A fight between a Spring Valley man and his stepson ends with the stepfather dead and his stepson in jail.

San Diego County sheriff’s deputies were called to the 8600-block of Tyler Street around 10 p.m. Tuesday.

When they arrived, deputies found 40-year-old Ervin Harris was on the ground outside the residence with stab wounds.

Deputies and paramedics tried to resuscitate Harris but he later died at Scripps Mercy Hospital.

The suspect is the victim's 25-year-old stepson Thomas Guss officials said.

Deputies say Gus fled the scene after the stabbing and was found a short time later, half a mile away.

He was taken into custody and faces murder charges according to homicide detectives.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
 

Athletes across America are showing support for those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings by doing what unites them all – running.

Within hours of the deadly attacks in Boston, people took to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs to organize group activities to show solidarity for fellow runners. Silent runs, color coordinated events and other gatherings are honoring the three killed and 176 injured in the bombings.

Run for Boston 4/17, one of the well-known Facebook events in response to the Boston Marathon attacks, quickly went viral after it was formed Monday afternoon. With over 16,600 "Likes" by Wednesday, the Facebook page has encouraged hundreds of people in cities across the nation to organize local events Wednesday in honor of Monday’s tragedy.

“On Wednesday, April 17th, runners, non-runners, and people who believe in hope and peace will run together as a sign of solidarity for the people and runners of Boston,” the Facebook page said.

Participants were instructed to wear blue or yellow, take a photo with a “Run for Boston” sign and to post the photo onto the Facebook page.

In Chicago, 100 locals met Tuesday evening, pausing for a moment of silence before beginning a 3-mile run – a mile in honor of each of the three people who died.

"The point is just to get runners together, whether they were in Boston or not, whether they're a beginning runner or a marathon runner, we're all impacted by what happened," Wendy Jaehn, the Executive Director of the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA), told NBC Chicago.

“A lot of us run for lots of different reasons, but running is also very healing," Jaehn added.

More than 70 people laced up Tuesday in San Mateo, Calif., and ran at a local high school track, where three pairs of shoes were placed on the sidelines.

The Miami Sports Commission held a silent run Tuesday night in respect to the victims of Monday’s attacks. Organized by the Baptist Health Brickell Run Club, the event started at 7 p.m. and gathered more than 1,000 people to run the 3.5-mile run together in honor of victims, NBC Miami reported.

The Miami Marathon, which is an official qualifier of the Boston Marathon, has considered refining and adjusting their own security plans after Monday’s blasts. Still, the sport will continue to prosper, said Frankie Ruiz, co-founder of the Miami Marathon and an organizer of the Silent Run.

“Running itself is just going to be that much stronger,” Ruiz said. “This doesn’t stop us, we’re going to keep doing what we do.”

The Dallas Running Club ran Tuesday night with a special bib that noted the date of the Boston Marathon, the Boston skyline and the words, "Runners United to Remember." Despite the tragedy, many of the runners still said their dream of running the historic Boston Marathon was still alive, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reported.

People showed support in other ways. Some marathoners in Oregon wore their race shirts this week to show the strength of the runner community, “one made of people from all walks of life, all ages, and all races,” the RunOregon Facebook page said.

After Monday’s attacks, large cities around the world with upcoming marathons are taking precautionary steps to ensure the safety of those running and attending. The London Marathon, which is taking place this Sunday, is expected to have at least 500,000 spectators, and Prince Harry is due to hand medals to the winners, NBC News reported.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police, said police were “taking more precautions than we might have done otherwise.”

In honor of the victims of the Boston bombing, runners at the London Marathon will be encouraged to wear a black ribbon at the start of the race and a 30-second silence will be observed, organizers said Wednesday.

“The very best way to show solidarity with Boston is to get out there on the streets of London to cheer the runners on and to show that we won’t be defeated by this sort of activity,” Hugh Roberston, a British government minister, told the London Evening Standard newspaper.

New charges have been added in the case against a man accused in a sexual assault in Ocean Beach.

Richard Butts, 25, was arrested on Mar. 24, accused of kidnapping, beating and raping a woman as she walked home from a friend's house on Long Branch Avenue.

A neighbor called 911 that night to report that a woman was screaming in the area, allegedly being attacked in an attempted rape. Once authorities arrived at the scene, the unidentified victim was taken to a local hospital wearing a neck brace.

Butts was booked into the George Bailey Detention Facility on several charges including kidnapping with intent to commit robbery and sexual assault, forcible oral copulation and assault with intent to commit rape.

During an arraignment on Mar. 27, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

On Wednesday, Butts appeared in court again to face even more charges linked to second sexual attack.

Prosecutors say Butts allegedly raped a second woman in the same area in Ocean Beach on Aug. 25, 2012. In both cases, investigators say Butts used similar tactics to attack his victims.

“Not only was the M.O. the same, but the pulling [of the] victim’s sweatshirt over her head and eyes so he couldn’t see her in the attack; that was the same in both cases,” said prosecutor Wendy Patrick.

In both instances, Patrick said Butts came up behind his victims, dragged them to secluded areas and sexually assaulted them. Both sex crimes were interrupted by neighbors who alerted police.

Butts has now been charged with kidnapping and forcibly raping a second victim, in addition to the charges filed against him in last month's attack.

He faces 50 years to life in prison if convicted.

In court on Wednesday, a judge raised Butts’ bail from $300,000 to $1.5 million.

He’s scheduled to appear in court again on May 22 for a readiness hearing and again on Jun. 28 for a preliminary hearing.

Fresh & Easy stores are now open to bidders who want to buy the 5-year-old grocery chain after its parent company, Tesco PLC, confirmed on Wednesday that it would end its operations in U.S.

The small self-serve mart had a tough 2007 debut just before the recession, and it struggled in the U.S. grocery market, competing with larger, more established stores like Costco, Wal-Mart and Whole Foods.

Philip Clarke, Tesco’s chief executive, said in a news release that a “strategic review” of Fresh & Easy, which began in December, confirmed the next step would be to cease operations.

“The consequences are non-cash write-offs relating to the United States, from which we today confirm our decision to exit,” Clarke said. “We have also faced external challenges which have affected our performance, notably in Europe and Korea.”

Fresh & Easy shoppers can breathe easy, though, as the chain does not plan to close any of its doors.

Tesco will attempt to sell the 200 stores in Arizona, California and Nevada as a single unit to prevent the loss of 5,000 jobs, but a buyer or price was not named.

"While we don't know yet who are new owner will ultimately be, Tesco has already received interest from a number of parties including groups looking to purchase Fresh & Easy as an operating business," the company stated in a message to customers.

The grocery chain’s run in the U.S. left Tesco -- one of the world’s largest retailers -- with a loss of $1.8 billion, which sent the company’s net profit down 96 percent to $183 million, the Associated Press reported.

Fresh & Easy stores were designed to be smaller than typical supermarkets with “easy-to-shop” aisles to make trips to the grocery store quick and convenient.

In January, Tesco was ordered to pay more than $800,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by prosecutors in San Diego and Riverside counties, who claimed Fresh & Easy charged higher prices than were posted on store shelves.

The British retailer -- which employs more than half a million people in Europe and Asia -- planned to focus more on its original customer market in the United Kingdom.

The streets of Boston have been described as looking like a battlefield after Monday's blasts, with victim's injuries much like those of service members coming home from war. 

Vietnam veteran, Dan Oakland, says he relates to the victims of yesterday's explosions. He stepped on a land mine more than 40 years ago. 

“When I came down on my back on the hilltop, I felt around. I didn’t feel any pain until I sat up and I knew that my leg was gone,” said Oakland.

Eric McElvenny says he also can relate. Less than two years ago, he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan. 

Both Oakland and McElvenny lost a leg on the battlefield, but at the Challenged Athletes Foundation, they win every day when it comes to living life on their terms. 

The Challenged Athletes Foundation is a worldwide organization headquartered in San Diego that supports people with disabilities to help them get involved in sports.

Oakland is now an avid cyclist and hiker, and McElvenny ran the Marine Corps marathon less than a year after his injury. Now McElvenny's training to compete in an Ironman Triathlon. 

“For the most part, the challenges I overcame made me a better person", said McElvenny.

Both Oakland and McElvenny say for the victims of the Boston explosions, the road ahead will not be easy. But they hope their experience may be a source of inspiration.

“Have patience, have faith, and everything is going to be okay, and there’s' nothing you can't do in life if you really want to do it,” said Dan. "You’re going to overcome obstacles and challenges that you never thought you could, you’re going to inspire other people and you’re going to be extremely strong," said Eric.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation has set up a fund for those injured in Boston. For more, go to their website.

Firefighters discovered a body after fire ripped through a Normal Heights studio apartment Tuesday.

One person died and a dog was injured in the fire in the 5000-block of Hawley Boulevard.

When firefighters were called to the residence around 10:45 p.m., they found fire in the laundry room attached to the apartment behind another home.

Crews jumped up onto the roof to open vents with sparks flying into the air around them.

When firefighters entered the main apartment, they found an unconscious dog. They were able to provide the dog with oxygen.

They also found a body in that back structure officials said.

“There was only one person who lived in that back apartment but we haven’t completed the identification to be able to put two and two together to make sure that it was that individual or not,” said Battalion Chief John Fisher.”

Officials did not have a cause as of 6:30 a.m.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
 

A driver lost control of his car and collided with a building near San Diego State University, trapping himself and his passenger.

Fire fighters had to cut away the roof of the overturned car to free the men from the wreckage outside the Chabad House, a meeting place for Jewish students located at Montezuma Road and Rockford Drive.

The crash happened just after 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.

When firefighters arrived, they saw an arm and a leg of passengers sticking out of the vehicle.

The driver was arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence according to officials.

 

A 20-year-old woman broke free from the grips of an unknown suspect who allegedly grabbed at her in the San Diego State area Monday night.

According to the San Diego Police Department, the young woman was walking on Campanile Drive near Baja Drive around 9 p.m. when she was approached by an unknown man who drove up to her in a grey truck, possibly a 4-door Toyota Tacoma.

Police say the man got out of the truck, walked up to the woman and grabbed her arm.

The victim broke free and ran away, while the suspect fled in an unknown direction. The woman was not injured in the incident.

Police describe the suspect as an unshaven white man in his mid-30s. He’s 6-foot with an average build and was last seen wearing square-shaped glasses and a black and red windbreaker with the hood over his head.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call the SDPD at (619) 531-2000.
 

A Ramona man has pleaded guilty to the murder of a 94-year-old woman who was bludgeoned to death inside her mobile home last spring.

On Monday, Gary Allen Thomas, 64, pleaded guilty to killing friend Mary Jean Eskridge in her home on May 1, 2012, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis confirmed.

According to prosecutors, Eskridge -- a beloved retired dance teacher who owned Jean’s Dance Studio in Spring Valley -- had let Thomas spend the night in the guest bedroom of her mobile home in the Ramona Terrace Estates on April 30, 2012.

The pair had previously established a friendly relationship, according to prosecutors.

The next morning, investigators say Thomas grabbed a hammer from a toolbox in Eskridge’s kitchen and used it to beat Eskridge to death inside her bedroom as she slept.

When officials arrived at the scene, they found Eskridge’s body with obvious signs of trauma and homicide detectives took the investigation over from there.

Allen was arrested two days later as a suspect in the murder. He pleaded not guilty on charges of first-degree murder on May 4, 2012.

The brutal, sudden slaying of Eskridge left her famly, neighbors and the dancing community devastated.

Following her death last May, neighbors honored Eskridge at a community dance – an event the retired dance teacher loved to attend even at 94 years old. A special dance recital featuring more than 100 dancers was held in her honor in June 2012.

In an interview last May, Eskridge’s daughter, Suzanne Mollenhauer, said that despite her mother’s dark death, she would always be remembered for her bright spirit and positive energy.

“Her kind heart and her smile – that’s just what she was. She brought happiness to everyone who knew her,” said Mollenhauer in a previous interview with NBC 7.

Now, nearly a year after Eskridge’s murder, closure and justice are near for her loved ones.

Thomas now awaits his sentencing, which has been scheduled for June 26. Dumanis says Thomas will be sentenced to 26 years to life in state prison for the murder of Eskridge.

Executives at a Bay Area company reacted Wednesday to a photograph showing one of their products attached to a device apparently used in the Boston Marathon bombing.

Batteries made by Fremont-based Tenergy Corporation appear in at least two photographs from the scene of the explosions. 

The twin bombs at the Boston Marathon killed three people and wounded more than 170 on Monday.

Tenergy says the batteries, called the Sub C-3000, are manufactured in China, and are typically used to power things like remote control cars.

The battery is a widely available retail product, that can be purchased either a pack or as an individual battery from multiple stores in the U.S., as well as on line.

Tenergy said it was not clear whether the battery was purchased individually or as part of a pack.

Tenergy Executive Benjamin Mull said his heart sank when he saw the photos online.

"We were appalled that our product was used in such a horrible and senseless way," Mull said.

Bomb experts tell NBC News the battery pack appears to have been used to ignite whatever blasting cap device was used to set off the explosion.

Tenergy released this statement after executives saw the photos today:

Everyone at Tenergy is deeply saddened by the recent events at the Boston Marathon. Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families. We were appalled to discover that one of our off-the-shelf products was used in such a horrific and senseless act of hate. We have contacted both the FBI and the Boston Police and will assist in any way possible to help identify the responsible parties. Again, our hearts go out to the families and those who were affected by this tragic event in the city of Boston.

Mull said in an interview with NBC that even if FBI officials can identify the model and batch number on the battery pack, it would hard to pinpoint that to a particular store and time.

Tenergy said it has been selling this battery "for several years, it retails for a few dollars, and we have sold tens of thousands of this particular battery over the just the past year."

Scott is on Twitter: @scottbudman

A man was killed in a fire that sparked inside a Spring Valley trailer on Wednesday, officials confirmed.

The blaze began around 12:10 p.m. at a trailer parked on Jamacha Boulevard and Sweetwater Springs.

Officials say the trailer was being used by the Pointe Builders construction company, but a transient had taken over the trailer and was living in it.

When Cal Fire and San Miguel Fire officials arrived at the scene, they discovered the trailer’s backend engulfed in flames.

The transient inside the trailer sustained serious smoke inhalation. He was given CPR at the scene and was temporarily revived to a slight pulse, but died a short time later, officials confirmed.

A San Diego sheriff’s deputy also suffered smoke inhalation in the blaze. He was taken to Grossmont Hospital. His current condition is unknown.

The cause of the fatal fire is under investigation. Check back for updates on this developing story.
 

A new partnership between a website and the San Diego Police Department is hoping to increase neighborhood safety.

Nextdoor.com is a private social media site for neighborhoods that facilitates a virtual neighborhood watch. It also helps neighbors communicate with each other online.

Police Chief William Lansdowne said he hopes the partnership with Nextdoor.com will crime and burglary in the area.

“Neighborhoods know what's going on and now we have a directly line of communication will be very, very effective for us,” he said.

In San Diego, 160 neighborhood watch groups with more than 6,000 members are currently using the site.

An aerial larvicide drop will take place Thursday as San Diego County begins its annual battle to protect residents from West Nile Virus.

San Diego has been diligent and fortunate according to Eric McDonald, M.D., County of San Diego Deputy Public Health Officer.

Even though 2012 was one of the worst West Nile virus seasons on record for both California and the U.S., our area did not see many cases.

Only one local person has been diagnosed with the virus in the last three years according to McDonald.

“We can’t be complacent,” he said.

West Nile Virus is a potentially serious illness that is usually spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. While many infected with the virus don’t know it or suffer mild flu symptoms, the virus can incapacitate or even kill in rare cases.

County officials are trying to get a jump on the West Nile Virus season by kicking off their prevention campaign – “Protect, Prevent, Report.”

Here are some of their tips:

• Stay inside when mosquitos are biting at dawn and dusk
• If you have to be out where long sleeves, long pants
• Use insect repellent
• Check screens for holes
• Check property for places mosquitos can breed
• Report dead birds or stagnant swimming pools

Mosquito-eating fish are a good tool to control mosquito breeding according to Jack Miller, Director for Department of Environmental Health.

“We try to get them in green pools and different places so they can naturally feed off mosquitoes,” Miller said. “We try to use as little pesticide as possible.”

Residents with ponds and waterfalls on their properties can take advantage of the mosquito fish distributed by the county . Click here for a list of location.

The county also lists its locations for larvicide drops on its Vector Control website or click here for a map.