. i'm raj mathai. next on "nbc bay area news tonight." a viral video raising a lot of eyebrows in san francisco. take a look. a tow truck trying to snag a moving car. we have the details. also, a lot of different emotions following the death of o.j. simpson. he was once a proud son of san

francisco. >> o.j. was a city college student at the time, but he was so famous. >> this was a case like none other. plus, did an accused rapist get off too easy? >> and all i could keep looking at him, but why did it happen to me? like why didn't i matter? >> we investigate why prosecutors offered a plea deal despite a confession and an apology note. and a restaurant owner is leaving san francisco and moving his business to oakland. he's got some interesting reasons as to why. good evening. this is "nbc bay area news tonight." i'm raj mathai. the uncomfortable reality of o.j. simpson's death, especially in his hometown of san francisco. that story in just a moment. but we want to start in oakland. the controversial proposal to change the name of oakland international airport. about 90 minutes ago, the oakland port commissioners voted unanimously to move forward with the name change. so what exactly does that mean?

well, start with this. the proposal would alter the name from oakland international to san francisco bay oakland international airport. this is all about generating more flights and money into the east bay. airport officials say it will help bring in travelers who don't realize the airport is so close to san francisco. tonight port commissioners approved a first reading of the ordinance. next, they'll continue to get input from the community. there was already some public comment at tonight's meeting, and opinions were mixed. >> and i think this is our opportunity to get some new business, some new flights, and additional airlines into oakland. >> the renaming of it is not going to do what everyone says it is going to do. it's not going to bring more customers in because it's not going to change public safety with the new name. >> here's the bottom line. the port commission will have a second reading on the name change on may 9th.

so nothing right now is a done deal. san francisco leaders have already announced their intent to sue because of trademark infringement. san mateo county also getting involved. san mateo county is where sfo is actually located. leaders there also oppose this plan. another headline on this thursday, a viral video is raising questions about a tow company in san francisco. take a look. the video appears to show that tow truck right there, the driver attempting to tow an unoccupied car. this is in traffic. everything's moving here. this was on tuesday in the area of bush and montgomery near union square. the man who recorded the video says a bunch of cars were stopped in traffic when the tow truck started backing up to the car behind it with its towing mechanism out. >> and i thought, oh, i'm just going to see this hook up with a broken waymo car and take off. and then he went for the car next to it, which had people in it, and started loading that. and they started backing up, and

he started chasing them with the tow truck. >> eventually the tow truck sped away. we reached out to the city attorney. his office recently suspended a a company called specialty towing, which the same name you see there on this truck. it's unclear if the truck in the video is connected to that business. we reached out by email and by phone to specialty towing and have not yet heard back. also this evening, a worrisome discovery in the south bay. a mosquito known for transmitting serious diseases. the mosquito is known as aedes aegypti. six of them have already been caught in east san jose. these mosquitos are different than the normal ones we usually see around here. they've been known to transmit zika and dengue fever. they're also aggressive and bite during the day. we should note no cases of those serious diseases have been reported in the bay area, but county leaders are asking people to clear any standing water on their property. well, this story rekindles so many emotions for so many

people. issues of race, politics, stardom, and our legal system. o.j. simpson has died. o.j. was one of the most controversial figures in modern american history. he was 76 years old. >> we are right in front of o.j. simpson. >> if you're old enough, you'll remember exactly where you were during this chase, june of 1994. it was 30 years ago almost. live coverage of police following o.j. simpson in that white ford bronco. his buddy al cowlings driving. he was wanted in the murder of his ex-wife, nicole brown simpson, and her friend, ron goldman. that was just five days earlier before that chase. the trial that followed was called the trial of the century, one of the first ever to be televised live from start to finish. o.j. simpson was found not guilty. many people were shocked. many people cheered. long before the trial, o.j. was a hero, especially around here. he grew up in san francisco, in

potrero hill. he was a multi-talented athlete before being recruited to usc, where he won the heisman trophy. >> he was just an amazing athlete, but more so an amazing person. he used to play at a recreation center that my mother was the director of, the booker t. washington center. we are very proud of what o.j. accomplished as a kid out of san francisco, out of potrero hill. >> two lives, one before the murder trial and one after. after college, simpson played in the nfl for 11 seasons with the buffalo bills before ending his career with the 49ers. the hall of famer also had a successful tv and film career. and while he was acquitted of the murder in criminal court, he was found liable for the death during a civil trial. he was also serving prison time in nevada for an unrelated robbery in las vegas. nbc's audrey asistio spoke to veteran reporter, nbc's conan nolan, who was alongside

covering simpson's biggest moments in l.a., including that slow-speed chase. >> you somehow ended up right in front of o.j. simpson's car during this pursuit. you saw all the police officers, all the police cars right behind him. you were driving right there. and i understand you were also going live during that time. >> yeah, not something you can do now. it's against the vehicular code to be on a cell phone while driving. but once we realized o.j. simpson was headed in our direction, i was in an unmarked van with a photographer. we pulled over, then pulled back on going the opposite way. i pulled to the side. we exchanged places, so i started driving. he would have the camera. dana shoots for "dateline" nbc. and then we saw the phalanx of police behind this white ford bronco. we pulled in front of him. i contacted my desk, and we went on television talking about this chase from my vantage point,

which was in front of him. >> how did you focus during that time? >> it was tough. that's why we ended up letting the police pass us just as he was about to get off the freeway and head towards o.j. simpson's home in brentwood. and that was because we were afraid we were going to get involved in the story. this was an individual we were told at the time was suicidal, so we were afraid we would somehow contribute to that. we didn't want to get in the way of the pursuit itself. this is a police matter and a murder case. then, of course, there's the people on the freeway that had stopped in the opposite direction. the people that were trying to maneuver their cars close so they could see o.j. simpson up front, and they were colliding with each other. and the people above on the overpasses. so there was a lot to take in while at the same time talking

on television as to what we were seeing at that moment. yeah, it's, again, something i hadn't been through before then and haven't been through since. >> you had mentioned a little earlier that when you were at the crime scene, you knew early on that this would be a big deal or this is a big deal. why do you think people were so captivated by o.j. simpson and the trial? >> it was a unique moment. remember that this was the cross-pollination of a number of issues right at this time involving o.j. simpson. it was celebrity. it was race. it was domestic violence, which was an issue, and of course he had clearly beaten nicole brown on several occasions where police had been called. it was also the dispute over the criminal justice system and whether there was a dual system of justice. all those things came into play

in this trial, and o.j. simpson, because he had been not only a superstar athlete, but he had been on television, advertising for companies like hertz. he had been a sportscaster. he was an actor. he had been in movies and on television. he had been in america's living room for decades, and there were researchers who told us that when they were trying to figure out whether he would be a good spokesperson for this company or that company, he tested colorless. that is, people didn't see him -- white people didn't see him as black. he was a unique individual at a unique time, and that's why this trial mattered because this is in los angeles. it came after the rodney king riots. there had been a case prior to that of a black girl killed by a korean grocery store owner, who then got, you know, let off pretty much on probation. so there had been all sorts of negativity with regard to the

political climate in los angeles and nationally concerns over whether or not the system of justice applied equally to whites and blacks and people of color, and that's why this case was the center of that and why it resonated for so many people. >> just some amazing perspective there from conan nolan, who is still working at nbc down at our sister station in los angeles. o.j. simpson's family says he died yesterday of cancer. ron goldman's family, who was nicole brown simpson's friend, also issuing a statement tonight, saying in part, the news of ron's killer passing away is a mixed bag of complicated emotions and reminds us that the journey through grief is not linear. for three decades, we tirelessly pursued justice for ron and nicole, and despite a civil judgment and his confession in his book, the hope for true accountability has ended. we will continue to advocate for the rights of all victims and survivors. and despite his death, the mission continues.

there's always more to be done. let's move on now. an emotional case in san mateo county. a woman says her alleged rapist got off too easy. our investigative unit spoke to carrie banks. she says in 2021, after a night of drinking, an acquaintance showed up at her home and assaulted her while she was passed out. according to the sheriff's report, her case included a taped confession and an apology note from the defendant. originally banks' alleged attacker was charged with four sex-related crimes. but on the day of the trial, banks learned he took a plea deal. he pled guilty to a lesser offense of false imprisonment, no sex crime. >> and i begged her to please not do this, that i was ready. i said i would rather lose on the stand than to let him get away with false imprisonment, which meant nothing. >> joining us now is our investigative reporter, hilda gutierrez, who is on this story

for us. san mateo county, as you know, the d.a. there, a longtime d.a. there. he has a reputation of being very tough. why did his office offer this plea deal? do we know? >> yeah. and many will agree with you. he is tough on crime. but we wanted to know not only conviction numbers, but what are those convictions actually for when we saw ms. banks case and we realized the initial charges and then the outcome. we wanted to look further into this. his office did tell us that sometimes there's cases that they initially look at, and they seem like it's a strong case. but later on, upon reassessing, they find weaknesses, and that's when they decide let's enter some type of negotiation deal. >> what kind of evidence are we dealing with? >> this case had very strong evidence. we spoke to a law enforcement anonymous source who told us the sentencing was not as harsh as they imagined. there was a confession tape. there was an apology note where apparently the defendant said that what he did was wrong, and he admitted to raping this

woman. >> and how did this not be used in trial or move forward with the case? >> you know, in this case, the d.a.'s office told us that they found some issues with the tone of the confession although ms. banks is saying the confession was never mentioned to her or the tone. so she had no idea that there was even a confession tape. >> biggest takeaway from this story? >> the biggest takeaway is that we looked at other similar cases and found out that 1 in every 4 cases where there is a sex crime charge, someone is allowed to plead down to a lesser non-sex-related charge. and that was very eye opening. >> and this is specific to san mateo county? >> san mateo county cases that are coming out of the sheriff's office there in san mateo. >> we know we have the expanded story at 11:00 tonight, correct? >> yes. >> we'll see you then. thanks, hilda. a popular spot for beer and food in san francisco coming up next, is closing and moving to oakland instead. the owner joins us to tell us why. also, ikea opening up a food hall in san francisco. we get our first look at what's

inside.

welcome back to "nbc bay area news tonight." a popular craft beer spot in san francisco is closing, but this isn't the story about crime in the city or homelessness or all the usual story lines. the owner says san francisco now has a boring bar scene, and fees for the various delivery apps are sky-high.

the gastropub is called the monk's kettle. this is on 16th street in the mission. it's been open for 16 years. a lot of people love this place. it's one of the places credited with jump starting the craft brew movement in the city. but at the end of june, the owners will close this location and relocate to oakland, right on college avenue in rock ridge. the owner wrote this letter explaining his decision. he says, the bar's old atmosphere was lively and often they were kicking people out at 2:00 a.m. but there was a major shift when food delivery services started becoming popular. now the restaurant closes much earlier, and a third of its sales are through those delivery apps. the letter says the monk's kettle has been transformed from a welcoming place and a fun atmosphere to eating a lukewarm burger with fries in your apartment. joining us now is christian albertson, the owner of the monk's kettle. nice to have you on the program. so is it just you or do other

owners feel the same way? >> oh, this is kind of all over the place. restaurants are suffering in the city. we hear this from pretty much everyone. you know, it's a strange thing where delivery is a -- it's a, you know, pain in our butt, but at the same time, it's kind of what's kept us afloat in a lot of ways. people are just not going out as much as they used to. so it's a problem for the industry all around. >> explain the fees now for the delivery apps. i get it because we use these apps as well as my house. are we talking apps like doordash and uber eats? explain why those fees are so high. >> yeah, it's all of them. it's not even just the fees themselves. i mean they have to get paid somehow. but it's, you know, so every dollar that goes out, you know, we're only making 80, 85 cents on it. but what it really presents is people not going out anymore. it used to be where someone would go out. they would meet a friend. the two of them would have a

drink. they would have an appetizer. they'd have dinner. now instead it's just the entree, and it's going out the door, and another company takes a percentage of it. so it's a lot of lost revenue. people are just not going out anymore. >> it's interesting because this is a socioeconomic thing here, business and social the way we live our lies. christian, why oakland? you think it's going to be better across the bay? >> yeah. well, it's not just, you know, oakland is very vast, you know. but this is rock ridge. rock ridge is a great neighborhood. actually, my partner about five years ago -- no, i'm sorry -- about a deck ago, he moved there with his family. he lived in the city, and they just -- the finances of the city became too difficult to make it there, so he ended up moving to rock ridge, loves the neighborhood, and it's kind of filled with people like us who used to live in the city back 15, 10 years ago and, you know, have moved outside because they just couldn't make it in the city anymore.

>> my sister lives in that neighborhood. i'll be checking this place out. when we come in, what are we going to order? >> our burgers are kind of -- it's our signature thing. a burger, pretzel. we have a really talented chef. we've got a whole range of food, you know, and it's kind of a -- you know, it's a create your own kind of experience. so you just want an app and a beer at the bar, have that. if you want a three-course meal, we have that as well. >> when do you open up in rock ridge in oakland? >> we're looking to stay open through about june in the city. and then probably a couple of months to move everything over, and we're hoping to open up in september. >> christian, thanks for your time. good luck with the move. appreciate it. >> thank you very much. appreciate it. so while many downtown san francisco businesses have been struggling, we've been reporting on this a lot. ikea is expanding. the mayor is there. just eight months after opening, a massive two-story food hall

opened this morning right next door to the furniture store on market street. there's 11 different places to eat, drink, from asian to puerto rican food, lots of plant-based options. it also offers co-working spaces and bars. >> this is why i'm really excited. in fact, if you want to host meetings, i know supervisor dorsey said this is going to be his new office. why work in city hall when you can work at saluhall. >> an on-site cooking school will offer classes on things like nordic baking and knife skills. it is ikea after all. let's take a live look outside on this thursday. in the city, a beautiful sunset. nice and warm today for most of the bay ar. that's geaoi

hey, everyone. if you're looking for a beautiful hidden gem in the bay area, look no further than this japanese garden in san mateo.

it is gorgeous here. i've got the mayor with me. what makes this place so magical? >> this is a place for peace and serenity. we have people of all generations coming and enjoying our koi fish and our turtles and our streams and pathways. >> you really do feel a sense of calm here. and this has a special connection with japan? >> this entire garden came about through the contribution of our japanese american community and our sister city in japan. this year marks the 60th anniversary marking that friendship. >> i love it. well, come and enjoy the renityse

welcome back. vianey arana is with us. the rain is not going to dampen our spirits for saturday. >> not quite. it will bring a cooldown, though, so it will require some layering in your choices of outerwear. temperature-wise, we've got '70s 60s and 70s and even some upper 50s. let's get to your microclimate forecast. take a closer look at satellite radar, we can absolutely see some changes up ahead as that system begins to develop off the coast. this is going to make its approach not for your early friday morning commute, which is great news here. you can see it churning there. it is going to make its impact, though, late friday into saturday morning. temperature-wise for tomorrow, we're going to wake up to some 40s and 50s. take a look at those daytime highs. we've got 60s and 70s. expect a cool-off by as much as

10 degrees by tomorrow. that rain makes its approach heading into late friday. the main component appears to be early saturday with a scattered chance heading into saturday evening. if you notice on the time stamp there, we do get scattered activity as we inch towards your sunday forecast. as we head into friday, it's going to be mostly dry. it's going to be a lot cooler. saturday into sunday we're going to keep those rain chances as those early showers make their move in for sunday. >> we're so happy the weekend is almost here. that's going to do it for us at 7:00. for everyone here at nbc bay area, thanks for joining us. we hope you enjoy your evening. we hope to see you back at 11:00.

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