NBC 7 San Diego/KNSD celebrated the ribbon cutting of its new state-of-the-art facility Wednesday with guests from all across region and the U.S. 

NBC 7, San Diego’s media leader with the largest social following and the largest multiplatform digital audience, employs more than 140 people and offers more than 34 hours of local television programming each week. 

Its broadcast center is now located in a new, 52,000 square foot, two-story building off of Aero Drive just west of Interstate 15. 

Richard Kelley, president and general manager of NBC 7 San Diego/KNSD, said he's pleased that the long preparation for the Kearny Mesa facility has paid off.

"Our employees have gone through a year and a half of planning and building and we are thrilled that the project’s done,” Kelley said.

When he spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer praised the work of NBC 7 in highlighting the importance of the station having a new, state-of-the-art facility.

"The work that NBC 7 does on a day in and day out basis ... you’re always there on the forefront,” Faulconer said. "The fact that NBC 7 maintains that stellar reputation is important.”

Ted Harbert, chairman of NBC Broadcasting, said the new building will better serve the community as a whole.

"Building this building, having the staff be able to do a better job ... it gives the community better service," he said.

NBC 7’s new home will be among the most advanced broadcast centers in the country, offering the market’s first 4K video wall – a multi-screen wall that is capable of displaying video and images across various types of layouts.

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For the first time, San Diego has snagged a spot as one the top "vegan-friendly" cities in America, according to a list compiled by PETA.

Per the list, San Diego ranks No. 6 among U.S. cities that support the vegan lifestyle -- and PETA said many vegan-friendly, local eateries are behind this.

Along with the ranking, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer was gifted with a framed certificate signed by PETA’s President, Ingrid Newkirk, which praises San Diego for providing residents with a breadth of yummy vegan options.

Vegans certainly aren't starving for choices in San Diego, with a variety of restaurants offering cusine laden with fruits and vegetables. Some local eateries have fully embraced the vegan lifestyle, while others offer alternative vegan menus to their customers.

Lovers of italian food can indulge their cravings at Little Italy’s Civico 1845, which offers vegan pasta dishes like millet “meatball” over garden salad with edible flowers, or lasagna stuffed with fresh mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, carrots and olives.

"Whether you're looking for lasagne romagnola made with seitan or a soy chorizo quesadilla packed with melty dairy-free cheese, San Diego has the restaurant for you," said PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "San Diego is making a triumphant debut on PETA's list thanks to vibrant and delicious cuisine that's kind to animals, the environment, and diners' health alike."

For an edgier vegan scene, head off to Kindred, a vegan, death-metal themed cocktail bar in downtown San Diego. They serve savory, barbeque-style vegan dishes, like seared cauliflower “steak,” Memphis BBQ Jackfruit and beet risotto.

Some other vegan restaurants include Evolution, a fast-food joint known for its “fish” fillet sandwiches and “chicken” Ceasar wraps and the delicious bakery Moncai Vegan with gluten-free black cherry cupcakes.

For Mexican food cravings, there’s Lotus Cafe in Encinitas which offers vegan burritos and tacos, right next to the beach. PETA featured Pokez and Casa de Reyes as other vegan-friendly places to grab tacos and burritos. The veggie-packed, raw-food restaurant Peace Pies, in Encinitas and downtown San Diego, offers dishes like the “magical” mango curry wrap and “karmic” kale salads.

Other restaurants that PETA praised include Plumeria, the Purple Mint Vegetarian Bistro and Sipz Vegetarian Fuzion Cafe. In the diverse city of San Diego, vegan food can range from spicy meat-free Thai larb to “chicken” teriyaki.

According to PETA, San Diego is regularly ranked one of the healthiest cities in the country, as well as a top city for triathletes, so this vegan-friendly ranking is also a cause to celebrate.

Other vegan-friendly cities that made PETA’s list include, in order: Portland; Los Angeles; New York City; Detroit; Nashville; Honolulu; Austin; Seattle; Richmond.

Donald Trump's and Hillary Clinton's big wins in the New York primary mean it's going to be much harder to stop the two front-runners from winning the nominations, according to NBC News' First Read team. 

That could be especially true after next week's contests in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. On the Democratic side, Clinton's gains in New York all but erased her losses in Alaska, Idaho and Wisconsin. She needs to win just 29 percent of remaining delegates to hit the Democratic magic number of 2,383, while Sanders needs to win 71 percent. 

Meanwhile, Trump is on a stronger path to a majority than he was two weeks ago. He needs to win 57 percent of remaining delegates to hit that magic 1,237 number -- down from the 61 percent he needed before last night.

A plane arriving into San Diego International Airport Tuesday night was struck by a green laser, San Diego Police confirmed.

The Virgin America flight coming from San Francisco was struck with the laser 3 or 4 times as it arrived to Lindbergh Field at 10:30 p.m., police said. 

It's unclear where the laser came from but authorities believe it was somewhere in the downtown area. 

The flight landed safely.

The Federal Aviation Administration says sudden exposure to lasers during a critical phase of flight, such as on approach to landing or departure, can distract or disorient a pilot and cause temporary visual impairment.

Pointing a laser at a commercial airliner is a federal offense. It's punishable by up to 20 years in prison and an $11,000 fine, according to the FBI.

Authorities revealed the details of the longest cross-border drug smuggling tunnel ever discovered in California at a news conference Wednesday. 

The elaborate tunnel, found near the Otay Mesa Border Crossing, is one of the narrowest ever discovered and includes lighting, ventilation and an elevator that fits eight to 10 people, U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said. 

This tunnel is the 13th operational large scale border tunnel found along our state's border since 2006 and the second tunnel discovered in the Otay Mesa area in the past month. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees swarmed a facility on Marconi Drive Tuesday starting at 2:15 p.m. The building is located approximately 1,000 feet from the U.S.-Mexico border. 

The tunnel zig zags the length of eight football fields from Mexico to the U.S., Duffy said. 

Duffy says historically, people digging cross border tunnels try to make more of an effort to conceal them.

"This one as you can see it's literally a rabbit hole in the ground," Duffy said. "They had a plate over that they covered with gravel like this. So I think few, except the agents who work this are who are very attune to this area and what's going on, would even suspect this kind of business is taking place out in the open."

Agents discovered the tunnel when they noticed a dumpster being strategically placed in a pallet yard.  A sign on the fence outside the business displays "Otay Pallets - We buy pallets." 

Officials say pallets were placed around it, and on top of drugs found inside it.

Duffy said the agency is pretty confident this was the first drug smuggling attempt at the tunnel location.

An estimated $1.2 million worth of marijuana and about $22 million worth of cocaine was seized Friday, making it the biggest cocaine seizure.

 Six people were arrested and charged as a result of the discovery. 

Martiniano Garcia-Sedano, Cruz Armando Parra Corrales and Alejandro Bravo were charged with conspiring to import cocaine and marijuana and conspiring to use a border tunnel, according to a complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's office. 

The men imported 2,242 pounds of a mixture and substance with detectable amounts of cocaine, according to the complaint. The complaint also alleged the men imported 14,098.96 pounds of a mixture with a detectable amount of marijuana. The complaint alleged the men used the border tunnel to transport those drugs. 

Juan Carlos Chavez Fabian, Alejandro Gomez-Baez and Osmel Martinez were charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, according to a separate complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's office. 

According to the complaint, the men to distribute 2,242 pounds of a substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine and 11,030 pounds of a substance containing marijuana. 

A nearby business owner told NBC 7 San Diego she didn't see anything odd or suspicious going on in the area.

"We just mind our own business because I don't care what others do,” said Lupita Flores. “I don't even knew what they were doing over there. I just saw the pallets but that was it. We never saw what they were doing. So I have no idea." 

The tunnel marks the third similar discovery in recent weeks around Southern California. 

Officials found a 142-foot cross-border tunnel east of Calexico during a routine patrol of the border Friday. Depression in the soil exposed an 18-inch hole, where the agent found lumber and electrical wiring that indicated it was an operational tunnel.

A month ago, authorities found a secret, cross-border tunnel hidden in a home built specifically for the purpose of concealing the tunnel's entrance, officials said. It's believed to be the first instance in California where smugglers built a home for the sole purpose of transporting drugs. 

A San Diego dermatologist has been sentenced for writing fraudulent prescriptions. 

Dermatologist Dr. Matthew Cole got time served and one year of federal supervised release for writing prescriptions of oxycodone, Xanax, and Ambien for friends and his wife.

A plea agreement listed 39 separate prescriptions, amounting to more than 1800 tablets.

Cole and his wife, Shireen Cole, both 37, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to acquire controlled substances by fraud, deception and subterfuge.

In total, prosecutors said the Coles acquired 1,820 tablets of drugs, 1,280 of which were oxycodone and the others were Ambien and Xanax.

The defendant, who faced a maximum penalty of four years in prison, enrolled in a drug treatment program.

Cole had offices in San Diego and National City at the time of his guilty plea. 

Surveillance video showing an unknown man setting fire to a dumpster in Hillcrest has arson investigators zoning in on a suspect sought in a series of fires in Uptown San Diego.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) investigators with the Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST) released the short surveillance clip Wednesday, which shows a man walk up to a dumpster in the south alley of 1400 University Avenue.

Before he gets to the dumpster, he looks around, as if to see if anyone else is there. The man puts something in the dumpster and walks away.

Seconds later, as the man turns his back to the dumpster and walks away, the item he placed inside ignites, the small, orange flames visible in the footage.

MAST investigators believe this man – who has yet to be identified or located – could be responsible for several fires set intentionally in the Hillcrest community last month.

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On March 21, an unidentified suspect set multiple fires within a two-mile area in the community, between 1010 Essex Street and 1727 University Avenue.

Investigators said all of the fires took place in the early morning hours between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. All of the fires were lit in trash cans and dumpster in alleys. 

MAST investigators said the person caught on camera setting at least one fire on University Avenue is described as a white man with eyeglasses, wearing dark clothing, including a gray hood, and hiking-style shoes.

Anyone with information on the suspect or this case can contact MAST at (619) 236-6815 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

As many as 10,000 people were expected to flock to Golden Gate Park on Wednesday, or 4/20, as the San Francisco’s weed-loving community call it, to celebrate being outside on the grass and the sweet smells (and effects) of cannabis.

The exact spot in the park? Hippie Hill, of course. And the theme? A giant smoke-out.

Before lunch, the park was crawling with folks enjoying edibles, selling baseball caps and just chilling out in the sun. Tony Doles pointed out how mellow he and his friends were being despite the fact that sure, sure, smoking marijuana for fun is illegal, according to the federal government.

"No one's hurting anyone," he said.

Pot laws could change soon. While California approved the use of medical marijuana in 1996, a marijuana legalization initiative is likely to be on the November ballot statewide. Thinking ahead, San Francisco's Flow Kana this week launched what it said was the nation's first all-encompassing marketing campaign advertising small-batch, organic marijuana.

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That’s not to say the cops won’t be out and making arrests. Even if it's not for toking up. Supervisor London Breed said there will be more police, park rangers, fire and transportation officials on scene to make sure the cannabis holiday is a safe experience for the thousands of revelers expected to flood the park.

In 2015, there were five arrests, SFist reported, one for assault with a deadly weapon for hitting someone on the head with a bottle, two more for outstanding warrant, and two for intoxication. Last year, 10,000 people attended.

But that's not what Andrew Morris wanted to focus on. "Hey, one person threw a bottle last year and it makes it bad for the rest of us," he said.

The unsanctioned event costs the city between $80,000 and $100,000 per year because additional help has to be requested from city agencies to ensure safety, control heavy traffic and collect trash. The average amount of trash collected each year? Five tons.

The weed lovers' celebration is practiced throughout the country, but its roots originate in the Bay Area.

As for why 4/20? It stems back to a group of San Rafael High School students in the '70s – nicknamed the Waldos – who would get high at 4:20 p.m.

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New York City's notorious "ninja burglar" allegedly confessed to committing a decade's worth of break-ins that plagued Staten Island, the local district attorney said Wednesday.

Robert Costanzo, 46, is believed to have targeted more than 100 homes in wealthy neighborhoods on Staten Island, making off with $4 million in property, said Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon.

Costanzo was arraigned Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to three counts of second-degree burglary. He is expected to change his plea to guilty on Thursday, McMahon said.

"I'm very proud to announce the arrest and arraignment of the ninja burglar," McMahon said at a news conference.

He added that prosecutors couldn't file additional charges because the statute of limitations had expired on the other burglaries.

The thief was dubbed the "ninja burglar" after a homeowner said he fought a burglar dressed in black who was swinging nunchucks in his kitchen. 

Officials initially said a group of Albanian-Macedonian nationals were responsible for the burglaries. 

Costanzo arrived in New York City after pleading guilty to home invasion and burglary in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Police in Connecticut said they arrested Costanzo after he made a cellphone call from a crime scene and investigators were able to track the call. 

Costanzo is also a registered sex offender, having admitted to raping four women in Florida in the 1990s.

Staten Islanders said they were relieved to hear an arrest had been made in the 10-year crime spree.

"Now we can sleep a little better at night," said Anna Brunk. 

Oceanside police are asking the public to help track down a suspect wanted in a shooting last month that killed a man. 

Investigators are looking for the gunman who shot a 35-year-old man in front of 410 S. Freeman Street.

The victim, later identified as Brandon Keiser, was found lying on the sidewalk suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Witnesses told police they heard the sound of an argument, then three to five gunshots at approximately 10:05 p.m. Tuesday, March 22.

Several people tried to save him. However, he was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Detectives from the Crimes of Violence Unit do not believe it was a random act. They are investigating the possibility that Keiser and the suspect knew each other.

San Diego County Crime Stoppers is offering $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in this case.

Anyone with information the identity or location of the possible suspect is asked to call the Oceanside Police Department’s Crime of Violence Unit at (760) 435-4872.

When someone in San Diego shows symptoms that may be considered the Zika virus, there will be a local lab available to process the test. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cleared the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) to test clinical specimens for Zika virus Monday, April 4.

The Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) is one of the six laboratories in California, three of which are located in Southern California, that are authorized at this time to use the new test to detect for Zika virus.

The center can test for zika along with other tropical viruses that have similar early symptoms to zika, like dengue and chikungunya viruses. 

The Trioplex Real-time RT-PCR Assay (Trioplex rRT-PCR), a new test developed by the CDC, is not available in local hospitals and clinics. 

However, if the patient’s sample resembles symptoms of Zika, they will still send samples to assigned Laboratory Response Network (LRN) laboratories designated by the CDC. 

A Massachusetts man who recorded selfie video while driving a rented Mustang last week nearly ran down an officer who tried to pull him over, according to police.

Police in Framingham said Abdulrahman Jawad, 20, of Worcester, was arrested Friday morning after admitting to taking selfie video as he drove down Union Avenue.

"Just because it's a nice car, you know? It's a nice 2016 Mustang convertible. I had to record myself because it's the last day for the car," Jawad told necn.

The selfie video — obtained exclusively by necn — shows Jawad smoking and blasting music while driving. He looks back at the camera several times.

The footage ends before Jawad's interaction with police.

He was arrested after an officer on a work detail at Bowditch Field alerted other police to a swerving Mustang convertible with the top down.

The reporting officer said the driver appeared to hold a cellphone above the windshield and taking video as he drove.

When the officer tried to stop the Mustang, Jawad swerved around him, nearly hitting the officer before speeding away, according to police.

Jawad told necn at first he didn't even realize police were after him. 

"A police officer, I seen him like basically, you know, he's over there looking all confused and stuff, so I was like, 'It's none of my business, you know?' So I actually kept going," Jawad recalled.

He eventually stopped when an officer on a motorcycle pulled out in front of him, but police said Jawad refused to get out of the Mustang.

"They actually dragged me out of the car… handcuffed me, put me in the back, sit in the cell," he said.

Court records indicate Jawad admitted to taking the video, but denied ever crossing the center line.

Jawad said it was a mistake not to be paying enough attention to the road. His brother, who rented the car but was not in the vehicle at the time, agrees.

"Honestly, it’s a mistake because when you drive you should be concentrating on the road not like looking at videos, recording videos, whatever distracts you from driving," Jawad's brother told necn.

Jawad was issued citations and will have to appear in court. 

A man posing as a passenger stole a shuttle from the San Diego International Airport Tuesday and took eight employees for a frightening ride in the busy area, officials confirmed.

The San Diego Unified Port District Harbor Police said that around 3:45 p.m., the driver of an Employee Shuttle Bus pulled over to the curbside pick-up area in front of Terminal 2 West at the airport and stepped off the bus to give a piece of equipment to another shuttle driver who had pulled up behind him.

The shuttle – typically used to transport airport employees – was carrying nine passengers, including 46-year-old Arizona resident Norberto Eaton.

When the driver stepped off the bus, Eaton got up from his seat, took the driver’s seat and drove off, with eight airport employees still onboard. 

Harbor Police said Eaton left the airport and drove eastbound on busy N. Harbor Drive, speeding and ignoring traffic signals.

About a half-mile away, at Hawthorn Street, he was forced to stop due to heavy traffic. With the shuttle idle, two airport employees inside the vehicle approached Eaton.

Harbor Police said that’s when Eaton jumped off the bus and ran toward a San Diego City Parking Enforcement officer who was standing nearby.

Meanwhile, scared employees inside the shuttle yelled at the officer, telling him Eaton had stolen the shuttle bus.

The Parking Enforcement Officer and one of the passengers from the shuttle were able to detain Eaton and call police on their radio.

When Harbor Police officers arrived, Eaton was arrested.

Investigators said Eaton is not an employee of the San Diego International Airport. It is unclear how he got onto the shuttle.

The employees aboard the shuttle were not injured. There was also no damage to the shuttle.

Eaton was booked into San Diego Central Jail on 18 counts, including eight counts of kidnapping and eight counts of false imprisonment with violence. He’s also facing a vehicle theft charge and a count of reckless driving.

Police said Eaton was not armed at the time of the shuttle theft.

His bail was set at $1.2 million, Harbor Police Lt. Dominick Boccia confirmed. The suspect is set to appear in court Thursday.

Boccia said this is one of the most bizarre cases he’s ever heard of in his 28 years with the police department. He said the victims inside the shuttle were surprised and shaken by the ordeal.

“Most of them were shocked. They could tell something was wrong just based on the speed, his erratic driving and the fact that he left the shuttle bus doors open [during the ride],” Boccia told NBC 7.

The airport currently operates at least six shuttle buses like the one involved in the incident. The shuttles are used to transport airport employees to the parking lot and are running at all times throughout the day.

Harbor Police Sgt. Jonathan George said the incident was captured on surveillance tape inside the shuttle but that video is not being publicly released at this time.

NBC 7 reached out to the driver of the shuttle but the driver had no comment on the case.

San Francisco has become the first major city in the country to require solar panels on new residential and commercial buildings of under 10 stories.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the legislation on Tuesday. Supervisor Scott Wiener, who drafted the measure, said it's the first of its kind in a major U.S. city.

California already mandates that new buildings with 10 floors or less make at least 15 percent of their rooftop areas "solar ready." Now, San Francisco requires solar panels to be installed in these areas starting in 2017. It can take the form of either solar photovoltaic or solar water panels, both of which supply 100 percent renewable energy, his office said.

Larger buildings are exempt for now.

Wiener said the legislation will help move San Francisco toward its goal of meeting 100 percent of the city’s electricity demand with renewable energy.

"By increasing our use of solar power, San Francisco is once again leading the nation in the fight against climate change and the reduction of our reliance on fossil fuels," Wiener said in a statement. "Activating underutilized roof space is a smart and efficient way to promote the use of solar energy and improve our environment. We need to continue to pursue aggressive renewable energy policies to ensure a sustainable future for our city and our region."

It would affect roughly 200 building currently in the works, Wiener's representative told NBC Bay Area.

San Francisco isn't the first California city to push for solar panels. In 2008, Berkeley launched a special financing program for those using renewable and solar panels. And in 2014, Palo Alto passed a resolution to increase the installation of local solar photovoltaic facilities in order to provide four percent of the city’s total energy needs by 2023.

A new system of electronic signs and traffic signal meters that will allow drivers to quickly get around major accidents clogging up Interstate 15 is set to go into effect Thursday, according to the San Diego Association of Governments, the region's planning agency, and Caltrans.

The Integrated Corridor Management project is a series of electronic signs on I-15, alternate route signs and coordinated traffic signal and ramp meters. If an accident causes significant slowdowns, drivers will see a message on the electronic signs with instructions on when to get off I-15 and what route to follow. Traffic lights along the route will be set to allow them to get back on the freeway as soon as possible, the agencies said.

The system will cover 20 miles of I-15, from just north of State Route 52 to State Route 78.

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A man named Blaze performed a heroic act Tuesday, rushing into a burning home to rescue his neighbor's dog trapped inside.

Cell phone video shows the home on Bonita View Drive turned into a ball of fire at 6:47 pm. Tuesday. The fire sent plumes of black smoke above San Diego's South Bay.

Nextdoor neighbor Mark Spinelli says the homeowner Simon Bodilla and his family's dog were there when Bodilla did something incredible. 

“Simon, thinking more of his neighbors than himself, than his own house, came to the neighbor’s houses and our house knocked on our door to get out,” Spinelli said. 

Spinelli says at one point he grabbed a hose and pointed it at Bodilla's home but was stopped. 

“Simon walking away turns around and tells me, ‘Not my house, yours,’” Spinelli recalled.

Bodilla was more concerned about their homes, rushing to tell them to evacuate, instead of worrying about his house, neighbors said.

As the flames grew and Bodilla worried his son-in-law's dog named Hank had perished him the flames. Little did he know someone was running up a canyon to help. 

Blaze Benami broke in through the back of the home and found the dog cowering under smoke and flames. Benami thinks the dog may have been trying to go further into the home to look for his owner who was already out. 

“I ran into the flames, grabbed him and ran down the canyon,” Benami said. “Then came back here to reunite him with his owner.” 

According to his family, Bodilla was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. His son-in-law arrived to thank the community that stepped up when they needed it the most.

Spinelli said his heart still goes out to his dear neighbor. 

“What do you do, where do you go, who will help you,” Spinelli asked. “Well Simon, I think your neighbors are going to help you.”

It is unclear what may have started the fire.

A woman was struck and killed by a car in San Diego's City Heights community Wednesday in a hit-and-run that homicide investigators believe was intentional.

The deadly crash happened just after 10 a.m. in an alley the 4100 block of Wilson Avenue. A driver struck a woman in her late 20s, the impact trapping her underneath the vehicle. The woman from suffering from extensive injuries to her torso.

Witnesses told San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officers that a group of suspects – possibly one woman and two men, all in their mid-20s and possibly Hispanic – exited the car and ran away from the scene of the crash. The suspects were last seen sprinting southbound away from the alley.

Police said one man, described as heavyset, may have had blood on his shirt. The female suspect may have also been covered in blood.

Firefighters and medics with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) quickly got to work rescuing the woman pinned underneath the car. Aerial footage showed a white sedan at the center of the scene and the lifeless victim.

At 10:32 a.m., SDFD officials confirmed the woman had been pulled from underneath the vehicle but did not survive her injuries.

Initially, police thought the crash was an accident. However, after speaking with witnesses and examining the scene, SDPD officials determined the hit-and-run appeared deliberate, and homicide detectives were called in to take over the investigation.

Detectives believe the car was used as a weapon to kill the victim.

"We're thinking that this could've been a deliberate act," said SDPD Acting Lt. Manny Del Toro, of the Homicide Unit, adding that the case involves "suspicious circumstances."

No one else was injured. 

The deadly incident is under investigation. Police said blood was found in several areas inside the suspects’ vehicle.

The victim’s name has not yet been released.

One witness told police he heard a confrontation in the alley just before the woman was hit by the car. Two Good Samaritans that heard the accident ran out to help the victim and call 911.

Detectives were in the area for hours gathering evidence and speaking with witnesses and residents. As of 4 p.m., officers expected to remain on scene for several more hours.

Neighbor Berri Krida-Pech lives on the other side of the alley on Wilson Avenue. She told NBC 7 she has lived in the area for 16 years and had never seen the suspects’ vehicle there. She said the alley where the hit-and-run happened is rarely used by motorists.

"It makes me a little nervous," resident Berri Krida-Pech told NBC 7.

Krida-Pech said she was first alerted to the crash after she heard police sirens blaring down her street.

"I feel sorry for the person," she said. "And I'm sorry that it happened."

She called the suspects cowardly for running away after hitting the victim.

Del Toro said this case does not appear, at this time, to gang-related.

Anyone with information can call the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.