The driver who made an illegal U-turn on State Route 67 Monday night, prompting a fiery three car crash, may have been driving under the influence, San Diego County Sheriff's deputies (SDSO) said. 

The crash, which shut down all lanes of the freeway during rush hour, happened near Iron Mountain Road when 49-year-old Allen Brotzman, of Vista, was driving his Ford Mustang along the highway, deputies said. 

Just before Iron Mountain Road, Brotzman made an illegal U-turn, deputies said, causing a chain reaction. 

A Ford Fusion heading north struck his car, and a Toyota Highlander driving north struck the Ford Fusion, according to SDSO deputies.

The impact of the collision set the Mustang on fire. A Good Samaritan who witnessed the crash rushed to pull out Brotzman, who was trapped in the car following the crash, right as flames fully engulfed the car. 

Brotzman suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Palomar Hospital in Escondido for treatment. Two of the drivers from the other vehicles were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, SDSO said. They were treated and released. 

Carlos Torres walked away from the crash, shaken but uninjured. He spoke to NBC 7 in Spanish, while his roommate translated, saying that he was the last driver involved in the crash.

"Yeah he was worried because he couldn't stop fast enough to stop the accident," Torres' roommate, Rosa Rivera said.

"You know what, thank God. No fatalities..what I understand from what I heard from police officers, praise God," said Rivera.

The CHP issued a Sig alert for all lanes on the highway. The freeway was closed at Poway Road to the northbound SR-67 and Scripps Poway Parkway was closed on the southbound lanes. The roads were reopened hours later. 

Sheriff's officials say Brotzman is suspected of driving under the influence; the collision is under investigation. 

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Deputies S. Boegler or S. Rojas with the Poway Sheriff's Traffic Division at (858) 513-2800.

The driver accused of first degree murder for allegedly striking and killing a homeless man resting on a bus stop bench in Chula Vista, has previously been arrested four times for driving under the influence. 

Nicholas Ramirez, 28, of Imperial Beach, is facing first degree murder and vehicular manslaughter charges in the crash, which occurred at 6:46 p.m. near the intersection of Orange and Third avenues Sunday. 

Witnesses initially reported seeing the driver involved in several collisions in the parking lot after leaving a bar. When someone confronted him about the smaller collisions, he sped off and, as he was driving, his car jumped a curb and struck a bus stop bench. 

The man sitting on the bench suffered an amputated leg in the collision and died at a nearby hospital, Chula Vista police said.

Professor Judybeth Tropp says second chances for d-u-i offenders is important, but agrees more can be done to prevent a case like this one.

"It's scary when you think about it, how common it can be," Tropp said.

"I can't imagine a scenario where this gentleman is driving on a good license," Tropp added. 

DUI defense attorney Cole Casey says whether a DUI driver has a revoked license is irrelevant.

"I mean, if I'm going to get drunk, it's my fourth or fifth offense, I don't really care whether my license is suspended or not."

"That's like saying somebody is going to walk across the street to rob a bank but they don't want to jaywalk to do it," Casey added.

For people like Casey, there is really only one solution.

"The only way this stops is if you make it so the car will not function if somebody has alcohol in their system. Period," Casey said.

Ramirez is expected to be arraigned in court Wednesday.

The medical examiner has not yet released the name of the victim.

Several people, including an infant, were injured when a car ran a stop sign in Chula Vista and hit a parked car, officials said. 

The crash happened at approximately 6:25 p.m. Tuesday near 2nd Avenue and Oxford Street in Chula Vista, according to Chula Vista Police Lt. Dan Peak. 

Chula Vista Fire officials said five total people were injured, including infant. 

No one was seriously injured, Peak said. 

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

The Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau late Tuesday night positively identified nine more victims of the Oakland warehouse fire.

The latest victims names released are Billy Dixon, 35, of Oakland; Johnny Igaz, 34, of Oakland; Ara Jo, 29, of Oakland; Amanda Kershaw, 34, of San Francisco; Griffin Madden, 23, of Berkeley; Vanessa Plotkin, 21, of Oakland; Hanna Ruax, 32, of Helsinki, Finland; Nicole Siegrist, 29, of Oakland; and Alex Vega, 22, of San Bruno.

Jo's uncle released a statement about her earlier this week, saying she was creative, energetic and deeply involved in the arts community. She was a painter, a tattoo artist and a musician, and she worked at an art supply store and hair salon, often cutting hair for those who couldn't pay, the statement said.

Madden was a recent graduate of UC Berkeley, and Plotkin was an undergrad student at the East Bay campus.

Vega's family had set up a GoFundMe page Monday that had collected more than $14,000 by Tuesday night. Siegrist's family started a GoFundMe page earlier Tuesday that had collected $1,350 in donations.

A total of 26 victims names have been released. At least 36 people died in the fire.

On Monday officials named Em Bohlka, 33, of Oakland; Micah Danemayer, 28, of Oakland; Chelsea Dolan, 33, of San Francisco; Feral Pines, 29, of Berkeley; Alex Ghassan, 35, of Oakland; Michela Gregory, 20, of South San Francisco; Edmond Lapine, 34, of Oakland; Jennifer Morris, 21, of Foster City; Benjamin Runnels, 32, of Oakland; and Jennifer Kiyomi Tanouye, 31, of Oakland.

After the identification announcements rolled in, people flocked to Facebook to pen messages of remembrance and sorrow.

Katherine L. Echols Moore wrote that she met Dolan at a music performance a few years ago, and she was touched by the female electronic artist's hardworking spirit.

"(Dolan) was passionate about supporting other women in the industry," Moore scribed before thanking Dolan for being kind, encouraging and creative.

Steven William Hicks expressed a similar sentiment and wrote, "I will surely miss the presence of a truly lovable and kind person."

Pines, who was one of three transgender women killed in the blaze and described as a lover of art, was commemorated for being patient and kindhearted.

"You taught me a lot about myself, how to be a better friend, how to sew, how to both forgive and make amends," Ezra Kaprov wrote on Facebook. "You welcomed me into your home and into your circle of friends when I had lost my way. You helped me find direction when I was aimless."

Nick Marcouiller composed a post saying Pines "changed my world and I barely knew her."

Gregory, a San Bruno native and South San Francisco resident, was studying at San Francisco State University before losing her life in the warehouse fire. The 20-year-old student's death sparked emotional reactions on social media.

"It's so rare, but she was honestly such a genuine and compassionate human being," Rehat Dubey recorded on Facebook. "It's impossible to express how devastating a loss this is. She made so many of our lives so much better."

Lorrie Benjamin Runnels, mother of Ben Runnels, expressed deep heartbreak after learning that her son, an Oakland resident and musician, was among the deceased.

"He was the brightest shining star and we carry him in our hearts," she voiced on Facebook.

Lori Robinson wrote that she always looked forward to hanging out with Benjamin Runnels at an Oakland piano bar.

"Your talent encouraged me to be a better singer and I loved you for it," Robinson composed in a Facebook post. "I loved your snarky humor and color commentary."

Her positivity and "creative spirit" are just some of the personality traits that Jennifer Kiyomi Tanouye is being commended for.

"Jennifer was always such a delight and bright spark," Diane Leahy penned on Facebook.

Allison Leahy noted that Tanouye "was the best friend a little me could have hoped for."

Edmond Lapine, a 34-year-old from Oakland, was beloved for his musical prowess and flair on the dance floor, according to various Facebook posts.

"I told him I wanted to learn to play guitar and he drove me to a guitar store to help me pick out a starter acoustic," Amanda Stauffer penned. "He gave me lessons, and his patience and enthusiasm for the whole project can only be described as saintly in the face of my unwavering lack of discipline."

Aaron Smith summed up Lapine as being a "super cool dude and a chill roommate." He added that Lapine was someone he "could just sit with and talk to for hours on end.

UC Berkeley student Jennifer Morris' Facebook page is inundated with messages of heartache, but compliments and everlasting memories as well.

"I have such an unwavering appreciation for all of the love and genuine self expression that you embody and bring into the world, Frankie Lorenzini drafted.

Danemayer, a native of Somerville, Massachusetts and Oakland warehouse fire victim, listed on his Facebook page that he was a music curator and producer. Back in October, Danemayer indicated that he was searching for "extra cash" so that he could find a new place to live with his girlfriend.

The fire's death toll stood at 36 on Monday, with about 90 percent of the building searched. Officials say they've identified a total of 22 victims and notified their families. They've released 17 names.

An 18th name, Draven McGill, 17, was confirmed Monday by officials at McGill's school in San Francisco. He is the son of an Alameda County Sheriff's deputy.

The seven victims previously identified are Donna Kellogg, 32, of Oakland; Cash Askew, 22, of Oakland; David Cline, 35, of Oakland; Nick Gomez-Hall, 25, of Coronado; Sara Hoda, 30, of Walnut Creek; Travis Hough, 35, of Oakland; and Brandon Chase Wittenauer, 32, of Hayward.

The death toll in the warehouse fire may rise in the coming days, officials said.

Kellogg, one of the first people to be confirmed dead, was going to culinary school and worked at High Wire Roasters coffee shop in Berkeley. Her coworkers learned Sunday night that she was killed in the fire.

Kellogg was a former resident of Chico who graduated from Chico High. One friend described her as a freewheeling, free-spirited, candid person.

Wittenauer, better known by his stage name Nex Iuguolo, was an electronic music artist and vocalist for the band Symbiotix Fungi.

Hough was a musician with the Oakland-based electronic band Ghost of Lightning. Hough often went by the stage name Travis Blitzen.

Askew, another musician, was a member of the Bay Area dream pop band Them Are Us Too.

Gomez-Hall was an administrative assistant at Counterpoint Press who called himself a decomposer of music.

Cline was a UC Berkeley graduate, having earned degrees in cognitive science and computer science.

Hoda's friends on Facebook said she was a teacher, gardener and a hardworking person who loved children.

Hoda taught a first through third-grade class at the Urban Montessori in East Oakland. On Monday, Hoda's family attended a small meomrial on campus where students shared stories about their teacher and presented them with cards and art work.

The victims' families have been notified. Other names are expected to be released in the coming days. Some of the victims are non-citizens, officials said.

The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) unanimously passed a formal resolution on Tuesday night, affirming their commitment to providing a diverse, peaceful, safe and tolerant environment for all students.

The resolution comes a little more than a month after President-elect Donald Trump's win in the 2016 election. 

It was passed with a 5-0 vote during Tuesday night's SDUSD board meeting.

The resolution addresses concerns students and their families have over the President-elect's promise to deport millions of unauthorized immigrants currently residing in the U.S.

Next week, SDUSD will also host the Celebration of Light on Dec. 14 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Ballard Parent Center.

According to its website, the event is "to support the right of all students, regardless of race, color, national origin, immigration status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or religion to be educated in an environment free from fear, violence and intimidation."

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) shut down a freeway connector on the State Route 125 in Spring Valley after a rollover crash Tuesday night.

According to CHP, the incident occurred at approximately 8:57 p.m. on the northbound State Route 125 to eastbound 54 freeway connector. Initial reports were of two to four vehicles involved in the collisions and one vehicle rollover.

The connector was shut down just after 10 p.m., CHP said.

Cal Fire officials told NBC 7 at least one patient was transported to a local hospital.

The extent of injuries is unknown.

No other information was immediately available.

The son of a former New Jersey mayor has been charged in connection with the death of a Hofstra University graduate who prosecutors say was stabbed 15 times in the chest in a luxury Manhattan apartment last month and then buried in a shallow grave in New Jersey.

Max Gemma, 29, of Oceanport, was arrested Tuesday after turning himself in to police.

The son of former Oceanport mayor Gordon Gemma appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court to plead not guilty to charges of hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence in the death of 26-year-old Joey Comunale, of Stamford, Connecticut.

Comunale's body was found in a shallow grave behind an old police station in New Jersey Nov. 16. James Rackover, 25, and Lawrence Dilione, 28, were arrested shortly afterward in his death. Though police initially charged them with murder, prosecutors have so far only charged them with concealment of a corpse, tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution in the criminal complaint, pending further investigation. 

Prosecutors said Tuesday they believe Gemma was in the apartment where Comunale died and that Gemma changed his clothing and hid evidence.

But Gemma's lawyers said there was no evidence or witness testimony to support the claims.

A charge of tampering with evidence "should involve more than changing his clothes. And we think it's something else," his attorney Mark Bederow said outside court. 

Bederow declined to specify the relationship among the three men. 

Gemma posted the $100,000 cash bond late Tuesday afternoon and left court in a waiting car without speaking to reporters. His father also declined to comment.

Gemma is due back in court on Jan. 17. He works in software sales, according to his attorney in court, and is free to return to work until the next court date. 

Police have said Comunale was stabbed to death in some sort of dispute after he, Rackover, Dilione and three women returned from the Gilded Lily nightclub on 14th Street late Saturday, Nov. 12, or early Sunday, Nov. 13.

According to a criminal complaint, an informant told authorities Rackover was seen late Saturday leaving his apartment building and putting a large duffel bag into the trunk of a black Mercedes with tinted windows that was registered to Rackover's father. Records show the car leaving Manhattan and traveling through the Holland Tunnel to New Jersey, the criminal complaint says.

Dilione allegedly admitted he and Rackover dumped Comunale's body and told them where to find it. The young man had been stabbed more than a dozen times in the chest; his legs were burned and a gas canister was discovered nearby, the criminal complaint says.  

Bloody clothing, sheets and towels were found in Rackover's apartment during the course of an investigation, prosecutors said. The black vehicle that Rackover had been seen driving was later returned to Manhattan, left in a parking garage on East 58th Street, and a cadaver dog made a positive alert for a body or bodily fluids in the trunk area, the complaint says. 

Shortly after Comunale's body was found, his father, Pat, who had reported him missing, described him as "one of a kind."

"This is not something that happens to kids like this," Pat Comunale said of his son, who was an avid hockey player. "He didn't deserve this. He didn't go looking for trouble. It wasn't right. This is not right."

Some Poway residents are defending themselves saying they are not anti-veteran just because they oppose a veteran housing project in their neighborhood.

On Tuesday, Poway City Council members maintained their November 3-2 vote against the Habitat for Humanity Veteran Affordable Housing Project near Twin Peaks and Espola roads in Poway.

It would have resulted in a 22-unit complex for veterans.

During Tuesday’s meeting, neighbors filled the chambers saying Deputy Mayor Jim Cunningham made it appear they were anti-veteran.

“Your decision to conflate patriotism with the demand for housing element is at best disingenuous and at worst dangerous,” said one resident.

“I’m offended by that and frankly disgusted by that. I love our veterans,” said another. “For you to present us as anti-veteran was just horrible. It couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Cunningham’s family defended him Tuesday. His brother took to the podium with strong words for the neighbors.

“Let’s call it what it is ‘It’s not in my backyard’ I hear all their addresses and ‘It’s not in my backyard!’” said Mike Cunningham.

Jim Cunningham had an opportunity to respond to residents during the meeting saying, “If you believe that I believe anyone is anti-veteran, you got the wrong message.”

“Councilmember Grosch said ‘Let’s move on.’ Say that to the 21 families that are already qualified that already told their kids they’re moving to our city,” Cunningham said.

He went on to say he was proud of the residents for banding together and defending their stance. He said he has to defend his too and he will continue to fight for veteran housing.

He said the issue can be revisited by city council members at any meeting.

A California man accused of pulling a sweetheart scam by luring women through dating apps and then stealing from them was busted in a sting operation, Riverside police said Tuesday.

Perris resident Oscar Mandujano-Quinonez, 29, was arrested on grand theft and booked into jail Monday.

Riverside police accused Mandujano-Quinonez, who goes by the nickname Manny, of meeting women through dating apps like "Meetup" before stealing their purses. Officials added that Mandujano-Quinonez later listed victims' belongings online for sale.

In November, he met a woman through the app and they decided to get together in a local park. He allegedly invited the woman to sit in his car. Once she set her purse down inside the silver Saturn, police said he asked her to step out.

Once she got out, the victim said he sped off with her purse.

Police began investigating this incident and discovered he was wanted in connection with a similar theft in Moreno Valley during the summer.

Investigators said there are at least five victims. But after searching the suspect’s home in Perris, they found evidence of more victims.

One of the women, who wished not to be identified, said she met Mandujano-Quinonez in October.

"The first date I didn't bring my purse, so I think that's why I'm the only one who's had a second date because everybody else had their purses the first time," she said. "I didn't. I almost didn't take it the second time, but I did."

The woman said Mandujano-Quinonez parked near orange groves and asked her to get out of his car, claiming he had engine trouble. Then she said he took off with her purse and phone.

The victim said she’s concerned after learning he bailed out of jail Tuesday afternoon.

"That's a very big worry that we have, especially those of us that he knows where we live because he knows now that we are banding together to prosecute him," she said. "Now my family is in jeopardy as well."

Police are asking anyone who may have been victimized to give them a call at 951-235-7863.

A civilian leader in the Army made the decision to deny an easement to the controversial Dakota Access oil pipeline despite Army Corps of Engineers recommendations that it be granted, according to officials and a document, NBC News reported. 

But because of the pipeline's size — 30 inches in diameter — its approval went to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy, an official said. 

"Ms. Darcy had the authority to make the decision on behalf of the Department of the Army, and she did so," Darcy spokesperson Moira Kelley told NBC News Tuesday evening. 

Sunday's decision was hailed as a victory by protesters who oppose the pipeline, saying its construction threatens land believed to be sacred to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and could threaten its drinking water. The activists call themselves "water protectors."

A decade and a half after the unsolved homicide of Edward Wager, talking about it still brings his daughter to tears.

“My father just didn’t die," his daughter, Angel Castro, said. "He was brutally murdered, and that person is still out there."

On November 8th, 2001, Wager, 77, stopped his pick-up truck in an alley near Grand Avenue in Pacific Beach, San Diego Police (SDPD) say.

Investigators believe Wager was then carjacked and ran over by his own truck.

The car was found three days later in Encanto.

Even 15 years later, Angel said she struggles to understand what happened. 

“My family and I still wonder why and how somebody can do something like that to somebody," she said, in tears.

The death has been especially hard on her, she said, knowing the person responsible is still out there.

“You don’t stop asking yourself who or why," Angel said. "We put posters out everywhere and just, all these dead ends."

She and her family still struggle with the loss, she said.

"Every day is a new day," she said. "You learn to live with it, you learn to deal with it. You never understand it and you will never understand it."

Castro said she couldn't go to Pacific Beach for 10 years. Her father grew up there and her family lived there for several years before their family grew and they left the neighborhood. 

She said her father was a good, hardworking man. As a child, he worked overnights to help feed his family after his father passed away. 

“He was just a very caring giving man," Angel said. "If someone would have came up to him and said give me your truck, he probably would have gave it to them."

Angel asked anyone with information to come forward. 

“If you see something, say something," she said. "That could be your father, your grandfather, your brother."

Crime Stoppers and San Diego Police are still looking for leads; a $1,000 reward is being offered for any information that leads to an arrest.

The 2017 Grammy Award nominations were announced in the early hours of Tuesday, Dec. 6, and to little surprise, Beyonce garnered the most nods from the academy with a stunning total of nine. Her lifetime to-date nomination count now stands at 62 -- which makes her the most nominated woman in Grammy history.

Drake, Kanye West and Rihanna all followed with eight each; Chance the Rapper was awarded seven; Adele snagged five; and the late great David Bowie earned four nominations for his 2016 album “Blackstar.”

Not to be outdone, San Diegans got in on the action too: The biggest nod went to Poway’s pride Blink-182 for Best Rock Album and their 2016 record “California.” Somehow, it also marks the first nomination for the recently refashioned band (longtime band singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge was replaced in 2015 with Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba). They’ll be up against Cage the Elephant's “Tell Me I’m Pretty,” Gojira’s “Magma,” Panic! At the Disco’s “Death of a Bachelor” and Weezer’s fourth self-titled album (often referred to as the “White” album) in that category.

Megadeth, the metal band fronted by Fallbrook’s own Dave Mustaine, is up for Best Metal Performance for their song “Dystopia"; Gregory Porter, the former San Diegan who won Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 2015 Grammys, is back at it again in the same category this year for his 2016 “Take Me to the Alley” album; sitar legend (and one-time San Diegan) Anoushka Shankar was nominated for Best World Music Album for her 2016 record “Land of Gold”; and Bonsall resident and world-renown violin great Mark O’Connor earned a Best Bluegrass Album nod for his 2016 album “Coming Home.”

The late San Diego legend Frank Zappa also earned a Best Classical Compendium nomination for “Zappa: 200 Motels – The Suites”; one-time San Diegan and acclaimed trumpeter Brian Lynch is in the running for Best Latin Jazz Album with his 2016 album “Madera Latino: A Latin Jazz Perspective on the Music of Woody Shaw”; and longtime La Costa resident Sammy Nestico is up for the Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella category for his arrangement work on “Good ‘Swing’ Wencelas,” a track from the “A Very Swingin’ Basie Christmas” album that came out on the Concord Records jazz label in late 2015.

We've got our fingers crossed for our hometown nominees, but no matter what happens, they're already winners in our hearts.

For a complete list of the 2017 Grammy Award nominations, go here.

A San Diego Sheriff's K-9 stabbed by an armed man, later involved in a standoff in the Rancho Santa Fe neighborhood, is expected to survive and soon return to work, according to his handler.

The stabbing happened Saturday morning when deputies from the Eninitas Station were called to 6012 Paseo Delicias at Via de Santa Fe shortly before 5:30 a.m. to investigate a disturbance in the area. 

Upon arrival, deputies discovered a man, identified as Edward Ray Nett, 50, armed with knife, making loud noises near a staircase on the street. Deputies tried to approach the man and deployed pepper balls, to no avail. 

Deputies on scene deployed a K9, later identified as Banjer. Sheriff's officials said the suspect struggled with the dog and stabbed the K9 under his left eye.

Banjer's handler says despite being hurt in the field, the K9 still tried to help.

"He was initially stunned and then he was back in action. It was like it didn't phase him," said Deputy Austyn Elmone, Banjer's handler.

SDSO Lt. Kenneth Nelson said after the stabbing, Banjer was taken to an animal hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

Banjer, 7, is expected to make a full recovery after the violent stabbing. 

"We'll go through a small block of training most likely just to make sure his confidence is still there and make sure his nose still works and doing what it needs to be doing, but I'm fully confident in his ability now," said Elmone.

The stab wound punctured a little of the sinus cavity, so officials want to to make sure it did not affect his sense of smell. Banjer is trained in tracking and narcotics patrol, so his sense of smell is a crucial part of his job, Elmone said.

After the stabbing, the suspect forced his way into a nearby apartment and allegedly threatened a man living inside the home with a knife, taking him hostage and prompting a short standoff. 

Deputies tried to negotiate Nett's surrender. A short time later, the suspect walked out of the apartment and confronted the deputies with his knife.

Nelson said one of the deputies, identified as Sheriff's Sergeant Scott Blig, fired four rounds at Nett, wounding him and ending the standoff. Nett was taken to a local hospital just after 6 a.m. Nelson said he did not have an update on the suspect's condition.

No deputies, other than the K9, were hurt.

The scar on Banjer's face will remain a reminder of how dangerous the job is for both the deputy and the K9, Elmone said.

Deputy Elmone and Banjer have been partners for one and a half years.

An 18-month old baby girl found dead in a motorhome in Alpine Tuesday afternoon had injuries on her body, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) confirmed.

According to SDSO, paramedics responded to a 911 call of an infant not breathing. Deputies were also called to assist paramedics around 12:05 p.m.

The baby was found inside a motor home parked on the property on the 300 block of Hunter Lane. The 21-year old mother woke up to find the baby girl not breathing, SDSO said. 

Despite life-saving efforts, the infant did not respond and was pronounced dead. She did have injuries on her body but it's unknown if they are related to her death, SDSO said.

"Based on the totality of the circumstances, we decided to take over the investigative responsibility for the case," said SDSO Lt. Kenneth Nelson.

Homicide and Child Abuse investigators are on scene, looking into the incident as a suspicious death.

Nelson says they are calling this a suspicious death until the Medical Examiner releases information on the cause of death.

The infant's mother and her boyfriend's family are cooperating with detectives, Nelson said.

Neighbors told NBC 7 that this incident was uncommon for the area, saying it was a safe neighborhood

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer bid farewell on Wednesday after 24 years in office.

In a speech on the Senate floor, the California Democratic senator spoke about a career devoted to liberal causes like women's rights and the environment. She recalled fondly her friendship and working alliance with Republicans like Sen. Jim Inhofe, a crusty conservative from Oklahoma.

With allies like House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi watching, Boxer recalled accomplishments like after-school programs, setting aside California wilderness lands and last year's highway bill.

She said her retirement wasn’t bittersweet, but was instead just “sweet.”

“I look around this chamber and I realize the reason I’m able to leave is because of each of you and your passion to make life better for people and that’s what it’s all about,” she said.

Also saying goodbye was Maryland Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a 40-year veteran of Congress. She is the longest serving woman in the Senate. Over three decades in the chamber, she earned a reputation for determination and for forging odd-couple alliances with Republican men like Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and former Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Mo., and racked up an impressive roster of accomplishments.

Another departure: first-term Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., defeated for re-election last month. She spoke with pride of her work on defense issues and on a recent law to combat opioid addiction.

A recorded phone call between the defendant and Jahi Turner's mother was entered into evidence Wednesday as the San Diego County District Attorney's Office continued to present its case against the toddler's stepfather.

Tieray Jones, has entered not guilty pleas to charges of murder and felony child abuse following his March 2016 arrest. Jones was the last person to see Jahi Turner alive before the two-year-old boy was reported missing on April 25, 2002.

The defendant told San Diego Police he turned away from the toddler for 15 TO 30 SECONDS while they were at a South Park playground approximately 10 blocks from the military housing complex where they lived.

Jahi's mother was deployed with USS Rushmore the day her son was reported missing. The defendant called 911 from a park near 28th and Cedar streets and told police his stepson vanished when he stepped away to buy a soda from a park vending machine. Listen to the full 911 call here.

Hundreds of volunteers and police officers spent weeks looking for Jahi near the playground. Law enforcement officers raked through 5,000 tons of garbage at the Miramar Landfill, but came up with nothing.

On March 17, 2015, Jahi’s mother, who went by the name Tameka Turner at the time, agreed to call the defendant with the SDPD listening on the line.

“Can you tell me exactly what happened that day?” she asked the defendant. “I need to hear it from you.”

Jones tells her that when he thinks back to that day, he doesn’t think he had walked too far away from Jahi; however, what happened in 2002 has changed how he treats their children.

“Out of everything in my life, sweetheart… it’s like one of the only things that it – it seems to be unexplainable,” Jones is heard saying on the recording.

Under cross-examination, defense attorneys brought up that the controlled phone call was made when Tameka and Tieray entered divorce proceedings and had begun a child custody battle.

“He’s never made an admission. He’s never said he has done this and that’s because we believe he is innocent,” said defense attorney Alex Ozols.

On Wednesday, prosecutors ALSO played several interviews recorded between Jones and SDPD detectives on the day he filed the missing child report. In one portion, Jones described what he and Jahi did in the days befor the child's disappearance.

He also described what he and his stepson did before they left the apartment that morning. Watch that portion of the police interview here.

SDPD Criminalist David Cornacchia testified Wednesday that the crime lab uses a sample from a sipping cup lid as a sample of Jahi Turner’s DNA.

He said that sample was compared to a blood stain found on a piece from an Elmo blanket in the apartment rented by Jahi’s mother and stepfather.

The DNA matched that of Jahi Turner, Cornacchia testified. Earlier, Tameka Jones testified Jahi often had nose bleeds.

Tests were inconclusive on two blood stains found on the back of a piece of carpet in the apartment, Cornacchia testified. 

Jones' defense attorney pointed to the DNA expert's testimony as proof that there is no evidence a crime was committed inside the apartment where Jahi lived.

“There’s absolutely no physical evidence that this happened in this house and there’s no way this could’ve happened,” Ozols said.

On Monday, the toddler's mother, who now goes by the name Tameka Jones, testified that she had moved her son from Maryland to San Diego four days before he was reported missing.

She testified the defendant spoke with her by phone the day after she left on deployment to say Jahi had suffered a bump on the forehead.

Detailed in the arrest warrant is a journal entry from that day.

According to the court document, Tieray Jones wrote, “Today for some reason he hasn’t been moving or really talking. Jahi is starting to act really funny he won’t get up off the floor. He’s not walking or talking when I tell him to get his cup he just looks at me. I know it’s going to take some time. But I don’t want him hating me for something I can’t control. The bump on his head has gone down I put ice on it. It’s gotten a little red.”

In the arrest warrant, authorities suggest that entry is evidence suggesting Jahi suffered a fatal physical injury while in Jones’ care.

Click here to read the search warrant.

In the March, 2015 23 minute controlled call between Tameka Jones and Tieray Jones, Tameka asks Tieray about the “accident.”

Jones says in part: “If it was an accident Sweetheart, I would have just said it was an accident. I’ve never run away from anything.”

Jones’ defense attorney Alex Ozols said outside court: “At no point did he make any admission within his statement. He’s never made an admission. He’s never said he has done this, and that’s because he’s innocent.”

Two days later Tieray called Tameka and said Jahi had disappeared from a nearby park, she testified.

Jones' attorneys have said they believe Jahi Turner is still alive.

Though prosecutors say new evidence has been uncovered in the case, authorities have not found Jahi's body or remains, police said.

Jones faces a 25-years-to-life sentence if convicted.

Grooming pubic hair may be linked to an increased risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, according to a new study.

The study, published in the Sexually Transmitted Infections journal, surveyed 7,580 people between the ages of 18 and 65. The researches asked the participants whether they trimmed or shaved their pubic hair; how often they did so and what tools they used. Researches also asked the participants how many sexual partners they've had and whether they've had a sexually transmitted infection. 

The results showed that participants who trimmed or shaved their pubic hair had a higher rate of contracting an STI, but did not prove a direct correlation between the two.  

Participants who regularly groomed their pubic hair were 80 percent more likely to report contracting an STI than those who never groomed, according to the study. 

The researchers note small tears in the skin created during grooming could allow STI-causing bacteria to infect someone who shaves their private parts. 

But the correlation could also be accounted for if the people who groom tend to have more sexual partners, thus putting them at greater risk of contracting an STI.

The study had other limitations, like not asking participants if they used condoms during sex, Debby Herbenick, an associate professor at Indiana University Bloomington, told Live Science. 

U.S. equities closed sharply higher on Wednesday as the Dow and S&P hit new record highs, while investors awaited a monetary policy announcement from the European Central Bank, CNBC reported.

The S&P 500 gained around 1.3 percent while the Dow Jones industrial average gained nearly 300 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 1.2 percent.

"I think this is more momentum from the Trump rally," said Adam Sarhan, CEO at 50 Park Investments. "You've got the financials, transports, steel stocks, small and mid-cap stocks all trading higher. The areas that have worked [since the election] continue to work."

"While all this is happening, you've seen virtually no selling. That's very good for stocks moving forward," he added.