More Than 5,000 San Diego County Children Rescued from Drug-Infested Homes

1. The Drug-Endangered Children (DEC) program rescued 5,191 children from dangerous, drug-infested homes through the end of last year, San Diego County officials announced Thursday. DEC offers special care to children found during drug raids, spokesman Jose Alvarez said. Under the DEC program, social workers are called to the scene to address the needs of the child. They work to ensure that none of them end up back in unhealthy environments, Alvarez said.

2. An African elephant estimated to be 21 years old died Thursday at the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park from an unknown cause, a zoo official said. Umoya, a mother of two brought to San Diego from Swaziland in 2003, was found lying down in the elephant exhibit shortly before the park opened, according to the zoo's Christina Simmons.

3. Eight Southern California men were behind bars Thursday and facing federal charges for allegedly smuggling undocumented immigrants out of Mexico, through the San Diego area and on into Orange County, authorities reported. The suspects were jailed on Wednesday and made their initial court appearances in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego.