Parents in San Jose, California, plan to pull their kindergarteners out of school Friday after the principal canceled a decade-old tradition of writing letters to Santa and delivering them on a field trip to a local coffee shop.

Parent Vanessa Howe will carry on the tradition by staging a walkout at 10 a.m. Friday, the day the field trip was scheduled to take place. She is urging anyone who wants to join to meet at the corner of Woodford Drive and Hallmark Lane. Parents will bring their children to Big E's coffee shop to visit Santa.

"We had a person come in last week to my son's class to speak about Hanukkah, and it would be like saying, 'I don't want you coming into the classroom because I don't want my son around that, or learning about that,'" Howe said.

It comes after the Jewish mother of a child at Sartorette Elementary School sent a four-page letter to the school district asking for the event to be canceled. She brought up "best practices" concerns  and told administrators she is not anti-Christmas, but feels it's inappropriate that only one religion be represented in school.

The parent, who wants to be identified only as Talia, had the support of the superintendent and the Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute in Washington, D.C., which said the field trip to see Santa during public school hours was inappropriate and ill advised.

In a letter to the school board, Talia said the "Dear Santa" letters and field trip are not "inclusive of all students."

Talia went to see Supt. Carrie Andrews, and worked out a compromise: To attend the field trip and drink hot chocolate without Santa. Parents could take their kids to see Santa on their own time. She also advocated for a more multi-cultural holiday approach, which her own kindergarten teacher readily adopted. Parents from eight cultures came to class on Thursday to teach about customs across the globe.

But the principal canceled the trip, which is upsetting other parents. Many said the biggest issue is that they were not consulted by the school board.

As Andrews pointed out to NBC Bay Area, however, the decision wasn't the school board's to make. Andrews acknowledged a "communication breakdown on a personnel level" was at the root of it.

"(School officials) preemptively made a decision without getting further input beyond one person it appears, so I'm here to hear what they have to say for themselves," parent Mitch Williams said late Thursday.

Still, other parents ended up siding with Talia.

Elizabeth Snowden, who is Christian, never realized the tradition might cause people of other faiths to feel left out.  Snowden said she actually felt jealous of the multicultural party held in Talia's daughter's class, and was thinking of bringing her own 5-year-old to that. "I think kids in her class are getting a much better holiday party," she said. 

 NBC Bay Area's Lisa Fernandez contributed to this report.

The principal of a popular school in Maryland has been dismissed after parents filed complaints saying a teacher spanked students and the administrator took no action.

Principal Nasser Abi of the Dora Kennedy French Immersion School is no longer a Prince George's County Public Schools employee, the district confirmed Thursday evening.

Abi said by email he was filing an appeal of his dismissal and could not comment. 

Parents Xander and Alana Faber were stunned when their daughter told them more than a year ago a teacher had spanked her brother in front of their kindergarten class.

"He was struck by his teacher until he cried," Xander Faber told News4.

The Fabers said they filed a written report with Abi, and the teacher continued to work at the school. When they asked for a copy of the investigation into the teacher, they were told they were not entitled to it, Xander Faber said.

School officials initially said no wrongdoing was found, but Abi temporarily was removed in October after News4 reported allegations of abuse at the National Blue Ribbon school in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Other parents reported similar abuse by the teacher, who now teaches in Montgomery County, The Washington Post later reported.

There was no word Thursday evening on who will replace Abi.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump showered Russia's Vladimir Putin with compliments on Friday after the U.S. adversary praised him as "bright" and "talented." 

Trump said Friday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that, "sure" he's glad that Putin said nice things about him. After the program's hosts pointed out that Putin kills journalists, political opponents and invades countries, Trump continued to embrace the Russian leader.

"At least he's a leader unlike what we have in this country," Trump said.

After the hosts repeated that he kills journalists and political opponents, Trump still avoided criticizing Putin.

"Our country does a lot of killing also," Trump added.

Mother Teresa will be made a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican said Friday.

She will likely be canonized in September to coincide with the 19th anniversary of her death, according to an Italian Catholic Newspaper report.

The Vatican said in a statement that the pope approved a second miracle — which is required for sainthood — performed by the nun, NBC News reported. It concerned the cure of a Brazilian man with a brain illness, according to the newspaper of the Italian bishops' conference. 

Her Missionaries of Charity helped the poor on the streets of Kolkata, India, which won her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Mother Teresa died in 1997 and was beatified in 2003 for healing an Indian woman’s tumor through prayer.

Three years ago, Dean LeMire thought he would die before getting treatment for heroin addiction in New Hampshire.

A University of New Hampshire graduate who grew up in in Exeter, LeMire, 29, began drinking as a teenager, progressed to prescription opiates after stealing pain medication from a relative then started using heroin. Before long he was suicidal.

"The heroin had stopped working," he said.

He finally secured a place at the only state-funded in-patient treatment center in his area — but only after calling every day for three weeks.

“I was one of those people who was definitely nearly a casualty of the heroin crisis,” he said.

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More than 47,000 peple died in the U.S. from opioid drug overdoses, an all-time record in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday.

And as the presidential candidates criss-cross New Hampshire wooing voters for the country’s first primary in February, the state’s struggle to confront its own opioid epidemic is in the national spotlight — its relative lack of funds, too few beds and long waiting lists. Among 18- to 25-year-olds, New Hampshire ranked among the highest of all states for binge drinking and use of illicit drugs in the previous 30 days, according to the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Politicians Confront Opioids 

Pressed by residents, the visiting candidates have added drug addition as a top talking point alongside the economy and terrorism. A video of New Jersey's Republican Gov. Chris Christie describing the care his mother, a longtime smoker addicted to nicotine, received for lung cancer got more than 3 million views. He also shared the story of a law school friend who became addicted to Percocet after injuring his back.

“And he couldn’t get help and he’s dead,” Christie told a New Hampshire audience as he advocated for treatment.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich described increasing prison drug rehabilitation and law enforcement in his state. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush talked about his daughter’s struggle with drug addiction, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina about the death of her step-daughter from a drug overdose.

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On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton put forward a $10 billion plan for treatment. Sen. Bernie Sanders in neighboring Vermont advocates for the overdose antidote, naloxone, to be made more widely available.

Across the country, overdoses from heroin have soared in the last decade, with the rate of heroin-related deaths nearly quadrupling between 2002 and 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 8,200 people died in 2013.

New England officials have been outspoken about the epidemic. Last year, Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin devoted his entire State of the State address to the state’s heroin problem and budgeted money for medication-assisted treatment. Connecticut improved prescription drug monitoring and Rhode Island school nurses pushed for supplies of naloxone. Maine’s Gov. Paul LePage earlier this month focused on enforcement and authorized hiring 10 new drug agents.

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The Gloucester Revolution

But it was the police chief in Gloucester, Massachusetts, who sparked imitators eager for a new approach when he announced on Facebook at the beginning of the year that his department would assist addicts seeking help.

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“Any addict who walks into the police station with the remainder of their drug equipment (needles, etc) or drugs and asks for help will NOT be charged,” Chief Leonard Campanello wrote in May. “Instead we will walk them through the system toward detox and recovery. We will assign them an 'angel' who will be their guide through the process. Not in hours or days, but on the spot.”

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In an update posted on Dec. 11, the chief wrote that 310 people had been placed in treatment — with 85 centers participating. Forty-five police agencies in more than 10 states are now helping addicts to find treatment and another 85 others are expected to develop programs based on Gloucester's.

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“We treat all with this DISEASE as a valued member of our community and work to support their families with dignity and respect,” he wrote. “DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF YOUR ILLNESS. DO NOT HIDE IT.”

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New Hampshire, which hopes to put similar programs in place, spends less than any other state in New England on alcohol and drug services, $8.81 per person in state and federal funds compared to $14.32 in Rhode Island, the next lowest spender, or $48.35 in Connecticut at the high end, according to figures from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The average for New England is $25.70.

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Getting Help in the 'Live Free or Die' State

Adding to its challenge are the people newly eligible for treatment under the New Hampshire Health Protection Program, the state’s expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare, but for whom the states does not have enough programs or professionals. Between the beginning of September and the end of March, 1,800 people sought drug and alcohol treatment under the expansion, which must be reauthorized next year.

“We’re building infrastructure in the middle of a crisis,” said Melissa Silvey, the director for continuum of care for One Voice for Strafford County, a recovery coalition. 

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New Hampshire has 1,200 beds in residential treatment programs, Silvey said. The waiting period is six to eight weeks and for some of the programs, addicts must call in three times a day. If they fail to, they are bumped to the end of the waiting list, a policy that discourages Silvey.

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“Just picture it,” she said. “You’re an addict. You’re not quite thinking about, ‘Call that treatment facility.’ You’re dope sick.”

LeMire said he tried to stop drinking after college and when he no longer had access to opiates he turned to heroin instead.

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He started seeking treatment on Mother’s Day in 2012, telling his mother he was addicted to shooting heroin. She helped him find a bed in a program run by Southeastern New Hampshire Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services.

“On June 2, I got in my last drunken car accident," he said in an email. "June 5 I took my last drink while withdrawing from opiates and June 6, I entered rehab."

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Raiding New Hampshire's Treatment Fund
 
New Hampshire could have more money available to fund substance abuse treatment and prevention. Fifteen years ago, it created an Alcohol Abuse Prevention and Treatment Fund, which was supposed to get 5 percent of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s yearly gross profit, but which has been fully financed only once.

The Alcohol Fund will receive $6.656 million for the next two years, far short of the $19 million it would have gotten if fully funded. Legislators decided to set the amount awarded at 1.7 percent instead of 5 percent.

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Had New Hampshire spent more money on prevention and treatment it might have avoided the severity of the epidemic, said Linda Paquette of New Futures, a non-profit group in Concord that works to prevent drug and alcohol problems.

In 2012, her organization issued a report, "We Need Treatment," that noted that 14 residential facilities had closed over the previous decade because they were not receiving adequate reimbursements for care they provided. They were not replaced, she said.

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"So over the years, resources for our alcohol and drug services system have been strangled essentially," she said.

The epidemic is cutting a wide path of destuction. Three hundred and twenty-five people died in New Hampshire last year. That is more deaths from drugs than traffic accidents, a statistic true in 36 states and Washington D.C., according to “The Facts Hurt:  A State-By-State Injury Prevention Policy Report,” a survey by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Heroin use has risen across the board — among men and women, most age groups and all income levels, the CDC reported. Some of the greatest increases have been among those with historically low rates of use, women and people with higher incomes.

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One cause of the epidemic: abuse of prescription opioid painkillers. Forty-five percent of people who use heroin are also addicted to painkillers, according to the CDC. Heroin laced with the synthetic painkiller fentanyl is worsening the problem.

New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan created a task force last month to study an array of issues around the epidemic, including insurance coverage for treatment, drug courts, prescription drug monitoring and improving law enforcement. The task force this week recommended speeding up the review of some changes including removing prior authorization for first visits for drug treatment and aligning penalties for distributing and manufacturing fentanyl with those for heroin.

Balancing Budget Demands
 
The chairman of the state House of Representatives Finance Committee, Republican Rep. Neal Kurk, wants New Hampshire to better evaluate the programs that it is being asked to fund — both in terms of how well they work and how cost effective they are. Five percent of alcohol sales was an arbitrary figure, he said. 

New Hampshire, like other states, does not have unlimited funds, he said.

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“Remember, a dollar that we spend on an opioid program can’t be spent on the developmentally disabled,” he said. “So we have to choose.”

Treatment advocates will continue to fight for a full 5 percent of alcohol sales, said Timothy Rourke, chairman of Gov. Maggie Hassan’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery, which dispenses the funds.

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“The general public thinks we have an opiate epidemic and while that is true, it is the tip of an iceberg,” Rourke said. “New Hampshire has had some of the highest rates of substance abuse of any state in the United States since at least the late '90s if not longer.”

LeMire, now a substance misuse prevention coordinator for One Voice for Strafford County, recently traveled to Scarborough, Maine, with members of the Dover, New Hampshire, police department, to study a program that began there in September. Modeled on the one in Gloucester, it pairs the police department and a recovery center, with volunteers walking addicts through the steps of getting help.

"The waiting lists at our local state-funded rehabs are three to four weeks," he said. "People just die. They don't get into treatment."

New Hampshire, like other states, is facing what were once big city problems in its small towns and needs the services that cities have implemented: needle exchanges, access to naloxone and teams to reach out to people who are battling homelessness, substance abuse problems, and mental illness, he said.

"All the energy, passion and expertise, it's right there," he said. "It's really obvious to us, at least to me, that we can't wait for the state to act on this. So we don't."

LeMire said that his recovery from heroin addiction was possible because of the love and guidance from others who had dealt with their own drug addiction.

"So I feel like the same principals apply to a community that needs to recover from an opiate epidemic or from addiction on whole, which is it takes a lot of us, setting aside of old ideas that don't work and welcoming of new ideas, and especially from people who have done this thing before."
  

At nearly the last possible moment, the Holiday Bowl has found a title sponsor, as alternative lender National Funding stepped in with two weeks before the Dec. 30 game.

CEO Dave Gilbert, a 1997 University of Southern California alum, said Wednesday he was motivated to sponsor the game after he saw the matchup announced earlier this month between the USC Trojans and the University of Wisconsin Badgers.

“We felt it was a huge opportunity to support the community,” Gilbert said. “There’s no coincidence there’s some passion there.

This is the latest the San Diego Bowl Game Association, which organizes both the Holiday Bowl and the Poinsettia Bowl, has gone without a sponsor for the game since SeaWorld stepped up in 1986. The Holiday Bowl lacked a sponsor from its founding in 1978 until 1986. National University sponsored the past two games but didn’t renew this year.

National Funding’s sponsorship is only for the 2015 game. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed but Mark Neville, the association’s executive director, said it would be “safe to speculate” that sponsorship revenue this year was less than the low seven figures usually attached to the sponsorship.

With just two weeks before game day, it’s too late to change billboards to include National Funding’s logo, but radio, TV and print ads are more fluid, Neville said.

“As deadlines allow, we will be working our hardest to provide maximum visibility,” Neville said. “They really came in at the 11th hour.”

The association has said sponsorship issues won’t affect the game’s $5.93 million payout due to cash reserves.

Gilbert said it’s possible he may renew the sponsorship, but there wasn’t time for in-depth discussions about a long-term partnership during negotiations.

“We were in a rush to get this done,” Gilbert said.

The bowls had a combined economic impact of $35.3 million last year, according to a study from San Diego State University. The Holiday Bowl, with nearly 56,000 fans in attendance compared to the Poinsettia Bowl’s 33,000, represented more than $30 million of the impact.

Also on Wednesday, the Bowl Game Association said it was naming former executive director Bruce Binkowski as honorary chairman of this year’s National Funding Holiday Bowl. Binkowski, who is retiring after 37 years of service, the last 14 as executive director, will serve as grand marshal of the Holiday Bowl Parade.

The National Funding Holiday Bowl kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
 

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A criminal complaint filed against Enrique Marquez, the friend and former neighbor of one of the shooters who killed 14 people Dec. 2 at a health center holiday party in San Bernardino, details alleged earlier plans by the two to attack people using pipe bombs on a Southern California freeway and another plot targeting a community college.

The three-count criminal complaint filed Thursday by federal authorities documented an alleged history of 24-year-old Marquez conspiring to commit acts of terrorism with San Bernardino attacker Syed Rizwan Farook, dating back to 2011. Federal prosecutors charged Marquez Thursday in plotting with Farook in 2011 and 2012 to commit terrorist crimes and unlawfully buying two assault rifles used in the mass shooting carried out by Farook and wife Tashfeen Malik at the Inland Regional Center, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Farook and Malik were both killed in a shootout with law enforcement agents hours after the shooting, making Marquez a critical source of information for investigators as they piece together the attackers' histories.

The criminal complaint filed against Marquez indicates that in 2011 he and Farook were planning to use firearms and explosives to carry out terrorist acts, attacks that Marquez allegedly told investigators were created to generate mass casualties, according to the news release from the  Department of Justice.

The criminal complaint mentions an interview with Marquez in which he allegedly admitted planning to attack the library or cafeteria at Riverside Community College, which they both attended. The plan was to throw pipe bombs into the cafeteria area from the second floor, and to shoot people as they fled, according to the DOJ news release.

Marquez and Farook also plotted an elaborate attack on the 91 Freeway during rush-hour traffic, the affidavit stated. Marquez allegedly told investigators they chose a specific section of the 91 Freeway because there were no exits and it would increase the number of targets, according to the news release.

The 91 Freeway plot would have involved Farook throwing pipe bombs onto the freeway to disable vehicles and stop traffic. Farook allegedly planned to move among stopped vehicles, shooting into them, while Marquez shot into vehicles from a position on a nearby hillside. Marquez allegedly said that he would watch for law enforcement and emergency vehicles, and his priority was to shoot law enforcement before shooting life-saving emergency personnel.

According to the affidavit, in late 2011 and 2012, Marquez allegedly bought two firearms and portrayed himself as the actual purchaser of the rifles, although he was buying the firearms for Farook as part of the planned attacks on RCC and the 91 Freeway, the news release said. According to the affidavit, Marquez told investigators that he agreed to purchase the weapons because "his appearance was Caucasian, while Farook looked Middle-Eastern."

The three-count criminal complaint also charged Marquez with defrauding immigration authorities for a "sham marriage" with a member of Farook's family.

The criminal complaint in addition charged Marquez with conspiring with Farook to provide material support – including himself, a firearm and explosives – for crimes of terrorism, making a false statement in connection with acquisition of firearms, and immigration fraud, according to the news release.

Farook, a co-worker of those killed in the mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center, introduced Marquez to radical Islamic ideology, according to the criminal complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court. The criminal complaint also stated that over the next few years, Farook provided Marquez with radical Islamic materials, and by 2011, Marquez spent most of his time at Farook's residence listening to lectures and watching videos involving extremist content.

Marquez's public defender declined to comment on the charges filed this week. Friends and family have described him as a good person who was easygoing.

U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said, "While there currently is no evidence that Mr. Marquez participated in the December 2 attack or had advance knowledge of it, his prior purchase of the firearms and ongoing failure to warn authorities about Farook’s intent to commit mass murder had fatal consequences."

On Friday, President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit families of the 14 victim in San Bernardino on his way to a holiday vacation in Hawaii.

The cannons will fly this weekend at San Diego Bay as a couple of the Maritime Museum’s tall ships partake in battle reenactments of Naval warfare from the 19th century.

On both Saturday and Sunday, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Maritime Museum of San Diego along downtown’s Embarcadero will invite patrons to hop aboard its tall ships Hawaiian Chieftain and Lady Washington for some thrills by way of cannon battle recreations on the bay.

Visitors can help the crew defend the ship during the recreations, raise the sails and heave on the lines, or just sit back, relax and take in the action-packed show. The ships will depart from the Maritime Museum located on the Embarcadero at 1492 N. Harbor Dr.

Organizers say tickets for the event range between $47 and $91 per person, and are available on the museum’s website or by calling (619) 234-9153, ext. 101. Tickets for the special event also include admission to the Maritime Museum.

Those who can’t make the cannon battles this weekend will have a few other opportunities to get in on the action. The Maritime Museum will host the event again on Dec. 26 and Dec. 27, and Jan. 2 and Jan. 3, also from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

For additional details on the cannon battles, click here. Also, check out the video below for a sneak peek at the action on the water.

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This Sunday the Chargers host the Miami Dolphins for their last home game of the season at Qualcomm Stadium. So who will win?

Blaze the cat from the Helen Woodward Animal Center (AnimalCenter.org) was lucky enough to get two toys to play with! One represented the Chargers, the other Miami. So who did Blaze pick? Click on the video to find out.

If you’re looking for a feline companion to watch football with, Blaze it up for adoption. You can get more information on him here: http://www.animalcenter.org/adoptions/animals.aspx?id=89688&name=Blaze.

Since the Bolts play Thursday night in Oakland there’s no Pet Predictions next week but come back on New Year’s Day to see if the Chargers can close out the season with a win in Denver.
 

The man in charge of the San Diego County Sheriff’s North County reserve and volunteer deputy program has a war story that predates his time with the force.

He was hit by a sniper in the forehead during the Vietnam War, but survived thanks to his helmet.

Cpt. Ken Pipes, 78, has had a long career with law enforcement; he has been a reserve deputy for 25 years. He’s been in charge of the North County program since June.

But prior to that, Cpt. Pipes commanded more than 200 marines of Bravo Company during the 1968 Vietnam War battle of Keh Sahn. It’s known as Vietnam’s longest and bloodiest battles. Hundreds lost their lives.

“We are obliged to live the best life as we can because they will never be able to,” said Cpt. Pipes.

He’s been recognized for his courage and bravery with awards that include a Silver Star and Purple Heart.

Cpt. Pipes says he’s lucky to be alive. During the long battle, he was hit by a sniper in his forehead. His helmet saved his live.

“The round penetrated the old steel helmet that we wore. It went through the plastic liner and for some reason, it stopped there,” said Cpt. Pipes.

He also took a piece of shrapnel that to this day is lodged inches from his heart.

But as courageous as his story is, Cpt. Pipes is quick to turn the conversation to others. And today, he chooses to focus on today’s veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He talks to them about possible law enforcement careers with the Sheriff’s Department, which in San Diego County currently employs more than 500 veterans.

“There’s so many of those men and women, and they bring so much maturity, experience and responsibility at a young age,” said Cpt. Pipes.

A 22-year-old man was killed in a rollover crash on westbound State Route 52 Friday morning after his black sedan drifted down an embankment and crashed into a ditch, officials confirmed.

Authorities were alerted to the deadly accident happened just before 6:30 a.m. at westbound SR-52, just west of Interstate 805. The scene was on the right shoulder of the freeway amid the busy Friday morning commute.

Traffic began backing up in the area immediately following the collision. At around 7:50 a.m., officials issued a SigAlert at the westbound SR-52 transition to northbound I-805. The area would remain blocked off to traffic until further notice.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) investigators believe the victim may have been dead in the ditch for several hours. The CHP said the crash may have been difficult for passersby to spot in the dark overnight hours. A driver who saw parts of the wreckage and the extensively damaged vehicle in the ravine called 911 to report the wreck.

Investigators believe the victim struck a call box on the freeway before rolling over into the ditch.

On Friday afternoon, the San Diego Medical Examiner (ME) released the name of the victim, identifying the young man as San Diego resident Taylor John Skiffington.

The crash remains under investigation. Check back for updates on this developing story.

A sex offender fugitive from San Diego has been arrested on a murder charge in connection to a woman found dead in a shower at a downtown hotel.

Police said they arrested 40-year-old Jason Bradwell Lewis in the 500 block of West Broadway on Friday morning. He is due in court on Monday to be arraigned.

The woman, identified as a 26-year-old Jhordann Reann Rust of Wisconsin, was found dead just after midnight Tuesday at the 500 West Hotel, which also serves as a hostel.

The hotel-hostel is located in the same area where Lewis was arrested. It wasn’t immediately clear if Lewis had retained an attorney.

For just under two years, Lewis had been wanted by California authorities for violating conditions of his parole. He is a registered sex offender with a criminal history that includes sexual battery, burglary, grand theft and felony domestic violence. Crime Stoppers posted a bulletin in January 2014 to warn the public to be on the lookout for Lewis.

Rust was found not breathing in what police described as a “common shower area” on the hotel's second floor. She had suffered blunt force trauma to her upper torso and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police described Lewis as an acquaintance of Rust. The suspect and victim had been staying in Room 316, which is now marked with chemical residue used by detectives to lift fingerprints.

Another third floor guest, who did not want to be identified, told NBC 7 the day before Rust's death, Lewis and the victim had an argument in front of the hotel. The witness said Lewis threatened to smash Rust's head while grabbing her by her backpack.

No further details on the circumstances of the killing were not immediately revealed.

Anyone with information should call the San Diego Police Department’s homicide unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

A staffer at the center of a data breach that has Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign sparring with the Democratic Party says he was simply trying to expose a bug while logging into private files for Hillary Clinton's camp.

Josh Uretsky was fired as the national data director for the Sanders campaign on Friday.

Speaking with NBC10 in Philadelphia Friday night, he acknowledged accessing a Democratic National Committee (DNC) database containing voter information belonging to the Clinton campaign. But the 39-year-old said he did it to make a record of a software glitch that gave all campaigns access to each other's records.

"I deliberately left all of the data that I was accessing, all the voter file data that I was accessing, in the DNC's systems so that once the bug was reported, discovered and closed down, they had access to those files. They could use it to see the scope of the issue," Uretsky said at Philadelphia International Airport after returning home from New Hampshire.

Three other Sanders campaign employees also accessed the files, the Sanders campaign acknowledged. Campaign officials haven't yet decided if they'll be disciplined.

The database, run by technology firm NGP VAN for the DNC, houses voter data for the presidential hopefuls.

NGP VAN audit documents obtained by NBC News showed four Sanders staffers spent about 40 minutes searching through lists of Clinton supporters in 10 early voting states. Sanders documents were also accessed. The files were saved to personal folders, the documents showed.

Uretsky said he looked at files to make "sure it was not our data" and the way he did that could be "misconstrued as a download."

"I tried to do what I did in a very transparent manner," he said. "I was trying very deliberately to leave a trail of what I was doing and what had happened and what was exposed."

Clinton's campaign maintained their data was stolen. In response, the DNC revoked the Sanders camp's access to the database until an investigation is conducted.

"The Sanders campaign staff chose to view and download data that did not belong to them," DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schutlz said on MSNBC Friday night.

She also said that the campaign had yet to provide the DNC with evidence it no longer had any of the Clinton campaign's data.

Jeff Weaver, Sanders' campaign director, called the staffers' actions inappropriate, but said shutting them out from the database was unjust. "We are running a clean campaign," he said.

The Sanders campaign filed a federal lawsuit against the DNC on Friday demanding access to the database. The suit maintains the lockout could cost them $600,000 a day in lost donations.

A 20-year-old San Diego man who was under the influence and behind the wheel in a fiery crash that killed his two passengers will spend 13 years in prison.

Antony Schoenle changed his plea to guilty three months ago to DUI and gross vehicular manslaughter charges in connection with the crash that killed his two friends.

At his sentencing Friday, Schoenle cried as he read a written statement to the court, apologizing to the families of the victims. He said from the fullness of his heart, he is sorry.

He made the statement after hearing others from the families of victims Lizzy Garcia and Lupe Acosta, both in their early 20s

"My sister was a very loving person. It's been hard on her family, really really tough," said Valentin Acosta, Lupe's brother. "She didn't deserve to die. She didn't deserve to die the way she did."

Lupe's mother, Petronila, spoke tearfully, saying Schoenle should have known better.

"He knew that to take and use a car when you have been using drugs and drinkning, that's not good," she said.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Polly Shamoon said no amount of time in prison is going to bring justice to this case or bring back what everyone wants -- the victims back again. She does not consider this an accident, she said, because it was preventable.

In the early hours of Aug. 22, 2015, Schoenle – driving while intoxicated – slammed his 2000 Dodge Stratus into a curb, drove onto an embankment and struck a large boulder in the 4800 block of Friars Road.

The car then caught on fire, the flames quickly spreading to nearby vegetation off the side of the road.

Firefighters were the first to arrive on scene, thinking they were responding to a brush fire when they discovered the mangled, scorched wreckage.

Schoenle was driving with Garcia, Acosta and Acosta’s puppy.

Schoenle was able to escape from the flaming wreckage, but his passengers and the dog could not get out. The young women and puppy died in the fiery crash, police said.

Schoenle suffered severe burns and was hospitalized until his arraignment and arrest on Aug. 26.

Sitting in a hospital bed at UCSD Medical Center, he was charged with two counts of felony manslaughter, felony DUI and providing false information.

At his arraignment, Deputy District Attorney Steven Schott said Schoenle decided to drive on Aug. 22 after 12 hours of partying the night before that included the use of alcohol, marijuana and cocaine.

Prosecutors argued that after the crash, Schoenle saved himself with no regard for the lives of his passengers.

“This defendant unbuckled himself and climbed over Miss Garcia, the front passenger, to get out – a woman he referred to in an interview as ‘dead weight,’” Schott said. “Both of these women were burned beyond recognition, actually burned down to the bone in some places.”

No other cars were involved in the deadly DUI collision.

Loved ones said the women killed in the crash were best friends who had attended Oceanside High School and played in the marching band together. 

Every once in a while, a story comes along that just makes you smile. This year, San Diego saw its share of stories that warmed our hearts and reminded us of the good in our world. From an unexpected surfing session with a sea lion pup to a friendly wedding day visit from President Obama, here are some memorable “feel good” stories from 2015.

Sea Lion Pulp Climbs on Board, Rides With Surfer in Cardiff
In March, Dan Murphy was surfing off the shore of San Elijo Campground near Cardiff-by-the-Sea when a wiggly, friendly sea lion pup jumped on his board and rode the waves with him for about an hour. At one point, the pup even jumped on Murphy’s back, seemingly hugging the surfer, as Murphy’s friend snapped incredible photos of the encounter. Murphy felt a bond with the sea lion pup, and, when they parted ways, he couldn’t help but choke up. “I was literally in tears,” said Murphy. “I waved to him.”

U.S. Marine Officer Breaks World Record Plank for Semper Fi Fund
In late May, George Hood, a Carlsbad-based former U.S. Marine officer crushed the world record for the longest plank – five hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds – in an effort to raise money and awareness for wounded warriors and the Semper Fi Fund. Hood said the motivation for his impressive feat was simple: to show support for injured service members and remind them they are not forgotten. “There are injured Marines that come back from the fight, who have suffered life-altering injuries and the discomfort that I feel right now pales in comparison to that which they feel,” Hood told NBC 7, while in mid-plank. “So, we raise money to help them. We tend to forget about them sometimes. This helps raise awareness and draw attention to them – and I’m about that.”

92-Year-Old Becomes Oldest Woman to Finish Marathon
On May 31, 2015, Harriette Thompson – a 92-year-old cancer survivor from North Carolina – laced up her sneakers and became the oldest woman to finish a marathon while running the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego. This marked the 16th time Thompson has run the marathon. “I've done it before. So I thought if I did it before, maybe I can do it again,” she said at the finish line.

Mystery Solved: Woman With Amnesia Identified by Sister
Five months after showing up in a San Diego-area emergency room without any recollection of her name, age, family, or friends, a woman battling cancer who called herself “Sam” finally rediscovered her true identity. In late June, NBC 7 shared the story of Sam, who was desperate to learn about where she came from. The story led to dozens of tips and, eventually, Sam’s sister came forward to identify her as Ashley Manetta, 53, a woman born in Pennsylvania who found her way to Southern California. Manetta said she kept faith in God as she struggled to find herself. “I had peace where there should be none and I believed He would bring me back together with people that that were family and I trusted Him,” she said.

Fire Dispatcher’s Lip Syncing Road Trip Video Goes Viral
Siblings are bound to annoy one another, but San Diego resident and 911 emergency dispatcher Brian Anderson took his brotherly duties up a notch in August when he decided to lip sync for hours during a road trip with his sister. Anderson captured the never-ending jam session on video, and the “Annoying 7 Hour Road Trip” clip went viral on YouTube. It’s hard not to laugh watching Anderson belt his heart out to a medley of songs as his sister, Ashley Anderson, looks out the window, eats some snacks, and, at times, stares at her brother as he goes for those high notes. “I was really into it,” Brian laughed, recounting the road trip to NBC 7. “I was on a good one.”

San Diego Couple Meets President Obama at Their Wedding
Sure, everyone’s wedding day is pretty unforgettable, but one San Diego couple may have taken the cake when they met President Barack Obama at their wedding at The Lodge at Torrey Pines this year. On Oct. 11, 2015, Brian and Stephanie Tobe had their wedding at the famous golf course when they stumbled on the POTUS, who happened to be playing golf there that day. With help from their wedding photographers, the couple was able to meet Obama – and a snap wedding photo for the books. “I picked up my wedding dress and just started running down the hall,” Stephanie said, of her chance to meet the president. “When I was running up to him, I just started crying. I was in a state of complete shock.”

Ill Army Vet, 90, Fulfills Dream of Handing Out Halloween Candy
In late October, 90-year-old Army veteran Andy Furlong was in hospice care and had only one wish: to hand out candy to costume-clad trick-or-treaters on Halloween – the final Halloween of his life. Furlong’s daughter told NBC 7 that for years, her father bought lots of Halloween candy with a dream of passing it out to trick-or-treaters, but trick-or-treaters never really frequented his street. As he battled the final stage of Parkinson’s disease, his daughter came up with a plan to make his final Halloween memorable, asking NBC 7 to put out a call to the community to trick-or-treat at Furlong’s family home on Oct. 31. That day, hundreds of people lined Furlong’s street to trick-or-treat and make his sweet final wish come true. “It’s too much for me; I can’t believe it,” Furlong said, beaming. The U.S. veteran died on Dec. 2, 2015, at the VA Hospital in La Jolla.

Dad, Twins Propose to Mom in NICU at Sharp Mary Birch
On Nov. 5, 2015, Chula Vista resident Andres Alonso popped the question to the mother of his children, Fernanda Busani, with help from their newborn twins in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns. The two tiny helpers wore custom onesies that read, “Will You Marry My Daddy?” and Alonso sat in a chair, with one newborn tucked into each of his arms, an engagement ring box open on a pillow beside him. The nurses in the NICU said the happy occasion was truly memorable.

Man Dies Day After “Pay It Forward” Good Deed
Sometimes a random act of kindness can really touch your heart. That’s what happened to Carlsbad resident Jamie-Lynn Knighten on Nov. 10, when she met Matthew Jackson in line at Trader Joe’s, striking up a friendly conversation. Just as she was about to pay for her groceries, Knighten’s credit card was declined. She was carrying her 5-month-old son in her arms, and the baby was getting fussy. Without hesitation, Jackson stepped in and paid for Knighten’s groceries, which were over $200. In return, all Jackson asked Knighten to do was to pay it forward and one day do the same for someone else. Days later, Knighten learned Jackson was killed in a car accident not even 24 hours after his kind deed. Knighten promised she would honor the legacy of her Pay It Forward Angel by helping others.

“I Got My Christmas Miracle”: Angel Returns Locket Containing Late Son’s Ashes to Mother
Talk about a real-life Christmas miracle. On Nov. 30, Escondido resident Cristina Parodi-Araya lost something very precious to her at Fashion Valley mall: a locket, in the shape of an angel, containing the ashes of her only son, Francisco Jose Araya, who died in 2007 from cancer. Desperate to find her angel locket, the mother put up flyers and made a heartrending plea to the public for help, saying the necklace made her feel complete. A few days after NBC 7 posted the story on Facebook, Parodi-Araya got her wish. A couple, deeply touched by her story, returned the angel locket to the mother who said she once again felt whole, as if her son were with her. “Miracles do happen. This is my miracle,” she told NBC 7. 

With one week until Christmas, a South Bay family has already received the best gift they could hope for this year: their stolen dog and car returned.

On Sunday, Caitlin Wollman said a new roommate took her dog, Tyson, on a walk in Ocean Beach. However, the roommate never came back, and Wollman soon noticed her car was gone as well.

Inside the vehicle were Christmas presents for her 3-year-old daughter, Violet, who has a rare liver disease.

“I don't understand how somebody could take a family dog or let alone a car with a car seat in it,” said Wollman. “It's beyond me; it's disgusting, disappointing , just unreal. I'm still in shock.

After she filed a police report, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department found the roommate this week and arrested her. However, neither the dog nor the car was with her.

Instead, tribal police in Sycuan found Tyson and the vehicle with another man, who was also taken into custody.

On Friday, an ecstatic Violet was reunited with her dear friend.

“I am very happy that he's home,” said Wollman. “We didn't think we were ever going to see him again. To be perfectly honest, this is our family home dog. Christmas is coming up. It's traumatizing to my child. This dog means a lot to all of us, and we are really happy to have him home.”

Their stolen car was found damaged; the Christmas toys inside were gone. Wollman filed a new police report for the taken items, and she is also raising money to get her car out of the impound lot.
 

Tourism officials expect 2015 to break records all across the San Diego economy.

The San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA) says the region will surpass last year’s record-breaking totals in each significant sector. This includes the number of people traveling to San Diego for a visit in 2015, hotel tax revenue, as well as increased tourist spending on local attractions, shops and restaurants.

In 2015 alone, the SDTA is projecting $9.9 billion worth of visitor spending. The total amount of visitors will likely reach 34.2 million, and 16.9 million hotel room nights will be sold.

These record numbers finish off a booming year for San Diego tourism, according to the SDTA. In July, they announced that 1 million convention rooms were booked in 2015. This fiscal year marks a 10-year high in convention bookings.

The SDTA says that San Diego is one of only four cities on the globe to earn the title of “World’s Smart City” by the National Geographic Channel (NGC). The NGC presented a one-hour documentary specifically focused on San Diego and its culture of innovation and technology. In the film, the region is spotlighted for its high quality of life.

"We're very encouraged by the growth of San Diego's tourism economy over the past couple of years," said Joe Terzi, President and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority. "And every San Diegan has a stake in the success of this important industry.”

“Our ability to attract more travelers benefits the entire region through increased spending at our business establishments and more hotel tax revenue that the city can use for police, fire and other important services."

Back in February, the SDTA released an $8.9 million advertising campaign. Their advertising efforts have continued across the international marketplace ranging from the U.K., Germany, China, Japan, Mexico and Canada.

San Diego County officials have developed plans to build new libraries in Lakeside and Casa de Oro.

To support the plan propelled by Supervisor Dianne Jacob, the Board of Supervisors voted to use $250,000 in Neighborhood Reinvestment funds to acquire land for each facility.

“Our county libraries are more than just places to read and learn; they serve as the heartbeat of the community,” Supervisor Jacob said. “The prospect of new libraries in Lakeside and Casa de Oro is particularly good news because they would replace existing facilities that each community outgrew years ago.”

A dozen new libraries have opened in East County since Jacob took office in 1993. They have locations in Ramona, Julian, Spring Valley and Rancho San Diego. There’s also a library set for completion this spring in Alpine.

Other libraries in Fletcher Hills, Santee and El Cajon have recently been remodeled and upgraded. The Poway Library is expected to undergo a major remodel by the end of this month. There is a ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for February.
 

Eater San Diego shares the top stories of the week from San Diego’s food and drink scene, including a peek inside the newly reopened Top of the Market, tips on where to eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and a look at a new gourmet market and restaurant in downtown’s East Village.

Top of the Market Reopens With New Decor, Chef & Menu
Seven months after a devastating fire forced the landmark waterfront restaurant to shutter, Top of the Market has now reopened to the dining public. The eatery's renovation includes an updated design scheme and a newly-appointed executive chef whose menu for the seafood-centric restaurant has been almost entirely refreshed with new dishes.

Where to Eat on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, why not leave Christmas to the professionals this year? From traditional buffets to multi-course prix-fixe menus, Eater has a dozen good options of local places where you can celebrate with your nearest and dearest around a festive table.

Upscale Food Emporium Enters the East Village
A gourmet marketplace, restaurant and coffee bar under one roof, The Market Hall in downtown’s East Village is a 6,500-square-foot food hall that includes prepared food to-go, produce, meat, seafood and pantry items in its grocery section and serves morning coffee and pastries, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch in its dining area.

San Francisco's Smuggler's Cove Partners on Little Italy Tiki Bar
Local hospitality collective CH Projects (Ironside Fish & Oyster, Polite Provisions) announced that it is partnering with Martin Cate, owner of popular Bay Area bar Smuggler's Cove, on a tiki bar that will be tucked into the group's Craft & Commerce restaurant, currently being remodeled in Little Italy. Called False Idol, the bar and restaurant redo will be ready by Spring 2016.

Belgian-Inspired Brabant Bar & Cafe to Close This Month
Two years after opening on 30th Street in South Park, Brabant Bar & Cafe has announced that its last day in operation will be Wednesday, Dec. 30. The eatery, which specializes in Belgian beers and cuisine, is hosting a Belgian Christmas party on Dec. 19 with festive food and drink specials, plus Christmas caroling.
 

A stranger is being hailed a hero after taking down an assailant who attacked a woman with a shotgun outside a gas station in Imperial Beach.

The attack happened in a parking lot outside a 7-Eleven gas station on Imperial Beach Boulevard. Witnesses said the suspect pulled out a 12-gauge shotgun from his car and struck a woman in the face.

That’s when a bystander intervened, tackling the man to the ground and holding him there until sheriff’s deputies arrived.

Arriving deputies took the man into custody; they say he may have been intoxicated, but they don’t know what motivated the attack. The shotgun wasn’t loaded, deputies said.

Later, the woman was seen hugging the stranger who saved her.

“It’s a miracle that guy was there,” said Ariel Benedict, a customer at the 7-Eleven. “Otherwise who knows what could have happened.”

The suspect’s name has not been released.