A son with a history of mental issues stabbed his parents in their New Jersey home Monday night, killing his mother, law enforcement sources say.

Michael Litwornia, 27, has been arrested in the stabbings, prosecutors announced. He's facing charges of first-degree homicide and second-degree aggravated assault. 

Police were called to the Washington Valley Road home at about 8 p.m. Monday and found Litwornia's 61-year-old father outside with deep stab wounds, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor's office. He told officers his son had attacked him. 

Police went into the home and found a 61-year-old woman, identified by sources as Litwornia's mother, also suffering multiple stab wounds. She was rushed out of the house but declared dead at the scene, prosecutors said. 

Litwornia, meanwhile, barricaded himself inside, prompting police to either evacuate or shelter neighoring homes as a safety measure. 

SWAT and hostage negotiators tried to reach Litwornia, but he refused to respond, according to authorities. Finally, a mechanical robot was sent into the home and located Litwornia lying on a couch.

That's when SWAT stormed into the home; Litwornia tried to grab a sharp object, but was quickly subdued and taken into custody, prosecutors said. 

He had self-inflicted stab wounds on his body, and was taken to a local hospital for treament.

His father is in critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery at an area trauma center, authorities say. It wasn't clear if Litwornia has an attorney. He's still hospitalized and will be placed at Somerset County Jail when he's released, prosecutors say. 

The two local founders of Goverre, a maker of to-go wine cups, will pitch to celebrity investors this Friday on ABC’s hit TV show "Shark Tank."

Founders Shannon Zappala and Regan Kelaher are asking multimillionaire and billionaire sharks to invest in their product: a chic, portable and spill-proof wine glass.

The glass, which retails for $24, is made of opaque white glass encased in hounds-tooth print silicone sleeve. The sleeve makes the glass shatter-resistant while the glass preserves the wine’s taste.

The episode will air at 6 p.m. on April 21.

An Illinois man was fatally shot and robbed of a briefcase with cash during a business trip to Costa Rica last month, according to the man's family the Chicago Tribune reports.

Michael Caspi, of Riverwoods, was in the country working on a planned luxury condominium development when he was killed March 23 as he left an apartment building in San Jose's Sabana Sur neighborhood at about 5 a.m., the Tribune reports.

Family members told the Tribune that three people appeared to have been waiting for Caspi before he shooting him four times and then taking his belongings — including a briefcase with cash.

The newspaper reports the 40-year-old was a tennis pro who taught kids and adults on an indoor court he built at his home in Riverwoods.

"He was very talented, very strong, very mentally dedicated," Caspi's brother, Simon Fedida, told the Tribune. "He had a champion mentality."

Caspi was born in Israel and came to the U.S. when he was 14 years old to play tennis and maintained dual citizenship, according to the Tribune.

Caspi’s family said he loved Costa Rica and dreamed of one day hosting a tennis tournament in the country, the newspaper reports.

A neighbor recalled Caspi as a considerate and helpful man.

Most people would do just about anything to protect or care for their pets, including spending thousands of dollars on veterinary care.

“People talk about it all the time. Even just taking your dog to the vet is $50,” said San Diegan Jaimie Bougie. “Even if nothing is wrong, it can get expensive.”

Bougie owns two pugs, a breed known to suffer complications with the spine. A few years ago, her 14-year-old pug racked up a $10,000 vet bill.

“She had a spinal disorder that's common in pug, that leaves her spine unstable. So it was causing her to have issues with her back legs,” Bougie said.

Bougie spent thousands to pay for MRI's and eventually spinal surgery.

Proposed legislation in the California Assembly would give dog and cat owners the option of a tax credit for half of “medically necessary” vet bills, totaling up to $2,000 per year. The bills would need to be submitted from a state certified veterinarian to qualify.

Patricia Ungar, DVM runs Kensington Veterinary Hospital. Ungar said she often sees how finances play a role in life or death decisions involving a beloved pet.

It can be heartbreaking for her and her staff as well as the family.

“I think the idea of being able to have some assistance, if the state can figure out the financial side of it, I think it's a great idea,” Ungar said.

AB 942 would allow the tax credit beginning in 2017 until 2023 for those charges not covered by pet insurance. They could include vaccinations, annual checkups, surgeries, and drug prescriptions.

The idea of such a tax credit is not supported by the California Tax Reform Association.

San Diego CPA Thor Eakes explained, “I would imagine off the top of my head half of the households in the state has dogs and cats. that would be a very large expenditure by the state.”

The bill was referred to a second debate in committee in order to determine if it will make its way to the full Assembly for a vote.

NBC 7's Elena Gomez talks with USPS spokesperson Eva Jackson about what San Diegans can expect when they arrive to mail their tax returns.

New Los Angeles Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn had his first on-field practice session with players Tuesday at Chargers Park in San Diego.

“It was good to be on the field and be out in the sunlight, watching the guys run around and actually coach a little bit,” said Lynn after practice.

NFL rules prevented Lynn from being on the field during off-season workouts prior to Tuesday.

“I thought it went well, guys on the field doing football drills, it’s all about getting used to your coaches and our philosophies. I thought the first day was pretty productive”

While Coach Lynn was on the field, many high profile Chargers were not.  Quarterback Philip Rivers, tight-end Antonio Gates and defensive lineman Joey Bosa were among frontline players not on the field Tuesday.

When asked about Rivers' absence, Lynn said “Philip had an obligation with his family, so he’ll be back next week.”

Conversely, Bosa’s absence was clearly not excused. When asked what’s going on with Bosa, Lynn said “You’re guess is as good as mine. Joey and I talked the first day and he’s training with his guy somewhere, but like I said I’m only focused on guys that are here, trying to build a team. These are voluntary workouts, so guys can do whatever they want to do.”

The absence of key players from Tuesday’s workout is just the latest in an ongoing turbulent Chargers off-season.  Over three months ago, the Chargers announced the franchise was moving to Los Angeles, yet here the team is still practicing and operating out of Chargers Park in Murphy Canyon. The team doesn’t plan on moving to its new facility in Costa Mesa until July.

As a result, it’s a team in geographic transition, many of the players are bouncing between San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles. Until the move is completed this summer, the transitory nature of the team, has many players and coaches living in hotels in San Diego.

Coach Lynn downplayed the impact the move is having on his team, “This time of year a lot of guys live in hotels anyway, especially guys who don’t know if they’ll be on the team or not, it doesn’t make sense to go out and get a 12-month lease, so this is pretty normal for guys to be in hotels.”

Coach Lynn added that people in the Chargers organization have made “the transition as smooth as possible.” 

The San Diego Chargers finished the 2016 season with a 4-12 record. The Chargers have the 7^th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The first round of the draft is April 27^th.

The latest fitness trend might just convince some people to slap on yoga pants, especially if they love baby animals.

Jenness Farm in Nottingham, New Hampshire, has gotten a lot of attention after introducing yoga with baby goats as a part of their business a few weeks ago. The tiny goats are let loose while yoga students get into various yoga positions. 

The result is a mix of the relaxed mindfulness that yoga offers and some chaotic cuteness. 

Jenness Farm raises dairy goats for a variety of products, such as goat milk, soaps, and other bath and body items, but visitors have been able to get up-close-and-personal with the animals on their yoga mats for the past few weeks. 

Owner Peter Corriveau said many followers of the farm's Facebook page suggested he offer the yoga class after similar ones have been seen trending in other areas. He has run Jenness Farm since 2001 and knew that his goats would be perfect for the job since he bottle raises them himself.

“Goats are very intelligent and curious,” he said. “Within the first hour of their life they are up and walking around. They are very playful.”

The farm recruited local yoga instructor Janine Bibeau, a frequent visitor of Jenness Farm and a fellow goat-lover. The first few classes have been a big hit and presented a new way to bring in yoga newcomers.

“This is unlike any yoga that I’ve ever taught,” said Bibeau, “you can come into this room feeling tired or sad and you are going to leave a lot more joyous and energetic. After the last class that we taught, my face was sore from smiling the whole time.”

Bibeau has goats of her own, but they are a bit calmer than the hyperactive baby goats that like to jump on top of people while they pose. Her older goats will simply come up and cuddle while she practices her yoga. 

The energetic baby goats are a good representation of how chaotic life can get. Her students are challenged to remain mindful, but of course are encouraged to pet and play with the goats during the class.

Interest in the class has exploded since photos and video from the first few classes have gone viral on Facebook. There is already a long waiting list to get into a class, but Corriveau says that they are working on expanding the yoga area to let more people in at once. 

For more information on goat yoga at Jenness Farm you can visit their website here.

A man who punched a woman during a "Patriots Day" rally in Berkeley Saturday has been identified as Nathan Damigo, the founder of a student-oriented white-nationalist group based in California.

The Southern Poverty Law Center lists "Identity Evropa" among "active white nationalist hate groups," and one of several that have been trying to make inroads on college campuses.

This video contains graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised.

Damigo, a student at Cal State Stanislaus, has also branded himself as a follower of identitarianism, a European-based far-right movement focused on rejecting multiculturalism, according to the SPLC.

The LA Times profiled the 30-year-old Damigo in 2016 as a young white supremacist trying to convert his fellow college students. He's a former Marine corporal and Iraq war veteran who was convicted of armed robbery.

Violent clashes broke out between supporters and detractors of President Donald Trump during rival demonstrations at Civic Center park in Berkeley Saturday. 

Video of Damigo punching a female protester drew attention online, with many calling for his arrest and expulsion from Cal State. 

Actor Chris Evans, best known for his role as Marvel's superhero Captain America, tweeted the video, saying: "I hope I run into Nathan."

I hope I run into Nathan. https://t.co/bPfSObqiGl

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) April 16, 2017

California State University President Ellen Junn said in a statement Monday that the university will take all legal and disciplinary measures to make sure her school's students are safe.

"The campus received communications last night regarding a serious incident possibly involving one of our students and very troubling actions that may have taken place at a demonstration in Berkeley on Saturday, April 15th," Junn said in her statement. "The university takes these allegations seriously, and as president, I have initiated an immediate investigation on campus to verify and confirm details of this incident."

Junn stressed that the university "has zero tolerance for the use of violence and we will take all of the necessary legal and disciplinary measures to ensure that all students and everyone on campus have a safe and secure environment."

She added: "While this incident understandably raises many negative emotions and calls for urgent actions, we must also hold true to our American system and principles of justice and due process."

NBC Bay Area attempted to contact Damigo for comment but has not received a statement at this time.

At least 11 people were injured and 20 people were arrested during the demonstrations, police said.

Those arrested ranged in age from 17 to 51 years old and most are from the the San Francisco Bay, though only four are from Berkeley, according to police. Two of those arrested are from Southern California.

The charges they face include battery, resisting arrest, assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism and inciting a riot, according to police.

The motorcyclist killed in a solo crash on Sunrise Highway Friday morning has been identified by the Medical Examiner. 

Joseph DiPari, 42, of La Mesa,  was riding his 2016 Ducati 959 Motorcycle heading northbound on Sunrise Highway on Friday when the crash happened, California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Kevin Pearlstein said. The location is approximately four miles north of Interstate 8 in unincorporated San Diego County. 

DiPari was riding approximately 45 miles an hour when he failed to negotiate a curve in the road, Pearlstein said. 

His motorcycle traveled onto the dirt shoulder, where it hit a rock embankment. 

DiPari flew off his motorcycle and struck the pavement. 

He was taken via an air ambulance to Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego with life-threatening injuries. Despite medical intervention, he was pronounced dead the next day, according to the ME. 

His cause of death was ruled to be blunt impact injuries to the head, neck and torso. The manner of death was ruled an accident. 

Do you have sensitive documents left over from completing your taxes you would like to get rid of? 

You can safely recycle those documents and related files during the City's annual Residential Tax Files Program, hosted by the Environmental Services Department and Allan Company. 

From April 19 to April 26, the City's Miramar Recycling Center will provide secure containers for residents looking to drop off old files, tax returns and other paperwork. 

Only one banker's box of residential tax files will be accepted by Allan Company. Allan Company operates the Miramar Recycling Center. A banker's box is approximately 10 inches high, 15 inches wide and 25 inches deep. 

Once the program ends, the documents will be securely transported, shredded and recycled at an off-site location. 

The program is free for City of San Diego residents. 

Miramar Recycling Center is located at 5165 Convoy Street, San Diego, 92111. It is open from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day of the week. 

The U.S. scrambled jet fighters to intercept two Russian bombers that flew near the Alaskan coast Monday night, several American officials said.

The Russian long-range TU-95 Bear bombers breached airspace around the U.S and Canada known as the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, in which aircraft must be readily identified and report details of their course and destination. The Russian bombers stayed in international airspace, NBC News reported.

The bombers flew near the Aleutian Islands. The Russians also had maritime patrol aircraft in the vicinity.

The U.S. scrambled two F-22 fighters from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, to intercept the Russian planes.

A San Diego police officer was injured in a traffic collision in Clairemont Tuesday afternoon.

The officer was injured just before 2 p.m. when his motorcycle collided with a vehicle at Balboa and Genesee avenues.

Officer Billy Hernandez said the officer suffered minor injuries and was transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital.

No word on what caused the collision.

Adidas said it was "incredibly sorry" for an insensitive email sent to participants of the 2017 Boston Marathon one day after the race.

The athletic wear company sent an email blast to customers Tuesday congratulating them on "surviving" Monday's 26.2-mile race. "Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!" the subject line of the email read.

The poorly worded email drew immediate backlash online and participants of the annual event were outraged at the lack of consideration for the victims and survivors of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, and the people of Boston.

The email comes four years after two pressue cooker bombs detonated on the crowded finish line, killing three people and injuring more than 260 others.

"Adidas, you may want to rethink the subject line," Mike Denison tweeted with a screenshot of the email. Others quickly chimed in, voicing similar sentiments on social media.

Adidas tweeted out a statement Tuesday afternoon apologizing for the marketing email.

"Clearly, there was no thought given to the insensitive email subject line we sent Tuesday. We deeply apologize for our mistake," the company's statement read. "The Boston Marathon is one of the most inspirational sporting events in the world. Every year we're reminded of the hope and resiliency of the running community at this event."

This is the latest public relations disaster for a major brand this month. Pepsi drew criticism for an ad that depicted model Kendall Jenner attempting to quell a protest by giving police officers a can of Pepsi, and United Airlines is still under fire after a video surfaced of a man being dragged off of a Kentucky-bound flight in Chicago.

The NCAA has tapped San Diego State University (SDSU) as the future site of some big games for its 2022 men’s basketball tournament.

The university announced Tuesday that SDSU’s Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl has been picked by the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship in five years. Those games are scheduled for March 18, 2022, and March 20, 2022.

This marks the fifth time SDSU and its Viejas Arena have been tapped to host the tourney. Previously, the venue hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament in 2001, 2006 and 2014, the university said.

SDSU will also host the same games in NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship in 2018.

For the 2022 gig, SDSU will be considered the “host institution.” Should the Aztecs qualify for the tourney, the team will not be eligible to play in San Diego, and will be sent elsewhere to play so there's no home court advantage.

Other sites selected to host games in the 2022 NCAA tournament include: Furman and the Southern Conference (Greenville, South Carolina); Duquesne (Pittsburgh); the MAAC (Buffalo, New York); TCU (Fort Worth, Texas); Marquette (Milwaukee) Cincinnati and Oregon State (Portland, Oregon).

The 2022 Final Four will be held in New Orleans.

SDSU said ticket information for the games in San Diego will be announced at a later time.

After a 74-year-old man in Cleveland was shot by a stranger who posted video of the killing to Facebook, at least six GoFundMe pages claiming to benefit his family cropped up.

The crowdfunding website shut down all but one of the pages after verifying that page is legitimate. On that page alone, people horrified by the killing of Robert Godwin Sr. donated more than $74,000 toward a $20,000 goal in just one day.

Well-intentioned donors need to be wary of scammers trying to profit off tragedies, consumer advocates say.

"Disasters and tragedies generally attract questionable websites popping up and other untoward things that donors have to watch out for," said Bennett Weiner, chief operating officer of the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. He spoke at a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) conference on charity and consumer protection issues, held March 21.

GoFundMe says cases of fraud on the website are rare. The California company has computer systems that flag "high-risk campaigns," such as those created after a police officer or firefighter has died, and a team of investigators fact checks claims made on the pages, GoFundMe's Head of Trust and Safety, Daniel Gordon, said at the FTC conference.

The company guarantees that donors' funds will go to the right person. If GoFundMe determines that fraud occurred in connection to a page created after Oct. 3, 2016, donors can get as much as $1,000 back, and the beneficiary can have as much as $25,000 guaranteed. Several conditions apply.

If you want to donate, here's what you should know.

How to Check If a GoFundMe Page Is Legitimate

Contact the organizer. GoFundMe recommends that anyone with questions about a campaign write a message to the organizer. If you still have questions, contact GoFundMe.

Do your homework. Get as much information as you can about who created the campaign and where the money will go, said Evan Zullow, an attorney in the FTC's Division of Financial Practices.

Search the names of the beneficiary and the campaign organizer. Can you see through their social media profiles that they appear to know each other? Did either person recently create a social media profile? That could indicate that something is off, according to Adrienne Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, a journalist who lives in Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Virginia, has tracked alleged misuse of GoFundMe for more than two years. Her website GoFraudMe.com tracks cases of people accused of faking cancer and using stock photos of supposedly sick animals to collect donations.

Donate to people you or people in your social network know. Be wary of anyone who contacts you asking for donations. "If someone reaches out to you, that's usually a big red flag," Gonzalez said.

Do a reverse image search. An image search can reveal if someone is using a stock photo or a photo of someone else.

Trust your instincts. If something doesn't seem right, it might not be, Gonzalez said.

How Much GoFundMe Fraud Occurs?

GoFundMe says cases of fraud are rare and make up less than 0.1 percent of all campaigns.

The majority of GoFundMe campaigns are for individuals' own benefit or for an immediate family member's benefit and raise less than $900, Gordon, the GoFundMe's safety manager, said. 

When fraud attempts occur, they tend to fall into two main categories: outright lies or what the company calls beneficiary risk.

"There are instances where we see people lie to their families, friends, communities, media about a medical condition they don't really have," Gordon said. "That happens. That will happen whether it's on GoFundMe or off-line."

In the "beneficiary risk" cases, the reason the page was created is legitimate, but the funds are not headed to the correct person.

A sudden windfall of money raised through a GoFundMe campaign can spark a family dispute.

"We often see that the biggest fraud is by friends and family after there's all of a sudden money there when there never used to be money there," Gordon said.

The FBI says it has seen a small increase in reports of fraud related to fundraising websites.

"As crowdfunding sites increase in popularity, there has been a minor uptick in instances of fraud stemming from use of these platforms," a spokeswoman said in a statement.

D.C. police, the U.S. Attorney's Office for D.C. and the Office of the Attorney General for D.C. all said they had no recent theft or fraud cases related to crowdfunding. Police in Arlington County, Virginia, and Prince George's County, Maryland, said the same.

How GoFundMe Monitors for Fraud

GoFundMe has investigators and computer systems that try to ferret out fraud. Algorithms flag high-risk campaigns and allow the company to see anytime anyone talks about GoFundMe on social media.

If GoFundMe can that the first donors to a campaign are not friends or family members, the page can be flagged.

"If it's strangers who are donating first, that would be very strange behavior, and we'd know about it," Gordon said.

If GoFundMe doubts the legitimacy of a campaign, they can pause withdrawals from the account. 

How to Report Suspected GoFundMe Fraud

If you believe a page is misleading or fraudulent, contact GoFundMe.

Complaints can be filed with the FTC online or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP.

D.C. residents can report complaints to the Office of the Attorney General for D.C. "You definitely should complain to us if you live in the District and feel like you've been scammed by one of these, so we can take action," spokesman Robert Marus said.

How Can I Donate to the Godwins?

GoFundMe said the Help for Cleveland Victim & Family page created by Wesley Scott Alexander of Phoenix, Arizona, is legitimate. All other pages had been removed from the site as of Tuesday morning.

"All funds raised for the Godwins will be transferred directly to the family," spokesman Bobby Whithorne said in a statement.

GoFundMe deducts a 5 percent fee from each donation received. Additionally, a 2.9 percent payment processing fee plus an additional $0.30 are deducted.

Gonzalez, who runs GoFraudMe.com, said she hoped that cases of misuse of GoFundMe pages would not deter people from donating to worthy causes.

"I think people should be skeptical but they shouldn't be so completely turned off that they don't want to help people," she said.

On Tuesday, local DMV investigators looked for drivers using disabled parking placards at shopping centers in San Diego, Santee, Chula Vista and Poway.

Of the 369 people investigators found displaying a disabled placard, investigators said 16 of them were doing so fraudulently and were issued misdemeanor citations.

Kevin Amir was found using a placard issued to his relative in Orange County. He displayed the placard outside a Santee Walmart.

He told NBC 7 Investigates, “The fact is, I did something wrong and I am getting cited for it. The lesson learned is not do this type of stuff anymore.”

Rosa Pineda was cited for altering a friend's expired placard outside a Costco in Santee. She said, she didn’t know it was illegal.

She told NBC 7 Investigates, “It's fine, you learn everyday.”

Amir and Pineda must appear in court to face possible fines that range from $250 to $1,000.

Nearly three million drivers in California have disabled parking placards.

NBC 7 Investigates first revealed disabled placard abuse in downtown San Diego, two years ago. See original story here.

Our undercover investigation found state and city employees parking for free, using placards not issued to them.

After our story aired, the City Council approved a new ordinance increasing the penalty for drivers using a disabled placard issued to someone else.

California Assemblymen Eric Linder and Mike Gatto requested a Department of Motor Vehicle audit last year because rampant abuse of the disability parking placard system starts with the DMV, they said.

Gatto said after seeing news stories like the one NBC 7 Investigates, he wanted more to be done. See story here.

Today, the results of that report were released. The California State Auditor issued a critical report on the DMV's disabled placard program.

The State Auditor looked at a small sample, 96 applications, but found that 70 of them did not include enough medical information to confirm the applicant qualifies for a placard.

The Auditor found the DMV "does not sufficiently review applications" to ensure they are legitimate. And that DMV issues renewal placards to "thousands of placard holders who are likely deceased."

Among some of its recommendations? The Auditor wants the DMV to:

- Establish goals regarding the number of sting operations it performs

- Develop a database of other technology to allow local parking enforcement officials to have access to placard status information

- Conduct quarterly audits of placard applications

A spokesperson from the DMV say the agency agrees with those recommendations, and promises to make those improvements, provide more staff training, create a public awareness campaign, and make it easier for the public to report placard abuse.

The auditor says some of the improvements must be made this year and the rest by December 2018. Read full audit report here. 

Despite strong opposition from many families, the Del Mar City Council decided Monday night that short-term rentals will no longer be permitted in residential zones of the city.

The council's decision closes down the lucrative side business of short-term rentals in existence within the city for decades. By most accounts, short-term rentals are part of the very fabric of the Del Mar community.

“It baffles me why they would want to cut off an economic lifeline to the City of Del Mar,” resident Gina Mattern said.

That was perhaps the strongest argument for short-term rentals in this year-long battle: the economic impact to the home owners and to local businesses making a buck on the tourists.

Del Mar City Council was tasked with determining whether community planners crafted rules regarding short-term rentals.

In a four-to-one decision, the council found there are no such guidelines, therefore prohibiting short-term rentals in residential zones.

But the rentals are still allowed in areas zoned as commercial.

A year ago, council put a moratorium on any new short-term rentals in the community. At the time it was estimated there were 300 operating in neighborhoods.

Since then, the legality of short-term rentals has been debated in council and the City Planning Commission.

Monday’s decision is the final say but not the last word on this issue.

"It wasn't enforced because it was allowed and they are reinterpreting it retroactively. They weren't there and they are doing it deliberately because now short-term rentals are unpopular,” resident Susan Feierabend said.

The council said the moratorium on new short-term rentals will remain in effect and those operating before the moratorium will not immediately be affected by Monday’s decision.

Some council members and the Mayor of Del Mar want to come up with regulations and permits that might allow short-term rentals that meet certain requirements. 

A Chula Vista family said they're baffled after someone found their lost dog and is now holding her for ransom.

“It’s  like losing a child,” explained Vance Willer. "Like someone taking something. If you have  pets at home you know you hug them. You cuddle them. You take care of them since they're little tiny babies."          

The Willers woke early Easter Sunday morning to find their 3-year-old pug named "Teddy Bear" missing from their South Bay home near East Orange and Max avenues.

“Immediately, we freaked out and jumped into our cars," said Willer.

Teddy Bear escaped the home with her two other canine companions, Bebe and Lizzie.

The Willers said Bebe learned how to jump up and open the back screen door that leads to the garage door--which was left accidentally cracked open.

Bebe and Lizzie were quickly found thanks to neighbors.

Teddy Bear was also found but the person who had her was apparently not willing to return her without compensation.

Willer said someone sent them a picture of Teddy Bear's dog tag, then called his wife from an untraceable phone.

“She’s like 'Can we come get the dog' and they're like 'How much is the reward?' And she's like 'What do you mean? It’s our dog! Let us come get our dog,'" said Willer.

Minutes later, the Willers told NBC 7 they received a text message demanding $400 in return for Teddy Bear.

That's when they told the person who had texted them that they were calling the police.

“It’s heartbreaking there are people out there like that,” said Willer.

As the couple cares for their other pups, they're hoping to be reunited with Teddy Bear.

“Just bring the dog back. It’s not about the money, it’s a family pet. Just bring it back. It’s not karma, it's dogma! It’s  going to come back around," said Willer.

The family is now offering a $100 reward for the safe return of their pug. They've also contacted the police for help.

A University of California, San Diego (UCSD) graduate and South Korean citizen who served in the country's army says the U.S. military's presence in the region is an important deterrent when it comes to tension in the region. 

Ricky Lee, a UCSD graduate with a degree in economics, served in South Korea's Republic of Korea Army prior to arriving in the U.S. to study. 

During that two-year period in the infantry, he said, the military prepared for their neighbor to the north. 

"The military, they're always ready for whatever the threats that North Korea's doing," Lee explained. "We do all kinds of trainings to prepare for this kind of situation."

He said the military got a good look at the military capabilities of North Korea. 

“Not only missiles, but those mortars and artillery in the system can also level Seoul at any moment," Lee said.

People who serve in the Korean Army have always been well aware of the threat from North Korea, but everyone is now paying closer attention in light of missile tests and nuclear tests. The U.S. has moved the San Diego-based Carrier Strike Group, including USS Carl Vinson, back to the Korean Peninsula. 

Lee said his sister has been talking to him about leaving the country, before making the decision to stay. 

“The fact that she said that, kind of made me feel a little anxious about what's going on in Korea," Lee said.

Lee said he hopes that a newly elected president in South Korea can open constructive talks to address North Korea's nuclear threat.