U.S. Border Patrol agents are seeing a spike in non-Mexican immigrants crossing the U.S.- Mexico border, particularly among Chinese immigrants, they told NBC 7 San Diego.

"Anytime we see an increase it's a concern to us. We want to make sure we apprehend people as they're coming across the border," Jose Hernandez with U.S. Border Patrol San Diego sector said Wednesday.

In 2015, U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees apprehended more than 2,000 immigrants not from Mexico crossing the border illegally. In just the first four months of 2016 there were more than 2,500 such immigrants apprehended. Hernandez says they've seen a 225 percent jump compared to this time last year.

"It takes a little longer to process someone who is other than Mexican simply because of the paper work that's involved in it, but that's part of the job," Hernandez said.

In April, a passerby spotted a group of young men walking along State Route 94 near Potrero. Agents responded and detained seven Chinese nationals.

Those seven are just a handful of more than 660 apprehended Chinese immigrants to cross the Tijuana-California border this year. It's a jump from fewer than 50 Chinese immigrants apprehended in 2015 and just five apprehended the year before.

"All the people we are apprehending are circumventing the port of entry," Hernandez said. "So they're coming across in the mountains or through the deserts."

Hernandez said agents have had to shift personnel and adjust the way they operate a bit in order to cover those areas where more non-Mexican immigrants are crossing the border.

"Pretty much everybody who comes across the border is assisted in some way, shape or form with the transnational criminal organizations along the border," Hernandez said.

A double-amputee Syrian refugee was denied entry into the United States on Tuesday after landing at LAX and being forced to return to Europe, according to the Council of American-Islamic Relations, who called for his release.

According to CAIR, Morhaf Alkordi, who lost both his legs in 2013, had come to LA for medical treatment after his family reached an agreement with the Hanger Clinic in Downey to treat Alkordi for free.

"He arrived in the United States filled with hope and excitement. Less than 24 hours after his arrival, he was shipped back to Berlin as if he were damaged goods," said Alkordi's uncle, Malek Taweil, in a press release distributed by CAIR.

"Such treatment is unacceptable and not befitting the image and values of our country, especially against a victim of war who has already endured so much pain and suffering," Taweil added.

Alkordi's treatment, which had an estimated cost of anywhere from $24,000 to $90,000, would give him a chance to walk again. He was planning to return to Germany after the treatment, where his wife and daughter live.

"He's lost the ability to pursue his personal goals and dreams and this was that opportunity," said Alkordi's aunt, Marianne Taweil.

The State Department granted Alkordi a B-2 Visa, which was supposed to give him six months to get treated. He was then denied entry by Customs and Border patrol, which cited the Privacy Act when declining to comment on the case.

Alkordi's attorney, Farida Chehata, said authorities cited that he did not want to return to Syria, and that he was unemployed, as reasons for sending him back to Europe.

Chehata and Alkordi's family are now hoping the Department of Homeland Security cooperates with them in reviewing paperwork. Chehata is characterizing their case now as "a last ditch effort," as they attempt to get a humanitarian parole.

"For anybody who is a refugee from a war torn country, it's going to be difficult for him to be able to receive another B-2 visa after he was denied entry and returned back to Germany," Chehata said.

Drizly, a technology company that provides an on-demand alcohol delivery service, announced its launch in San Diego May 5.

The company is partnering with Quality Market and Chip’s Liquor. The consumer can order alcohol from their smartphone or desktop computer via the company’s app or website and have it delivered within the hour, according to the company’s press release.

The company will provide the service in over 20 San Diego neighborhoods, including the Gaslamp, Hillcrest, La Jolla, Little Italy, Mission Beach, North Park, Ocean Beach, Old Town, Pacific Beach and Torrey Pines.

Users of the company’s services can get alcohol delivered at any time and earn referral rewards. First-time orders receive $10 off as part of the company’s launch in San Diego.

Back in February, Amazon Inc. launched a bottled alcohol delivery service for its Prime members with San Diego retailer Keg N Bottle.

A driver who stopped to help those involved in a collision on Interstate 8 in Mission Valley early Friday was hit by an oncoming car.

A Volkswagen Beetle and a Jeep collided at 3 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of I-8 just west of Texas Street.

The driver of the blue Mazda sedan pulled over to assist after the collision and was rear-ended by a BMW sedan, according to California Highway Patrol officers.

No injuries were reported.

The CHP said it was raining heavily in the area at the time of both collisions.

A former dean at Florida International University is accused of sexually assaulting a female graduate student during a study abroad trip to Italy in December 2014.

The student, who filed a federal lawsuit seeking more than $75,000 in damages, claims then-associate dean Adam Drisin raped her after a night of drinking as the semester overseas was winding down.

"When parents send their kids to school, they send them for education, not to be exploited," said the student's attorney, Omar Malone.

According to Malone, Drisin invited three students back to his room after a night out in Italy and served them Bailey's. 

After passing out, the alleged victim woke up "totally naked" and had "no recollection" of what took place, until another student told her what had happened, according to the lawsuit.

Malone said the student reported the alleged assault to a professor, who then told the administration, where the case is still under review.

"A number of the students have given statements that are consistent with what we've alleged," Malone said.

Asked why the lawsuit was filed more than a year after the alleged incident, Malone emphasized the importance of being thorough.

"Anytime allegations such as this are raised, there's an extensive investigation that needs to take place," he explained.

Drisin, who graduated from Cornell and taught at Harvard before his tenure at FIU, has since left the university and is job hunting at colleges across the country.

He addressed the allegations in a text message to NBC 6, calling them unfounded and saying the truth will come out in court. 

"These allegations are totally false. This will all be proven to be a frivolous case. There is ample proof that will be presented to support a very different story," Drisin said.

An FIU spokesperson said the most important thing to the school is the health and safety of students. The university declined to comment specifically on the case, citing "pending proceedings."

The San Diego Gulls opened the 2nd round of the Calder Cup playoffs up in Ontario but came up short 5-3.

Corey Tropp keyed a late charge, bringing the Gulls within 4-3 in the final minutes of the contest. But San Diego ultimately could not steal the first game of the best-of-7 series on the road. 

Down 2-0 at the 1st intermission, San Diego charged out of the locker room in the second period to draw even. Chris Mueller passed to Kalle Kossila and his deflection outside the left circle beat Peter Budaj between the pads to cut the deficit to 2-1.

A little while later, Tropp found Matt Bailey waiting on the doorstep and he elevated the puck into the net for the equalizer to make it 2-2.

Ontario then responded with a pair of goals to seize a 4-2 advantage which wound up being a wide enough margin.

Game 2 is back on home ice at Valley View Casino Center this Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

A multiple-vehicle crash closed several lanes of southbound Interstate 5 near Via de la Valle for hours Friday morning.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) said a tractor trailer slid and crashed into the center divider. A tour bus traveling behind the big rig slowed down. A Toyota Prius then collided with the tour bus.

CHP Officers said oil from the big rig leaked onto the freeway. Paired with rainy conditions, officials feared the freeway would be far too slick for commuters. As a result, CHP officers decided to shut down various lanes of the freeway for several hours.

At 6:40 a.m., Cal Trans officials were on scene waiting for a vacuum truck to arrive to soak up the puddles of oil and water at the crash site.

Officials said they would slowly begin to open up the area, lane by lane.

As of 6:50 a.m., only one lane remained closed. Officials said they expected to have the scene fully cleared within the next two hours.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump will have his own wall to face in the presidential election: the "Blue Wall," according to NBC News.

The election is decided by a handful of key states that sit on the political fence between either party. The "Blue Wall" describes the eighteen states and the District of Columbia that have voted for a Democratic candidate since 1992, accounting for 242 electoral votes, only 28 votes shy of the 270 they needed to win. That gives Democrats plenty of room for error.

Republicans, on the other hand, have consistently won only 13 states over that same period, for a total of 102 electoral votes. Trump needs to win both Florida and Ohio, or he needs flip long-held Democratic states like Pennsylvania.

California Highway Patrol officers have issued a Sig Alert for northbound Interstate 5 south of Harbor Drive.

A big rig jackknifed at 7:35 a.m., blocking two lanes according to the CHP.

Jorge Martinez suffered cuts to his hands and face when his tractor trailer flipped onto its side Friday.

"That was pretty scary," Martinez said.

An unidentified driver made an unsafe lane change in front of Martinez, causing him to hit his brakes, CHP Oceanside officer Steve Koenig told NBC 7.

Martinez steered away from the vehicle but the big rig jackknifed and turned over.

"I just tried to stop but my truck started moving," he said. "I could not control it anymore."

Witnesses corroborated the story, Koenig added.

Crews will tow the truck off I-5 and clear away a minor fluid, diesel and oil leak.

Authorities have arrested a second suspect accused in the attempted murder of an undercover San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officer near Skyline, the department confirmed Friday.

SDPD Lt. Ray Valentin said San Diego resident Larry Jones, 30, was taken into custody Thursday in the 1600 block of Oro Vista Road for his alleged role in the shooting of an SDPD Gang Unit detective.

On Monday, at around 10:45 p.m., an unknown suspect stepped out of a white Toyota Corolla and fired several shots at a plainclothes SDPD detective who was in an unmarked vehicle near Glencoe Drive and Jamacha Road in the Jamacha Lomita area.

SDPD officials said the detective was following up on information of reported gang activity in the area. The undercover detective was not injured by the gunfire, but his car was struck several times by the bullets.

SDPD officers responded to the area and found the suspect’s vehicle traveling west in the 7700 block of Jamacha Road. Patrol officers pulled the car over. During the traffic stop, a man jumped out of the car and started to flee, running through backyards in the neighborhood.

At that moment, SDPD officials said a patrol officer fired one round from his service weapon toward the fleeing suspect. Officials still don’t know if that suspect was injured by the gunfire.

Officials said the officer who fired his weapon is an eight-year veteran of the department. They said the officer opened fire because he feared for his life and safety of others.

Three other people inside the suspect’s vehicle – two men and a woman, Kimberly Denise Hooker, 31 – were arrested at the scene on various charges. Hooker is facing one count of attempted murder for her alleged involvement in the shooting. She’s scheduled to appear in court on May 16. The two men were booked into jail for weapon charges and violating their probation.

Jones, now the fourth suspect in this case, is set to appear in court Monday.

The officer-involved shooting remains under investigation. Anyone with information can call the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

The names of the undercover detective and officer who opened fire have not been released.

Things are looking up for a paralyzed kitten abandoned on a Long Island street, thanks to a new homemade wheelchair made by its caretakers at an animal hospital.

The weeks-old kitten was brought in to Massapequa Pet Vet by a rescuer and was found to be partially paralyzed in both of its back legs, veterinarian Dr. Ned Horowitz told NBC 4 New York. 

Some technicians at the animal hospital decided to fashion a small wheelchair for the kitten using a couple connecting Legos. They may have been inspired by canine carts, made for dogs that are paralyzed or need assistance walking.

Video posted to the clinic's Facebook page shows the kitten trying the cart on for the first time and immediately taking off. 

"She's motoring around!" a worker is heard saying in the background. 

"'Look at me go!' She's like, 'I don't care, I'm gonna keep going.'"

The kitten, which turned to be male, had been "kind of just laying in its cage" after it was brought in, but as soon as it was outfitted with the wheelchair, "he totally took off," Horowitz told NBC 4 New York.

Horowitz says it's not clear why the cat was paralyzed, but he does seem to respond to squeezes on some parts of the legs, which is a good sign.

The goal for the kitten now is to help him walk again with physical therapy. The wheelchair could act as a stepping stone for therapy because "you don't want the muscles in the back legs to atrophy," said Horowitz. "So we basically let him run around with the cart."

He's hoping the kitty will be able to walk within a few weeks. The kitten will be put up for adoption as soon as Horowitz determines it's OK. 

Stores are recalling sunflower seeds because they may be contaminated with listeria, NBC News reported. 

SunOpta, a Minnesota supplier, said a spot check indicated some of the seeds may be contaminated. There have been no reports of illness.

The recall includes snacks and salad toppers sold by the Kroger chain in 28 states as well as Pittsburgh-based chain Gold Eagle. The recall also includes some Planter’s brand products. 

The full list is available on the Food and Drug Administration’s website.

The Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro this August will mark the debut of women’s rugby at the games.

The USA Rugby team, which trains in Chula Vista at the Olympic Training Center, recently had its roster updated to 20 players, who are now competing to make the final cut.

The current roster includes Jillion Potter, a veteran and former captain, known for her heavy hitting.

"Our greatest strength is our speed and power," said Potter, who will turn 30 years old this July, making her one of the most tenured players on the squad.

Her impact on the field and experience off of it make her one of team’s leaders.

In September of 2014, doctors diagnosed Potter with stage III Synovial Sarcoma, one of the rarest forms of soft tissue cancer in the world.

The diagnosis put her athletic career on hold.

"Especially after last year and undergoing cancer treatment, you realize sometimes you just have to be ok exploring other options and you can’t be so narrow in everything you try pursue," said Potter.

Cancer forced Potter to reassess her life, but it didn’t take long to realize she wasn’t quite ready for life after rugby.

"I think rugby is one of those things that has given me all the values to overcome something like cancer and to get through it and continue pursuing my dreams,” said Potter.

"It teaches you a lot of life lessons."

Potter lost more than just her hair, she watched her muscle mass decline. The chemotherapy took a toll on her body, but one year after treatment, she is back to the dominant player she once was.

Potter won’t know for several weeks whether she makes the team, but if she does, her story will be one of the great comebacks of the Rio Olympics.

If cancer can't stop her, who knows how many opponents it will take to bring her down.

It’s been one delicious week in San Diego’s food and drink scene. Eater San Diego shares the top stories, including a look at Uptown’s new French bistro, Et Viola!, and details on a new distillery headed for the East Village.

Modern French Bistro Et Voila! Arrives on Adams Avenue
Traditional French classics get a modern twist at this stylish new bistro at the border of University Heights and North Park. Now serving dinner and weekend brunch, Et Voila! has alums of the city's top French restaurants running the house and the kitchen.

Female-Owned Craft Distillery Heads to East Village
When it opens in the East Village later this summer, You & Yours Distilling Co. will have one of the only head female distillers in the country. Planning to feature a cocktail bar and tasting room, the distillery will specialize the craft spirits, including gin, vodka and fruit eau de vies.

Updating the Eater Heatmap For May
The Eater Heatmap, aka where to eat right now, highlights the hottest restaurants with the biggest buzz in San Diego. New to the Heatmap in May: a second act from a North Park favorite, a new offering from celeb chef Brian Malarkey and a poke-centric eatery on Convoy.

Parc Bistro-Brasserie in Bankers Hill Reveals Menu & Chef
The French restaurant replacing Croce's Park West in Bankers Hill will open later this month with an executive chef from La Jolla' Cusp Dining & Drinks and a menu that features signature French dishes for lunch and dinner, including escargot and beef tartare.

Bracero Splits With Chef de Cuisine
Baja-inspired Little Italy hotspot Bracero made news this week with a shakeup that saw the restaurant part ways with its founding chef de cuisine, who had been leading the kitchen since it first opened nearly a year ago.

New research has uncovered more about the effects of the Zika virus on fetal brain development.

UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers have pinpointed one way in which the Zika virus impacts fetal brain growth.

In a study released Friday, researchers found that when the Zika virus is introduced to a developing brain, it can activate a molecule called TLR3. This molecule usually defends against invading viruses.

Researchers identified that this specific activation is one reason brain development can be inhibited.

“We all have an innate immune system that evolved specifically to fight off viruses, but here the virus turns that very same defense mechanism against us,” explained Tariq Rana, PhD, senior author and professor of pediatrics at UCSD School of Medicine, in a previous statement. “By activating TLR3, the Zika virus blocks genes that tell stem cells to develop into the various parts of the brain. The good news is that we have TLR3 inhibitors that can stop this from happening.”

Fortunately, the TLR3 inhibitors did show hope in fighting the activated molecule’s damage. In fact, the discovery of the TLR3 inhibitors may open a door to new approaches for mitigating the effects of the virus on prenatal brain development.

However, it is not yet a guaranteed way to counter Zika's influence.

This study was conducted on 3D models of the human brain in the first trimester and were made of either human or mouse cells that were grown in the laboratory. Additionally, researchers used a different strain of Zika than the current virus seen in Latin America.

To read the full study, which was funded by National Institutes of Health grants, click here.

The Pentagon acknowledged publicly for the first time that the U.S. military is operating on the ground in Yemen, NBC News reported. 

Forces are providing intelligence, maritime support, airborne surveillance and medical aid to the Emirate, Yemeni and Arab coalition battling al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, according to Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesperson. 

The deployment, according to Davis, is in response to the growth of AQAP in Yemen. He said four recent counterterror strikes conducted by the U.S. havekilled 10 AQAP operatives. 

Davis said this is a new deployment, but didn’t say how many forces are on the ground or where they are operating. A senior defense official said it is a very small number of troops.

After his classmates’ plea for a visit from Captain America went viral, 18-year-old Ryan Wilcox got quite a treat from Chris Evans and his school on Friday.

The actor sent San Diego's Grossmont High School a video, offering Wilcox well-wishes and telling him simply to “stay strong.”

“It’s people like you with strength like yours that inspire people like me,” Evan says in the video posted to YouTube.

The actor’s video was in response to a social media campaign by the high school’s ASB, seeking a visit to Wilcox, who is battling cancer and is a devoted Captain America fan.

The ASB club posted its plea on Facebook and the post has since amassed more than 3,100 shares.

On Friday, the school had an assembly for Wilcox, where they featured Evans’ video.

“I’m thinking of you,” the star says. “Stay strong!”

The student body also showered Wilcox with support, dressing up in Captain America garb and holding a banner that read: “#RyanStrong.”

The anonymous, self-described whistleblower of the so-called Panama Papers issued a manifesto Friday, saying the controversy from the leak of 11.5 million documents hasn’t triggered enough action or condemnation, NBC News reported. 

"I decided to expose Mossack Fonseca because I thought its founders, employees and clients should have to answer for their roles in these crimes, only some of which have come to light thus far," wrote the leaker in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the German newspaper that received the documents last year and then shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. 

The whistleblower acknowledged the media’s coverage has generated debate on the use of offshore shell companies to allegedly “carry out a wide array of serious crimes,” but added that not enough focus has been placed on how much of the abuse of tax havens is legal.

On Friday, President Obama urged Congress to enact measures to fight tax evasion by corporations and the rich, citing the Panama Papers as evidence. 

Iceland’s prime minister resigned over the leak and a spotlight has been trained on leaders in several countries, including Russia and China.

Talk about a joyride - a 12-year-old boy stole a school bus and took it for a drive, according to police in Bangor, Maine.

John St. Germain was in the passenger seat when he and his friend, Amanda, saw a bus driving dangerously in front of them. In cell phone video, it can be seen swerving, hitting the sidewalk and signs.

"At first it was comical, because we both thought it was a new driver - like someone being taught how to drive a bus," said St. Germain.

And it was a new driver - a very young one.

"I kind of saw his body structure [when the bus turned] and I was like, 'Oh my gosh - I think that's a kid," said St. Germain. "That's when it got scary."

Police say the child got access to the keys of a bus at the Bangor Cyr bus lines terminal and took it for spin.

As his friend called police, St. Germain decided he had to intervene.

"I was like, 'Alright, I'm going to take over,'" he said.

St. Germain stopped recording the video, jumped out of his car, and run up to the bus. The doors were slightly ajar, so he managed to get inside the slowly-moving vehicle. Then, he came face-to-face with the child driver.

"He didn't realize I was there for about 10 seconds or so, and then he looked at me and said 'I know what I'm doing,'" said St. Germain.

And then the kid kept driving.

"Then I kind of took the wheel, and put my foot on the brake, and then stopped the bus," St. Germain said. "I looked at him and said 'Alright, you need to get in the back now.'"

But the boy hopped off the bus and walked away. Police eventually caught him and charged him with operating without a license and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Authorities called St. Germain to the police station.

"I thought 'I'm going to get in trouble for this. I'm going to go to jail or something, because I just high-jacked a bus,'" he said.

St. Germain was relieved, and honored, to learn the Bangor Police Department wanted to give him a challenge coin as an award.

"The term 'hero' is thrown around a lot, but this guy is a hero," said Bangor Police Sgt. Tim Cotton. "He stopped something from happening, he stopped injuries to the 12-year-old boy, he may have stopped other damage."

On the Bangor Police Department's Facebook page, Cotton writes that St. Germain very likely saved lives by taking action. The post has gone viral, and St. Germain isn't sure what to make of all the attention.

"I just did what anyone would have done," St. Germain said.

The boy was taken into custody.