The controversial, $7.5 million "One Paseo" project came back to San Diego's City Council in revised form on Monday -- 16 months after its originally accepted scheme had been scaled back -- and got an 8-1 vote of approval.

The Council’s earlier 7-2 vote wound up being rescinded in the face of a referendum campaign that gathered twice as many petition signatures than needed to force a re-work, or a citywide ballot measure.

For several years, One Paseo has been an issue that resonated far beyond its epicenter east of Interstate 5 in Carmel Valley to Del Mar and neighborhoods east along Highway 56.

While traffic volume projections have been cut nearly in half, what remains is still too much for remaining critics.

"Planning your whole schedule around the fairgrounds, the county fair, the racetrack -- that's great, we'll live with it,” Dennis Green, a Carmel Valley resident and former NFL coach told the Council during an afternoon meeting in the Civic Center’s Golden Hall. “But I think that an additional center this size, in this location? Very bad deal."

In an interview with NBC 7 Andrea Mintz said: "They're saying that CalTrans might do this, and we're going to contribute money to that, and we're going to put in synchronized traffic lights. But that doesn't really address the problem that you find in Carmel Valley. If you've ever driven down Del Mar Heights Road you know how impacted it is."

The 24-acre site is across El Camino Real from the Del Mar Highlands Center.

In the smaller re-design offered by the developer, Kilroy Realty, retail space was reduced by almost two-thirds, and office space by close to half.

Early opponents and the Highlands Center objected to an original plan that was twice what the zoning allowed.

Their referendum drive confronted the Council with a choice between a citywide election measure -- or a do-over process.

That wound up in Kilroy’s smaller building heights, with greater "setbacks" from the streets, and a housing "element" of 608 condominium units.

"I think it fits the community more,” said Kilroy spokeswoman Rachel Laing. "And it would surprise you how many people really want to see the homes built. People want to downsize. They've raised their families, they've got this five-bedroom home, just a couple living in it. They want to move to those homes, so there's actually a lot of support for everything going in there."

But there's still a pocket of opponents who feel they compromise is unworthy, if not legally suspect.

"I've heard other people say that the environmental impact report really needed to be redone, based on the new numbers -- and that was never done,” Mintz said. “But you know, this is a case of fighting city hall. I'm just going to fight as long as I can but I don't know where it's going to lead."

The lone dissenting vote on the project was cast by Council President Sherrie Lightner, whose 1st District encompasses the site.

That was after Kilroy executives declined her invitation to boost the affordable housing ratio from 10 percent of the units to 20 percent.

Solar customers in San Diego get credit for excess electricity they generate.  But the rules are about to change.

"Compared to the rest of the state, SDG&E is going to be the first investor owned utility to reach the program limit," said San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) representative Amber Albrecht.

When that happens, new customers will have to transition to a new set of rules.

"The way solar was done the last decade is not going to work because moving forward rates are changing,"  said Dan Sullivan with Sullivan Solar Power.

Solar customer will still get credit for excess electricity at the full resale credit for solar but under the new rules, customers will have pay one time connection fee of $132 and pay into public participation programs.  Those costs could add up to an additional charge of $115 to $300 a year.

Solar credits were guaranteed to customers until the SDG&E base reached five percent in solar power generated.  That is expected to happen the week of June 27th.  After that new rules take effect that include the new charges and fees.

Customers already using solar are "grandfathered" into the old rules for 20 years. Dan Sullivan says they are seeing a yearly growth in sales between 30 percent and 60 percent and he doesn't anticipate the changes to hurt solar installations.

"The old rules are now going to be gone and we have a new order in place but it still makes a lot of sense to go solar," said Sullivan.

So what about people who have solar panels installed on their roof but not using them yet?  "To qualify under the current program," said Amber Albrecht, "you would need to have your city inspection clearance signed off Monday or Tuesday and SDG&E notified to that."

A Verizon store in Clairemont was robbed at gunpoint on Monday evening, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) confirmed.

The incident happened around 8:53 p.m. on the 4500 block of Clariemont Mesa Boulevard.

Two suspects armed with gun, wearing hoodies and masks entered the store and stole marchandise. It's unclear how much the merchandise was worth.

Police said the suspects then took off from the store and are still outstanding.

According to SDPD, there has been a rash of robberies at cell phone stores lately.

No other information was immediately available.

New details are emerging surrounding the Rancho Santa Fe home where two women and a 15-year old girl were found dead on Monday.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) said deputies responded to reports of a possible child abuse around 11:49 a.m. at the home located on the 17100 block of Via De La Valle near the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club.

When deputies arrived on scene, they saw the body of one of the woman through a kitchen window. After forcing entry, they found all three bodies in separate areas of the house, according to SDSO Lt. Kenn Nelson.

A man who identified himself as a close friend of the homeowner came by the scene Monday evening to speak with investigators.

“I'm like lost and I am shocked at the same time. I don't have names and faces. I don't even know who is in there,” Cyrus Moinzaeh told NBC 7.

Property records indicate the house is under Michael Arya’s name and it was purchased in 2014.

Moinzaeh said Arya died less than two months ago and that the person living at the home now is Arya's girlfriend.

“There were some, maybe some arguments about how he split the estate. He wanted to give the girlfriend a little bit more and the daughter,” he said.

The identities of the women and the teen girl are still unknown.

Nelson said there were obvious signs of trauma to all three bodies but the deaths were believed to be a murder-suicide.

Neighbors expressed their shock and sadness after hearing about the deaths Monday morning.

"I didn't hear an alarm go off or any kind of screaming or anything like that," neighbor Maureen Sage said. 

"It's a tragedy. I don't know the people--maybe I do or have seen them. It's a terrible tragedy," neighbor Peter Murphy said.

Another neighbor told NBC 7, the deaths make her nervous for her own safety as well.

"I am always cautious. I make sure if I am alone, my doors are locked, my windows are locked. Yeah, you never know," Linda Keehan said.

Meanwhile, deputies continue their investigation into Monday evening.

Nelson said there are no outstanding suspects right now and that deputies still do not know the motive or the relationship between the women and the teen.

NBC 7’s Derek Togerson takes a look at the potential for San Diego to add more professional sports teams in this commentary

Downtown San Diego is suddenly home to some of the most prime real estate on the planet. The San Diego Unified Port District has informed Terramar Retail Centers that it will not renew their lease on historic Seaport Village and opened it up to ideas for redevelopment.

That means as of September, 2018, the Port District can completely reshape that land, something they’ve thought for a long time about doing. So why is the sports guy interested in this?

Because one of the six ideas the Port District will consider includes an 18,000 seat sports and entertainment venue. Basically that means it’s a new Sports Arena and if that is the proposal that is eventually chosen it opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

There are other things included in the proposal by real estate company OliverMcMillan, including three hotels, several restaurants, office space, new performance space for the San Diego Symphony and even tide pools for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (of the 70 acres the Port District is making available, 30 are submerged).

But the anchor would be that new arena, and that just begs the question … Why would someone build a new sports arena if there’s no team to play in it?

The most obvious answer is to hold concerts, special events and smaller conventions like Kansas City’s Sprint Center does. Even though there is no major professional sports franchise committed to playing there it hosts a myriad of different events. In July alone it will have performances from such diverse acts as Louis C.K., Drake and Dolly Parton. Sprint Center has hosted 540 events in a little more than five years.

Now, that might be enough for a new facility downtown but what really sticks out to me is the fact AEG Worldwide is on board with OliverMcMillan to design and run the proposed new facility. Having that sports and entertainment entity in the mix is like having Vegas lights going off when someone hits the jackpot.

Speaking of Vegas, it’s AEG Worldwide who helped with the new facility in Las Vegas that attracted an NHL expansion team. That arena was privately financed. In fact, here is just a partial list of the facilities AEG helped find private financing for:

T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas)
Staples Center (Los Angeles)
American Airlines Arena (Miami)
StubHub Center (Carson, CA)
Citizens Bank Arena (Ontario, CA home of the AHL Ontario Reign)

That is a key component here. The development plan set forth by OliverMcMillan and AEG is estimated at about $1.4 billion and they say they can do the whole thing with private money. No tax increases. No cash from the general fund.

Do I have your attention yet?

Part of the reason they can do it is the Port District would offer a long-term land lease on the 70 acres on the Embarcadero. The developers would operate as a private entity and pay rent based on either a fixed rate or a percentage of profits (the Port District will make this offer to any of the six plans they are considering).

This way they don’t have to worry about the costly and often contentious “land acquisition” portion of a real estate deal. But, back to the big question of who gets to call the new arena home.

First thought would be the San Diego Gulls. The new hockey franchise had a wildly successful inaugural season in the American Hockey League playing at Valley View Casino Center, which is also operated by AEG. People I’ve spoken to with the Gulls say they would move to a new facility on the Embarcadero “in a heartbeat.”

The Gulls have a lease at the VVCC that runs for another four years, which would potentially line up nicely with when the proposed new facility Downtown could be set to open. Plus, with AEG as the manager of both facilities it would be easy to move to a brand new spot.

The Samueli family that owns the Gulls and NHL’s Anaheim Ducks loved their first experience with San Diego hockey fans and would be willing to move their team down I-5 to a new facility if it makes good business sense. However there is little likelihood they would bring the Ducks down to American’s Finest City full-time.

As for another NHL expansion team? The league will have to look at the possibility now that they have an odd number of teams but putting three franchises in Southern California, plus one in Las Vegas, would be a hard sell.

So how about the National Basketball Association? I know, we’ve had the NBA come and go (twice) but that was a different era of professional sports. Plus there was never a billionaire San Diego family that wanted to own a team here and keep it around for a while. Now there is.

The Jacobs family really likes basketball. They also run Qualcomm Incorporated and have more than enough cash to own an NBA franchise, something they have long wanted to do. A trio of brothers … Paul, Jeff and Hal Jacobs … even helped buy in to the Sacramento Kings to help keep the team in California’s capital city.

The number one reason the Jacobs boys have not brought a pro hoops team back home is the cost associated with building a new arena. If that part is already taken care of, the road has been cleared for them to make their longtime dream come true.

In March NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke about the possibility of the league expanding and said he doesn’t see it happening in the next couple of years but offered this caveat:

"Organizations all grow over time, and on an optimistic note," Silver said. "I don't think the there is any doubt that at some point we will turn back to looking at whether we should grow the league.”

A brand new arena with a wealthy and committed ownership would certainly grab Silver’s attention. If expansion is not in the cards there is always to possibility of a team relocating. Silver admitted that not all 30 current franchises are performing at the level he would like.

“At the moment we are not in the position, putting even aside profitability, where all 30 teams are must-see experiences,” said Silver. “That's not a secret."

But even putting all that aside a Downtown sports arena could be just the first domino to fall. First off it opens up the Sports Arena land where Valley View Casino Center now sits. The City of San Diego has identified that parcel as an underperforming asset and would very likely jump at the chance to have it redeveloped, which brings us to the San Diego Chargers.

The Bolts’ citizens’ initiative (CI) is 100% separate from any development that would happen on the Port District land. So if the Chargers get their plan on the November ballot and have it approved and City Hall does not throw up 2,000 road blocks to try and keep it from happening then BOTH the new convadium and the new sports arena could go up a few blocks from one another.

But in the event the Chargers don’t get what they want Downtown, they could then attempt another CI and go after the 100 or so acres at the Sports Arena. I asked Chargers Special Counsel Mark Fabiani if that is a spot the team would be interested in.

“No,” said Fabiani in an email.

But that’s OK! We still have lots of possibilities because AEG is now fishing in our waters and AEG, traditionally, does not get skunked.

If another development plan is chosen to redevelop the Embarcadero then AEG could still very well look to the City and offer the same kind of a setup. Legally they could do the same kind of land lease the Port District is offering its new tenant, tear down the Sports Arena, and start fresh with a L.A. Live kind of experience closer to Point Loma. Where the Gulls would play during that time is an issue that would have to be looked in to.

That would give San Diego TWO brand new redeveloped areas and start pulling us in to the 21st Century. Plus don’t forget something is eventually going to happen with Mission Valley. Either the Chargers will leave to go Downtown; leave to go to Los Angeles; or have a change of heart and commit to building a new stadium at the Qualcomm Stadium site.

If they go then we have the JMI Realty proposal to expand San Diego State University and build a 35,000 seat stadium for the Aztecs that could also hold a professional soccer team. Regardless of which new stadium is potentially constructed, Major League Soccer will strongly consider putting an expansion team in San Diego.

So, to recap, what if we go from the doorstep of losing our NFL team because it plays in an ancient stadium to having an NFL, MLS, and NBA team playing in a pair (perhaps trio?) of brand new, state-of-the-art facilities, all because somebody decided it was time to change Seaport Village?

It’s amazing to consider what might happen when someone engages in some forward thinking, isn’t it?

The Escondido Police Department will announce an arrest on Tuesday in connection to the woman found dead inside a car in Escondido two weeks ago.

Elizabeth Antoinette Perez was found dead in a car parked along the northbound Interstate 15 near El Norte Parkway on June 13 around 1:10 p.m.

According to Lt. Ed Varso of the Escondido Police Department, Perez had known the suspect arrested in connection to her death. The suspect is described to be man from San Diego County in his 30s. He was arrested out-of-state.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers who responded to the scene found the front two windows of the car shattered. Perez was inside the car with blood on her upper body.

She was later confirmed to be dead.

Police will release additional information and announce the arrest in a news conference at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

No other information was available.

Please check back for updates on this developing story.

The District Attorney’s Office announced the launch of an aggressive campaign aimed at combating human and sex trafficking in San Diego County on Monday.

The campaign is called The Ugly Truth.

According to the FBI, San Diego is classified as a high-intensity child prostitution area, and is one of the top 13 cities in the U.S where kids are sold for sex.

The “Innovative public-awareness campaign,” as described by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, is meant to help people understand the truth about San Diego County’s ever growing sex trafficking problem. Its ultimate goal is to get leaders in Sacramento to prioritize the issue and increase penalties for pimping and prostitution.

The campaign will feature provocative ads and billboards, in Spanish and English, strategically placed in high-traffic areas around the county, including Comic-Con and the MLB All-Star Game.

The theme of the bold, purple ads is centered on debunking myths and common misconceptions about prostitution and the sex trafficking industry. In fact, the ads echo the voices of former human trafficking survivors who were asked for input.

“Here in San Diego, we are fighting back with relentless law enforcement and prosecution,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Summer Stephan said. “But we need all of our community to join us in this fight for the safety and dignity of our children.”

According to a recent study by the University of San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego's sex trafficking industry can impact about 3,000 to 8,000 victims, mostly women and young girls, every year. The average age of those victims is 16 years old.

According to the District Attorney's Office, a trafficker controlling about four victims makes an average yearly income over $670,000.

The campaign, which runs until the end of September, is funded by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office and San Diego County's Child Welfare Services.

Victims in need of help and people interested in more information about the camaign can go here.

Just 45 percent of Republican voters say they are satisfied with Donald Trump as their party's presumptive presidential nominee, while 52 percent say they would have preferred someone else, according to results from the latest national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

By comparison, the numbers are reversed for Hillary Clinton among Democrats — 52 percent of Democratic voters are satisfied with Clinton, and 45 percent prefer someone else, NBC News reported.

GOP attitudes about Trump break along ideological and educational lines. Fifty-eight percent of Republicans with a high school education or less are satisfied with Trump as the party's presumptive nominee, versus 60 percent of Republicans with a college degree who want someone else.

The NBC/WSJ poll — conducted June 19-23 — comes after Clinton became her party's presumptive nominee and the nightclub rampage in Orlando.

A man and woman found dead inside a home in San Diego's Southcrest neighborhood on Friday have been identified.

Karmen Torres, 49 and Omar Torres, 55, were found inside their home on the 3800 block of Gamma Street just east of Interstate 5 around 5 p.m. on Friday.

A roommate made the grisly discovery and contacted authorities.

When police arrived, they found both had suffered deadly gunshot wounds to their upper bodies. They wre pronounced dead at the scene.

Karmen and Omar were a married couple, according to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD).

SDPD Homicide Detectives determined the incident was a murder-suicide.

U.S. stocks rose Tuesday following gains overseas, rebounding after a sharp two-day sell-off on the surprise U.K. "Brexit" vote to leave the European Union, CNBC reported.

The Dow Jones industrial average traded up about 140 points in the early afternoon after opening more than 200 points higher. 

"We're still very much in reaction mode right now for U.S. equities," said Jeremy Klein, chief market strategist at FBN Securities.

U.S. crude oil futures held more than 1.5 percent higher, just above $47 a barrel.

In the last two trading days, global markets have lost a record $3.0 trillion, according to Howard Silverblatt of S&P Dow Jones Indices.

Longtime NFL head coach and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan died of cancer at the age of 82 Tuesday morning, according to NFL.com.

During his 35-year career, James David "Buddy" Ryan was the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals and the defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears and Houston Oilers.

After playing college football at Oklahoma A&M University, Ryan accepted his first coaching job at Gainesville High School in Texas. He also spent one year as athletic director at a high school in Marshall, Texas.

From 1961 to 1965, Ryan was a defensive line coach for the University of Buffalo before moving on to the New York Jets, where he won his first Super Bowl ring.

Ryan kept the same position for two years with the Minnesota Vikings, where his "Purple People Eaters" terrorized opposing quarterbacks.

The Chicago Bears named Ryan defensive coordinator in 1978. After a few years in Chicago, Ryan perfected the "46 Defense," which carried the Bears to a Super Bowl win following the 1985 season. That Bears defense is widely considered to be the greatest in NFL history.

Ryan's success with the Bears turned into a head coaching opportunity with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1986. He was fired after going 43-38-1 in five seasons, including an 0-3 playoff record.

The Houston Oilers brought Ryan on as defensive coordinator in 1993. He only lasted one year there, though, and is most famous for punching his team's offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride on the sideline during a game.

Ryan's final NFL job was to serve as head coach for the Arizona Cardinals, where he amassed a 12-20 record in two seasons.

Ryan's twin sons Rex and Rob, the head coach and assistant head coach of the Buffalo Bills, respectively, also have spent decades coaching in the NFL.

A U-Haul truck crashed into a fire hydrant in El Cajon overnight, shearing the hydrant and causing a sinkhole to form in the area.

According to officials, the truck was pulling into a USA Gas Station at West Main Street and El Cajon Boulevard at around 11:20 p.m. Monday when it sheared the hydrant. As water rushed out, parts of the street eroded, causing a sinkhole.

Initially, firefighters estimated the sinkhole measured at least 20 feet by 20 feet.

Officials with the Helix Water District were called to the scene. They were able to shut off the water about an hour later. Those crews then determined the sinkhole wasn’t quite as large as originally thought.

Still, crews remained in the area overnight repairing the damage caused to the street and laying down temporary pavement. A portion of the roadway was blocked off to traffic while crews worked. 

“It doesn’t appear that below ground – other than the damage to the fire hydrant – that there’s any other damage underneath the asphalt,” Tony Vielguth, of the Helix Water District, explained. “The water came up underneath the road and then surfaced where the road was cracked.”

The Helix Water District said they expected to finish the repairs by 7 a.m. Tuesday and fully reopen access to the road.

Small-business owners looking for insight into how to work with the government may glean some information at the Gold Coast conference in August.

The National Defense Industrial Association will present its 28th Navy Gold Coast Small Business Procurement Event Aug. 23-24 at the San Diego Convention Center. The theme of the conference is The Business of Innovation.

Invited speakers include several U.S. Navy officials, including Undersecretary Janine A. Davidson as well as procurement leaders.

Also in attendance will be retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Craig McKinley, CEO of the National Defense Industrial Council.

The Pentagon has several programs to bring small businesses into the military acquisition process.

Conference organizers say there will be matchmaking events for those looking for business partners.

Information on the conference is available on the web at www.NavyGoldCoast.org.

A man wearing a mask from the movie “Scream” and wielding a sledgehammer robbed an Autozone shop in Mira Mesa, ordering employees to tie each other up before he fled, according to police.

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said the bizarre robbery happened just before 11:15 p.m. Monday at an Autozone located at 9152 Mira Mesa Blvd.

Investigators said the masked suspect approached an employee outside the business. When the two went inside the store, the suspect simulated having a gun and made demands.

There were two other employees inside the store. The man ordered all of the victims to tie one another up before he fled the scene.

Police did not say what the suspect stole. The man was described as wearing a black hoodie and dark pants, though no further details were released.

The case is under investigation. No injuries were reported.

A pregnant woman shot in the face by errant gunfire. An elderly man riddled with rifle rounds. Boys and girls ripped apart by rocket propelled grenades.

Afghanistan’s civilians are being injured and killed in greater numbers now than any time since the beginning of the U.S.-led war in late 2001. It's the result of fighting between the Taliban and government security forces, which has escalated since the withdrawal of U.S. troops. 

The Emergency Surgical Center in Kabul is where many of wounded come to heal, often from villages and towns across the provinces surrounding the capital. Their injuries are often similar: a bullet or shard of hot metal has torn through the bodies, piercing internal organs, breaking bones, destroying limbs.

For two months last fall, photographer Victor J. Blue documented the latest fighting season’s toll. Click through to see those images (WARNING: Some images are graphic).

Police released logs from the Orlando massacre on Tuesday, providing a narrative of the horror inside the Pulse nightclub on June 12.

The document includes the notes that 911 dispatchers took on what callers were telling them and what officers were saying over their radios over the course of three hours, NBC News reported. The timeline begins with "Shots fired" entry at 2:02 a.m.

Note after note laid bare the fear, panic and carnage that filled the club where 49 victims were killed before gunman Omar Mateen was shot dead by police. In the first few minutes, dispatchers could hear gunfire, cries for help, and heartbreaking silence. As clubgoers ran for their lives to various corners of the building, calls came in from restrooms, the kitchen, an office. 

The entry at 5:15 a.m. ET, "Subj down" marks the end of the bloodshed.

A snorkeler died after being rescued from the water in La Jolla Monday evening, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD).

SDFD said a kayaker went to help the snorkeler around 5:15 p.m. just east of La Jolla Cove. The kayaker helped lifeguards get the victim to land where CPR was performed.

The victim was trasported to Scripps La Jolla Hospital where he later died.

SDFD said the Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this developing story. 

Sheriff's deputies on Monday discovered the bodies of three females, two adults and one teen, in an upscale home in Rancho Santa Fe.

Deputies responded to a 911 call from a friend of one of the victims about a possible child abuse case just before noon Monday.

Responding to the home in the 17100 block of Via De La Valle, they saw the body of one of the females through a kitchen window, said San Diego County sheriff's Lt. Kenn Nelson. The home is near the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club.

After forcing entry, they found all three bodies in separate areas of the house, Nelson said. The females all had visible signs of trauma, though deputies will not disclose how they died.

The adult women were in their mid 40s and the third female was a teenager, deputies said.

Nelson said they do not believe there are any outstanding suspects in the case, indicating the situation is a murder-suicide.

Investigators are still trying to determine the relationship of the females and a motive.

Investigators were also waiting for a judge to sign a search warrant on Monday afternoon before gaining entry to collect evidence.

The grisly deaths are not believed to be connected to the death investigation under way in Encinitas.

Via De Santa Fe to the south and Las Colinas to the north have been closed off as authorities work on scene.

The street closure was causing a backup Monday evening for residents trying to get home.

The Coronado Bridge has now reopened after being temporarily shut down Tuesday morning due to police activity.

The City of Coronado said authorities had blocked traffic on the bridge in both directions around 6:20 a.m., but further details were not released.

At around 6:45 a.m., the City of Coronado said the bridge had reopened, though traffic was moving very slowly in the area.

Get traffic updates from NBC 7 here.