A one-time Vista High School basketball coach accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a female student pleaded not guilty in court Thursday.

Charlie Mercado, 36, pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a child. He posted the $100,000 bail when first taken into custody and is out on bail. 

The case surfaced on May 11 when the victim, a high school junior, told a campus administrator she had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with the coach, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

Investigators said Mercado pursued an intimate relationship with the teen and, on one occasion, met her off school grounds for inappropriate physical contact.

Mercado was the school's walk-on boys basketball varsity coach from August 2005 to May 2016, according to the Vista Unified School District. He also was a substitute teacher from August 2005 to February 2008.

Mercado is no longer an employee of the school, as of May of this year, the school district reported on Thursday.

He surrendered to authorities in July when he learned a warrant had been issued for his arrest. 

Mercado is due back in court on Sept. 27 at 8:30 a.m. 

Detectives are continuing to investigate the case. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 and be eligible for a $1,000 reward.

So many horses have died at Del Mar this season, a California lawmaker is calling for a state investigation and track managers have decided to delay the start of the 2017 racing season.

Animal advocates claim 19 race horses have been euthanized since the summer season of racing at Del Mar began on Friday, July 15. According to the track president, the number of horses euthanized due to injury this season is 12.

According to the state’s weekly reports, 16 horses have died since the season began.

Both sides agree the loss of one horse is too many.

On Thursday, State Rep. Lori Saldana urged the California Horse Racing Board to investigate deaths and injuries at Del Mar.

“No spectator sport should ever have to put up with this type of loss of animals especially when it happens in view of families that are here for race day,” Saldana said.

She cited recent changes at SeaWorld San Diego and traveling circuses as evidence that there has been a shift when it comes to interacting with animals during our leisure time.

“It could be that people’s attitudes are changing,” she added.

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC), facing increased criticism over the deaths, will push back the 2017 season start date and implement new biomarker technology on horses next year.

Track president Joe Harper said both moves are to prevent further deaths.

“Believe me, when one [horse] is injured, we all feel it,” Harper said.

After an early rash of horses suffering fatal injuries at the track, Harper brought in a specialist who studied the turf. The expert found it was “where it should be,” Harper said.

Harper said he also added more veterinarians to check the horses. Every horse is examined at least three times a day, he said, in the morning, in the afternoon in the receiving barn and again in the paddock to ensure they warm up properly.

In 2017, Del Mar will schedule Opening Day later in the summer to give horses a chance to adjust to the track, Harper said.

The club will also start a program using biomarker technology on the horses through funding with the Jockey Club and the DMTC. Blood samples will be taken from competition horses, according to Harper, giving them a picture of what’s going on with the horse before and after the race.

“This is a fairly new procedure,” he said. “I think it will certainly tell us a lot about what’s in these horses as they get to the starting gate.”

The first fatality happened on Opening Day when a horse named Presidential Air “broke down badly” in the sixth race according to the Daily Forum. The horse was euthanized.

On July 21, Pacific Swell broke down in the fifth race.

On July 23, the Los Angeles Times reported that Dutchessa collapsed 40 yards past the finish line during Race 2 and had to be euthanized.

On July 24, Fasnacloich broke down in the second race and was euthanized according to the track steward’s minutes.

On August 11, Summer Scorcher was euthanized after breaking down in Race 6.

On August 12, Hadfunlastnight was pulled post-race and euthanized according to the track steward’s minutes.

The Jockey Club monitors injuries and fatalities on tracks and offers a set of statistics for Del Mar from 2015. In 60 race days, there were 10 fatalities. The year before, in 2014, there were nine fatalities in 51 days.

New details revealed on Thursday show that a suspect in an deputy-involved shooting in Poway did not fire his weapon, but did point his gun at a deputy.

Deputies feared 38-year old Trenton Lohman would harm citizens, leading them to open fire at him, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO).

The incident began on Aug. 18, when deputies responded to reports of suspicious activity in the parking lot of an auto repair shop on Poway Road.

“When the first initial deputy showed up, he was confronted by Lohman. Mr. Lohman produced a handgun and pointed it at the deputy,” said SDSO Lt. Kenn Nelson. “The deputy fearing for his life and safety, fired multiple rounds.”

Lohman had then attempted to leave in his own vehicle but was blocked by several deputies arriving on scene. He then got into a deputy’s patrol car and drove off, leading police on a pursuit through Poway.

During the pursuit, Lohman got out of the patrol car and carjacked a person at gunpoint at the intersection of Espola and Poway roads. He had driven approximately 100 yards in the SUV when four deputies fired at him.

“They knew he was armed,” said Nelson, speaking of the deputies involved in the incident. “They knew he already pointed a gun at deputies, they knew he pointed a gun at a citizen and carjacked him. So, they were fearful if he go away, he would do other violent acts towards citizens of Poway and San Diego.”

Lohman was shot in the upper body and the SUV veered off the road and down into a ravine. He was found dead inside the vehicle.

According to SDSO, deputies found another gun, a hatchet, ammunition and knives inside the hijacked SUV.

Lohman had been on parole from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation when he was shot.

People who knew him had told NBC 7 that he had been attempting to turn his life around and they don’t know what went wrong.

A witness testified Thursday that District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis left campaign contribution envelopes with a wealthy billionaire from Mexico after a “meet and greet” at the businessman’s Coronado home in December 2011.

The witnesses was pressed on her alleged involvement in shuttling envelopes full of cash between a luxury car dealership and a former San Diego police detective.

Prosecutors say Jose Susumo Azano Matsura wanted to buy influence so he could transform San Diego’s waterfront into a “Miami West” with more nightlife and high-rise condos.

Dumanis testified Wednesday she believed the billionaire businessman was a United States Citizen.

Today, a prosecutor read prior Grand Jury testimony to witness Elizabeth Lugo about Dumanis allegedly leaving a handful of campaign envelopes with Azano. Lugo testified Dumanis’ fundraiser, Kelli Maruccia, returned with a large box of empty campaign envelopes, after the handful Dumanis allegedly left, ran out.

Lugo, a cousin to the billionaire’s wife, repeatedly testified Thursday that she did not recall the prior testimony she gave to the Grand Jury.

“I do not recall,” she said repeatedly. “I don’t remember being asked about that.”

Lugo said she also did not recall testifying about her role shuttling a box of envelopes full of cash between luxury car dealer Marc Chase and former San Diego police detective Ernie Encinas.

Both Chase and Encinas have pleaded guilty to their involvement.

Azano is accused of illegally trying to influence local campaigns by compensating campaign donors with cash.

Foreign nationals are not allowed to donate to local campaigns.

Azano’s defense attorney said his client wasn’t privy to what Encinas was up to with the envelopes full of cash.

“Ernie Encinas is the individual who had an interest in developing his security business, including with nightclubs and strip clubs and getting those businesses to serve alcohol later at night,” Defense Attorney Michael Wynee said outside the federal courthouse Wednesday. “That was his alternative agenda and his alternative motive.”

The defense called businessman Manuel Rodriguez, who testified he has been close friends with Azano for more than 20 years. Rodriguez testified Azano wanted to move to Miami, not create a Miami-like development along San Diego’s bay front.

On cross examination, a prosecutor switched gears a bit proposing the idea was to develop Chula Vista’s bay front, based on a meeting between former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, Azano and a Middle East businessman at Azano’s Coronado home. As mayor of San Diego, not Chula Vista, Filner did not have jurisdiction over Chula Vista’s bay front, which includes several hundred acres of federal wetlands, and a San Diego Gas & Electric substation.

The federal trial is expected to wrap up Friday or early next week when the case will be handed over to a jury for a ruling.

A woman accused of killing a pedestrian in a bloody hit-and-run and then driving for half a mile with his body lodged in the front seat will now be charged with murder, according to an amended complaint filed by the San Diego County District Attorney's office Thursday. 

Esteysi Sanchez Izazaga, 29, who goes by Stacy Sanchez, will now face a murder charge, in addition to several felonies, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, hit and run, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, driving with a measurable blood alcohol causing injury and a misdemeanor count of driving without a license.

When asked why the office filed the amended complaint and what evidence they have to support it, Deputy District Attorney Bob Bruce said that information would come out at the preliminary hearing, set for Oct. 26. 

"There will be a time and a place for the facts to come out on record," Bruce said. 

At her arraignment, Sanchez pleaded not guilty to the charges. Her bail was previously set at $1.5 million. 

Outside the court hearing, protesters with The Remembrance Project rallied. When they learned officials had filed a new charge, protesters were happy. 

"Very thankful," said Brenda Sparks, whose son died from injuries suffered in a crash. "I was very happy. At least she is getting charged with something that she did."

On Monday, June 27, Sanchez veered onto the sidewalk on the 4000 block of Mission Avenue in Oceanside and hit victim Jack Tenhulzen at random, police said. 

Prosecutors say Sanchez was driving so fast, she hit Tenhulzen and stripped him of his clothing.

"He went head first through her windshield, landing in a crumpled heap on her passenger seat," Aimee McLeod, a San Diego County Deputy District Attorney, said.

Two hours after the crash, prosecutors said Sanchez had a blood alcohol level of 0.18-0.19, more than double the legal limit. 

Tenhulzen's leg detached from his body and flew through the back window, landing on the trunk of the car, police said. 

Sanchaz continued driving for approximately half a mile, police said. She parked the vehicle and walked away before officers arrived, police said.

"She claimed she fell asleep and only woke up when she felt glass covering her face and saw this dead person in the passenger seat," McLeod said.

Shortly after she abandoned the car, prosecutors say Sanchez called her boyfriend, walked home and changed her outfit. 

"She wasn't contacted by law enforcement for an hour," McLeod said. "At that time, she had changed her clothing and she still had pieces of windshield in her hair."

Police say her live-in boyfriend at some point called the police and reported the incident, police said. Officers found her at her house, approximately two blocks from where she left the car. 

Sanchez could face 15 years to life if convicted. 

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone who witnessed the collision or has information is asked to call the Oceanside Police Department at (760) 435-4911.

General Dynamics NASSCO received a $511 million contract from Matson Navigation Co. Inc. to build two ships able to haul containers and other cargo on routes to Hawaii, the companies announced Aug. 25.

NASSCO said it plans to begin construction of the first ship in early 2018 and plans to deliver the finished products in 2019 and mid-2020.

The ships, which Matson calls the Kanaloa class, will be 870 feet long with a container capacity of 3,500 TEUs, or 20-foot equivalent units. The ships will also have roll-on, roll-off capacity, with garage space for up to 800 vehicles.

Matson (NYSE: MATX) plans to put the ships into service to Hawaii. Under the Jones Act, U.S. shipyards must build ships offering service between two U.S. ports.

South Korea-based Daewoo Ship Engineering Co. worked with NASSCO to design the ships.

The buyer has the opportunity to convert the ships to liquefied natural gas fuel.

The General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) unit builds commercial and U.S. Navy auxiliary ships in its Barrio Logan yard. NASSCO also repairs Navy ships.

Twenty-nine additional employers have signed on to the White House equal pay pledge, which asks companies to conduct a yearly analysis of pay by gender with the goal of eliminating unequal compensation.

Apple, Chobani, Delta Air Lines, Facebook, General Motors, Hilton, IBM and IKEA are among the companies and organizations that have joined the effort, bringing the total to more than 50, according to the White House. Friday’s announcement was made on Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates women’s right to vote.

President Barack Obama initiated the pledge in June as part of a summit on women, the United State of Women. The companies also agree to review hiring and promotions practices and to promote practices that will close the national wage gap.

A typical woman working full-time earned only 79 percent that paid to a typical man in 2014, according to the White House.

The Labor Department also added protections for transgender men and women to guidelines for federal contractors that are meant to guard against sex discrimination.

The first piece of legislation that Obama signed after taking office was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which overturned restrictions on time periods in which discrimination complaints could be filed.

The Obama administration also extended minimum wage and overtime to more than 2 million home health-care workers, many of them women.

Fifty-seven percent of women are in the labor force, down from 60 percent in 1999, according to the United States Department of Labor.

The County of San Diego Parks and Recreation has opened a TRACK Trails System that lets children choose their own imaginative adventure as they embark on a family hike.

All ages are welcome at the grand opening of over five miles of TRACK Trails at the San Dieguito County Park in Del Mar. The event began Friday morning at 10 on 1628 Lomas Santa Fe. This included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, where families helped their children use giant red scissors to cut the tape.

TRACK Trails is a program that allows hikers to take self-guided tours and track their adventure using an online nature journal. Park officials said players can access the journal on their smartphones or on a computer after returning home.

“We want kids and families to get outside and learn about nature, make it part of their daily routine or weekly routine, get them sort of connected to the natural resources that make San Diego and San Dieguito County Park special and unique," Jason Urroz, director of Parks and Recreation, said in a statement.

"Get them to come out and feel the sage, smell the rosemary, look at the eucalyptus trees and the torrey pines, the animals and all the other things that call this place home," said Urroz.

A partnership between Kids in Park and the San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation made this program possible. On the Kids in Park website, there are different, unique adventures that families can select. These include a scavenger hunt, hide 'n seek and an animal exercise game that features eight different animal exercises to perform along the trail.

Park officials said the program was designed to help children explore the natural beauty of parks in a fun and thrilling way, that turns an ordinary hike into a family adventure. Different kiosks with brochures are distributed across the trail to add to the hiking experience.

For children and adults with special needs, there is a baseball field with playgrounds, exercise stations, lawn areas and other resources to accommodate them, park officials said.

TRACK Trails has already been implemented at five other San Diego County Parks, including Lake Morena County Park, Lindo Lake County Park, Louis A. Stelzer County Park and San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve.

Hillary Clinton is defending the work of her family foundation, saying the organization needs more time to ensure the continuity of their programs. 

If elected, Clinton said she'll take additional steps to make sure there are no conflicts of interest between her administration and the global charitable network founded by her husband. 

Winding down the programs and finding partners, she said, takes time. 

"We're going to make sure we don't undermine the excellence and the results," she said in an interview with MSNBC's "Morning Joe.". 

Former President Bill Clinton announced last week that if Hillary Clinton is elected president, the Clinton Foundation would no longer accept foreign and corporate donations, he would step down from its board and he no longer would raise money for the organization. 

Friday is the last day of operations for the Nordstrom location at downtown San Diego’s Horton Plaza.

After 31 years, the store location is shuttering at 6 p.m., citing declining sales as department stores like Nordstrom try to compete with online shopping and new consumer habits.

"I was here with my dad when we opened the store, and let me tell you, the hopes we had for this store were as high as we've had for any location,"  said Jamie Nordstrom, great-grandson of the founder of Nordstrom.

He says that even after it was remodeled 10 years ago, the store has not done well at the Horton Plaza.

It’s not clear what will happen to the space, which sits prominently at the center of the longtime shopping plaza. Rumors have ranged from another major retail store to a nightclub or condos going in.

The building will now belong to Westfield, which will decide what to do with the property.

Westfield representatives declined to comment on the future of the space.

The closure impacts about 180 employees, most of whom will transfer to other San Diego County Nordstrom locations. If they don’t secure a role at another store, employees will be given a separation package, officials said.

There are three Nordstrom locations and four Nordstrom Rack locations in San Diego. Shoppers can head to Nordstrom stores in Fashion Valley, Escondido and University City, and Rack stores in Mission Valley, Carmel Mountain, Plaza Bonita and San Marcos.

In the last three years at Horton Plaza, several smaller businesses, including the Sunglasses Hut, a florist and toy store, have closed up shop.

Several people who spoke to NBC 7 on Friday said they felt that Nordstrom was a big draw to Horton Plaza and now with it gone, there isn't as much reason to head to the shopping mall.

"I think Horton Plaza is out of step because everywhere downtown there's cool craft breweries, a new boutique store that draws you in. But just looking around the mall today, I don't feel like there's any draw now that Nordstrom is gone," said Judy Beth Tropp, who works in East Village.

A San Diego man who drove under the influence of three times the legal limit of alcohol while accompanied by an 8-year-old boy, striking and killing a pedestrian in Oceanside, will spend the next seven years behind bars.

On Friday, a judge sentenced Ricky Robledo, 43, to seven years and four months in prison for the deadly DUI crash.

On April 21, Robledo got behind the wheel of a Kia Sedona while under the influence of alcohol.

An 8-year old boy, who was a friend of the family, was also in the car.

"At the level he was at, more than three times the legal limit," said Deputy District Attorney Aimee McLeod. "So, he was driving with a .24, with a child in the car. Absolutely, he put that child's life in danger."

At around 4 p.m. that day, as Robledo drove on busy Mission Avenue in Oceanside, east of Mesa Drive, he drifted into the bike lane and hit a man who was walking westbound on Mission Avenue.

The pedestrian, indentified to be 62-year old Charles Roy McGehee, was rushed to Scripps La Jolla Hospital by helicopter, but soon died of injuries suffered in the collision.

Robledo pulled over and was arrested. Oceanside Police Department officers discovered he had been driving with the young boy, who witnessed the crash. He was not injured.

McLeod said the boy was able to provide law enforcement officers with information about the incident.

According to prosecutors, Robledo showed no remorse at the scene of the deadly collision, blaming the pedestrian when police officers questioned him.

Robledo was booked into the Vista Detention Facility on counts of gross vehicular manslaughter and child endangerment.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated that the 8-year old boy is Robledo's son. 

Eater San Diego shares the top stories of the week from San Diego’s food and drink scene, including the scoop on an exciting new project in San Marcos that includes a brewery, eatery and bowling alley.

San Marcos Hub to Hold Brewery, Restaurant & Bowling Lanes
The North City development in San Marcos will soon be home to a 21,000-square-foot entertainment venue that will encompass bowling lanes, event space and new locations for Urge Gastropub and Mason Ale Works. The 450-seat space is slated to debut in spring 2017. 

North Park's Nomad Donuts Expanding Into Sit-Down Eatery
A popular North Park doughnut shop will open a second location in the neighborhood. Opening next year, the larger, sit-down Nomad Donuts space will serve beer and wine and feature wood-fired bagels and sandwiches in addition to its sweet treats. 

New Food Destination Opening Next Month in Carlsbad
Vital intel on North County's highly-anticipated new restaurant project has been released. Campfire, the wood-fired eatery coming to downtown Carlsbad, shares scoop on its seasonally-sourced menu, progressive design and ambitious craft cocktail program.

Global Street Food-Inspired Tap House Opens in Point Loma
West Side Tap House has soft opened in Point Loma. The eatery features a spacious sidewalk patio, 40 taps of beer and an eclectic menu that ranges from Asian spring rolls to New England clam chowder and classic English bangers and mash. 

Hyatt Regency La Jolla Revamps Onsite Restaurant
The La Jolla hotel has undergone a thorough renovation, with the next update coming to its onsite restaurant, formerly called Michael's. Due to launch next month, the new eatery will be dubbed DRIFT eat + drink and feature a SoCal-inspired design and fresh menu.

A former Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer who was caught trying to smuggle a Mexican citizen into the United States has been sentenced to 18 months of home detention.

Carlos Curiel Quezada, a 10-year veteran of LAPD, and his girlfriend, 31-year-old Angelica Godinez, were arrested at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in south San Diego County on March 14, 2015.

That day, according to court documents, as the couple tried to cross the border, the couple presented their U.S. passports and told a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent they had nothing to declare.

The agent then referred Quezeda and Godina to a secondary inspection point. The vehicle passed through an X-ray machine, which detected something unusual in the rear cargo area.

At this point, CBP agents discovered a man hidden in the spare tire well of the couple's car, in the trunk. That man was Antanasio Perez-Avalos, 26, a Mexican citizen who had no legal ability to enter the U.S.

Quezada and Godinez were indicted by a federal grand jury in a one-count complaint on charges of "bringing in illegal aliens without presentation."

Quezada was on probation with LAPD at the time of his arrest for a suspected DUI charge from 2014.

Few details about Quezada's relationship with the man in the trunk and with Godinez were revealed in court.

In the end, the former police officer was sentenced to home detention for the crime.

Riders for the 2016 Coast x Coast Foundation (CxC) will take off from San Diego on a cross-country motorcyclist trip to raise money for veterans and pay tribute to fallen military service members.

For the third consecutive year, the CxC Ride for the Fallen will begin at the veteran-owned Harley-Davidson motorcycle store in San Diego, according to the CxC Foundation.

The event runs from 2 p.m.  to 7 p.m. on Friday.

Current and former U.S. Special Operations Soldiers organized the Ride for the Fallen, in honor of military service members killed in action, according to officials. The funds raised from this event will benefit veterans with a range of medical issues. That includes Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), depression and suicide. 

Officials said the current fundraising goal for 2016 is to raise $45,000 for SOF Healthcare Initiatives, an organization that takes a holistic approach to finding the cause of illness through Functional Medicine.

This year's Ride for the Fallen will honor these service members killed in action:

• Sergeant 1st Class Ryan Savard, KIA 12 October 2012
• Master Sergeant Josh Wheeler, KIA 22 October 2015
• Sergeant 1st Class Matthew McClintock, KIA 5 January 2016
• Captain Andrew Pedersen-Keel, KIA 11 March 2013
• Captain Matthew D. Roland, KIA 26 August 2015
• Staff Sergeant Forrest B. Sibley, KIA 26 August 2015

A ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery on September 11, 2016 will finish the Ride for the Fallen, where Savard, the inspiration for the organization, was buried. He was shot and killed in Afghanistan in October 2012.

Between San Diego and Arlington, the riders will stop in Tucson, AZ; Colorado Springs, CO; Irving, TX; Dallas, TX; Ft. Walton Beach, FL; Fayetteville, NC; and Alexandria, VA.

Officials said riders will meet with Gold Star Family members and host fundraising events in each city as they continue on their route.

Donald Trump's personal physician said he wrote a letter declaring the Republican nominee would be the healthiest president in history in just five minutes while a limo sent by the candidate waited outside his Manhattan office.

Dr. Harold Bornstein, who has been Trump's doctor for 35 years, told NBC News on Friday that he stands by his glowing assessment of the 70-year-old's physical state.

"His health is excellent, especially his mental health," he said in an exclusive interview at his Park Avenue office.

In his letter, Bornstein said there were no "significant medical problems" in Trump's history and that a recent examination "showed only positive results." The letter was written and released in December but has drawn fresh scrutiny in recent days as Trump's allies have questioned Hillary Clinton's health. 

Four-year-old Jackson Scherlen didn't have his father at his side on the first day of pre-K in Texas this week. But he did have about 20 of his father's brothers and sisters from the Amarillo Police Department to give him a hug and wish him the best.

Officer Justin Scherlen never missed the first day of school for his four children, according to the Amarillo Independent School District, but he died recently from complications of an on-duty vehicle crash that took place last year.

He left behind his children and wife, Jessica, and to help fill the void as the kids when back to school, nearly two dozen of his fellow officers escorted them to school on their first day, the school district said.

Jackson hugged and high fived every one of the officers before going to class at at Coronado Elementary School.

"You have fun, OK? Be good," says one officer, as seen in video of the goodbye.

"See you, bud. Have a good day at school," says another.

The group posed for photos outside the school as well, preserving a bittersweet memory for the Scherlen family and their larger family at Amarillo PD.

"As a police department we feel like we're a family. We're around each other so much that we get to know each other, we get to know each other’s families that we feel that close,” Officer Jeb Hilton told NBC affiliate KAMR in Amarillo. 

The station reports that two of Scherlen's other children, a fourth and a second grader, were also escorted to school Monday, before the officers returned to take Jackson to his pre-Kindergarten class.