A white producer at the Philadelphia sports talk station 97.5 The Fanatic has sparked controversy after he created a black persona based on stereotypes to call into the station.

"Dwayne from Swedesboro" was a regular caller for the Mike Missanelli Show. The character, who claimed to be an African American man, often talked about his love for white women as well as his fear of having illegitimate children. He even had a Twitter account with a black man in the profile picture.

A recent report from Crossing Broad however reveals that "Dwayne from Swedesboro," was actually Pat Egan, a white producer at 97.5.

“I think the fact that it was a young white kid doing sort of like the stereotype of a black guy made it a lot worse and sort of just like piled on whatever that initial shock was,” said Kyle Scott, a blogger for Crossing Broad who wrote the story.

In a series of tweets, Egan seemed to admit to creating the character as an "exact opposite" of himself.

News that the character was fake sparked a mixed reaction with some criticizing the character’s stereotypical nature.

“It just seems that there are so many racial issues going on in the country,” said Tony Marchionne of Collingswood, New Jersey. “Why do we continue to promote these stereotypes?”

Some fans of the show didn’t find the character offensive, however, and instead believed he was simply entertaining.

“I didn’t take it as being extremely racial at all,” said Dave Whitman of Lansdale. “I kind of saw it more as just kind of a crazy, funny guy creating a reason to talk.”

Mike Missanelli directly addressed the controversy on his show Tuesday.

“The only thing I can do is tell you that I wasn’t in on it and I had no idea about it,” he said. “If you don’t want to believe that, that’s your choice. I could tell you first hand that had I known this was a fake I would have shut it down immediately because I would’ve been sensitive to the racial undertones of it.”

It’s unclear whether anyone at the radio station will be disciplined for the character. NBC10 reached out to 97.5 for comment but we have not yet heard back. 

The Philadelphia Business Journal also reports Josh Innes, a radio host on Sportsradio 94 WIP, was fired for his comments on the controversy.

San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis appeared in federal court Wednesday to testify in a trial involving campaign finance.

Mexico businessman Jose Susumo Azano Matsura faces federal charges for allegedly funneling $600,000 into San Diego political campaigns. Dumanis was called to testify by Azano's defense team.

The morning after her testimony, when she appeared on a local television morning newscast, Dumanis commented that the sketch of her on the witness stand was "not very flattering."

Dumanis often visits television stations to discuss criminal matters. She has often been a guest on NBC 7.

On Thursday, she was talking with members of KUSI-TV when she joked about the courtroom sketch distributed following her testimony.

“I want to know the name of the artist who did those pictures,” she said. “ Boy did he make me look old.”

The artist, Krentz Johnson, earned her B.A. in Fine Arts from San Diego State University in 1978. She's been sketching courtroom testimony here in San Diego since 2003. NBC 7 has reached out to Johnson for comment.

In response to other questions about her testimony, Dumanis would not go into detail.

“I wouldn’t want to say anything that might impact that trial in any way,” she said.

On Wednesday, Dumanis testified that she had two meetings with Azano. She described the first meeting as a meet-and-greet at the businessman's home in Coronado and the second meeting happened at San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore's house.

Azano is accused of making more than $600,000 in illegal contributions to former Mayor Bob Filner, failed mayoral candidate Bonnie Dumanis, and other candidates.

The District Attorney has been a longtime friend of former SDPD detective Ernesto Encinas who pleaded guilty, admitting that he funneled money into local campaigns on behalf of Azano.

In July 2014, Dumanis appeared on the same television station to say she regretted writing a letter of recommendation for Azano's son.

From helping low-income students succeed to assisting U.S. military veterans, six small businesses in San Diego have earned awards for their work in our region.

The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce held its annual Small Business Awards reception earlier this week and awarded top honors to several local businesses that are contributing to the region and driving economic growth.

The winners included Reality Changers, a nonprofit that won the “Outstanding Nonprofit” category, for its important work helping low-income students improve their grades and graduate college at an 86 percent success rate. Since it was founded, the Chamber says Reality Changers has a total of over $100 million in earned scholarships.

Meanwhile, GroundMetrics, Inc. won the “Tech Savvy” award for its proprietary electromagnetic sensor, which has become a world leader in the oil and gas technology market. The tool helps customers use less fracking and drill fewer bad wells.

The Chamber awarded Moniker Group the “Only in San Diego” award for thinking beyond San Diego’s beaches and sunshine and harnessing the “cooperative entrepreneurial spirit to provide a community where designers, makers, artists and tech professionals can thrive.”

The San Diego Sports Entertainment Center was recognized as the “Cinderella Story” of the year. The small paintball recreation company lost everything in the 2008 financial crisis but has been able to make a comeback as a revitalized, thriving business with plans to expand nationwide.

Innovative Employee Solutions won the Chamber’s “Customer Service Star” for delivering on their motto that “excellent service isn't something you should do, but something you want to do.”

Finally, Miramar Federal Credit Union was dubbed “Best for Vets” in the Chamber’s 2016 Small Business Awards because of its mission to serve the U.S. military community in San Diego. The company has U.S. veterans on staff who can connect with their customers on that service level.

The Chamber said all of the businesses that won awards have fewer than 50 employees.

“Small businesses are really a driving force of our region's economy and the role they play is truly anything but small,” said Jerry Sanders, President and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber in a press release. “In fact - here in San Diego – half of our region's workforce is employed by companies with fewer than 50 employees.”

The winners were decided by a panel of judges. The Chamber has recognized small, local businesses through this program for nearly 20 years.

“It's an honor to have the opportunity to celebrate San Diego's small businesses and recognize all the hard work they do to create opportunity locally,” Sanders added.

The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce is the largest local Chamber on the West Coast and represents about 2,500 businesses and 300,000 jobs.

With the myriad online options available, safety experts say it’s essential for parents to talk with their kids about cyber safety and protecting themselves online.

With the school year fast approaching for many local families, NBC 7 took a look at how local families are arming themselves against cyber crimes.

One local family with four children, the Rosenoffs, pointed out that their house includes a TV, a computer, laptop and iPads, iPods and iPhones.

“It does feel overwhelming and honestly, I don’t think there’s ever a way to completely police it,” Kristin Rosenoff said.

Safety experts say that awareness is key because even with certain restrictions and parental-app approval, kids aren’t always completely protected.

Eva Velasquez, president of the Identity Theft Resource Center, said one of the most common mistakes that kids make is oversharing information about themselves, such as their address, school and location.

“Someone on the other end of that app isn’t necessarily going to be a 13-year-old girl in her room singing, but will now get to see your 13-year-old in her room singing,” Velasquez said.

Velasquez recommends first talking with your kids.

“One of the most important things we can do is have that conversation ahead of time, so that they’re prepared when they have to make a choice,” she said.

One resource that helps facilitate that discussion is thesmarttalk.org, which was developed by cyber security experts and the PTA.

Velasquez also recommends giving your kids online time limits and restrictions, like what they can download, and then print a contract.

Rosenoff said it’s that ongoing dialogue that keeps communication open and helps build trust in her family.

“We trust them (our kids), especially when they do come forward to us with different things and then we know that they’re really listening,” she said.

An inmate who escaped from a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) facility in Otay Mesa over the weekend remains at large, authorities confirmed Thursday.

Four days ago, officials at Facility 8 near the George Bailey Detention Facility on Alta Road were conducting an inmate headcount when they discovered Demetrius B. Robertson was missing.

As of 9 a.m. Thursday, the SDSO said Robertson was still on the lam. Investigators with the San Diego County Fugitive Task Force (FTF) are still actively searching for him.

Details of his escape have not been released.

Officials said Robertson – who sometimes goes by the name Demetrius Roberson – is described as 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, jeans and a baseball cap.

He’s been known to visit in Chula Vista, College Grove and Chollas View, according to the SDSO.

Robertson was arrested on May 23 on a probation violation on theft-related charges. He was considered a “low-risk” inmate and was placed in Facility 8, a 300-bed facility that houses inmates listed as “low-medium security.”

According to the SDSO, the facility, built in 2007, is considered a maximum security jail although it houses lower-security inmates.

Officials said the fugitive is not considered violent and is not a documented gang member. Anyone who spots Robertson can call 911 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

A deal between rebels and Syria’s army was reached Thursday to evacuate all residents and insurgents from the Damascus suburb of Daraya, according to a rebel leader, NBC News reported. 

The country’s army has surrounded rebels and civilians, blocking food deliveries since 2012, and regularly bombing the area. 

It was one of the first places to see peaceful protests against President Bashar Assad’s rule, and fought off attempts to retake it by government fires as the conflict escalated into civil war. 

The evacuation would start Friday and last for two or three days, according to the head of the biggest rebel groups in Daraya. The deal would end one of the longest stand-offs in the five-year history.

Italians living in San Diego are mourning the victims of the deadly 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck central Italy and killed at least 250 people, saying the tragedy hits close to home since, in the Italian culture, everyone is family.

“We are a big family; it’s something in Italy, we grow up with, because all the families are very big,” said Alfonso Piscane, chef of the restaurant Civico 1845 in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood. “In front of this big tragedy, when we really show the best part of us. We show our big heart. But to be honest with you, it doesn’t matter where you come from, we all feel like we need to do something to help in the way we can.”

Piscane, who is originally from the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy, told NBC 7 that Civico 1845 is in the process of raising funds for the victims of the Italy earthquake.

Starting Monday, if a patron orders the “Amatriaciana” dish from the menu (spaghetti, pork cheek, pecorino cheese and tomato sauce), the eatery will donate 100 percent of the money from that dish to the quake victims. The item will be offered for $16 for lunch and dinner; the fundraiser lasts for two weeks.

Meanwhile, a group of Italian men who meet every day for lunch at Little Italy’s Café Zucchero told NBC 7 on Thursday that they’re trying to put together a fundraiser for the victims, too, via other local restaurants.

Andrea Brudeddi, who is from Umbria, works at Solunto in Little Italy and told NBC 7 his family was near the epicenter of the deadly quake. He said they are all okay, but frightened.

“It never happened an earthquake with this strength in Italy. [It] lasted for more than two minutes,” Brudeddi explained. “It’s something really scary because you feel like you can’t do anything. It’s already tough being here when you have family and friends far away, and when you have a situation like that, it makes the situation even harder.”

Brudeddi said that for all staffers at Solunto, the quake is top of mind.

Joseph Sanfilippo, of Sicily, told NBC 7 he often has brunch in Little Italy with fellow Italians. Echoing Piscane’s thoughts, Sanfilippo said he feels for the victims because Italians are all family.

“Our culture, we’ve very close, we’re one big family and when something like that happens we all care about it,” he told NBC 7.

On Thursday, aftershocks rocked the quake zone in central Italy as rescue crews continued to work to find more survivors and victims in the rubble left behind in the three ancient communities that were hardest hit, including the medieval hilltop town of Amatrice.

Rescuers expect the death toll to rise. Scores of survivors are injured and being treated in area hospitals.

Some incredible stories of survival have emerged from the rubble, as well as deep sadness from those who lost family members, friends and neighbors in the seismic catastrophe.

A charter plane pilot was abruptly grounded Thursday at a Michigan airport after police discovered he was allegedly too drunk to fly, NBC News reported. 

The captain of the plane notified the Cherry Capital Airport tower in Traverse City that there was something wrong with his co-pilot as he prepared to land. 

When police arrived, the co-pilot was at the controls and preparing to take off for Bedford, Massachusetts, with a dozen passengers on board. 

The co-pilot, who was not named, was fired from Talon Air. Police said he was arrested after registering a blood alcohol content of .30 — four times the legal limit for driving a car.

North America will see its first total eclipse since 1979 in a year, and some people are planning ahead by booking hotel rooms.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon crosses between the earth and the sun, which is blocked out. The moon and the Earth will be perfectly aligned for a few minutes on Aug. 21, 2017. 

But viewers in the tri-state area will have to settle for a partial eclipse. The prime viewing spots in the eastern United States include most of South Carolina, central Tennessee and a sliver of Georgia.

Self-described eclipse chaser Mike Kentrianakis told KPCC, a public radio station in California, that the best viewing spots for the total eclipse will be within a 70-mile wide path that stretches from the Pacific Northwest to South Carolina. 

"Oh, it's bigger than the Super Bowl, much bigger," said Kentrianakis

The next total solar eclipse after the 2017 alignment will happen in 2024.

Read more at KPCC.

Testimonies continued in federal court on Wednesday in a campaign finance scandal involving a Mexican businessman.

Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, 48, referred to as “Mr. Lambo” in the indictment, is facing federal charges for allegedly funneling $600,000 into San Diego campaigns.

According to the indictment, he is one of several individuals accused of hiding the source of campaign donations or concealing donations in records with the San Diego City Clerk, the Federal Election Commission, or the California Secretary of State.

Earlier this month, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis was subpoenaed to testify in federal court on Aug. 10 as a witnesses. She was called to the stand by Azano's legal team.

On Wednesday, Dumanis testified that she had two meetings with Azano. She described the first meeting as a meet-and-greet at the businessman's home in Coronado and the second meeting happened at San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore's house.

Azano is accused of making more than $600,000 in illegal contributions to former Mayor Bob Filner, failed mayoral candidate Bonnie Dumanis, and other candidates.

NBC 7 spoke to Azano's attorney on Wednesday who told us that his client called Dumanis to tell the truth and her part of the story.

“I asked the questions that I thought that the jury and the community want answers to,” Azano's attorney Michale Wynne said.

Wynn said Dumanis' testimony proved that former San Diego Police Detective Ernie Encinas wanted the meetings to happen to help further his own security businesses. 

“The concepts and ideas that are being raised in this trial by the government are almost preposterous,” he said.

Encinas has already pleaded guilty, orchestrating his role in the donations.

As the trial unfolds, 61 witnesses are expected to testify, including several high-profile witnesses like Sheriff Bill Gore and former councilman and current radio host Carl DeMaio.

On Aug. 10, the day Azano's defense subpoenaed Dumanis, they also subpoenaed Congressman Juan Vargas and former Union-Tribune Publisher Doug Manchester to testify.

Prosecutors list 20 instances in which campaign finance records were falsified to send money from Azano to three candidates in local elections.

It is illegal for a foreign national to donate to a U.S. political campaign.

According to court documents, Azano's motive was to develop San Diego's waterfront into a Miami-of-the-West, with condos and a high-end hotel.

The businessman has also been charged with illegally possessing a firearm, a black Sig Sauer P225 semi-automatic pistol.

Three other defendants, including Azano's son, are on trial. They are accused of getting the money to where it needed to go.

Azano's attorney told NBC 7 that the donations to Dumanis and others will be explained on Thursday.

The nonprofit that supports the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul said the school would reopen following the attack that killed 14 people on Wednesday, NBC News reported. 

"AUAF is dedicated to its educational mission in service to Afghanistan and has no intention of giving into terror," the Friends of the American University in Afghanistan said in a statement, using an acronym for the learning institution. 

Militants detonated a car bomb outside the university's gate and stormed the complex with guns in a 10-hour attack that ended Thursday morning. 

Fourteen people — seven students, one professor, three police and two security officers — were killed. One attacker died in the car bomb blast and two militants were killed by police, authorities and a hospital official said. Forty-eight people were injured and taken to hospitals, according to a medical official.

The university in Afghanistan is not affiliated with American University in Washington, D.C. 

A major employment advertising agency held a job fair in San Diego on Thursday.

Jobertising.com San Diego Job Fair hosted feature exhibits from local and national companies, and government agencies with more than 1,000 combined job openings.

Representatives from the City of San Diego, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Aflac, Prudential and Sycuan Casino were at the Handlery Hotel in Mission Valley looking for their next employees.

Other companies represented include SAY San Diego, AMN Healthcare, Parker, Diamond Resorts International, SOLVIS Staffing Services, ITT Technical Institute, The Arc of San Diego, Lorain Health Home Health Care, California Conservation Corps, Springleaf Financial and Express Staffing.

More than 600 people attended the fair.

Jobertising.com hosts job listings from hundreds of job boards and company sites, and includes career-related diversity news stories and a resume posting feature.

A U.S. Navy ship fired several warning shots near an Iranian “fast boat” on Wednesday, according to a senior Department of Defense official, NBC News reported. 

The USS Squall and the USS Tempest were operating in close formation with a Kuwaiti Navy ship when the Iranian boat came dangerously close. The Iranian vessel passed between the two American ships at one point, coming within a couple hundred yards of the two ships. 

The U.S. fired flares and attempted radio communication, but both were unsuccessful. The Squall fired a few shots into the water as a deterrent. The U.S. rarely fires warning shots, according to the defense official. 

On Thursday, Iran's defense minister said those Iranian vessels were just doing their job and that the American ships crossed into Iran’s maritime region. The U.S. asserts that the ships were in international waters at the time.

A new study of nationwide housing prices shows San Diego’s market is on a par with San Francisco as the most unaffordable -- based on the relative salaries that would-be buyers need to qualify for mortgages.

Research by HSH Mortgage Services ranks Los Angeles next among 27 major metro areas in the gap between median home prices and median incomes.

In San Diego and San Francisco, the disparities raise red flags about economic stability.

“We have a robust economy -- a diversified, robust economy -- that demands employees, and those employees demand housing,” says Gary London, president of London Group Realty Advisors. "And not nearly enough housing is being built."

In an interview Thursday, London cited an undesirable mix of local housing stock coming on line.

For example, too much emphasis on multi-unit projects, as opposed to single-family "detached" dwellings that even millennials ultimately will opt for once they start having families.

Also, a shrinking land supply and regulations that drive up building costs.

The HSH study shows San Diego homebuyers need salaries of $109,000 to qualify for a monthly mortgage of $2,500 to meet the median home price of $590,000.

Market analysts say that sends income-stressed workers elsewhere and discourages business start-ups and expansions -- pushing companies toward other areas and states to protect their profit margins and growth potential.

Says Sean Karafin, director of police and economic research for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce: "They might also know they don't have to pay as much in somewhere like Boston, and Denver because their employees don't have the same requirements when it comes to housing costs. So this is very real, and we lose jobs for San Diegans."

The most affordable major metro housing market, according to HSH, is Pittsburgh.

Prospective buyers there need a salary of $32,000 to qualify for a $756 monthly mortgage on a median home price of $140,000.

But those numbers have grown 17 percent since the first quarter of this year, so time may be of the essence for those now looking to buy.

A man found dead on the westbound Interstate 8 in Mission Valley last week had been homeless, San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said on Thursday.

Lt. Ray Velentin from SDPD's Homicide Unit said the man's death is not considered to be suspicious.

On Aug. 19 at approximately 6 a.m., the California Highway Patrol received reports of someone walking on the north shoulder of the westbound I-8, just east of Interstate 805. When officers arrived on scene, they found a man who was heavily bleeding from the back of his head.

He died at the scene.

SDPD had initially said the man's injuries did not appear to be from getting struck by a car.

But on Thursday, Valentin told NBC 7 that the man may have been hit by a passerby vehicle.

Valentin said the man had been homeless.

Since his family has  not been notified yet, SDPD did not release his name.

An employee at Andy's Smoke Shop in Hillcrest has been arrested for selling the synthetic drug spice after the store was caught in violation of a City ordinance and a recent cease and desist order, San Diego Police (SDPD) said.

The City of San Diego ordinance, considered the toughest of its kind in the state of California, bans the sale, manufacture, possession and distribution of spice and related drugs. 

Spice, or K2, is a chemical mixture sprayed on to a plant substance that users can then smoke or ingest to achieve a similar effect to marijuana. It is sold under a variety of names, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Employees at Andy’s Smoke Shop, located at 550 University Avenue, were first found to have sold the drug earlier this year. The city issued a cease and desist notice after the first violation.

When the owners of the store met with a City Attorney representative in May 2016, the owners agreed to permanently stop selling spice.

Approximately month later, on June 14, the City of San Diego enacted a new ordinance banning the possession and sales of synthetic drugs, including spice.

The owners were notified of the ordinance, but on June 28, they were served with a court order prohibiting spice sales from the store.

Several months later, in August, narcotic detectives learned the illegal drug was still being sold at the smoke shop.

After obtaining a search warrant, detectives searched the property and recovered approximately two pounds of spice in bulk quantity and packaged for sale. The drug can lead to medical emergencies such as seizures, comas and hallucinations.

Store employee Ossam Shaba, 55, was arrested for violating a court order and possession for sales of synthetic drugs, police said. Authorities said they found the drugs on Shaba, in his car and inside the store. He was booked into jail; the City Attorney’s office will prosecute the case.

NBC 7 spoke to several people at businesses near Andy's Smoke Shop who said they are hoping that after Thursday's incident, the drug and transient culture in the area will change.

Matthew Lowe works at a restaurant close by and told NBC 7 that his tip jar was looted, ice cream had been stolen and his facade defiled by intoxicated individuals passing by.

“You see the people around here that are under the influence spice, it just gives it a bad look,” Lowe said. “If they can't get [spice] in the neighborhood, then they're not going to be around here."

Kassidy Recendiz runs the spa next door.

“It's definitely very sad. We don't want to see people dying or getting sick, we already have enough drugs out there that are not good for people,” she said.

Meanwhile, an employee from Andy's Smoke Shop was left to clean up after detectives searched through the store on Thursday.

Samir Kazkorkis told NBC 7 that the store does not sell spice and that it was unfairly targeted.

But police said the store had been selling the synthetic drug after it had been banned.

Those who violate the drug ordinance face criminal and civil penalties up to and including six months in jail, a $1,000 fine, or three years’ probation and a $2,500 fine, depending on the circumstances of the violation.

The Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe is famous for two things: being "finger lickin' good," and being incredibly secret. 

It's so secret, in fact, that KFC sued the last person who claimed to have found it. But now, the cat may be out of the bag, thanks to a reporter at the Chicago Tribune who traveled to Corbin, Kentucky, to interview the nephew of Colonel Sanders himself.

Joe Ledington flipped through a family photo album with the reporter, stopping to pull out the last will and testament of his aunt Claudia, Sanders' second wife. 

On the back of the document, the Tribune reports, was the top secret 11 herbs and spices that were notoriously transported via armed guard to a secure location in 2008. 

The full recipe as shown is: 

11 spices — mix with 2 cups white flour

• 2/3 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon thyme
• 1/2 tablespoon basil
• 1/3 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon celery salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried mustard
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons white pepper

"Lots of people through the years have claimed to discover or figure out the secret recipe, but no one's ever been right," the spokesperson added.

A multi-million dollar city project replacing aging water and sewer pipes has already hit a snag.

Construction began just a couple of weeks ago near Mission Hills; now residents say the construction noise is too much to handle.

Pam Elliott's apartment complex on the 3000 block of Kettner Boulevard looks a little bit different than when she moved in three weeks ago. A construction zone sits just steps from her bedroom window.

This may not be too big of a deal during the day when people are at work, but crews work all through the night.

Elliott told NBC 7 she was shocked after her first night in her new home.

"All these trucks backing up going beep, beep, beep! All of these jack hammers. I'm like what is going on?" she said.

The Pacific Beach Pipeline Project started at Kettner Boulevard and Walnut Avenue about three weeks ago. A flyer was left at nearby resident's doors giving them some warning about the noise.

The city was granted a permit to work in the overnight hours; so from 8:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, crews are working.

The overnight permit was granted by Code Compliance. The department decides the permit based on the least amount of impact on residents. For this location, daytime traffic delays from construction crews proved to be more of an impact than the overnight noise for about 10 nearby residents.  

"There's no businesses here now. Other than us. Not much traffic here at all," said mechanic Ray Chavez.

Chavez also said that his customers never have a problem parking, even with many parking spaces now taken up by equipment.

But for nearby residents like Elliot, she's just hoping she wakes up from this nightmare soon.

"I haven't slept since I lived here. Last night, I had to go to my friend's because I had to get some sleep," she said.

The project is expected to be completed in about three years, finally ending in Pacific Beach.

A local Veterans group used rush-hour traffic to get attention for their call to end the MCAS Miramar Air Show.

The San Diego Chapter of "Veterans For Peace" says the military is selling war to the public. They took their message to the Carroll Canyon Road overpass along I-15 near MCAS Miramar Thursday afternoon.

"These planes don't drop cupcakes on people. These things drop bombs and they blow people up, "said David Patterson who served in the Air Force and is now a member of San Diego Veterans For Peace.

The group held banners in view of passing drivers.

They said their hope is that families will choose to stay home rather than attend the annual air show.

“These machines are built to kill, that’s what they're built for. They're not built for fun. This isn’t Disneyland," said Jackie Hider.

First Lieutenant Gabriel Adibé, the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for MCAS Miramar, recently wrote that the air show is an important time for the service members to thank the San Diego community, spend time with their families and open the doors to the otherwise tightly guarded base.

This year's show will be held September 23 through the 25.

General admission is free and grandstand tickets start at $10.