It’s official: California will begin making license plates depicting a smiling Snoopy, of Peanuts fame, as part of a program that raises money for museums across the state, including institutions in San Diego.

On Wednesday, it was announced that more than 7,500 Californians have submitted pre-paid applications for the Snoopy license plate. This milestone clears the way for the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to begin production on the plates, available to motorists for $50. Personalized Snoopy plates run for $98, while annual renewal costs $78.

Through the Snoopy Plate program, a portion of the cost of the initial plate and all proceeds of the Snoopy plate renewal will help fund grants for California’s 1,400 museums and other educational attractions such as science centers, zoos aquariums and children’s museums, to be administered by the California Cultural and Historical Endowment (CCHE).

Additionally, Californians who have pre-ordered their Snoopy plates will receive discounted or free admission to more than 85 participating museums in the program for one year – perks known as “Beagle Backer” benefits. Drivers have until Friday to pre-order their Snoopy plates and still qualify for those benefits, worth nearly $1,200.

The Snoopy Plate program and design was first introduced in February 2014 by Democratic Assemblywoman Toni Atkins of San Diego, who authored the bill that created the grant program to be funded by the Snoopy license plates.

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As the state rolled out the program, Jean Schulz, the widow of “Peanuts” comic strip creator Charles Schulz, allowed California to use Snoopy's image without paying royalties.

Now, nearly two years later, Snoopy’s image will soon hit California roadways.

Atkins, along with other San Diego city and museum leaders, held a media briefing Wednesday to discuss the program’s progress, gathering, fittingly, at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park.

“It is this treasure that we want to protect, and Snoopy is helping us do that,” Atkins said, speaking of TheNAT and other museums. “This park [Balboa Park] is a treasure to us and there are treasures throughout the state of California that host wonderful museums and important cultural institutions.”

Atkins – accompanied by San Diego City Councilman Todd Gloria, “Luann” cartoonist Greg Evans, California Association of Museums Executive Director Celeste DeWald and CCHE Chair Bryan Cash – announced a 48-hour extension on plate pre-orders, good through Friday, with the Beagle Backer benefits.

Atkins expects that orders on Snoopy plates will “increase exponentially” once motorists begin seeing them on the roadways, meaning more funding for museums statewide.

“I do think when you see cars on the road doing ‘the happy dance,’ people are going to be very interested in doing this,” she added, saying the license plate and museum benefits would make a great Christmas gift for loved ones.

“Revenues from the plates will help museums fulfill their educational mission and serve Californians,” Atkins continued. “Our museums are an important part of our history and culture – that’s why we have to keep them strong and in place for future generations.”

The Snoopy Plate program is also a way to honor Peanuts creator and renowned California artist Charles M. Schulz. His wife has said that Schulz often visited museums and got ideas and inspiration for his work through the cultural institutions.

It comes amid the recent release of “The Peanuts Movie,” and the 65th anniversary of Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip and 50th anniversary of classic television holiday special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

To learn more about the Snoopy Plate program or order your Snoopy license plate, visit this website.
 

San Diego was mentioned in the threat to Los Angeles Unified School District, police confirmed Wednesday, but county education officials say the email did not make any direct threats to local schools.

On Tuesday, more than 640,000 students were sent home from LAUSD schools after an email was received by a school board member. The source of the threat remains unknown but federal officials have deemed the email to be a hoax.

On Wednesday, a Los Angeles television station posted the full text of the email.

While San Diego Police spokesperson Lt. Scott Wahl could not confirm the version of the email posted online, he said SDPD was notified of the reference to San Diego. However, it was determined not to be a credible threat, he added.

Still, SDPD decided to be extra cautious and assign officers to all San Diego-area schools to make sure their presence was known, Wahl said.

The San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) wanted to stress that San Diego schools were not named.

“Some media are reporting there was a threat to San Diego schools, which is inaccurate. The threat made to LAUSD does not call out local schools. In fact, the San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center notified us yesterday that there weren't any credible threats to the San Diego region. Additionally, we had no reports from any of our districts of any threats made directly to our schools.”

A spokesperson for San Diego Unified School District sent NBC 7 a statement from San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer:

"Unlike Los Angeles and New York City, a threat was not sent to San Diego officials. The email, which focused almost entirely on Los Angeles, referred to San Diego in passing along with other Southern California cities. The San Diego Police Department and San Diego Unified school police did not believe the message posed a credible threat, but in an abundance of caution provided extra patrols at local schools. San Diego law enforcement will continue to coordinate with state and federal officials and remain vigilant.”

San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) and other schools in San Diego County operated as normal Tuesday. SDCOE echoed the stance, releasing the following statement Tuesday morning:

"As of 8:30 a.m. this morning, the San Diego County Office of Education is not aware of any threats to any school district in San Diego County."

San Diego County will study a plan to extend the runway for Carlsbad’s McClellan-Palomar airport so it can accommodate larger planes and even small commercial airlines.

San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday to approve the staff-recommended CD-III Modified Classification Option in the new airport 20-year master plan.

The plan received the most public support out of three proposed designs.

Supervisors unanimously voted to have staff examine the feasibility of extending the runway by 800 or 900 feet. The cost of the proposed expansion is estimated to be between $80 and $104 million.

Some North County neighbors argued against the plan, raising concerns about increased traffic noise and pollution, but airport officials say those concerns will be studied in the EIR.

San Marcos resident Ray Bender said the board should not rely on recommendations of a consultant.

“You have an independent obligation to look at the economics, to look at the engineering,” Bender said suggesting the addition of more planes to Carlsbad may not bring economic benefit to the county.

Vista resident Stephanie Jackal questioned how the proposed extension will impact those living east of the airport. She asked the board to include consideration of noise impact of approaching aircraft to the master plan.

Public input will be taken during the EIR process, county officials said.

Part of the proposed expansion could mean moving the airport to the north. Supervisor Bill Horn said those pilots who may be inconvenienced should consider relocating to Fallbrook, Borrego or French Valley.

“This is a big huge commercial driver and we’re planning an airport for the next 50 years, if not 100 years,” said Horn. “It’s no longer a little small airport that you can fly in and out of with your Cessna 210.”

Several of the supervisors pointed out that the vote was just the beginning of the process and that more public input would be possible during the EIR process.

The EIR could take at least six months to complete then airport officials would need final approval from the board before construction could begin.

Five people were taken to the hospital following a crash Wednesday afternoon involving seven vehicles in the Clairemont area.

Two people trapped in one of the vehicles were freed from the wreckage, fire officials said.

Traffic was blocked on Genesee Avenue near Appleton Street following the 1:30 p.m. crash.

MTS reported significant delays for bus route 41 because of the collision.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

More than 60 San Diego Police Department officers and dispatchers, including Chief Shelley Zimmerman, did not complete state-required professional law enforcement training in 2013 and 2014, NBC 7 Investigates has learned.

A letter from the state Commission on Peace Officer Training and Standards (POST) dated June 11, obtained through the California Public Records Act, details how POST consultants reviewed SDPD personnel files. “A large number of Department personnel were shown to be out of compliance” with professional training standards, the letter details.

The POST-required training consists of at least 24 hours of “Advanced Officer Training” and “In-Service Training,” covering new laws, officer survival techniques, driver training, firearms and other subjects.

The letter does not include the names or any information about which officers failed to complete the required peace officer training. POST said the name and rank of SDPD officers who are out of compliance is “confidential” information, exempt from release under the state’s public records act.

But a well-placed, confidential law enforcement source told NBC 7 Investigates that Zimmerman was one of those cited for non-compliance with training requirements. This source said the list also includes six assistant chiefs, several captains and at least five sergeants.

SDPD spokesman Lt. Scott Wahl confirmed that the POST audit identified 60 officers whom POST found to be out of compliance with training requirements, including Zimmerman, the six assistant chiefs, several captains, lieutenants, sergeants and dozens of officers and dispatchers.

But Wahl said almost half of those 60 officers had in fact completed their POST required training and were listed in error in the POST audit report.

The remaining 35 officers, including Chief Zimmerman, six assistant chiefs, five captains and three sergeants, are now either up-to-date on their training or are scheduled to attend and complete their POST training, according to Wahl.

“The San Diego Police Department has taken proactive measures to ensure all of its members attend their POST required training,” Wahl told NBC 7 Investigates. Wahl said that as a result of the audit, the department will notify every officer and dispatcher in advance about the POST training deadlines. All personnel will also get periodic email notices about their progress toward completing the POST training.

Zimmerman also took personal responsibility for the training lapse. “This is an oversight on my part and some members of my department that I regret,” said Zimmerman in a statement released to NBC 7 Investigates. (Read full statement below.)

The audit was initially requested in a state public records act request addressed to the SDPD. The department denied the request, claiming the document is considered “part of an officer’s personnel file” and thus confidential and exempt from disclosure.

NBC 7 Investigates asked SDPD to reconsider that denial. In response, Wahl sought guidance from SDPD’s legal counsel, who said the information was in fact not exempt from disclosure. Wahl released the information on Dec. 15, six weeks after the department’s attorney said it was not confidential. Wahl said the delay was caused by the department’s need to double check the accuracy of the POST audit, a time-consuming process that revealed that almost half of the officers listed as “non-compliant” had in fact complied with POST training requirements.

In addition to the training compliance audit, POST provided NBC 7 Investigates with copies of four evaluations of specific courses taught at San Diego’s regional law enforcement academy at Miramar College.

An October 2013 evaluation uncovered problems with the academy’s Firearms and Chemical Agents program, including:

• Firearm safety rules were not posted in an easy-to-see location.
• There were no guidelines for the chemical agents training program.
• There was no policy for decontaminating students who may be accidentally doused with dangerous chemicals.

In the audit, the inspector also noted the public could be harmed by chemical agents if the winds blow  those chemicals toward the main public roads near the academy in the Miramar/Mira Mesa area. More importantly, the inspector said he was unable to confirm compliance with safety rules in 10 other aspects of the program because “there were no chemical agent instructors available to discuss the management of the program(s)!”

Officials at the regional academy have not responded to a request for comment about that audit.

Click here to read the audit of the chemical agents program.

In the other audits, POST consultants gave high marks to the academy’s vehicle/driver training and physical fitness programs.

“Kevin Rausis does an outstanding job coordinating and managing (the law enforcement driver training course),” a consultant wrote in his September review. “Another exemplary aspect is the outstanding instructional staff.”

Click here to read the audit of the vehicle/driver training.

Another consultant gave equal praise for the academy’s physical fitness program, noting that program manager “Lisa Hartman and her staff are very dedicated, professional and enthusiastic about their work.”

Click here to read the audit of the physical fitness program.

Chief Zimmerman’s statement to NBC 7 Investigates:

“We at the San Diego Police Department are committed to keeping everyone current on our POST continued professional training. A recent audit confirmed that did not happen. This was an oversight on my part and some members of my department which I regret. Everyone who needed POST continued professional training including myself is now current or will be once they have completed their upcoming scheduled training. Proactive measures now in place will ensure this never happens again and all future POST continued professional training is completed within the designated timeframe. In addition, we are working with POST to receive continued professional training credit for our annual 40-hour supervisor command training and a new training class called, “Effective Interactions” designed to enhance our community policing efforts. We are confident POST will find both of our class’s excellent training.”

A to-do list seized from two package theft suspects includes “shop lift” as one of the day’s tasks.

San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies recovered a number of stolen or illicit items when they arrested Kristina Green, 19, and Gary Withers, 38, on Tuesday, officials announced.

An Amazon delivery truck driver called 911 to report the couple was following him in a Dodge Charger and was stealing the packages he dropped off at Encinitas homes.

When deputies contacted the suspects, they say they found the following items in their vehicle: the stolen Amazon packages, a loaded firearm, mail stolen from 13 people, methamphetamine and heroin.

A notebook sitting with the items had a to-do list written for Dec. 11. On the list, the writer had included “shop lift” alongside “Kiss mom n tell her she’s loved.”

Sheriff Sgt. Rich Eaton said the Amazon delivery truck driver did the right thing by never confronting the suspects, but instead calling deputies.

Mike and Mary Garrett, two of the victims, are also thankful for the driver's vigilant lookout.

"He did his job," said Mike. "He should get extra credit. He could said, 'Eh' and kept going, you know?"

Inside the package taken from the Garrett house were calendars with positive messages, intended to be gifts for friends. The couple told NBC 7 they have already forgiven the suspected thieves, but now they're going to find another way to get deliveries.

"I'm not sure," said Mary. "My kids always deliver packages here for themselves, so I don't know. We always thought this was a pretty safe neighborhood." 

Sheriff’s officials say both Green and Withers were on probation for theft, narcotics and weapons violations.

They are facing charges of mail theft, possession of meth, possession of heroin, felon in possession of a handgun and possession of stolen property.

An affiliate of San Diego-based Viewpoint Equities Inc. has purchased the 128-unit Valley Breeze apartment complex, near the city’s Nestor neighborhood in the South Bay area, for $28.3 million, according to brokerage company CBRE Group Inc.

The sellers of the property, at 1304-1394 Oro Vista Road, were McClurken Machinery Inc., Thomas Murray Trust and Ian Gill & Charles Miller Trust.

The buying entity, Penn LLC, with Viewpoint Equities’ Gregg Seaman as its managing member, was represented by CBRE’s Jim Neil, Eric Comer and Merrick Matricardi. The sellers were represented by Tim Miller of IHA Partnership.

The apartment complex, consisting of 11 two-story buildings, was constructed on 9.1 acres in 1988 and was nearly 98 percent leased at the time of sale, according to CoStar Group. CBRE reported that the
sellers purchased the property from the original developer.

CBRE’s Comer said the transaction marked the year’s ninth apartment sale of more than $20 million in the city of San Diego.

Disney, Universal and SeaWorld are installing metal detectors and beefing up other security measures at theme parks in Florida and California, the companies said Thursday.

"We continually review our comprehensive approach to security and are implementing additional security measures, as appropriate," a Disney spokesperson said in a statement Thursday morning.

Those measures include metal detectors, which are already in place at Disney World in Orlando, NBC affiliate WESH reports. According to Disney, guests will be selected at random "for a secondary screening using a metal detector."

Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, will also implement metal detectors, officials said. Park spokeswoman Suzi Brown told NBC Los Angeles the changes were made after a security review.

Disney said it has added other "visible and non-visible security measures" over the past few weeks, including uniformed law enforcement personnel and specially trained dogs. Parks will also stop selling toy guns, and guests ages 14 and older will no longer be allowed to wear costumes.

The Universal Orlando Resort in Florida and Universal Studios Hollywood in California are also testing metal detectors, according to the company.

"We want our guests to feel safe when they come here. We've long used metal detection for special events, such as Halloween Horror Nights. This test is a natural progression for us as we study best practices for security in today's world," said Tom Schroeder of Universal Orlando.

SeaWorld Orlando is following suit and said guests "can also expect thorough bag checks as well as metal detector checks" upon entering the park.

"The safety of our guests and team members along with the welfare of our animals have always been our top priority. Like other major attractions and venues, we continually evaluate our existing comprehensive security plans. We are enhancing security measures for the busy holiday season, including increased security presence both inside and outside the parks," SeaWorld said in a statement Thursday.

All three companies emphasized that the measures are precautionary and not in response to any specific threat or concern.

Federal prosecutors filed criminal charges Thursday against the longtime friend and former neighbor of one of the San Bernardino shooters.

The first criminal charges stemming from the mass shooting were brought against Enrique Marquez, friend and former neighbor of attacker Syed Rizwan Farook, according to the Department of Justice.

Marquez appeared in court Thursday afternoon and, in a brief six-minute appearance told the judge he understood the charges against him.

• READ: Criminal Complaint Against Enrique Martinez

Marquez has been charged with three criminal counts, including conspiring with Farook in 2011 and 2012 to commit terrorism, illegally purchasing the two assault rifles used in the Dec. 2 attack and violating immigration law by entering into a sham marriage with one of Farook's family members, according to the Department of Justice.

There is no evidence Marquez participated in the Dec. 2 attack.

Investigators have said Marquez bought the two assault rifles three years ago that wound up being used in the Dec. 2 shooting at a health center in San Bernardino. Marquez told the FBI that he bought the weapons as a favor so Farook, who worked with many of the victims, would not have to go through a background check or be on record as the buyer, officials told NBC News.

According to prosecutors, Farook and Marquez met in 2005 when Marquez moved to Riverside. Farook introduced Marquez to Islam and Marquez converted in 2007. The pair spent time reviewing radical Islamic materials, including "Inspire," the publication of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Marquez told investigators that the pair discussed making plans in late 2011 to carry out acts of terror, including a plot to attack the library or cafeteria at Riverside Community College, where they had both been students.

The pair also discussed a possible attack on the 91 Freeway at rush hour.

The friends bought firearms, ammunition, explosives materials and other items needed to carry out the attack, but in 2012 Marquez began to distance himself from Farook and ceased plotting.

There was no response Thursday morning from family members at the home where Marquez lives with his parents. Law enforcement agents raided the home a few days after the mass shooting.

The American-born Farook, 28, and wife Tashfeen Malik, 29, shot and killed 14 people attending a holiday party at the Inland Regional Center. They were killed hours later in a shootout with law enforcement agents.

Federal authorities have said the pair had self-radicalized in the years before the mass shooting.

Investigators also were exploring whether Farook and Marquez discussed plans to launch some type of attack several years ago. They became apprehensive because of unrelated arrests in the area, NBC News reported.

Marquez had deep ties with Farook that extended to a family connection. The two grew up next door to each other in Riverside and then became related through marriage, which investigators now say was a sham marriage for immigration purposes.

On Wednesday, FBI Director James Comey said there is no evidence that the couple posted publicly on social media about their commitment to jihad before Malik arrived in the United States in 2014 on a K-1, or fiancee visa. The clarification was intended to address confusion over whether the husband and wife posted extremist messages publicly that could have been detected when Malik applied for a visa before coming to the United States.

All of Malik's statement in support of jihad were part of private messages or emails, Comey added. Those private social media posts were not discovered by authorities until after the mass shooting.

There also is no indication that the couple had direct contact with terror organizations, Comey said.

On Friday, President Barack Obama plans to meet with the victims' families. The meeting in Southern California was added to Obama's long-scheduled trip to Hawaii for Christmas vacation.

Marquez will be back in court Monday when a judge may consider bail.

Tony Shin and Kelly Goff contributed to this report.

Festive lights illuminating the San Diego Bay can only mean one thing: the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights is back – a holiday tradition upheld by the local boating community bulb for bulb, year after year.

The 44th annual Parade of Lights presented by the Port of San Diego returns to the bay on Dec. 20 with more than 80 boats decked out in bright holiday lights and decorations proceeding from Shelter Island past Harbor Island, the Embarcadero, Seaport Village and Coronado’s Ferry Landing.

The parade route takes the boats about two hours to complete and organizers say there are many waterfront viewpoints along the way where spectators can take in the lights. On both Sundays, the parade procession begins at 5:30 p.m. from the south end of Shelter Island. By approximately 6:30 p.m., the boats will pass through the Embarcadero area. The parade wraps up at the Ferry Landing on Coronado at around 7:30 p.m. A map for spectators can be seen on this website.

Those watching from the shore are encouraged to take public transit to their viewing destination, including the trolley. To get within a short walk of Harbor Drive, for instance, one can take the trolley’s Green Line to the Santa Fe Depot or the Orange or Blue Line to the American Plaza Stop.

Organizers say announcers’ areas will be located at the Maritime Museum on the Embarcadero and at the Coronado Ferry Landing. For spectators in those areas, announcers will provide a brief history and description of the boats as they come by.

Spectators can also enjoy the procession from the water on their boats, including at a prime viewing area near the 10th Street Terminal, right as the parade turns west toward Coronado.

Each year, the parade on the water draws about 100,000 spectators to the shores of San Diego Bay to enjoy the lights and elaborately decorated boats. Organizers say this year’s parade theme is “Christmas Around the World.” Participating vessels will incorporate this theme into their boat’s décor as they compete for a “Best in Theme” prize and other prizes before a panel of judges.

Boat owners who wish to participate in this year’s Parade of Lights can register online or in-person at the Bali Hai Restaurant on Shelter Island Drive, or call (619) 224-2240 for more information. The entry fee is $50 per boat and covers both Dec. 13 and Dec. 20. Watercraft of all sizes are encouraged to participate.
 

A group of U.S. commandos were ordered to leave Libya shortly after landing Monday due to a possible mix-up between the Libyan air force and army, U.S. and Libyan officials said Thursday.

Senior U.S. defense officials confirmed the incident to NBC News after the Libyan Air Force posted pictures to its Facebook page appearing to show the group of U.S. Special Operations Forces at one of its air bases.

One U.S. defense official suggested the group was asked to leave because of a lack of communication between the base in Wattiya and the Libyan forces who would normally "engage" with the American advisers.

The revelation comes the same day Libya's rival parliaments signed a United Nations-sponsored deal to form a government in the country, which has been in turmoil since the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert is recovering in the hospital after he suffered a stroke while awaiting sentencing in a federal hush money case, his attorney confirmed Thursday.

Attorney Thomas Green said in a statement that Hastert was admitted to the hospital in the last week of November. 

"Mr. Hastert has suffered a stroke and has been treated for Sepsis. While in the hospital two surgeries on his back were performed," Green said. "We are hopeful that Mr. Hastert will be released from the hospital in the early part of the new year. The family very much desires that during Mr. Hastert’s continued hospitalization his privacy will be respected.”

A letter recently written to the judge in Hastert’s hush-money trial indicated that he had been hospitalized.

The note written on the former speaker’s behalf reads: "In light of his recent hospital stay, I would hope that probation in lieu of confinement would be considered.”

The Associated Press reported in July 2006 that Hastert was hospitalized for cellulitis, a skin condition.

Hastert is due to be sentenced in February for making illegal bank withdrawals, reportedly in an effort to cover up sexual misconduct against a student when he was a high school coach.

Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has written an open letter condemning Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's call to ban all Muslims from entering the United States.

Before posting the message on his Facebook page Wednesday night, Moore stood outside the Trump Tower in New York City Wednesday holding a sign that said "We are all Muslim." He was forced to leave after police arrived, Moore said on Twitter.

In his letter, the activist recalled their first encounter in the green room of an unnamed talk show in 1989, when the self-described "tough from Queens seemed like a fraidey-cat."

"The producer says you're worried I might say or do something to you during the show. Hey, no offense, but I barely know who you are," he wrote in the post, adding that he remembered thinking what a "wuss" Trump was. [[362828831, C]]

Moore described Trump's recent anti-Muslim statements, made in "desperation and insanity," as something that arises out of fear, a reminder that ol' "Donny" is still a wuss.

"You are frightened by a bogeyman who is out to get you," he said. "That bogeyman, in your mind, are all Muslims. Not just the ones who have killed, but ALL MUSLIMS.

The Oscar winner reminded Trump that today's America is no longer a country of "angry white guys" and noted that the future U.S. president will be chosen by a more diverse electorate — voters that "fortunately" no longer looks like Trump or his supporters.

Earlier this month, the current frontrunner among the Republican candidates seeking the party nomination for the presidency, called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" during a campaign rally in South Carolina amid a string of terror attacks in Paris and in California. [[316127531, C]]

Moore appealed to Trump to exit the race "so we can elect a real president who is both compassionate and strong -- at least strong enough not to be all whiny and scared of some guy in a ballcap (sic) from Michigan sitting next to him on a talk show couch," he quipped.

"You're not so tough, Donny," Moore wrote.

The "Fahrenheit 9/11" director has also launched a social media campaign called #WeAreAllMuslim, asking users to post a photo of themselves on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, holding a "We Are All Muslim" sign in solidarity with the Muslim community.

"I will post all the photos on my site and send them to you, Mr. Trump. Feel free to join us," Moore wrote. [[338107532, C]]

A federal grand jury has indicted a 22-year-old Fremont web developer with one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, though the young man told authorities he only wanted to move away to help Muslim refugees overseas.

 "Adam is innocent," Shafi's attorneys said about their client, Adam Shafi, in a statement. "There is no evidence that he was planning to do anything but fly to Istanbul, which is where he had been the year before for two days where he attempted to help the refugees and returned home."

The complaint, which was also unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Shafi tried to provide "personnel" to al-Nusrah Front, or ANF, an organization designated by the Department of State as a terrorist organization. Shafi was arrested on July 3 at San Francisco International Airport on his way to Turkey, a fact that was not publicized until Thursday.

United States Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim in San Francisco set Shafi's bail hearing for Dec. 22 after the Mission San Jose High 2011 graduate entered a plea of not guilty. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors are not charging Shafi with any violent acts. Rather they allege links to possible terrorist associates, alleged allegiances to a terrorist group, and describe what the FBI calls "suspicious" activities, like exercising in his Fremont neighborhood in what an agent described as a "paramilitary style."

Legal analyst Steven Clark, who used to be a prosecutor and now does defense, said the publicity of this arrest on Thursday is directly linked to the terrorism in San Bernardino, where a radicalized Muslim couple killed 14 innocent people.

"The government wants the public to know, 'We got this,'" Clark said. "But there's a huge leap the government has to make between someone being interested in a terrorist group and proving they wanted to participate in it. I think the government wants to tell the public, 'Stay away from this. Do not participate, or you'll get arrested.'" 

The complaint details how Shafi allegedly loved the "nuanced" and "less bloodthirsty" approach to jihad, and how he hung out with several unnamed friends who were sympathetic to the worldwide plight of Muslims. The complaint states that Shafi denounced ISIL for "killing indiscriminately," but supported his "love" for "Jaulani, the amir of the ANF.

Shafi's family emailed NBC Bay Area a statement Thursday afternoon: "We have watched him [Adam] grow over the years into a very kind and loving adult. He is simple in his approach, a helper of mankind, and actively works with the homeless and less fortunate across the bay area. All who know Adam understand that the charges brought against him are not at all a part of his character. His family and friends love him and are hopeful that Adam will be cleared and able to come home soon."

The family declined to speak publicly, but nearby, Rakesh Sharma, told NBC Bay Area that the family seemed "perfect," though he had noticed FBI agents around the neighborhood in the recent past.

Shafi, who is in custody, told the FBI when he was stopped at SFO on June 30, that he was on his way overseas to help refugees. When asked if he was traveling to Turkey to become a fighter, he answered, "No," the complaint states.

However, later, the FBI listened to a phone call where Shafi told his friends, "Friggen (sic) hell, what do you think I'm going to say, yes?"

The Council on American-Islamic Relations in Santa Clara was aware of the case and had no comment.

Federal authorities charged another man with terrorism-related activities Thursday. Enrique Marquez, a former neighbor of the couple who killed 14 in San Bernardino this month, faces three charges, including conspiring with Syed Rizwan Farook to commit terrorism – the first charges filed in the San Bernardino plot that went undetected by terrorism investigators.

In Shafi's case, the FBI affidavit alleges that Shafi was stopped at SFO  for questioning as he was about to board a non-stop flight to Istanbul, Turkey. That country is a "common point of entry into Syria for foreign fighters hoping to join terrorist organizations such as ANF and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)," the affidavit states.

Shafi had a one-way ticket and was acting "suspiciously," according to the complaint. When he was stopped by agents, Shafi said he no longer wanted to live in the United States, and he disapproved of gay marriage, listing just one of the reasons he wanted to live in a country with people who thought like himself, the complaint states.

The affidavit details a number of alleged telephone conversations Shafi had with his friends in the days and weeks leading up to his trip and his willingness to "die with them," his hope that "Allah doesn’t take [his] soul until [he has] at least, like, a couple gallons of blood that [he’s] spilled for him," his fear of meeting Allah "when [his] face has no scars on it," and his progress in saving enough money for his trip, the affidavit alleges.

The complaint states that Shafi's family had been worried about him since at least last summer, during a trip to Egypt.

His father reported Shafi's disappearance in August 2014 to the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. The family had gone there for a family trip and Shafi had taken off without telling anyone where he was going. He sent a text message to one of his relatives saying he had gone to "protect Muslims," the father told authorities.

His father explained that he was afraid his son had been recruited and that it was important to find him quickly to prevent him from "doing harm to himself or others," according to the 18-page complaint written by FBI agent Christopher Monika.

Shafi's father worried that his son may have traveled to Syria, Iraq, Gaza or elsewhere to "defend Muslims," the complaint states. Shafi's father was disturbed because his son was "always grieving about what is happening to Muslims," documents states. His father also worried that his son may have been following extreme imams online, and that some of his "high school friends were of the same mindset."

But at some point that week, Shafi's father notified the embassy that his son had returned to them in Egypt and they were soon headed back to the United States, according to the complaint.

After they returned in September 2014, FBI agents interviewed Shafi back at home, where he told authorities that he and his friend flew to Istanbul to "see the condition of the refugees from Syria firsthand" and help them, the complaint states. He didn't tell his family, he told the agents, because he knew they wouldn't want him to go.

He had been traveling and communicating with an individual known in court documents only as A.N., who had listed cryptic messages about "possible entry points" to a river that separates Syria and Turkey in an email. Other friends identified only with initials were also mentioned in the court documents.

In December 2014, FBI agents secretly watched Shafi leading his two younger brothers in "paramilitary style" exercises, including calisthenics and crawling through the mud in Fremont, the complaint states. "Adam appeared to take the training more seriously than his younger brothers did," the complaint states.

This week, NBC Bay Area learned that an accused high-level terrorist, Armin Harcevic, and five other defendants accused of supplying money and equipment to terrorist fighters, including the Islamic State, had been housed for a time in Santa Clara County's main jail. When Harcevic was housed there is unclear.

Shafi is not the first Bay Area resident to be charged with terrorism.

In 2013, the FBI arrested 28-year-old Matthew Adam Llaneza of San Jose for being part of an Oakland bank "bomb plot." 

In that case, the bomb turned out to be fake and raised questions, according to the East Bay Express, Mother Jones and other media outlets, of possible entrapment in supposed "terrorism" cases,

Still, Llaneza was sentenced to 15 years in prison last year after striking a deal with prosecutors.

NBC Bay Area's Jessica Aguirre and Michelle Roberts contributed to this report.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Thursday aimed at disrupting revenue that ISIS gets from oil and antiquities sales, human trafficking, shakedowns and other criminal activities, NBC News reported.

The updates require United Nation member countries to move more forcefully to stem ISIS's funding sources, freeze the assets and travel of ISIS members, and share information about the group's support networks.

But the finance ministers stressed that the measures means little without the individual nations working to identify and target ISIS operations within their borders and enlisting the participation of banks and other private financial institutions. ISIS still relies on access to the international financial system, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, who chaired the meeting, said.

More than 200 military families received holiday dinner packages with all the trimmings Thursday through a San Diego food bank drive at the Murphy Canyon Albertson’s.

28,000 active duty military personnel, dependents, and veterans quality in San Diego for the food bank’s emergency assistance program.

“I heard about it from my neighbors and it's really a blessing to have this on Christmas because I’m without a job right now and pregnant now so it's kind of hard,” Marine wife Hiaceneik Mcgee told NBC7. "There’s a lot of military people barely getting by, especially on the holidays. It’s a great blessing."

To qualify for the program a family of four must make less than $36,000 a year.

"If you figure it out, they barely make minimum wage – if you figure out how many hours they work,” Joy Phillipp explained of the hours many servicemen and women work.

Because of the high cost of living in San Diego and the difficulties military spouses often have finding work, many military families qualify for food stamps.

"They estimate about a 30% unemployment rate among spouses of active duty military personnel because of the mobile nature of the military, the spouses have a hard time finding a job, so in SD especially you need that second job to get by and that creates more hardships on these families."

Water rushed into the busy streets in downtown San Diego’s Embarcadero area Thursday morning, creating a mess near the entrance of the United States Coast Guard facility.

A geyser from an unknown water source – possibly a sprinkler or broken fire hydrant – began spewing water into the air and road around 4 a.m. at N. Harbor Drive and W. Laurel Street, near the San Diego International Airport.

The Harbor Police Department said utilities crews were trying to determine the cause of the geyser, but the burst may have occurred as a result of a loose valve that may have broken under pressure.

Some roads leading to the airport were temporarily closed off Thursday morning as crews worked to shut off the water and clean up the flooded roadway. Harbor police provided traffic control in the busy area.

Crews spent more than two-and-a-half hours trying to shut off the water source. By 6:35 a.m., the water had been turned off.

No one was injured in the incident, and the geyser did not appear to impact those at the Coast Guard facility as they headed into work.

The incident is under investigation.
 

Authorities have arrested a driver in the deadly hit-and-run accident that killed a 21-year-old man as he changed a flat tire along the shoulder of a San Diego freeway earlier this week.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner (ME) has now identified the victim was Raymart Agsalon Martos, an Imperial Beach resident who had celebrated his 21st birthday just last month.

The hit-and-run suspect, Christopher Reyes Ramirez, 29, was arrested Wednesday night in connection with the deadly accident, California Highway Patrol officials confirmed Thursday.

Ramirez, of Solana Beach, was questioned by CHP investigators and subsequently taken into custody. He was booked into county jail on suspicion of hit-and-run causing death.

Bruce Deuchler, an employee at Evapors, told NBC 7 he saw Martos nearly every day at the electronic cigarette store. He described Martos as "a great guy" and said it was a hard day when he heard Martos had died.

"RIP Raymart (sp). Way too soon," Deuchler wrote on Facebook.

On Tuesday, at around 5:45 a.m., Martos was driving his black Honda Civic coupe on southbound Interstate 5 near the Mile of Cars exit in Chula Vista when his car got a flat tire. Martos pulled over to the inner shoulder of the freeway and began changing the right front tire.

Just then, Ramirez, driving a Dodge, Stratus was traveling on the freeway. Ramirez struck Martos, CHP investigators said, and then crashed into a center divider. Ramirez abandoned his car and fled the scene on foot, leaving Martos to die on the side of the roadway.

When emergency crews arrived, Martos was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to California Highway Patrol (CHP) investigators, when Martos changed his tire, he left his trunk open and several items, including his spare tire, on the ground near his car. When he was hit, he landed 25 yards in front of his vehicle, officials said.

On Wednesday morning, the hit-and-run suspect remained at large. CHP investigators said they had identified some persons of interest but the investigation continued.

On Thursday morning, officials confirmed Ramirez was taken into custody in connection with the deadly hit-and-run. No further information was immediately released.
 

A sea lion was hurt Thursday after apparently becoming entangled in a fishing line at Torrey Pines State Park.

Onlookers spotted the injured animal and alerted SeaWorld, which sent a team to rescue the sea lion, said Dave Koontz, spokesman for SeaWorld San Diego.

The sea lion was resting in the park’s animal care facility on Thursday evening. Koontz said care staff had given the animal fluids to rehydrate it and may try to remove the fishing line on Friday.

The animal’s injuries don’t appear to be a result of anything malicious. However, Koontz said discarded fishing lines and nets can be very harmful to sea lions, whales and seals, so park officials want to remind beach goers to not discard them in the ocean as trash.

“Even though there was no intent to harm this animal, its injury is a result of inappropriate action,” he said.

A broken pipe will be releasing natural gas into an Old Town neighborhood well into Thursday night, if not until Friday morning, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Jeff Mitchell.

Construction crews hit the line in the 2600 block of Juan Street just before 4 p.m.

As natural gas began blowing into the area, firefighters evacuated some homes nearby as they evaluated the damage.

"It presents a lot of dangers," Mitchell said. "Gas is flammable, and that's why we have fire crews positioned in strategic areas. We've evacuated certain houses. We have streets shut down. We're limiting access for people to come in and out, so it's a big impact on the neighborhood."

Mitchell explained a pressurized 8-inch line is fueling the leak, and it will take SDG&E a long time, as well as specialized tools and employees, to cap the flow.

"The 3/4-inch line is actually what's broken, but it's right next to the 8-inch line, and it's too close to be able to repair without repairing the whole piece of 8-inch pipe," he said. "That's why it's going to take so long into the night and possibly into the morning to have it contained."

It's unclear how many homes have been evacuated.