International Auto Show Kicks Off Thursday

Auto Show Kicks Off

The annual San Diego International Auto Show begins a four-day run Thursday at the San Diego Convention Center.

The show will feature 500 new model automobiles and cars from television and movies. Among them are the "Back to the Future" DeLorean, one of the few General Lee Dodge Chargers used in the "Dukes of Hazzard," Starsky and Hutch's Grand Torino and Herbie the Love Bug.

Television host "Fireball" Steve will host his "Hollywood Garage" with other vehicles shown in movies.

New this year is the Geico Cycle & Power Sports Pavilion, which will include sports equipment and exhibitions from Rocket Motorcycles, featuring Triumph, Royal Enfield and Husaberg motorcycles, and Vespa Motorsport displaying a colorful array of scooters.

Show organizers have also added an automobile-themed art exhibit.

Tickets are $12 for attendees 13 and over, $8 for youth ages 7-12, and $9 for military and seniors. Children up to age 6 are free.

The auto show opens at 10 a.m. daily through New Year's Day, and closes at 9 a.m. Thursday and Friday, and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

$17.8 Million in Damages

Family members of four people killed when a Marine fighter jet crashed into their city of San Diego home three years ago will get $17.8 million in damages for their deaths, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Killed in the Dec. 8, 2008, crash were 36-year-old Youngmi Lee Yoon; her daughters, Grace Yoon, 15 months old; and Rachel Yoon, 7 weeks old; and Seokim Kim-Lee, Youngmi's 59-year-old mother.

The crash was blamed on a mechanical failure in the F/A-18D Hornet, as well as poor decisions by the pilot and personnel on the ground.

In a 16-page decision, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Miller said Youngmi Lee Yoon's husband, Don Yoon, should be awarded more than $9 million for lost wages, non-economic damages and loss of household services.

Kim-Lee's husband, Sanghyun Lee, was awarded nearly $4 million in economic and non-economic damages.

Three adult children of Kim-Lee were awarded $1.5 million each.

Christmas Burglary Suspect

A Vista man who was allegedly linked to an early morning Christmas burglary at a Westlake Village home in Los Angeles County through the "pinging" of an iPad pleaded not guilty Wednesday to three felony counts.

Patrick Krewson, 20, pleaded not guilty in Van Nuys Superior Court to one count each of first-degree burglary with a person present, grand theft of personal property and forgery.

Krewson was ordered to remain jailed in lieu of $70,000 bail pending his next court appearance Jan. 10.

Krewson is also expected to face charges in San Diego County in connection with a Dec. 22 burglary in Vista, police said.

-City News Service