Court to probe singer Chris Brown's community service records

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prosecutors on Tuesday asked a court to find R&B singer Chris Brown in violation of his probation because they say community service records stemming from his 2009 assault on girlfriend Rihanna contain "significant discrepancies."

Brown is scheduled to appear at a hearing on Wednesday in Los Angeles, at which time a judge could decide to revoke the "Don't Wake Me Up" singer's probation.

But Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, told Reuters the allegations are "scurrilous, libelous and defamatory."

"The prosecution has lost their collective minds," Geragos said. "I'm going to seek sanctions against the (district attorney's) office for bringing a frivolous motion."

Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to beating and punching R&B singer Rihanna and was sentenced to five years probation, 180 days of community service and domestic violence counseling.

The community service involved tasks like cutting grass, picking up trash and removing graffiti. He was allowed to complete it in his home state of Virginia.

"After a thorough review of all documents and evidence submitted to the court it appears there are significant discrepancies indicating at best sloppy documentation and, at worst fraudulent reporting," Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Mary Murray said in a court filing on Tuesday.

Murray cited three occasions when she said Brown was not at the recorded location of his community service and instead performing or traveling, once on a private jet bound for Cancun, Mexico.

Brown, in another instance, never stripped or waxed the floors at a Virginia community center as a report said he did, according to the 19-page court document.

Murray also accused Virginia authorities of poor and incorrect management of the singer's service and records, and said his community service case should be transferred to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg in November praised Brown for "actually working diligently to complete all the things the court has required of you."

R&B singer Rihanna and Brown have recently rekindled their romance and are dating again, Rihanna told Rolling Stone magazine last week.

Brown was in a brawl last month with fellow singer Frank Ocean outside a West Hollywood recording studio. A police report indicates he punched Ocean in the face but Ocean said over the weekend he did not want Brown prosecuted.

(Editing by Xavier Briand and Eric Walsh)

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California boy to be arraigned in "swatting" prank on actor Kutcher

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prosecutors charged a 12-year-old boy on Thursday with making a false emergency call that sent police swarming to the home of actor Ashton Kutcher in a "swatting" prank.

The name of the boy, who was arrested by Los Angeles police in December, was withheld due to his age. He was scheduled to be arraigned in a juvenile court in Los Angeles on Friday.

The trend toward placing false emergency calls is known as "swatting" because SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) officers often are sent to the purported crime scenes. Authorities say such situations can be dangerous due to the risk of a misunderstanding between police and occupants of a building.

The boy has been charged with two felony counts each of making false bomb threats and computer intrusion in connection with the October 3 emergency call that drew police to the Hollywood Hills home of Kutcher, star of the sitcom "Two and a Half Men," and a similar call on October 10 that sent police to a Wells Fargo Bank.

Authorities have accused the boy of having reported men armed with guns and explosives in Kutcher's home and that several people had been shot. Dozens of emergency personnel were sent to the house. Kutcher was not home at the time.

Swatting calls in recent months have also sent police to the homes of singers Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Bill Trott)

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California boy to be arraigned in "swatting" prank on actor Kutcher

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prosecutors charged a 12-year-old boy on Thursday with making a false emergency call that sent police swarming to the home of actor Ashton Kutcher in a "swatting" prank.

The name of the boy, who was arrested by Los Angeles police in December, was withheld due to his age. He was scheduled to be arraigned in a juvenile court in Los Angeles on Friday.

The trend toward placing false emergency calls is known as "swatting" because SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) officers often are sent to the purported crime scenes. Authorities say such situations can be dangerous due to the risk of a misunderstanding between police and occupants of a building.

The boy has been charged with two felony counts each of making false bomb threats and computer intrusion in connection with the October 3 emergency call that drew police to the Hollywood Hills home of Kutcher, star of the sitcom "Two and a Half Men," and a similar call on October 10 that sent police to a Wells Fargo Bank.

Authorities have accused the boy of having reported men armed with guns and explosives in Kutcher's home and that several people had been shot. Dozens of emergency personnel were sent to the house. Kutcher was not home at the time.

Swatting calls in recent months have also sent police to the homes of singers Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Bill Trott)

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Court to probe singer Chris Brown's community service records

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prosecutors on Tuesday asked a court to find R&B singer Chris Brown in violation of his probation because they say community service records stemming from his 2009 assault on girlfriend Rihanna contain "significant discrepancies."

Brown is scheduled to appear at a hearing on Wednesday in Los Angeles, at which time a judge could decide to revoke the "Don't Wake Me Up" singer's probation.

But Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, told Reuters the allegations are "scurrilous, libelous and defamatory."

"The prosecution has lost their collective minds," Geragos said. "I'm going to seek sanctions against the (district attorney's) office for bringing a frivolous motion."

Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to beating and punching R&B singer Rihanna and was sentenced to five years probation, 180 days of community service and domestic violence counseling.

The community service involved tasks like cutting grass, picking up trash and removing graffiti. He was allowed to complete it in his home state of Virginia.

"After a thorough review of all documents and evidence submitted to the court it appears there are significant discrepancies indicating at best sloppy documentation and, at worst fraudulent reporting," Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Mary Murray said in a court filing on Tuesday.

Murray cited three occasions when she said Brown was not at the recorded location of his community service and instead performing or traveling, once on a private jet bound for Cancun, Mexico.

Brown, in another instance, never stripped or waxed the floors at a Virginia community center as a report said he did, according to the 19-page court document.

Murray also accused Virginia authorities of poor and incorrect management of the singer's service and records, and said his community service case should be transferred to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg in November praised Brown for "actually working diligently to complete all the things the court has required of you."

R&B singer Rihanna and Brown have recently rekindled their romance and are dating again, Rihanna told Rolling Stone magazine last week.

Brown was in a brawl last month with fellow singer Frank Ocean outside a West Hollywood recording studio. A police report indicates he punched Ocean in the face but Ocean said over the weekend he did not want Brown prosecuted.

(Editing by Xavier Briand and Eric Walsh)

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Beyonce's Super Bowl leather has PETA in a lather

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Beyonce Knowles can't seem to leave the house without catching flak from somebody these days.

First, the "Halo" singer was criticized last month for her less-than-live performance of the National Anthem at Barack Obama's inauguration.

Now, Knowles has attracted the ire of animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for wearing leather during her halftime performance at Sunday's Super Bowl.

According to the New York Times (which - who knew? - keeps track of such things), Knowles' outfit, which was conceived by New York designer Rubin Singer - consisted of a cropped leather motorcycle, matched with a leather bodysuit made with strips of python and iguana.

Knowles' use of all that animal hide, surprisingly, did not sit well with PETA, who accused the singer of being out of touch with shifting fashion trends.

"We would take a bet that if Beyoncé watched our video exposés ... she'd probably not want to be seen again in anything made of snakes, lizards, rabbits, or other animals who died painfully," PETA said in a statement. "Today's fashions are trending toward humane vegan options, and Beyoncé's Super Bowl outfit missed the mark on that score."

Of course, Knowles could have ditched the offending outfit altogether - at which point she'd have the Parents Television Council hounding her instead of PETA.

PETA did, however, show some love for Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs - even though he covets a leather-covered ball for a living.

"The game was great, however, and so is Baltimore Ravens linebacker and yesterday's Super Bowl champion Terrell Suggs, who has just joined PETA in protesting the fur industry by starring in PETA's 'Ink, Not Mink' campaign," the organization added.

A spokeswoman for Knowles has not yet responded to TheWrap's request for comment because, really, if you were her, would you willingly place yourself in the middle of this?

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Singer Gloria Estefan, husband, plan Broadway show of their lives

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan and her music entrepreneur husband, Emilio, are developing a new Broadway show based on their lives, the show's producer said on Tuesday.

The couple is working with the Nederlander Organization on the show that will trace their lives from leaving Cuba to international stardom.

"The Estefans' journey of success, led by raw talent and passion, is captivating as it drove them from relative obscurity to global sensations," Jimmy Nederlander, the organization's president, said in a statement announcing the deal.

Estefan, one of the most successful Latin crossover stars, fled Cuba with her family as a toddler. She met her husband in Miami and became the lead singer of his band, which was renamed the Miami Sound Machine. The couple married in 1978.

She has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, won seven Grammy Awards and produced a list of hits including "Conga," "The Rhythm is Going to Get You," and "1,2,3."

Emilio, a music, television and film director, was instrument in his wife's career, and helped to develop stars such as Shakira, Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez.

"Sharing our life story through music will give us a new opportunity to honor our roots and, hopefully, to be able to inspire generations to come," the couple said in a statement.

The Nederlander Organization said no creative team has been announced yet.

(Reporting by Noreen O'Donnell; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Eric Walsh)

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Court to probe singer Chris Brown's community service records

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prosecutors on Tuesday asked a court to find R&B singer Chris Brown in violation of his probation because they say community service records stemming from his 2009 assault on girlfriend Rihanna contain "significant discrepancies."

Brown is scheduled to appear at a hearing on Wednesday in Los Angeles, at which time a judge could decide to revoke the "Don't Wake Me Up" singer's probation.

But Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, told Reuters the allegations are "scurrilous, libelous and defamatory."

"The prosecution has lost their collective minds," Geragos said. "I'm going to seek sanctions against the (district attorney's) office for bringing a frivolous motion."

Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to beating and punching R&B singer Rihanna and was sentenced to five years probation, 180 days of community service and domestic violence counseling.

The community service involved tasks like cutting grass, picking up trash and removing graffiti. He was allowed to complete it in his home state of Virginia.

"After a thorough review of all documents and evidence submitted to the court it appears there are significant discrepancies indicating at best sloppy documentation and, at worst fraudulent reporting," Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Mary Murray said in a court filing on Tuesday.

Murray cited three occasions when she said Brown was not at the recorded location of his community service and instead performing or traveling, once on a private jet bound for Cancun, Mexico.

Brown, in another instance, never stripped or waxed the floors at a Virginia community center as a report said he did, according to the 19-page court document.

Murray also accused Virginia authorities of poor and incorrect management of the singer's service and records, and said his community service case should be transferred to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg in November praised Brown for "actually working diligently to complete all the things the court has required of you."

R&B singer Rihanna and Brown have recently rekindled their romance and are dating again, Rihanna told Rolling Stone magazine last week.

Brown was in a brawl last month with fellow singer Frank Ocean outside a West Hollywood recording studio. A police report indicates he punched Ocean in the face but Ocean said over the weekend he did not want Brown prosecuted.

(Editing by Xavier Briand and Eric Walsh)

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Ed Koch remembered as quintessential New York City mayor

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch was memorialized on Monday as an in-your-face, wisecracking leader who helped transform the city from a symbol of urban decay to the vital, glittering metropolis it is today.

As Koch's casket was led out of Temple Emanu-El, a soaring Fifth Ave. synagogue opposite Central Park, an organ played Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" while mourners including former U.S. President Bill Clinton and a who's who of New York politics stood and applauded.

Koch died on Friday at the age of 88 in Manhattan -- the only place other than heaven he could imagine living, as he was known to say.

"I come today with the love and condolences of 8.4 million New Yorkers who really are grieving with you at this moment," said the city's current mayor, Michael Bloomberg.

Speakers joked about the famously attention-loving Koch's obsession with stage-managing his passing. His grave-stone, complete with an epitaph and a bench bearing Koch's name, has been ready since 2008, and his friends said he had been planning the funeral for years.

"We started talking about his death in the '80s," said his former chief of staff Diane Coffey.

As mayor from 1978 to 1989, Koch, with his trademark phrase "How'm I Doin?", was a natural showman and tireless promoter of both himself and the city. He helped repair the city's finances as it teetered on the edge of bankruptcy, and later led a building renaissance that would see 200,000 units of affordable housing erected or rehabilitated in some of the city's most crime-infested areas.

He could also be a divisive figure. His determination to shut Sydenham, a poorly-performing Harlem hospital that was one of the only city hospitals employing black doctors, angered black New Yorkers. And AIDS activists said he was too slow to react to the epidemic that ravaged the city's gay population in the 1980s.

Tall, nearly bald and speaking with a high-pitched voice, Koch was an unmistakable presence. He was famously argumentative, and rarely walked away from verbal jousting.

His friend James Gill remembered Koch's response to someone who had written a letter criticizing the former mayor.

"You are entitled to your opinion of me and I am entitled to my opinion of you," Koch replied. "My opinion of you is that you are a fool."

His nephews and grand-nephew and grand-niece remembered Koch, who never married, as devoted "Uncle Eddie" - eager to hear what they thought of his appearances on talk shows but also happy join his 11-year-old grand-niece for a manicure.

Clinton read from a stack of letters Koch had sent him over the years and said Koch had "a big brain, but he had an even bigger heart."

Koch remained relevant in politics long after 1989, when he lost the Democratic nomination to David Dinkins for what would have been a record fourth term as mayor. But when asked if he would run for office again, he liked to say, "The people threw me out and the people must be punished."

His endorsement was coveted by candidates decades after he left office. And his unwavering and loud support of Israel made Koch "one of the most influential and important American Zionists," said former Ambassador Ido Aharoni.

At Monday's memorial, Bloomberg noted the synagogue Koch had chosen for the funeral stood just a few blocks from the midtown bridge that had been renamed to honor him. Last year, the city released a video of Koch standing at the bridge's entrance ramp, calling out to approaching cars: "Welcome to my bridge! Welcome to my bridge!"

"No mayor, I think, has ever embodied the spirit of New York City like he did. And I don't think anyone ever will," Bloomberg said. "Tough and loud, brash and irreverent, full of humor and chutzpah - he was our city's quintessential mayor."

(Reporting By Edith Honan; Editing by Paul Thomasch and Alden Bentley)

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Segregationist U.S. Senator Thurmond's biracial daughter dies

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Reuters) - Essie Mae Washington-Williams, who in 2003 revealed she was the biracial daughter of segregationist U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond, died on Monday at age 87, her attorney said.

Washington-Williams, who had been in declining health in recent years, died of natural causes at a care home in Columbia, South Carolina, said lawyer Frank Wheaton.

Washington-Williams was born in 1925 to a black teenage girl who worked as a maid in Thurmond's parents' home when Thurmond was 22. She announced she was Thurmond's daughter in 2003 after his death at age 100 that year, and the late senator's family confirmed her claim.

Washington-Williams was a teacher in Los Angeles for three decades and was the mother of four. She moved to South Carolina about five years ago to be closer to a daughter who lived there, Wheaton said.

Her 2006 memoir, "Dear Senator," detailed her decades-long relationship with her father, the letters they wrote each other and the kindness he showed her personally, which she struggled to reconcile with his opposition to civil rights and his defense of racial segregation.

"She was very low-key and never wanted to rock the boat, I think that's why she kept her secret until he died," said William Stadiem, who co-wrote "Dear Senator."

Stadiem said Thurmond had great affection for Washington-Williams' mother, Carrie Butler.

"The fact he stayed close to Essie for all those years, it would be so easy for him to say 'get out of my life, you don't exist,' and he didn't do that," Stadiem said. "I think she reminded him of her mother."

Washington-Williams as a young child went to live with her mother's sister and her husband in Pennsylvania, and it was from him that she took the surname Washington. She adopted the name Williams from her marriage to attorney Julius Williams.

Thurmond began his career as a Democrat but switched to the Republican Party in 1964. In his lifetime, Thurmond said he was not racist but opposed what he saw as excessive federal intervention.

He staged the longest filibuster in U.S. history when he spoke for more than 24 hours against a 1957 civil rights bill that sought to fight the disenfranchisement of blacks in the South by giving new powers to federal prosecutors.

In 2004 a statue of Thurmond outside the South Carolina State House was altered to engrave the name Essie Mae with those of his other four children on the foundation stone.

(Reporting by Harriet McLeod; Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Xavier Briand)

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Lindsay Lohan could face jail after March trial in California

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Lindsay Lohan will stand trial on March 18 on charges she lied to California police about a June car crash and violated probation, raising the possibility she could be sent back to jail.

A judge in Los Angeles on Wednesday set the trial date on charges related to the car crash and said the court will hold a hearing at the same time on whether Lohan in the incident violated probation from a 2011 jewelry theft.

The star of the movie "Mean Girls," who has been in and out of rehab and jail since 2007, wore a black sleeveless dress and looked tired at the brief court hearing. She arrived in Los Angeles late Tuesday from New York and has abandoned her longtime lawyer in favor of new attorney Mark Heller.

Lohan has pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, lying to police and obstructing police when she said she was not behind the wheel of her sports car, which smashed into a truck in Santa Monica, California in June.

Lohan, 26, left court without speaking to the media.

The former "Parent Trap" child star has been in and out of trouble since a 2007 arrest for drunk driving and cocaine possession.

Sautner warned Lohan that she could be found in violation of probation even if she is acquitted on charges connected to the car crash because the standard of proof is lower.

Lohan was ordered to appear at Wednesday's hearing because she decided to switch lawyers, firing longtime attorney Shawn Holley this month.

She was arrested in New York on a misdemeanor assault charge on the same day in November that the Santa Monica car crash charges were filed. The Manhattan district attorney's office has not filed a criminal complaint in the assault case.

Lohan's appearance in Los Angeles had been in doubt after Heller wrote to the court earlier this week saying was suffering from an upper respiratory infection and could not appear.

"Glad to see you're feeling better," Judge Stephanie Sautner told Lohan at the hearing.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Cynthia Osterman)

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Schwarzenegger: Simple Austrian upbringing made me green

VIENNA (Reuters) - Arnold Schwarzenegger credited his simple upbringing amid the lakes and hills of Austria for a recent conversion to fully fledged green activism, the latest stage in his varied career.

The former body-builder, star of the "Terminator" action films and governor of California grew up in Thal, a small village in the Austrian province of Styria, and emigrated to the United States at the age of 21.

"Growing up in my house, we knew about sustainability before it was hip. We called it 'necessity'," Schwarzenegger told an environmental conference he hosted in Vienna this week.

"We didn't have video games, televisions or iPhones. We had the rolling hills, the castles, the ruins, and the beautiful lakes," he said. "Even after I made it big and became governor of California, I held on to this love of nature."

The "governator" - who left office and split with his wife of 25 years, Maria Shriver in 2011, has recently returned to making action movies - expressed surprise at the turn his life had taken, after he had thought all his ambitions fulfilled.

"When I was a little boy in Austria, all I could think about was moving to America, to become the greatest bodybuilder champion in the world and make millions of dollars and be an action hero," said Schwarzenegger.

"My dream became reality. Who knew my greatest achievement would be in the real world fighting for a green energy future? Green energy wasn't even in my vocabulary."

(Reporting by Derek Brooks; Writing by Georgina Prodhan, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Pet Store Accused of Selling Puppies With Parvo

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Mansfield Chief of Police Gary L. Fowler is opening an investigation into a local pet store after the NBC 5 Investigates Consumer Unit was alerted to claims by several families that they purchased puppies that were sick with parvovirus.

Three families who all said they bought their puppies at PetOrama in Mansfield told NBC 5 that their animals were diagnosed with parvovirus, a very contagious, aggressive virus that attacks a dog's intestinal track.

According to the families, two of the puppies had to be euthanized while one survived after an aggressive veterinary treatment that cost them more than $1,000.

While Fowler, who oversees animal control for the city, originally told NBC 5 he had no records of complaints against the store, he said he now plans to open an investigation.

In an unrelated move, PetOrama said it will stop adopting out puppies, but is holding one last adoption event this weekend to sell the remaining dogs at the store.

Families Claim Store Sold Them Sick Puppies

"Truly, I never thought that when you go into a pet store like that you would purchase a sick dog," said Penny Rivera, a Mansfield resident.

Rivera bought a shepherd-mix puppy named Leo as a Christmas present for 13-year-old Andrew Caraveo and his 21-year-old sister Jenny who had lost their beloved dog only a few months before.

"I picked Leo because he just looked really cute," said Jenny, who said she knew her brother would be delighted by the holiday surprise.

And he was.  Andrew immediately fell in love with the dog and made little Leo a doghouse out of a cardboard box.  He doted on him like any 13-year-old with a new puppy would.

But a few days later, Leo was vomiting, had diarrhea and was lethargic.

"He looked very sick," Andrew said.

A trip to the vet revealed Leo had a severe case of parvo.  Andrew and Jenny then made the gut-wrenching decision to put Leo to sleep.

"I knew how he looked and how tired he was, he wasn't going to make it," Andrew said.

 "We just said, 'Goodbye.' I mean, it was just really hard.  There was nothing we could really say to him," said Jenny, as tears streamed down her face.

Joanna McCoy and Phillip Kriesman know that pain. The couple bought a long-haired dachshund named Hudson at the same Mansfield PetOrama and it was love at first sight. 

"As soon as I picked him up I knew he was my dog," said McCoy. "I loved him. I was so happy."

They paraded Hudson to McCoy's mother's house and showed him off to other relatives. But that evening they rushed Hudson, who was throwing up, to an emergency veterinary hospital.  The veterinarian told the couple that little Hudson had parvo.

They too made the decision to put Hudson to sleep.

"I just couldn't feel myself afterwards. It was just so weird and upsetting," Kreisman said.

PetOrama to Stop Puppy Adoptions Due to Complaints

NBC 5 called PetOrama and spoke to Rochelle Browning, the daughter of the owner who said she manages the store for her father.

 She insisted she takes good care of the puppies and that her dogs are checked by a veterinarian.

"My veterinary bills are outrageous," Browning said. 

Browning admitted that Hudson, who died shortly after leaving her store, had parvo when she sold him. PetOrama's owner did refund McCoy and Kreisman for Hudson and she paid their vet bill, but they said it's little consolation.

"It's a heartache that no one should have to go through," said McCoy, who thinks about Hudson every day.

As for the other dogs, she believed they may have gotten sick after they left her store. Browning said her staff sanitizes cages daily but does not dispute the fact that parvo has up to a two-week incubation period.

The families said Leo and Hudson were visibly sick within days of being purchased.

Browning then became emotional, telling NBC 5 she's under extreme stress because so many puppies have gotten sick with parvo and customers have been very upset.

"I've never seen this before in my life.  Emotionally, I'm spent," Browning said. "I can't listen to people cry over the phone anymore."

On the company's Facebook page she told customers that PetOrama has decided to "stop adopting out puppies." But there will be one last adoption event this weekend to sell the remaining dogs.

"It's hard when you love pets like we do and have taken all the measures possible trying to prevent illness, but then get treated badly by customers when they do get ill," she wrote.

Parvo is extremely contagious because a dog can shed the virus before it ever shows signs of the illness.

"It's really hard to kill the virus. It's resistant to common disinfectants," said Dr. Nancy Turner, the Dallas District Director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association.  "It's resistant to heat. It's resistant to sunlight. So, really, it's a tough bug essentially."

Turner, who practices at Bent Tree Animal Hospital in Dallas, said that by the time one puppy shows the signs there is a good chance other dogs could be infected.

State Offers No Legal Remedy for Purchase of Sick Dogs

Unlike some other states, Texas does not have a Lemon Law for dogs.

"There's no regulation of pet stores of any shape, form or fashion at the state level," said Skip Trimble, a Texas Humane Legislation Network board member.

Trimble's organization advocates for state animal welfare legislation. While there are rules and regulations for larger breeders at the state level, as of now, individual cities and towns may or may not have ordinances that can help pet owners.

"You're just totally at risk and virtually there is no warranty on these dogs," Trimble said.

The City of Mansfield does have an ordinance that gives animal control the authority to inspect pet stores.  It also mandates that anyone with care and control of an animal "maintain the animal in good health."

Fowler said that if a pet store fails to maintain the health of their animals they can impose a fine.

Fowler originally insisted he had no record of any complaints against PetOrama.  But McCoy said she called animal control and spoke with an officer several weeks ago.

"He said that unfortunately it's not in their jurisdiction and there's nothing that they could do for me,"  McCoy said.

However, after speaking with NBC 5, Fowler said he is now opening an investigation.

Rivera said Browning did not give her a refund for Leo or help with the vet bills.

Craig Haemker said he also received no help from the store after a puppy he purchased, Sophie, was diagnosed with parvo and required a $1,000 aggressive medical treatment to be rid of the virus.

Today, Sophie is a happy, healthy dog, but Jenny and Andrew are still reeling from losing Leo.

"That dog just meant the world to us," said Jenny.

They want to make sure other families don't suffer like they have.  That, they said, is Leo's legacy.

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Scheme Asks People to Pay "Delinquent" Energy Bills

NBC 5

Workers in the field will always carry identification, and people can ask for it if they are unsure if the worker is legitimate, Oncor says.

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Dallas police are warning residents about schemers posing as energy workers.

Investigators said people posing as energy workers are going door-to-door and ask residents to pay bills that they say are unpaid. The bogus workers tell residents that their power will be shut off if they don't pay.

But Oncor Electric Delivery says that workers who go to homes will never ask for payment on the spot.

Representatives in the field will always carry identification, and people can ask for it if they are unsure if the worker is legitimate, Oncor says.

Police and Oncor say the scheme can also happen over the phone. Dallas police say people should never give out personal information to anyone over the phone.

People should also verify the credentials of anyone who contacts them and claims they need to pay a delinquent bill, police say.

NBC 5's Amanda Guerra contributed to this report.

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Downtown Dallas Driver’s License Office Disappears

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The only driver's license office in Downtown Dallas has closed, potentially adding to long lines at other license offices. This comes after DPS told NBC 5 Investigates there were no plans to close any DFW offices.

There is more frustration for North Texans trying to renew their driver's licenses.  The busy Department of Public Safety license office inside Dallas City Hall has shut down. Only an empty counter and some old computer wires remain after the DPS quietly moved out in mid-December.

Just last summer the top DPS official in charge of the Texas license offices told NBC 5 Investigates there were no plans to close any locations in the DFW area, as the DPS tries to reduce long lines and wait times that can last three hours or more especially during the busy summer months.

"We're not closing any offices.  We are opening brand new.  We are expanding our capacity to be able to serve that demand," said Rebecca Davio, director of the DPS License Division in an interview in July, 2012.

Davio was describing a multi-million-dollar DPS plan to open two new Dallas-Ft. Worth license Megacenters, one in Garland and one in Fort Worth.  The agency said the two giant facilities would only add to the current locations in an effort to cut wait times at all of the exiting offices.

So what changed?  Why would DPS close a busy license office when it's already struggling to keep up with demand?

DPS tells us it had no plans to leave Dallas City Hall.  Instead, the City of Dallas kicked them out.

"The decision was not a mutual one.  The city expressly asked DPS to leave the premises in October.  DPS had no plans to vacate the facility," said DPS spokesperson Tom Vinger.

City of Dallas spokesman Frank Librio responded saying, "We really never had adequate space for them to conduct their operations."  He described the office as "inadequate and overcrowded."

Because of new security measures in the works at City Hall, Librio said the city wanted to clear out the space. He points out DPS is free to lease another office anywhere in downtown Dallas. 

So far DPS has not done that.

But in an interview Thursday, DPS Director Steve McCraw said the agency will pull together money to open a new downtown Dallas location.

"Because of some of the savings we achieved in some other areas, we are going to prioritize a Dallas office in the downtown area and a Houston office in the downtown area because we've demonstrated the numbers need it", McCraw said.

DPS had plans to ask the legislature for millions of dollars to create new downtown offices in Dallas and Houston.  However, McCraw said the agency has decided to move ahead using existing funds instead.

Until DPS can find a new location, Downtown Dallas does not have a single driver's license office. 

The office at City Hall used to serve an average of 180 customers a day, or about 45,000 customers last year alone, according to DPS records.

When NBC 5 Investigates visited that office over the summer we found it was so crowded people were sitting on the floor, some waiting for hours. 

Since the City Hall location closed, a steady stream of customers continues to stop by during the day, surprised to find it's gone.

To get to the next closest DPS office they have to get on Interstate 35 and drive 10 miles south to Red Bird Lane, a trip that takes about 14 minutes each way if there's no traffic.

"It is an inconvenience, you know.  It's a waste of time and waste of bus fare," said Tobi Hicks who travelled to the City Hall office only to find it closed.

"You have to come down here waste gas and then go somewhere else I guess," said customer Emmanuel Dotson.

DPS hopes many customers will go to the new Garland Mega Center – which opened in December and is designed to handle 900 transactions every day above and beyond what the existing offices can handle. Now some of that new capacity will be taken up by thousands of customers who used to go to City Hall.

DPS is banking on the Mega Centers to reduce the long lines at all of the license offices. But the DFW population is growing fast and now the agency has lost an office in Dallas.  The Investigative Team will be watching over the spring and summer to see how well the Mega Centers really help improve wait times. 

The new Mega Center in Fort Worth on Brentwood Stair Road opened Feb. 1.

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Search Dog Finds Potential Evidence in ''Black Dahlia'' Murder

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Steve Hodel cannot let go.

And so he returned to a distinctive Hollywood mansion with another retired cop, Paul Dostie, and Dostie's search dog, Buster. Hodel had a mission for them.

In his book "Black Dahlia Avenger," the longtime LAPD detective and best-selling author convinced many skeptics that he had solved the gruesome 1947 murder that perhaps became LA's most notorious cold case.

The body of Elizabeth Short, 22, had been severed in two with surgical skill and technique, leading investigators to conclude early on that the killer likely had medical school training.

That killer, Steve Hodel ultimately concluded, was his late father, George Hodel, MD.

What's more, because there was no trace of blood in the empty Leimert Park lot where the remains were found, detectives realized she must have been killed elsewhere.

That elsewhere, Hodel concluded, was the landmark Hollywood mansion where Dr. Hodel made his home, the distinctive "Sowden House" designed on a Mayan theme by famed second-generation architect Lloyd Wright.

Steve Hodel lived there as a child. As he looked into the case, he was able to determine from records that he and his siblings were away with their mother at the time of the Black Dahlia murder.

Hodel marshaled considerable evidence, which was later corroborated after "Black Dahlia Avenger" was published, when the District Attorney Steve Cooley agreed to reopen decades-old case files.

Right at the top was a picture of Dr. Hodel; it turns out he had been the principal suspect. Investigators had even planted a bug in the house to listen for incriminating admissions. But before authorities brought charges, Dr. Hodel abruptly abandoned his family and relocated to Asia.

The likes of Steve Kay, then a head Deputy DA, concluded that Steve Hodel had made the case against his father.

But that wasn't good enough for Steve Hodel, who has continued seeking more evidence in hopes of convincing his former employer, the LAPD, to declare the case officially solved.

So when the opportunity arose to return to the Sowden house with Dostie and Buster, Hodel took it.

The arrangements with the current ownership had been made by producers of a segment for the "Ghost Hunters" program on the SyFy Channel.

Hodel knew that the sounds of blows and a woman's screams had been heard coming from the basement, according to the transcript of what police heard through the bug. The basement had never been finished and when Hodel, Dostie and the SyFy crew went there last November, the floor was still dirt.

With his keen sense of smell, Buster alerted in four locations, indicating he had picked up the scent of human decomposition, faint traces of which can remain for decades, Dostie said.

But is it corroboration? Dostie cannot say for sure. The decomposition of human tissue that Buster detected did not necessarily originate in the basement.

With the house on a slope, it is possible traces may have migrated downslope from the hillside lot above. Labwork may be able to pin down the possibilities. Hodel is waiting for the results.

Dostie and Buster have moved on to other searches, Buster hardly losing a step despite the fact that the black lab was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in a hind leg, which had to be amputated.

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Kaufman Coping with Loss of Assistant DA

Mark Schnyder, NBC 5 News

NBC DFW checked to see how Kaufman businesses near the County Courthouse are doing in the wake of Thursday's murder nearby.

Kaufman Coping with Loss of Assistant DA

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No Arrests in Kaufman Co. Prosecutor's Slaying

The investigation into the shooting death of Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse continues, but no arrests have been made.

Investigators Pour Over Hasse's Old Cases

Colleagues are mourning an Assistant District Attorney who was gunned down outside the Kaufman County Courthouse yesterday. Authorities don't know whether 57-year-old Mark Hasse feared for his life before he was fatally shot Thursday, but they're poring through the cases he handled for leads.

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Kaufman's got that quiet charm.  The type of place where people feel comfortable leaving an expensive package unguarded, like boxed electronics we saw Saturday next to a Fed Ex box on the sidewalk. 

But Thursday's murder of a man committed to Kaufman County's common good has taken some of that feeling away... at least for now.

"It's been crazy," said Renea Dodds of Lott's Cleaners, directly across the street from the County Courthouse.  "Every time customers come in they ask how things are going and if we knew him [Mark Hasse] and if he was a customer here.  He was.  He was in here two or three times a week and he was a really nice guy."

As of Friday, the reward for information leading to the arrest of suspects in the killing totaled $71,000.

At the Especially for You Tea Room on the square, owner Lori McWha takes car of her customers while taking what happened a couple of blocks away Thursday very hard.

"We're very sad because someone who did a great job for our community and for Dallas County also in the past has been gunned down for doing a job we all want somebody to do, to put bad guys in jail," said McWha.

"I'm scared for others that were in that same type of position he was in, helping do the same thing he was doing" said Renea Dodds.  "Are they going to come after them because they're going to continue his work?"

Lisa Blake was back to work at Yogurt in Motion Saturday.  A few yards from the courthouse, she can't believe how her community lost one of their good guys.  She's not deterred by the fact no one's been arrested yet.

"I'm sure they'll catch 'em," said Blake.  "I have no doubt Kaufman County will get 'em."

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Hadiya Pendleton Funeral Arrangements Announced, Reward Increased

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Funeral arrangements were announced Friday for the 15-year-old girl whose shooting death on Chicago's south side this week captured national attention.

Meanwhile, officials announced the pool of reward money for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Hadiya Pendleton's killer had increased to $40,000.

Pendleton, a student at King College Prep High, was shot Tuesday afternoon as she and a group of other teens sought cover from a rain storm in Vivian Gordon Harsh Park, on the 4500 block of South Oakenwald Avenue.

A visitation for the teen will be held Friday, Feb. 8 at Calahan Funeral Home, at 7030 S. Halsted St., from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. A wake and funeral will beheld the following day beginning at 9 a.m. at the Greater Harvest Baptist Church, at 5141 S. State St.

It was unclear late Friday if President Barack Obama would heed a request to attend the funeral, but a pastor confirmed the president did speak with the girl's parents.

"We thank him for that, and if he does come, that's fine. If he doesn't, we know he sends his love," said Pastor Courtney Maxwell.

Earlier in the day, dozens marched from the girl's school to where she was gunned down, passing out leaflets along the way and pleading for the shooter to come forward.

Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said his officers were chasing a "ton of tips" from the community and felt confident that "something's going to pan out."

"If we get this guy into custody, we may save somebody else from going through what this family is going through right now, because that's a stone-cold killer," McCarthy said with Pendleton's heartbroken family and religious leaders at his side.

Online, moving tributes to Pendleton were being posted and shared so that no one forgets what's been lost while authorities search for a killer.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rainbow PUSH Coalition planned to hold a Saturday rally in honor of Pendleton. Organizers planned to begin the event at 10 a.m. at the group's headquarters, at 930 E. 50th St.. Ministers, legislators, school officials, parents and other supporters then planned to march toward Vivian Gordon Harsh Park.

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"American Sniper" Author Shot, Killed at Gun Range

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Chris Kyle's Truck Recovered In Dallas County

NBC 5's Chris Van Horne reports from scene where Chris Kyle's truck was recovered along I-35E near Camp Wisdom Road in Dallas County.

Source: "American Sniper" Author Shot, Killed at Gun Range

Reporter Sara Vanden Berg with the Stephenville Empire-Tribune newspaper reports Chris Kyle and another man were shot and killed at a shooting range at Rough Creek Resort and Lodge in Glen Rose late Saturday.

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A decorated former Navy SEAL who authored the best-selling book "American Sniper" was one of two people shot and killed at an Erath County shooting range Saturday, the Texas Highway Patrol said.

Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Lonny Haschel told NBC 5 early Sunday morning that Chris Kyle, 38, and Chad Littlefield, 35, were shot and killed at a shooting range at Rough Creek Resort and Lodge in Glen Rose late Saturday afternoon.

"The suspected gunman was identified as Eddie Ray Routh, of Lancaster," Haschel said. "Routh is believed to have shot the victims around 3:30 p.m. He left the range then in a Ford pickup truck. He traveled back to his residence in Lancaster."

Haschel said Routh was taken into custody after a brief police pursuit. Lancaster police said Routh was arrested along Interstate 35E near Camp Wisdom Road in Lancaster.

NBC 5 crews reported that a Ford pickup truck was recovered after Routh was taken into custody. 

NBC 5 sources say Routh was in Kyle's pickup truck when he was arrested, but Haschel could not confirm that information.

Haschel said Routh will face capital murder charges.

"He was transported to the Lancaster Police Department, where he's been arraigned on two counts of capital murder," Haschel said. "Eventually, he'll be transferred back to Erath County, absolutely. But this evening, he's being arraigned on two counts of capital murder here in Lancaster."

Routh was no longer in the Lancaster jail later Sunday morning, but the Erath County sheriff would not say whether he had arrived.

The Stephenville Empire-Tribune first reported that Kyle and another man had been shot at Rough Creek.

Empire-Tribune reporter Sara Vanden Berge told NBC 5 late Saturday night that it did not sound like an accidental shooting but appeared to be an intentional shooting.

Vanden Berge said her understanding was that Kyle had an open invitation to visit and use the range at Rough Creek and did not have a guide with him.

A source told her that the man suspected in the shootings was a veteran and may have been doing some sort of shooting therapy, she told NBC 5.

According to public records, Routh previously lived in Camp LeJeune, a Marine Corps base in North Carolina, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

According to the Cleburne Times-Review, Routh was cited in early January 2012 on driving while intoxicated with an open container.

Kyle, who was born in West Texas and grew up in Dallas, served four combat tours in Iraq and elsewhere between the start of the war and 2008.

Kyle is believed to have been one of the best snipers in the world and holds the most career sniper kills in U.S. military history with 160 confirmed kills.

The previous American record was 109, according to Kyle's New York Times No. 1 bestselling book "American Sniper."

Kyle was awarded two Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars with Valor, two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and one Navy and Marine Corps Commendation, according to Craft International, the company he founded after leaving the military.

According to his biography on the company's website, Iraqi insurgents dubbed Kyle "al-Shaitan" ("the devil") and placed a bounty on his head.

Craft International offers training to military and law enforcement.

Kyle is survived by his wife and two children.

FITCO Cares, a foundation Kyle helped establish, said in a statement that it was committed to making sure his memory lives on forever. The foundation assists veterans fighting post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Please pray for all those who loved Chris," the foundation said. "He will be forever missed."

Kyle competed on NBC's "Stars Earn Stripes" last summer.

The reality show paired eight celebrities with people from a branch of the military or a first-responder agency to compete in missions inspired by military exercises. Kyle teamed up with actor Dean Cain, who competed for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Cain tweeted on Saturday:

"2013 started out fantastic...Now it's a heartbreak. #SadDay"

Cain retweeted other messages of condolence for Kyle and his family. Other "Stars Earn Stripes" participants also tweeted about Kyle on Saturday night.

NBC 5's Chris Van Horne contributed to this report.

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Formerly Homeless Veteran Gets Dallas House

Andres Gutierrez, NBC 5 News

A Dallas veteran who overcame homelessness and substance abuse problems has moved into a new home provided by a partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs and Habitat for Humanity.

Veteran Realizes Dream of Home Ownership

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Formerly Homeless Veteran Gets Dallas House

Michael Hancock was once homeless. Now he is a homeowner thanks to a new program.

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A Vietnam War veteran who once lived on the streets across North Texas has a new home as part of a new outlook.

Michael Hancock, 56, struggled with alcohol and drugs after leaving the military. But the father of 10 grown children and grandfather of 12 turned his around two years ago.

First, he began working at the Veterans Administration hospital. Then he applied to a sobriety program and, in the process, moved into an apartment.

His ultimate dream was to become a homeowner.

"It was almost an impossible dream -- something that I wished for but didn't have any vision of it happening," Hancock said.

His dream became a reality on Saturday, when he moved into a new four-bedroom house in Dallas. It was provided by a partnership between the Department of Veteran's Affairs and Habitat for Humanity.

"So many people told me to give up, but my faith in God and the love of veterans that people have in America -- America loves veterans, and it happened," he said.

Hancock now speaks to other veterans who are homeless as a source of encouragement.

According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2,500 homeless veterans live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

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Lindsay Lohan could face jail after March trial in California

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Lindsay Lohan will stand trial on March 18 on charges she lied to California police about a June car crash and violated probation, raising the possibility she could be sent back to jail.

A judge in Los Angeles on Wednesday set the trial date on charges related to the car crash and said the court will hold a hearing at the same time on whether Lohan in the incident violated probation from a 2011 jewelry theft.

The star of the movie "Mean Girls," who has been in and out of rehab and jail since 2007, wore a black sleeveless dress and looked tired at the brief court hearing. She arrived in Los Angeles late Tuesday from New York and has abandoned her longtime lawyer in favor of new attorney Mark Heller.

Lohan has pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor charges of reckless driving, lying to police and obstructing police when she said she was not behind the wheel of her sports car, which smashed into a truck in Santa Monica, California in June.

Lohan, 26, left court without speaking to the media.

The former "Parent Trap" child star has been in and out of trouble since a 2007 arrest for drunk driving and cocaine possession.

Sautner warned Lohan that she could be found in violation of probation even if she is acquitted on charges connected to the car crash because the standard of proof is lower.

Lohan was ordered to appear at Wednesday's hearing because she decided to switch lawyers, firing longtime attorney Shawn Holley this month.

She was arrested in New York on a misdemeanor assault charge on the same day in November that the Santa Monica car crash charges were filed. The Manhattan district attorney's office has not filed a criminal complaint in the assault case.

Lohan's appearance in Los Angeles had been in doubt after Heller wrote to the court earlier this week saying was suffering from an upper respiratory infection and could not appear.

"Glad to see you're feeling better," Judge Stephanie Sautner told Lohan at the hearing.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Cynthia Osterman)

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Schwarzenegger: Simple Austrian upbringing made me green

VIENNA (Reuters) - Arnold Schwarzenegger credited his simple upbringing amid the lakes and hills of Austria for a recent conversion to fully fledged green activism, the latest stage in his varied career.

The former body-builder, star of the "Terminator" action films and governor of California grew up in Thal, a small village in the Austrian province of Styria, and emigrated to the United States at the age of 21.

"Growing up in my house, we knew about sustainability before it was hip. We called it 'necessity'," Schwarzenegger told an environmental conference he hosted in Vienna this week.

"We didn't have video games, televisions or iPhones. We had the rolling hills, the castles, the ruins, and the beautiful lakes," he said. "Even after I made it big and became governor of California, I held on to this love of nature."

The "governator" - who left office and split with his wife of 25 years, Maria Shriver in 2011, has recently returned to making action movies - expressed surprise at the turn his life had taken, after he had thought all his ambitions fulfilled.

"When I was a little boy in Austria, all I could think about was moving to America, to become the greatest bodybuilder champion in the world and make millions of dollars and be an action hero," said Schwarzenegger.

"My dream became reality. Who knew my greatest achievement would be in the real world fighting for a green energy future? Green energy wasn't even in my vocabulary."

(Reporting by Derek Brooks; Writing by Georgina Prodhan, editing by Paul Casciato)

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