A California CarMax salesman was killed Tuesday when a customer, accused of being under the influence of drugs, crashed a Corvette during a test drive in Ontario, police said.

The 28-year-old driver, identified as Alex Demetro of Union City by police, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs, according to the Ontario Police Department.

Officers responded to a crash on Mercedes Drive south of Concours Street just before 1 p.m. The red Corvette smashed into a tree and the two inside were taken to San Antonio Community Hospital.

The customer and salesman were on a test drive in the red Corvette, which witnesses told police they saw speeding. Investigators said the driver lost control and crashed into a tree.

The 43-year-old salesman, of Montclair, was pronounced dead at the hospital. Friends and co-workers gathered at the crash site Tuesday night to mourn identified him as Warren Smale.

"Today is an incredibly sad day for the CarMax family. Our hearts and prayers go out to our associate's family. CarMax is working closely with the authorities on the investigation. Please refer any questions to them at this time," CarMax said in a statement following the salesman's death.

Mourners at the crash site said they were "numb," and many employees said they worry that customers drive too recklessly on test drives.

Jail records show Demetro was released early Wednesday after posting bond. A court date was not immediately scheduled, according to the San Bernardino County jail records.

It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.

Anyone with information on the crash was encouraged to call Ontario police at 909-395-4646. 

President Barack Obama revealed the qualities he is looking for in the Supreme Court justice by posting about it on the SCOTUSblog website. 

The next justice will "have an independent mind, rigorous intellect, impeccable credentials, and a record of excellence and integrity," Obama wrote. The person must be "eminently qualified" for the position, but "would not sit on the court with the purpose of trying to change the law," he continued. 

The vacancy, which opened on Feb. 13 when Justice Antonin Scalia died unexpectedly at the age of 79, has been a contentious topic. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would block a hearing on Capitol Hill should Obama decide to nominate someone during this presidential election. 

Democrats, on the other hand, said the Constitution gives the president the right to nominate someone at any moment because of a vacancy.

A cargo plane laden with 10,000 AK-47s landed in Kabul on Wednesday, the first part of a major Russian military aid package aimed at helping Kabul contain a resurgent insurgency, NBC News reported.

The delivery — which also includes helicopters and heavy weapons — came almost three decades after the Soviet Union pulled out of Afghanistan in humiliation after a 10-year occupation.

This is the first direct military assistance to Afghanistan from Russia since the Taliban was toppled in 2001, Afghan National Security Council spokesman Tawab Ghurzang told NBC News. 

In a unanimous vote, the San Diego Unified School Board has chosen its appointee to fill the seat left open by former Trustee Marne Foster.

Dr. Sharon Whitehurst-Payne will be the new representative for Subdistrict E in southeast San Diego.

Whitehurst-Payne received her Masters of Science in mathematics from Duke University and her Ph.D. in administrative and policy studies from UCLA, all while working as a district resource teacher in the SDUSD, she wrote in her application.

She has since held consulting positions with the California Commission for Teaching Credentialing, the State Department of Education, the California Academic Partnership Program and Project GEAR UP for middle schools.

"My only reason for running to is to give people choices, options. We've heard from one segment of the community tonight, but I think everybody deserves to weigh in on the issue...and that’s why I'm running...with choices, true choices...so that's my motivation," Whitehurst-Payne said before the board Tuesday night.

The other trustees heard from four candidates at their meeting. They had decided to appoint someone to fill Foster's seat, instead of holding a special election, and received 16 applications at the start of the process.

Earlier this month, Foster resigned from the board and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of accepting gifts in excess of the legal limit. 

Whitehurst-Payne will only hold the office until December, when an elected trustee may be voted in during the general election.

The White House is considering Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican centrist, as a potential nominee for the vacant seat on the Supreme Court, a source has confirmed to NBC News.

It's unclear if the formal "vetting" process is underway, however, the source confirmed that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid met with Sandoval on Monday.

Sandoval's record matches President Barack Obama's on many key issues, which include supporting the Supreme Court's same sex marriage decision last year and he backs abortion rights.

The former District Court judge and state attorney general, was the first Latino candidate elected to statewide office in Nevada.

The news comes on the heels of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's announcement that the Senate would not hold hearings on any nominee in the wake of the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Community leaders are seeking a federal probe of Boston Latin School, the oldest public school in the nation, and its headmaster as they demand a more thorough investigation into the alleged mishandling of allegations of racism at the prestigious school.

The local NAACP chapter is calling on the Department of Justice to investigate how the school responded when students brought to administrators’ attention racially charged social media posts made by other students.

"Ultimately, what they'll be looking for is a racially hostile learning environment," said NAACP Boston President Michael Curry. "We believe that there is valid evidence of that, and we're hoping that they will end up taking a look at it."

The school was the subject of an internal investigation stemming from seven alleged incidents of racism between November 2014 and January 2016, according to the Boston Public Schools website.

The district's Office of Equity found the school violated its policy in responding to one of the incidents, when a student used a racial slur to threaten toward a peer, the school system said. A male student allegedly made a comment about lynching to a black female student.

"The review found BLS did not adequately investigate the incident, did not adequately discipline the student, nor take appropriate steps to ensure the support and safety of the targeted student," the district wrote on its website.

In another incident, two black students presented the headmaster with a binder full of racially charged social media posts. Four students accused of making the posts met privately with school administrators and "there were no further issues," the school said.

The office issued a set of recommendations to district Supt. Tommy Chang in order to "improve the culture and climate" at the Boston Latin School, which Chang pledged to implement.

"I believe the Office of Equity’s investigation into Boston Latin School was handled with integrity. The NAACP is and will continue to be an important partner of the Boston Public Schools as we move forward to enhance and ensure a safe and respectful learning environment for all students. The district looks forward to working with the NAACP and other community groups," Chang said in a statement Wednesday.

Curry said civil rights leaders and organizations planned to submit the request to the U.S. Attorney's Office of Civil Rights Wednesday afternoon. They are pushing for the ousting of headmaster Lynne Mooney Teta.

"We want her gone," Curry said.

Under pressure to resign, Teta sent an open letter to the school community Tuesday night.

"After weeks of self-reflection and frank conversations, I realize that in important ways I have not succeeded," she wrote. "I am truly sorry."

"Her apology is appreciated, but it's a little too late," Curry said.

Boston Public Schools Superintendent Tommy Chang stood by the original investigation that found only one of seven race-based incidents was mishandled by Latin School administration, saying in a statement, "I believe the Office of Equity’s investigation into Boston Latin School was handled with integrity. The NAACP is and will continue to be an important partner of the Boston Public Schools."

"I don't think a federal probe is necessary," said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.

Walsh said he thinks there are other avenues that can be explored that will be less of a distraction for students at BLS.

"We're going to have an internal review in the mayor's office separate and independent from the school department," said Walsh. "We're going to have that conversation today and see what the next step will be."

The public school is the oldest in the country, founded in 1635. Some of its famous alumni include John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Benjamin Franklin.

Food lovers, you may want to sit down for this one: Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles, the Southern California-based soul food empire with a cult following, is planning to expand to San Diego.

According to Eater San Diego, Roscoe’s – which currently has seven locations in the Los Angeles area, including in Hollywood and Anaheim – intends to open a restaurant in San Diego, maybe even as early as this year.

San Diego realtor, Adolfo Moreno, is working with Roscoe’s and tells Eater the restaurant group is eyeing a location within central San Diego that would be accessible to both locals and tourists. They have not yet decided on a definite location, but Roscoe’s does want a large space with ample parking, Eater reports.

Roscoe’s menu is known for its fried chicken and waffle dishes, including one named after President Obama, which includes one waffle, three pieces of chicken and a side of syrup. The eatery has a fervent fan base, and has been known to attract famous diners, including actors and the POTUS himself. Roscoe's also churns out a variety of homestyle, Southern sides, including cornbread, grits and collard greens.

The restaurant chain was first founded in 1975 in Long Beach, California, by Harlem native Herb Hudson.

An illegal campfire sparked an an aggressive first alarm vegetation fire in a Kensington canyon, San Diego Fire-Rescue (SDFD) officials said. 

The fire broke out around 9:53 a.m. Wednesday between East Alder Drive and Fairmount Avenue when a driver called in the blaze.

A spokesperson for CalFire said the fire began as 20 to 30 feet wide but quickly spread to 40 to 50 feet wide. A helicopter then started dropping water on the fire, helping put it out. It took helicopter and ground crews 20 minutes to put out the fire. 

Crews sprayed foam on the area to suppress the fire and quell hot spots, making sure the flames would not reignite. 

The illegal campfire started off Fairmount Avenue and Talmadge Row. Firefighters accessed the fire through Fairmount Avenue, where police blocked off traffic on Fairmount Avenue as they worked. 

Viewers nearby spotted smoke as the fire burned. 

NBC 7 Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh said temperatures in the Kensington area are in the low 70s and there is little to no wind at three miles per hour. There is 30 percent humidity in the area, she said, which is dry but not critically dry. 

No further information was immediately available.

Three pregnant women in Florida have tested positive for Zika virus after traveling from outside the U.S., state health officials said Wednesday.

Officials aren't releasing what counties the women are from or any other information out of respect for their privacy.

The total number of Zika cases in Florida is 32. All of them are travel-related and only three cases are still exhibiting symptoms, officials said.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott has asked the CDC to send 250 additional Zika antibody tests to the state following Wednesday's news.

"Following the news that three pregnant women tested positive for the Zika virus after traveling to Latin America, we have requested additional antibody tests to ensure we keep a good supply of resources to keep our families safe," Scott said in a statement. "I appreciate that the CDC has previously supplied Florida with these antibody tests and I ask that the CDC take immediate action to fulfill this request so we can continue to stay ahead of the possible spread of the Zika virus in Florida."

The Florida Department of Health recommend that women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant postpone travel to Zika-affected areas.

Symptoms associated with the Zika virus last between seven to ten days, according to the CDC.

Anyone seeking information can call Florida's Zika Virus Information Hotline at 1-855-622-6735 or visit floridahealth.gov.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday that closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center is in the "best interest" of the United States and the nation's moral standing in the world, NBC News reported.

"Do we really need to keep this place open for 50 remaining detainees who we can easily move to a secure facility in the United States?" Powell asked on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports."

Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan said that Republicans are taking legal steps to prevent the White House from closing the U.S. prison facility in Cuba, telling reporters on Wednesday that Congress has enough votes to override any veto. 

Mayor Kevin Faulconer was in Mission Beach Wednesday when he stopped to talk with NBC 7 about the new Chargers proposal for a downtown site.  Any proposal using public funds will require a two-thirds vote, the mayor said, something he described as "very, very difficult."

“The plan they rolled out yesterday will make it very difficult to achieve that objective. But obviously we’re gonna wait to see what their financing plan is when they release it," Faulconer said.

The San Diego Chargers released a statement late Tuesday asking fans to help them build a "multi-use facility, when combined with Petco Park, the existing Convention Center, the Gaslamp Quarter and a revitalized East Village would create an unparalleled entertainment and sports district.”

The team's representatives have rejected the proposal backed by Faulconer and the Citizens Stadium Advisory Group that a replacement for the aging Qualcomm Stadium be built on the same site in Mission Valley.

The Chargers are working with JMI Reality to create an initiative to present to the county registrar by March 24. If approved, a signature gathering campaign will launch to put the initiative on the ballot in November.

"Anytime you talk about raising taxes and dedicating that to a specific source, that requires 2/3 and that’s very, very difficult to achieve success. And what we’re all interested in is achieving success," Mayor Faulconer told NBC 7.

"I said from the very beginning it’s important we expand the convention center – move forward on that. It’s also important we keep the Chargers in San Diego, which is why the plan we put forward in Mission Valley would achieve that objective without raising taxes. I think the fans supported that. As I said before we’re gonna have to see what the actual financing plans of the downtown proposal once its laid out," the mayor said.

Watch the full clip here.

The Chargers will pay for the full ‘stadium portion’ of the downtown plan, said Steve Peace, a spokesman with JMI Realty, which is leading the coalition charged with planning a downtown stadium. He said it would cost $400 million less to build a combined facility rather than to build two separate facilities; the stadium component is cheaper overall, Peace said.

In theory, it would not involve raising taxes.

"One of the opportunities downtown is that because of a consolidated venue with the convention center, there's certain economies of scale; we can reduce cost. That'll all be done in due course as we work through the process," said Fred Maas, a former chairman and CEO of the Centre City Development Corp. who is now serving as the Chargers' special adviser.

The proposal would also allow the Chargers to keep the hotelier commitment in place, according to Peace. Downtown hoteliers have been vying for a convention center expansion at the current Embarcadero site, as has the mayor.

The rest of the project would, in theory, be paid for by a citizen's initiative that aims to redo the city's hotel room tax structure.

Read the team's statement here.

In early February, after the NFL denied Dean Spanos' proposal to share a stadium with the Raiders in Carson. 

He decided to hire Maas to take a fresh look at staying in San Diego. 

Stadium supporters were already on deadline for a November ballot to ask voters to support building a stadium in Mission Valley.

The team has pledged $10 million in financing to help sway voters, many of whom feel burned by the looming potential of losing the franchise that's been in San Diego for 55 seasons.

The City of La Mesa has been approved for a nearly $2 million grant to fund safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists, city leaders confirmed Wednesday.

The $1,919,000 grant, provided through the California Transportation Commission (CTC) Active Transportation Program (ATP), will help La Mesa with enhancements in the west part of the community, including connectivity to parks, schools and access to the new 25,000-square-foot Boys and Girls Club facility, the Brady Family Clubhouse, planned for the campus of the La Mesa Arts Academy in the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District.

The future facility will feature a learning center, computer lab, crafts room, playground, kitchen and a gym named after NBA Hall of Famer and La Mesa native, Bill Walton. It will be open to children ages 5 to 18 every day after school and during the summer.

According to a spokesperson from the City of La Mesa office, improvements funded by the grant will include opening and extending Junior High Drive to Lowell Street.

Also, a midblock crossing with pedestrian rapid flashing beacons and in-pavement flashers will be installed in the area connecting La Mesa Arts Academy to Helix Charter High School.

Windsor Hills Community Church – located on Orien Avenue, next to the future site of the Boys and Girls Club facility – will also gain improved access, the city says.

University Avenue will see 1.3 miles of new bicycle lanes, plus 3.5 miles of improved bicycle routes, complete with so-called “sharrow” markings – shared roadway bike markings that help remind motorists to share the road with bicyclists.

The area will also gain new sidewalks, ADA ramps, high-visibility crosswalks, bike racks and pedestrian lighting, among other improvements.

The city says the safety project is slated to begin this summer, and should be completed by 2019.
 

Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Wednesday said those calling on him to end his presidential run need to "chill out," NBC News reported.

"I'm staying in because I think, at the end of the day, I'm going to accumulate enough delegates to win," Kasich told a voter asking about the future of his campaign in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Kasich finished last among the remaining Republican candidates in Tuesday's Nevada caucuses.  

More flu-related deaths have been reported in San Diego County.

Five individuals have recently died from complications as a result of the flu, according the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). Currently, an overall count of 11 flu-related deaths have been reported in the county. Those who have died were between the ages of 44 and 91.

As of Feb. 20, 838 lab-confirmed flu cases were reported, according to HHSA. This is a 239 case increase from the previous week.

Even though spring is approaching, health officials urge individuals to get vaccines. Flu season can continue into the spring and summer.

The current vaccine protects against several strains of influenza and takes approximately 2 weeks to become effective, HHSA explains.

Information about the flu season, flu myths and vaccinations can be found here.

To go directly to the flu vaccination clinic information, click here.
 

A fugitive with two active felony warrants was arrested in Oceanside Tuesday night after he tried to run away from police officers, only to be later found hiding in bushes near a riverbed.

Adam Rogers, 26, was taken into custody just before 10 p.m. after leading police on a wild chase.

At around 4:30 p.m., officers with the Oceanside Police Department (OPD) were called to a home in the 3500 block of Paseo De Los Americanos after a man – now identified as Rogers – was allegedly seen stealing items from an open garage.

The suspected thief was gone by the time officers got to the garage, but a description of the man was broadcast among officers.

About five hours later, around 9:40 p.m., two officers spotted a man matching the suspect’s description at a shopping center in the 2600 block of Vista Way. When the cops tried to speak with the man, he ran away, fleeing through the shopping center complex and towards the freeway.

A chase ensued.

Citizens saw Rogers running across the freeway and alerted the pursuing officers. Minutes later, a business owner called authorities to report Rogers was hiding on their property, on the south side of the freeway.

Rogers then fled the business and ran toward a nearby wooded area. The OPD said the suspect hid in some thick bushes near a riverbed.

At this point, the ASTREA helicopter from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) and K-9 units from the Oceanside and Carlsbad police departments were called into the area. From above, ASTREA crews could see Rogers hiding in the bushes.

K-9s were sent into the wooded area. Moments later, Rogers was taken into custody.

He was booked into the Vista Detention Facility just after midnight for the garage burglary and felony warrants. Rogers is expected to appear in court Thursday.

The OPD said Rogers was considered an armed and dangerous fugitive, as one of his warrants was for weapons possession. The police department praised the teamwork across multiple agencies for the arrest of the fugitive.
 

U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday stepped up pressure on federal regulators and Takata to accelerate the recall of millions of airbag inflators, citing evidence that the Japanese company manipulated data to cover up problems with its products.

A Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee report cited a series of internal Takata documents generated over the past 12 years that showed company officials argued data on inflator quality and testing was manipulated to disguise problems.

A redacted 2013 document released by the committee indicates an unidentified Takata manager told the company's senior vice president of quality assurance that proposed limitations to the scope of a 2013 airbag recall might be "a violation of our moral obligation to protect the public."

A new Texas law allowing people to carry guns on state college campuses doesn't go into effect until Aug. 1, but its already putting a big chill on fiery academic debate, NBC News reported.

Professors at the University of Houston have started preparing guidelines for dealing with gun-toting students that include warning faculty to steer clear of "sensitive topics" and dropping hot button issues from their curricula, according to a UH Faculty Senate.

The proposed guidelines also advise faculty to no "'go there' if you sense anger" and "limit student access off hours."

"It's not official policy," Faculty Senate President Jonathan Snow told NBC News on Wednesday.

UH is expected to release it's own "draft policy" on guns in classrooms next week, a university spokeswoman said.

Tourists who come to Colorado and take advantage of the state's liberal marijuana laws often end up in emergency rooms, doctors said Wednesday.

Emergency department visits involving marijuana-using visitors doubled from 2013 to 2014, the first year cannabis use was legalized in Colorado, a team of Denver-area doctors said.

They found that rates of visits involving marijuana did not change for in-state Colorado residents, NBC News reported.

A new waterfront restaurant will open Thursday along San Diego’s scenic Embarcadero offering both grub and bait to patrons.

Burgers, Bait & Beer – located at Embarcadero Marina Park South, just behind the San Diego Convention Center – will hold its grand opening on Thursday starting at 11 a.m., the Port of San Diego says. The festivities will include menu samples and mingling on the eatery’s outdoor patio, which overlooks the water.

The Port says the restaurant’s menu boasts homemade sausages with mouthwatering-meets-menacing monikers, including the “Monster Dog” and “The Godzilla” – pork sausage topped with caramelized onions, tomatoes, red cabbage, ginger-sesame dressing and wasabi aioli on a gourmet bun. There’s also “The Kraken,” an all-beef sausage loaded with grilled shrimp, caramelized onions, corn and black bean salsa, creamy chipotle dressing and red cabbage.

Traditional burgers are also on the Burgers, Bait & Beer menu, along with a turkey burger and pastrami burger. Salads round out the offerings, while local craft brews fill the taps, including beers from Ballast Point, Coronado Brewing Company and Saint Archer. Non-alcoholic refreshments are also available.

But here’s the real hook: the Port says the business will also sell frozen bait and fishing tackle. Free fishing pole rentals will also be available there for kids age 12 and under.

This is fitting since the eatery is located in a park that houses a public fishing pier, plus a basketball and fitness course.

Burgers, Bait & Beer will be open daily, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’ll close at 8 p.m. during summer months – May through September.

The restaurant is owned and managed by Rich and Consuelo Rosengreen, of Quality Coast, Inc., a San Diego-based company that specializes in gourmet street food and catering services.
 

A Vista woman was arrested Wednesday, accused of a theft that left the local Pop Warner program “crippled” organizers said.

Rachel Owens, 41, served as the treasurer for Vista Pop Warner Football and Cheer from October 2013 to November 2015.

Owens now faces 3 counts of identity theft and 22 counts of grand theft after San Diego County Sheriff’s detectives say Owens allegedly stole more than $100,000 from the accounts she managed.

Owens was arrested Wednesday morning and booked into the Vista Detention Facility on $300,000 bail. The status of her securing an attorney is unknown.

She was taken into custody at Guajome Park Academy where she works as a math teacher.

“She was not arrested in a classroom, she was not arrested in front of children,” said Lt. Greg Rylaarsdam with the Cyber Financial Crimes Unit. “Our design was to go there and do this as low-key as possible.”

The superintendent described Owens as a non-permanent teacher on probation. She is on administrative leave.

Rylaarsdam said it appears Owens moved money around between several bank accounts.

"We're trying to get money back if we can get money back," he added. "Anything that we could possibly recover would go to a good use."

Vista Pop Warner has had to reach out to the public to ask for donations to survive what it described as a “huge misappropriation of funds at the hands of a former board member.”

A statement from the youth football league claims, "The loss of funds has crippled the organization."

The league believes the theft began in March 2014 and continued through late Fall 2015.

In order to continue operations, VPW said it needs donations to pay back creditors owed.

Rylaarsdam said the league cooperation and their records helped detectives make an arrest in such a short amount of time.  

He added that detectives were looking into the possibilty that there may be other victims.