A suspect carjacked a vehicle with a mother and her infant child inside, telling them he had a gun and knife before driving off, according to San Diego Police (SDPD) officers. 

The car jacking happened at approximately 1:57 a.m. on the 400 block of W San Ysidro Boulevard in San Ysidro when a man, a woman and an infant child went to a donut shop.

The man pulled up and got out of the car, but left it running as the woman and child waited inside in the back seat, police said. 

While the woman and child were waiting, a suspect in a brown shirt and black pants got into the driver's seat. 

He told the woman he had a gun and a knife before he took off, police said, driving approximately three blocks. 

The suspect then pulled over. At this time, the woman and the infant child got out of the car and a second man got into the passenger's seat before they drove away. 

The car is described as a black 2011 Ford F-150 quad cab with tinted windows and a white skeleton sticker on the back. It has a California license plate number: 57317T1. 

The incident is under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the San Diego Police Department. 

No other information was immediately available.

If you had plans on dressing as a creepy clown for Halloween this year you'll have to do your costume shopping at someplace other than Target. The national retailer announced it was pulling its clown costumes and masks from stores and online in the wake of the creepy clown hysteria that has swept the country in recent months.

Target confirmed to NBC's "Today" show all clown masks were being pulled from stores and the company is in the process of pulling the masks from its online site.

A quick check of the Target.com website Monday morning shows a few clown costumes are still available for purchase, but none of the "creepy" variety.

In recent months there has been a rash of creepy clown sightings with costumed men exhibiting menacing behavior. Last week a 53-year-old man wearing what police described as "multi-color clown/performance-style clothing" was arrested for allegedly intimidating a 16-year-old boy with a knife in a Manhattan subway station.

The New Haven Public School district is prohibiting clown costumes and any other "symbols of terror" during this year's Halloween season. Even fast-food giant McDonald's is bowing to the craze, announcing it was keeping mascot Ronald McDonald on the sidelines until the hysteria blows over. 

The Vallejo Police Department on Monday identified the man who pointed an assault weapon at two officers on a coffee break late Sunday at a Starbucks, prompting them to open fire on him to protect themselves.

Vallejo Police Chief Andrew Bidou said at a Monday morning press conference that 41-year-old Adam Powell of Suisin "attempted to assassinate" the officers before they shot him.

"The suspect drove by Starbucks approximately six minutes before this confrontation and so we presume that this was a premeditated ambush on our officers," Bidou said. Police described Powell's weapon as having a high capacity drum magazine, with 70 rounds of high-powered ammunition.

Powell is currently in a stable but critical condition at a local hospital.

Bidou said Powell is the father of a 2-year-old boy shot inside a home in Suisun City on Sunday who is currently in a critical condition at a regional trauma center. Police have identified Powell as a person of interest in the shooting which took place in the 1000 block of Canary Court. An initial investigation shows the shooting was accidental. Investigators were unable to locate a weapon in Suisun City.[[397355791, C]]

Powell, who was convicted for robbery and drug offenses, was dressed in soft body armor and had an additional weapon on him.[[397268481, C]]

Vallejo police said the two officers were inside the coffee shop at 199 Lincoln Rd. West around 8:50 p.m., when they saw a man open the door and point an assault style weapon with a high capacity drum magazine at them.

The "suspect appeared to be attempting to manipulate the gun as if it had malfunctioned," Vallejo police said.

A dispatch recording of the brief and tense standoff recorded someone saying, "There's a man with a rifle just trying to ambush us at Starbucks."

At that point, the two officers drew their weapons to protect themselves. The suspect took off through the parking lot, fleeing west on Magazine Street. The officers ran after the suspect and caught up with him near the intersection of Magazine and Sheridan Streets as he continued to manipulate the weapon.[[397314521, C]]

Vallejo police said the suspect "presented himself as a lethal threat to the officers" who shot him three times. The suspect fell to the ground and was taken into custody. He was transported to a local hospital and was being treated for life-threatening injuries.[[397357591, C]]

"There is little doubt that if it were not for the decisive action of our two officers that today's story would be much different," Vallejo police said.

A nearby witness says she heard more than three shots fired. "We heard seven shots, like a clip, a large caliber clip," Susan Carter said.

The officers involved in the shooting were not injured. The Vallejo Police Department is investigating the incident along with the Solano County District Attorney's Office.

Vallejo residents posted videos to social media which showed heavy police presence on Magazine street, including at least 10 police cars.

Citizens can provide information to the Vallejo PD at (800)-488-9383. Citizens can also provide information anonymously to the Solano Crime Stoppers™ tip line 707-644-STOP. Solano Crime Stoppers™ offers cash rewards for phone tips that solve violent and/or serious crimes.

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Active crime scene / stay away from the area RT @SolanoFire: Vallejo Trauma Magazine St / Sheridan St Victim of a GSW/ Officer inv sho

— Solano Fire Updates (@FireUpdates) October 17, 2016

@VallejoCANews @KTVU shots fired in vallejo pic.twitter.com/ol8Wj2uEra

— Mitesh Jivan (@MiteshG1) October 17, 2016

2 year old Adonis is in stable condition w/gunshot to his neck says his sister. She believes shooting was an accident. pic.twitter.com/8GTU8R0MLR

— Jodi Hernandez (@JodiHernandezTV) October 17, 2016

Two measures on California’s ballot involve plastic bags used by stores. One ballot measure could overturn a ban signed into law two years ago. The second would direct the $.10 carryout bag fee to fund environmental projects.

Currently, 150 cities and counties have already banned plastic bags. Just this summer, the City of San Diego approved such an ordinance that includes a six-month grace period for grocery stores and pharmacies. Convenience stores and smaller markets have one-year grace period.

Once the ordinance goes into effect, shoppers who don’t bring their own bags will have to purchase paper bags for 10 cents.

Proposition 67 is a referendum that proposes overturning the plastic bags ban enacted by the state lawmakers under SB 270. Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill into law in September 2014.

“It hands hundreds of millions of dollars over to the members of the Californians Grocers Association,” Jon Berrier with the American Progressive Bag Alliance said in an interview with NBCLA.

“A vote on this rejects a special interest deal in Sacramento,” Berrier said.

He argued plastic retail bags represent about one percent of litter.

“The idea that you’re going to meaningfully reduce overall waste or litter by banning this product is false,” he said.

Mark Murray with the Californians Against Waste group said eliminating plastic bags in the City and County of Los Angeles has reduced plastic waste through the storm drain system by a third.

“It is costing taxpayers millions of dollars a year cleaning up these plastic bags,” Murray said.

He said the $.10 fee was imposed to encourage consumers to bring a reusable bag to the market.

Proposition 65 is the second measure on the ballot. It takes effect if Prop 67 passes.

Proponents say the cost of those bags is added revenue to grocers and retailers. It proposes the fees spent should be required by state law to go to environmental programs “like drought mitigation, recycling, clean drinking water supplies, parks, beach cleanup, litter removal, and wildlife habitat restoration.”

The new Environmental Protection and Enhancement Fund (EPEF) would be managed by the Wildlife Conservation Board.

“This is a political attempt to confuse and mislead voters,” Murray said. “This measure, even if it passes, may result in zero dollars for the environment because it was so poorly written.

In fact, Proposition 65 might prevent Proposition 67's bag ban depending on what a court decides, according to The Legislative Analyst's Office.

There’s no clowning around at some local school Halloween celebrations this year.

In light of the recent hysteria over creepy clowns and the ensuing social media pranks, a Poway elementary school is prohibiting clown costumes at an upcoming Halloween event.

“Given recent events locally and across the nation related to creepy clowns, we strongly recommend that students not dress in clown costumes to ensure that all of our students feel safe and secure while attending this fun family event,” a memo sent to parents of students at Tierra Bonita Elementary School read.

Tierra Bonita isn’t alone. Several local schools have expressed similar concerns over red nose-and-makeup costumes.

Poway’s Meadowbrook Middle School and Lewis Middle School in San Diego’s Allied Gardens have also banned clown costumes this year, the San Diego Union Tribune reported.

The Union Tribune reported that the San Diego Unified School District leaves the issue of clown costumes up to its schools.

Police nationwide have been making arrests in light of threats of creepy clowns stalking schools and towns, most of which have been unmasked as hoaxes and pranks.

Caliofrnians will vote on a proposal on the legalization of marijuana and hemp when they decide on Proposition 64. 

Prop 64 would legalize recreational marijuana and hemp under state law and establish certain sales and cultivation taxes. 

The proposition would allow those aged 21 and over to have and use up to an ounce of marijuana for recreational purposes. They would also be able to grow up to six plants. 

In 2010, Prop 19 was defeated by 53 percent of California voters who didn't want to see marijuana legalized.

Steve Walter, a San Diego County Deputy District Attorney, opposes the measure and thinks its passage would be dangerous for the community. 

He said based on the Colorado experience, he expects California would see the black market for marijuana grow and would see an increase in the general amount of crime. 

Walter said one of the other concerns is children getting their hands on marijuana. Research in Colorado showed that when marijuana was in the house, children more easily got their hands on it, even though the bill addressed some of those issues.

"It’s just going to be a quality of life issue as well," Walter said.

He argued that the tax gained from the sale of legalized marijuana in Colorado was a much smaller fraction in the grand scheme of things. 

Kimberly Simms, an attorney who supports the initiative, believes many strong supporters have similar concerns about some of the issues that may arise, such as driving under the influence. 

However, Simms said the proposition addresses some of those concerns. Driving under the influence of marijuana would remain illegal under Prop 64, she said, and many young adults already have access to marijuana. 

"What Prop 64 does is it takes 60 percent of the $1 billion in potential tax revenue and it earmarks it for youth drug treatment prevention," Simms said. "This is a social justice issue, not a criminal justice issue."

Read the measure here.

In addition to Prop 64, San Diego voters will also vote on Measure N. 

A yes vote on the citywide measure would impose a sales tax on businesses that sell marijuana for recreational use, if Prop 64 passes at the state level.

The tax would start at 5 percent, and could never go above 15 percent.

San Diegans who want to vote in this presidential election have just one week to register.

The deadline to register to vote in San Diego is Monday, October 24. The Registrar’s office will be open until 8 p.m. Anyone whose signature can be confirmed through the Department of Motor Vehicles records, can register online before midnight.

Find more information at sdvote.com in English, Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese and Chinese.

For those voters who wish to vote by mail-in ballot, the deadline to enter a request is Tuesday, November 1.

Find the application online at sdvote.com or on the back of your sample ballot and voter information pamphlet sent in the mail. All applications must be in house at the Registrar’s office by 5 p.m. Those who selected to vote by mail when they registered need not reapply.

A reminder on postage - this year's ballot is two pages and will cost 67 cents to mail back. If you cannot pay the difference, the registrar will pay the extra 20 cents. They say they do not want ballots tossed aside just because there is not nough postage. 

The San Diego County Registrar of Voters is sending a record-breaking number of mail-in ballots this year. 

The 960,000 ballots being mailed to more than 60 percent of voters in San Diego County represents the highest number of mail-in ballots ever sent by the registrar, staffers tell NBC 7 San Diego.

On the ballot this year, there are over 180 decisions to make when voting.

The Registrar of Voters is located at 5600 Overland Ave., San Diego, 92123.

To learn more about the Nov. 8 election, call (858) 565-5800 or visit sdvote.com.

A couple killed in the Coronado Bridge crash Saturday dedicated their lives to helping children in need, their nephew told NBC 7 San Diego. 

AnnaMarie Contreras, 50, and Cruz Elias Contreras, 52, were killed at the La Raza Ride motorcycle festival when a suspected DUI driver hit a guard rail and flew 60 feet off the Coronado Bridge and into the packed crowd at the park. 

The couple, married for 35 years, were foster parents who opened their homes to many children, sometimes keeping siblings as long as it took to make sure they would not be split up. 

"There were a few brothers that were almost separated after their parents passed and they didn't have anywhere to go and system was about to split them up," said Jacob Contreras, the couple's nephew from Chandler, Arizona. "My aunt and uncle took care of them for long time until they were able to find a place to keep them together forever."

Jacob said traveling the country on their bike was one of their joys, since they had recently semi-retired. AnnaMarie was a teacher's assistant and Cruz was a guidance counselor for at-risk youths. 

Their nephew said the couple would often take their foster children to museums and ball games, introducing them to new experiences they may not have had otherwise. 

"I think Cruz sees a lot of himself in a lot of kids he worked with," Jacob said. "He himself faces adversity in his youth and his teenage years, and I think he wanted to play an active father figure role, that shoulder to lean on, that backbone to a lot of kids who needed it."

The family came from humble beginnings in Flagstaff, their nephew said. The entire family has spent time volunteering and giving back to the community - a lot of that facilitated and inspired by AnnaMarie and Cruz, Jacob said. 

"The role they played in my family - they were the glue that kept us together, the inspiration that helped a lot of us volunteer," he said. "A shoulder to lean on in tough times. They were a rock for all of us in family."

Jacob said it's been hard to put into words the deep and profound impact that AnnaMarie and Cruz's deaths have had on the family.

His aunt and uncle did not deserve to die at the hands of a suspected drunk driver, he added. 

"There are hundreds of people who are crying and aching today because of the poor judgments of one person, so if one thing could be learned today, people in the San Diego area, please stop, think, call a taxi, call a cheap Uber," Jacob pleaded, voice shaking. "Don't allow another incident like this to happen."

A GoFundMe page was created for the Contreras family. 

The driver, identified as 24-year-old Richard Anthony Sepolio, has been charged with DUI and manslaughter. He is an active duty member of the Navy stationed in Coronado.

Sepolio remains in the hospital with serious injuries.

Chula Vista firefighters have been called to an apartment fire near 4th Avenue and Naples Street.

Firefighters arrived just after 2 p.m. to find smoke coming from the apartment building and began checking units for any possible trapped victims.

Cindy Wallace heard two blasts while she ran from the complex with her dog.

“Somebody knocked on my door. As soon as I answered it, the apartment across from it blew up," Wallace said.

"As soon as I went downstairs there was another ‘Boom’,” she said.

Wallace was given oxygen by the paramedics. They wanted her to go to the hospital but she declined.

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The Seawind Apartment complex is about a block from the Northgate Market.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

Caltrans officials will investigate the crash involving a motorist suspected of driving drunk and flying off the Coronado Bridge, killing four people at Chicano Park.

Caltrans officials issued a statement on Monday afternoon, saying the bridge was inspected prior to reopening late Saturday evening and deemed structurally sound.

Still, the incident will be further investigated by the California Highway Patrol’s multidisciplinary accident investigation team. Caltrans promises further action if any safety issues on the bridge are found.

Hours after the Saturday afternoon crash, California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez tweeted a call for “full investigation by Caltrans and any measures to prevent in future.”

Several local residents also told NBC 7 that they wished there was more of a barrier between the bridge and the park in Barrio Logan below.

“Up there now there is no protection. It’s a 34 inch cement barrier designed to make cars hit it with their wheel and come back into the lane but obviously it doesn’t always work,” said Wayne Strickland Coronado resident, retired firefighter and president of Coronado Bridge Collaborative for Suicide Prevention.

Another Barrio Logan resident agrees. “Yeah, we need that fence,” said Art Flores. “It wouldn’t cost that much money and if it’s a toll for another year they can make the money like that. One year of toll they can build these fences and everybody would be a lot safer.”

The spot in Chicano Park where four people tragically lost their lives after a truck flew off the Coronado Bridge was lit up in their memory Sunday night.

Community and faith leaders gathered at Chicano Park Sunday night to hold a prayer vigil for the four victims killed when a suspected DUI driver hit a guardrail on the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge and fell 60 feet onto a crowd gathering in the park. 

“Pure sadness, broken heartedness, families are torn, just sadness,” Nadia Contreras, a community member who is not related to the victims, told NBC 7. “Even in tragedy people are uniting. So it's a beautiful thing.”

Reverend Shane Harris, Pastor Lonnie Lynch of the Revival Time Church in Chicano Park, and other local faith leaders held the candlelight vigil at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the park for the families of the victims killed in the crash. 

A scene of hope, unity and prayer in stark contrast to what Chicano park looked like on Saturday afternoon. The crash scene may have cleared, but this is only the beginning of a growing memorial and outpouring of support for the victims and their families.

The crash happened shortly after 3:30 p.m. Saturday when the person behind the wheel of the pickup truck, suspected of driving under the influence, hit a guard rail on the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge, rolled, flew 60 feet off the bridge and landed on a crowd of people at Chicano Park, California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Jake Sanchez said. The park sits below the entrance of the bridge from Interstate 5, in Barrio Logan.

At the time, more than 100 people were at Chicano Park, celebrating La Raza Run, a motorcycle festival that had live music, food, art exhibits and a tribute to fallen riders.

Cruz Elias Contreras, 52, Annamarie Contreras, 50, Andre Christopher Banks, 49, and Francine Denise Jimenez, 46, were all attending the La Raza Ride motorcycle festival Saturday afternoon when they were fatally hit by the pickup.

Francine Jimenez’s mother came down from LA because she said she needed to see the spot where her daughter took her last breath.

“If anything, the legacy the four people … it's the unity of people that come to Barrio Logan and especially Chicano park,” Contreras said.

Police said two others suffered major injuries and at least seven other people suffered minor injuries.

A memorial at the site of the deadly crash has been growing since authorities cleared the scene of the crash; neighbors and residents have been lighting candles and bringing flowers to the site. 

The driver, identified as 24-year-old Richard Anthony Sepolio, is alive, police said, but critically injured. He was hospitalized and arrested on suspicion of DUI, Sanchez said. He has been charged with vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, DUI causing injury or death and other charges related to significant injury of others.

According to CHP, Sepolio is an active duty service member with the Navy stationed in Coronado.

Chicano Park is in Barrio Logan, a predominantly Mexican-American community located about 4.5 miles southeast of downtown San Diego. The park is known for its vast collection of colorful outdoor murals and artwork dedicated to the cultural heritage of the community.

Hillary Clinton is maintaining a 50-point lead over Donald Trump among Latinos, heading into the final weeks of the presidential election, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Telemundo poll.

Sixty-seven percent of Latino likely voters back Clinton in a four-way matchup, while just 17 percent back Trump, the polls shows. Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein each garner three percent support. Meanwhile, in a head-to-head matchup, Clinton leads Trump among Latino likely voters, 70 percent to 17 percent.

According to the new poll, conducted Oct. 10-13 among 300 Latino voters, more Latinos say they they're very interested in the November contest. Sixty-nine percent of Latino voters now say they are very interested in the election, compared to 60 percent who said the same last month.

San Diego Sheriff's officials have arrested a suspect accused of shooting a local pastor multiple times Sunday evening in Boulevard, California.

Paul David Carr, 61, was arrested in connection with the shooting death of Craig Hodson, a pastor at Grace Baptist Church of Jacumba.

Hodson was found shot multiple times Sunday at approximately 7:22 p.m. on the 36500 block of Old Highway 80. The location is approximately 58 miles east of San Diego, just south of Interstate 8. 

When deputies arrived, they found Hodson, 55, lying on the ground in front of a garage. He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his torso, deputies said. 

Despite first aid, Hodson succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on scene. 

Sheriff's officials said Carr and the victim both lived on the property where the incident occurred. 

Carr will be booked into jail on a single count of murder, officials said. 

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's office will perform an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death. 

No other information was immediately available.

The incident is under investigation. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Homicide Detail at (858) 974-2321, or after hours at (858) 565-5200. You can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

It's a love story for the ages.

Laurie McGrath left part of her heart in Ireland 26 years ago. On a trip with friends in 1990, she buried half of the necklace her then-boyfriend Bill McGrath gave to her.

"'You break it in half,'" I said. "'You wear one half and bury the other half in Ireland and we'll go dig it up someday,'" said Bill McGrath, Laurie's now husband.

Four kids and four grandkids later, that day finally came.

For their 25th wedding anniversary, the couple returned together to a cemetery in Castletownroche. Using pictures as their guide, they looked for the necklace.

The love letter Laurie wrote more than two decades ago might have been destroyed, but inside a plastic bag was the half of a necklace. The symbol of the young love between Bill and Laurie still shining bright 26 years later.

"It's got to be here because we took two days in that spot just to make sure we were going to find it. We would've dug everything will cemetery," Bill McGrath said about search.

"We found it in 45 minutes," Laurie McGrath laughed.

All these years later the couple shares a love stronger than ever.

"Too much in love still after all these years," Bill McGrath said.

As for the other half of Laurie's necklace, it is hidden somewhere in her house for safe keeping. She said her next quest with Bill is to find it and make the necklace whole again.

A 12-year old girl saves a dog and a cat during a house fire in Carlsbad on Monday, the Carlsbad Fire Department told NBC 7.

The fire sparked around 7:53 p.m. on the 4200 block of Clearview Drive.

Carlsbad Fire Department Battalion Chief Chris Lawrence told NBC 7 the 12-year old girl was alone when the fire began. She called 911 and then sought help from neighbors—she was able to get a dog and a cat out of the home.

The fire caused approximately $900,000 worth of damage and displaced the family, including three kids.

There were no injuries reported.

Lawrence said the family was being placed in a hotel. 

McCormick & Company is recalling a specific brand of its taco seasoning because some dairy-free bottles were inadvertently filled with a product containing whey, which can cause severe reactions in people allergic to milk. 

The company said it is pulling 24 oz. Club Size Original Taco Seasoning Mix with best buy dates of June 27, 2018 and Sept. 16, 2018. The products were shipped to stores nationwide. 

McCormick said it has received one report of an allergic reaction related to the product covered by the recall. In sensitive individuals, an allergic reaction to milk can cause hives, stomach upset, vomiting and in very rare cases, anaphylaxis, a rapid onset allergic reaction that can be fatal. 

McCormick has told grocery outlets to remove the affected product from store shelves and distribution centers immediately, and to destroy it in a manner that would prevent further consumption. 

Consumers do not need to return the product to the store where it was purchased. Instead, consumers are urged to throw it out and call McCormick Consumer Affairs at 1-800-632-5847, weekdays from 9:30 AM to 7:00 PM (Eastern Time), for a replacement or full refund.

A statue of Hillary Clinton in the buff has popped up in Manhattan.

Photos posted to social media Tuesday morning showed a statue of the Democratic presidential nominee wearing an open blouse in Bowling Green.

The depiction appears to show Clinton with cloven hooves. A man in a suit -- reportedly a Wall Street banker -- peeks from behind the Clinton as she waves her hands in the air.

A video later posted to Instagram shows a woman knocking over the statue before sitting on it. The Instagram user who posted the video said that the woman threatened to attack a man who tried to pick the effigy back up. 

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The woman spotted in the video was an employee with the National Museum of the American Indian, according to a spokesman for the Smithsonian Institute, which administers the lower Manhattan museum.  

"(She) was acting as a private citizen who was personally offended by the statue," the spokesman said. "Museum management is currently evaluating the situation with the employee."

The NYPD said that no artists have come forward taking responsibility for the piece and that no one was arrested or ticketed over the artwork.

The fracas comes after several statues of a naked Donald Trump were placed around the country -- including in Union Square.

One of those statues was later placed on a roof in Jersey City, welcoming drivers as they headed toward the Lincoln Tunnel. 

It's not clear if the statue of Clinton will be removed by city workers. After the Trump statue was placed in Union Square, the city Parks Department said in a statement "NYC Parks stands firmly against any unpermitted erection in city parks, no matter how small."

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