off. we're not expecting any rain. we're expecting fairly dry weather through the weekend. low humidity in the south bay. tri-valley 54. and the north bay still working to climb into the 50s. a lot of folks yesterday saw those overcast skies. here's a live look at the doppler radar. we're still seeing some of the patchy fog but definitely not as dense as it was yesterday. we're expecting this to break apart a lot quicker than yesterday which means, yes, it's going to make way for a very sunny day across the bay area. a lot of people probably getting their memorial weekend already started. please remember to drink plenty of water because we'll be climbing into the 70s for some inland areas including san jose. so i will have a closer look at who is going to be the coolest and who is going to be the hottest and when we can see 80s in the forecast coming up at about 7:16. >> we'll stay tuned for that, thanks. this morning firefighters are on the scene of a fire at an east

bay storage facility. they're ensuring hot spots don't reignite the fire today. it happened at fremont mini storage at industrial parkway off of 880 near the tesla factory. 40 units were damaged, 18 of those were heavily damaged. the fire ignited around 8:45 last night. officials say it went quickly because of highly flammable contents that were inside the storage unit. >> we had to do forceable entry on all those units. imagine 40 garage doors that we had to use rotary saws to get them open one at a time. >> wow. well, this morning firefighters are inspecting every unit to make sure no one was living inside. mechanical problems could be what caused a single-engine plane to crash into an intersection in the east bay. it happened yesterday afternoon in concord. the pilot of the single-engine plane was trying to land at buchanan airport when it went down nearby at the intersection of marsh road and solano way. >> the ntsb and the faa will do their investigation.

it typically takes six, nine months. they'll take the plane apart, investigate the pilot, look at all the maintenance logs. >> the pilot did survive. no one on the ground was hurt. take a look at this. what happened to this whale? it's a mystery along the marin county coast. nbc bay area sky ranger was above salinas yesterday evening. seeing this characters a. it's a 79-foot blue whale. that's an endangered species. it washed up at agate beach near highway 1 at mt. tamalpais. they shared this photo with us. they were on the ground collecting skin tissue and blubber samples for further testing. they'll be back at the beach today to perform a necropsy and hopefully determine how the whale died. they say it's a unique opportunity for them. they rarely get to examine blue whales because of their endangered status. terrifying moments in oakland when a building under construction suddenly collapses dropping a dozen workers into

wet concrete. the good news is they're all alive. "today in the bay" sergio quintana has the latest. >> reporter: from sky ranger you can see the collapse and cell phone video shot just moments after the collapse, you can see the damage. there's bent rebar. you can see one of the injured workers on the stretcher. his clothes are soaked from the wet concrete. >> i heard a big crash, a boom. i thought something fell off of a truck. >> that was freaking loud. >> reporter: marcus thomas was watching along with others from his third floor office across the street. miguel is one of the construction crew members. he says some of his co-workers were dangling by straps that were attached to the rebar. >> some were hanging. got them down with a ladder. some were covered in concrete, so we pulled them out. >> reporter: his pants are caked from wet concrete from wading in to pull some of his co-workers out. emergency crews congratulated the quick action of the on-site construction crew. >> they were running around.

when we showed up at the scene, they worked with us to extricate their fellow brothers who were trapped. >> reporter: 15 to 20 people fell several feet. 12 were rushed to local hospitals with injure, none were life threatening. police are looking for this woman. they say she dragged a san mateo police officer 35 feet with her car. it happened just after midnight friday morning at the woodlake shopping center right near san mateo high. police say the officer confronted the woman in her car outside of a grocery store. they believe she had stolen liquor from the store. well then she slammed on the gas while the officer was holding on to her. she got away and is still on the loose about the officer was hurt but is expected to be okay. b.a.r.t. police need your help finding a man suspected of sexually assaulting another passenger. take a look at these images taken from surveillance video. b.a.r.t. police say this man groped a woman on a train car

wednesday. investigators say he exited b.a.r.t. at the north berkeley station about ten minutes after the assault. if you have any information, please contact b.a.r.t. police. new details now in the violent clashes during a rally supporting president trump. a former professor officially has been charged with attacking people there. eric clanton was in court yesterday. he's charged with four counts of assault with a deadly weapon. prosecutors claim he's the masked man in this vir alvideo slamming a bike lock into the head of another person at a rally in berkeley. >> there's lots of issues in this case including identification and what, in fact, occurred at the demonstration in berkeley. >> you can't keep doing this to us. you can't keep calling us nazi, you can't call us white supremacist. obviously i'm not a white supremacist. you can't keep saying that just to shut down dialogue. >> he pleaded not guilty to all charges.

his bail is set at $100,000 and he's due back in court june 15th. look at ta. a car explodes into flames about this massive fireball happened yesterday in courty madera. a woman called in to report she'd driven over a burning object in one of the lanes of the freeway and that her car was on fire. officers say they did a thorough search of the highway and found nothing. the man who shot this video tells us the driver escaped just before the car exploded. wow. much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, a roadblock coming for holiday weekend drivers. the shortcut to the beach that will soon be off limits in the south bay. i mean, everybody was really, really shocked and traumatized. a teenager robbed and shot in the front yard of his home weeks before graduation day. we'll tell you what his classmates are doing to make sure he walks across the stage.

welcome back. just shy of 7:09 on your saturday morning. taking a look at cloudy skies over the golden gate bridge which, by the way, turned 80 today. is it happy birthday or happy anniversary. the golden gate bridge opened and tolls were just 50 cents. those were the days, am i right? a bay area teen preparing to graduate high school and pursue his college dreams is shot during an armed robbery. now his classmates are doing what they can to make sure the violence doesn't jeopardize his plans for his future. "today in the bay" has this story from south san francisco. >> reporter: students at el camino high school in south san francisco are rallying around classmate carlos aralega. he was shot in the abdomen during a robbery at his home in may. >> he's a really special kid.

>> reporter: assistant principal says he overcame many obstacles to reach graduation and the violence that put the 18-year-old in the hospital is hard for the school community to accept. >> i mean, everybody was really, really shocked and traumatized, but immediately kind of started planning for how we could support him going forward. fortunately he's made a really quick recovery. >> reporter: students are signing a yearbook and raising money on a go fund me page for his medical bills and college plans. >> to be honest, a sad moment to realize that this happened but it's also a good thing that we did this to support him. >> it makes me like value life more. >> reporter: he's recovering at home. jackson plans to deliver his well wishes monday. she's hoping he will be strong enough to attend graduation june 2nd. reporting for nbc bay area news. new details in a hazing scandal at napa high school.

just yesterday the district attorney announced six players are now facing charges. the investigation began in november of last year. police received a complaint that members of the football team were holding down the freshmen players in the locker room, hitting them and grabbing them inappropriately. after a months-long investigation, the d.a.'s office says they have enough evidence to charge 6 of the 17 players involved. attorneys also announced the football coach will not be charged with any crime. it is 7:11. much more ahead. why is a bee removal company booming here in the bay area? we'll tell you the why why beekeepers say business is up 400%. >> it may be cloudy now, about you that will all change in the next couple of hours. the day planner is coming up just after the break. have assembled.

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welcome back. just before 7:14 on your saturday morning. happy memorial day weekend. we're looking at cloudy skies

over san jose. temperatures are supposed to reach the low 70s today. and we will get warmer as we approach memorial day on monday. viennaney arana will be back wi your microclimate forecast. after years of worry and warning about vanishing bees, it appears the buzz is back, at least in the south bay. beekeepers say they've been busier than ever removing hives from homes and trees. they say that's partly due to our near-record rains this past winter. damian trujillo explains. >> reporter: this is what the quinn tanno family family woke up to, a hifb on one of their trees. >> i saw them swarming. at first i was like freaking out because that sounds like bees. >> reporter: so she called the experts to remove the hive. first, they blow smoke object bees, then feel them out carefully. beekeepers then vacuum them into

a container and bring them here alive to their small bee farm where the bees will make honey. and this year they've been making a lot of it. >> we're up 400% over last year. >> reporter: tim doesn't want to give his last name or company name because he can't handle any more calls. the beekeeper says the winter storm boosted the bee population. >> this valley has more nectar pouring out of it because of the rain. we have way more blooms on the trees, way more wildflowers. this year the mustard is up 6, 7, 8 feet tall. >> reporter: for years farmers have been talking about the colony collapse, bees dying off, disappearing and the possible catastrophic consequences. tim says fungicides have been partly to blame. the drop in pollination has hurt crop production. this year might be the exception in the santa clara valley. >> everything is rebounding, right? the bees are rebounding. a huge increase in nectar flow.

that's allowing the bees to really reproduce at very higher rates. >> reporter: that means more bees on trees, on houses and other places. tim says 2017 is no longer the year of the rooster but rather the year of the bee. damian trujillo, nbc bay area news. we now know what created the scary portion of highway 85 that drivers are calling the dip. caltrans says weather and soil settling are to blame for the stretch of road. drivers say the road dips then jumps so deeply that some fear they could end up airborne. engineers say it's clear that the ground is settling but they don't know why. caltrans is shutting down part of the road overnight until the middle of union to make repairs. if you're looking for a shortcut to the beach this holiday weekend, one is closing today. starting at 9:00 this morning, a shortcut to santa cruz will be

closed. we're talking about the on ramp to southbound highway 17 in los gatos. the reason is because locals say the traffic is literally at a standstill when this ramp is open during the holiday weekend. >> it's awful. could not get through town, they could not reach this end of town. every street was backed up. >> reporter: city leaders are taking it one step further by closing the on ramp every single weekend through the summer to cut down on traffic. summer isn't for a few more weeks. >> june 20th is the official start of summer, but it already feels like we're getting ahead of it. >> memorial day weekend is when everyone heads out. you say as we head towards memorial day on monday, it will get warmer. >> but the coast is still going to stay on the cooler side. if you have plans to go to the beach, i have a feeling not a lot of people will be in the water unless you feel like braving colder temps. the peninsula still seeing the overcast skies. still on the cloudy sky, but

we'll see these overcast skies for the past couple of days. yesterday a very deep marine layer. that was building in heavier clouds even in through the south bay. but today we're expecting these skies to clear out quite nicely a lot sooner. 54 degrees right now in san francisco, east bay 57. as those clouds clear out, you can see it's already trying to break apart. it's becoming more patchy and less dense. as this breaks apart, we welcome in a lot of sunshine. we are seeing a bit of warming temps but not as hot as we're going to be as we head into sunday. just for now for today, 52 degrees for san francisco, san jose 73, and in the livermore area in the 70s. expect to see mid-70s, if you are trying to get away and head to lake tahoe, here's what you can expect. we are going to see high pressure build in. it will be a nice weekend getaway, monterey if heading out

there, expect to see overcast skies but we're not expecting any rain in that area. so dry conditions will remain through the week, if you're heading to santa cruz, here's a quick check of today's temperature trend. we'll keep those overcast skies by about 10:00 a.m. right around lunch hour we see an increase in the temps, then we'll start climbing to about 65 degrees. it will be great weather out there. let'sings and talk about a few beach safety tips. if you plan on heading out to the water, stay hydrated, wear plenty of spf and look out and be careful for rip currents. remember to swim parallel, not against it and stay calm. take frequent breaks and check for any warning flags that might be on the beach for swells or currents as well. just the typical coming with the beach. we're starting off cloudy, then by 12:00, we are going to see

those breezy conditions. it will be a lot windier along the coastline. by 3:00, 72 degrees. we start dropping in temps, then an increase in cloud cover again. that's because tomorrow we're going to see overcast skies yet again. a lot of people are worried that it might rain, but it's not going to rain. it's just cloud cover that will start clearing out by 12:00, by 3:00, 74 degree, then by 7:00 we start seeing the 60s. but as we head into memorial day we see the high pressure build in. and this will bring the potential 80s to the forecast. we start off partly cloudy again, we really start to warm up, then over the next seven days you are starting to notice an increase in the temps for inland areas. the coast will remain in the 60s, 62 as we head into memorial day. we don't see any rain in the forecast. if you notice, sunday 79. and that starts going up to 80. then we see kind of a system cool us down, then pick right back up into those 80s. definitely seeing a nice drying

trend. but overall setting us up for a nice weekend. >> it looks beautiful, vianey, thanks. more coming up on "today in the bay." >> this will be my last year. i don't want any excuses. >> bay area athletes are already working hard to make it to the winter olympics. but so, too, are competitors from other countries and they're all training together in our backyard. live-stream your favorite sport

at the airport. binge dvr'd shows while painting your toes. on demand laughs during long bubble baths. tv everywhere is awesome. the all-new xfinity stream app.

xfinity. the future of awesome. welcome back. the record setting snow that fell on the sierra this winter has meant some of the best spring skiing in memory. of course, it's been great for resorts and recreational skiers, but it's giving an opportunity for olympic level skiers. garvin thomas shows us what it means for some olympic level hopefuls in this morning's "bay area proud". >> reporter: anyone would be forgiven for not knowing the opening ceremonies for the winter games is 216 days away.

but if you're in squaw valley, there's a group of skiers who are very aware of the number of days and they're trying to make the most of each one. if you ever find yourself sharing a chair lift with casey oakley and you happen to ask her where she's from, casey will likely give you this answer -- >> piedmont. yeah, i grew up in piedmont. >> reporter: but ask this olympic hopeful where home is, and casey just might tell you here. the slopes of squaw valley. >> i grew up skiing here, so with my dad, all my memories are here and my dad's a great skier. he was on the race team here. >> reporter: it's why casey says these two weeks in may are so special to her. she's been invited to train with the best american mogul skiers on three specially designed runs at the top of squaw valley. >> it's so fun to be here because i'm running into all these people who have been a part of my ski career, like this long path. and it's like they're all family

at this point. >> reporter: casey, like many others here, have their sights set on making the u.s. freestyle ski team for the 2018 winter games in pyeongchang, south korea. at 29, casey says, it will be her last attempt. the next few months are absolutely critical. at least that's what johnny moseley has told her. the olympic gold medalist and squaw ambassador helped organize the event. >> when you look back, you know, you want to know that you left it all on the table, that you spent every hour you could training to try to win. and so that was my main piece of advice. >> how was the basin, good? >> very nice. >> reporter: the american skiers, it turns out, aren't the only ones sharing in johnny's expertise. china has sent its best mogul skier, too. that country is hosting the 2022 games and is focused on becoming a winter sports powerhouse by then.

>> it's really cool to be back on the runs i grew up skiing. >> reporter: it's those games it turns out that jack is focused on as well. the tiburon native thinks the 2018 games might be a bit out of reach for him but he promises it won't be for a lack of trying. >> if i ski really well and compete well, my u.s. world cup starts next year, then it could be an option to go to korea. >> reporter: jack cariotis shares something in common with johnny moseley, not just their home town of tiburon, but they both went to the same high school in marin county. garvin thomas, nbc bay area news. it is 7:26. much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, a senior prank gone wrong. now some bay area students are being punished. we'll have the story you'll only see on nbc bay area. plus -- >> the system is set up, really, to fail people who don't have attorneys.

a court where money and legal representation make all the difference. we investigate inequities in u.s. immigration court.

welcome back to you. thanks for joining us on this saturday morning of memorial day weekend. it is 7:29. this is a live look outside of san jose from communications hill. a little cloudy above, but we have something to look forward to as we head towards memorial day monday. thanks so much for enjoying us. i'm kira klapper. vianey arana has a look at the microclimate forecast. >> those clouds make for a serene feel in the forecast. very calm weather expected today, although it will be a little bit breezy later in the afternoon, of course, windy along the coastline. but it's typical for the coastline. point arena right now you can see is definitely cloudy, but we do have some hope because we are expecting sunshine. but look at tahoe northstar also looking absolutely beautiful if you plan on heading up to the

cabins this weekend. that's a quick look at what you may arrive to up there. right now overcast skies along the peninsula, south bay already about 58, tri-valley 54 and the north bay still working to hit the 50s but the cop her radar is showing that fog. it's not as dense as what we've seen the past couple of days which means we will be saying hello to the sun a lot quicker today, then eventually keeping sunshine through the weekend forecast. but over the next couple of mornings do expect to wake up to the cloudier skies but breaks of sunshinen on the way. i'll have a closer look at the memorial day weekend forecast coming up at 7:45. >> stay tuned for that, thanks. we'll tell you that firefighters are still on the scene of a fire at an east bay storage unit facility. it happened at fremont on industrial parkway just off of 880 near the tesla factory. 40 units were damaged and 18 were hev i had damaged. the fire ignited around 8:45

last night because of quickly flammable contents that were inside the storage unit. >> we had to do forceable entry on all those units. imagine 40 garage doors that we had to use rotary saws to get them open one at a time. >> firefighters are still there this morning ensuring there are no hot spots. they're inspecting every unit making sure no one was living inside. mechanical problems could be what caused a single-engine plane to crash into an intersection in the east bay. it happened yesterday afternoon in concord. the pilot of the single-engine plane was trying to land at buchanan airport when it went down nearby at the intersection of marsh road and solano way. >> the ntsb and the faa will do their investigation, typically six to nine months, take the plane apart, investigate the pilot, look at the maintenance logs. >> the pilot survived. no one on the ground was hurt. take a look at this. it's a mystery along the marin

county coast. wondering what happened to this whale. nbc bay area sky ranger was above salinas yesterday evening. the 79-foot blue whale carcass. it's an endangered species. it washed up at agate beach near highway 1 at mt. tamalpais. the marine center shared this photo with us. they were on the ground collecting skin tissue and blubber samples for further testing. they'll be back at the beach today to perform a full necropsy and hopefully determine how and why the whale died. they say it's a unique opportunity for them. they rarely get to examine blue whales because of their endangered status. now to a story you'll only see on nbc bay area. senior pranks are expected at the end of each school year, but this week more than a dozen east bay students were punished after a prank ended up killing a mouse. "today in the bay" michelle roberts has this story from california high in san ramen.

>> reporter: seniors at california high school shared this cell phone video of what they call an impromptu dance party on campus the week before graduation. >> i didn't think i was doing anything wrong. >> reporter: the school calls it a prank, but an degree desoto says he started playing music in the quad during a free period. >> if it was a disruption, why didn't they ask us to turn it off. >> reporter: it shows the dance party quickly turned into a mosh pit which is when andrew said he noticed a handful of mice running around the cloud, mice someone released during the dancing. >> mice were getting stepped on, i threw away a dead mouse and put another in a cup. i felt bad for the mice. >> reporter: three were rescued but one was killed by someone in the crowd. andrew was in the quad when it happened. the school suspended him for two days and that includes today's senior trip to great america. >> some of them had been warned related to previous incidents. >> reporter: elizabeth grasswich says in total 15 students were

punished for the incident and the student who brought the mice was punished more severely. >> saw a bunch of mice. and i had nothing to do with that. >> reporter: spencer says that school officials have canceled his scheduled guitar performance on graduation day as punishment for dancing in the mosh pit. he believes his actions shouldn't be compared to the student who brought the mice and put them in danger. >> i guess their intent is to maybe warn the seniors next year not to do this. >> reporter: michelle roberts, nbc bay area bay area news. oakland police are looking for an arsonist. take a look at this surveillance picture. police say this person set a tent on fire at a homeless encampment last week. luckily no one was in the tent at the time. there have been at least five fires at oakland homeless encampments this year. it was a who's who from music and hollywood as they gathered to pay tribute to rock great chris cornell yesterday. the crowd of mourners including actors brad pitt, christian bale and pharrell williams.

tom more ello, actor josh brolin and cornell's soundgarden bandmates delivered the eulogies. he was buried in the garden of legends section of hollywood forever cemetery where his grave marker reads, voice of our generation and an artist for all time. cornell was pronounced dead may 18 after he was found unresponsive in a detroit hotel room hours after a concert performance. much more ahead on "today in the bay" warriors, cavs, round three. how the dubs feel about facing their final for the third year straight.

the giants have returned home where they were hoping to end a three-game losing streak. fans bundled up for "star wars" night braving the chilly weather to see the giants face off against the atlanta braves. matt kane entered the seventh without giving up a run.

but that would change. the giants bats were silent all night. they lose to the braves 2-0. they've now lost four straight. you can watch the giants and braves tonight. first pitch is at 7:05. we talk you to new york where a similar start bau different outcome for the a's against the yankees. a pitchers duel. going seven innings with eight strikeouts. the score was 0-0 going into the ninth. that's when the oakland bats came alive. a two-run homer foresteven vogt. all right. we're going to take you in your mind to oracle arena where, come this thursday, the place is going to be roaring for the third straight year the warriors will face the cavaliers for the nba title. the series has already been making nba history. the warriors and cavs are the first teams ever to face off for the nba title three times in a

row. the warriors come in a perfect 12-0 postseason play. the first team ever to come into the finals with a perfect record. >> i would have been excited either way playing for a championsh championship. we understand the challenges they present and the history we have. it's going to be fun. >> game one of the nba finals is set for thursday at oracle arena. 7:39. much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, angry home sellers lashing out at a popular website. why zillow is driving down their offers by thousands of dollars. nice calm weather overlooking right now walnut creek. we're still in the 50s, but they will be climbing into the 60s and 70s. find out where we might even see 80s coming up after the break.

♪ ♪

♪ good morning. 7:41. i'm forecaster vianey arana. we can still see some of the

cloud cover and we're seeing it along the coast, even in areas near the south bay as well. still in the 50s and finally starting to climb into the upper 50s for inland areas. right now ocean beach, 55, bodega pay 52. and down near san jose 58 degrees. these will be climbing steadily throughout the day. we're expecting to see this clear out by mid-morning just if time for that lunch hour. do expect to see an increase in the sunshine. today's high will be 50s and 60s along the coast. the high of 62 for san francisco. palo alto, 72. down near san jose a high of 73, then it gets warmer in concord at about 77 degrees. this is setting us up for a nice warming trend ahead. that's because we do have high pressure building in to the upper 70s by tomorrow. very good if you have allergies, tree pollen today is moderate. tree pollen has been high in the

past week. weeds, grass and mold are also low going into today. so you are not going to need too much allergy medication if you are heading outside. let's talk about festivities that you can do today. taco festival in san jose. that's right, you heard it. a taco festival is happening right around 12:00, we are expecting the sun to start peeking through which we can actually see that. this goes from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. food, drinks, music, but if the beach is more your thing, head over to the longboard surf contest between 6:30 and 5:00. look at that sunshine in the forecast. and also 60s. it will be perfect weather to hang out by the beach there. looking ahead towards monday, i do want to remind folks about the memorial day ceremony in presidio. the parade starts at 10:30. we're expecting a cloudy start on monday but then a nice increase in the temperatures.

in the 60s. just a quick reminder as we're already under way with the memorial weekend. if you are heading to the beach, stay hydrated, wear that sunblock and be careful in the water. if you are not a good swimmer, you might want to stay closer to shore. if you get caught in a rip current, stay calm, don't panic but swim parallel to the ocean. take watch of any flags they may have out there. if you plan on having a barbecue or anything of that nature, you may want to see that -- take extra precaution if you're lighting anything, because if you're around dry grass and brush, we do have dry air, low humidity and that makes for a greater chance for fire danger. remember to just set the grill back a few feet from the home and then always check that propane connector just ahead of the burgers. you don't want to keep people waiting for that food. the next several days looking good as we head into sunday. a high of 63. memorial day will remain in the 60s. then we're seeing a lot of sun

icons. a nice drying trend ahead. we see that high pressure build in and there comes that warm-up right back into the 80s and we'll stay in the upper 70s for tuesday and wednesday. by thursday back in the 80s. the unofficial start of summer is really showing it, at least in the temps. back to you. >> nice that the weather got the memo that it needs to match the unofficial start. >> i agree. >> thanks, vianey. we have much more ahead on "today in the bay." a military vet reunited with his family after four years and his fight to stay in the country that he loves. mike inouye here. a holiday weekend but even the most dedicated grillers sometimes want a break. head over to fremont grillers for the brew fest. fancy burgers, fancy brews, fancy snacks and live entertainment including the burger throwdown. it's a cooking competition not a food throwing event. oh, and nbc bay area is a sponsor, just so you know.

maybe you like the brew but want more than just a traditional burger? head to silicon valley for innovation. taco innovation, over 25 of the best taco trucks from all over the bay will serve up their take-o on the taco. same place, different day, bacon land. yes, sunday's pricing is the same for that festival. this time it features bacon-inspired dish. two days in sj j that could leave your nice waistline in the past as well. maybe the sizzling bacon or the temps left you a little hot under the collar. head over to union city for the burm yooez new year water festival. burma, as you now know, is called myanmar. you can share in the culture, the food, the fun, just minutes away from the new b.a.r.t. station. monday, picnics and cookouts but make sure to take a minute to

remember those who fell for our freedom.

when you face criminal charges in court, you get an attorney even if you can't afford one, but that doesn't apply to immigration court. that can make a huge difference. senior investigative reporter steven stock has the numbers and the story of one u.s. veteran set to be deported until a lawyer got involved. >> reporter: we obtained immigration court data that shows someone who has a lawyer in court is five times more likely to have the case ruled in

their favor than someone who does not have an attorney. earlier this year we first told that you the government can deport any noncitizen even honorably discharged u.s. veterans for committing some crimes. that policy came here to play in the case of a navy veteran separated from his family for four years. joaquin served on a navy battleship during operation enduring freedom, but in is the battle of his life. >> i want to make my family proud. >> reporter: he's waiting to reunite with his children, a family he hasn't seen in years all because of the legal nightmare he became caught up in after being honorably discharged from the navy. >> once you served your country, you assume that this country is going to look out for you. and the system has failed. >> reporter: when he was 19 he met with a navy recruiter who

assured him that he would become a u.s. citizen by signing up. >> he was promising him a lot of stuff. >> reporter: his sister remembers. >> money for school, traveling, training in the navy and his citizenship. >> reporter: after 9/11, sotello went to serve in the persian gulf. >> there were mines in the water. doubtful whether you were going to come back home or not. >> reporter: at the time he thought he became a citizen when then-president george w. bush issued an executive order for all noncitizens in the u.s. military to apply for citiz citizensh citizenship. you went to fill out your paperwork and they told you you were already a citizen. they typed things in and said you're already a citizen. >> that's what you appeared in my records. >> reporter: you believed you were a citizen. >> i still believe i'm a citizen. >> reporter: but he wasn't. under u.s. law he later faced deportation back to mex ka after he was convicted and served time for drug possession and domestic

abuse. >> we separate veterans from their families. >> reporter: they found 300 other veterans who served honorably and have already been deported for getting into legal trouble after their military service. the vets served prison time for aggravated felonies that can include minor crimes like drug possession, petty theft and failure to show up in kour. >> he could have been ordered deported that day. >> reporter: immigration attorney intervened in joaquin sote wi sot sotello's case only days before he was to be deported. >> the system is set up to fail people who don't have attorneys. >> reporter: that's how, instead of finding himself in a country that he barely remembers, joaquin sotello reunited with his children, children whom he hadn't seen during four years of legal back and forth. even so, the possibility that he could still be deported hangs

over him constantly. >> every step i take depends on deportation. it's like a cancer, you know. it's hunting me. >> reporter: according to the transactional records access clearhouse, 90% of all people seeking asylum without an attorney were denied. more than half with an attorney succeeded. >> it's extremely difficult to do it without an experienced immigration lawyer. >> reporter: judge dana lee marks has served as a judge since the '80s. she spoke to us with the union president. >> the law ties the hands of the immigration judges in many situations. they serve honorably in the military that would obviously be a very strong discretionary factor. >> reporter: but you don't have that discretion in almost all cases. >> if it's an aggravated felony, we don't. >> reporter: is this fair? >> i don't think so. i think this is a poster child for why the immigration system is so broken. the fact that his service to the country means nothing in

immigration court. >> reporter: while grateful that he found legal help where so many others have not, joaquin sotello knows under current policy he could still be separated from the family he now holds so dear. >> i'm a united states veteran. >> reporter: which is why he speaks out hoping for change in washington. >> we all deserve a second opportunity. we all deserve to get our process of immigration done on the route to citizenship. why not? that's what america is all about. >> reporter: after our first series of stories ran, several congressmen including the east bay's mark desonge introduced a bill to change the rules to those who were deported to return here to the u.s. we did ask the chief council with the u.s. department of homeland security to talk to us about this, but we never heard back. with the investigative unit, i'm stephen stock. now back to you. >> thank you, stephen. if you have a tip for our

investigative unit call 888-996-tips or send us an e-mail to the unit@nbcbayarea.com. california's early earthquake warning system is once again on shaky ground. that's because president trump's proposed budget calls for the elimination of the system. california has spent several years testing the early warning system. what it would do is detect earthquakes before they hit and send alerts to people's smartphones. the department of the interior spokesman says that the goal of the budget is to focus on already established services. be sure to check your zestimate. zillow is at the center of a lawsuit. a homeowner claims the so-called zestimate of her home is incorrect and she says it is preventing her from selling her home. zillow should be a licensed appraiser if it's going to estimate home values. zillow just announced a $1 million prize to anyone who can come up with a more create

algorithm. 7:55. much more ahead. if you want to be on tv, a local casting call for a popular show. we have the info, next.

welcome back. a bay area casting call for the popular series "13 reasons why." it's a drama that aired on netflix about a teenage girl who committed suicide. you may remember many local school districts warned parents about allowing their children to watch it. but it was so popular, it's coming back for a second season. and netflix is looking for actors who play students, teachers and parent. the casting call will be at the usa world classics museum in vallejo next sunday, june 4th, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. but this weekend we hope you enjoy your memorial day weekend. >> good weather for it. >> good weather to get outside. hope you stay safe out there. thanks so much for making us a part of your morning. we'll have more local news for you tonight at 5:00, 6:00 and

11:00. . symbol you know you're

watching television that's educational and informational. the more you know on nbc. josh: today on "the voyager", i suit up for an ancient roman sport... i'm a gladiator! ...get my hands on the secret to an old-world delicacy... when was this buffalo milked? eleonora: last night. josh: and it's already cheese today. eleonora: yes. josh: it doesn't get any fresher than this. eleonora: no. josh: ...and try to end on a high note in the birthplace of opera. ♪ both singing josh: la! i hit that note, man. i hit that note. that was awesome! my name is josh garcia. ever since i was a kid, i dreamt about traveling the world by ocean, immersing myself in new cultures, and exploring nature's wonders.