San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Chief Shelley Zimmerman said the city stands behind the families of two police officers shot in the line of duty — officers who are true heroes.

The mayor and chief held a news briefing Saturday to discuss the shooting of two SDPD gang suppression officers, Jonathan "JD" DeGuzman and Wade Irwin. The shooting shocked the city, and left DeGuzman dead and Irwin seriously wounded.

Faulconer and Zimmerman said they have been visiting the families of both officers, sharing the outpouring of love and support from the San Diego community with the grieving spouses, children and loved ones of the officers. At this point, investigators have not determined a motive for the shooting.

Faulconer said he spoke with DeGuzman's wife and young son and daughter and told them to hold their heads high.

“We told them directly how proud all of us are — our city, our state, our nation — for JD. I told his wife and his son and daughter that he’s a hero for what he did, and that they have all of us standing behind their family. All of us.”

"We lost a terrific man," the mayor said of DeGuzman. "He served our city well, served this community for a number of years.”

Faulconer said the past two days have been very emotional for the officers’ families and San Diego as a whole. He said the support from the community for the police department and the unity in the city is palpable, and can be felt by the families as they mourn.

“This city is behind you and it’s going to stay behind you,” the mayor added. "We have two heroes — who absolutely represent the best of the best."

Meanwhile, Zimmerman said Saturday that the police department deeply appreciates the support from San Diego. Her officers are more determined than ever to continue to protect and serve the city.

“Our resolve as San Diego Police officers is as strong as it’s ever been," the chief said. "We will continue to go out there every single day — to proudly wear our badge, proudly wear our uniform – and make sure that our communities are safe."

On Thursday, at around 11 p.m., DeGuzman, 43, and Irwin, 32, were on duty in San Diego’s Southcrest community, south of downtown. As the officers conducted a traffic stop in the 3700 block of Acacia Grove Way near Boston Avenue, they were fired upon.

Within seconds, the officers called for cover.

Dozens upon dozens of law enforcement officers raced to the scene, blanketing the neighborhood with patrol cars, sirens blaring. When backup officers arrived, they discovered both DeGuzman and Irwin suffering from gunshot wounds.

DeGuzman was rushed in a police patrol car to Scripps Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest. The officer — a 16-year-veteran of the force — died shortly thereafter.

Irwin — a 9-year veteran of the department — was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery. Zimmerman said Irwin is expected to survive. His wife has been by his side as he recovers. They are parents to a 19-month-old baby.

The heartbreaking loss of Irwin’s partner was felt by the entire police department, Zimmerman said. The chief called the killing of DeGuzman “senseless.”

On Saturday, the chief said telling DeGuzman's family that he had died was one of the most difficult moments of her law enforcement career.

"It’s the most difficult thing a chief will ever have to do – to make that announcement, make that notification," she said. "It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do."

Zimmerman said she had worked with DeGuzman at SDPD’s Mid-City Division and knew him well. In 2003, DeGuzman earned a Purple Heart from the department after being stabbed by a suspect while in the line of duty.

That time, Zimmerman got to tell DeGuzman’s wife that he was going to survive. This time, sadly, the chief said things turned out differently.

“I was driving over that night, I knew I was going to have to make that notification that he was not going to be okay, and he was not coming home,” Zimmerman lamented. “Nothing prepares you for that."

On Friday evening, Zimmerman identified Jesse Michael Gomez, 52, as the suspect in the shooting of the officers. He was taken into custody shortly after the shooting in a ravine in the 1300 block of 38th Street. The chief said another “possible” suspect is Marcus Antonio Cassani, 41.

Cassani was arrested for an outstanding warrant Friday after an hours-long standoff at a home on 41st and Epsilon streets in Shelltown. At this point, it is still unclear is Cassani was involved in the shooting of the officers.

Zimmerman said the shooting occurred extremely quickly – within “seconds to a minute or so.” Both DeGuzman and Irwin were wearing personal body cameras on their uniforms and the chief said “there is video evidence” on those cameras.

On Saturday, the chief said investigators were still working around the clock on the case, and she had no further details of the suspects to share.

She said although Irwin is now awake, he is still recovering from significant injuries and not in a condition to be interviewed by investigators about the incident. She said details from the surviving officer are forthcoming.

With the preliminary investigation underway, Zimmerman said details of the shooting could change. The chief has not said whether the shooting was an ambush.

Sources told NBC News the suspects are believed to belong to a local San Diego gang and there is no indication at this stage of the investigation that the officers were specifically targeted, as in recent incidents in Dallas and Baton Rouge that collectively claimed the lives of eight officers.

Zimmerman said that when the police shooting happened in Dallas and Baton Rouge, her department talked about and practiced what to do if this ever happened to San Diego officers. She said Saturday that investigators are “not making any correlation” to police shootings in those other cities.

“We just don’t know yet. Our investigation will determine this,” she added.

At this point, the chief said investigators are not looking for any additional suspects in connection with the deadly shooting.

Zimmerman said the police department is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support San Diego has shown to officers.

"Since this tragic incident I've heard from our officers, as they're out patrolling, [that] so many community members are coming up and thanking them; more than ever before,” Zimmerman said. “And I'll tell you, that means everything."

"We became San Diego police officers because we are proud to wear the uniform and the badge of the San Diego Police Department,” she added. “We are unwavering in our commitment to make sure we have the safest city in the United States."

Zimmerman said a funeral for DeGuzman has not been planned yet, but will share those details publicly once they're available. She described the fallen officer as a loving, caring family man who “came to work every single day just wanting to make a positive difference in his community.”

The chief described Irwin also as a caring, passionate police officer who works to serve the community each and every day.

"It’s a calling for him — for all of us," Zimmerman said. "He wants to make sure our community can live in safety."

She said Irwin is eager to fully recover and get back to his duties as a police officer.

"That’s what he wants; he wants to get back out there as quickly as he can," she added.

The deadly shooting is a grim reminder of the dangers police officers face in the line of duty every day.

“Police officers go out every single day, that wear a badge with pride. We all took an oath to protect and serve all of our communities. To have this happen to our police officers – we’ve seen this happen way too many times just in these last few weeks across our great country. It is tragic for everyone," Zimmerman said at an earlier news briefing.

On Saturday, the chief added that the police department and city is "in this together," and it's "never an us [SDPD] versus them [the public]."

“I want to thank all San Diegans who have shown their incredible support for these officers, for their families,” Faulconer added. “In times like this, it’s what brings us together. As we grieve, let’s stand strong for these families, for these officers, and what they mean to our city.”

The last time an SDPD officer was killed in the line of duty was in 2011, when Officer Jeremy Henwood was shot in San Diego's City Heights community. Since 1913, the city has lost 33 officers in the line of duty.

A funeral mass will be held for DeGuzman at Corpus Christi Catholic Church at 450 Corral Canyon Road, in Bonita next Thursday at 11 a.m. Members of the public are welcome.

A public memorial service will be held at 11:00 am next Friday at Shadow Mountain Community Church at 2100 Greenfield Drive in El Cajon.

Nearly 60 people have been stung by stingrays at Coronado Beach over the last four days, Coronado Lifeguards confirmed Saturday.

Lifeguards are attributing the increase to warmer than average water and air temperatures and larger crowds at the beach.

The surf has also been small and calm, which allows stingrays to get to shallower water.

Lifeguards suggest shuffling and stamping your feet to scare stingrays away.

San Diegans at the beach Sunday said they were being cautious, but the news didn't stop them from going to the beach.

"We kind of waited for the big waves to come in and then we a swimming rolled and then we kind of ride with the wave," said Patrick Vue, a beachgoer.

He says he heard someone stepped on a stingray and was stung, but that's not keeping him from going in the water. He was at the beach all day with his family.

"You just kind of keep an eye out for the kids and try not to go too deep out in the water," said Paul Vue, a La Mesa resident. "'Cause they're a little smaller, so kind of stay where there's a lot of people and hopefully everyone scares away the stingrays."

Lifeguards have said about five to 15 people are getting stung a day. 

No serious injuries have been reported. 

If you do get stung, contact your nearest lifeguard. They will most likely have you soak the affected area in warm water.

A Chula Vista bank robbery suspect was caught hours later thanks to witness descriptions, police said. 

The robbery happened Saturday at 1:48 p.m. when Chula Vista police responded to a calls of a robbery in progress at the California Coast Credit Union at 286 E H Street. 

The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Sarah Martinez, stood in line at the bank and waited for service, officers said. When she reached the teller, she handed the teller a note, demanding money. 

The teller gave the suspect money from her cash drawer, police said. The suspect fled. No weapons were scene or reported. 

When officers arrived, witnesses they interviewed gave a good description of the suspect. Police began to search the area. 

Several hours later, at 4:39 p.m., an officer on patrol saw a woman matching the description provided of the robbery suspect walking along the 600 block of Broadway. 

The woman was detained and later admitted to being at the bank. Police said they have evidence linked her to the bank robbery. 

Martinez was later arrested. She will be booked into San Diego County Jail and faces several felony charges. 

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chula Vista Police Department at (619) 691-5151. 

When Khizr Khan spoke at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night, few could have predicted his emotional rebuke of Donald Trump would still be driving headlines days later — including the father of the fallen Muslim U.S. Army Captain himself, NBC News reports.

But that's exactly what has happened, and Khan told NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday his words surprised him. "I spoke from the heart."

Over the weekend, Donald Trump questioned why Mr. Khan's wife, Ghazala Khan, did not speak alongside her husband at the convention, then later, amid bipartisan backlash, issued a clarification through his campaign saying he believes Captain Humayun Khan, is "a hero to our country."

Khan appreciated the clarification, but continued to express his concerns about the Republican nominee Sunday: "We have a candidate without a moral compass, without empathy for its citizens."

Hundreds of San Diegans hung blue ribbons across one Chula Vista park Sunday in honor of fallen San Diego Police officer Jonathan DeGuzman. 

San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officer Jonathan "JD" DeGuzman, a 16-year veteran assigned to the Gang Unit, was shot and killed Thursday. His partner, Wade Irwin, was left seriously wounded but is expected to survive.

Members of the community came out to Heritage Park in Chula Vista's Otay Ranch neighborhood early Sunday, taking turns to shake officers' hands and tie blue ribbons to trees in the park and at local businesses nearby. 

Residents across Chula Vista, Officer DeGuzman's hometown, will also tie blue ribbons to their doors as they mourn the loss. DeGuzman frequently came to the park and played with his kids. 

Many who came out Sunday said the death hit them hard. 

"I have a lot of friends and family who are in law enforcement, and this really touched the heart because its so close to home," Dolly De La Rosa said.

"He's a hero in our eyes," said De La Rosa. 

Some, like parent Lilia Muniz, said respect for law enforcement officers is a value she hopes to instill in her children today. 

I believe and I should teach them that that's probably the only way we could come out of this tragedy," she said.

Her children are classmates with DeGuzman's daughter. 

"We were just heartbroken, and I had to figure out how to tell them that this had happened to one of their friends," she said.

Chula Vista Police Chief David Bejarano and Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas both attended the event, along with many other local law enforcement officers.

 Mariam Byron, a Chula Vista Police Department officer, said she wanted to come out Sunday to show her solidarity. 

"We’re obviously hurting for the San Diego Police Department's loss, the loss of officer DeGuzman," Byron said. "It's very sad and tough times right now. so just want to show our solidarity and our support for Officer DeGuzman and his family and for our San Diego PD brothers and sisters."

Chief Bejarano, who attended the ribbon tying, said hearing about DeGuzman was especially difficult for him. When he was San Diego Police Chief, he presented DeGuzman with his badge in October 2000. 

"We’ll get through this all together, but it really breaks your heart, to say the least," Bejarano said. 

With heavy hearts, community members spent the morning wrapping a symbol of respect around each tree.

"I think it helps all of us as far as starting the healing process," Bejarano said.

Fallen San Diego Police officer Jonathan "JD" DeGuzman, killed in the line of duty Thursday, will be laid to rest a week after his death. 

San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officer Jonathan "JD" DeGuzman, a 16-year veteran assigned to the Gang Unit, was shot and killed Thursday. His partner, Wade Irwin, was left seriously wounded but is expected to survive. 

DeGuzman is survived by his wife and two kids. 

A Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 4 for DeGuzman, the San Diego Police Officers Association (SDPOA) announced. The Funeral Mass will be held at Corpus Christi Catholic Church located at 450 Corral Canyon Road in Bonita. Members of the public are welcome to attend. 

A public memorial service for DeGuzman will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 5 at Shadow Mountain Community Church. The church is located at 2100 Greenfield Drive in El Cajon. The public memorial is for law enforcement and community members. 

A procession will follow to Glen Abbey Memorial Park, at 3838 Bonita Road in Bonita. Interment will follow the memorial service.

Funeral service arrangements are pending. The San Diego Police Officers Association has established a fund for Officer DeGuzman’s family. Donations can be mailed to:

San Diego Police Officers Association

8388 Vickers Street, San Diego, CA 92111

Checks can be made payable to the San Diego Police Officers Association (SDPOA). Please write “Officer Jonathan DeGuzman” in the memo line. All donations will go directly to the family. The SDPOA is also accepting online donations through their website.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

Three attackers and a police officer were killed in an attempted car bomb attack early Monday on a hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, authorities told NBC News.

The initial explosion at the Northgate, a secured hotel for foreigners near the Kabul airport, killed the officer and one of the bombers, police and government officials said. The two others were killed in an exchange of gunfire with police, they said.

An undetermined number of people were injured in the explosion, and one police officer was wounded in the ensuing gunbattle, said Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry.

A vandal used the cover of night to damage a "Black Lives Matter" banner displayed outside a Wilmington church over the weekend.

Officials from the First Unitarian Church of Wilmington said they believe someone deliberately cut the world "black" out of the church's "Black Lives Matter" banner, displayed outside the church along Concord Pike near Halstead Road, sometime overnight Friday into Saturday.

The Rev. Roberta Finkelstein, of the First Unitarian Church of Wilmington, called the vandalism "an anonymous and illegal attempt to silence Unitarian Universalism's prophetic voice."

In a statement, Finkelstein said, "This cowardly act will not prevent us from continuing to speak out about racial justice as a congregation and a religious movement."

Officials said the church plans to replace the banner, and local police in New Castle County were notified of the incident.

"We know that many members of the Wilmington community — especially the faith community — are eager to have honest conversations about race, justice, and the value of black lives in America," Finkelstein continued in her statement. "In the face of this naked act of vandalism, our congregation will not be deterred from its mission. We invite members of the community to talk with us about their concerns."

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Beach Hazards Statement Sunday through Monday evening for high surf and strong rip currents.

Tides will be up near seven feet during this time, and could result in minor flooding of low-lying coastal areas, according to the NWS.

The biggest surf can be seen at south and southwest facing beaches.

Waves that are now two to four feet are predicted to reach three to five feet by Sunday evening, and the highest tides will be Sunday and Monday evenings at 8 and 9 p.m. respectively.

Lifeguards have put flags out warning of the potentially dangerous conditions.

Swimmers and surfers should ask a lifeguard before swimming in hazardous conditions, and stay close to a lifeguard station. 

A Southwest plane blew a tire after landing at Lindbergh Field Sunday evening according to airline officials. 

The passengers had to exit the plane on the tarmac before making their way inside the airport.

The tire gave out after the plane had already made a safe landing and was taxiing to the gate.

No injuries were reported and no other flights were disrupted, but the incident did delay passengers headed to Texas.

"They alerted us and told us that there was a blown tire, and they basically said it's going to be a delay while they put the new tire on,” a Southwest passenger headed to Texas said.

The flight out was expected to be delayed for about two and a half hours.

Three days after being shot during a traffic stop, San Diego police officer Wade Irwin is still in the hospital.

Irwin, 32, and his partner Jonathan DeGuzman, 43, were both shot while on duty in Southcrest Thursday night. They were rushed to the hospital, but DeGuzman didn’t survive.

Irwin woke up after his surgery Friday only to learn that DeGuzman had died from his injuries.

“Not only is he significantly injured, but he lost his partner...That's like losing his brother,” attorney Jim Cunningham, with the Fraternal Order of Police, said.

Cunningham described Irwin as an extremely devoted police officer, husband and father of a 19-month old girl.

Irwin comes from a family of police officers, and has been with the San Diego Police Department for nine years. He has served in the department’s elite gang suppression unit since June.

Cunningham said Irwin is anxious to get back to work, but he will have some significant needs including rehab moving forward.

Irwin hopes be out of the hospital in time for his partner's funeral services on Thursday.

“I can tell you that Wade Irwin is probably the bravest, most courageous police officer I've met in my life,” Cunningham told NBC 7.

The Fraternal Order of Police has set up a Gofundme page for Irwin and his family.

Suspect Jesse Michael Gomez, 52, was taken into custody Thursday night for the murder of DeGuzman and attempted murder of Irwin.

Senators, governors and business leaders who are pro-limited government and social responsibility convened in Colorado for the Koch brothers' bi-annual retreat over the weekend, NBC News reported.

And far from any discussion was presidential politics.

Charles Koch's refusal to spend the network's money to influence the presidential election in favor of Trump, aggravated some donors who believe Trump is a far better choice than Clinton.

Top Trump campaign aides and top officials of the Koch network, including Mark Holden, the chairman of the board of Koch's political arm Freedom Partners, met in June after Trump staff requests. Leaders of the Koch network did not change their position or opinion of Trump after that meeting.

Fourteen people are now believed to have contracted Zika through mosquito bites in the U.S., and government health officials are warning pregnant women to avoid travel to a part of Miami stricken by the virus.

In an alert issued Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged expectant mothers who frequent the area to get tested for Zika. Officials also said men and women who have recently visited the Wynwood arts district should wait eight weeks before trying to conceive a child. 

The CDC also issued the same recommendations for anyone who traveled or lived in the area where those have been affected since June 15th, the earliest known date that one of the people could have gotten the disease.

Gov. Rick Scott asked Monday for a federal emergency response team to help the state combat the spread of the virus in the U.S.

Senator Marco Rubio urged Congress to return to Washington to approve Zika funding.

A 60-year-old Miami man says he has tested positive for the Zika virus after health officials came to his house a few days ago and collected a urine sample.

Rosemary LeBranch told The Associated Press on Monday that health officials took samples from her as well as her mother and father, Gabriel Jean, who tested positive.

She says her father has spoken with a doctor and was advised to wear long shirts and pants when he goes outside. The doctor warned him that he wouldn't feel well, but LeBranch said he doesn't have a fever or feel any pain.

Officials announced four cases on Friday, believed to be first people to contract the virus from mosquitoes within the 50 states. Ten more cases were announced Monday. The CDC's emergency response team will help Florida officials in their investigation, sample collection and mosquito control efforts. The White House said the CDC team would be deployed to Florida "in short order." 

Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director of the CDC, said that the travel alert was issued because more cases have been diagnosed and because mosquito control efforts had not worked as well as hoped. Although the CDC has recommended pregnant women not travel to Puerto Rico, Frieden knew of no similar advisories in recent years for the continental United States.

The type of mosquito that spreads the Zika virus, Aedes aegypti, is a difficult mosquito to control, Frieden said. It might also have developed a resistant to the types of insecticides being used in Florida and might be breeding in small amounts of standing water that have not been discovered.

"Nothing that we've seen indicates widespread transmission but it's certainly possible that there could be sustained transmission in small areas," he said.

Frieden said that although health officials now know that Zika can cause microcephaly, they do not know what effects it might have on children born to mothers who do not have obvious symptoms.

He denied that the CDC limited the travel warning to a small area at the request of Florida, trying to protect its tourism industry. The mosquitos do not travel more than 150 meters in their lifetime, he said.

"So there wouldn't be a technical or scientific basis to give a broader recommendation," he said.

But he said health officials would evaluate the data every day and make changes if needed. 

Zika is such a mild disease that most who get it don't even know they've been infected, but it can lead to severe brain-related birth defects if women are infected during pregnancy. The disease has swept through Latin America and the Caribbean in recent months. 

Florida health officials said they've tested more than 200 people in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties after reports of local transmissions of the virus in early July. Of the 14 people infected, two are women and 12 are men. 

"We will continue to keep our residents and visitors safe utilizing constant surveillance and aggressive strategies, such as increased mosquito spraying, that have allowed our state to fight similar viruses," Scott said in a statement. 

The Florida infections are thought to have occurred in a small area just north of downtown Miami, in the Wynwood arts district. The travel warning covers an area of about one square mile in Wynwood to the east of Interstate 95 and south of Interstate 195. 

U.S. health officials do not expect widespread outbreaks of the sort seen in Brazil and in Latin America and the Caribbean, in part because of better sanitation, better mosquito control and wider use of window screens and air conditioners. 

The area, known for murals spray-painted across warehouses, art galleries, restaurants and boutiques, is rapidly gentrifying and has a number of construction sites where standing water can collect and serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes. 

Many walking the streets recently were unaware the virus had spread and confused about how the disease is transmitted. 

Jordan Davison and Melissa Felix work for a cruise line and were enjoying their day off Monday looking at the murals in the neighborhood. 

"It's not like a big thing right?" said 25-year-old Davidson. "It's kind of freaky — there's so much going on we didn't know, didn't really think about it ... I might wear bug spray going forward." 

More than 1,650 cases of Zika have been reported in U.S. states that were linked either with travel or having sex with a returned traveler, another way the virus can spread. 

Bakery owner Mariana Cortez isn't worried that Zika is going to keep locals and tourists from eating her delicious desserts. 

"Mosquitoes are not enough of a reason to not come pick up your cake ... I don't think my business is going to be effected by Zika." 

On Friday, Florida agricultural officials immediately announced more aggressive mosquito-control efforts, and Florida politicians rushed to assure tourists it's still safe to visit the state.

On Feb. 12, Gov. Scott directed the state surgeon general to activate a Zika Virus Information Hotline for current Florida residents and visitors, as well as anyone planning on traveling to Florida in the near future. The number for the Zika Virus Information Hotline is 1-855-622-6735.

The Honda Accord, Honda Civic and Ford pickup truck were stolen most often in 2015, according to law enforcement data compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

The NICB on Monday released its annual "Hot Wheels" report, which ranks the most-stolen cars by make, model and year.

The Honda Accord tops the list, with 52,244 cars reported stolen during the 2015 calendar year. Following the Accord is the Honda Civic, with 49,430 vehicles reported stolen nationwide, and the full-size Ford pickup, with 29,396 reported thefts, according to the NICB.

The 10 vehicles stolen most often around the country last year are as follows, according to the report:

1. Honda Accord (1996)
2. Honda Civic (1998)
3. Ford pickup, full size (2006)
4. Chevrolet pickup, full size (2004)
5. Toyota Camry (2014)
6. Dodge pickup, full size (2001)
7. Toyota Corolla (2014)
8. Nissan Altima (2015)
9. Dodge Caravan (2002)
10. Chevrolet Impala (2008)

The report also ranks the 2015 models that were stolen most often:

1. Nissan Altima
2. Chrysler 200
3. Toyota Camry
4. Toyota Corolla
5. GMC Sierra
6. Dodge Charger
7. Hyundai Sonata
8. Chevrolet Malibu
9. Chevrolet Impala
10. Chevrolet Cruze
11. Nissan Versa
12. Ford Fusion
13. Hyundai Elantra
14. Chevrolet Camaro
15. Kia Optima
16. Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee
17. Honda Civic
18. Ford Transit
19. Nissan Sentra
20. Chevrolet Silverado
21. Dodge Dart
22. Honda Accord
23. Ford Focus
24. Ford Mustang
25. Chevrolet Tahoe

A breakout report details state-by-state thefts, with Ford and Chevy pickup trucks, Honda Civics, Accords and Dodge Caravans topping many states' lists.

NCIB chief Joe Wehrle noted the report does not account for cars that were stolen using "sophisticated criminal methods" such as VIN switching and are therefore classified as financial crimes.

He urged drivers to minimize crimes of opportunity by locking cars and removing valuables. Thefts can also be thwarted by outfitting vehicles with warning, immobilizing or tracking devices. 

An electronics technician working in the FBI’s New York City office since 1997 has been charged with making false statements to the FBI regarding contacts with Chinese foreign nationals, prosecutors say.

Kun Shan Chun (also known as Joey Chun) is named in a four-count complaint issued in March and unsealed Monday in federal court in Manhattan. He pleaded guilty to the complaint, which charges him with four counts of making false statements related to his foreign contacts. 

Chun's public defender said his client was ready to acknowledge what he had done.

“Today Joey Chun accepted responsibility for some mistakes in judgment that he deeply regrets. The truth is that Mr. Chun loves the United States and never intended to cause it any harm. He hopes to put this matter behind him and move forward with his life," Jonathan Marvinny said in a statement. 

Chun, age 47 and a naturalized U.S. citizen, held a Top Secret security clearance in his role as an FBI electronics technician, allowing him to access sensitive and classified information, court papers say.

Since 2006, Chun and some of his relatives maintained relationships with several Chinese nationals who purported to be affiliated with a Chinese company, according to court documents. 

Chun was asked to perform research and other tasks in the United States in return for financial benefits, including paid foreign travel, and was in contact with an individual he understood to be affiliated with the Chinese government, court papers say. In March 2013, Chun downloaded an FBI organizational chart from his FBI computer and took it to a Chinese official in China, court papers say. Less than two years later, he took photos of documents that summarized sensitive details regarding FBI surveillance technologies and did the same. 

Chun allegedly made a series of false statements to the FBI regarding his contacts with the Chinese nationals.

FBI policy requires employees to report contacts with foreign nationals and agents of foreign powers.

"Americans who act as unauthorized foreign agents commit a federal offense that betrays our nation and threatens our security,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. "And when the perpetrator is an FBI employee, like Kun Shan Chun, the threat is all the more serious and the betrayal all the more duplicitous." 

Chun faces up to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced in December.

A 1-year-old Queens girl born with a giant life-threatening tumor on her face will undergo surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital this week to remove the huge mass, which, if left untreated, could cause the child to suffocate. 

Sandy Diaz, of Corona, has a lymphatic malformation, an accumulation of defective lymph vessels and lymph fluids, enveloping her right cheek and chin. If not treated, the malformations continue to grow. 

In the case of Diaz, who is already fed through tubes because she can't eat through her mouth and has a tracheostomy to help her breathe, the tumor could eventually completely shut off her airway. 

Doctors first noticed the mass on a sonogram when Diaz's mother, Maricella, was five months pregnant. They determined the tumor was non-cancerous but advised Maricella Diaz to terminate the pregnancy. Maricella Diaz, who has four other children, decided to keep the baby. 

Sandy Diaz was born on June 17, 2015, and when she was just 19 days old, the doctors tried to treat the growing mass by administering special medication through tubes. They tried this three times, but it made the problem worse, according to Lenox Hill Hospital. 

While the doctors wanted to try the treatment once more, Maricella Diaz refused. She took her daughter to see Dr. Milton Waner, a world-renowned expert in the treatment of pediatric facial malformations, when the child was 4 months old. After examining the little girl, Waner determined that surgery to remove the entire mass would be the optimal treatment, but he wanted to wait until she was a bit older to perform the procedure. 

Waner, whose Vascular Birthmark Institute now operates out of Lenox Hill Hospital, will perform the life-saving surgery on Sandy Diaz Wednesday. A special computer program that maps facial nerves will be used to minimize the chance of facial paralysis, the hospital said. 

According to the hospital, the procedure will allow Sandy Diaz to live a normal life. 

Seven-year-old Wyatt Seth Gillette passed away the day after being presented the title of Honorary Marine.

Wyatt, who would have turned 8 this month, received the title of Honorary Marine on Saturday and passed away in the morning Sunday in a ceremony at the School of Infantry-West Parade Deck at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

Wyatt was born on Aug. 15, 2008 and was diagnosed with Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome when he was four years old.

Aicardi-Goutieres affects the brain, the immune system and the skin. The disease causes severe secondary medical problems and complications.

Wyatt’s father, Sgt. Jeremiah Gillette, is a drill instructor with the Recruit Training Regimen.

Marine Corps Commandant General Robert Neller agreed to make Wyatt an honorary Marine last week in response to an online petition. The honor is bestowed on just a few people every year and recognizes civilians who have made extraordinary contributions to the Marine Corps.

Neller wrote on his official Twitter page that granting the petition was one of the easiest decisions he had to make as commandant.

"Keep fighting, Wyatt! You are a Marine!" he posted Saturday.

When the boy was undergoing dialysis last month, his father reached out to fellow Marines on social media for prayers. They started the online petition, which quickly gained supporters.

Gillette said he believes his son, had he been healthy, could have joined the Marines someday.

Wyatt was the 96th recipient of the award since the program first started in 1992.

San Diego Police Officer Jonathan DeGuzman, 43, and Wade Irwin, 32, were fired upon while on duty in San Diego's Southcrest neighborhood Thursday, July 28, 2016. 

Explore our interactive map to see the events of Thursday night leading into early Friday, and see how the following day's standoffs unfolded. 

A Whole Hog Burger at Uno Pizzeria & Grill is no diet food. Loaded with hamburger, sausage, bacon, prosciutto, pepperoni, four types of cheese, garlic mayo, and pickles and a side of fries, it will set you back a day's worth of calories (2,850), three days’ worth of saturated fat (62 grams) and six days’ worth of sodium (9,790 milligrams). 

The burger tops this year's "Xtreme Eating Awards" list, published annually by Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit. The list includes nine of the most calorie-packed entrees, appetizers, drinks and desserts from restaurant chains across the U.S.

"Far from doing their part to reverse the obesity epidemic, America’s chain restaurants are pouring gasoline on the fire, crossing fried chicken and waffles with Eggs Benedict, merging cheeseburgers and egg rolls, and repurposing macaroni and cheese as a sandwich filling," the health-advocacy group said in a press release. 

More than one-third of U.S. adults and about 17 percent of children are considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many restaurant chains include the calorie count on their menus, but the counts will become mandatory, beginning in May of 2017, with other nutrition information available, too. 

CSPI's 2016 list also includes the Fried Chicken & Waffles Benedict (2,580 calories) from The Cheesecake Factory, Short Rib & Cheesy Mac Stack (1,910 calories) from Dave & Buster’s, Dessert Nachos (2,100 calories) from Buffalo Wild Wings and RT 44 Grape Slush with Rainbow Candy (970 calories) from Sonic.

“Unfortunately, these extreme meals are more like the rule, not the exception,” said CSPI dietitian Lindsay Moyer. “America’s restaurant chains are serving up meals that seem engineered to promote diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and strokes. The 3,000-calorie burger platters of today make McDonald’s Quarter Pounders look like sliders.”

Alethea Rowe, senior director of public relations at The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated, said the restaurant lists 250 items on its menu, giving patrons choices.

"Many of our guests come in and want to celebrate and not be concerned with calories," she said. "Others want to share their dish …and a large percentage of our guests take home leftovers for lunch the next day."

NBC has reached out to Uno Pizzeria & Grill for comment. 

Christin Fernandez, director of media relations for the National Restaurant Association, which supports over 500,000 restaurant businesses, slammed CSPI's list, too, saying the "cherry-picked examples paint an inaccurate picture of the great strides the industry has made in the area of nutrition. America’s one million restaurants provide numerous options to accommodate all types of tastes and diets—diners looking for an occasional indulgence or those that are keeping things light."

Fernandez added that the restaurant industry has worked with the FDA to "advocate for a federal nutrition standard so that anyone dining out can have clear, access to nutritional information."

CSPI offered tips on how to avoid meals that are calorie-bombs, suggesting options on the “light” menu: Cheesecake Factory’s “SkinnyLicious,” Applebee’s “Lighter Fare,” or Dave & Buster’s “600 or under” dishes. CSPI said you should skip appetizers, which can add up to 1,000 calories and choose grilled chicken or veggie burger instead of beef. Try splitting the meal and eating the second half for lunch the next day, CSPI said.