Police, SWAT officers and the FBI are working to put an end to a hostage situation in Trenton, N.J. that has been going on for at least 15 hours.

Police sources tell NBC10 Philadelphia that a mother and child are dead inside the home on the 200 block of Grand Street.

Prosecutors say there are still multiple hostages. NBC10 has learned at least two children are being held inside the home.

The armed gunman is the father of those children, sources tell NBC10.

Police say they arrived in the neighborhood around 3:30 Friday afternoon after getting a call from a concerned neighbor.

Sources tell NBC10 that officers went into the home and found a partially decomposed body of a woman, but the man inside pulled out a gun and threatened to harm his children.

He's been barricaded inside the home for hours. The FBI is helping Trenton police with negotiations.

Nearby homes have been evacuated.

Check back here for updates on this developing story.

It is already Mother's Day for many San Diego women.

"We celebrate the Mexican Mother's Day and also on Sunday," said Cynthia Zena who was picking up flowers today at Dave's Flower Box in North Park.

Mexican Mother's Day is May 10th and is celebrated by Hispanic families on both sides of the border.

Gisselle Serano was buying flowers for her mother Guadalupe.

"I tend to give her flowers on Sunday and today," said Serano. "So I want to make her feel special."

Michelle Martin owns the Flower Box and has been a florist for 40 years. She says she has to be ready for every occasion, even if there are two days for moms.

"Both days are very, very busy," said Martin.

Mother's Day is similar to Valentine's Day as far as overall sales but it is not as hectic.

"Valentine's Day is more on one day and Mother's Day is a little bit spread out for us," said Martin.

She says while customers want their loved ones to get their flowers right on Valentine's Day, they don't mind having the flowers arrive early for mothers. Also there are more flowers available this time of year.

"Because we are dealing with springtime and there are more varieties", said Martin.

Gissell Serano wanted the best for her mom, "Just a little something extra for me to show her I appreciate her for all the things she's done for me."

Authorities are cleaning up after a two-vehicle accident caused a Coca-Cola truck to flip on its side and strike a house in Southern Florida Friday.

A red Mercedes and the semi truck crashed about half a block away. Four people were hurt, one with somewhat serious injuries and three with minor injuries, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Dan Guffey said.

"The truck lost control, causing structural damage to a house," he said.

The truck rolled into the house, Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Alvaro Feola said.

The crash caused 50 to 100 gallons of diesel fuel to leak on the ground, authorities said. Firefighters blanketed the ground with foam to make sure the fuel didn't catch on fire, Guffey said.

A lot of Coca-Cola also spilled on the ground.

Fifteen fire rescue vehicles responded to the scene, Guffey said.

"We have a wrecker tow truck coming in to upright the tractor trailer and do the cleanup of the fuel," Feola said.

Stay with NBC6.com and NBC 6 South Florida for updates.

More Local Stories:

• Boy, 14, Struck By Bus in Pompano Beach
• Allapattah Woman's Home Destroyed by Fire
• Puppy With Severed Paw Gets Fitted for Prosthetic Limb

One of the America’s most recognized, multi-city cycling events is hitting the pavement this Sunday -- and the first stage of the competition begins in Escondido.

The 2013 Amgen Tour of California kicks off Sunday with a 103-mile road cycling race around Escondido. This local part of the Amgen Tour – dubbed “Stage 1” – is one of many cycling routes across different California cities.

This year, 16 of the world’s top professional cycling teams will compete in the eight-day event, which includes approximately750 miles of roadways across the Golden State.

In Escondido, Sunday’s part of the tour begins at 11:15 a.m. at Grand Avenue and Broadway. The race is expected to finish around 3:30 p.m.

After Escondido, teams will head to Murrieta, followed by greater Palm Springs, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, Santa Barbara, Avila Beach, San Jose, Livermore, Mt. Diablo, San Francisco and Santa Rosa, where the eight-day race will finish on May 19. Full a full schedule of the routes and cities, click here.

Over the years, the Amgen Tour of California has drawn millions of spectators around the state. Last year, more than 2 million people cheered on cyclists from the sidelines, according to the tour website.

There are special spots along each route for spectators to watch the cycling race. A spectator guide featuring tips for watching the race can be found here.

Locally, business owners in Escondido are gearing up for Sunday’s race and expecting a big boost in business from the 2013 Amgen Tour crowds.

On Friday, business owners on Grand Avenue told NBC 7 they’re thrilled to welcome cyclists, their families and spectators during Sunday’s event.

Ryan Kernion, general manager of Vinz Wine Bar, said his business stands to make about 70 percent more in profits during race day. It also gives his bar a chance to attract new and loyal customers.

“[This is] epic. This kind of event [is] really [a] springboard for the rest of the year. People are going to come back because they came for the race and will see the beauty of our restaurant, on this block,” said Kernion.

Kerry McKoy, president of BikeBling.com in Escondido says he’s ready for the business rush.

"We're just thrilled to have the exposure, with 60,000 estimated people coming downtown, couldn't be happier about that,” said McKoy.
Shopkeepers believe a big draw for spectators and potential customers will be Grand Avenue itself, which has undergone beautification since 2009 – the last time the Amgen Tour was in Escondido.

“This portion of Grand Avenue, this is it as far as Escondido goes, to have our business on such a wonderful street corner during this race is going to be huge," added Kernion.

For more details, including maps, on the Amgen Tour of California, visit the event website.

The parody video is a tradition of sorts for the San Diego County Taxpayers Association Goldens - formerly known as the Golden Watchdog Awards.

You may remember in May 2011, the association produced a four-part "Hangover" remake. Or perhaps you don't remember.

Last night’s event was no exception with videos from two Hollywood blockbusters “Les Miserables” and “West Side Story.”

Mayor Bob Filner and City Attorney Jan Goldsmith, well their masks really, portrayed the feuding Sharks and Jets - one like a “bat out of hell”, the other one “ready to mix.” 

Then, in the vein of "Vive la resistance," there was City Council President Todd Gloria who took the lead in the Les Mis parody. The clip includes an unusually animated Chief William Lansdowne as “Javert” and Carl DeMaio as “Eponine.”

A 10-month-old baby girl nearly drowned in City Heights on Friday afternoon, according to police.

The incident happened around 3:40 p.m. at a home oon the 4100-block of 42nd Street. Police say the child nearly drowned inside a bathtub. The child’s mother was home at the time.

Medics and firefighters responded to the scene and the child was transported to Rady Children's Hospital.

Lt. Andra Brown said the girl is breathing and is being monitored at the hospital.

Officials said the girl is breathing at the hospital and is being monitored.

Child abuse and homicide detectives were called to investigate the scene.

Officials say the baby’s mother is being questioned by police and is cooperating with investigators. She placed the call to 911 to report the incident, police said.

No other family members were home at the time of the near-drowning.

The investigation is ongoing. Check back for updates.
 

Two astronauts are making a spacewalk Saturday in an attempt to fix a leak of ammonia in the cooling system of the International Space Station.

The nationwide shutdown of 149 federal contract air traffic control towers – including two towers in San Diego – has been delayed once again, this time through September, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Friday.

LaHood released a brief statement on Friday saying that the U.S. Department of Transportation has determined there is enough money to keep the control towers at smaller airports open through at least Sept. 30.

“The recently enacted Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013 will allow the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to transfer sufficient funds to end employee furloughs and keep the 149 low activity contract towers originally slated for closure in June open for the remainder of fiscal year 2013,” the statement said.

On Mar. 22, the FAA announced that 149 towers, including an air traffic control tower in Ramona and one at Brown Field Municipal Airport in Otay Mesa, would close beginning on Apr. 7 as a result of budget cuts from sequestration.

For a full list of the air traffic control towers that are closing, click here.

Initially, the FAA’s plan was to make the closures over a four-week period, but that plan was later delayed, and closures were set for Jun. 15 instead.

At that point the FAA said the additional time would allow the agency to attempt to resolve various legal challenges associated with the closure decisions.

Now, those towers have several more months until their closure in the fall. Once Sept. 30 rolls around, as planned, the FAA will stop funding all 149 towers and close the facilities.

The Ramona tower and Brown Field tower are included on the closure list because the FAA says the towers are not considered crucial to national use.

The Ramona tower was built in 1995 after three people died when two forest service planes collided in the area. The local airfield serves as “ground zero” during San Diego’s fire season, with Cal Fire using the runway for air tankers that fight wildfires.

Back in March, local fire chiefs and county supervisors voiced concern over the Ramona tower’s closure, arguing that it would public safety at risk and essentially be an invitation for disaster.

In a previous interview, San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob said the closure of the Ramona tower was bad news all around.

She told NBC 7 that keeping the tower in Ramona open is a matter of public safety, considering it’s the central hub for Cal Fire’s air resources during wildfire season.

On Friday, Jacob released the following statement regarding the latest delay in closure for the Ramona air traffic control tower:

“The decision to keep the Ramona Airport tower open for now is a step in the right direction, but the federal government needs to come up with a long-term budget fix. Closing the Ramona tower at the end of September would endanger our region when we need the air traffic facility the most. Many of San Diego County’s biggest and deadliest wildfires, including the 2003 and 2007 firestorms, have started in our backcountry in the fall.”

In addition to this latest control tower news, LaHood’s statement said the FAA will also allocate approximately $11 million to “partially restore the support of infrastructure in the national airspace system.”

New video shows a different perspective from the recent trial of a Border Patrol agent, who a federal jury found not guilty of abusing an undocumented immigrant last month.

This surveillance video, obtained by NBC 7 from federal court, was important evidence in the case against Agent Luis Fonseca and was taken inside the Border Patrol's Imperial Beach station.

Federal prosecutors say it shows Fonseca kneeing the immigrant, then choking him, until he passed out.

Prosecutors said the tape shows the alleged victim having seizures, after that abuse.

Prosecutors had charged Fonseca with a felony civil rights violation arguing the agent kneed and choked a 27-year-old immigrant the Border Patrol's Imperial Beach station in July 2011.

But the defense told jurors this video is inconclusive, because it was shot from behind, and doesn't clearly show any choking or abuse.

The defense also said the alleged victim faked his injuries.

The jury found Agent Fonseca "not guilty" of violating that man's civil rights.

Two men were arrested overnight for allegedly beating and robbing a taxi driver in Encinitas over a $40 cell phone, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

At around 1 a.m., a deputy approached a 52-year-old taxi driver who was sitting in the grass in front of a Jack in the Box restaurant in the 1400 block of Encinitas Boulevard.

The man told the deputy he had been allegedly beaten and robbed by two men after picking them up in Del Mar. Officials said the loss was a cell phone, valued at $40.

The suspects were located and taken into custody in a nearby parking lot.

Deputies identified the men as brothers Joseph Vanderbrink, 33, and Joshua Vanderbrink, 38. Officials say one of the men was tased after becoming combative with deputies.

The taxi driver was treated by paramedic at the scene for minor injuries.

The brothers were charged with robbery and battery and booked into jail. No further information was immediately released.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this case should call the Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200.
 

San Diego State University police are investigating after an armed man allegedly tried to kidnap a woman near campus early Saturday morning.

According to SDSU police, the incident happened around 12:20 a.m. in the 5800 block of Lindo Paseo. An unknown man possibly driving a black Ford F-150 approached a woman who was walking in the area and asked the victim if she was alone.

Police say the man then brandished a black handgun and told the woman to “get into the car.”

The woman refused.

Police say the suspect was last seen walking toward College Avenue. The woman was not injured in the attempted kidnapping.

The suspect is described as a white male adult around 6-foot-1. He’s between 30 and 40 years old, clean shaven, with short, blond hair. He was wearing a blue T-shirt, jeans, a tan jacket and possibly white shoes at the time of the incident. He was also wearing rectangular glasses.

Campus police and the San Diego Police Department want to remind people to be aware of their surroundings and report suspicious activity to 911. Anyone with information on this case should contact the SDPD at (619) 531-2000 or SDSU campus police at police@mail.sdsu.edu.
 

A pedestrian walking against the flow of traffic was killed by a hit and run driver on a local freeway overnight, California Highway Patrol officials confirmed.

According to the CHP, the hit and run collision happened around 1:30 a.m. on westbound State Route 94 near 25th Street in the Golden Hill area.

Investigators believe the pedestrian walking into traffic before being struck by a driver who then fled the scene.

CHP officials are investigating the fatal incident and say alcohol or drugs may have been a contributing factor. Check back for updates on this story.

A squirrel at the Cedar Grove Campground in Palomar Mountain has tested positive for plague, according to the county Department of Environmental Health.

Environmental health officials say the ground squirrel was trapped during a recent routine monitoring. Testing showed the rodent had plague, which marks the first case of plague found this year.

Officials say it’s not unusual to find plague in local mountains, especially during warmer months.

For now, warning signs have been posted in all areas where the plague has been confirmed.

Health officials say campers and hikers in the area should avoid contact with any squirrels and their fleas since plague is a bacterial disease that can be transmitted to humans through the bite of infected fleas on wild rodents.

Officials also say campers should set up tents away from squirrel burrows, and avoid feeding or playing with squirrels.

There have been no locally acquired human cases of plague reported in San Diego County. If you become ill within one week of visiting a known plague area, officials say you should immediately contact a doctor. Symptoms include sudden fever, chills and tender, swollen lymph nodes.

For more information about plague surveillance, call the Vector Control Program visit this website.
 

An open casting call for “Anchorman 2” in San Diego on Saturday turned out to be kind of a big deal.

Thousands of locals showed up to the open call, held from noon to 4 p.m. at the Doubletree San Diego Mission Valley, for their chance to work as an extra or background actor in the sequel to the 2004 comedy hit starring Will Ferrell.

The movie, about Ron Burgundy -- a local news anchor with an affinity for polyester suits and scotch -- will continue filming in San Diego this month, according to Central Casting.

“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” has already filmed a few scenes in Atlanta. Original “Anchorman” actors Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and Christina Applegate will all return for the sequel.

Earlier this week, rapper Kanye West reportedly joined the "Anchorman 2" cast for a cameo in the flick, filming a fight sequence with Ferrell in which West wore a wig and used a hockey stick as a weapon in the onscreen rumble.

Actors Kristen Wiig and Harrison Ford have also joined the star-studded cast.

San Diegans Claudia Zoumaras and Christian Cadanas showed up to the open casting call around 9:30 a.m. with their hearts set on landing a background role in the movie.

“It’s just on my bucket list. It’s something to do that’s fun. My son is an actor, and I’ve just always wanted to be in a movie,” Zoumaras told NBC 7.

“I love the movie ‘Anchorman.’ I’m a big Will Ferrell fan. It’s a great opportunity to come out here in this beautiful city. I’m grateful to be here,” Cadanas added.

Both said they were having fun meeting fellow aspiring extras while waiting in line.

“Anchorman” fan Rachel Taylor told NBC 7 she was ready for whatever the casting call might bring.

Taylor said she had brought along her resume and headshot, and was prepared to sing or recite a monologue if casting directors called for it.

Local Erica Swick hoped to impress casting directors with a special, fiery talent.

Swick, who practices fire poi dancing, told NBC 7 one of the questions on the “Anchorman 2” casting call sheet asked whether actors performed any type of fire breathing or fire acts.

Swick said she was hoping to gain an edge over the competition by showing off her fire performance skills alongside her boyfriend, an aspiring actor who also practices fire poi.

As San Diegans came out in droves to audition for the movie, casting directors were thrilled with the turnout.

Judy Bouley, director of marketing for Central Casting, told NBC 7 that people began lining up for the noon casting call at 6 a.m.

Bouley said the massive crowd proved San Diego’s devotion to the “Anchorman” franchise.

“San Diego must love ‘Anchorman’ because we were already completely overrun by 6 a.m. We’ve already seen about 1,500 people out here,” said Bouley.

At this point, Bouley says the best way for aspiring actors to try out for the movie is by sending their information to Central Casting via email at centralcastingSD@gmail.com.

This particular casting call is only open to San Diego residents.

You stay classy, San Diego. 

England’s Prince Harry is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the Paralympic-style Warrior Games for wounded U.S. war veterans in Colorado Springs on Saturday. This livestream has concluded. Visit NBCNews.com for more coverage.

Fire crews rushed to Lakeside Saturday after a brush fire sparked in the 13000 block of Mapleview Street and Lake Jennings Park Road.

Officials say the fire sparked just after 3:30 p.m.

California Highway Patrol officials evacuated residents in the neighborhood as a precaution while frefighters battled the blaze. CHP officials also closed some surrounding roads in the area.

Fire crews aggressively tackled the fire and were able to knock it down. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Check back for updates on this developing story.

The City of Oceanside held a community event at Libby Lake Park on Saturday – the first public event held at the park since the fatal shooting of two teenagers there this past March.

City organizers hosted a Community Resource Fair inside the park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. designed to connect the locals with different resources and opportunities.

According to event organizers, the resource fair usually takes place on the street, but this time the City of Oceanside chose to host the event at Libby Lake Park in an effort to “take back” the park.

Since the shooting, resource fair organizers say the Oceanside community has been hesitant about spending time at the scenic site. Saturday’s event was, in a way, an effort to remind the community that the park belongs to them.

On Mar. 13 at around 9 p.m., four teens were gunned down at Libby Lake Park on Calle Montecito. The shooting left two of the teenagers dead and the other two injured.

The teenage victims killed at the park were later identified by family and friends as 16-year-old Edgar Sanchez Rios and 13-year-old Melanie Virgen. The two other injured teens, ages 17 and 18, were hospitalized.

A couple of weeks later, Oceanside police officers along with U.S. Marshals, FBI and ATF agents served search warrants in Oceanside and Vista and arrested three adults and one juvenile for their involvement in the park shooting.

Martin Melendrez, 21, of Vista; Michael Zurita, 19, of Vista; Santo Diaz, 19, of Oceanside and an unidentified 17-year-old were arrested in connection with the shooting and charged with murder, attempted murder and participation in a criminal street gang.

Bail for the suspects was denied in early April, and they’ve been in jail ever since. Melendrez, Zurita and Diaz are scheduled to appear in court again on Aug. 6.

The shooting in March at Libby Lake Park was near the site of another fatal shooting that happened there two years ago. On May 3, 2011, the bodies of teens Fernando Felix Solano, 16, and Sandra Salgado, 14, were found shot to death near the park. Today, a memorial site stands in the area.

Saturday’s family-friendly event featured more than 20 agencies, including the Vista Community Clinic and Mira Costa College, providing resources and information to attendees. The resource fair also featured a magic show, face painting and live music and dance performances.

The event was sponsored by the City of Oceanside Neighborhood Services Department, Oceanside Police Department and the Save Our Streets (S.O.S.) organization.

Following the fatal shooting in March, Oceanside police, local leaders and the community demanded action and vowed to make the park a safer place, including clearing some trees to allow for greater visibility.

A man who robbed a bank in downtown San Diego on Saturday fled the scene in a taxi cab and was later captured by police.

According to the San Diego Police Department, the suspect – identified as Andrew Geils, 57 – robbed the Citibank at 755 Broadway Circle near Horton Plaza at around 12:30 p.m.

Geils gave a demand note to a teller and was given an undisclosed amount of money. He then got into a taxi cab and fled the area.

SDPD’s ABLE helicopter assisted in locating the taxi cab on southbound SR-125 and directed ground units to the vehicle a short time later.

At around 1:20 p.m., Geils was detained and positively identified by employees of the bank, police said.

He was arrested on bank robbery charges. Police say Geils matched the description of two additional bank robberies previously reported on Friday.
 

Billions of bite-sized snacks are about to appear in your backyard.

After nearly two decades living under the earth, cicadas are about to shake off the dirt and invade our great outdoors. And they’ll be ripe for your feasting says Isa Betancourt, an entomologist from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

“It’s a delicacy that’s rare,” says Betancourt, who’s known to dine on a few bugs from time to time. She calls cicadas "the shrimp of the land.”

“They are arthropods, which means they have an exoskeleton,” she said. “We regularly eat the arthropods of the sea and those are the shrimp, lobsters and crabs. And so cicadas are arthropods too.”

The Magicicada, as this type of cicada is named, spend 17 years underground snacking on the roots of plants, trees and vegetables. Now they’re coming above ground to shed their skin and mate.

Like other edible insects, cicadas are nutritious, according to Betancourt. She says their bodies are high in protein, low in fat and feature a lot of muscle.

Betancourt suggests trying to grab the magicadas when they’re fresh from the ground and undergoing their molting stage, which consists of shedding their skin as they prepare to fly away to find a mate.

“That’s when they’re softest,” she said. “When they first emerge, they’ll be kind of a green color and after a few hours they’ll harden.”

The scientist says you’ll most likely find the soft cicadas in the morning hours. She says you can still eat them once they harden, but you should expect a little extra crunch. You’ll also want to pull off the wings, because, like corn kernels, they can get stuck in your teeth.

There are a couple dozen recipes for how to specifically prepare cicadas. Betancourt is planning on taking an old shrimp skewer dish, her grandmother has made for ages, and substitute in the insect. She also suggests boiling your insects first to quickly kill and clean them.

Online you can learn how to make Cicada-Portobello Quiche or a German Chocolate Cicada Cake – complete with a coconut-pecan frosting.

Cicada-Licious, a cicada cookbook (yes, this exists), has a number of other interesting ideas. The book was penned by University of Maryland entomology professor Mike Raupp and a group of students named the Cicadamaniacs. They put the book together when a brood, or group, of magicadas made their appearance around Maryland in 2004.

“I’ve had them several different ways and frankly, I’ve enjoyed them every way I’ve eaten them,” he said.

Raupp has been studying, teaching about, and feasting on cicadas for years. The insect ecologist is now working on a Discovery Channel special about the magicadas. He says as for how they taste, it really depends on how the insect is prepared.

“Boiled they’re going to taste a lot like shrimp. If you eat them au naturel, raw, they’ve got a delicate nutty flavor; a buttery texture,” he said. “I like the soft-shelled ones.”

Both entogastronomists -- what insect eaters are called -- warn those with food allergies, specifically those who are allergic to shellfish, should consult their doctor before eating cicadas. Betancourt says you should also avoid binging on cicadas that have been living in areas where a lot of pesticides have been used.

While eating insects is taboo in the United States and other Western cultures, that’s not the case for the rest of the world. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates 2.5 billion people, mostly in Africa, include insects in the regular diet. Raupp says in some parts of the world, bugs make up as much as 20-percent of some culture’s diets.

For the squeamish, Raupp says he has a land and sea analogy he likes to use.

“Have you ever eaten an oyster or a clam out of the bay? It lives on the bottom of the bay and filters, you know what (feces),” he said. “You’d eat this thing, but would not eat this delectable insect that’s been sucking on plant fat for 17 years? I think it’s weird.”

Betancourt is more pragmatic, offering this piece of advice for the cicada-eating virgins: “Close your eyes when you’re taking the bite.”

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.