Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is calling the behavior of whoever scratched out a "Black Lives Matter” messages on the company’s famous no-rules signature wall “disrespectful” and “malicious.”

And he said he is investigating.

In a private memo first obtained by Gizmodo, Zuckerberg reprimanded his Menlo Park, California-based employees for scratching out a supportive “Black Lives Matter” post on the communal graffiti wall inside headquarters and writing “All Lives Matter” instead. February is also Black History Month.

“We’ve never had rules around what people can write on our walls,” Zuckerberg wrote Thursday in the post. “We expect everybody to treat each other with respect.”

It’s also pretty clear this is not the first time this has happened, as Zuckerberg noted “several recent instances” of the behavior.

“I was already very disappointed by this disrespectful behavior before, but after my communication I now consider this as malicious as well,” he wrote.

He said the Black Lives Matter movement doesn’t negate people of other ethnicities, rather it addresses the historic and specific issues of racism against black people in the United States.

While many people on social media cheered that Zuckerberg took his employees to task, others noted disapprovingly that Facebook's staff is only 2 percent black.

The company, meanwhile, has long planned a celebration Friday for Black History Month, where 225 African-American students from San Francisco, Oakland and the Peninsula will visit headquarters to learn about careers in computer science and engineering.

In addition, Zuckerberg wrote that he scheduled a Black Town Hall meeting on March 4, which will be on the origins and symbolism of the Black Lives Matter movement.
 

A fifth grader in Tierrasanta is recovering from serious injuries she suffered in a hit-and-run crash that killed her best friend.

The death of 10-year-old Raquel Rosete has touched the lives of so many but none so profoundly as best friend Mekayla Lee who survived this tragedy.

Hundreds attended a vigil for Rosete in Orlek Park Thursday just 100 yards from the accident scene.

The girls were hit by a car Saturday while walking north along a sidewalk on Santo Road.

Investigators say Julianne Little was behind the wheel. Little has pleaded not guilty to charges of vehicular manslaughter, hit and run. Her attorney said Little fell asleep at the wheel as a result of stress from a stalker.

Lee was among several hundred candle holders including Doris Elementary school mates, parents, teachers and members of Rosete's family.

“I wanted to pay my respects to Raquel that was my main priority,” Lee said.

Lee moved slowly from her mother's car as friends waited to greet her. She suffered severe injuries and for now uses a wheelchair to get around.

“I'm feeling better you know I'm going up and down the stairs you know. I'm doing better,” she said.

Lee wants to keep the focus on Raquel who was declared brain dead Tuesday.

Her mother says the two girls were inseparable.

“She was more than just a best friend she was her little sister. She was family to us she was always at my house she was a beautiful little girl,” Elizabeth Lee said.

The group remembered Rosete with pink balloons, candles and silent prayer.

“I am going to represent my sister as a caring loving person who forgives everyone. I am pretty sure she would want me to do that,” Raquel’s sister Jessica Rosete said.

Families of both victims are touched by all the support. Lee’s mom says daughter needed this.

Mekayla is strong; despite all her composure the road to recovery may be longer than it appears.

“Her injuries, her bruises are going to heal but mentally and emotionally she will be scarred,” Elizabeth Lee said.
 

Iranians took to the polls Friday to vote for the first time since its nuclear deal with the West, The Associated Press reported. 

The election will decide outcomes for Iran's parliament as well as its Assembly of Experts. Long lines were seen at the 53,000 polling stations throughout the country as the Interior Ministry expects a turnout of about 70 percent of the 55 million eligible to vote.

Due to the large turnout, polling hours are to be extended until 8 p.m.

"Whoever comes out of the ballot boxes, either in the parliament or the Assembly of Experts, with the votes of the people will be respected by us and everyone will respect the votes of the majority of the people," President Hassan Rouhani said. 

A mass media professor who was caught on video trying to block a student journalist from filming protests at the University of Missouri has been fired, the school announced Thursday, NBC News reported.

Melissa Click made national headlines when a video of her attempting to kick out a campus reporter covering demonstrations by the group Concerned Student 1950 went viral. In the video, Click can be heard yelling "I need some muscle over here!" as she tries to boot the journalist and covers his camera with her hands.

"The board believes that Dr. Click's conduct was not compatible with university policies and did not meet expectations for a university faculty member," Pam Henrickson, chair of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, said in a statement.

Marco Rubio repeatedly mocked Donald Trump Friday morning in Dallas, at one point ridiculing him over misspelled tweets and joking that the billionaire businessman may have "wet his pants" over his debate performance.

"What will the conservative movement be like if the front runner now, Donald Trump is put in charge of the conservative movement?" Rubio asked an audience of supporters at his Klyde Warren Park rally. "So last night we had a chance to talk about that. It's time to pull his mask off so people can see what we are dealing with here. What we are dealing with her my friends is a con artist."

Rubio paced the stage and echoed the themes of Thursday night's GOP debate.

He questioned Trump's business background, his ability to lead the nation, and called the billionaire businessman a "con artist" who has spent decades "sticking it to the little guy."

"You all have friends that are thinking of voting for Donald Trump. Friends do not let friends vote for con artists," he said.

He also read from a series of Trump insults on Twitter from earlier Friday that were misspelled.

"What does Donald Trump do when things go wrong? He takes to Twitter," Rubio said. "Let's read some. You'll have fun."

Rubio continued: "Number one. Here's the first one. 'Lightweight Marco Rubio was working hard last night.' This is true. 'The problem is he is a chocker. And once a chocker, always a choker.' I guess that's what he meant to say."

"He spelled choker c-h-o-k-e-r. Chocker," Rubio said, himself misspelling the word.

Rubio went on to accuse Trump of having a meltdown backstage during commercial breaks.

"First he had this little makeup thing applying makeup to his mustache because he had one of those sweat mustaches," Rubio said. "Then he asked for a full-length mirror. I don't know why because the podium goes up to here. He wanted a full length mirror -- maybe to make sure his pants were't wet. I don't know."

Rubio also mocked Trump for misspelling "lightweight" and "honor" in other post-debate tweets.

Trump fired back Friday during a press conference where he announced the New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's endorsement that Rubio was the one who was using makeup to cover up his sweat.

"I said 'easy with the makeup. You don't need that much,'" Trump said. "He looked like he just came out of a swimming pool."

The event was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., but Rubio didn't take the stage until nearly 10 a.m. He asked supporters to get out the vote.

"I'm here to ask you, not just for your vote, I'm asking you to go out and get other people to vote for me. You have four days to change their minds," said Rubio at the end of his nearly 30 minute speech. "And if you do, you will make me president and when I'm president we will do what needs to be done and we will leave for our children what Americans always leave for their children, the single greatest nation in the history of all of man kind. Thank you Dallas."

Meanwhile, his allies are prepared to spend millions on new attack ads in key states, promising an aggressive and well-funded takedown effort the morning after the Republican front-runner was knocked on his heels on the debate stage.

 A sea lion found in an alley behind Ocean Beach businesses early Friday was rescued by SeaWorld San Diego.

San Diego Police Officers were flagged down by someone reporting the sea lion under the Ocean Beach pier.

The sea lion moved quickly, hiding under bikes and cars in a parking lot on Newport Avenue.

The pinniped then made its way to an alley behind the South Beach Bar and Grill.

Officers and some residents were able to create a makeshift pen for the sea lion using pieces of lattice.

Eric Otjen with the SeaWorld San Diego Rescue Team said the sea lion was about 9 months old, very emaciated and dehydrated.

When waves are big like they have been this week, sea lions have trouble finding the food source they need, Otjen said.

Sea lions can also get tired and come to the shore to rest but if the waves are too big they don't always want to go back out, he added.

Otjen said officers and locals did a good job of making sure the animal was kept safe but it's always best not to touch the animal life.

Eater San Diego shares the top stories of the week from San Diego’s food and drink scene, including a sneak peek at Liberty Station's highly-anticipated new restaurant, Fireside by The Patio, plus exciting chicken and waffles news and the scoop on a new tiki-themed speakeasy.

10 Things to Know About Fireside by The Patio in Liberty Station
The Patio Group is gearing up for its latest restaurant project, Fireside by The Patio, which will open in early March. Sneak a peek at the Liberty Station space, which includes bohemian-styled outdoor dining areas and preview its woodfire-fueled menu that will feature everything from yakitori skewers to classic barbecue.

Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles Confirms San Diego Expansion
Our city is buzzing with anticipation over the thrilling news that Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles, the popular Los Angeles-based soul food chain, is actively looking for a space in San Diego. Though the location has yet to be determined, Eater's intel indicates the new restaurant could open as early as this year.

Kettner Exchange Team Plans Tiki-Themed Speakeasy in Pacific Beach
The talents behind Little Italy hotspot Kettner Exchange are headed to the coast for their next project, a dual concept in Pacific Beach that will include a casual eatery based on fresh poké that fronts a hidden speakeasy specializing in tiki-themed cocktails and a food menu of island-inspired eats.

10 Barrel Brewing to Build Out New East Village Brewpub
Downtown’s East Village is getting a new brewpub that will feature a rooftop dining area. 10 Barrel Brewing, which operates brewpub locations in Oregon and Idaho, is planning to open in San Diego later this year, though the brewery's expansion is not without controversy. Local craft beer advocates have spoken out against the company, which is owned by beer giant Anheuser-Busch.

James Coffee Co. Announces Second Location in Bankers Hill
This artisan coffee company, which opened a coffee bar and small roastery in Little Italy in 2014, will expand to Bankers Hill for its second outpost set to feature a full espresso lineup, pour-overs and specialty coffee drinks. The space, which includes a large patio, is next to sandwich shop Big Front Door's newly-announced sit-down restaurant.

A man who wounded three people before storming into the central Kansas factory where he worked and shooting 14 others, killing three of them, had just been served a protection from abuse order that likely triggered the attack, a sheriff said Friday.

The attack Thursday evening at the Excel Industries lawnmower parts plant in Hesston ended when a police officer killed the attacker during a shootout, Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton said. He described the officer, identified Friday as Hesston Police Chief Doug Schroeder, as a "tremendous hero" because there were still 200 or 300 other people in the factory and that the "shooter wasn't done by any means."

"This man was not going to stop shooting," Walton said at a Friday morning briefing. "The only reason he stopped shooting is because the officer shot him."

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback Friday called Schroeder a "hero" who didn't wait for backup before entering the Excel building. 

"He went right in and did a heroic duty and service," Brownback said.

The sheriff identified the gunman as Cedric Ford, a 38-year-old plant worker who had several charges in Florida over the last decade, including for burglary, grand theft, carrying a concealed weapon, all from Broward and Miami-Dade counties. NBC 6 Miami has learned that Ford lived in Miramar and Miami Gardens.

His mother, Ruthie Mae Ford, lives in Homestead and was too distraught to speak on camera to NBC 6, but said she's, "Working through the idea of what happened."

According to the Wichita Eagle, Ford has also had criminal cases in Harvey County, including a misdemeanor conviction in a 2008 fighting or brawling case and various traffic violations from 2014 and 2015.

Walton said Ford had been in the local jail "a couple of times before."

The shooting came less than a week after authorities say a man opened fire at several locations in the Kalamazoo, Michigan, area, leaving six people dead and two severely wounded. Authorities haven't disclosed a possible motive in those attacks.

Eleven of the people wounded in Thursday's attack were taken to two Wichita hospitals, where one was in critical condition, five were in serious condition, and five were in fair condition Friday morning, hospital officials said. The others were taken to a Newton hospital, and their conditions weren't immediately available.

Walton said his office served the suspect with the protection from abuse order at around 3:30 p.m., which was about 90 minutes before the first shooting happened. He said such orders are usually filed because there's some type of violence in a relationship, but he didn't disclose the nature of the relationship in question.

While driving to the factory, the gunman shot a man on the street in the nearby town of Newton, striking him in the shoulder. A short time later, he shot someone else in the leg at an intersection.

"The shooter proceeded north to Excel Industries in Hesston, where one person was shot in the parking lot before he opened fire inside the building," the department said in a release. "He was seen entering the building with an assault-style long gun."

Martin Espinoza, who works at Excel, was in the plant during the attack. He heard people yelling to others to get out of the building, then heard popping, then saw the shooter, a co-worker he described as typically pretty calm.

Espinoza said the shooter pointed a gun at him and pulled the trigger, but the gun was empty. At that point, the gunman got a different gun and Espinoza ran.

"I took off running. He came outside after a few people, shot outside a few times, shot at the officers coming onto the scene at the moment and then reloaded in front of the company," Espinoza told The Associated Press. "After he reloaded he went inside the lobby in front of the building and that is the last I seen him."

Schroeder responded to the scene and exchanged fire with the shooter, killing him. He was not injured.

Walton said the attacker had an "assault-style" rifle and a pistol.

Dennis Britton Jr. suffered a fracture in his right leg when a bullet went through his buttocks and out his leg.

Britton's father, Dennis Britton Sr., who also works at the plant as a welding team leader, said his son was "awake and talking and communicating."

The son told his father that people initially mistook the gunshots for the sound of a gas fire. After hearing shouts, the younger Britton stepped out of a welding bay, heard a pop and "immediately went to the ground," his father said.

Authorities identified the dead as 44-year-old Brian Sadowsky of Newton; 31-year-old Josh Higbee of Buhler; and 30-year-old Renee Benjamin, whose hometown was unavailable.

Erin McDaniel, a spokeswoman for the nearby city of Newton, said the suspect was known to local authorities. She wouldn't elaborate.

Hesston is a community of about 3,700 residents about 35 miles north of Wichita.

Excel Industries was founded there in 1960. The company manufactures Hustler and Big Dog mowing equipment and was awarded the Governor's Exporter of the Year award in 2013 from the Kansas Department of Commerce.

Drivers in the Central California town of Madera got quite a surprise Wednesday night as a unicorn darted through traffic.

Well, not really a unicorn, but a white pony dressed up like one for a child's birthday party. The pony bolted away from one of the party-goers around 5:30 p.m. and was reported by several drivers on different highways, according to California Highway Patrol.

"The calls were coming in as a unicorn running around," said CHP Officer Josh McConnell.

It was the second time the headstrong pony had escaped that day, according to CHP. Worrying that the nearly 500-pound pony would cause a collision that could result in injuries, CHP used a helicopter to track down the wayward animal.

"She was kind of running amok in some orchards with some white blooms," said Sandra Boos, whose family owns the horse named Juliette. "So, she kind of blended in with the scenery.

"She turned out to be stealthier than we would have imagined."

Juliette, who belongs to 5-year-old Tatum Boos, was finally found in an orchard, wrangled back into custody and returned to her Madera County stable in a fairy-tale ending.

"I was afraid," Tatum said. "She got in a timeout because she was being a bad pony."

The somewhat mythical pursuit came to an end when Renee Pardy and her horse, an equine friend of Juliette's, came to the rescue.

"They'd met before, and I just kind of walked off with my horse and she followed," Pardy told KSEE-TV.

Boos said authorities provided some comedy relief during the tense situation by putting out a report that the unicorn was in custody.

"I laughed and I cried," Boos said.

NBC4's Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.

A North County judge has determined there is enough evidence for a military fraud case involving Romano’s Jewelers to be tried in court.

After two days of hearing from Camp Pendleton criminal investigators and a San Diego County District Attorney investigator, Judge Blaine Bowman decided 13 of the 23 charges against Romano's Jewelers owner Ramil Abalkhad and manager Carlos Torres will go forward. The charges moving forward include identity theft, conspiracy and fraud allegedly targeting young Marines. The other charges were dismissed due to statute of limitation issues.

“There’s no question in the mind of the court that the owner of the store and manager of the store took advantage of our service members, young Marines and used their pins to reset their MyPay accounts,” said Judge Bowman.

The original criminal complaint alleges between 2010 and 2012, Abalkhad instructed manager Torres and employee Nellie Cha Noland to obtain the personal financial information of Marine customers and then add unauthorized charges on their store credit accounts.

The charges are in connection with a 2012 U.S Marine Corps criminal investigation detailed in documents NBC 7 Investigates obtained under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

In court Thursday, District Attorney Investigator Jim Clark talked about the Marines who, he said, Romano’s Jewelers victimized.

“She stated the Marines who came in were brand new Marines, straight out of boot camp 18-19 years old. Didn't have any experience with MyPay. Didn’t even know that MyPay was a military system,” said Clark.

MyPay is a military payroll account through which military members can set up allotments – basically automatic deductions from their paycheck to pay off charges.

Clark said Torres and Abalkhad paid a Marine insider and their own employee, Noland, to illegally access Marines’ MyPay accounts and reset pin numbers.

“[Noland] told [Abalkhad and Torres] she thought accessing the MyPay system without the Marine present, without permission, that she might have been breaking the law,” said Clark. “…Their response to her was providing her a copy of a section from the United States Code of Military Justice to try and convince her otherwise.”

In response to witness testimony, defense attorneys said all the Marines signed documents at their own free will and there was no evidence of forging signatures.

Abalkhad and Torres have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

They are expected to make their next court appearance April 27, where attorney Peter Blair said they’ll likely maintain their non-guilty plea.

Noland has pleaded guilty in the case and agreed to be a cooperating witness against Abalkhad and Torres.
 

Residents in Azalea Park, just west of Chollas Creek, are on high alert after several home burglaries in the last several weeks, they said.

San Diego Police told NBC 7 they are investigating, but at this time, they do not believe the crimes are connected.

Charlene Coffing provided NBC 7 with surveillance video that shows three men enter her home on Feb. 13. About eight minutes into the video, the three men are seen exiting and going toward a red sedan.

One of them stole her family’s safe, she said, and they got away in the red car.

She found out when a neighbor called her.

“[She] said that the front door of our house was open. Both gates opened. The lights were on and our neighbor across the street called 911,” Coffing said.

Coffing said her house had been ransacked, so police came by and took a report.

She noticed jewelry was missing, but not just any jewelry – pieces belonging to her mother-in-law, who passed away suddenly last May.

“My mother-in-law’s things, family heirlooms that were one of a kind that I’ll never get back,” said Coffing.

Coffing isn’t the only Azalea Park resident victimized. Police confirm at least one other case, and neighbors say there have been at least four or five. They believe the burglars are going after jewelry.

Cigarettes thrown outside of a building window sparked a fire in downtown San Diego Friday.

San Diego Fire-Rescue crews were called to 1044 Seventh Avenue downtown at 11:30 a.m. for a fire inside a five-story commercial building.

Crews say smoke was showing from the second floor on arrival.

"It looked like an exterior fire," said Capt. Aide Barbat. "We noticed cigarette butts being discarded in the eaves."

Barbat said the department sent two truck companies to handle the fire. There was a potential for the fire to spread to other units in the building, Barbat said.

No injuries were reported.

Trying hard to blink back whatever emotion is bottled inside him, Philip Chism stared mostly straight ahead as the judge sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years for the murder of his Danvers High School Math teacher Colleen Ritzer and no less than 40 years for her rape and armed robbery.

"I wish I could have helped Colleen," her mother, Peggy Ritzer, said. "But no one could have helped her that day, because no one knew what evil sat in her classroom that day."

Ritzer's parents wiped away tears as they remembered their smiling, joyous eldest child and the pain of her loss.

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"I lost my beautiful little girl, Colleen was my daughter, my friend, someone I could go to for anything," said Colleen's father Tom Ritzer, "I didn't protect Colleen. A dad's job is to fix things. I would do anything if I could fix this for Colleen."

Before the sentence was imposed, Colleen's younger brother and sister had argued for the maximum allowable sentence under the law and vowed to fight each and every time Chism is up for parole.

"Put this animal behind bars for the maximum possible sentence, and I beg of you, your honor, do not give this coward the opportunity to shatter another family's lives," said the victim's brother, Dan Ritzer.

"The Ritzer family will always be Ritz Five," said sister Laura Ritzer. "And you can try to tear us down as much as you want, but we will find a way to bounce back, and we will not let this stop us."

Even the judge had harsh words for Chism.

"No amount of prison time would ever be enough to be commensurate with this crime, and no math will ever erase the reality that this crime was a committed by a 14-year-old boy," said Salem Superior Court Judge David Lowy.

"Colleen and our family will never get a second chance, and neither should he," said Peggy Ritzer. "I will never forgive him for what he did to Colleen and for what he took away from our family."

Philip Chism's mother, Diana released a statement saying, "Words can't express the amount of pain and sorrow these past two and a half years have been. However, there is no one who has suffered more than the Ritzer family. My utmost esteem, prayers and humble respect is with them today as they continue their journey to heal."

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Daylight Saving Time, the time every year where we “spring forward” our clocks, could be a thing of the past if a California assemblyman has his way.

AB 2496, which was introduced this week by San Jose Assemblyman Kansen Chu, proposes to eliminate the practice, so Californians would stay in Standard Time all year.

A San Diego assemblywoman, Lorena Gonzalez, stated on Twitter that she is the co-author of the bill.

Daylight Saving has long been contested. While many enjoy the later sunlight hours on spring and summer evenings, others argue that the time change disrupts sleep.

“I heard some complaints last year from some of the senior citizens (in my district) and their care providers who say this one-hour difference really impacted their lives,” Chu told The Sacramento Bee.

Several residents in Solana Beach told NBC 7 on Friday that they oppose abolishing Daylight Saving Time.

"I think losing daylight saving would be terrible and terrible loss of production. People are a lot more productive," Wendy Newman said.

Resident Kathy Burns also is strongly against ending Daylight Saving.

"The other things that is clear in research is [daylight saving and light] helps depression," Burns said.

What do you think? Do you like Daylight Saving or wish it would go away? Leave a comment below.

The bill, if approved, would overturn a law California voters approved in 1949.

Daylight Saving Time this year starts at 2 a.m. March 13.

A 22-year-old inmate firefighter injured by a falling boulder during a brush fire Thursday in Malibu has died, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The member of an inmate camp crew was helping with the firefight when was struck in the head by a rock and hospitalized with "major injuries," according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. A helicopter rescue team airlifted the crew member out of the canyon.

Shawna Lynn Jones, 22, died at a hospital Friday, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The boulder rolled down the hillside and struck Jones in the head during the 10-acre fire near Mulholland Highway and Pacific Coast Highway, according to the department's statement.

"Her death is a tragic reminder of the danger that inmate firefighters face when they volunteer to confront fires to save homes and lives," said CDCR Secretary Scott Kernan. "On behalf of all of us in the department, I send my deepest condolences to her family."

Shortly after the announcement of her death, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department sent personnel to Leo Cabrillo State Park, near the site of the fire, for a death investigation. The sheriff's department handles investigations involving deaths of jail inmates, according to a spokeswoman for the agency.

Jones is the third inmate firefighter to die on a fire line since the camp program began in 1943, according to the department. Female inmates became part of the program in 1983.

Fire camp crew members receive special training from the fire department to help with fire suppression and other emergencies. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation selects inmates, non-violent offenders, to join CalFire and local crews across the state.

The Corrections and Rehabilitation Department has 44 conservation camps.

Jones, a Los Angeles County Jail inmate, joined the program in August 2015. She was assigned to the Malibu camp, which is operated in partnership with Los Angeles County.

No structures were damaged in Thursday's fire.

Lexi Contreras was a competitive speed skater and an Olympic hopeful. 

Coaches called Michael Peterson an "iron man" for excelling in five sports.

But last fall, the two promising teens found themselves in a drug rehab center in East San Diego County: Sovereign Health Group.

The facility treats young people suffering from a variety of behavioral problems and addictions. Parents send their children there with the hope they'll get the help they need.

Alexandria Bekele, Lexi’s mother, said there were warning signs something was wrong.

“She (Lexi) stopped wanting to participate in her sports, and that's when I knew something was completely wrong," she said.

Lori Peterson Owen also noticed changed in her son, Michael.

“He said, ‘Mom I don't really have an enjoyment for life anymore, don't care if I live or die,’” she said.

Owen left her son at Sovereign Health on Sept. 26. Bekele dropped off her daughter on Oct. 5. Both teens were 16 years old. The teens accepted a minimum 30-day residential treatment for drug addiction.

“I was very nervous to ensure my son to some people I didn't know," said Owen.

Their treatment lasted less than three weeks.

On Oct. 18, Owen and Bekele said their teens and four others climbed the rehab center's fence and ran off. Both parents were notified by the Program Director, Jason Hennick.

Bekele said he didn’t seem alarmed: “He sounded like it was a common thing.”

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department records show it investigated 29 instances of teens running away from Sovereign Health in 2015 -- an increase from two cases in 2014. 

“You leave your child there, you think they are in a safe facility,” said Bekele.

NBC 7 Investigates had an interview scheduled with Hennick, but two days before, the company canceled it and instead sent NBC 7 Investigates this letter. 

In the letter, citing HIPAA guidelines, Sovereign’s Senior Director of Strategic Development Jamie Deans said the facility could not confirm Michael or Lexi were patients.

According to the letter, Sovereign is "a non-locked and no restrain facility. State licensure guidelines dictate that, should a resident decide to leave treatment, the staff will not attempt to restrain the resident."

A requirement of California law states no child in a group home "can be locked in any room, building, or facility.”

Click here to read more about the state law. 

Despite the state law, William Grimm, Senior Attorney for the National Center for Youth Law, said Sovereign can and must do more to prevent runaways.

“It’s just inexcusable; this kind of outrageous increase in the number of runaways in this facility has gone unresolved," said Grimm. "There are lots of things that contribute to this, things such as staff not being qualified to address the issues for which children are admitted to the facility, staff not trained well enough programs and treatments that don’t meet the needs of the children there.”

As for Michael and Lexi, weeks passed with no word from them.

Bekele said she thought she would never get her daughter back. “I hadn't heard from her; there have been no confirmed sightings of her. I am thinking she's probably dead,” she said.

Because the teen’s voluntary ran away, the mothers says the Sheriff's Department told them the department couldn't devote resources to finding them.

Bekele and Owen said Sovereign employees didn't step in either.

“Their level of involvement was zero,” Bekele said. “I was extremely disappointed in the fact that I didn't get one phone call. None of us got one phone call from anybody at the facility to say, just want to know how you're doing.”

A spokesperson for the Sheriff's Department said the agency "responds, takes reports, and assigns cases on all runaway juveniles - as well as all missing persons. These investigations are assigned to specialized detectives, who pursue leads to their logical conclusion."

The mothers also said Sovereign continued to charge them for their children's treatment.

“We were billed after Michael wasn't there on the 18th,” Owen said. “But we were billed through the 20th to the 21st. So they even tried to get extra days when Michael wasn't even a patient there.”

Sovereign is licensed and inspected by the California Department of Social Services.

NBC 7 Investigates checked inspection records and found since being licensed in June 2014, the facility has not been cited for any violations.

Click here to see the inspection records.

Thirty-four days after fleeing the rehab center, Bekele said she found Lexi roaming the streets in Ocean Beach.

“She looked tattered,” Bekele said. “'I just don't want to go back to a rehab! I don't want to go back to that place.'”

Michael was found in downtown San Diego 44 days after running away.

“He was alive and he was in bad shape,” said Owen.

Both mothers said they believe Sovereign and other teen rehabs need more oversight and more resources for teens and their families.

“Rehabs in general , especially this one, I think they are more of a business than they are there to truly help people,” Bekele said.

Owen said, “I put him in Sovereign to keep him safe and they didn't do their job. The system failed Michael. The system failed us as parents. And I hope that whatever I'm saying can help another parent who's seeking help for their teen.”

If you or someone you know are looking for resources or help for a teenager, you can start by contacting the government's Treatment Locator service at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or go to their website.

Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported nine confirmed cases of Zika in pregnant women in the U.S., NBC News reports.

According to the CDC, all nine women reported some of the commonly observed symptoms of the virus. Four pregnancies ended in miscarriage or abortion, one baby was born with severe brain defects and two women are still pregnant with apparently healthy babies.

The CDC is also investigating 10 more suspected cases.

"We did not expect to see these brain abnormalities in this small case series of U.S. pregnant travelers," Dr. Denise Jamieson, who is assisting the CDC, told reporters. "It is unexpected and greater than what we would have expected."  

More taxpayer accounts may have been affected by a cyberattack than previously disclosed, NBC News reports.

The Internal Revenue Service said Friday that 700,000 households' tax data may have been compromised, which is approximately 390,000 more than initially reported. According to experts, the stolen accounts may cause an increase in false tax returns.

The agency said it will send mailings to affected taxpayers beginning Feb. 29.

"The IRS is committed to protecting taxpayers on multiple fronts against tax-related identity theft, and these mailings are part of that effort," IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said. 

Oceanside Police are investigating a hit-and-run crash in which a pedestrian was struck early Friday.

Officers say the crash happened at 3:40 a.m. at the corner of San Rafael and Sunset drives.

When David Calafato arrived on the scene, he found his friend in the road and his clothes strewn in the area.

"He was moaning but he wasn't really talking," Calafato said. "He had blood on his hands and on his face and his head." 

"I was worried he was going to die," he said.

Calafato immediately called 911.

The victim suffered head injuries and was airlifted to Scripps La Jolla Hospital, police said.

Officers looking for 2008-2015 black Audi A4 that may have damage to the driver's side.

The traffic unit will investigate the incident.  Anyone with information can call Oceanside Police Department at (760) 435-4900.

Stress and loss of sleep over an alleged stalker may be behind a fatal hit-and-run in Tierrasanta, an attorney explained Thursday.

Julianne Little, 30, was in custody, accused of felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and hit and run causing injury.

Little told San Diego Police she fell asleep behind the wheel on Feb. 20 when her car hit the curb on Santo Road and struck two girls walking on the sidewalk.

In a pretrial hearing Thursday, Little’s defense attorney told the court that his client had recently filed a restraining order in March 2015 against an ex-boyfriend.

“The respondent in that case had in this last week contacted her family causing her a great deal of stress and causing her to lose sleep,” attorney Tony Solare said.
NBC 7 obtained the restraining order along with images of injuries Little suffered.

Little said her ex-boyfriend beat her because he was upset she had consumed too much alcohol and had blacked out, according to a police report filed along with the order.

Prosecutors say they are awaiting toxicology test results before deciding on whether to add driving under the influence charges.

“This was almost a year ago and what somebody does on one occasion doesn’t necessarily translate to another thing on another occasion,” Solare said.

He added that his client has no criminal history and has never even received a traffic citation.

Solare said the restraining order is not an excuse but an explanation behind what may have happened Saturday.

Raquel Rosete and her friend Mekayla Lee were walking to McDonald’s around 6 p.m. when the car driven by Little veered off the road and onto the sidewalk, police said. Rosete died from her injuries. Lee was seriously injured but is recovering from home.