A San Ysidro resident fights off a burglar after the suspect broke into his home using a screwdriver.

The attempted burglary occurred at approximately 5:41 a.m. on Thursday at the Park Haven Apartments. The suspect used a screwdriver to remove a sliding door to enter the unit, according to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD).

Juan Carlos told NBC 7, he was awakened by his wife after she thought she heard a door opening. When Carlos walked into the living room to investigate, he came face-to-face with the intruder.

Carlos said the suspect had already rounded up his bike, a couple of wallets and was searching the apartment for more items when he was caught.

“He got a grocery bag. He was putting everything in the grocery bag," Carlos said.

The husband and father of an eight and 9-year-old told NBC 7 that all he thought about was protecting his family from the burglar.

“I pushed him over here and the table hit the wall,” Carlos said.

He told NBC 7, he began to fight with the suspect in the kitchen, pushing a table into the wall that left multiple holes.

“The only thing I was thinking was 'stop the guy.'" Carlos said.

Carlos said his wife had been yelling at him to let the suspect go but he was afraid the man would do more harm.

The suspect was able to escape out of the same sliding glass door he broke in through, according to police.

“I was grabbing his pants and actually that sounds weird, his pants came all the way down and he was naked outside. It was so quick. So the guy stands up put his pants on and runs away," Carlos said.

He suffered an injury on his arm from the fight but is doing okay.

Carlos describes the suspect as between the age 18 and 21, wearing a gray sweater and dark jeans.

A public library in San Diego was in the spotlight Thursday as it unveiled the city’s first gender-neutral restroom inside a public facility.

The restroom is located inside the University Heights Branch Public Library located at 4193 Park Blvd. An existing single-stall men's room and single-stall women's room have been retrofitted to include signage that now makes each restroom all-gender inclusive.

It’s the first step in the city’s compliance with a state requirement to make all public restrooms gender-neutral by March 1, 2017.

The law – Assembly Bill No. 1732 – was signed was signed by California Gov. Jerry Brown in late September and states that all single-user toilet facilities in any public place must be identified as “all-gender toilet facilities” with proper signage. The bathrooms are to be used by one person, or can be used by families, senior citizens who need assistance or those who are disabled and need assistance.

The unveiling of the restroom sign was a proud moment for San Diego resident Lily Rubenstein.

“I think it’s a great step forward in equality for trans[gender] people,” she told NBC 7. “I think it’s a great way to help trans people feel safe. It’s also a great thing for seniors and family use. It helps so many people in so many different walks of life.”

Rubenstein said this first gender-neutral restroom in a public facility is a sign that the City of San Diego cares about transgender residents, and their safety while using public restrooms. She said she's looking forward to seeing more single-stall restrooms in the city branded with the all-gender signage in the coming months.

The restroom unveiling was attended by San Diego City Councilmember Todd Gloria, who also said the move falls in line with the city's mission on equality and inclusion for all.

Gloria said the University Heights Branch Library was the perfect place to put this gender-neutral restroom, as the library stands in the middle of a diverse community known for being forward-thinking and inclusive.

"Whatever individual wants to go in there and use the restroom by themselves, they can do it. It doesn't matter what their gender or their gender identity is," said Gloria.

The councilmember said the restroom is not only good for transgender users, but also for families with children of the opposite gender and for caregivers looking after an adult of an opposite gender.

"It just makes life a little bit easier, for a lot of folks," he added.

Gloria said that San Diego has chosen to start the process of making restrooms in public facilities gender-neutral many months ahead of the March 1 statewide mandate to solidify the city's "role when it comes to LGBT equality."

Gloria said the city has received some push-back from people who oppose the new restroom signage, but he added, "All this is, is taking a men's room or a women's room, and making it just a restroom. Everyone can have fair access to it."

Over 100 stolen vehicles have been returned to their rightful owners and 43 suspected car thieves were arrested in a 10-month long undercover operation spearheaded by the Regional Auto-Theft Task Force (RAT).

“In this operation that we call quick boost, the defendants were stealing cars from victims in San Diego and they were selling the vehicles to a place that was undercover – a store front – in order to break up the car into small pieces,” said Summer Stephan, Chief Deputy District Attorney of San Diego County.

Law enforcement shut down the store front located in the Lemon Grove area of East County, putting dozens of car thieves out of business. They hope future potential thieves realize that auto theft isn't a profitable business in San Diego County.

The suspects believed they were selling cars to customers, when the vehicles were actually bought by undercover police officers and agents, said Chief Deputy DA Stephan. In total, the stolen cars discovered through the RAT operation were valued at more than a million dollars.

The multi-agency task force led by California Highway Patrol (CHP) was launched in January of 2016 and culminated Tuesday in the arrests of 43 suspected car theft suspects, said RAT Commander Don Goodbrand.

“To be able to recover these stolen vehicles and return them to their rightful owner was especially rewarding to myself and my staff,” said Goodbrand, at a press meeting.

Lots of local agencies across San Diego County worked together to discover about ten main criminal groups that run car-theft operations, said law enforcement officials.

In addition to stealing cars, many of these criminal groups were involved in gun trades and drug deals.

Law enforcement agencies seized 51 illegal firearms off the street, along with five pounds of methamphetamine, three kilograms of cocaine and 15 pounds of marijuana, according to Goodbrand.

The hard work and collaboration of agencies such as RAT has helped lead to the decline of auto theft in San Diego County, said Chief Deputy DA Stephan. The county has recently gone from being number three in the nation for auto-theft to number 15.

“That is many less victims that wake up to find that they can’t get to a doctor’s appointment, they can’t get to work to put food on the table, they can’t get to their jobs,” said Stephan. "Some suffer losing a job because they don’t have a car, they don’t have insurance to replace it.”

About 10,000 vehicles are stolen in San Diego County each year, according to Stephan. Law enforcement officials hope this trend will continue to steadily decline.

There are currently 32 suspects in custody with ten suspects still at large. There is also one outstanding federal suspect involved, which will be handled by the federal authorities.

On Friday morning at 10 a.m., the suspects held in custody will be arraigned in court, according to the DA's officials.

The investigation into these auto thefts is still ongoing. If anyone has information on the ten suspects still at large, they can contact RAT at 888-835-5728.

Nearly 80 dogs were rescued from deplorable living conditions in a hoarding house in San Diego's East County Thursday morning, San Diego Humane Society officials said. 

The Humane Society stepped in to help remove the dogs and puppies - mostly terrier and chihuahua mixes - from the home Thursday morning, though investigators could not stay inside the home for longer than 45 seconds without full hazard gear due to the intense smell of ammonia. 

Stephen MacKinnon, Chief of Humane Law Enforcement, said the home had the worst living conditions he has seen in his 30 years.

When the Special Response Team arrived on scene, they started assessing the situation and removing animals from the home in order of urgency. Officials said the living conditions were deplorable, and 78 dogs were removed from the home. 

Humane Society officials said they rescue dogs from hoarder houses once a month on average, but what makes this case unusual is the number of dogs rescued. Typically, hoarder homes have an average of 10 to 12 dogs. 

The first batch of dogs removed was taken to the San Diego Humane Society's San Diego campus, where state licensed veterinarians and technicians will examine the dogs for medical issues, as the dogs were living in potentially unsanitary conditions. 

"At the end of the day we want to have all these dogs examined, vaccinated, microchipped and whatever needs that they have, at least have a list of those," said Cyndi Mitchell, medical director of the San Diego Humane Society.

MacKinnon said the floor had a solid foot of dog poop. 

The owner is cooperating with authorities, according to the San Diego Humane Society. 

El Cajon officials have flagged the house and it will likely be knocked down, MacKinnon said. 

It could take up to two weeks before the dogs become available for adoption, depending on their health. 

A U.S. Marine aircraft made a precautionary emergency landing east of San Diego, near Mount Laguna, on Thursday afternoon, military officials said. 

The landing happened shortly before 4 p.m. on Thursday when the helicopter landed 30 miles east of the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, USMC Miramar Lieutenant Gabriel Adibe said. Cal Fire spokesman Isaac Sanchez said the Osprey landed in the Cleveland National Forest in the U.S. Forest Service's jurisdiction. 

The MV-22 Osprey landed safely on the ground with no reports of injuries. 

The aircraft experienced some kind of equipment issue, U.S. Forest Service's Spokeswoman Olivia Walker said, and landed on private property. 

"The aircraft was conducting routine training and the pilots landed the aircraft safely with no injuries to personnel," read a statement from Gabide.

Officials did not have details as to where exactly it landed or why it landed. 

No other information was immediately available.

As Donald Trump held a victory lap touting a decision by Carrier to keep an Indianapolis plant open rather than move the facility to Mexico, workers at another of the company's Indiana plants said they are still losing their jobs, NBC News reported. 

Around 700 jobs will be lost when United Technologies Electronic Controls moves to Mexico sometime in 2018, workers told NBC News. CNBC confirmed Thursday that the company still plans to close the Huntington plant and move it to Mexico. 

"What about our jobs in Huntington," read a sign carried by Bob Breedlove, 60, who has worked at the Huntington facility for 11 years and was told layoffs will begin sometime in 2017.

Breedlove voted for Trump. "I still support him, I'm glad he is able to save some jobs," he said of the Indianapolis deal. "Obviously, I wish he would be able to save ours also."

Donald Trump returned to his campaign roots Thursday in his first major public appearance since Election Day, resembling the pugnacious, brawling campaigner more than the traditional president-to-be as he held court in front of thousands of adoring fans — and even announced a Cabinet pick from the stage.

Trump's first stop on this "Thank you" tour to salute his supporters was in Ohio and, ever the showman, he made the surprise announcement that he will be offering the post of Defense Secretary to retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis. Trump said he was supposed to unveil that Monday, so he jokingly warned the Cincinnati crowd to "not tell anyone."

The raucous rallies during the Trump campaign road show often had the feel of a rock concert, and Thursday night in Cincinnati had all the hallmarks of a reunion tour: Trump took a veiled swipe at fellow Republicans. He remembered his general election foe by joking, "We had fun fighting Hillary, didn't we?" He boasted about size of his victory and repeatedly bashed the media. Protesters briefly interrupted the proceedings. And the crowd chanted "Build the Wall" and "Lock Her Up."

The president-elect had eased up on those campaign promises recently, suggesting the U.S.-Mexico border wall could be part-fence and indicating no willingness to pursue criminal charges against Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

Perhaps befitting an encore presentation, the downtown arena that Trump packed in October — drawing a crowd that was one of the loudest of the campaign — was only about half-full Thursday night. But the thousands who were there cheered Trump as he declared to restore American to greatness, saying, "Now is not the time to downsize our dreams."

"Never again will anyone's interests come before the interests of the American people. It's not going to happen," Trump thundered. "The old rules no longer apply. Anything we want for our country is now possible."

Trump did nothing to downplay expectations before he takes office, declaring that "America will start winning again, big league." Much like he did during the stretch run of the campaign, he read from teleprompters, but he was bombastic as ever, spending more than a dozen minutes bragging about his victory before outlining his economic plan.

He boasted about his wins in Midwest states that normally vote Democratic, declaring he didn't just "break the blue wall, we shattered it." He veered off-script to make fun of a protester, saying she was being ejected from the arena so "she could go back to Mommy." He repeated his recent threat that, despite Constitutional protections, "if people burn the American flag, there should be consequences." And he repeated many of his signature campaign promises, including a pledge to "construct a great wall at the border."

And he stunned his own aides when he announced the Mattis pick from the stage. Hours earlier, Trump's transition team denied that he had settled on a defense secretary despite a report in The Washington Post that Mattis was the choice. "No decision has been made yet with regard to Secretary of Defense," spokesman Jason Miller tweeted at 4:40 p.m.

Mattis, nicknamed "Mad Dog," is considered one of the foremost strategic thinkers of his generation but to gain confirmation as Pentagon chief, he would need Congress to waive a requirement that a defense secretary be a civilian for at least seven years before taking up the post.

Mattis retired as chief of U.S. Central Command in 2013 after serving more than four decades in the Marine Corps. There is no sense of strong opposition to his nomination in Congress.

Trump, who has long spoken of feeding off the energy of his raucous crowds, first floated the idea of a victory tour just days after winning the election but has instead prioritized filling Cabinet positions. He is also expected to hold rallies in Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina and Michigan in the coming weeks, though details have yet to be announced. His supporters were thrilled that he had hit the road again.

"That he wants to do this, to take time out of his schedule to fly out here and personally thank the people ... shows what kind of man he is," said Josh Kanowitz, 43. "He's one of us."

But while Kanowitz largely praised Trump's initial moves as president-elect, he visibly recoiled at the suggestion that he might pick Mitt Romney as secretary of tate, saying the 2012 Republican presidential nominee was "someone we should leave behind as we move forward."

Others at the rally also expressed some hesitancy at Trump's picks, with a few suggesting that choosing former Goldman Sachs partner Steven Mnuchin as Treasury Secretary was not exactly fulfilling Trump's campaign promise to "Drain the Swamp" and eliminate corruption and elitism from Washington.

But most were inclined to give the president-elect the benefit of the doubt.

"He's a businessman. He'll pick talented people to work for him and then keep them in line," said Jaime Bollmer, a 28-year-old teacher from Lockland, Ohio. "He's a leader. That's what leaders do."

The rally in Cincinnati was the second stop on a victory lap through the Midwest on Thursday, coming hours after Trump saluted workers, owners and himself at a Carrier plant in Indiana. There he declared that a deal to keep a local plant open instead of moving operations to Mexico was only the first of many business victories to come.

Some questions remain about the extent of the victory at Carrier, which announced this week that it will keep an Indianapolis plant open. In February, the heating and air conditioning company said it would shut the plant and send jobs to Mexico, and video of angry workers being informed about the decision soon went viral.

"Companies are not going to leave the United States anymore without consequences. It's not going to happen. It's simply not going to happen," Trump said to workers at the Indianapolis plant.

During the campaign, Trump had often pointed to the Indiana plant's moving plans as a result of poor Obama administration policies, and he pledged to revive U.S. manufacturing. Officials said this week that Carrier had agreed to keep some 800 union jobs at the plant.

Seth Martin, a spokesman for Carrier, said Indiana offered the air conditioning and furnace manufacturer $7 million in tax incentives after negotiations with Trump's team to keep some jobs in the state.

San Diego-headquartered Hotel Investment Group (HIG) has acquired an Old Town office complex for $2.2 million, with plans to convert it into an extended-stay boutique hotel.

A company statement said the 10,000-square-foot property is at 2254 Moore St. and was purchased from the estate of Allison Burns McBride.

HIG plans to renovate the property into a hotel under its “cool niche” of properties included in its Lifestyle Hotels concept. Others currently operating under that banner include Hotel Iris in Mission Valley and Hotel Aqua Mar in Point Loma.

“I think the Old Town hotel community was in need of an extended-stay hotel,” said HIG’s owner, Bhavesh “Bobby” Patel.

Construction on the Old Town property will begin in the new year and last approximately eight months, with the hotel’s opening scheduled for October 2017.

HIG currently owns and operates a total of 10 hotels in San Diego, El Cajon, Imperial Beach, South San Francisco and Santa Clara.

Researchers have configured computers to predict the immediate future by examining a photograph, NBC News reported.

A program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has analyzed 2 million videos to see how scenes typically progress, and can generate a 1.5-second video clip predicting a scenario based on a photograph.

The MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory hopes to generate longer videos with more complexity in the future.

To create the program, the team relied on a scientific technique called deep learning, which uses mathematical structures to pull patterns from massive data sets. It could lead to computers making diagnoses from medical images, customer predictions or even operating vehicles.

A new contract would help replace certain parts of Poway’s beloved Midland Railroad steam locomotive, in need of repair.

On Tuesday, Poway’s City Council will discuss helping volunteers pay to replace the boiler on the the 1907 Baldwin Steam Engine, “Old Cantankerous.”

Under the agreement, the cost of the new equipment would be shared equally between the City of Poway and the volunteer Midland railroad. The cost is estimated at $360,000. The money will be loaned to the Railroad, and the organization would have 15 years to pay off the loan.

The engine was taken out of service nearly a year ago for normal maintenance and since then has not returned. Over the past few years, the boiler has been repaired several times. In June, the City Council gave its approval to solicit bids to replace the ailing boiler.

The volunteer-operated engine is owned by the City of Poway.

A former Army Special Forces officer is accusing retired Marine General James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be defense secretary, of "leaving my men to die" after they were hit by friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2001, NBC News reported.

Mattis has not commented publicly on the incident, which was chronicled in a 2011 New York Times bestselling book, "The Only Thing Worthy Dying For," by Eric Blehm, which portrays Mattis as stubbornly unwilling to help the Green Berets.

His actions, which were not formally investigated at the time, are now likely to get far more scrutiny during the retired general's Senate confirmation process.

Trump's transition team did not respond to request for comment from NBC News.

Mattis, whose 2013 retirement from the military means he would need a waiver from Congress to serve as the civilian Pentagon chief, did not respond to a request for comment from NBC News.

In light of President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to save hundreds of Carrier jobs from relocating to Mexico, NBC 7 took a look at what tax-incentive programs are available to local businesses.

The South County Economic Development Council is pushing state and local tax-incentive programs to help South Bay businesses.

A $100 million tax incentive program from the state, called “California Competes” will become available in January to help small businesses hire more workers.

National City business owner Walter Weinman runs the first business to receive funds from an earlier phase of the tax-incentive program.

Weinman has been in the copy, mailing and printing business for 30 years.

In the last decade, he’s seen more than a dozen print shops like his go out of business in the South Bay.

In April 2015, he received a $75,000 tax incentive to hire more workers over the next decade. His small business usually employees about 6 to 10 workers.

“It was a process,” Weinman said, thumbing through a binder of paperwork.

“It wasn’t particularly difficult or too time-consuming, but I couldn’t have done it without the help of the South County EDC and the National City Chamber of Commerce,” he said.

Small businesses like his across the state can apply for the same break.

But, Weinman stressed, like the Carrier deal, it’s not a handout or a bailout.

“It’s not like anyone is handing them $7 million up front,” he said.

Here’s how he explained the California Competes program works: The more workers you hire, the more you are able to write-off on your taxes on the wages you already pay to your employees.

If you don’t hire more workers, you don’t get the break.

“It works really well,” he said “Especially if you are in a growth cycle. That’s what they want. That’s what I want. That’s what everyone wants, but it’s not always happening every year.”

Weinman says tax incentives help businesses like his stay afloat.

“Small business is really the backbone of the United States,” said Weinman.

South County EDC Chairwoman Clarissa Falcon said there’s a diversity of incentives from both government and other organizations that can fit the needs of any size business.

“It’s not a one-size fits all kind of thing,” Falcon said. “There’s a diversity of incentives and our job is to leverage all those incentives and programs and connect them together as a package for companies looking to grow their business here and looking to locate here.”

Eater San Diego shares the top stories of the week from San Diego’s food and drink scene, including an inside look at a brand-new tiki bar in Pacific Beach, and expansion news from a breakfast favorite.

10 Cool Things About The Grass Skirt Tiki Bar
Eater takes you inside San Diego's newest tiki speakeasy, The Grass Skirt in Pacific Beach, with pro tips on how to score a seat in the busy bar plus details on interactive cocktails, future menu additions, and scoop about a top secret drink list. 

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Breakfast Republic Expanding to Carmel Valley
Breakfast Republic’s rapidly growing empire will expand to add another location in The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch in Carmel Valley. This is the fifth eatery for owner Johan Engman, who currently operates the morning-centric concept in Liberty Station, North Park and Encinitas, with a new outpost also coming to the East Village. 

Master Indian Chef Opens La Jolla Restaurant
Acclaimed chef Hemant Oberoi, whose culinary career spans more than four decades in India's top kitchens, has teamed up with his son to open Masala Street, described as a "colonial Indian gastropub," in downtown La Jolla. The menu here features Indian street food with a California twist and over 20 local craft beers. 

Voltaire Beach House Heading to Ocean Beach
Currently in construction on a prime corner of the Ocean Beach neighborhood is Voltaire Beach House. The eatery’s design takes inspiration from beach homes on the Nantucket Island sea shore. It’s scheduled to open next month and will feature a menu specializing in New American cuisine. 

Moto Deli Brings Gourmet Sandwiches to Encinitas
North County's newest casual eatery, Moto Deli, has opened on North Coast Highway in Encinitas. The European-inspired deli features gourmet sandwiches stacked with house-smoked meat, house baked bread, housemade pickles and condiments. The deli also includes a market section selling artisan foods. 

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Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis has been selected by President-elect Donald Trump to be the first career officer to lead the Pentagon since just after World War II.

In 2005, Mattis was chastised by his superiors for saying in a public speech in San Diego that it was "fun to shoot some people." It was also during that appearance that Mattis said some Afghans deserved to die.

Mattis, 66, retired in 2013 after serving as commander of the U.S. Central Command, responsible for directing America's wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Trump, who has referred to Mattis by his nickname "Mad Dog," made the announcement of his choice for Secretary of Defense at a post-election victory rally Thursday night in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Mattis has been known to speak bluntly and off-the-cuff.

In 2005, the then-three-star general was stationed in Quantico, Virginia when he spoke to a group of about 200 people gathered at the San Diego Convention Center.

"Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight," he said. "You know, it's a hell of a hoot. . . . It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right upfront with you. I like brawling."

"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis continued. "You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

While many military members laughed at the comments, a military expert interviewed by NBC 7 immediately after the event called the comments "flippant."

"I was a little surprised," said Retired Vice Adm. Edward H. Martin at the time. "I don't think any of us who have ever fought in wars liked to kill anybody."

At the time, Mattis was in charge of Camp Pendleton's 1st Marine Division.

His boss at the time, Gen. Mike Hagee, said that the comments reflected the "unfortunate and harsh realities of war" but that Mattis had been asked to watch his words in public.

Thousands of San Diegans will gather in Balboa Park for the kick-off of the annual December Nights event, formerly known as Christmas on the Prado.

From 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Dec. 2 and noon to 11 p.m. on Dec. 3, families enjoy walking through the park and seeing the sights and sounds of the holidays.

One of the perks of the event: Balboa Park museums are open with no admission both nights, from 5 to 9 p.m.

Inside the Fleet Science Center, festival goers can have a picture taken with Einstein or for just $5, make a unique snowflake.

Stop by the San Diego Automotive Museum for a photo with Santa in a classic car.

There are also free arts and crafts offered for children at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, which is open free from 3:30 to 10:30 p.m. both days.

Also, admission to the Japanese Friendship Garden is free on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

Parking can be a challenge so you will want to carpool or plan on using a free shuttle to get from the nearby lots to the heart of Balboa Park. Check the map for parking information. The last shuttle departs for the park at 8:30 p.m. so organizers suggest you get to the parking lot to pick up the shuttle no later than 7 p.m. Get shuttle information here.

Event organizers have also partnered with Lyft. Use the code BPDN2016 for 20 percent off up to two rides, with up to $5 off per ride. Rides must be to and from Balboa Park. Valid only the weekend of the event.

Before you head over to the park, take a moment to peruse the listing of food options so you can be strategic in your snacking. Vendors are offering everything from lobster rolls and lasagna on a stick to cannoli and beignets.

The largest collection of food options can be found in the Cascade and Pallisade sections of the event. The San Diego Art Institute will be offering roasted chestnuts while Panama 66’s the go-to for craft beer.

Eugenie King, president of the House of Pacific Relations of Balboa Park’s International Cottages, said all of the cottages will be open on December Nights, showcasing the food, drinks, music and customs of the countries that they represent.

“We will have lots of food tents along the side,” she told NBC 7. “It’s an opportunity to taste food from around the world. It is going to be great.”

King said the International Cottages will also host a spirits and beer garden for the 21+ crowd behind the House of Finland and the House of the United States. This area will feature drinks from around the globe, including cocktails from about two dozen nations.

Suzy Hegstrom, member and recording secretary for the House of Sweden, said her cottage will serve traditional Swedish treats on December Nights including meatballs, lingonberries, brown bread and cucumber salad.

In the spirits garden, the Hegstrom said the House of Sweden will serve homemade Glogg, a traditional Swedish drink that consists of hot, mulled wine with spices, port and brandy.

Speaking from experience attending and participating in many December Nights, King said visitors to the big event should make their transit plans in advance, as Balboa Park parking lots get filled to capacity.

King suggested taking a shuttle or bus, or parking outside of Balboa Park and walking in.

By this time next year, King said the International Cottages area will likely look a little different, as the House of Pacific Relations works to add new houses for member countries, set to be up and running by December Nights 2017.

A few other December Nights highlights will be the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet performing excerpts of The Nutcracker Baller and the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus. However, it may be a great opportunity to enjoy a little folklorico, some zydecho or yuletide tuba.

Check out the long list of entertainment options here.

When you’ve had your fill of museums, food and music, be sure to stop by the Botanical Building for pictures of the annual display of poinsettias. For those who love plants and holiday decorations, the San Diego Floral Association is putting together 30 decorated Christmas trees in the Casa del Prado. Authentic mistletoe will be sold by the Museum Canyoneers at theNAT: San Diego Natural History Museum.

Another great experience is the Santa Lucia procession with a cup of warm Glogg in the California Quadrangle.

Make a note - The California Tower Tours is not open during free admission 5 to 9 p.m.

Investigators released clear photos and surveillance video Friday of a man accused of attempting to rob a retail store in Mission Valley while wielding a hatchet.

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) is hoping the new images will help investigators identify the man who tried to rob The Container Store at 7097 Friars Rd. on Sept. 30.

That night, just before 8 p.m., an unknown man in his 30s entered the business and flashed a hatchet at an employee. The newly-released surveillance video shows the suspect flailing his arm at an employee near a cash register as he demanded money. The footage then shows him swinging the hatchet toward the victim and then striking the counter with the tool.

The employee backed away from the register and police said that's when the suspect struck the keyboard of the register in an attempt to open it.

When he couldn't open the register, the frustrated suspect can be seen in the video walking away.

As he walked out of the store, police said the man struck a sliding glass exit door with his hatchet, causing the glass to shatter.

No one was hurt.

The SDPD said the suspect fled the scene before officers arrived and was last seen getting into the front passenger's seat of an older model, teal-colored, four-door Honda Accord or Civic. Investigators said the getaway car's exterior was faded and heavily oxidized.

Police said the suspect was described as a White male, standing at 5-foot-10 with a medium build. He was unshaven with a Fu Manchu-style mustache and sandy, blond hair. He wore a blue T-shirt, black shorts, gym shoes, black gloves and sunglasses during the attempted robbery.

Two months later, the suspect remains at large. Anyone with information on the case can call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or the SDPD at (619) 531-2299. Tipsters can remain anonymous and could be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in this case.

The Michaels employee who became the target of a customer's now-viral tirade at a Chicago store said she is in "utter shock" at the donations strangers from across the country have made in an effort to show their support this holiday season.

In a letter to those that raised more than $32,000 for her, the store manager identified only as Holli wrote "you have all single handedly changed my life."

"You will be blessed for this act of unconditional kindness," she wrote. "I never thought my ginormous dreams would become a reality so soon and at the hand of others, but with your support I can now take the steps needed to build a better future. Because of you this dark world has a lot more light in it."

Supporters rallied around the Michaels employee after video of an incident at a location in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood the day before Thanksgiving went viral.

The footage, which had been viewed more than 590,000 times as of Monday afternoon, showed an angry customer yelling at an employee claiming she was discriminated against while checking out last week. By Tuesday morning, more than 2 million people watched the footage. In the video, the white customer is seen calling a black employee at the Lakeview store “an animal” and telling one employee to “shut your face.”

She claims an employee discriminated against her and mumbled that she must have voted for Donald Trump, but the employee is heard in the video denying that claim.

“And I voted for Trump, so there,” she said. “What? You want to kick me out because of that? And look who won. Look who won.”

The woman vows to report the employees to their corporate headquarters and yells at bystanders filming the incident before calling the police. An employee can be heard in the background telling the woman she was not discriminated against, but that the employee asked if she would like to buy a reusable bag.

"When I asked for my things to be bagged, and I don't care about the size of the bag, this other woman makes a big deal about it, coming around," she says in the video. "She's screaming at me from across the store, screaming at me."

Jessie Grady, who witnessed and filmed part of the 30-minute ordeal, posted the footage to social media and started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the employee targeted in the so-called rant.

Grady said the employees “did nothing to provoke this verbal attack and in fact treated all customers with professionalism and courtesy.”

“I was so shocked by this unprovoked attack that I captured 17 minutes of it on video on my phone,” Grady wrote on the GoFundMe page. “I am starting this gofundme [sic] because I’d like to do something to try to make it up to the employee who was the main target of this racist attack. I’d like to show her that many people are horrified by how this woman treated her, and that we stand with her and appreciate her hard work. She inspired me because despite the hateful words that were being hurled in her direction, she stood in that entranceway calm and unmoving to protect her staff and customers.”

Both the woman in the video and bystanders called police to report the incident. Police confirmed officers were called to the store Wednesday, but when they arrived, the woman was gone and no police report could be filed.

Michaels said in a statement it does not “tolerate discrimination or racism of any kind against our team members or customers.”

“We regret that our customers and team members were affected by this unfortunate incident and are grateful for the leadership of our store team in working to resolve it without further escalation,” the statement read.

The company also tweeted Monday, “We appreciate the outpouring of support for our Chicago-based team member.”

Grady said that she was "astounded" by how big her GoFundMe campaign grew.

"What started as a small gesture to let one person know that she is valued and important to her community turned into something I never imagined," she wrote on Facebook. "I never expected this to get past the neighborhood. Our country has been completely divided in the past couple years, but somehow this one story resonated with and united millions of people."

She noted that there were "hundreds of Trump supporters who donated and sent kind messages denouncing this behavior."

"Millions of you saw that this was about more than one incident," she wrote. "This was about treating workers with dignity and respect. This was about community and kindness and standing up against hatred. These are values Americans once believed in and other countries admired us for. Shine a mirror on it. This won’t solve all of our problems, but it’s one small step."

Read the manager's full letter below: 

A letter from Holli:

I'll start with this. I am in utter shock. You have all single handedly changed my life. Each of you have shown me that this world is worth living in. I have felt so misguided in a sense of why can't I get passed where I am. I've tried to be kind, I've tried to be fair, I've tried to share regardless if I was able to. I want others to smile when I smile back at them. Knowing deeply we all have a higher purpose. How can I help!!

For some time now, I've felt this overwhelming sense of failure. I want to make a positive change in this world. I know what I'm here for and that's to help others reach their higher potential. With your support I have been blessed with the opportunity to live and not just survive daily. I can properly provide for my family and meet all our children's needs. I will now have the ability to get my business up and running in order to provide a better future for us. And I can still give back to my community even more now. 

You have personally contributed to SO much more than you could possible know.

I ask that you please forgive me as I'm a little afraid to make a public video. Just know that from my soul to yours. You will be blessed for this act of unconditional kindness. I never thought my ginormous dreams would become a reality so soon and at the hand of others, but with your support I can now take the steps needed to build a better future. Because of you this dark world has a lot more light in it.

Not to preach at you or push spirituality at you. That being said I pray that you gain real fulfillment in your life. I don't know you but I love you. It's weird to some people but whatever, I believe we are one people so if I love myself therefore I love you. We've been taught that what we do unto others, we receive in return.

A great teacher of mine has said "All forms of pain, suffering, illness or financial chaos are there to promote spiritual growth and character change." We are the change. You are this change. We stand together side by side in truth and know love trumps hate. Blessings to you may your light continue to break through the darkness.

-Yours sincerely Jony AKA Holli

San Diegans dropped off new and unwrapped toys on Friday at iHeart Media and NBC 7’s offices in Kearny Mesa.

The annual Toys for Tots event collects toys and money for underprivileged children during the holiday season. By midday Friday, more than 3,000 toys were dropped off to NBC 7.

The Marine Corps, Sunshine the elf and San Diego firefighters were on hand on Friday to accept donations.

Firefighter Chuck Lacey with San Diego Fire-Rescue dropped off dozens of toys, but said local organizers need many more.

“We need a lot more toys,” he said. “There are a lot of underprivileged children in the county.”

If you can’t donate on Friday, you can drop off donations at the USS Midway Museum on Sunday during its Midway Party on the Pier. Or here’s a list of drop-off locations.

San Diego’s hip Hillcrest neighborhood will celebrate the holidays with an event that highlights three components of the festive season: food, cocktails and a little shopping.

“Taste ‘n’ Tinis” – a self-guided walking tour of Hillcrest featuring samples and sips – goes down between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8. Revelers can stroll through the neighborhood while enjoying holiday-themed drinks, tasty bites and shopping at the unique shops that line the area at 5th and University avenues.

Participating eateries will serve festive fare to attendees, from appetizer and entrée samples to sweet treats. Hillcrest is known for its international restaurants, so foodies can expect tastes from all over the world, from Mexican food to Italian eats. Participating restaurants include the Crest Cafe, Baja Betty's, Chocolat, Lemonade and Michoz's Fresh Lebanese Grill, to name a few.

Organizers say participating retail shops along the Taste ‘n’ Tinis route will offer a holiday-inspired martini for patrons to sip on while shopping, too. Some of those martinis on the list include "Rudolph's Tipsy Spritzer," the "Happy Elf" and "Darlin, Why Don't You Mule it Over?"

The event also includes a chance to take a photo with Santa Claus over at "Santa's Village" at Blue Stocking Books.

Following Taste N' Tinis, there will be an after-party at The Merrow, where live music goes down from 9 p.m. to midnight. There is no cover charge if you show your Taste N' Tinis wristband.

Tickets to this savory soiree cost $30 at the door and can be picked up at the Rite Aid at 535 Robinson Ave. and at Rich's at 1015 University Ave. If you’re partaking in the cocktails portion of the party, you must at least 21 years old in order to buy a wristband. Attendees will also receive a walking guide with their wristband that highlights each savory stop along the route.

For more info, visit the the Fabulous Hillcrest website.