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Convicted Sex Offender Arrested at Border

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U.S. Border Patrol agents in Southern California arrested a convicted sex offender Thursday as he tried to illegally enter the United States near the Calexico port of entry.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said Jose Adrian Sanchez-Martinez, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was taken into custody about 18 miles east of the Calexico border crossing, approximately 120 miles east of downtown San Diego.

Officials said records revealed Sanchez-Martinez is a convicted sex offender, convicted of child rape in the state of Washington. He had been previously deported to Mexico and served a 17-month prison term in August 2008 for failure to register as a sex offender, the CBP said.

Sanchez-Martinez is in the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol and will be charged with re-entry after being previously deported, officials said.

The CBP urges the public to report any suspicious persons or activity at the U.S.-Mexico border to the Border Community Threat Hotline at (800) 901-2003.
 


Tinder CEO Leaves After Five Months

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Tinder's latest CEO Christopher Payne just didn't match with the company.

Payne is leaving the position after just five months on the job. Taking over will be Tinder co-founder and current president Sean Rad, NBC News reported.

"I enjoyed my time at Tinder but we mutually determined that this wasn't going to be optimal and thought that a quick transition served everybody best," Payne said in a statement.

Payne, a former eBay executive, took over Tinder's helm in March.

Rad returns to the top spot after he was accused in a lawsuit of ignoring an employee's complaints about being sexually harassed within the company. Tinder's parent company settled with the accuser, the former vice president of marketing. 

The move comes after Tinder said this week that its social media team had "overreacted" for posting more than two dozen tweets slamming a Vanity Fair article.

El Niño Forecast: 'Very Strong'

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The most recent forecasts show El Niño reaching the "very strong" category, but remaining below the strength of the weather pattern that brought significant precipitation to California in the late 1990s.

Computer models suggest El Niño, a warming of the water off the Pacific coast of South America that influences conditions in California, will reach the "very strong" category. The Climate Prediction Center's Aug. 13 report suggested there is greater than 90-percent chance El Niño will continue through the winter and an 85-percent chance it will last into early spring.

El Niño categories range from weak to very strong. Winter 2014-15 brought a weak El Niño as drought-stricken California entered its fourth year of below-normal precipitation.

But the latest forecast does not guarantee a wet winter for the state because El Niño conditions vary. Since 1950, there have been 22 seasons with an El Niño. Twelve brought above-average rainfall and 10 were below-average.

During the 1997-98 El Niño event, frequent downpours led to flooding and mudslides to California.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Terminally Ill Sisters Surf With Dog

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Two young sisters living with the same terminal illness saw their dream come true Wednesday when they went surfing with a famous dog in San Diego.

Savannah and Bellamy Arterburn, of Denver, Colo., hit the waves at La Jolla Shores with Surf Dog Ricochet, a San Diego-based Golden Retriever known for her surfing skills. Ricochet is also a therapy dog, and often surfs with kids with special needs, people with disabilities, wounded warriors and U.S. veterans with PTSD.

Savannah, 17, and Bellamy, 19, both suffer from Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), a rare, inherited disease that causes damage to the nervous system and movement problems.

Over the last few years, the sisters’ illness has progressed and they have started losing their ability to move as they battle the degenerative neuro-muscular disorder. They have survived several spine surgeries, as well as losing their mother to breast cancer.

The sisters recently came across Ricochet the surfing dog on Facebook and set their sights on someday surfing with her. But, with financial hardships stemming from ongoing medical treatment, there was no way for the siblings to afford a trip to San Diego.

Ricochet’s owner, Judy Fridono, heard about the teens’ dream and set up a fundraiser to get the sisters to Ricochet.

Ricochet’s Facebook fans, Scott and Sharon Brandstadt donated airline miles so the sisters and their father could fly to San Diego. Hotel Indigo Del Mar then got on board and donated hotel accommodations for the family. Ricochet’s fans on social media made donations to cover food, attractions and activities for the family, too.

Fridono said the entire trip was fully-funded within 24 hours.

Fridono told NBC 7 she was thrilled to give Savannah and Bellamy an opportunity to get in the water with Ricochet, as it is what her “surf-ice” dog does best.

“Ricochet is a dog that has a special gift. She has these healing qualities and she bonds with people instantly,” said Fridono. “To me, it’s a gift to be given. I just want to be able to share her with whoever needs her.”

Fridono said Ricochet has been surfing with those who need her most for the past six years. The pooch’s first surf pal was a boy in 2009 who was quadriplegic.

When Ricochet gets in the water with someone, a friendship is quickly formed, Fridono said.

“They make a heart-to-heart connection, a soul-to-soul connection. It’s very powerful,” she added.

For Bellamy, the connection with Ricochet was deep and heartfelt.

“There’s something special about her,” said Bellamy. “She’s super sweet and smart, and the best ever.”

Savannah said she was in complete awe of the opportunity to surf with the pooch.

“I’m so excited. It’s just mind-blowing!” said Savannah, minutes before heading into the water.

Surrounded by a team of many helpers, both Savannah and Bellamy were moved from their wheelchairs onto a surfboard, each taking their own turn in the water with Ricochet by their sides.

The teens smiled from ear to ear as the dog stayed close to them.

After the surfing session, the teens played in the sand with Ricochet, enjoying the special day.

“Even though I’m sick and dying, I don’t let it stop me from living my life,” said Bellamy.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Poway to Consider Drone No-Fly Zone in Emergencies

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When people flying drones delayed aerial water and retardant drops on a raging wildfire off Interstate 15 near the Cajon Pass last month, Poway Mayor Steve Vaus took notice.

When drones became a nuisance to San Diego firefighters battling a restaurant fire last week, he knew it wouldn't be long before the problem hit home.

“Firefighting efforts are being hampered by these clowns with drones, I thought ‘We’ve got to do something,’” Vaus said Wednesday.

So at next Tuesday’s meeting, Vaus will urge the Poway City Council to send an ordinance proposal establishing a two-mile, no-fly zone around local emergencies like brush fires to the city attorney for review.

The ordinance would carry a $1,000 fine for anyone who breaks the rules and would allow for the confiscation of the drone.

NBC 7 spoke with several Poway homeowners who expressed early support for the idea.

“I would be for it, to find those people” said Linda Bryan.

Others have questions about how the law will be enforced.

“Enforcement is going to be the big challenge. They can pass the reg (ordinance), but how will they make it stick? Unless you catch somebody red-handed doing it, that’s going to be tough” said George Cowman.

Vaus isn’t aware of any other local municipalities who’ve tackled the issue with these kind of local rules and fines, but he believes it will easily pass through city council at Tuesday’s meeting.

“Hopefully as the word goes out that we have this ordinance in place and we’re taking it seriously, somebody is going to think twice about whether all those YouTube views will be worth the fine and losing your $1,000 helicopter," the mayor said.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Missing Oceanside Man’s Car Found

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A car belonging to an Oceanside man missing for nearly three weeks was found abandoned in a field in the Lake Los Angeles area Wednesday, officials confirmed.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lancaster Station said the vehicle belonging to Nikolaos Christidis, 76, was found around 10 a.m. Mired in soft sand, the car was located about six or seven miles off a main road.

Christidis, however, was not inside.

Deputies searched the area around the vehicle by ground and helicopter for any traces of the missing man to no avail, the department said. There were no signs of foul play or violence in or around the car, officials say.

Two Oceanside police detectives and Christidis' sister have traveled to Lake Los Angeles to help with the search.

Christidis has been missing from his home since July 22. His home in San Diego’s North County is about 140 miles away from where his abandoned vehicle was found.

On Tuesday, the Oceanside Police Department (OPD) confirmed that Christidis’ last known whereabouts were around Rosamond, Calif., on July 23 – about 36 miles from the site of the abandoned vehicle.

The OPD said all attempts to contact Christidis since he disappeared by his family and police have failed. Still, police said they did not suspect foul play in his case.

According to police, Christidis was last seen by his daughter at 10 a.m. on July 22, when he returned home with her.

She laid down take a nap, but as she awoke at about 4 p.m., she found a note from her father, saying he would be home late. The next day at 8:26 a.m., Christidis accepted a call from his ex-wife and said he was in Escondido. He told her he would return home in 15 minutes.

But by 10:35 a.m., he had not returned, so his daughter gave him a call.

Christidis said he was in the desert and would be home in an hour. When his daughter called him again at about 4 p.m. on July 23, Christidis’ cellphone went straight to voice mail.

His cellphone remains turned off, police said, and no one has heard from him.

Officials said Christidis was last seen on July 22 at 10 a.m. near College Boulevard and State Route 78 in Oceanside. He was driving a black, 2015 Honda Civic with the California license plate of 7JYR793 – the car that turned up in Lake Los Angeles.

Investigators said Christidis is a white man of Greek descent who stands 5-feet-7-inches and weighs 175 pounds. He has gray hair and brown eyes.

Oceanside investigators issued a silver alert across three states so law enforcement and other facilities like hospitals and park rangers will look for him.

According to police, Christidis has gotten lost on numerous occasions, and in one incident, he ended up in Arizona. Investigators said he has not been clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia and does not suffer from any medical conditions.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego/ Oceanside Police Department

Blasts Rock China City Like 'Earthquake'; 50 Dead

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Massive explosions that rocked the port city of Tianjin in China were so strong that residents miles away thought they were experiencing an earthquake, witnesses said Thursday as the death toll climbed to 50.

Buildings had collapsed, homes were littered with shattered glass and smoke was still visible across the scene more than 16 hours after the explosion.

Twelve firefighters were among those killed in the twin blasts, which sent massive fireballs into the sky and devastated a warehouse district as well as nearby homes. More than 520 wounded were being treated at hospitals.

Chinese authorities did not say what caused the blasts. 

"I felt the ground shaking and my door was making a big noise," local resident Tang Lei told NBC News. "I thought it was an earthquake."



Photo Credit: ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images
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New Video Shows Life in ISIS Stronghold in Syria

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Video obtained by NBC News and smuggled out of the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa, Syria, offers a rare glimpse into everyday life under the militants. The city has been under ISIS control for nearly two years and serves as the Sunni extremists' de facto capital.

Despite the war waged outside by ISIS, life inside the Syrian city appears surprisingly normal: scooter engines revving, horns honking as a woman in a black abaya — or full black veil — walks by. 

There's little reminder of the militants controlling the city— until a group of men jump out of a taxi, strapping guns to their backs.


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New Airport Parking Garage Proposed

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The California Coastal Commission will consider a proposal to build a three-story parking structure at Lindbergh Field when it meets in San Diego Thursday.

The San Diego Airport Authority says the garage will be built on top of an existing parking lot at Terminal 2 and will add 1,700 more parking spaces.

However, critics say more must be done to promote public transportation before creating more parking spaces.

San Diego International Airport needs more parking now, officials said. The Airport Authority said it will work on a public transit outreach program to promote people using public transportation in and out of the airport.

Before the Coastal Commission approves this parking, the panel wants to make sure they get progress reports on those improvements.

Colin Parent with Circulate San Diego believes better connections to the trolley and buses have to be established.

“I'm not really persuaded that a giant parking garage is the best investment for the airport to be making," he said.

His organization promotes better land use planning and design. Their aim is to create more transportation choices throughout the region.

"The biggest reason why people don't take transit is that it's not convenient for them, in their circumstances,” Parent said.

He would prefer to see the Airport Authority encourage passengers to leave their cars at home.

The Airport Authority says it would be willing to promote public transit, but can't spend money to make it happen.

They say they can inform passengers about public transportation options but only public transit agencies can build that infrastructure.
 



Photo Credit: San Diego County Regional Airport Authority

Car Strikes Highway Exit Sign

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A deadly traffic crash in Lemon Grove created such force an engine block landed feet from the car, officials said.

One woman was killed when the Mazda3 she was driving eastbound on State Route 94 left the freeway and hit a sign post.

The vehicle slammed into the metal pole signaling the College Avenue exit.

Then, the car rolled down an embankment and landed at the bottom next to the chain-link fence.

The California Highway Patrol told NBC 7 a witness saw the woman driving at a high rate of speed just before the crash.

The crash is still under investigation so the CHP isn't sure if the woman was trying to exit College Ave and took the exit too fast, or if she lost control on the freeway.

The car was damaged so badly, emergency personnel had to cut the car open to help
her out.

The driver was the only person in the car, and died from her injuries shortly after the crash, CHP said.
 

1 Teen Killed, 3 Critical in Fort Lauderdale Boat Crash

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One teen was killed and five others were injured after the boat they were riding in collided with a bridge in Fort Lauderdale early Thursday.

The 13-foot boat around midnight struck the bridge on the south fork of the Middle River, at Dixie Highway and Northeast 18th Court, authorities said. 

The teen who died was identified by friends as 17-year-old John Baker, a varsity football player at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. None of the other teens have been named.

Three of the injured were taken to Broward Health Medical Center in critical condition. Another teen left the hospital early Thursday and the fifth teen remained at the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The boat struck several places on the bridge and was wedged between the bridge and the ground, officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

"Several of them were standing up, several were sitting down at different parts of the bridge unfortunately, there's not just one particular area that they hit," FWC spokeswoman Amanda Philips said.

Phillips said it appeared that not all of the teens had a seat on the boat.

"When the collision happened, it almost did like a pinball affect," Phillips said.

Baker's friend, Brett Bartholomew, said the teens were all starting their senior year at St. Thomas Aquinas next week.

Bartholomew said he was supposed to be on the boat with his friends Wednesday night and had planned to meet them later.

He said Baker was his best friend and that they go boating nearly every day.

"Great, upbeat guy, always fishing out on the boat with us," Bartholomew said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Officials said the teens involved in the crash had permission to use the vessel, but have not said how the teens know the owner.

In addition, the teen operating the boat had a Boating Safety Education Identification Card, according to officials.

A community vigil was planned for Thursday at 6 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, and another on Friday at noon.

Community members also gathered along the coastline on Thursday evening to hold vigil for Baker and release balloons in his honor.



Photo Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Courtesy

Sweetwater Closes in on Little League World Series

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Bonita's Sweetwater Valley Little League is now one game away from the Little League World Series after an 11-1 win over the Snow Canyon Little League team of Santa Clara, Utah.

The group of 11-year-olds and 12-year-olds will now advance to the championship game of the Western Regional Tournament on Saturday, which could bring the team a World Series berth.

A throng of fans who couldn’t make it to the game in San Bernardino watched it at Pizzo’s Pizzeria in San Miguel Ranch on Thursday evening.

Many of the players' families praised the team for its heart.

"They work together," said parent Karla Poukkula. "They just have the heart and they have the passion."

Other South Bay residents said the fact that residents are rallying behind the team speaks volumes about the community.

“I think the support system is amazing,” Yasmine Alatriste said. "There’s something that’s just special about this area.”

The all-star team, known for its power hitting, hit 10 homeruns in its first two games of the tournament.

The team’s opponent, the Snow Canyon Little League was the only other team in San Bernardino without a loss.

A game to determine the third place winner will be on Friday evening.

Ferguson's Interim Police Chief Has History of Suspensions

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Ferguson's interim police chief — who was hired to help fix the scandal-plagued police department — was previously suspended three times in one year during his time on a Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, the news website Vocativ found. 

The veteran Arizona cop, Andre Anderson, was suspended in 1996 for "significant problems, which later led to the discovery that he was "conducting personal business on city time and falsifying official documents," according to a Freedom of Information Act request obtained by the news site. 

Anderson was suspended again for eight days without pay in July and August in 1997 and later in September for two days. The reasons for the 1997 suspensions were unclear. 

The police chief was hired to help turn around the 45-officer department, which was rocked by several resignations in March after the release of a damning Justice Department report that found a culture of racism. 



Photo Credit: AP

'Goliath' Ready to Tackle Fires

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If wildfires burn again in San Diego County, the heavy-lift helicopter “Goliath” will be available to fight back the flames, it was announced Thursday.

The Erickson Skycrane arrived to San Diego last week and will be stationed here through November.

The helicopter, owned and operated by San Diego Gas and Electric, can carry 2,500 gallons of water. That load is six times more than the average firefighting aircraft.

Crews can get the helicopter up into the air in less than a half hour, officials said.

“Goliath” will stay through September and October and will be restricted to operations within San Diego region, according to Cal Fire Chief Tony Mecham.

“We have full control of it,” Mecham said.

Its operation will cost the county $150,000 with SDG&E contributing a matching amount.

“We’re very excited to have it in our region,” said SDG&E spokesperson Caroline Winn. “And to really help support the firefighters’ efforts.”

"Goliath" is normally used to lift large equipment or items like utility poles.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Connecticut Supreme Court Rules Death Penalty Unconstitutional

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Three years after Connecticut abolished the death penalty for any future crimes, the state's highest court on Thursday declared capital punishment unconstitutional, sparing the lives of the 11 remaining death row inmates, including the two men who carried out the Petit family murders.

Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky now get life sentences for a 2007 home invasion robbery in which they raped and strangled Jennifer Petit, tied her daughters Hayley and Michaela to their beds, and set the home ablaze.

Petit's sister, Cynthia Hawke Renn, told NBC News that she is "disheartened" by the Connecticut Supreme Court's finding that a 2012 legislative repeal of the death penalty should also apply to those who committed their crimes earlier. 



Photo Credit: Connecticut State Police

Jet Engines Have Not Been Tested Against Drone Strikes

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No tests have been done to determine what would happen if a drone was sucked into a jet engine. 

The federal government has required that planes be tested for how well they tolerate the impact of bird strikes, however, none of the major manufacturers have done the same for drone impact, NBC News has learned.

CFM, GE, Rolls Royce and Pratt & Whitney, which combined account for more than 80 percent of the engines used by the world's commercial planes, all confirmed they had not conducted such tests because the FAA has not mandated such testing.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Coast Guard Helps Ill Cruise Ship Passenger

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A San Diego-based U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) crew medically evacuated a passenger from a cruise ship Wednesday after the man began experiencing serious health issues, officials confirmed.

At around 9 a.m., Coast Guard San Diego was contacted by the crew aboard the Carnival Imagination cruise ship reporting a passenger experiencing symptoms of gastrointestinal bleeding and in need of emergency medical attention.

The cruise ship was approximately 50 miles southwest of Point Loma.

A Sector MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter was launched and arrived at the ship within an hour. A USCG crew then safely hoisted the 67-year-old passenger from the ship onto the chopper.

The man was flown back to San Diego and, by 11 a.m., was on an ambulance to UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest. At last check, USCG officials said the man was in stable condition.
 



Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard/ Petty Officer 1st Class Rob Simpson

Bolts Refused Downtown Site Offer: Ex-CSAG Rep

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New details revealed Wednesday suggest San Diego officials were willing to consider a downtown stadium location but only in exchange for more time.

While San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and city officials are touting a completed draft EIR for a proposed Mission Valley stadium, the San Diego Chargers have said they are not impressed.

“They’re not going to come back to the negotiating table because the Chargers are not interested in a San Diego solution,” said Tony Manolatos who recently worked as the spokesperson for the Citizen’s Stadium Advisory Group.

Manolatos said CSAG offered to consider the downtown location but only if the Chargers would extend the timeline. He said the team refused.

“If we had more time, let’s explore downtown but we need them to be honest, we need them at the table and we need them negotiating in good faith,” he added.

The Chargers may have said no to a one-year extension because it falls outside deadlines set by the NFL. The team must file an application for relocation by February 15, 2016.

San Diego Chargers special counsel Mark Fabiani sent a statement that said being offered downtown means nothing if the hotel industry opposes the plan.

"There is not a scintilla of evidence that the hotel industry was ever willing to 'offer' the Chargers anything," Fabiani wrote. "This is just more rhetoric from the same people who told you CSAG was going to produce a 'real' financing plan."

The team was not represented when legal, tax and city experts showed up to debate the issue at a panel event in Mission Valley Wednesday hosted by the San Diego Lawyers Chapter of the Federalist Society.

Other topics included: whether it’s worth taxpayer money to build a new stadium, the environmental impact report surrounding the stadium, and the NFL owners meeting in Chicago.

Earlier this week, the league praised the city’s work and all the effort it’s put in to the updated stadium proposal.

However, the man brought in by the Chargers to help the Chargers and Raiders sell the NFL on their plan to build an NFL facility in Carson told NBC 7 the team is committed to Los Angeles.

At Wednesday night's forum, there were different opinions on whether moving to Los Angeles is a real possibility for the Chargers.

However, the panel seemed to agree Chargers officials aren't showing any interest in staying. 

“The primary obstacle is the Chargers need to want to be here,” said attorney Bob Gaglione. “Right now it doesn't look like the Chargers want to stay in San Diego.”



Photo Credit: Dave Smith, NBC 7

ISIS Used Mustard Gas Against Kurdish Forces in Iraq, U.S. Believes

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U.S. officials believe the terror group ISIS used chemical weapons in Iraq this week, defense and intelligence officials said Thursday.

The terror group used mustard gas in an attack against Kurdish fighters, two defense officials and an intelligence official told NBC News. Mustard gas, infamously used during World War I, can cause blisters, blindness and respiratory damage.

The defense officials said this is the second time ISIS has used chemical weapons — the first occurred in "recent weeks" in Syria — but they declined to provide more details, citing operational security concerns. 



Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Airbnb: SD Hosts Shouldn't Pay for Confusing City Codes

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Airbnb, the popular home-sharing website, says San Diegans should not face thousands of dollars in fines while the city’s policy on short-term rentals remains ambiguous.

David Owen, Airbnb’s regional head of public policy, sent a letter to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and the City Council this week, weighing in on the case of Rachel Smith.

An administrative hearing officer ruled this month that Smith, a retired schoolteacher, must pay at least $15,000 in civil penalties after she continued to rent two rooms of her Burlingame house on Airbnb, despite a city order telling her to cease and desist.

The city said she was violating its bed and breakfast code by renting rooms without a permit. But Smith argued that Airbnb rentals should not be considered a bed and breakfast.

In his letter, David Owen with Airbnb said city council leaders “have acknowledged that the City’s code [on short-term rentals] is confusing and clarification is needed.”

“While the City Council is considering ordinance and code changes that would address this activity, regular San Diegans like Rachel should not be penalized,” Owen wrote. “Accordingly, we are calling for the City to stay the full amount of Ms. Smith’s fine and suspend enforcement efforts against other home sharers until the City Council completes its consideration of these code changes.”

Owen said the city of Boston has taken that approach as opposed to “trying to target their own citizens” who want to make extra cash through Airbnb. Read Owen's full letter below.

A spokesperson for the mayor's office told NBC 7 that the city has received Airbnb's letter and is currently reviewing it.

New home-sharing regulations are currently in the works at the city’s Developmental Services Department.

In a memo released Wednesday, staff outlined a number of proposed rules, which would allow hosts to have two paying visitors in their home for less than 30 days or to rent out their entire home for less than 30 days.

However, if a host decides to have more than two visitors or rent multiple rooms at a time, he or she would fall under the bed and breakfast code, which requires a conditional use permit from the city.

Airbnb has worked with the city of San Diego on previous regulations regarding home sharing, according to Owen.

Last month, Airbnb started charging San Diego visitors a tourist tax of about 11 percent — a tax that was previously paid by the hosts.

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