A man armed with a knife barricaded himself inside a restaurant in El Cajon Saturday morning as police tried different tactics to get him to surrender peacefully – including luring him with cigarettes.

Jonathan Landa, owner associate/CFO of El Cilantro eatery, said a man entered the business in the 1200 block of East Madison Avenue near North 2nd Street at around 8:30 a.m. and made his way into the kitchen.

He said described the suspect as appearing “out of his senses, very chaotic, talking to himself or someone else.”

A chef working at the business confronted the man and the suspect then grabbed a knife, Landa said. Video captured by security cameras at El Cilantro show the man, wearing a bright orange shirt, pacing through the eatery, holding the large kitchen knife.

Landa said the chef quickly left the restaurant and called him to report what was happening. The chef then called police for help.

Officers with the El Cajon Police Department (ECPD) soon arrived to find the suspect holed up in the restaurant. Police tried to speak with the man and negotiate his surrender.

Surveillance video given to NBC 7 by Landa show the suspect opening and closing the front door to the eatery, knife in hand, talking to police.

Landa said police offered the suspect cigarettes to get him to come out of the restaurant peacefully, throwing them out to the suspect one by one.

“It was a very good tactic because they ended up being successful,” Landa explained.

When the man came outside to pick up a cigarette, officers deployed bean bags, hitting him in the chest. He went back inside the restaurant but soon came out again. At that point, police were able to arrest him without further incident.

The man’s name was not immediately released. NBC 7 has reached out to the ECPD for further details.

Landa said no one inside the restaurant was hurt.

The nation's vice president and a retired Marine Corps general were among the dignitaries, family members and other mourners who choked up Saturday during a memorial tribute to the late space hero John Glenn.

Roughly 2,500 people gathered at Mershon Auditorium on the Ohio State University campus for "a celebration of life" for the former fighter pilot, history-making astronaut and longtime Democratic U.S. senator from small-town Ohio. He was remembered not only for bravery, but for his thoughtful consideration for others, his integrity and his patriotic optimism.

"I think John defined what it meant to be an American, what we were about, just by how we acted," said Vice President Joe Biden, a former colleague of Glenn's in the U.S. Senate. "It was always about the promise. We were a country of possibility, opportunity, always a belief in tomorrow."

Retired USMC Gen. John Dailey said Glenn was "never in it for himself," but always acted for the nation's greater good. Like many others, he recalled Glenn's humility and basic kindness.

"We had John for 95 great years and it still wasn't enough," Dailey said.

Glenn died Dec. 8 at age 95. He was the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962, and then in 1998 became the oldest person in space at 77.

Thousands of people, including Democratic U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, visited the Ohio Statehouse on Friday as Glenn lay in honor. A solemn funeral procession through the center of the capital city carried his casket past more mourners willing to withstand cold and ice.

Ethel Kennedy, widow of close Glenn ally Robert F. Kennedy, and their son Robert F. Kennedy Jr., were among the mourners present, along with Ohio political leaders including Gov. John Kasich and former Govs. Ted Strickland and Richard Celeste.

The service was preceded by recordings of hymns, arias and popular songs. Some — including Nat King Cole's "Smile" and Susan Boyle's version of "Impossible Dream" — nodded to Glenn's trademark optimism. Others, including "You Are My Sunshine," ''Moon River" and Shirley Jones singing "Goodnight, My Someone" — recalled Glenn's long love affair with wife, Annie, who survives him.

Their marriage was cited frequently as a source of Glenn's strength and an inspiration to those who have known and watched the couple for 73 years.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a fellow Democrat who first met Glenn when he was a teenage Eagle Scout, called Glenn "an FDR Democrat" who believed in the power of government and the importance of public service — through his military and space career and his tenure in the Senate.

"He was a work horse, never a show horse," Brown said. "He labored over the details of non-proliferation and environmental cleanup of nuclear disposal sites, grunt work to some, but John was content to spend his time not on collecting instant headlines but achieving lasting results that would leave the world better than he had found it."

Brown's wife, journalist Connie Schultz, recalled his tenderness when their grandson was curious about how astronauts urinate in space. She saw it as example for the nation.

"If American icon John Glenn could take the time to treat a child with such respect, surely we can find the time to listen to one another," she said.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Jr. said the U.S. space program remains indebted to Glenn.

"It was courage, grace and humility John displayed throughout his life that lifted him above the stars," Bolden said. "As the current head of NASA, I can say unequivocally that we are standing on John Glenn's shoulders as we pursue a human journey to Mars, a journey that would not be possible without his bravery and selfless dedication."

Glenn's son, David, said his father let him find himself and make his own mistakes — even when he came home with long hair and wearing bell bottom pants. "He might have blinked twice, or his face twitched or something like that. But that was it," he said.

Daughter Lyn said she wanted an "atta girl" for some good grades she brought home at age 8, to which Glenn replied, "Yes, but what have you done for your country today?"

She said Glenn refused a deal worth as much as $5 million to have his photo placed on a Wheaties box because he saw it as making money from government service.

She ended a touching recollection with a simple farewell, "Godspeed, Dad."

Taps was played as Glenn was carried from the auditorium. He'll be buried at Arlington Cemetery near Washington, D.C., in a private ceremony this spring.

A middle school student from Coronado is striking a chord and gaining a huge following on social media as she lip-syncs popular songs on an app, all while interpreting the lyrics in American Sign Language (ASL).

Skye Vanderlinden, 13, currently has 63,000 followers and counting on the social media app, “Musical.ly,” a platform popular with her peers that is used to create and share short music video, heavily focused on lip-syncing.

The teenager uses her hands – a lot – while making her own music videos on the app. For the last 18 months, she’s been consistently covering ASL versions of popular hits – trying to make a difference in the lives of other kids.

“I try to make them [the videos] every single day but sometimes I have way too much homework,” the teen told NBC 7 on Saturday. “But on the weekends, I’ll make six videos per weekend.”

Vanderlinden first began learning American Sign Language to communicate with a young friend who is deaf. Today, her ASL skills are still a work in progress, but a growing, hands-on part of who she is.

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“I want to be an ASL interpreter, for sure. I love ASL – that’s what I want to do,” Vanderlinden explained.

The teen’s videos on Musical.ly are now getting attention worldwide. Her followers on the app grow by the hour.

She said the most difficult songs to sign are the faster, upbeat tunes, like Avril Lavigne's peppy hit, "Girlfriend," but she makes it happen.

And here’s where things get interesting. Apparently, with a huge following on the app, fans start to give you little icons, which represent real money.

“This is a ‘Dabriel’ – 5,000 gift points gives you $30,” said Vanderlinden.

As the gifts pile on, Vanderlinden has chosen to hand off what she’s making on the app to others.

“People would give me a few dollars and then I was like, ‘I don’t want to keep this money, so I’m going to donate all of it and when I said I’m donating all of it, a lot of people started sending me more money,” she said.

The teen’s parents, Debbie and Kim Vanderlinden, admit they still don’t completely grasp their daughter’s reach on the social media platform, but told NBC 7 they’re happy with their daughter’s decision to donate the money.

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Recently, Vanderlinden delivered her first donation – a $560 check – to the Monarch School to help kids impacted by homelessness.

And, along with raising awareness about sign language, her videos also seem to help people in other ways.

“Some of the comments [on Skye’s vidoes] were very touching, [by] kids bullied or with social problems or something. For many of them, they said it almost changed their life. Why? I think she was just so positive and happy,” said Kim.

A real life passion - and an online niche - turning this teenager into an unlikely modern day philanthropist.

A woman was wounded in a shooting in North Park Saturday, fired upon by the father of her child who was a passenger in her car, police confirmed.

Police say that some sort of argument broke out between the mother and father as they drove down westbound El Cajon Boulevard with their 6-month-old baby and the man's brother also inside the vehicle.

The 19-year-old father, sitting in the front passenger seat, shot the mother, 18, while she drove the vehicle just before 1:30 p.m., according to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD).

The mother pulled over on Iowa Street to call 911 and the suspect fled on foot. Officers arrived at the scene and found the woman suffering from a single gunshot wound to her upper body. Police say the bullet lodged in the driver side door.

She was rushed to Scripps Mercy Hospital where, as of 11:00 p.m. Saturday, she is reported to be in stable condition.

Police found the man hiding in an alley shortly after and arrested him. The weapon, a .45 caliber handgun, was retrieved from a trash bin in the alley.

The baby and the brother of the shooter were unharmed and the child is now with family members, according to police.

The brother of the shooter was questioned by police but was not taken into custody, SDPD said.

SDPD Domestic Violence Detectives are investigating the incident. 

Check back for updates on this breaking news story.

Authorities say an Uber driver fatally shot a man who was allegedly attempting to rob him early Sunday morning.

Aventura Police say an Uber driver in a black Toyota Corolla picked up a passenger from a condo along the William Lehman Causeway at around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday.

As the Corolla headed west on the causeway, a silver Dodge Caravan occupied by two people cut off the Uber driver. The driver of the Caravan jumped out with two guns drawn and attempted to rob the Uber driver.

Aventura police spokesman Chris Goranitis said the Uber driver pulled his own handgun and fired shots that killed the robber.

"The Uber driver was able to fire off some rounds at the suspect who was pronounced deceased on scene," Goranitis said.

The passenger of the caravan got in the driver’s seat and fled.

Goranitis said the Uber driver had a concealed weapons permit. Neither the driver nor his passenger was injured.

Police recovered the suspected getaway car hours after the homicide and have also interviewed a person of interest.

Uber said in a statement that they are aware of the reported incident. According to company's firearms policy, riders and drivers are prohibited from carrying firearms of any kind while in a vehicle and using the app. Violators may lose access to Uber.

Aventura residents who live near the causeway are reacting to the news of the scary encounter.

"You have to be very careful no matter where you are, in any neighborhood. This is a great neighborhood, very safe," said resident Margot Stashower. "The Aventura Police Department is right up the block."

Police have not released any further details on the incident. Check back with NBC 6 for updates.

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday that the Obama administration, congressional leaders and Donald Trump have all demonstrated a lack of urgency surrounding the recent election-related Russian hacking revelations, NBC News reported.

"I think that given the unprecedented nature of it and the magnitude of the effort, I think people seem to have been somewhat laid-back about it," Gates told NBC's Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press."

"And maybe part of the problem was that it took the intelligence community a while to assemble really firm evidence of Russian involvement and Russian government involvement that delayed a response," Gates, who also headed the CIA, added. "Attribution is a challenge, but it seems pretty clear to me that they've developed really reliable information that the Russian government was involved."

San Diegans across the County woke up to frosty temperatures and icy windshields as temperatures dropped low overnight - and there is more cold weather still to come. 

A frost advisory expired Sunday morning in the desert and inland valleys, NBC 7's Liberty Zabala reports.

Many San Diegans reported waking up to low temperatures, walking outside to find ice on their car windshields. 

In the mountains, temperatures fell to the low 40s overnight and along the coast and in the inland valleys, temperatures hovered in the low 60s Sunday morning. 

Sunday night, expect temperatures to sink into the mid 40s along the coast and inland valleys. In the mountains, temperatures could reach the low 30s. 

A wind advisory is in effect through 10 a.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Winds coming in from the east will reach 15 to 25 miles per hour, with gusts up to 45 and 55 miles per hour in the coastal foothills, into the inland valleys, and below mountain passes. 

For your interactive, hour-by-hour forecast, click here.

Here’s a look at what is going on in San Diego sports for the week of December 19^th-26^th.

CHARGERS: The Bolts have a rare Saturday game this week when they head to Cleveland to face the Browns on Christmas Eve. Kickoff is schedules for 10 a.m. and don’t forget to watch Football Night in San Diego Sunday after the Broncos vs. Chiefs game.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO TRITONS:

-WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Monday vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills 2 p.m. at UCSD.

-MEN’S BASKETBALL: Monday vs. Cal State Dominguez Hills 4 p.m. at UCSD.

POINT LOMA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY SEA LIONS:

-WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Monday at Dixie State 4 p.m.

-MEN’S BASKETBALL: Monday at Dixie State 6:30 p.m.

UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO TOREROS:

-WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Wednesday vs. North Dakota 5 p.m. at Jenny Craig Pavilion.

-MEN’S BASKETBALL: Thursday at North Texas 5 p.m.

SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY AZTECS:

-MEN’S BASKETBALL: Thursday vs. Southern Miss, Friday vs. Tulsa or Stephen F. Austin and Sunday vs. TBD all in Honolulu, Hawaii.

-WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Thursday at Cal State Fullerton 5 p.m.

Have a happy and safe holiday week everyone!

Police are searching for a stabbing suspect on the run in El Cajon.

The stabbing happened near Broadway and N. Mollison Avenue Sunday afternoon, El Cajon Police confirmed.

One victim suffered injuries of unknown severity.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story.

California Highway Patrol (CHP) is investigating a major injury car wreck near the intersection of San Vincente Road and Gem Lane in Ramona.

Witnesses reported that a vehicle tire blew up and debris struck another car at around 4:21 p.m. Sunday, according to CHP.

A Sig Alert was issued but was called off at 5:37 p.m.

No further information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story.

San Diego Police (SDPD) needs help looking for a woman missing from her home in South Park.

SDPD issued a Missing Person at Risk alert just before 8 p.m. Sunday for 67-year-old Cheri Hiel who was last seen at her home on the 3100 block of Ivy Street.

Hiel possibly has dementia and has in the past been found in the Shelter Island area, according to the alert. The report also states that she likes to be near water.

She was last seen wearing a pink and purple V-neck shirt with flowers, blue jeans, sandals and glasses.

Anyone with information on Hiel’s whereabouts is encouraged to call SDPD at (619)531-2000.

The self-declared white supremacist who was convicted Thursday of gunning down nine parishioners at a South Carolina church last year will not present mental health testimony during the penalty phase of his federal trial, NBC News reported.

In a hand-written note filed Friday night, Dylann Roof, 22, told U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel that he "will not be calling mental health experts or presenting mental health evidence" when the proceedings continue next month.

The admission came after Gergel ordered — then canceled — a hearing on the subject when Roof failed to meet a filing deadline. 

The Associated Press reported that the move was expected.

The Muslim teen who alleged to have been the victim of a hate crime last week in New York was charged with falsifying her report Wednesday — and the reaction from many Muslim Americans has gone from anger at the time of the purported incident to dismay following her arrest, NBC News reported. 

Muslims nationally have been openly worrying about how 18-year-old Yasmin Seweid's arrest might affect them and the struggle against real bigotry and Islamophobia. 

"Whenever an individual, especially a minority, cries wolf, it always ends up hurting that community," said Wajahat Ali, creative director of Affinis Labs, a center for social entrepreneurship and innovation.

Seweid has been charged with lying about being harassed by group of men she claimed were Trump supporters on the New York City subway.

Two people were pulled out of the water and taken to the hospital after a car was submerged in approximately 12 feet of water, Coronado Police said. 

The incident happened at approximately 1:35 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the Loews Coronado Resort, when police responded to a report of a car in the water.

When they arrived, they found Good Samaritans pulling two people from the water. 

Both were taken to a local hospital with moderate to serious injuries. 

Harbor Police pulled the car out of the water Sunday morning. 

The investigation is ongoing. It is unclear how, exactly, the car got to be in the water. Police say it is unclear if alcohol was a factor. 

No other information was immediately available.

An Oceanside resident was cleaning out his rifle when a bullet negligently discharged, flying through a wall and striking an 11-year-old playing by the pool, Oceanside Police said. 

The discharge happened at approximately 7:50 p.m. Saturday when police responded to a reported shooting at a apartment complex on the 400 block of Vandegrift Boulevard, Oceanside Police Lt. Daniel Sullivan said. 

When officers arrived, they found an 11-year-old boy with a non life-threatening gunshot wound to his hand, Sullivan said. He was taken to Children's Hospital via an air ambulance in stable condition. 

The boy told police he was skateboarding near the apartment complex's pool area with two friends when he heard a single loud pop, then noticed the injury on his hand. 

Police officers began their investigation in the area and found several witnesses. One witness eventually told officers he was unloading his .223 caliber rifle when he accidentally fired a bullet through his apartment wall, Sullivan said. 

Investigators fond a single bullet hole in the wall, near where the children were playing. 

The man, who has not been identified, was detained and taken to Oceanside Police Department's headquarters. 

The investigation is ongoing. No further information was available. 

A 7-year-old Syrian girl whose Twitter updates chronicled the horrors of life in Aleppo for months was safely evacuated from the besieged city Monday, according to an aid organization, NBC News reported. 

According to Ahmad Tarakji, president of the Syrian American Medical Society, Bana al-Abed was among "many children" safely evacuated into the surrounding countryside Monday.

The evacuation comes two days after she and her mother, Fatemah Bana al-Abed, appealed to first lady Michelle Obama for help. 

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad said their Twitter account, which has 320,000 followers, is propaganda promoted by "terrorists" and their supporters.

The homelessness problem in San Diego affects us all and the number of people living on the streets continues to grow.

Countywide, there's been a 19 percent increase in people living on the streets. In downtown San Diego alone, there's been a 75 percent increase in street homelessness since just January.

One nonprofit is reaching out to the homeless youth population hoping to break the cycle.

Over the last 15 years, Doors of Change has helped more than 1,800 youth get off the streets by offering art and music classes. The classes help establish a sense of stability for homeless youth and allow them to, over time, learn to trust again.

"That's the beginning of their self-esteem, getting better so that they can do something,” said Jeffrey Sitcov, Founder & President of Doors of Change. “When someone says they're going to help them and they come through with their word, which we do- It blows their mind."

The nonprofit also hosts the Taking Music and Art to the Streets program twice a week in Ocean Beach, holding art classes on Thursdays and music classes on Sundays. Doors of Change even serves a meal and offers free clothing to participants during their visits.

Sitcov says that after participants come to Doors of Change for six classes they earn an instrument of their choice or art supplies, and it doesn’t stop there.

After further sustained commitment the program, homeless youth are considered for a two-year transitional housing program that facilitates up to six people at a time.

“We don't give it to them, they earn it," Sitcov said.

Deshawn Christopher, 24, has struggled for years.

"I'm a former foster youth,” Christopher said. “Right when I got out of the system, I didn't have the proper skills to be an effective adult."

He's one of thousands living on the streets in San Diego. Some are only in their teens. At a time when they should be going to school, they're instead just trying to survive.

"It was really rough. I didn't have anything to eat, out there in the cold. Not many resources around to really benefit me," he added.

Now Christopher has a home.

"There's a lot of struggle out there and some people just don't want to change; but there are a lot of people that do, you know?"

When asked if he was one of the latter, Christopher said “Of Course! I’m going to the top.”

Doors of Change is always looking for volunteers and donations are always welcomed. Visit the Doors of Change website to learn more.

The Chargers offense had a really good start to the game and a really good start to the second half of Sunday's game against the Raiders.

The rest of the time it was pretty bad, and despite another solid effort from the San Diego defense, the Bolts lost to Oakland 19-16 in what felt like a Raiders home game at Qualcomm Stadium.

68,352 fans showed up for the game, about 15,000 more than the previous home game against Tampa Bay, and every one of the additions was wearing silver and black.

The Bolts took the ball first and, as they have done multiple times this season, got in to the end zone. Philip Rivers lofted a 47-yard touchdown strike to Travis Benjamin for a quick 7-0 lead. But after that they mustered just a field goal for the rest of the half.

The Chargers defense got itself out of a couple of jams in the opening half. Twice the Raiders drive in to the Red Zone and twice they turned it over. First Latavius Murray lost a fumble ... then Derek Carr was picked off by Trovon Reed near the goal line. Reed also picked off a pass inside the five yard line a week ago in Charlotte.

But at the end of the half San Diego went soft and it cost them. Trying to make the Raider run the clock they instead allowed a 75 yard TD drive that took just 1:07 off the clock. Carr hit Michael Crabtree for a 13-yard TD and a 10-10 halftime score.

Oakland kicked a field goal to start the 3rd quarter and the Chargers offense got cranking again. Rivers hit Dontrelle Inman three times for 53 yards and finished the drive with a 7-yard TD pass to rookie tight end Hunter Henry. However, Josh Lambo missed the extra point try so the Bolts were up 16-13.

In the 4th quarter the Chargers committed their first turnover of the afternoon when Kennth Farrow put the ball on the ground. Oakland recovered at the Chargers 13 yard line. A nice series by the San Diego defense forced another short field goal to tie it at 16-all.

The Raiders took the lead on Janikowski's 4th field goal of the day and with 2:40 to play the Chargers were down by three with a chance to put together a game-winning drive.

Isaiah Burse returned the kickoff to the 14 yard line, another bad special teams effort, to give the Chargers awful field position. In the movie biz that is known as "foreshadowing."

An incomplete pass, a sack, and ball batted at the line of scrimmage, and an interception and the game was over.

The Chargers fall to 5-9 on the year and the Oakland Raiders are going to the playoffs.

Weekend rain unearthed a practice warhead in a Hillcrest backyard Sunday prompting an hours-long bomb threat investigation.

San Diego Fire Rescue (SDFD) says that a homeowner found a 2.75-inch practice rocket warhead in the backyard of their home at 3729 Dove Street and called 911 just before 3 p.m.

SDFD hazmat crews were investigating the rocket initially until crews from Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar took over.

Crews were unable to determine if the warhead was live or not, but after testing it they determined that it was safe to be transported for destruction.

SDFD said that the investigation did not confirm if the warhead contained anything and its contents will remain unknown until further tests are completed.