A woman is fighting for her life at a hospital after being set on fire Monday morning inside a North Texas convenience store.

Witnesses said a woman walked into the Buy and Save convenience store at the Texaco gas station on Long Ave. and Azle Ave. in Fort Worth and doused the victim with flammable liquid.

Witnesses said it "took one second" for the attacker to light the victim on fire after dousing her with the liquid. Witnesses said they couldn't tell how she ignited the fire. They added she didn't say anything to the victim before lighting her on fire.

The victim's friend, standing nearby, caught on fire as well.

The attacker got into a car that was waiting for her in the parking lot and they drove off.

Fort Worth police haven't identified the attacker, anyone else in the vehicle, or the kind of car. Detectives spent seven hours at the store collecting evidence and taking photographs.

The Buy and Save had surveillance cameras inside the store. Police are looking through those videos now trying to identify the attacker.

NBC5 spoke with Alex Hilo, the night shift worker at the Buy and Save.

"I was making the coffee and I see a bunch of fire going, I go and try to help her out. I threw some water on her, to put the fire out. But this thing happened too fast," Hilo said.

"All I saw was just fire. Somebody threw something and lit someone on fire. It was scary thing," he added. "All the top of her body [was burned]. Her hair, her face, everything was burned."

Hilo said the victim's screams for help sounded like a "nightmare."

Moments after the attack, Hilo rushed into action. He grabbed jugs of water from the store shelves and poured them on the victim. He also started grabbing at her clothes.

"I wanted to take her clothes, there was liquid on it, so I knew if I could get her clothes off, there'd be less fire," he said.

The victim was transported via helicopter to a Dallas hospital. Firefighters said she has life-threatening burns over her entire body. Her name has not been released because police haven't contacted her family.

"It appears to be a targeted attack. That's what it looks like right now. This women had some type of previous relationship prior to this incident occurring,” said Tim Hardeman, with the Fort Worth Fire Department.

The victim's friend was also rushed to the hospital with burns over her back.

Alex Hilo also suffered minor burns on his hands and forearms from trying to save the women's lives. He was treated on scene.

"There's no time to think. I had to act fast, fast fast," he said.

Hilo said the victims are regular customers during his shift, but he doesn't know their names. He also said the suspect is a regular customer, too, but he doesn't know her name either.

NBC 5's Greg Janda contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Two window washers were stuck near the 21st floor of a downtown building, according to fire officials.

The incident happened around 1:40 p.m. at the Advanced Equity Plaza building at the intersection of Broadway and Kettner Avenue.

Officials said the basket was stuck.

Aerial views show the workers were closer to the top of the building. Firefighters were able to rescue them using a hoist and both men have made it to the ground safely.

No injuries have been reported.

San Diego Chargers staff has decided to limit linebacker Manti Te'o’s access to the media until mid-June.

The football player’s personal life has been highlighted ever since he played at Notre Dame, where he was at the center of an elaborate hoax which involved a fake girlfriend. Since then, he has been drafted by the Chargers.

And Te’o still seems to be a ways off from warding questions about his past.

Maxim recently featured “Manti Te'o's Fake Girlfriend” on its annual list of the world’s 100 hottest women. The magazine said, “We think it might be nice to have an invisible girl of our own to love.”

Te’o then reportedly went to a Maxim promotional party in Los Angeles last week, where women featured on the list were in attendance.
 
On Monday, the media was not granted access to Te’o. During a Q-and-A session that afternoon, new coach Mike McCoy was asked by reporters why Te’o will not face the press until the mini-camp from June 11-13.

“Well we have a plan for him like everyone else,” said McCoy. “He’s here, he’s a young player and the organization has a schedule for him like we do every other player of putting him in front of the media, we’ll do it accordingly.”

The coach was then asked if he thought it was appropriate for Te’o to attend the Maxim party.

“Well he’s going to make certain decisions that he’s going to make and we’ll keep that in-house with what we think and what we do with that,” said McCoy.

McCoy added that he was unaware that Te’o attended the magazine event.

NBC 7 has learned the driver accused in Saturday’s road rage incident on the Coronado Bay Bridge has a prior criminal record and history of mental health problems.

A motorcyclist exchanged words and hand gestures with the driver of a blue BMW while both were traveling westbound atop the bridge around 6 p.m.

San Diego police investigators say the BMW driver intentionally struck the motorcycle. Two people were thrown from the bike.

The BMW driver, Phillip Michael Eggers was booked on two felony charges including first-degree attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm. He is slated to be arraigned Wednesday.

According to court records, Eggers, 24, has three prior criminal cases. He has also admitted to previous street racing, according to psychological reports.

Documents show that in 2011, Eggers’ attorneys sought to have him serve the entirety of a 36-month sentence for burglary at the Vista Detention facility to assure that he receive “proper medication and treatment.”

Prior to his incarceration, Eggers was diagnosed with Bipolar I Disorder and ADHD the court records show. At the time, he was being treated with “medication management and individual therapy.”

Court paperwork shows Eggers behavioral problems started in the second grade. By the fifth grade it was determined he had “severe learning disabilities.” At this time, documents show, he was hospitalized at Sharp Hospital for ‘out of control behavior’.

Psychological reports included in the court documents indicate a long and significant history of emotional problems. In 2008, a doctor determined Eggers has ‘severe bipolar disorder’ and ‘angry outbursts.’

It also says when properly medicated and treated, Eggers is a ‘model citizen.’

A former attorney for Eggers said the description of Saturday's incident is "out of character" and he describes Eggers as a "gentle, non-violent" person.

Another significant finding comes from a psychological report that talks about his involvement with streets racing and use of a modified Corvette, which belonged to his father. “I’ve been in my share of street races,” Eggers tells the psychologist. 

Navy dolphins discovered an unusual torpedo off the coast of San Diego and handlers said it was obvious within minutes that the find was significant.

The dolphins were working off the coast of Coronado on mine-hunting training exercises in March when they recovered a 130-year-old Howell torpedo – one of the first self-propelled torpedoes developed and used by the U.S. Navy.

“There were only 50 Howell torpedoes made, and we discovered one of the two ever found,” said Braden Duryee, operations supervisor for the SSC Pacific Biosciences Division.

Within two weeks, two dolphins marked the object on the sea floor doing their regular daily training exercises.

The dolphins, named Ten and Spetz, followed procedure when an object of interest is discovered by surfacing and touching the side of a trailing boat in a certain manner.

Navy divers then went in and recovered it.

“It was puzzling and exciting,” said Chris Harris, Operations Supervisor for Navy Marine Mammals Program.

It’s so old, the divers actually Google'd information to identify it.

The rare torpedo was 11-feet long and propelled by a flywheel spun before launch.

“It’s almost Victorian in its design,” Harris said.

It could move at a speed of 25 knots and had a range of 400 yards SSC Pacific experts said.

The Naval Undersea Museum houses the only other known Howell torpedo in existence today.

The Howell torpedo recovered by SSC Pacific, is stamped “USN No. 24” and is said to be in pristine shape.

Duryee said it’s no surprise the dolphins found the item. What’s surprising to him is the torpedo's age.

As NBC 7 reported in November 2002, the dolphins train almost daily in the shadow of San Diego's skyline. Watch Video: Navy-Trained Dolphins Search for Bombs

In 1959, Navy scientists studied dolphins in an attempt to design a faster torpedo. That program quickly shifted focus to covert training. Several decades later, the program was declassified.

The dolphins are trained to find any types of items that are man-made. in the 50 years MMP has been around, dolphins have discovered and marked a number of unique items in the ocean.

In addition to dolphins, the Navy uses sea lions to recover objects like military hardware off the bottom of the ocean. 

California Highway Patrol officers have shut down two lanes of northbound State Route 125 south of Interstate 8 Tuesday morning because of an overturned vehicle with two people trapped inside.

The vehicle flipped onto its roof along the highway near the exit to Grossmont Boulevard.

Crews with two tow trucks moved the vehicle onto its wheels and cleared the debris from the crash.

Check Interactive Traffic Map

As of 7:48 a.m., CHP had reopened the two lanes on SR-125 to traffic but still had the Grossmont Boulevard exit closed.
 

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The NFL is poised to declare on Tuesday which city will host the the 50th Super Bowl in 2016: Santa Clara or Miami.

A total of 32 owners are meeting in Boston and they are expected to announce their decision on Super Bowl L about 11 a.m. The winning bid needs 24 votes.

If the new 49ers stadium is chosen, it will be the first time in 28 years that the Big Game will have been played in the Bay Area. The last time was in 1985 at Stanford Stadium.

MORE: Bay Area Prepares to Make its Super Bowl Bid

Most expect Santa Clara to win the bid. It may not even be so much about what the Bay Area has going for it, as what Florida doesn’t.

The Sunshine State recently failed to pass a funding mechanism that would’ve provided needed improvement’s to the aging Sun Life stadium where the Dolphins play, considered a linchpin of its bid.

The new, high-tech San Francisco 49ers stadium, which will top $1.2 billion when the construction is complete, is set to open in 2014. Levi's recently announced a $220 million naming rights deal to brand the new arena, Levi's Stadium.

In addition, the Bay Area's Super Bowl committee has lined up $30 million dollars in funding pledges from Bay Area companies like Apple, Google and Hewlett-Packard. A total of $8 million of that is earmarked for Bay Area charities.  

The runner-up of Tuesday's vote gets to contend for  Super Bowl LI.

NBC Bay Area's Joe Rosato Jr. and Bob Redell contributed to this report.

Nearly a year after his face was horribly maimed in a vicious attack on the MacArthur Causeway, Ronald Poppo spoke publicly for the first time in a video released by Jackson Memorial Hospital Tuesday.

Wearing a Miami Heat hat and sitting on a hospital bed, Poppo is seen strumming a guitar before giving thanks to his doctors and the community.

"Thanks for considering, helping out, people in my predicament need to be helped out and I'm sure there's other people also that have the same type of predicament," Poppo said in the brief video. "I thank the outpouring of people in the community, I will always be grateful for them."

Miami Face-Mauling Victim Recalls Attack

The video was released during a news conference at Jackson Medical Center, where the 66-year-old continues to recover from the injuries he suffered in the May 26, 2012 attack.

New photos from Poppo's birthday celebration at the hospital were also released.

Poppo remains completely blind following the attack and has undergone four surgeries since the attack but remains in good spirits, his doctors said.

Face Mauler Allegedly Met Victim Before Attack: Report

"He's had a long year but he's managed to cope quite well with what's happened to him," Dr. Wrood Kassira said. "I would say he's content with where he is right now."

Kassira, one of Jackson's plastic surgeons, said Poppo had skin grafting surgery and all his wounds have closed.

"He had extensive trauma to his face, it was bad," Kassira said.

Poppo has been told of his options for more surgeries or prosthetics for his eyes and nose, but he hasn't been interested in them. He has undergone four surgeries and is unwilling to have further reconstruction.

"There's still work that can be done, but he's more than happy with how he is now, he's quite grateful," Kassira said.

Poppo has gained more than 50 pounds since he was brought to Ryder Trauma Center, and continues to work with an occupational therapist who has taught him how to dress himself, feed himself, shower and shave.

Doctors gave Poppo a guitar to help with his therapy, and he practices with it every day. He played guitar 40 years ago when he was in a band and is trying to pick up chords but not being able to see makes it tough, they said.

The incident unfolded when a naked, 31-year-old Rudy Eugene attacked Poppo and stripped him of his clothes on the causeway last May, police said.

Only Marijuana Found in Face Chewer's System: Medical Examiner

An officer eventually shot and killed Eugene after he refused to stop the attack, police said. By that point Eugene had gnawed away more than half of Poppo's face, gauged out his left eye, and severely damaged his right one.

Authorities had initially speculated that bath salts may have been the cause of the attack, but the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner said tests showed only marijuana in Eugene's system.

Doctors, meanwhile, say Poppo is adjusting to his new life.

"I think he wants the world to know he's not traumatized by this," Dr. Urmen Desai said. "He's a simple guy and he's happy and grateful for being alive after such an incident."

Click Here to Watch the YouTube Video

Do you prefer the Chinese Pistache or the Coast Live Oak? Oceanside city leaders want to know.

They’ve put out the call for residents to vote for their favorite to help the city select its official tree.

The trees are separated into two categories: Native/naturalized nominated and ornamental. The tree with the most votes in each category will be planted as part of a special Arbor Day celebration in a City of Oceanside park.

Check out the trees on the city's website.

Votes will be collected until June 1, 2013.

National City police are investigating the shooting of a teenager outside a bakery on E. 18th Street.

Emergency crews found the 19-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds outside the Denis’s Bakery on the corner of E. 18th Street and Highland Avenue Monday.

Officers received a call reporting several shots fired at that location around 9 p.m.

The teenager was transported to UCSD Medical Center with what officials described as critical injuries. He was said to be in surgery late Monday night.

Several hours later, National City police investigators said they were looking for two suspects seen leaving in a gray sedan traveling northbound on Highland Ave.

About 13,000 union workers at five University of California medical centers, including the one in San Diego, began a two-day strike Tuesday.

Workers walked out after a judge approved the two day strike at the five largest University of California medical centers, including the centers in La Jolla and Hillcrest.

UC San Diego has canceled 120 surgeries and 350 radiology procedures over the next 48 hours administrators told NBC 7 San Diego.

UC hospital workers argue that the lack of staffing due to budget cuts has affected patient safety and their benefits.

Randall Johnson, an MRI technologist at UCSF, said employees are staging the work action over staffing levels, contracting out, pension  contributions and other issues.

"We've been in negotiations for over a year and there's been no  major movement on the core issues so we're at an impasse," Johnson said on Monday.

Hospital administrators expressed disappointment that the unions have used the strike as a tactic to get what they want.

"Patients shouldn't be in the middle of a labor dispute," Dwaine Duckett, UC's vice president for human resources said.

UC's Senior Vice President for Health Sciences and Services John Stobo estimated the strike will cost $20 million, which he said means that "there will be fewer dollars to  support the education of medical students and residents to support programs  to improve medical care."

A Sacramento County Superior Court judge issued an injunction  Monday that limits the scope of the strike but said it could take place.

After two years of campaigning bolstered by record contributions, the mayoral race between City Councilman Eric Garcetti and Controller Wendy Greuel comes to a close Tuesday as voters take to the polls.

The winner of the run-off election to replace outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will give the city of Los Angeles either its first female or first Jewish mayor—a leader who will inherit a city still struggling to pull itself from an extended fiscal slump.

In their sprint to the finish line, both Democratic contenders with similar voting records tried to differentiate themselves from each other in down-to-the-wire pitches to undecided voters.

“If you want an independent mayor with proven results, somebody who’s delivered neighborhood turnaround, who’s balanced budgets, I’m your guy," said Garcetti, who was leading by 7 percentage points in the most recent USC Price/Los Angeles Time poll released Friday.

Greuel, who has racked up endorsements from high profile figures, including former President Bill Clinton and Magic Johnson, emphasized her experience as the city government's top critic for the last three years.

“My history has been one of stepping up to the plate and being that tough fiscal watchdog,” she said. “My history has been for standing up for the taxpayers of L.A. and that’s what I’m going to do as mayor.”

The contest to succeed Villaraigosa, who leaves office at the end of June with high marks from his constituents, broke spending records Saturday as outside contributions topped $33 million.

The candidates have received rival endorsements—Greuel from the L.A. Chamber of Commerce, the Daily News and U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer; Garcetti from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the L.A. Times and Newark Mayor Cory Booker—but the money and attention the race has garnered is not expected to be matched by voter turnout.

When the two faced off in March for a primary contest, which failed to give either the majority needed for an outright victory, only 21 percent of the city’s registered voters cast a ballot in the race.

Leading up to Tuesday's runoff election, both candidates have made more aggressive attempts to woo Latinos, which represent nearly half of the city's population and roughly a third of eligible voters.

Garcetti, a Spanish-speaker who leads among the coveted demographic, according to recent polls, has talked about his paternal grandparents' emigration from Mexico. Greuel, who has endorsements from prominent Latino leaders, has stumped before Spanish-speaking crowds.

"The candidates are reaching out to the Latino community because they know, with ... a few hundred votes, they can change the entire makeup of the city," Elisa Sequeira, the head of civic engagement for California's National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials told NBC 4 LA.

Just 400,000 of the city's 1.8 million registered voters are expected to cast ballots in the election Tuesday. A smaller voter pool, however, does give some advantages to those who do participate.

“These smaller elections, when you vote for city council, mayor, you have more say. Your vote counts more and as an individual, it affects us more,” web designer Mary Jane Zorick told NBC 4 LA.

Voters will also select  a new city controller and city attorney Tuesday. Polls close at 8 p.m. and results can be monitored here.

One of the most expensive homes to hit the market in the United States is now on sale—in Connecticut.

The $190 million Greenwich estate includes two islands in the Long Island Sound, nearly a mile of shore front property, and a rich history dating back to the late 19th Century.

The 12-bedroom home was built in 1898 and purchased just after the turn of the century by the daughter of George Lauder, a partner in Carnegie Steel. It was then purchased in the early 1980s by timber tycoon John Rudey, who has decided to sell the property, the Wall Street Journal reported.

An 1,800-foot driveway with cobblestone gutters leads up to the so-called Copper Beech Farm, which boasts a pool, a spa, a grass tennis court, a greenhouse, a stone carriage house and cottage on more than 50 acres of land.

Inside, the home has all the marks of old world luxury: a library with a fireplace, balconies, a staff wing, staff kitchen, dumb waiter, wine cellar, skylights and marble bathrooms.

It's unclear whether the home will actually sell for its asking price. The Journal points out that in 2009 Candy Spelling made headlines when she listed her Los Angeles mansion at $150 million—the home sold for $85 million.

The property is by far the most expensive currently listed on the site of David Ogilvy & Associates, an affiliate of Christie's International Real Estate. The next priciest available is another Greenwich estate selling for just $32 million.

Christie's shows several properties hovering around the $100 million-mark, but none that touch the Copper Beech Farm's $190 price tag. A Beverly Hills home that appeared in "The Godfather" and "The Bodyguard" is on sale for $115 million, as is a $95 million Fifth Avenue residence overlooking Central Park.

An El Centro-based U.S. Border Patrol agent drowned at a well-known waterfall on Hawaii.

Kris Gungon, 31, died Sunday while swimming at Waimea Falls on the north shore of Oahu. Gungon was on vacation with his wife and 5-month-old daughter, but his wife and daughter were not swimming when the drowning happened.

Waimea Falls lifeguards were able to rescue another woman who was struggling near the falls, but they were unable to save Gungon. Divers reported finding him in approximately 20 feet of water.

There have been reports Gungon may have been trying to rescue a woman. But the Oahu Fire Department said it has received conflicting reports and can't confirm what Gungon was doing prior to his death.

Gungon's cousin, Luann Miller, told NBC 7 she doesn't know if the reports are true, but it wouldn't surprise her.

"He was always the type of person that would be willing to help," Miller said.

Gungon's family members said they're shocked because he was very athletic and a strong swimmer.

The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawai`i (VASH) helps tourists who are victims of accidents or crime while visiting the islands. A spokesperson said the family is working with officials to return to the mainland with Gungon's remains.

"They said there’s no way to describe how awesome Kris was," Jessica Rich with the VASH said.

“There is a hole in our hearts today and we will miss him,” the statement read.

Gungon's Facebook profile includes images of his daughter Evan Rose, born in December 2012.

The U.S. Border Patrol confirmed Agent Gungon’s death, adding that the cause was still under investigation.

Gungon entered duty with the U.S. Border Patrol on March 5, 2009 and was assigned to the El Centro Border Patrol Station, which is part of the El Centro Sector.

Ed. Note: The original version of this article reported misinformation from a Hawai'i television news website. The original version also included comments from a family friend. The Oahu Fire Department cannot confirm the victim was trying to rescue a female swimmer. The article has since been corrected. We regret the errors.

Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

A gay couple was attacked early Tuesday in SoHo and a man was beaten in the East Village, hours after thousands marched to protest the killing of a gay man and several other bias attacks that have shaken the community, officials said.

Mayor Bloomberg said at a news conference Tuesday that "New York City has zero tolerance for intolerance."

"We are a place that celebrates diversity ... hate crimes like these are an offense against all we stand for as a city, and we will do everything possible to stop them," Bloomberg added.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the two men in the SoHo attack were walking on Broadway between Prince and Houston streets at about 5 a.m. when two men started yelling anti-gay remarks in English and Spanish. The victims, 41 and 42, are Hispanic.

The men were both punched, and one suffered an eye injury, sources said.

Police said two suspects, 32 and 33, were arrested and face a charge of assault as a hate crime.

In the East Village beating, Kelly said two men who had known each other for about a month were out together in Manhattan on Monday. At some point they began fighting about the victim being gay.

The other man then became "enraged," Kelly said, and hurled anti-gay slurs before he beat him unconscious. In that case, the 39-year-old suspect, who is homeless, was arrested and charged with felony assault and aggravated harassment as hate crimes, among other offenses.

Dan Contarino, the victim, told NBC 4 New York he thought the recent spate of attacks have to do with "society changing quickly" as gay marriage becomes legal in more states, causing people with "repressed anger" to lash out. 

"I'm very lucky," said Contarino. "I could be 6 feet under right now."

The Empire State Pride Agenda said in a statement Tuesday that "enough is enough."

"No more violence. We won't stand for it as a community or as a city," said Nathan Schaefer, executive director.

On Monday evening, gay activists and supporters marched to condemn the death of 32-year-old Mark Carson in Greenwich Village, and several other attacks on gays in recent weeks.

Carson was killed Saturday as he walked with a companion through the Village. Police say a man charged with murder as a hate crime shot Carson in the head.

Officials said Monday that police would increase their presence there and in nearby neighborhoods through the end of June, Gay Pride Month.

Police say there has been a rise in anti-gay crimes overall so far this year, to 24 from 14 during the same period last year. 

Kelly said police believe bias crimes are actually underreported, but said there is one theory that the NYPD gets more reports of them after a high-profile case is in the news.

Anthony Weiner has announced his candidacy for New York City mayor with a campaign video posted to YouTube, days after NBC 4 New York exclusively spotted the former congressman shooting part of the video on the stoop of his childhood home in Brooklyn.

"Look, I made some big mistakes and I know I let a lot of people down. But I've also learned some tough lessons," Weiner says in the two-minute, 16-second video posted late Tuesday night, acknowledging the sexting scandal that forced him to resign his congressional seat two years ago.

"I'm running for mayor because I've been fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it my entire life," he continues. "And I hope I get a second chance to work for you." 

A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found that if Weiner jumped into the race, he would get 15 percent of Democratic votes, putting him in second place behind City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, with 25 percent. Neither comes close to the 40 percent needed to avoid a runoff. The survey of 701 Democrats was taken May 14 through Monday and has a plus or minus 3.7 percentage point margin of error.

The video, which opens with a shot of Weiner, his wife, Huma Abedin, and their toddler son in their home, highlights Weiner's upbringing in Brooklyn and his parents' backgrounds as a public school teacher and lawyer.

Timeline: Anthony Weiner Sexting Scandal

Weiner lists rent, job security, education, public safety and business regulations as citywide problems he wants to tackle. He ticks off congressional victories like securing money to put more police on the streets, getting sick 9/11 responders financial help, and leading the campaign for health reform. 

In the closing shots of the video, captured by NBC 4 New York in Park Slope last Thursday, Weiner, sitting alongside Abedin, says "New York City should be the middle class capital of the world."

Abedin, who was pregnant with their son when the sexting scandal broke in May 2011, adds, "We love this city, and no one will work harder to make it better than Anthony." 

Photos: Anthony Weiner Twitter Scandal

The Park Slope home is where Weiner launched his bid for mayor in 2005, and where he later announced that fall he was stepping aside in order to avoid a divisive primary runoff.

Weiner first revealed he was weighing a 2013 run for mayor last month in a New York Times Magazine story that detailed his efforts to repair his marriage. He has also hired a campaign manager, according to Politico, and has released a policy booklet. 

Weiner ran for mayor in 2005, and nearly forced a runoff against Fernando Ferrer, but conceded in the name of party solidarity. He planned to run again in 2009, and was considered a leading contender, but dropped out after Mayor Bloomberg chose to run for a third term.

Prior to his unraveling, Weiner had begun to plan for a 2013 campaign. He still has more than $4 million in his campaign account.

Full Coverage: Anthony Weiner Sexting Scandal

The race to become LA’s next mayor was tight Tuesday night with City Councilman Eric Garcetti leading by a slim but swelling margin.

With 44 percent of the precincts reporting as of 12:55 a.m., Garcetti had garnered 54 percent of the vote. His opponent City Controller Wendy Greuel had netted 46 percent of the vote.

The winner of the run-off election to replace outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will give the city of Los Angeles either its first female or first Jewish mayor—a leader who will inherit a city still struggling to pull itself from an extended fiscal slump.

The contest to succeed Villaraigosa, who leaves office at the end of June with high marks from his constituents, broke spending records Saturday as outside contributions topped $33 million.

Although the race was too close to call, Garcetti was optimistic as he addressed his supporters Tuesday night.

"If this (lead) holds, and it looks like it will, on July 1, we will assume the responsibility of creating jobs, of balancing the budget, of keeping the streets safe, and of improving the quality of life for all Angelenos," he said.

Refresh this page for updates and watch Today in LA for the very latest on the election results.