Triple A is projecting the highest number of people since 2007 will be traveling this Thanksgiving holiday.

An estimated 3.6 million people are expected to making a trip to see loved ones or take a vacation. Of them, 3.1 million people are expected to drive, according to Triple A.

“I love being with family,” said Kristine Doan. She told NBC 7 that she was making a drive on Thanksgiving Day to see her family.

But making the holiday trip is proving to be increasingly more dangerous for travelers on the road.

Triple A and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.) said Thanksgiving has taken over New Year's Eve for the highest number of alcohol related driving deaths.

“When you have more than one or two drinks and you have that heavy food and hit the road, then that's a recipe for disaster. And then the young people coming home for Thanksgiving drink to excess," said John Townsend, a spokesman for Triple A.

More than 400 people die in alcohol or drug-related crashes each year over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, according to Triple A and M.A.A.D.

"I hadn’t thought about it until you said that," Doan told NBC 7, when she heard of the alarming number. "But we have children and I should think about that."

Los Angeles police officers Joe Cirrito and Kristina Tudor know that running 420 miles to Sacramento over 12 days is going to be an exercise in agony, but they're doing it for the greater good — raising money for the families of officers killed in the line of duty.

The officers are set to begin their journey Sunday at the Los Angeles Police Academy in Elysian Park. They'll run with the added weight of their uniforms, fully loaded and duty-ready Sam Browne belts and boots that, Tudor said, "feel like anchors tied to your feet."

"We're going into the unknown," said Tudor, 30, who at a diminutive 5 feet 3 inches tall is an ultramarathon runner and one of about 10 women on the LAPD's elite Metropolitan Division. "There are definitely things we're going to be learning about ourselves that we probably didn't even know existed."

Cirrito, who is 47 years old and 5 feet 11 inches, joked that this run is his midlife crisis. A sprinter in college who hated distance, Cirrito has been running 80 miles a week in his uniform before his shift at 2 a.m. to get ready. The former teacher and college football player from New York has been psyching himself up by watching "Rocky" movies and listening to AC/DC.

"It's a huge motivator for me," he said.

They'll alternate running 20-mile legs, while the other rests and rehydrates in a recreational vehicle that will pace them north on State Route 33. They'll have foods full of proteins and carbs — salmon and chicken for Cirrito — as well as Gatorade, soda and water. Rotating support teams will handle security, social media updates and logistics in utility vans that will leap frog along the route.

Cirrito, a senior lead officer at the LAPD's Olympic Division, was inspired by his friend, Dominick Pezzulo, a former high school shop teacher who became a New York/New Jersey Port Authority officer in 2000. Pezzulo had been on the job one year when he was among the more than 70 officers killed when terrorists crashed hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001.

It's been 16 years, but Cirrito still cries when talking about his friend.

"I can't watch anything that deals with 9/11 without tearing up," he said. "I feel that it's also a driving force for me because he became my hero."

Cirrito and Tudor hope to raise $10,000.

They're ready. Last year, the two ran the 26-mile LA Marathon in full gear in under six hours.

Tudor said her hips and thighs hurt, but she knows that a big part of running is mental. So she prepared by reading "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell.

"It relaxes me mentally, keeps my mind sharp," she said.

Cirrito has kept to a strict diet of chicken and fish — no fast food, beer, or other meat.

He'll stream music on his phone to keep him motivated through the run.

"This is an honor for me," he said. "This has been a very tough year for law enforcement. The biggest thing about why I enjoy running in uniform is I get to talk to people. It's so important that people understand that we're human."

With a perfectly-cooked and artfully plated grilled lamb loin, one local chef won top honors this year at the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival’s “Chef of the Fest” competition.

Executive Chef Mark Kropczynski, of The US GRANT Hotel’s Grant Grill, won the culinary contest on Nov. 19 at the Lexus Grand Tasting, an annual event that marks the grand finale of the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival.

Kropczynki’s winning dish was Grilled Lamb Loin with Pumpkin Seed Oil and Fig Vincotto, which also won the Meat Category of the competition. In addition to major bragging rights, the chef shared a purse of more than $50,000 in cash and prizes at the competition.

The Chef of the Fest contest was judged by the San Diego Chapter of the American Culinary Federation, as well as guest judges, using a blind-tasting format.

This year, those guest judges included: Suzette Gresham, executive chef of San Francisco’s Acquerello; Urs Emmenegger, executive chef at Casa De Manana and President of the ACF Chefs and Culinarians of San Diego; Dean James Max, president of
DJM Restaurants, James Republic; Nic Vanderbeeken, executive chef of Viceroy Bali’s CasCades Restaurant; Chad White, chef and restaurateur.

Kropczynski and 34 other chefs presented their best dishes and the pot was then narrowed down to five finalists and five category winners using a graded point system. Participants were ranked based on cumulative scores considering the presentation, flavor, innovation and quality of product and preparation of their delicious dish in the allotted time.

Kropczynki’s big first-place victory this year is especially sweet because last year, the chef took home fourth place in the competition with his Buddha’s Hand Citron, boasting cake, curd, marmalade, hibiscus ice cream and syrup.

According to the chef’s biography on the Grant Grill website, Kropczynski’s philosophy in the kitchen is to keep things simple, yet elegant.

Kropczynski has been in the culinary industry since he was 15 years old, when he began working in commercial kitchens. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and went on to study in France, gaining extensive experience in classical French cooking techniques. Kropczynski’s dishes are also influenced by Swiss and German cooking styles. The chef joined the Grant Grill in 2006.

Kropczynski is an avid fisherman and lobster diver. At the Grant Grill, he is known for creating California cuisine with seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients.

Other 2016 Chef of the Fest winners at the Grand Tasting included:

Second Place Winner:
Accursio Lota – Solare Ristorante
Californian Pistachio Mousse Chocolate Crumb Hazelnut Infusion

Third Place Winner:
Trevor Chappell – The Barrel Room
Smoked Porchetta Almendrado Sauce Caramelized Pear Peppercress Grilled Baguette 

Fourth Place Winner:
Evan Cruz – Arterra Restaurant
Duck Pear Chutney Mustard Seeds Mustard Frill

Fifth Place Winner:
David Warner – Decoy Dockside Dining
Curried Garnet Yam Liquid Cornbread Pomegranate Mustard Seeds Shaved Fennel Pickled Red Onions Brown Butter Crumble Mustard Greens 

Meat Category Winner:
Mark Kropczynski – Grant Grill
Grilled Lamb Loin Roasted Baby Root Vegetables Pumpkin Seed Oil Fig Vincotto

Poultry Category Winner:
Evan Cruz – Arterra Restaurant
Duck Pear Chutney Mustard Seeds Mustard Frill

Seafood Category Winner:
Aaron Thomas – AVANT Restaurant
Crispy Nori Cured Hamachi Salted Plum Pickled Cucumber Yuzu

Vegetarian / Raw Category Winner:
David Warner – Decoy Dockside Dining
Curried Garnet Yam Liquid Cornbread Pomegranate Mustard Seeds Shaved Fennel Pickled Red Onions Brown Butter Crumble Mustard Greens 

Dessert Category Winner:
Accursio Lota – Solare Ristorante
Californian Pistachio Mousse Chocolate Crumb Hazelnut Infusion

The annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival is a showcase of the world’s premiere wine and spirits producers, chefs and gourmet food, with a spotlight on San Diego’s thriving dining scene.

This year, it was held Nov. 14 through Nov. 20, with many cool culinary events throughout the week, culminating with the Grand Tasting, which featured scrumptious samples from more than 150 wineries, breweries and spirits companies, plus bites from dozens of local chefs representing 60 of San Diego’s top restaurants.

Marine veteran Matthew Baugh was only 18-year-old when he walked into the Romano’s Jewelers store in Carlsbad five years ago.

He was right out of infantry school and admits he had limited financial knowledge. 

“They said ‘We’ll give you a credit check.’ I didn’t even know what credit was back then, so I did a credit check and they basically took my information and swiped up some jewelry for my grandmother,” Baugh said.

“I didn’t have the money,” he said.

Baugh is one of at least 70 Camp Pendleton Marines targeted in a predatory identity theft case involving Romano’s Jewelers. Prosecutors say the number of victims is likely much higher, most of them young military service members.

This is a case NBC 7 Investigates broke and has been following closely since 2014.

Our team found the owner Randy Abalkhad, manager Carlos Torres and employee Nellie Noland worked with Marine insider Kymani Tate to illegally access the financial accounts of military customers and add unauthorized charges.

On Tuesday, Abalkhad pleaded guilty to felony charges including conspiracy to commit identity theft, identity theft with the intent to defraud and theft by false pretenses. Abalkhad agreed to pay $55,000 in restitution to his victims. If he pays before his February sentencing, he will be granted probation with terms to be determined by the judge. If he fails to pay before his sentencing date, he faces three years in local prison.

“I don’t think he’s truly sorry for what he did,” said Baugh. “I think this is just part of a plea deal.”

“$55,000 dollars in restitution money? That I don’t care about. What I care about it that I missed numerous opportunities to go home for funerals because of a bad credit score,” Baugh added.

In addition to restitution money, Abalkhad is being order to write a letter to all the victims and credit reporting companies stating the wrongdoings were his, the Marines were victims and the debt should not be collected.

A few years after his experience with Romano’s Jewelers, Baugh’s grandmother died. This is the same grandmother for which a Romano’s employee tricked him into buying jewelry. Due to the financial troubles the business caused him, Baugh couldn’t fly home to attend her funeral.

“I didn’t have the ability to pull a loan to go home, and nothing can ever replace that,” he said.

The experience with the store continues to impact him financially today.

Baugh said if it were up to him, Abalkhad would serve more than prison time.

“He should have to do three years of community service at veterans program. I don’t think he will truly know what he took until he goes and services us,” Baugh said.

Abalkhad’s sentencing date is scheduled for February 27, 2017 in the Vista courthouse.

The Romano’s Jewelers stores in San Diego have closed. However, prosecutors said, he still has stores operating in the Los Angeles area.

The commanding officer of USS Rushmore requested to be relieved of duty on Nov. 21 and has since left her command. 

Commander Sarah De Groot, a long Beach native, lead the dock landing ship for two years. Prior to assuming command, she reported to the ship as an executive officer in June 2014. 

It is unclear why De Groot requested to be relieved of duty. De Groot declined to comment on the move to NBC 7 San Diego, saying she did not want to disclose the "issue" at this time. 

“Sorry, I cannot comment on anything at this time," she told NBC 7 San Diego over the phone. "I will refer you to the public affairs office.”

When reached for comment, Deputy Public Affairs Officer, Naval Surface Force Pacific, Doug Sayers, gave NBC 7 this statement over the phone, in part: 

“The commanding officer of USS Rushmore (LSD 47) Commander Sarah De Groot requested to be relieved November 21."

Commander DeWayne Sanders will be the interim commanding officer of the ship for the time being, Sayers said.

It is rare for a commanding officer to resign and walk off the job, The Navy Times reported, an option most other service members do not have without serious repercussions. 

De Groot served on board USS Pearl Harbor and USS Constellation, supporting the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to the U.S. Navy. She commissioned after she graduated from Texas A&M in 1998. 

She has been awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (five awards) and the Meritorious Service Medal, according to the U.S. Navy. 

No other information was immediately available.

A construction worker has succumbed to his injuries after falling from a two-story building in Chula Vista, Chula Vista Police Lieutenant Fritz Reber confirms. 

The fall happened on the 1400 block of Ridgeback Road near the Family and Preventive Medical Center of Chula Vista, police and fire officials said. 

The man fell approximately 30 to 35 feet, officials said. 

It is unclear what injuries he suffered. He was initially expected to survive, but later died of his injuries at UC San Diego Medical Center. 

No other information was immediately available.

Private, sensitive information of more than 130,000 current and former sailors was accessed by unknown individuals in a security breach, the United States Navy announced Wednesday. 

On October 27, internet technology firm Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services notified the Navy that one of the company's laptops, which was supporting a Navy contract, was reported compromised, according to a statement from the Navy. 

An investigation by the firm and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service revealed by November 22 that 134,386 current and former sailors' sensitive information, including names and Social Security numbers, were accessed by unknown individuals, according to the Navy.

There is not yet evidence to suggest misuse of compromised information, the Navy said.

"The Navy takes this incident extremely seriously- this is a matter of trust for our Sailors," said Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke in a statement. "We are in the early stages of investigating and are working quickly to identify and take care of those affected by this breach."

Affected sailors will be notified in coming weeks, and can expect the Navy to reach out, including by phone call, letter and email, the Navy said. 

The Navy is working to provide further details on what happened to the sailors who were affected and is reviewing credit monitoring service options for them. 

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

A three-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle in El Cajon has left the motorcyclist dead, officials said.

The incident happened at the intersection of E Washington Avenue and Lincoln Avenue at approximately 4:38 p.m. Wednesday, officials said. 

Two cars and one motorcycle are involved in the crash; the rider of the motorcycle, a 30-year old man, has died, El Cajon Police Department Lieutenant Royal Bates said. 

According to police, the motorcyclist, was driving westbound on Lincoln Aveneu when a car coming out a cross street struck him. The two people in the car were not injured.

It is unknown how the third vehicle was involved. 

Several witnesses did report that the motorcyclist had been speeding prior to the collision.

But police say they have not determined a cause of the crash.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

California's largest public employee union says it has given notice to strike on Dec. 5 in response to stalled contract talks with the state.

The Service Employees International Union Local 1000 says its action comes because of the state's failure to move on its opening proposal on salary and benefits after more than seven months.

The union representing about 95,000 employees announced last week that 92 percent of members voted to strike.

The state has offered a nearly 12 percent salary increase over four years, but SEIU officials say the 3 percent annual raises would be offset by a 3.5 percent employee contribution to retirees' health care.

The union contends the state can afford more and has failed to address the gender wage gap. Two-thirds of its members are women.

Emergency crews helped rescue an injured hiker off a trail at Cowles Mountain, San Diego Fire-Rescue (SDFD) officials said. 

The rescue happened near Golfcrest Drive and Navajo Road at approximately 7:34 a.m. on Thanksgiving. 

A helicopter helped rescue the hiker from the trail, and the hiker was then taken by ground ambulance to Scripps Mercy Hospital with a possible broken ankle. 

No other information was immediately available.

Hina Naveed was 10 years old when her Pakistani parents brought her to the United States. They taught her never to talk about her immigration status because she's undocumented. 

In 2013, Naveed received a grant from the New York Immigration Coalition to work for El Centro, an immigrant center in Staten Island. It was then that the 26-year-old became an outspoken advocate for immigrants' rights. After she graduates from nursing school later this year, she intends to pursue a law degree.

But her plans could be jeopardized if Donald Trump gets rid of DACA as part of his immigration reform. President Obama’s 2012 executive action, Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, protects individuals who came to the U.S. without documentation as minors and who have made a home here. Naveed has been covered by DACA since 2013.

This week, Naveed traveled from Trump Tower in New York City to the White House in Washington, D.C., as part of the "Caravan of Courage," a movement organized by undocumented immigrants and allies to demand action from both Obama and the president-elect.

Brought together by the New York-based advocacy group, Dream Action Coalition, the protesters made stops along their route to meet with others fighting for undocumented immigrants: dreamers in Maryland and New Jersey, and organizers against an ICE detention center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their trip culminated with a press conference in front 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Thanksgiving. 

“If DACA is rescinded on Jan. 20, I have to inform my employer and I’m assuming get terminated because there’s no other way for me to continue working,” Naveed said. “I won’t be able to work as a nurse, because you definitely need legal status for that. My driver’s license expires in May, so I won’t be able to continue driving much longer. Financially, it’s going to be very difficult because if I don’t have any sort of income, the expenses are going to be building up.”

Since Election Day, Trump has not elaborated on how he will handle DACA. In an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," he said that he will first focus on deporting 2 to 3 million dangerous criminals, though a 2015 report by the Migration Policy Institute estimates that there are only 690,000 undocumented immigrants with felony charges or serious misdemeanors living in the U.S. After securing the border, Trump said he will craft his policy toward other undocumented immigrants, whom he called "terrific people." 

NBC has reached out to Trump's transition team for comment about DACA, but has not heard back. 

"We are undocumented, unafraid, and we are here to stay,” Cesar Vargas, co-director of Dream Action Coalition, said outside the White House gates Thursday. "This is the country that we call home.”

The protesters chose to march on D.C. during the holiday because they wanted to remind citizens around the country that a mass deportation could mean that next year some families might not be able to celebrate together.

“Look to the person on the left of you, on the right of you,” Naveed said. “Imagine now that they are no longer there because they were yanked out of your house because of some ticket they had years ago.”

Naveed's family moved to the U.S. because her older sister had a medical issue: a knot in her brain threatened her life. Despite surgery, doctors said her condition was deteriorating, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Naveed’s parents rejected this inevitability and her father sought solutions around the world. Finally, he brought his family to Long Island, and then to Boston, where his daughter was treated.

But his lawyer misfiled the family’s request for a visa renewal, and it was denied, Naveed said. Then, their appeal was rejected. At Boston Children’s Hospital, doctors said that if Naveed’s sister returned to Pakistan, her illness might prove fatal. 

Naveed’s father chose to overstay his visa so his daughter could continue treatment without interruption. Because of his decision, she is still alive 16 years after receiving a terminal diagnosis.

“That was a happy ending, and unfortunately that also resulted in us becoming undocumented and falling out of status,” Naveed said.

Ivy Teng Lei, a 26-year-old immigrant who moved to the U.S. from Macau when she was 7 and who participated in the press conference at Trump Tower on Tuesday, is the only undocumented member of her family. Her parents decided to come here in 1998 because of a failing education system and sparse jobs at home. Lei said her relatives feel guilty that she's having to live in fear of being sent back to Macau, a land she barely knows. Though she's trying to reassure them, she said, "I do want them to recognize that I am hurt.

“I am extremely anxious all the time. I’m scared of being deported,” she added. “I don’t know what my future is going to look like, and I’m trying to look for as much support as possible so I’m not experiencing this in a vacuum.”

Like Naveed, Lei is covered by DACA. As part of her education, she studied in a competitive vocational program that only accepted four applicants and until recently worked in global marketing. Like many undocumented immigrants, she pays taxes (undocumented immigrants pay $12 billion in taxes per year, according to Maria Teresa Kumar, president and CEO of Voto Latino) but is not eligible to receive government benefits. 

If DACA is rescinded, Lei said she will “have to forgo all that I thought I could have in terms of my career.”

“The feeling is like you are living in this reality that you just never liked, and you went to sleep and suddenly you have this perfect dream,” she said of DACA. “Everything was worthwhile. Everything you’ve worked for actually came to fruition. And then you woke up, and you’re kind of thinking, ‘Was that a good thing or was that a bad thing to have that dream?’

“I still have these cry attacks where I’m walking on the street and someone will say something completely unrelated, but it’ll be like ‘what are you doing for the holidays?’ And it’s just like, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing for the rest of my life,’” she continued. 

She said that it’s painful to live in “a country that just will not accept you, and will reject you like a bad organ transplant.”

While attorneys say there are alternative paths to citizenship for people covered by DACA, like green card marriages, those take time to obtain. Naveed said she doesn't really have a plan B if DACA is rescinded.

According to Naveed, most undocumented immigrants are as afraid of being arrested by ICE and held in detention centers as returning to their country. Immigrant holding cells are notorious for their cold, unsanitary, overcrowded conditions. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security reported that 41,000 undocumented immigrants were being held at detention facilities in the U.S. 

“To send everyone back to Pakistan, Mexico, China, wherever is going to be difficult,” she said. “But I think that what is definitely very real is mass incarceration, and I think that that is just as scary, if not worse.

“People are afraid to leave their houses, and they’re afraid to be open about their status, or to organize, or to rally, or to exercise their basic rights,” she continued.

One of the "Caravan of Courage's" requests is that Obama considers closing detention centers in Texas and Pennsylvania and pardon those who are currently imprisoned for lack of documentation. 

Naveed is marching on Washington to implore Trump “to alleviate those immediate fears that communities are facing” by saying he will not erect a deportation task force and by detailing his immigration reform plan. She also wants “to challenge those basic perceptions that people have” about undocumented immigrants by demonstrating that dreamers come from around the world, and from all different backgrounds. There is no cookie cutter undocumented immigrant.

Lei echoed Naveed’s intentions, saying that she hoped to “encourage more Asian-Americans to stand out and talk about their stories” because a lot of people think of undocumented immigration as “just a Latino issue.”

Authorities are investigating a reported armed car jacking in Oceanside, Oceanside Police said. 

The incident happened at approximately 11:20 a.m. Thursday on the 3300 block of College Boulevard. 

The suspect used a handgun to take the car, police said. 

The car was last seen heading toward Waring Road from College Boulevard. 

No other information was immediately available.

San Diegans spending their Thanksgiving in America's Finest City can expect a warm and breezy start to the weekend, with a storm rolling in down the line, according to NBC 7 Meteorologist Whitney Southwick. 

A mild Santa Ana will roll in throughout the weekend, bringing breezy, gusty and hot temperatures across the County, Whitney forecasted. 

Thanksgiving Day will be hotter than recent days, with temperatures stretching into the mid 70s and 80s for coastal and inland regions. In the mountains, expect upper 50s and low 60s, and mid to upper 70s in the desert. 

While driving on Interstate 8 in the mountains, use caution, as a wind advisory is in effect.

Most of San Diego will see clear skies on Thanksgiving Day.

Friday, cooler temperatures will set in. Over the weekend, a storm will move into the region, with a chance for showers late Saturday. Expect a wet, windy and cool Sunday, Whitney forecasted, with showers sticking around until Monday. 

For your full forecast, find our interactive radar here. 

[[282159631,C]]

A massive manhunt is on for two California fugitives who cut jail bars and rappelled out of their second-story cell window in the oldest section of the Santa Clara County Main Jail on Thanksgiving eve, officials said early Thursday morning.

Santa Clara County Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Rich Glennon said there were four inmates who cut the bars in their cell window in the oldest part of the main jail around 11 p.m. Wednesday and escaped with the help of bed sheets and clothing. A deputy on patrol noticed the clothing hanging from the window and two of the inmates were immediately caught. But two others got away. It is unclear how the inmates got their hands on tools to cut the window bars, Glennon said.

Glennon said it's not clear whether the inmates were armed, but they should be considered “dangerous and desperate.” San Jose police has increased patrolling in nearby neighborhoods, and has stepped up patrol for San Jose’s annual Turkey Trot race, expected to start at 8:30 a.m. About 200 police officers are taking part in the annual Silicon Valley event.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s office tweeted out photos of the escaped inmates at 3:04 a.m., asking the public to call 911 if they were spotted. The sheriff’s office is using its helicopter as well as multiple K-9 units from a number of law enforcement agencies to track the escapees.

“The main thing is we’re asking for the public’s assistance – there’s an active search going on,” Glennon said. “There has never been an escape from Main Jail South in this kind of fashion. Anyone willing to escape from jail is desperate, don’t try to apprehend them, but notify law enforcement if you see them.”

A massive perimeter has been set up near the jail.

The incident wasn’t caught on camera because there are no cameras in the part of the jail where the inmates were living. Sheriff’s deputies said this particular section is older, and was constructed in the 1950s.

Sources from inside the jail told NBC Bay Area it’s possible the inmates had help in getting away.

Santa Clara Sheriff's office said the first inmate who escaped is 33-year-old Rogelio Chavez, who stands about six feet tall, weighs 190 pounds and has the letter B tattooed on the left side of his neck. He also has a line drawn through his left eye. Glennon said he was being held since Aug. 17 on various charges including burglary, extortion, false imprisonment, resisting arrest, and firearms violations.

The second escapee is 26-year-old Lanon Desean Campbell. He is about six feet four inches tall and weighs 210 pounds. Campbell was being held since February 2015 on various charges including robbery, false imprisonment, criminal threats and firearms violations, records indicate.

Both escapees were last seen wearing their orange prison tops with gray pants.

The sheriff's office, the San Jose Police Department, and the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety are actively searching for the pair both on the ground and in the air.

Anyone who knows where they might be should call 408-808-4500 or the anonymous tip line at 408-808-4431.

Damian Trujillo contributed reporting.

President-elect Donald Trump has had only two intelligence briefings since he won the election over two weeks ago, intelligence sources told NBC News Wednesday — a much lower number than his predecessors and lower even than Vice President-elect Mike Pence.

A senior intelligence official cautioned that it is too early to know what the significance of Trump's sparse briefing schedule really is, given that he is in the middle of his transition process.

While a team of intelligence analysts remains ready and waiting to deliver briefings to the president-elect, sources told NBC News he has accepted them only twice. Instead, Trump has turned the briefings down to focus on meetings with potential Cabinet members, media executives and business associates.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence, on the other hand, has received the briefings nearly every day, the sources said.

The news, first reported by the Washington Post, will likely fuel critics who've questioned Trump's knowledge of foreign affairs and national security issues.

Power has been restored for the more than 2,000 homes who lost power in San Diego's South Bay after a transformer exploded and caught fire, officials confirmed. 

The power went out at approximately 9:17 a.m. Thursday, according to San Diego Gas Electric (SDGE). SDGE officials restored the power prior to the noon estimate, according to their site. 

According to SDGE, 2,342 customers in the Rancho Del Rey, Eastlake, Otay Reservoir, S. Chula Vista, Castle Park and Otay neighborhoods are affected.

No other information was immediately available.

Crews were battling a brush fire that's burning northeast of Escondido on Thanksgiving afternoon, officials said.

The fire started at about 2:30 p.m. in the 2000 block of La Honda Drive, just north of Dixon Lake. It's estimated to have burned 3 acres, Escondido fire officials said.

Crews have dropped water and retardant from above to slow the rate of spread. By 3:45 p.m., crews had stopped the forward rate of spread.

There is no immediate threat to structures and no evacuations have been ordered.

The fire was brought under control hours later.

Fights about politics at the Thanksgiving table are common, but this year they might get even more intense.

According to Gallup, a record number of Americans feel like the country is divided right now, and in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll before Election Day, six in ten respondents said that the campaigns had made them feel less proud to be American.

Only 58 percent of Hillary Clinton supporters are willing to give Donald Trump "a chance to see how he governs," according to the polls. For those who can't resist talking politics over stuffing and pie, the conversation could get heated, especially in households where Republicans and Democrats share a meal. 

A construction worker who died from injuries from a two-story fall in Chula Vista has been identified. 

Matthew Vukasovich, 38, died on the day before Thanksgiving when he fell off a building on the 4000 block of Fifth Avenue, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office. The victim was a married man who lived with his wife in Corona, Calif. 

At the time, he was completing work installing telecommunication lines on the roof of a business, the ME's office said. A witness saw the man fall from the roof. 

The man fell approximately 30 to 35 feet, police said. 

It is unclear what injuries he suffered. Medics on scene took him to Scripps Mercy Hospital's Emergency Apartment. Despite attempts at resuscitation, he was pronounced dead.