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California wildfires at both ends of the state are causing major destruction and taking lives. See complete coverage, updates and maps of Bay Area and LA fires.

Nearly 2,000 caravan migrants had reached the U.S. border in Mexicos northwestern corner, with more coming in a steady trickle of buses.

Should Cisneros lead hold up, it will be yet another Democratic win in the week and a half since Election Day and would further increase the Democratic gains in the House of Representatives.

From bullets to flames, a woman survived two unthinkable tragedies less than 24 hours apart.

The FBI is investigating the death of 52-year-old woman who was a passenger on a cruise ship heading from Florida to Aruba. The Santa Clarita, California-based cruise line said in a statement that the American woman died early Tuesday aboard the Royal Princess. Cruise officials said her death was reported to the FBI and local authorities in Aruba. The statement says local authorities met the ship when it arrived in Aruba and cruise officials are cooperating with investigators. No additional

A man convicted of three California murders and long suspected in numerous other deaths now claims he was involved in about 90 killings nationwide spanning nearly four decades, and investigators already have corroborated about a third of those, a Texas prosecutor said Thursday. Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland said 78-year-old Samuel Little was booked into jail this week following his indictment in the 1994 death of a Texas woman. Investigations are ongoing, but Little has provided details in more

Monica Rittel was mentally ill and a heavy drug user. Shed been in and out of San Diego Countys jail and mental health system, along with private rehab programs for more than a decade. And she died a gruesome death just hours after her most recent release from the County Psychiatric Hospital.Monicas mother, Sylvia Castelluzzo, remembers her eldest child as healthy and smart as a whip. A great baby, Sylvia recalled. Fun, happy, and gifted in everything. Her teachers were grooming her for great things.But Monicas parents said all that changed, seemingly overnight. We lost her right about the time she turned 16, Sylvia said. She became like a stranger.Monicas parents said she started using methamphetamine and other drugs, got involved with a much older man, shaved her head, and acted erratically.One day, she shattered every mirror in the family home.From then on, Monica was in and out of jail and treatment programs for mental illness and drug addiction. We just lost her to this illness, Sylvia said. The hospitals didnt help, the rehabs didnt help, the jails didnt help. Nothing helped.Last November, just days before Thanksgiving, sheriffs deputies told Sylvia they found Monica naked, on a busy street in Santee.She was running into traffic, trying to kill herself, her mother said.The deputies took Monica to the County Psychiatric Hospital, where doctors placed her on a 72-hour involuntary hold. According to her mother, Monica had been in and out of that public hospital several times that year. Sylvia told NBC 7 Investigates she believes hospital staff should have known how unstable she was.She was a danger to herself, Sylvia said. She wasnt in her right mind. She couldnt make rational decisions.Monicas parents saved a voice-mail message they got from Monica just hours before she was released from the psychiatric hospital. In a flat, monotone, speaking of herself at times in the third person, she told Sylvia, Mom, you tell dad, you tell yourself, you tell whoever, its Monica at CMH. All you gotta do is call the nursing station and tell them, when do you plan on picking her up She has no shoes on.Sylvia said she was sure Monica would be held at least 72 hours, as allowed by state law.I didnt know they were going to let her out the next day, and that she was going to use meth that was laced with fentanyl.An autopsy report obtained by NBC 7 Investigates confirms thats what happened.Just hours after she was discharged from the hospital, paramedics found Monica unconscious, in a homeless camp not far from the hospital.She died two days later, of a fentanyl and methamphetamine overdose. She was 34 years old.Just weeks before the one-year anniversary of her death, Monicas parents filed a wrongful death and medical malpractice lawsuit against the county and its Psychiatric Hospital.That lawsuit alleges county employees were negligent in their care and treatment of Monica, and ... improperly discharged her while she was still a danger to herself.This was not a reasonable judgment by the county, said Elliott Kanter, the familys attorney. They knew she had a drug history. They knew she was a danger to herself.A county spokesperson would not respond to those criticisms or the familys lawsuit.But one mental health expert told NBC 7 Investigates it could be a difficult task to convince a jury that county employees were negligent and responsible for Monicas death.Its a judgment call, said Dr. Clark Smith, a psychiatrist and expert witness in civil and criminal lawsuits. If a patient appears reasonable and rational and they convince a doctor that theyre no longer a danger to themselves or others, they can be released.But Dr. Smith also said Monicas troubled life and untimely death highlight very serious shortcomings with the treatment and rehabilitation of San Diegos mentally ill and drug addicted.It is a horrible problem, Smith said. The system is broken, because so many of these patients end up in a revolving door, in and out of jail without ever getting definitive treatment.Dr. Smith argues that the cost of effective long-term care is less than taxpayers spend to transport, treat, hospitalize and incarcerate the chronically mentally ill and drug addicted.But even if we wouldnt save money, its the right thing to do, Smith said.Monicas parents agree. I would like to see a little more empathy for the mentally ill and drug addicted, Sylvia said. A lot more structure, and a lot more follow-up.In October, the county promised to devote more money and resources for treatment of the mentally ill. Those expanded programs could include better crisis care and a significant increase in the number of beds at the County Psychiatric Hospital. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

The Woolsey fire broke out Thursday Nov. 8, consuming thousands of acres in LA and Ventura counties. From cars to multimillion-dollar mansions, the fire destroyed and severely damaged anything in its path.