A massive sinkhole snagged a car Tuesday in Lakeside, California.

CHP officers were investigating the crash on Pecan Park Lane at Olde Highway 80 in the community east of downtown San Diego. 

The driver was working for Uber just before 5 a.m. when his vehicle landed in the sinkhole that appeared to be twice as big as a car.

He had just picked up clients before the crash. All occupants of the car escaped without injury.

San Diego County officials were en route to determine if the sinkhole was the result of a broken water pipe.

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

Words that are difficult enough to boot spellers from spelling bee competition rounds are called knockout words. 

With the premier spelling bee in the nation kicking off this week in Washington, D.C., here are five knockout words selected from the last 10 years, as provided by the Scripps National Spelling Bee's office. Competitors who misspelled these words placed fourth or higher in the competition.

Try this quiz to see if you can spell words that befuddled past Scripps National Spelling Bee contestants. 

[[425108683,C]]

Meet Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) officers Monica Medina and Johnny Jackson.

Besides protecting and serving Chula Vista, Medina and Jackson often attend community events and dance with people in the neighborhood to strengthen relationships between the police department and the community they serve.

Check out their moves – there are some pretty solid throwbacks happening here.

Construction began Tuesday on Platform 1, the northern platform closest to the station, at Oceanside Transit Center (OTC).

Trains will no longer be boarding here for the time being, and the platform and sidewalk on the west side of the parking garage will be closed for construction as well.

Passengers should allow extra time to find their new boarding location. Signs will be posted to direct passengers to their correct trains.

Customer service representatives were at Platform 1 to make sure passengers got where they needed to be and did not miss their trains.

This major expansion of OTC will increase the number of trains that can board passengers at the same time, and allow freight trains to move through the station while passenger trains are boarding.

For more information on this project, click here.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) would like to remind you that federal regulations require train conductors to sound the horn when approaching an active construction site, even in a quiet zone. Train horns serve as a warning system to ensure the safety of railroad workers. More information and rules governing the use of train horns can be found on the Federal Railroad Administration's website here.

A convicted car thief who ditched his GPS tracking device and fled from a Re-Entry Program facility in May was arrested Friday, confirmed officials.

Israel Hernandez, 27, was arrested at 4 p.m. in San Ysidro by agents on the Special Service Unit for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Agents located Hernandez through a special investigation.

He was taken to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, where he is currently in custody, according to CDCR officials.

On May 11, Hernandez was seen walking out the back door of the Male Community Re-Entry Program facility(MCRP) at 4:20 a.m. Minutes later, agents were dispatched to search for him.

They found his court-ordered GPS device abandoned in a nearby parking lot, according to the CDCR.

Hernandez was serving a two-year, eight-month sentence for vehicle theft as a second striker. After being transferred to the MCRP last March, he was scheduled to be released on probation in March 2018.

The MCRP is a voluntary program for male offenders with about a year left to serve, said CDCR officials. The program offers tools and resources to help inmates transition back into the community.

No further information was available about the investigation that lead agents to locate and apprehend Hernandez.

President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, confirmed to NBC News that he has received requests for information from the Senate and House intelligence committees as part of their probes into Russian interference in the U.S. election.

But he said he won't comply: The request was poorly phrased, overly broad and not capable of being answered."

A congressional aide told NBC News the same request letters, seeking to learn information about communications with Russia, were sent to former Trump aides Carter Page, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Mike Flynn and others.

Cohen is a long-time lawyer for both Trump and his business organization. He has served as executive vice president of the Trump Organization and special counsel to Trump.

Nearly 270 pounds of narcotics were seized and 14 fugitives with outstanding felony warrants were arrested over the Memorial Day weekend by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers (CBP). 

During the three-day weekend, 88 pounds of methamphetamine, 34 pounds of cocaine, 27 pounds of heroin and 120 pounds of marijuana were seized at several ports of entry along the California-Mexico border.

The narcotics were found in various places inside the suspect vehicles, including the seats, spare tire and gas tanks.

They are valued at more than $1.4 million, according to CBP.

On Sunday, a 39-year-old man from the U.S., wanted by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office in Colorado for multiple charges included homicide, was taken into custody.

He was one of 14 fugitives arrested for outstanding felony warrants, such as felony homicide, parole violation, assault and vandalism.

“It just started doing this (noise) and it permeated the house for three days,” Debbie Collicott said. 

Three days of hearing the noise was about all Debbie said she could take, especially since her Whirlpool refrigerator was only a few months old. Soon after the noises started, the top half of the refrigerator stopped working. 

“I’m in ice chests, five ice chests in our kitchen,” Debbie said. 

She called Whirlpool and they sent a technician who replaced the evaporator and gave her a $100 debit gift card for the ice. 

Three months later, the noise started again, the fridge stopped working and out came the ice chests again. 

“I don’t even like to camp, especially in the kitchen,” Debbie said. 

Debbie said she’d had it and asked Whirlpool for a new refrigerator or her money back. 

“Never heard from them so I threw up my hands and I contacted you,” Debbie said. 

NBC 7 Responds reached out to Whirlpool and it didn’t take long for Debbie to receive a call from the company. 

“I had an email from Whirlpool and it all fell together because of you,” Debbie said. 

Debbie said Whirlpool offered to reimburse her $2,600 for the fridge and $115 for the ice. 

In an email, Whirlpool Corporation representative Kristine Sherman said, "first, I would like to offer my sincere apology for the ongoing issues Mrs. Collicott experienced with her ice maker. We recently talked with her and offered to reimburse her for ice she purchased, and to buy back her refrigerator. She accepted our offer of a total refund of $2721.99. She will work separately with the company she purchased the warranty from. While we are very unhappy that Mrs. Collicott had problems with our product, we are glad that we were able to come to a resolution that she found acceptable."

One person was declared dead after a vehicle crashed into a tree in Mira Mesa, causing the vehicle to go up in flames.

The crash occurred around 4 p.m. on Mercy and Black Mountain roads near Interstate 15. 

According to San Diego police (SDPD), the vehicle was reported to be engulfed in flames.

At this time, westbound Mercy Road from Interstate 15 has been shut down to traffic.

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

A local startup company is bringing individualized care to people who need it most.

Integrated Healthcare Alliance (IHA) in Mission Valley provides 24-hour mobile-physician service. It aims to help the elderly--the group who spends the most time going in and out of emergency rooms.

IHA has on call physicians and nurses who can triage patients over the phone, make house calls, and even bring a mobile unit to perform more specialized tests like x-rays, blood work, and EKGs.

Chief Medical Officer and founder Pouya Afshar, M.D. came up with the idea after working as a hospitalist at UC San Diego and Scripps.

“Often I’d see patients that had come from home who had some form of dementia and had no idea what their medical history was,” Afshar explained. "There’s no continuity on the layers of service.”

Afshar said the current healthcare system is extremely fragmented--patients can have a primary care doctor, an emergency room doctor, a hospitalist and a physician in a rehab facility, all within a short period of time.

This is why Afshar said he started IHA.

“Our goal is to create a system where somebody knows this patient at all levels of care," he told NBC 7.

IHA was established in October 2015. Right now, it has 14 physicians and physician assistants and 35 office staff members.

In the short time the organization has been operating, emergency room radmission rates of their patients have decreased from 20 percent to five percent.

Afshar said the at-home care costs one tenth of what it would be if patients went to the ER.

The service is a covered benefit under Medicare. Patients over the age of 65 who have Medicare as their primary insurance are fully covered.

What was U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa doing on the roof of his San Diego County office Tuesday?

Mike Levin, a challenger to the incumbent for the 49th District, posted an image of Issa standing above a crowd of consitutents in Vista.

The GOP congressional leader used social media to explain. He posted this to Twitter, "Spent the morning talking with constituents gathered outside the office today then popped upstairs to take a quick pic!"

Voters have been rallying weekly outside of Issa's office over concerns regarding immigration and health care.

Sporting capes, tights and masks, a fleet of superheroes descended on Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego Tuesday, surprising young patients while cleaning the windows at the facility.

Employees from the El Cajon-based company, A Plus Window Cleaning, dressed up in superhero costumes – including Spider-Man, Captain America, Superman, Batman, Green Latern and The Flash – and cleaned the windows of the Acute Care Pavilion at Rady Children’s Hospital for several hours.

As they worked, awestruck little patients and their loved ones looked on. After all, it’s not every day that you see Spider-Man doing chores.

The superheroes stopped to pose for photos with patients and even gave the little ones a pep talk or two.

“We’re all superheroes,” Captain America said to one boy. “You’re a hero, too.”

The boy beamed, nodding his head.

The superhero visit is a tradition at Rady Children’s Hospital, meant to surprise and entertain patients and their families while they deal with difficult health hurdles.

Roselle Roseta, whose son is recovering from neurosurgery, said it was a wonderful gesture that her family certainly appreciated.

Her older son, Dominick, was at the hospital worried about his little brother when the superheroes walked in. Suddenly, everything seemed okay.

“It looks like his dream has come true,” Roseta told NBC 7.

Before this moment, Dominick had only seen superheroes in movies and toy figurines.

“Now, he gets to see them in real life,” his mom said, smiling.

Dominick was invited to help Captain America and Spider-Man clean the windows. He happily assisted, using a squeegee. Captain America let him wear his shield on his back, too.

Roseta said her kids don’t typically clean windows at home but now, they just might do that – and maybe even more of their chores.

“For Captain America and Spider-Man to get him to do something that I can’t, is definitely pretty exciting for me,” the mother added.

Roseta said the visit from the superheroes was just what her family needed. It helped them – especially Dominick – get their minds off the surgery and brightened up their day.

Roseta spotted the superheroes right after getting the news that her son was recovering from the surgery and doing better.

“Having this greet you from that kind of news is kind of that cherry on top,” she added. “I’m really thankful.”

The County of San Diego paid $3 million in damages to a man who was critically injured after being repeatedly tased by a sheriff's deputy at a parking lot in Vista, confirmed the victim's attorney.

According to the complaint filed in court, the victim sustained permanent damage to multiple organs including his kidneys and brain. Both of his legs below the knee and several fingers had to be amputated because of the trauma caused by the tasings.

Eugene Iredale, the Criminal Defense Attorney working on the case, told NBC 7 that Marcial Torres agreed to accept $3 million in damages to settle his lawsuit against the county.

Sheriff's deputy Dylan Haddad repeatedly tased and injured Torres on the 1200 block of North Santa Fe Avenue in Vista on Jun. 26, 2014, according to the complaint.

Deputies were dispatched to the area after a woman called to report that she felt threatened by a suspicious group of men, stated court documents. Her son pointed the deputies toward a a parking lot to indicate where the group went. Deputy Haddad saw Torres in that area and charged at him with his Taser drawn.

The woman who reported the threat said she knew the victim Torres, and he was not involved with the group who threatened her. He was even friends with her son.

As the victim was walking away from Haddad, he threw a glass object on the ground in the opposite direction of the deputy. That's when Haddad attacked Torres with his Taser.

The May 2015 complaint reads: "Defendant Haddad then repeatedly and relentlessly tased Mr. Torres, despite Mr. Torres begging for mercy - "Stop, stop, stop!"

Torres collapsed and stopped breathing. When paramedics arrived, they were able to resuscitate Torres and take him to Tri-City Hospital, where he remained in critical condition for several weeks falling into a coma, stated the complaint.

"The use of force in shooting Marcial Torres multiple times with a Taser, while he was on the ground and presented no threat, was unnecessary and excessive," alleges the complaint.

In a separate case, a man recently died in Lemon Grove after San Diego County Sheriff deputies used tasers on him multiple times. That incident occurred on May 20.

More than 100 vehicles were stolen from San Diego County residents by the members of a motorcycle gang and shipped off to Tijuana, federal officials announced Tuesday.

Nine members of the Tijuana-based motorcycle gang, known as the Hooligan Bikers, were charged in the auto theft ring dating back to 2014, announced the U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson. 

“The joy ride is over for these Hooligans,” said Deputy U.S. Attorney Mark Conover, in a statement. "For many of us, our cars are our most valuable possessions. These arrests have put the brakes on an organization that has victimized neighborhoods in a different way – by stealing something very personal. Something that required a lot of sacrifice to purchase."

Three out of the nine suspects were arrested Monday in Spring Valley and near the U.S.-Mexico border, and six suspects remain at large, said U.S. Attorney Robinson.

The Hooligans gang was involved in a sophisticated scheme to steal scores of Jeep Wranglers and motorcycles. After stealing more than 150 jeeps worth $4.5 million in San Diego County, they would strip down the vehicles and sell the parts in Tijuana, according to the U.S. Attorney.

Six of the suspects facing charges may have fled to Mexico, said U.S. Attorney Robinson. Out of the nine gang members, seven were identified as U.S. citizens.

As part of the scheme, the group would target Jeeps by obtaining the Vehicle Identification Number in advance from the dashboard and then managed to get secret codes.

Then, they would use those codes to create a duplication ignition key through a complicated process that involved programming a computer chip within the key to match the targeted Jeep's onboard computer and using hand held electronic devices, according to the CHP Investigator Kraig Palmer.

That allowed the thefts to be carried out without any broken glass or signs of forced entry. With high-tech methods, the gang would disable security systems and steal the Jeeps within minutes in the middle of the night, while unsuspecting owners were sleeping nearby in their homes.

"This was a method so new and technologically advanced it required investigators to exceed the ingenuity of the thieves," said the U.S. Attorney's office, in a statement.

At first, agents from the Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATT) were perplexed with the thefts that left little evidence behind.

It was a breakthrough moment for the investigation when one Jeep owner caught the men on surveillance footage, stealing her Jeep around 2:30 a.m. by disabling the alarm, and then using a key and hand held electronic device to turn on the engine.

Law enforcement was able to send Chrysler a list of around 20 Jeeps that were recently stolen in San Diego County and ask whether anyone had requested duplicate keys for the vehicles, according to the U.S. Attorney.

This proved to be the case, and nearly every one of the keys was requested at the same dealership in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Through further investigation, agents were able to intercept later attempted Jeep thefts and make several arrests. Once in custody, the suspects revealed that the gang was behind the operation.

Several law enforcement vehicles surrounded a neighborhood in Rancho Santa Fe Tuesday as authorities investigated the death of a man found with trauma to his body.

SDSO officials said the wife of a 71-year-old resident had returned home after running errands to find her husband injured on the property, suffering from serious trauma to his upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Deputies with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) and officials with the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District were the first to arrive at a home along the 17000 block of La Brisa just before 12 p.m. The victim's wife had called 911 to report a possible case of assault with a deadly weapon at their large home.

As of 2 p.m., there were about a dozen SDSO patrol vehicles lining the street in the upscale area. Deputies were focused on one sprawling home with a red roof that sits on a hillside.

One neighbor told NBC 7 homicide detectives had been in the neighborhood for several hours.

News helicopter footage showed crime scene tape cordoning several different parts of the property, including a long driveway leading to the home and an outdoor balcony next to a small, detached structure. Next to the yellow tape on the balcony, a patio table could be seen, toppled over on its side. Deputies could be seen walking around the outside of the property.

At this point, SDSO investigators are treating the case as a possible homicide. Detectives are investigating everyone who lives in the home.

Officials said there was no apparent break-in at the property.

The investigation is ongoing; no further details were immediately released. Anyone with information leading to an arrest could be eligible for a reward up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers.

Thirteen sex buyers were arrested in an undercover human trafficking operation, conducted by more than 75 law enforcement officers from various agencies across San Diego County.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO), "Operation Big Bad John" was spearheaded by the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force (HTTF) and the National City Police Department (NCPD).

Officers also seized more than 17 grams of methamphetamine and several ecstasy pills.

According to SDSO, "the mission of the HTTF is to disrupt and dismantle human trafficking and child exploitation organizations through a comprehensive, collaborative and regional law enforcement."

A number of law enforcement agencies, including SDSO, NCPD, Escondido, Chula Vista, Carlsbad, Coronado, La Mesa, Oceanside, and San Diego police departments work with HTTF.

Other agencies include the local FBI, ICE, IRS, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and U.S. Marhals Service.

The 13 sex buyers will be booked into the San Diego County Detention Facility.

Officers local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies participated in the operation.

To learn more about HTTF, click here.

Mexican officials have discovered a suspected drug tunnel near the U.S.-Mexico border, a official from U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) confirmed to NBC 7 Tuesday night.

According to Lauren Mack, there is no indication at this time that the tunnel crossed into the U.S.

Mexican authorities are investigating.

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn will hand over some personal and business documents to the Senate Intelligence Committee by June 6, a source close to Flynn told NBC News on Tuesday.

The Intelligence Committee issued a subpoena on May 10 for documents that it said it believes to be relevant to its investigation of alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Flynn's lawyers haven't yet produced any documents, but they will start doing so on or before next Tuesday, said the source, adding Flynn wants to cooperate to the extent that he can while protecting his constitutional rights.

Two other former associates of Trump — Paul Manafort and Roger Stone — have complied with similar requests from the Intelligence Committee, NBC News reported last week.

San Diego’s Unified School District (SDUSD) is facing a multi-million dollar deficit and soon, several schools could feel the pinch.

On Tuesday afternoon, the marching band from University City High School (UCHS) played in front of San Diego’s Board of Education building. The band gave an impromptu concert to support elementary school music teachers who are facing layoffs.

“Downsizing these kind of programs will weaken those that are upper in the chain, like middle school, high school,” said Aidan Hall, a junior at UCHS. "They won't have as much of an experience.”

A budget that was tentatively approved back in March, includes roughly $125 million in cuts.

According to SDUSD, there is no easy way to move forward.

“The elementary instrumental music positions were just not able to sustain as many [employees],” said Russ Sperling, Director of the SDUSD's Visual and Performing Arts Department. “But that doesn't mean that there isn't going to be arts and music in every school. We’ll make it work.”

Close to 1,000 teachers faced layoffs when the budget was tentatively approved by the Board of Trustees. Many took the option of retiring early.

The board hopes that ultimately layoffs will drop to about 100 people -- 13 of them, potentially, from elementary school music programs.

“We are optimistic that most, if not all our music teachers, will be able to stay with us,” Sperling told NBC 7. “But maybe they will be hired for different positions.”

But students fear that cuts in elementary school music programs will have a domino effect that will downplay their programs in the future.

"Music in elementary schools is really important,” said UCHS student Robyn Wilkinson. “Everyone I know started in elementary school and music. It brings you this whole community."

The school board told NBC 7, it’s trying to work things out.

“That's something we'll have to strategize with middle school teachers,” said Sperling. “If we have students coming in 6th grade and they haven't had band or orchestra choir in middle school, then we'll have to have some beginning courses available.”

The final version of the budget is scheduled to be approved on June 27.