After an extensive search for a 5-year-old boy in a rain-swollen creek in Southern California, officials recovered the body of a child from the water Thursday.

Authorities confirmed a child's body was discovered in a "strainer" in a creek in Rainbow, California, where a good amount of debris had piled up. The area where the body was found is near Moon Valley Nurseries on the west side of Interstate 15.

On Sunday, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) launched a search at the creek for 5-year-old Phillip Campbell, a boy last seen near the water amid a series of strong winter storms that swept San Diego County and the surrounding region.

After the five-day search, the boy's uncle, Anthony Campbell, confirmed via a post on social media that little Phillip's body had been found. As of 1:15 p.m., SDSO officials had yet to confirm the identity of the person pulled from the water. The SDSO planned to hold a news briefing at 2 p.m. to share the latest updates on the case; NBC 7 will carry that news conference live in this article.

Anthony posted this message on social media:

"The search and rescue team have found my nephew Phillip...please join me tonight at Calvary chapel in fallbrook from 6 to 7 for a Candlelight Vigil...thank you for your loving thoughts and prayers may his innocent soul find eternal rest...Tony. Dear God, As we mourn the loss of innocent Phillip We know that our heartache is not Hidden from your loving Spirit As we face the loss of this precious child We ask that You comfort us with the knowledge that Phillip now lives in your loving embrace. Amen"

According to the boy's family, Phillip was traveling by car on Sunday with family friend Roland Phillips, 73. Their car was carried away by rising water in what is normally a small creek running across San Diego's North County to the Pacific Ocean.

Roland was heading to Riverside County to check out a car for sale and took the boy along, family members said.

Investigators don't yet have all the facts, but it appears to the boy's family that the creek spilled over onto Fifth Street, east of Interstate 15, and swept Roland's oyota Camry into Rainbow Creek.

Roland's lifeless body was pulled from the creek Monday, but the little boy was nowhere to be found.

One Rainbow resident told NBC 7 that she saw the boy clinging to a tree limb before disappearing downstream.

Since then, authorities had been searching for the boy in the area. Winter storm conditions made the first couple of days of the search difficult.

On Tuesday, SDSO officials searched by helicopter from the point the vehicle is believed to have entered the creek to the ocean, flying low enough for searchers to try and spot any sign of the child.

Deputies said their mission was a recovery effort, not a rescue, as they child was presumed dead.

They resumed their search Thursday.

The body was discovered about a mile away from where Roland's truck and his body had been found earlier in the week.

Earlier on in the search for the boy, his grandmother, Lynda Campbell, told NBC 7 the family knew Phillip was gone.

“We know Phillip now is just a shell. He's with Jesus but we would like to bring him home and give him a burial,” she said.

Phillip was a student at Mike Choate Preschool and was described by loved ones as curious, silly and full of laughter.

He was best friends with Roland, whom he called "Pappy." Phillips lived with the boy's legal guardian and his grandmother.

"He followed him everywhere, everywhere," Philip's grandmother said of the boy's friendship with Roland.

The drought is over in San Diego County, the San Diego County Water Authority declared Thursday, following a series of heavy rainfall and powerful storms which left inches upon inches of water in the County. 

This winter, heavy and relentless rainfall across California - and in San Diego County - significantly improved drought conditions, according to the Water Authority. 

Almost all of California is out of the most severe drought category, with the exception of one small swath northwest of Los Angeles. Only 2 percent of the state is under "exceptional drought," according to the weekly Drought Monitor report. The weekly Drought Monitor lists San Diego County in moderate to severe drought.

Declaring California as a whole to be past its official three-year drought emergency will be up to Gov. Jerry Brown, who will probably wait until the end of the winter rain and snow season to make that decision.

The Water Authority's Board of Directors' announcement also includes a call for Gov. Jerry Brown and the State Water Resources Control Board to rescind the statewide emergency water-use regulations. Current regulations are set to expire on Feb. 28, though the State Board will decide whether to extend the regulations on Feb. 8. 

“Telling the public to continue extraordinary, emergency conservation measures when the drought emergency no longer exists undermines the credibility of state and local water agencies and erodes the effectiveness of communications during actual water supply emergencies,” said Mark Muir, chair of the Water Authority’s Board, in a statement. “The state should focus its 2017 efforts on communities that actually need help meeting water quality standards and water demands. We will continue to promote water-use efficiency in the San Diego County no matter the weather.”

This winter season, San Diego has exceeded average rainfall totals, according to the Water Authority. As of Jan. 23, San Diego's rainfall measurement station at Lindbergh Field measured 172 percent of average rainfall this season. The season starts Oct. 1 and last until the Spring. 

At the Ramona Airport measuring station, 209 percent of the annual average seasonal rainfall was recorded. 

Snowpack levels in the upper basin of the Colorado River, an important source of water for Southern California, measured 161 percent of their annual, seasonal average. 

Steady snowfall doubled the vital snowpack in the Sierra Nevada in little more than a week. The snow melts in spring and runs off into the state's largest reservoirs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President Trump's public endorsement of torture, a crime under international and domestic law, is an extraordinary departure from American tradition that will have historic and far-reaching implications, experts told NBC News.

Trump told ABC's David Muir that he supports "waterboarding and a hell of a lot worse." Trump said, "I would do, I would do — I want to keep our country safe." He added that if his advisers want to reinstate the simulated drowning technique known as waterboarding, "then I will work for that end [because] I think it works."

John Yoo, a former Justice Department lawyer who wrote some of the secret memos about the CIA program, told NBC News that Trump "is not being legally careful."

"The world has taken torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment off the table, through binding international prohibitions that we have signed and ratified," said David Cole, national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. "The idea that the Trump administration is considering doubling down on these discredited policies is deeply disturbing."

"The broader political story is it's putting our opponents on notice that they are not going to keep punching at us and nothing is going to happen back," Yoo offered a different view.

San Diego Police have identified the officers the officers involved in an officer-involved shooting Tuesday near a child care center in San Diego's Linda Vista neighborhood.

The shooting happened at approximately 2:15 p.m. Tuesday on the 2100 block of Ulric Street, according to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD). The location is right off the busy Linda Vista Road, near a library and the Vine Childcare Center. The Linda Vista Presbyterian Church and a U.S. Post Office are also nearby. 

Police first responded to a call of an assault with a deadly weapon in the area, according to SDPD Lt. Ray Valentin. The witness said two men, one possibly armed with a gun, were arguing and said one man may have shot the other man. 

When police arrived on scene, they found the men and tried to detain them. 

Both men initially complied with the officer's command but at one point, one of the suspects - later identified as Ferdinand Gangano Alarcio, 48, of San Diego - pointed what appeared to be a handgun at an officer before fleeing on foot, Valentin said. 

The officers chased after Alarcio on foot; at one point, he attempted to climb over a local day care center's fence. 

“As the suspect was attempting to climb the fence, armed with a handgun, he posed a significant threat to the children, and the staff," SDPD Capt. Brain Ahearn said. At the time of the incident, there were about 100 children and 15 teachers inside. No one was harmed. 

In an attempt to stop him, the officers fired their weapons at the suspect; a bullet struck his finger, according to Ahearn.

The suspect then threw the handgun across fence. When officers recovered the apparent handgun, they learned that Alarcio was actually armed with a BB-gun that closely resembled a black semi-automatic handgun. 

Alarcio was booked into County jail on multiple charges. One suspect remains outstanding. 

The SDPD officers involved in the incident was Shane Franken, an officer with one year of experience with the department, and Michael Wagner, an officer with three years of experience with the department. 

Both officers were not hurt. They had body-worn cameras which were turned on during the shooting, Ahearn said. 

The incident is under investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

The nation's Border Patrol chief is departing the role one day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to construct a massive wall on the U.S.-Mexican border, NBC News reported.

Mark Morgan's exit was announced by Kevin McAleenan, acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Morgan became the latest high-profile agency head to leave as the new administration takes over. The circumstances of his departure are unclear.

A former FBI agent, Morgan was hired by the agency in 2014 by to investigate allegations of abuse against migrants by Border Patrol agents. He found himself at odds with the union that represented the agents from the start.

When Morgan was appointed chief, the union stepped up their criticism and eagerly aligned itself with Trump.

At least four people were injured after a car crashed into a store in Encinitas Thursday.

The incident occurred at approximately 2:47 p.m. on the 100 block of N El Camino Real. 

According to fire officials, a car crashed into a Trader Joe's in a commercial strip mall.

It's unknown what caused the driver to crash into the store. 

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

Wilbur is at the heart of conflict again, except this time he's not in a barnyard watching over "Charlotte's Web", he's on Staten Island.

Reporters crowded the backyard of Cristy Matteo's Hylan Boulevard home. Friends, neighbors and fellow pig owners stood behind Matteo holding up homemade signs in support of the pig as she took her place at the podium. "Save Wilbur!" one sign said. 'Let Wilbur stay in his home!" read another.

New York City has ordered the Great Kills woman to get rid of her pet pig, who has served as her father's therapy pet, by Jan. 31. Matteo, whose father has cancer, called the situation "heartbreaking", noting that the pig has become a member of the family since she brought him home from Utah five years ago. 

"He's like my child," she said about the helpful hog. "He's very emotional, he's very caring."

Matteo had her initial health violation dismissed last year by a judge who found that the Wilbur didn't qualify as a "wild animal". However, she said her case was overturned when it was brought to Manhattan.

That's when the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene ordered the pig out of her home, otherwise he'd be seized by the city.

Wilbur is so much of a comfort to her dad, the National Service Animal Registry has deemed him an "emotional support animal". Her father's oncologist has even said that he's helped keep his stress levels down, according to Matteo.

"As soon as my father would walk into the house, Wilbur would lay down in front of him and my father would rub his belly for an hour just trying to take his mind off of the radiation treatment he had all day," she said. "He's no harm to anybody, he stays in the house 95 percent of the time wrapped up in a sleeping bag all day."

A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said that the DOH issued several warnings to Matteo prior to issuing the August 2016 order.

"The Health Department has been working with Wilbur's owner for a year now and we will continue to work with her as she transfers Wilbur to a sanctuary," the agency said in a statement Thursday. "While we can appreciate how emotional this issue can be, the Health Department's primary role is to protect public health."

He added that she agreed to have Wilbur sent to a sanctuary and chose the location in November.

The Department said the Board of Health mandated that pigs remain on the list of prohibited animals because there's no USDA-approved rabies vaccine for pigs.

State Sen. Tony Avella called on Mayor Bill de Blasio to change the policy regarding pigs as support animals. He said that the city has failed to properly address the issue.

"There are municipalities across the country that do allow these animals, so why is New York City behind the curve?" Avella said. 

Avella says he proposed a state bill that would allow the state commissioner of the Department of Health to come up with regulations permitting municipalities to have support pigs, but the city council would need to mandate the bill for the proposition to take effect.

The state senator from Queens, who announced his New York City mayoral bid last month, says he'll change the laws regarding pet pigs if he is elected.

Staten Island legislators have also rallied behind the pig. The politicians sent a letter to the commissioner of the city Department of Health Wednesday requesting an exemption to allow Wilbur to stay put.

People have signed an online petition to keep Wilbur in Staten Island. As of Thursday evening, the family need a little over 100 signatures away from their goal of 10,000 signatures by Jan. 31st.

Two unrelated cases of active Tuberculosis have been reported at two different schools in San Diego County, potentially exposing others.

The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency confirmed the cases Thursday—one at Sweetwater High School in National City and the other at Hilltop High School Learning Center in Chula Vista.

Both schools are part of the Sweetwater Union High School District.

According to county health officials, the exposure at Sweetwater High School occurred from Oct. 2 to Dec. 16. Any students or staff members who may have been exposed are being offered free testing on Feb. 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the campus.

Possible exposure at the Hilltop Learning Center took place from Sept. 22 to Dec. 8 and can get free testing on Feb. 1 on campus.

Last year, there were 258 TB cases reported in the county.

Baby Riley Shines has been crowned the 2017 Gerber Spokesbaby.

The 7-month-old from Lewis Center, Ohio, was selected by a panel of judges as the grand prize-winning entry from more than 110,000 entries.

Riley was chosen for his “expressions and visual appeal, as well as how well he’d represent the brand.”

Riley will receive $50,000 cash prize, $1,500 in Gerber Childrenswear, and the chance to star in a 2017 Gerber ad.

"Originally, my husband laughed at me for entering the contest because there were so many submissions! Now, we have the opportunity to start a college fund for our beautiful baby boy," said Riley's mom, Kristen Shines.

Riley’s year will also be documented on the brand's social media platforms.

The Gerber Baby Photo Search contest began in 2010 and pays homage to Ann Turner Cook, whose face has been featured as the iconic charcoal-sketched logo on Gerber's packaging since 1928.

Riley is not the first baby of color to be selected for this honor, NBC BLK reported. In 2010 baby Mercy of Toledo, Ohio was selected. Two years later, baby Mary Jane Montoya from Fresno, California represented the company.

A Ramona couple contacted NBC 7 Responds after they feel they were taken advantage of when they discovered they had been paying extra for years for an NFL channel package they say they never ordered or used. 

Lori Rodgers and her husband Robert keep a keen eye on their backyard stable and horses but they admit maybe they didn’t watch their satellite bill quite as close. 

“I did not check my account, I trusted that our bill was going to be like it was supposed to, $137 a month,” Lori said. 

More than a year ago, the Rodgers’ signed up for DirecTV with an auto pay plan. 

What they say they didn’t know was their new plan included an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription. 

Lori said she was shocked when she noticed her monthly bill shot up an extra $40 during the football season, so she called DirecTV. 

“He said it’s the NFL package and I’m thinking what package?” Lori said. 

Robert and Lori said they had no desire to have an NFL package, nor do they remember expanding their basic TV coverage. 

“They asked for movies, a trial for movies or HBO or anything like that and we’ve always said no,” Lori said. 

“I was pretty clear, I do not want any extra packages,” Robert said. 

The Rodgers said they didn’t think it was fair to pay for a premium package they didn’t want or use, but after their talks with DirectTV were getting nowhere, they said they contacted NBC 7 Responds for help. 

NBC 7 Responds contacted DirecTV and a spokesperson told us the Rodgers had received adequate notification but the company did agree to cancel and refund one season of service. 

“I think they snuck this package in and took advantage of the situation where you don’t see what’s happening,” Robert said. 

The Rodgers said they are switching back to paper statements rather than trusting automatic payments. 

A spokesperson for DirecTV sent us this statement in an email, "We worked with the customer to resolve the dispute and provide an adjustment."

Paperless billing or auto pay is the new way of doing things for some people but it can lead to problems if you don’t watch your bills closely.

To read more about our tips for paying bills in the digital age, click here. 

San Diego police have revealed there was a sixth victim in a series of brutal attacks on homeless people across San Diego last year. 

Jon David Guerrero, 39, has been charged in the deaths of five homeless people in San Diego, some of whom were killed with railroad spikes.

Police have now revealed a sixth, previously unannounced victim connected to Guerrero: 83-year-old Molly Simons. However, unlike Guerrero's other victims, Simons was not homeless. 

The 83-year-old woman was found beaten on July 13, 2016 near Arizona Street and University Avenue as she was walking to a nearby bus stop to volunteer at a local YMCA, according to her autopsy report. 

As Simons was walking, a man came up behind her and struck her on the head, according to the autopsy report. She fell to the ground and, when paramedics arrived, they found her with a bloody and swollen face. 

Paramedics took Simons to the hospital, where she was conscious but could not remember what happened to her. 

Doctors said she suffered a serious head injury, according to her autopsy report. Her health deteriorated, despite medical intervention, and she died on July 30, 2016, according to the ME's office. 

After investigating, Guerrero was identified as the suspect in Simons' death, SDPD Lt. Valentin said. The evidence was presented to the District Attoreny's office on Aug. 6, but was never publically announced. 

Unlike Guerrero's other alleged victims, Simons was not homeless and lived with her husband in San Diego. 

Criminologist Jack Levin, a Northeastern professor, said it did not surprise him that the victim characteristics changed over time. 

"We think about serial killers as having some kind of immutable pattern in their choice of victims or their motus omerati, [for example] if they strangle the first victim they will strangle all their victims," he said. "Or if their victims are homeless men all the victims will be homeless men."

"The truth is they get bored and they're looking for some excitement and they tend to vary their victim characteristics over time," Levin said.

According to the ME's office, Simons' death was declared a homicide and her manner of death was blunt force injury of head. 

Lt. Valentin said the department believes they have found all of Guerrero's victims at this time. 

Guerrero is accused in five attacks that began July 3, and authorities believe he acted alone.

The dramatic homicide investigation first surfaced when police found the badly burned body of 53-year-old Angelo de Nardo near train tracks in Bay Ho. Investigators say they believe the homeless man died before he was set on fire.

On July 4, two homeless men were discovered attacked within an hour of each other in Bay Ho and Ocean Beach in the early hours of morning around 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.

They both suffered severe trauma to the upper body. 61-year-old Manuel Mason remains in critical condition. 41-year-old Shawn Longley died from the vicious assault.

On July 6, 23-year-old Derek Vahidy was found attacked and lit on fire in Pantoja Park near State and G Streets. He later died in the hospital.

Guerrero was arrested on July 15 after a fifth man was attacked at 18th and C streets.

Prosecutors have said Guerrero used railroad spikes to impale the victims as they slept.

Tens of thousands of fans attended the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open and many came looking for one player.

“Where’s Tiger?”

“Have you seen Tiger?”

“Is that Tiger?”

Those were the comments coming from a jam packed 1^st hole as fans, lined-up ten deep in some places, waited for PGA pro Tiger Woods to tee off.

Shortly before 10:40am, Woods parted the sea of fans, making the walk to the 1^st tee at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Fans held up cell phones to get pictures and shouted the popular “You da man, Tiger!”

When I asked fans which golfer they were here to see, just about all responded, “Tiger!”  One fan said Rickey Fowler, another said Hideki Matsuyama.

But they were outliers, it’s clear that Tiger at Torrey was the story of Thursday’s first round.

One fan said, “I’m here to see Tiger play some golf. Why wouldn’t I, he’s back!”

Another fans said, “Tiger brings out the big crowds, he brings the excitement back to the tour. Tiger has done so much for the tour, I’m psyched to see him play.”

The fans that surrounded the first hole stayed with Tiger. It’s not so much a golf gallery that follows Tiger, but a golf groundswell. As soon as Tiger hit his first tee shot, the ball sailed down the fairway and then mass movement. Most of the fans started walking with Tiger to his next shot. It went on like that, Tiger shoots, Tiger walks, fans walk, a golf groundswell from hole to hole until Woods birdie on the 18^th hole. It’s amazing to see and has an energy and vibe that is not found with any other golfer or group on the course.

Despite the big crowd, Woods’ fans didn’t have much to cheer about today, Woods shot a 4 over par 76 on the South Course.  He’ll need to go well under par Friday on the easier North Course to have any chance of making the cut.

A San Diego judge has denied State Farm’s request to stop enforcement of rate reduction for insured homeowners and renters.

San Diego County Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal made the decision Thursday.

Earlier in January, she had ordered State Farm to reduce rates for customers, backing findings by California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones’ that the company charged excessive rates for insurance.

"State Farm's ongoing effort to avoid complying with the order to reduce rates has to stop. It is time for State Farm to do the right thing by policyholders and comply with the order to reduce rates,” Jones said.

Jones had ordered the company to lower insurance rates at an average of seven percent for homeowners and renters.

A Massachusetts man is facing hate crime charges after he allegedly shouted slurs at and kicked a Muslim airline employee in the Delta Sky Lounge at Kennedy Airport Wednesday night, prosecutors say. 

The suspect, 57-year-old Robin A. Rhodes of Worcester, landed at JFK Airport from Aruba Wednesday evening, where he was to take a connecting flight back to Massachusetts, according to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.

As he waited inside the Delta Sky Lounge at Terminal 2, he approached an employee in her office, according to the DA. She was wearing a hijab. 

"Are you [expletive] sleeping? Are you praying? What are you doing?" Rhodes allegedly said to the employee before punching the door, which hit the back of the employee's chair. 

When the employee asked what she'd done to Rhodes to make him angry, he allegedly responded: "You did nothing, but I am going to kick your [expletive]." 

He then kicked her in the right leg, prosecutors said, and when she tried to get away from him by retreating to a corner of the office, he kicked the door, stepped into the office and blocked her from leaving. 

When someone else came over to the office to try to calm Rhodes down, he moved away from the door, and the employee ran out of the office to the lounge's front desk.

But Rhodes still followed her, then got down on his knees and began to bow down, mimicking a Muslim prayer, prosecutors said, and allegedly shouted, "[Expletive] Islam, [expletive] ISIS, Trump is here now. He will get rid of all of you. You can ask Germany, Belgium and France about these kinds of people. You will see what happens." 

As he was being arrested, Rhodes allegedly told police, "I guess I am going to jail for disorderly conduct. I couldn't tell if it was a man or woman because their back was to me and they had something covering their head." 

Port Authority police and NYPD conducted the investigation. 

Delta says the victim is employed by a contractor, not by Delta directly, but "what happened in this incident is totally unacceptable and Delta has and will continue to fully cooperate with authorities in this investigation." 

Rhodes was waiting arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on hate crime, assault, harassment, unlawful imprisonment and menacing charges. It wasn't clear if he had an attorney who could comment on the charges.

If convicted, Rhodes faces up to four years in prison. 

A man accused of pointing a BB-gun at cops, and then fleeing and trying to climb over a day care fence, pleaded not guilty in court Thursday. 

Ferdinand Gangano Alarcio, 48, of San Diego, was charged with resisting an officer while using a weapon and bringing a BB-gun onto a school ground. 

The shooting happened at approximately 2:15 p.m. Tuesday on the 2100 block of Ulric Street, according to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD). The location is right off the busy Linda Vista Road, near a library and the Vine Childcare Center. The Linda Vista Presbyterian Church and a U.S. Post Office are also nearby. 

Police first responded to a call of an assault with a deadly weapon in the area, according to SDPD Lt. Ray Valentin. The witness said two men, one possibly armed with a gun, were arguing and said one man may have shot the other man. 

When police arrived on scene, they found the men and tried to detain them. 

Both men initially complied with the officer's command but at one point, one of the suspects - later identified as Ferdinand Gangano Alarcio, 48, of San Diego - pointed what appeared to be a handgun at an officer before fleeing on foot, Valentin said. 

The officers chased after Alarcio on foot; at one point, he attempted to climb over a local day care center's fence, according to police. 

“As the suspect was attempting to climb the fence, armed with a handgun, he posed a significant threat to the children, and the staff," SDPD Capt. Brain Ahearn said. At the time of the incident, there were about 100 children and 15 teachers inside. No one was harmed. 

In an attempt to stop him, the officers fired their weapons at the suspect; a bullet struck his finger, according to Ahearn.

The suspect then threw the handgun across fence. When officers recovered the apparent handgun, they learned that Alarcio was actually armed with a BB-gun that closely resembled a black semi-automatic handgun. 

Deputy District Attorney Michael Runyon said Alarcio may have been on drugs at the time. 

"The defendant did make statements to officers after he was arrested and admitted to using meth earlier in the day," he said.

One suspect remains outstanding. 

The SDPD officers involved in the incident was Shane Franken, an officer with one year of experience with the department, and Michael Wagner, an officer with three years of experience with the department. 

Both officers were not hurt. They had body-worn cameras which were turned on during the shooting, Ahearn said. 

If Alarcio is convicted, he could face more than three years in prison. 

The incident is under investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

The family of a 5-year-old boy whose body was found in a creek following an exhaustive search held a vigil Thursday night.

Phillip Campbell's family identified him as the child found by officials Thursday morning, buried in 6 to 8 feet of debris in the water.

Friends and family gathered at the Calvary Chapel in Fallbrook to pray and mourn Phillip's death.

The little boy was last seen near the rain-swollen creek on Fifth Street, east of Interstate 15 on Sunday. He was traveling with family friend Roland Phillips, 73, when the car was swept away in the rising waters.

Roland's body was found Monday but Phillip remained missing until Thursday morning.

Although crews with Cal Fire and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) had been extensively searching the area, the water levels in the creek hindered the efforts.

Even strangers offered a helping hand in whatever way they could, hoping for the boy's body to be recovered

“My heart was breaking for the family. This little boy is missing and we have family that age and kids," said Patty Estrada.

Estrada told NBC 7, although she and her husband don't know the family, they felt compelled to help. They passed out water and food to search crews and workers.

Phillip's parents told NBC 7, they were amazed to see the community come together for their family.

"These people that look out for us, that care about our son, that are willing to look for someone they don't even know--means the world to us," mom Lesley Woosley said.

“Now I know he’s in God’s hands," said Timothy Campbell, Phillip's father. 

The family said Phillip was a student at Mike Choate Preschool. They described him as curious boy, silly and full of laughter.

Phillips lived with the boy's legal guardian and his grandmother.

Family friends are raising money for Phillip's funeral expenses.

President Donald Trump will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone this weekend, an administration official familiar with the planning told NBC News.

The planned phone call appears to be the first conversation between the two leaders since Trump was inaugurated as the nation's 45th president last Friday.

Assessments by the U.S. intelligence community that the Russian government was involved in a covert campaign to help Trump during the presidential campaign have caused critics to raise doubts about the election.

Trump and other Republicans repeatedly denied that the cyber-attacks on Democratic Party institutions and release of stolen emails affected the outcome of the election, and Russia has denied any involvement.

A man died after he was hit by a train in Oceanside Thursday evening, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO).

The incident occurred at approximately 6:16 p.m. on the railroad tracks near Morse Street and Broadway Street. 

The man was hit by a southbound Amtrak train, traveling approximately 55 miles per hour.

SDSO said the engineer noticed a man walking on the tracks. The engineer deployed emergency brakes on the train but was unable to stop in time.

The man was declared dead at the scene.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to call SDSO.

Friends and neighbors say the woman named as the sixth victim in a series of violent attacks in San Diego that targeted the homeless community last year, was not homeless.

Molly Simons, 83, was named the sixth victim on Thursday.

According to the ME report, Simons suffered a serious head injury and died on July 30, 2016.

Friends describe Simons as a very sweet person with a gentle soul.  They said she loved to garden in the North Park apartment complex she had lived in with her husband for more than 20 years.

“She'd water the plants and she'd talk to them. She'd sort of cradle them and water them and say, 'I love you, I love you'," said neighbor Celia Lopez.

“One of the perks of this place was that we felt so lucky that we got to live above this couple," Lopez added.

Simons also volunteered at the neighborhood YMCA, spending endless hours bringing joy to others, neighbors said.

“She would bring her own coffee, by herself, bring it over there for whoever came by, and they just loved working with her," said neighbor Kevin Bannister.

San Diego Police say Jon Guerrero, the suspect in a 12-day killing spree last summer, is also believed to be behind the attack on Simons.

Guerrero allegedly attacked and killed four people, injured two--most of the victims were homeless.

As for Simon's friends and neighbors, the news of her killing still brings deep sadness.

“Everyone knew who Joe and Molly were, they had been here so long and they were just so sweet," Lopez said.

Police told NBC 7, Simons and the suspect did not know each other.

Guerrero is currently being held at a psychiatric facility.

Simons’ husband no longer lives in North Park. After her death, he moved out of state with their son.

The San Diego Humane Society rescued 31 dogs and puppies from a hoarder house, bringing the total county of dogs rescued up to 123 in the hoarding case.

Last Friday, 92 Yorkshire terriers and Yorkshire terrier mix breed dogs were rescued from a North County hoarder home. Officials said the owners, an elderly couple, sought out help for the animals. 

On Wednesday, Humane Law Enforcement Officers convinced the couple to sign legal custody of the 31 dogs over to them.

The dogs were taken to the San Diego Humane Society's local campus to be examined and treated.

The 92 Yorkies rescued last week are also recovering.

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In a post on Facebook, San Diego Humane Society wrote, in part: "Thank you all for your support and encouragement as we continue traveling this journey of rehabilitation for these dogs. Here are some photos of the dogs and puppies we admitted into our care last night. We will continue keeping you updated on progress with this case and the dogs themselves including when they will be available for adoption."

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