On Thursday, a SpaceX rocket, along with a satellite leased in part by Facebook, were destroyed in a launch pad explosion at Cape Canaveral. The explosion, in which no people were harmed, occurred during preparation for a launch that had been scheduled for Saturday. 

A Facebook spokesperson said the company was “disappointed by the loss” of the Israeli-built Amos 6 satellite. The portion of the satellite that Facebook had leased would have served to bring internet access to parts of sub-Saharan Africa, NBC News reported, as a part of Facebook's mission to connect people around the world through the Internet.

Both Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk have discussed plans to use low-orbit satellites to bring high-speed internet access to the many regions of the planet that don't have it. While building a space-based internet is not a new idea, it's one that has taken off once again largely due to new technology and lower launch costs.

"Now with even faster computers and cheaper satellites, there is a whole lot of interest in creating a bunch of new systems to do this," James Muncy, co-founder of the Space Frontier Foundation, told NBC News.

The search for a suspicious man in the Linda Vista area Friday prompted a lockdown at a charter school operating inside the Boys and Girls Club.

San Diego Police Officers (SDPD) were called to Morley Street at 9:30 a.m. after someone said they were threatened by a man with a gun.

Officers were searching the area for the suspect, police said.

The Boys and Girls Club on E. Jewett Street was on lockdown. The site is also the location for a charter school, according to the organization's website.

The principal for the charter school told NBC 7 they were placed on lockdown at 9:57 a.m. and released by the police at 10:17 a.m.

A child-care center nearby went on voluntary lockdown.

The location of the incident is west of State Route 163 and south of Genesee Avenue.

No other information was immediately available.

Two women who were trapped in a traffic collision in San Carlos early Friday have died from their injuries, officials said.

San Diego Police and San Diego Fire-Rescue crews responded to Navajo Road and Park Ridge Boulevard at 6:40 a.m.

An 76-year old woman was trapped in a Toyota Camry and an 88-year old was trapped in a Toyota Prius. Both cars suffered significant front-end damage.

Less than two hours after the collision, police said both drivers had died. They were described as an 88-year-old woman and a 76-year-old woman

San Diego Police said the driver of the Prius ran a red light and struck the Camry.

The roads was blocked for several hours.

The location of the incident is near Patrick Henry High School.

Both women were transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital but died from their injuries.

No other information was immediately available.

In the United States, drug-resistant gonorrhea is a public health problem of national concern. But untreatable gonorrhea isn't the only STD that has health officials worried, according to an NBC News report.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization released new treatment guidelines for three common sexually transmitted diseases — chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis — in response to increasing antibiotic resistance.

Gonorrhea has developed the strongest resistance to drugs, according to the WHO, but the worries about untreatable syphilis and chlamydia come at a time when rates for the three STDs are rising rapidly in the U.S, especially among young people ages 20 to 24.

Gonorrhea is even starting to show decreased susceptibility to a "last line" treatment option. This makes this bacterium a multidrug-resistant organism, often called a "superbug."

A fire weather warning has been issued for San Diego County’s mountains and deserts, in effect through Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The NWS says the Red Flag Warning is in effect from 11 a.m. Friday through 8 p.m. Saturday due to strong, gusty winds and low humidity in some parts of the county.

In the mountains and deserts, the NWS is forecasting west to southwest winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph. The strongest winds are expected this afternoon and evening, when humidity is between 5 and 10 percent. The gusty conditions may also kick back up early Saturday afternoon and evening.

The fire weather warning is includes the Palomar and Descanso ranger districts of the Cleveland National Forest and San Diego County deserts like Anza-Borrego and San Gorgonio Pass near Banning. San Gorgonio Pass may see isolated gusts of up to 50 mph over the course of the warning, the NWS confirms.

The Red Flag Warning means the conditions are primed for potentially fueling wildfires that could spread rapidly. During this time period, any type of outdoor burning should be avoided.

The fire weather warning from NWS also extends to other parts of Southern California, including San Bernardino National Forest, Riverside County mountains, Victor Valley, Apple Valley, Lucerne Valley, Johnson Valley, Coachella Valley and the Palm Springs south coast desert district.

Cal Fire Capt. Kendal E. Bortisser said Friday morning that more than 7,300 firefighters were battling 10 large fires across California.

"As September moves in, now is the best time to be prepared in the event of a wildfire. Cal Fire recommends having an evacuation plan so you can leave early. By going early it frees the roads of traffic and that allows our firefighters to move more freely to do their job effectively," Bortisser said.

Information on how to create a fire evacuation plan for your family can be found here.

For weather updates from NBC 7, click here.

The San Diego Association of Government’s 2016 mid-year crime report shows that there has been an increase in several types of crime in San Diego County.

According to the report, the crime rate per 1,000 San Diegans midway through 2016 has jumped 4 percent from its mid-2015 mark.

Violent crime in the county has increased by 1 percent while property crime, motor vehicle thefts, and residential and commercial burglaries have also gone up.

Between January and June of this year, regional law enforcement agencies saw an average of 30 violent crimes reported every day, which is about one violent crime per day more than 2016.

The region saw 5,291 reported burglaries in the first half of this year and 5,551 vehicles were stolen at the halfway point of 2016.

One subcategory of violent crime, aggravated assault, did see a 1 percent decrease, but SANDAG says that the drop could be due to California law enforcement agencies’ move to recognize the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) “broader” Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) definition of rape in 2015.

The UCR, a nationwide crime reporting standard, includes male victims, sodomy and penetration with any body part or object in its definition which resulted in a reclassification of several assaults as rape. Also, use of force is not required for a crime to be classified as rape under the UCR.

There were 558 rapes reported in the county, using the UCR definition, through six months of this year compared to 511 in the first half of 2015.

"Given the confounding factors that can affect crime rates, it is not possible at this point to draw any definitive conclusions as to what exactly is causing these slight increases. But despite the uptick, the current crime rate in our region is still far lower than what it was 10 years ago," Dr. Cynthia Burke, Director of the SANDAG Criminal Justice Research Division, said. "Other West Coast cities also are seeing increases in crime, and we are watching the data closely."

The entire mid-year crime statistics report with regional data is available here. A one-page Criminal Justice Flash summarizing the findings of the report is also available here.

Colin Kaepernick's decision to sit during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice and police brutality, as well as his critical words directed at officers across the nation, have the Santa Clara police union saying its officers might stop working San Francisco 49ers home games.

NBC Bay Area obtained a letter, penned by union members, to the San Francisco 49ers stating that if the organization does not take action against Kaepernick, "it could result in police officers choosing not to work at your facilities." 

The Santa Clara Police Department is the lead police agency at Levi’s Stadium. During 49er games, around 70 officers volunteer to work and are paid as security personnel. Now it is unknown whether more than half of those officers will show up at the team's next game on Sept. 12.

"I'm already hearing it this week that next week on Monday Night Football, some officers are not going to work," said Frank Saunders, president of the Santa Clara Police Officers Association.

According to the union, about one-third of the officers who work during 49ers games are from other Bay Area law enforcement departments. If Santa Clara's police officers refuse to work, others officers might be hired. But, Saunders said, that may create a conflict with the city’s contract with the police union.

Officers are angered by Kaepernick's comments about police brutality and accusations that officers "murder minorities." They are also frustrated by the San Francisco quarterback's decision to wear socks during practice that depict pigs in police uniforms, according to the association.

"The 49ers are allowing this to come out from an employee and it's making for a hostile work environment for us at the stadium," Saunders said.

The union's letter also stated that its board of directors have "a duty to protect its members and work to make all of their workings environments free of harassing behavior."

The San Francisco 49ers organization reiterated Friday night that it stands behind a statement it made immediately following reports of Kaepernick's decision to sit down during the playing of the national anthem before San Francisco preseason game against Green Bay last week.

In that statement, the franchise said, "In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem."

But Saunders wants the team to treat the quarterback like any company would treat an employee.

"It was a totality of all those circumstances that we felt, 'Let's go talk to the 49ers. Let's have them go deal with" Kaepernick, he said.

Kaepernick’s decision not to stand has triggered a firestorm of comments on social media, in the Bay Area and across the nation. Local police agencies invited Kaepernick over to see their work in action, while many of the quarterback’s colleagues in the NFL said they disagree with his decision not to stand — though some of said they support him.

Some American military veterans, many of them black, came to his defense online, using the hashtag #VeteransForKaepernick to indicate that they supported his right to express himself. And Kaepernick pledged to donate $1 million to as-yet unnamed community organizations.

NBC Bay Area has reached out to the Santa Clara Police Department and city officials for comment, but has yet to hear back.

NBC Bay Area's Brendan Weber contributed to this report.

Read the Santa Clara Police Officers Association's entire letter here:

Twelve people suspected of discussing plans to attack the Rio Olympics, including a "biochemical attack" on a water reservoir, were indicted in Brazil Friday, a source close to the investigation told NBC News.

The men were arrested in a series of anti-terrorism raids in late July, a couple of weeks before the Olympic Games. The group pledged allegiance to an ISIS offshoot, authorities said.

Brazil's Justice Minister at the time called the poorly organized group "absolutely amateur" with "no preparation at all." The source said the plot was more serious than initially described.

The men allegedly discussed a plan to contaminate one of Rio de Janeiro's water reservoirs to attack the Games, according to court documents reviewed by NBC News.

A police officer in New Mexico was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire Friday as he chased a man with a lengthy criminal record, authorities said. The suspect was also killed, according to NBC News.

Officer Clint Corvinus, 33, with the Alamogordo Police Department, died Friday morning after being shot as he and another officer were in a foot pursuit of Joseph Moreno, 38, and Moreno turned and fired at them, Alamogordo Police Chief Daron Syling said during a news conference.

Corvinus and another officer had approached Moreno because he was allegedly acting suspiciously in a residential area of Alamogordo, a town of about 31,000 east of White Sands National Monument, Syling said.

Syling said at some point during the foot pursuit Moreno shot at the officers and at least one officer returned fire. Syling did not say who fired the shots that killed Moreno.

In a new feat of what could be considered oversharing, two convicted felons on parole face new charges after streaming themselves shooting guns at an Illinois firing range over Facebook Live, the Evanston Police Department announced in a news release Friday.

Demarcus Curtis, 25, of the 1300 block of Fargo Avenue in Des Plaines, and Nicholas Mayfield, 25, of the 3900 block of West 167th Street, Country Club Hills, both face charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

Evanston Police say they regularly check social media to keep an eye on “ongoing conflicts” in the north Chicago suburb. On Wednesday an investigator saw Curtis, who was known to police as a gang member on parole, on a Facebook stream at a firing range in Winthrop Harbor with individuals who were firing guns, which is against the law in Illinois due to Curtis’ parole status.

Evanston Police Cmdr. Joe Dugan said gang members often use social media to boast or to antagonize rivals, which can fan the flames of feuds and cause them to become more serious.

Evanston Police contacted Winthrop Harbor Police about the alleged illegal activity being broadcast on the social media platform. When Winthrop Harbor cops arrived at the shooting range, they discovered a second convicted felon, Nicholas Mayfield, who also has Evanston ties and was seen shooting by police. Both men were taken into custody by Winthrop Harbor Police.

"We have had shootings that were started on social media," Dugan said in an email. "Our intel unit monitors social media and have used what they found as evidence in precious cases, but they continue to post."

Winthrop Harbor Police officials were not immediately available for comment.

One of three men accused in the “brazen” kidnapping and robbery of a Wheaton College student last week has been arrested and charged as the hunt for the remaining suspects continues.

Prosecutors claim a 21-year-old student was terrorized for an hour and half, trapped inside a vehicle while his alleged kidnappers went on a crime spree that spanned from the suburbs to Chicago.

The victim had just left a Starbucks in downtown Glen Ellyn and was walking to class just before 10 a.m. on Aug. 26 when he was allegedly approached by a small SUV with three men inside, prosecutors said. Two of the men exited the vehicle, allegedly displayed a handgun and ordered the victim into the car.

The three then drove to several ATMs and withdrew more than $1,500 from the victim’s bank account using his ATM card, officials said. They then drove to Chicago and just before 11:30 a.m. released the victim.

The student ran to the nearest building and called 911, authorities said.

An investigation by several agencies led to 18-year-old Abeet Ramos’ arrest Tuesday.

Ramos, accused of being the getaway driver in the case, was charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated armed robbery and aggravated unlawful restraint in connection with the alleged kidnapping that happened in broad daylight in a Chicago suburb, authorities announced Friday.

Police say his alleged accomplices, who are considered armed and dangerous, are still on the loose. Authorities said Friday they are searching for 23-year-old Jeremy Jones and an unnamed juvenile.

“The allegations against Mr. Ramos and his alleged accomplices are completely outrageous,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. “The brazen abduction of an innocent man at gunpoint in broad daylight will not be tolerated and will be met with the full force of the law.”

Ramos, who was out on bond for another crime in Kane County when the alleged kidnapping took place, appeared in court Friday and his bond was set at $3 million. He is expected to appear in court again Sept. 13.

It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.

The man who found the skeletal remains of a human body in a canyon in Hillcrest told NBC 7 that at first he thought it was just a prop.

John Doroshuk, a homeless man, had been looking for a place to sleep Tuesday night when he made the grisly discovery on the 2600 block of Front Street near W Maple Street.

“I saw what I thought was a prop skull, something you buy at a Halloween store,” Doroshuk said. “So I picked it up and I immediately noticed it was a real skull.”

In an interview with NBC 7, Doroshuk said that along with the bones, he found a pair of pants and a shoe that appeared to have the bones still inside it. He called police but says, at first, they did not believe him.

“Police were a little skeptical at first, maybe right so, maybe no. I have the impression they thought they were on a wild goose chase but then the officer saw the bones and said ‘wow, that’s the real thing’,” he said.

Doroshuk told NBC 7 that he’s surprised no one else made the discovery before him.

“It just seems odd a person could wander up here and die so close to a residence and not be discovered during a decomposition process,” he said. “And other people, probably hiking the canyon or residences saying ‘oh, what that smell’.”

According to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), the remains appear to have been out in the canyon for some time.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's officer is still working to determine the cause of death. SDPD says DNA from the bones will be sent to the missing persons database.

A notorious beer bandit wanted for a recent rash of thefts in South Florida was arrested after he dropped his cellphone at the scene of one of his crimes, police said.

Gabriel Gelpi Rodriguez, 25, was arrested Wednesday on multiple theft charges, Miami Police said. He was being held on more than $12,000 bond Friday, and it's unknown if he's hired an attorney.

According to Miami Police arrest reports, Rodriguez walked out of Publix at 911 Southwest 1st Avenue Tuesday with several boxes of Corona beer in a shopping cart without paying.

He was followed by a store's general manager, who confronted him. Rodriguez fled the scene but dropped his cell phone, which was recovered by the manager, the reports said.

Later that night, Rodriguez was able to steal beer from the Winn-Dixie at 1525 Coral Way, the reports said. He was arrested after the information on the phone led police to his home, the reports said.

Police said the Broward Sheriff's Office is looking at Rodriguez as a possible suspect in similar cases in Broward, including a theft at a Weston Publix last month.

Officers are responding to a crash in El Cajon involving a school bus and a vehicle Friday evening.

According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the crash happened at approximately 4:18 p.m. on the 200 block of N Mollison Avenue near Main.

During the crash, four children were inside the bus. 

Initially, CHP said there may be minor injuries but later confirmed that no one was injured.

No other information was immediately available.

Michellie Jones has an addiction.  Three, actually. She lives to swim, bike and run, and she’s made a name for herself along the way.

“Triathlon is one of those lifestyle sports,” she says.

In 2000, Jones won the silver medal in the first Olympic triathlon. She lives in Carlsbad and competes for her home country of Australia.   Jones also won the Iron Man Hawaii, but says her addiction to the sport invented in San Diego County, is about more than accolades.

“It’s about getting through the demons that you face every time that you get out on the race course.” She says, “And that’s what I love about it.”

Now, she’s ready for another first, but with every stroke she takes at the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA pool in Encinitas, Jones knows this time it’s not all about her.

“I am a triathlete, but I’m also a guide,” she says.

This month, Rio will host the Paralympic games, and for the first time, Paralympic triathlon will be an event.   Jones will be a guide for fellow Australian Katie Kelly.

“There’s a lot more pressure when you have to participate for somebody else,” says Jones.

Kelly is legally blind and hearing impaired, but doesn’t let that stop her from competing.  She started Paralympic triathlon a little more than a year ago, and almost immediately had success.   Kelly and Jones won the 2015 world championship.

While triathlon is considered one of the most grueling sports, the challenges of Paralympic triathlon may go a step further. 

“Just think of closing your eyes and swimming, biking and running,” says Jones.

Athletes and guides are tethered together for the swim and the run, and the two are not allowed to make contact.  The ride is done on a tandem bike.  For Jones and Kelly, it’s even more challenging because, to save time during transitions, Kelly doesn’t wear her hearing aids during the race.  So, Jones has to be especially loud in order to communicate what’s ahead of them and what direction they need to turn.

 “It’s a communication you have to build, a trust you have to build, and they have to have faith that you’re going to do everything in your power to guide them through the race.”

For these world champions it seems like the trust is there, but Jones says she still feels the pressure for Rio.

“When you’re guiding an athlete, you don’t want to let them down,” says Jones.  “You’re their eyes.”

Jones says one of the most common questions she's asked is whether she also receives a medal, should they end up on the podium.  The answer is yes.

While Katie Kelly is her top priority at the moment, Jones says she knows this moment is about more than one athlete.

“What I’m most excited about is you’re going to get little kids that have an impairment and they’re gonna say, I want to be a paratriathlete.”

A San Diego man who hacked a friend to death with a machete is a “very scary individual” who has shown the least remorse of a defendant in her court, the judge said Friday.

Vincent Salas Garza pleaded guilty in June to a second-degree murder charge for the death of Vicente Carrera. Garza used a machete to chop up Carrera’s body after the men got into an argument at a home in Rolando in November.

As she sentenced Garza Friday to the term of 15 years to life, Judge Kathleen Lewis mentioned his callous demeanor during court hearings.

“Just watching his demeanor in court I don’t think he has any remorse, it’s some of the least remorse I’ve ever seen in anyone in 25 years,” Lewis said.

She also remarked on the lack of a motive for the attack.

Garza did not allude to what prompted the violence when he made a short statement before his sentencing.

“I would like to say sorry to the family of the deceased,” he said quietly. “I would like to tell my family that I love them.”

The victim’s sister Lina Castellano cried when she described how her heart aches every day. She said she can’t get over the brutal way in which her brother was killed.

“I think that's one of the cruelest ways a person can die,” she said.

Carrera's lifeless body was discovered the day after his death buried beneath clothing and boxes on the back patio of the home.

A week after the killing, detectives had recovered the murder weapon – a machete – and honed in on a suspect.

Shortly thereafter, Garza was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, and extradited to San Diego.

According to police, Garza was a heavy methamphetamine user at the time of the killing.

Garza’s family said the defendant and the victim were close friends and ran errands together on the day of the murder.

No criminal charges will be filed in the death of a man who was involved in a violent fight in the Gaslamp Quarter.

Conner Kepple died March 10, on his 21st birthday. Five days earlier, he was involved in a 'violent confrontation' at a bar near E Street and Fourth.

San Diego Police homicide investigators turned over the case to the District Attorney's Office earlier this week. Police said they thought up to 12 people, including local bouncers, could face criminal charges.

However, the District Attorney's office told NBC 7 that after a thorough review, prosecutors believe there is not enough evidence to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt.

San Diego Police say video evidence only shows bits and pieces - and not enough to "clearly show intent to do great bodily harm."

"It wasn't a clear cut case for us. No arrests have been made," SDPD Homicide Lt. Manny Del Toro said. "That's why we sought the assistance of the district attorney's office to help us sort this out as far as criminal liability in this case."

Kepple's family told NBC 7 they are hoping someone will step forward with evidence. 

“We all still want justice for Conner. We’re not stopping at all. There are stones that have not been over,” Kepple’s mother, Annie Stuard said.

In the days after the fight, Kepple went to the hospital three times. On March 8, physicians said he was septic and required intubation. He was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a rare flesh –eating disease. After Kepple's condition continued to deteriorate, his family ultimately “elected to withdraw care” on March 10.

The Medical Examiner's office ruled his death a homicide due to “complications of blunt force trauma.” 

Kepple worked for MaxCare ambulance as an EMT. He is survived by his parents, an older brother and a younger sister.

A group of thieves broke into a UPS Store in Chula Vista early Thursday, stealing 10 packages bound for delivery in a crime caught on surveillance video. 

Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) Capt. Lon Turner told NBC 7 the break-in and theft happened between 4:15 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. at the business located at 591 Telegraph Canyon Rd.

Turner said three suspects entered the store and took approximately 10 packages, plus at least $400 in cash. Two of the three suspects were wearing masks.

Dennis Stein, an employee at The UPS Store in Chula Vista, told NBC 7 that security cameras were rolling during the break-in and recorded the thieves in action.

In the video obtained by NBC 7, the men can be seen wearing dark-colored shirts and working together to break open the gate.

Stein said the suspects broke a gate inside the store. The packages that were stolen were outgoing, bound for pickup. He said the suspects also stole two other packages from the back of the store, plus cash.

At this point, the total loss – including the value of the stolen packages – is unknown.

Anyone with information on this case can call the CVPD at (619) 691-5151.

Tropical Storm Hermine lashed the Carolina coasts with ferocious winds and rain Friday as it swept up the coast, while Florida attempted to clean up debris and restore power to tens of thousands of customers after an earlier thrashing.

Hermine was a Category 1 hurricane when it made landfall earlier in the morning south of Tallahassee — the first hurricane to make landfall in the state since 2005. At least one person died when a tree crashed down on his tent, Marion County officials said, NBC News reported.

As Hermine continued to push a northeast path, North and South Carolina were bracing for dangerous storm surge and maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. The center of the storm was passing into North Carolina, about 30 miles away of Wilmington, at 11 p.m. ET, the National Weather Service reported. It was moving northeast at 22 mph and had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.