with Father's Day.

 



Photo Credit: NBC Chicago

3 Dead in Ill. Sports Bar Shooting

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A high school reunion turned deadly Saturday night in East Peoria after a man walked into a bar and shot a woman and another man before being fatally shot by an off-duty police officer.

According to NBC affiliate WEEK News 25, the shooting happened around 7:50 p.m. at The Fifth Quarter Sports Bar and Pizzeria.

Lori A. Moore, 33, of Morton, Ill. and Lance E. Griffel, 36, of Peoria, were pronounced dead just minutes apart at St. Francis Hospital with gunshot wounds to the head.

Police said the incident is believed to have been domestic violence related as the shooting suspect was identified as the ex-husband of Moore, WEEK reported.

East Peoria High School Class of 1999 was holding its high school reunion at the time of the shooting, but no other injuries were reported.

Several law enforcement agencies were reportedly present at the scene including East Peoria Police, Fondulac Park District Police, Creve Couer Police, Tazewell County Sheriff's Department and Illinois State Police.

Police have not released the names of the gunman or the off-duty officer involved.

 

 



Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Whooping Cough Epidemic in Calif.

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The number of whooping cough cases in California has officially reached epidemic proportions, the California Department of Public Health reported.

Whooping cough, known to doctors as pertussis, has experienced a resurgence this year with more than 3,400 new cases reported between January 1 and June 10, according a statement released by the department.

The department said whooping cough is cyclical, peaking every three to five years. The last big spike in cases was in 2010.

Los Angeles County has experienced around 350 new cases so far this year with Long Beach being hit especially hard. The city has seen more than 90 new infections, making up nearly 20 cases per 100,000 people.

Pertussis is a highly infectious bacterial disease that can be spread by coughing. Symptoms of the disease vary by age group.

Adults can find themselves beset with respiratory problems that can last for weeks, while infants who are too young to be vaccinated are in danger of serious illness or death. The common name for the disease comes from the “whooping” sound children can make when experiencing the violent coughing attacks associated with the disease.

Infants may not have typical pertussis symptoms and may have no apparent cough. Parents describe episodes in which the infant’s face turns red or purple.

The organization said two-thirds of pertussis hospitalizations have been in children four months or younger. Two infant deaths have been reported.

“Preventing severe disease and death in infants is our highest priority,” said Dr. Ron Chapman, director of the department, in the statement. “We urge all pregnant women to get vaccinated. We also urge parents to vaccinate infants as soon as possible.”

The Tdap vaccine, which also guards against tetanus and diphtheria, can be administered to pregnant women to protect infants who are too young to be vaccinated.

In addition, the department said infants should be vaccinated as soon as possible, which can be as early as six weeks of age.

Older children and adults are also recommended to be vaccinated especially if they are regularly around newborn babies.

While Chapman said vaccination does not offer lifetime immunity, he stressed that it was still the best defense against the potentially fatal disease.



Photo Credit: NBCNewYork

Playground in Honor of Charlotte Bacon Opens

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Sunday marked the official opening of a new playground in honor of Sandy Hook first-grader Charlotte Bacon.

The playground is located on Sea Bluff Beach in West Haven. This is the 23rd playground built in honor of the Sandy Hook shooting victims by the Sandy Ground Project.

Construction of the playground began Friday. On Saturday as final touches were being made to the playground, over 300 runners turned out for a 5K road race in memory of Charlotte. The race raised over $14,000 for the Sandy Ground Project.

Charlotte’s family said the project is nothing short of amazing.

“They've given our family a beautiful weekend all about honoring Charlotte, and the town of West Haven,” Charlotte’s mother JoAnn Bacon said. “A beautiful playground where families can make their own new memories.”

Much of the playground is pink, Charlotte’s favorite color. It also features her artwork.

There are two more “Where Angels Play” playground celebrations planned in memory of the Sandy Hook shooting victims.

 

NY Mayor Set to Sing "I Love LA"

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The Los Angeles Kings may have closed out the New York Rangers in five games to win the Stanley Cup, but apparently the series isn’t over until the mayor of New York sings.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is scheduled to perform a rendition of the Randy Newman anthem, "I Love L.A.," on an upcoming episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” because of a bet made with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti over the results of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Another stipulation of the bet means de Blasio also has to supply the Jimmy Kimmel audience with hot dogs from New York’s famed “Gray's Papaya.”

If the Rangers would have won, Garcetti would have had to perform the Frank Sinatra classic “New York, New York,” on the late night talk show and provide franks from Los Angeles icon “Pink’s Hot Dogs.”

The wager between the two mayors is only one of a string of cross-country challenges put forward by luminaries of California and New York. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton offered deli sandwiches to the winner of their bet.

The governors of the two states also made a wager for similarly delicious stakes.

California Gov. Jerry Brown bet a box of rice cakes and a California history book, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo put up a “Taste of New York” gift basket and a commemorative hockey puck.



Photo Credit: AP

9 Hospitalized After Boat Capsizes

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Fifteen people, including several children, were treated for injuries after the boat they were aboard capsized at Lake Piru on Sunday afternoon, Ventura County fire officials said.

The victims, most of whom were wearing life jackets, were pulled from the water by rescuers who rushed to the lake in the Los Padres National Forest before 4:30 p.m., officials said.

At least nine children were on board, including two infants, officials said. One of the babies was in a car seat and was not wearing a life jacket. He was kept afloat by two adults.

All of the victims ingested water, but were breathing after being rescued, officials said.

Nine people were taken to the hospital with mostly minor injuries, officials said. The rest declined medical assistance.

All 15 people were expected to be OK.

  • Read: Man Drowns in SoCal lake During Father's Day Picnic

Fire and lake officials said the boat likely capsized because there were too many people on board.

According to fire officials, a ranger who was surveying the lake noticed that the boat appeared to be in distress. Rangers then called 911, prompting a multi-agency rescue operation.

At least three ambulances, a park ranger vessel and a Ventura County Sheriff's Office helicopter were part of the rescue.

One person was cited for having a child without a life jacket on.

Kate Larsen contributed to this report.

 

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