>> i'm awe andma daetz. abc 7 news reporter melanie woodrow has the story. >> reporter: police are calling him the ride share rapist. >> it's completely premature to be talking about the facts as alleged. >> reporter: there's allegations according to to sfpd that he raped four women between 2013 and 2018 by posing as their ride share driver. as his victims left nightclubs and bars downtown. >> these assaults were violent raps, committed by a serial rapist, a sexual deviant predator not stopping until he was caught. >> reporter: lyft says we confirmed this person drove for lyft. we immediately deactivated him as soon as we learned. the dna evidence linked him to the assaults, and he was arrested this past thursday. the following day i.c.e. launched a detainer with the san

francisco county jail for him who was a citizen of peru, here illegally. i.c.e. writing, the san francisco county jail does not honor detainers. the jail not only provides a refuge, but also shields on criminal aliens who prey on people in the community. the san francisco sheriff's department says, quote, there's no response required to this request unless and until the person is subject to release. he's being held without bail. >> i.c.e. made this case about sanctuary laws and immigration status. that has nothing to do with the charges being brought by the district attorney. >> we're alleging that he has committed multiple rapes, that's what this case is about. the defendant has no criminal history that i can tell. >> investigators say they believe there may be more victims. >> lyft is now responding to how he passed its background check since he's not a u.s. citizen,

quote, individuals who drive for lyft must be eligible to work in the united states. unfortunately, in this circumstance, this person fraudulently represented himself. we stand ready to work with law enforcement and are actively addressing this case of fraud with our background check provider. six uc berkeley police officers are off the force this evening, accused of sleeping and hanging out at a library while on duty. our media partner, the mercury news, reports the officers were fired today after being on paid suspension since october 31st. the paper reported in may the officers would gather that math library after radioing in they were checking buildings elsewhere. the officers are expected to take cases to arbitration. police officers are in short supply in santa clara county. that has agencies competing for recruits. palo alto's police recruiters have come up with a new approach. david louie is live at palo alto police headquarters. >> reporter: it takes a special

kind of person to be a public safety officer. here in palo alto, a new recruit gets paid $98,000 in the first year, $65,000 less than the city's median income. still, palo alto thinks it can go after people, especially those who are thinking about switching careers. >> our uniforms present us as a united front. >> reporter: this is a recruitment video police created last year showing how even the small department of 79 sworn officers has a wide range of specialties. but with 13 opening to fill, intense competition for recruits among other agencies, the latest recruitment video has taken a new approach. >> i used to be a mechanic. now i'm a palo alto police officer. >> reporter: the video showcases ten aurss who switched to law enforcement from other careers, even at substantial pay cuts. >> from my last day at the law firm to my first day as a police recruit at the academy, i took a 50% pay cut. >> reporter: he was an attorney specializing in intellectual

property litigation. >> we have a lot of officers that had lucrative careers before they became police officers and they bring that life experience with them and that different perspective with them to the job. >> reporter: showcasing role models who have switched careers could have an impact on recruitment, underscoring the lure of public service. fellow officers were sales pecktives, nurses and schoolteacher. officers doing lip sync videos are appearing all over social media. while they're not intended to be recruiting tools, like the palo alto approach, they cast officers in a different light. >> it really does humanize police officers and shows that, hey, we're just like you. we sit in the car, we sing to the radio. we have fun too. >> reporter: now, it's too early to know whether or not this new approach is going to work or not. the new recruitment video was just posted this morning.

still,al p still, palo alto and surrounding cities have an insurmountable challenge surrounding them, with the cost of living. we're live in palo alto, david louie, abc 7 news. >> interesting figure. clever approach, david. thanks so much. >> two people are dead after the crash of a small plane near trukee. that's a cal fire dispatcher moments after the plane crashed about 7:30 this morning, not far from a northstar ski resort. the pilot reported engine problems and was trying to return to the trukee airport when the crash happened. a third person from the plane is in the hospital with serious injuries. an older person suffered serious injuries when a car hit him in san francisco. it happened this morning. here you see the man's cane in the road. police describe his injuries as life threatening, the same intersection where a car hit and killed a man last halloween. in both accidents the drivered

stopped. a fire has closed down a world renowned restaurant in the south bay. the fire started last night at manresa, it's one of 13 mitch lynn restaurants in the country with three stars. a person who works with the restaurant says it may take two to four months to reopen. it was also closed in 2014 for several months after an arson. no word what sparked last night's fair. a freeway ramp in san mateo is back open after a big rig shut it down for more than nine hours. the ramp was closed around 10:30 last night after the big rig carrying 80,000 pounds of lettuce overturned. the chp is blaming the crash on excessive speed, but they aren't expected to file charges against the driver. no one was hurt. there's a new effort to open up a place to buy recreational cannabis in marin county. residents in fairfax submitted a petition, but they're getting pushback. abc 7 news reporter wayne freedman is live in fairfax with

details. wayne? >> reporter: unless you've shopped in marin county, you may not know they do not sell recreational cannabis. take a look. ♪ >> reporter: fairfax, california is about the last place a person might expect to find a cultural rift. but now a few are playing the blues because times are changing. >> people have been smoking marijuana here for as long as i can remember. and i've got a good memory. >> with the passage of proposition 64 which legalized can wis, there's division in the air. 77% of fairfax voted in favor. why, they ask, has the town council delayed establishing a new policy? >> philosophically, i'm saying follow the will of the voters, city council.

i mean, i don't know how you ignore a number that big. >> reporter: yesterday, lou tremain submitted a petition allowing growth, manufacture and recreational sales of cannabis within fairfax limits, and it would also benefit the first licensed medical dispensary in the nation. >> the ordinance adopts prop 64 as the law in fairfax. we want the same thing everybody else has. >> reporter: if approved, it would allow the first recreational cannabis in marin county. without it, her business may go under. the fairfax town council is in no hurry. it's been looking at how to implement prop 64 for a year. >> i call it a business plan by ballot box, and i don't think that's appropriate for residential areas. >> reporter: so it goes, where

cannabis never seemed so complicated until it became legal. and it's worth noting the fairfax town council will look at implements proposition 64 again tomorrow night. it is on the agenda, and now with a new wrinkle. in fairfax, wayne freedman, abc 7 news. wayne, thank you. help on the way to organizations that help immigrants. they committed $300,000 to help the alameda county immigrant partnership. they provide a range of services for the immigrant community, workshops to protect basic -- >> we want to be a source of light, a beacon of hope that pushes back against these reckless policies and be an example to other communities across our state and nation that want to do the same thing. >> the partnership says it already helped some 9,000 people

in alameda county and represented some 680 people in immigration court. stay with us. a small ins sect, and big concerns in the south bay. going into the lab to see how scientists take on west nile virus. a las vegas officer takes shot through his own shield. we have changes coming you will notice and feel. more in the accuweather seven-day forecast. and how to lower your electric bill

a las vegas police officer let go of his steering wheel, grabbed his gun and shot through the windshield during a wild high speed chase. police released this body cam footage, an officer shot and

killed the driver. the suspects fired at the officers 34 times. which forced one officer to return fire through his own windshield. >> when you look at this video, it paints a clear picture of what those officers were dealing with that day. the officer could have backed off. but he didn't. he stuck with that individual, knowing what type of individual he was dealing with. >> the suspects crashed their car and then tried to reverse toward officers as those shots were fired. the passenger ran to a nearby elementary school where he was eventually caught and arrested. many commercial jet routes to and from the bay area flying near yosemite park, and we have many videos being sent in. this picture was taken on a flight from las vegas to san francisco sunday afternoon. this photograph was taken late yesterday afternoon on a flight from atlanta to san francisco. the captain of that flight announced to the entire plane that those aren't clouds, but smoke from that fire. flames have burned more than 12,000 acres since that fire broke out friday.

tonight, it's just 5% contained. new tonight, there's growing concern in the south bay after neighbors say they've come across several dead birds near their homes. the discoveries were made in san jose. >> reporter: ama, the concern continues here through santa clara county as more people are coming across dead birds. just last month a bird tested positive here and that led to some necessary testing in parts of sunnyvale and santa clara. control says the testing and the treatment ended with 60% of that mosquito population being reduced. >> we want to warn viewers, this video may be uncomfortable to watch. but the process is important. depending on whether the dead bird you found meets certain criteria, specialists will pick it up and take it to a lab for

testing doctors have dead birds so far this year. they came across a positive west nile. >> when we find positive mosquitos, one mile radius. >> insects that thrive in less than an inch of standing water, we humans aren't immune. >> west nile transmission to people happens most often during these summer months when the weather is warm and mosquitos are active. right now droneview 7 is over a small section where residents have recently reported seeing at least five dead birds in the area. those living in willow glen tell us off camera they are concerned considering the dead birds were found within a few blocks from each other. if an infected mosquito strikes

symptoms include fever, headache and nausea, in serious cases, west nile virus can impact the brain and nervous system and can sometimes be fatal. this is one reason experts say it's important to take precautions and alert animal control. >> we have seven positive bird this year. and that's actually very low numbers compared to previous years. >> compared to 2014 when control says it registered almost 1,000 cases of west nile in dead birds around santa clara county. already, four human cases have already been confirmed throughout california. have astillo. increased with the summer rises. >> how to stay cool on a budget. >> i was talking to a friend

yesterday, and i go how about this weather, he goes, you know how much this costs me? thermostats can be a huge advantage for homes with central air-condition. if you have a window you through the wall units there are some simple tips to help you weather summer heat without breaking the bank. 26-year-old eliza hanson loves the summer, but dreads her utility bills when she has to use her air conditioner. >> it gets swelteringly hot to the point where i spend as little time in the apartment as possible, and i try and wait as long as i can before turning on the air-conditioning. >> typically her electric bills in the summer are two to three times what they are in the winter. occasionally reaching over $200 a month in this tiny 400 square foot apartment. >> an easy way to keep costs down is to close your shades and curtains during the day. plug up cracks in doors and windows to prevent the cool air from leaking out.

>> another tip, using your ceiling fan can make the temperature feel as much as four degrees cooler. in the summer, the fan direction should go counterclockwise. >> if you have central air-conditioning, one of the smartest investments you can make is installing a smart thermostat. you can control them from your phone. >> smart thermostats can lower or turn off the air conditioner when no one is home and et al. it to be comfortable for when you return. these adjustments can help lower your bill as much as 10%. some medals also offer sensors to prevent different parts of the house from getting too warm or too cold. regularly maintaining your equipment is also important. it's easy to clean the filters on a window unit, vac heavy debris with a brush. rinse with soapy water and reinstall for optimum air flow. a recent study shows when it comes to selling your house,

having smart technology, like a smart thermostat, is a big plus. most potential home buyers want to see that feature. cryptocurrency is no longer just for big investors. >> you can spend them the way you spend dollars today in 2018. >> i will have much more on this developing trend. in a 7 on your side special report tonight at 11:00. let me ask you this. are you willing to try cryptocurrency? weigh in and see the answers in realtime on abc7news.com/vote. we'll have the results of the poll tonight at 11:00 p.m. >> announcer: now your accuweather forecast with sandhya patel. if you do not like the weather we've been having inland, head to the coast. take a look at live doppler 7. the fog keeping the temperatures on the cool side, in the low 60s for some of you, like pacifica.

heading inland, mid-90s this afternoon. tourists enjoying the view from pier 39, combination of fog and sunshine right now. it is 64 degrees in the city. oakland, 68 degrees. san jose, you're at 80. and look at the warm weather there in gilroy, 92 degrees. south beach camera, a few wispy clouds over the bay. 93 in concord, 92 in livermore. yes, it's warm outside, summertime, you expect it, here's a look at the highlights. we'll see fog near the coast and bay overnight tonight. mild to hot weather tomorrow afternoon. then it gets interesting. muggy on thursday, and a slight chance of a thunderstorm or two. live picture from the santa cruz camera where it's a beautiful day for people to enjoy the beach. it's a good way to beat the heat. 12-hour planner for tomorrow, foggy around the bay and coast, 50s, mostly sunny at noontime, except near the coast, it's hot

inland, triple digits inland. mid-60s on the coast side. hour by hour tonight at 11:00 p.m., you see where the fog is. it doesn't push very far. it's compressing that marine layer, which will allow the temperatures to come up tomorrow afternoon, away from the coast. 8:00 a.m., still have the fog around near the coastline. and well into the afternoon and the evening hours. temperatures first thing in the morning will range from the low 50s to the mid-60s around the region with the fog being thick in some places around the coast and bay. so watch out for that. you can download the accuweather app and track those temperatures anytime you want. south bay temperatures for your wednesday, warm, 94 degrees in gilroy, 93 in morgan hill, 87 in san jose, 81 in -- in mountain view, 64 in pacifica. daly city, downtown san francisco, 71 degrees. north bay temperatures, 60s

coastside. really comfortable here. b 103 in lakeport. under a heat advisory for good reason. 77 in oakland. 80 in hayward. head inland, hot, up to 100 in brentwood. 97 in livermore. the accuweather seven-day forecast, a wide range of temperatures, mid-60s to low 100s, then on thursday, monsoon moisture bringing in a slight chance of a thunderstorm or two, certainly will turn muggy and you will feel the mugginess since we're not used to it. still humid on friday. temperatures will start to come down a few degrees going into the weekend, in the comfort zone. mid-60s to low 90s, around where you should be this time of year. nice looking weather for the upcoming week. >> thanks, sandhya, very much. teenagers, technology and

a show of confidence tonight from major league baseball for

keeping the a's rooted in oakland. commissioner rob manford told writers today there is not another market in the u.s. with the upside potential oakland has. the league would regret leaving the city if it did. manford hopes the team will work out a new stadium deal in the near future. if a's have the lowest payroll in major league baseball. greg papa apparently called his last game for the team. the las vegas review journal says brent musburger agreed to a three-year deal starting this season. the review journal says it's possible papa does not know about the switch. mus burger worked for -- steveially signed a contract extension. the team didn't announce the length or dollar amount, but espn reports it will make him one of the highest paid coaches in the league. kerr has won nba titles in three

of his four seasons as head coach. next season will be the team's last season in oakland before moving to the new arena in san francisco. starting at 10:00 tomorrow morning, travelers can once again drive highway 1 to reach big sur. caltrans crews have been working around the clock to fix the highway, the price tag estimated at $54 million. well, you know that teenagers often have their phones practically connected to their hands as they text one another, post photos, stream video and play games. but are they driven to distraction by digital use? research suggests they might be. researchers at usc looked at 2,500 teenagers and found that those who frequently use it have a risk of developing adhd. researchers concede that their study was limited by the fact that the teenagers rated their own symptoms, and say further research is needed.

a little bit of fiji takes over union square. these guys are marking a milestone, find out what's going on next. but first, we want to thank jc for this picture of the golden gate bridge with the moon on top and the tip of the trans-america pyramid between the tower. isn't that a great shot? >> very neat. share your pictures with us, and you may see them on air

♪ ♪ ♪ raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens ♪ ♪ bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens ♪ ♪ brown paper packages tied up with strings ♪ ♪ these are a few of my favorite things ♪ ♪ ♪

coming up at 6:00, a desperate rescue, a man who fell who a cement mixer tells the i team how he became trapped and the first attempt to free him didn't work. also -- >> you all watch this, you laugh. >> the house is a must see for fans of the show "full house," but today san francisco tes acti to mak it more dficult coming u in hal an hour on abc 7 news at 6:00.

before we go, a look as the warriors took over part of san francisco today. >> it was an entertaining takeover. abc 7 news was in union square this morning for a press conference of traditional fujian songs and dances. >> it will be the first time the rugby championship is held in the u.s. the dancers are here to support their team. for many performers, it's the first time they've traveled. >> everyone believes in rugby in fiji. the guys are so excited to be here. >> the world cup 7's tournament features teams from 29 different nations and takes place friday through sunday at at&t park. well, world news tonight with david muir is coming up next. i'm ama daetz for kristen sze. >> i'm dan ashley. see you again in half an hour.

tonight, the president tries to take it back. after what he said on that stage with vladimir putin, when asked who he believes more, russia, or his own intelligence agencies, appearing to side with putin in front of the world. tonight, what the president said late today at the white house. saying he misspoke. reading from a carefully written script. the lights going out as the president was talking. as republicans and democrats tonight offer harsh words for the president. also at this hour, the severe weather in the east. the rare funnel cloud over new york city. flash flooding up and down the coast. the rescues in arlington, virginia. dozens rescued from stranded vehicles. more than 1,500 flights cancelled. ginger zee is standing by. the investigation. this video. police in pursuit. opening fire through the windshield, with the chase