A second man is being questioned in connection with the brutal murders of four young men in Bucks County, slayings that Cosmo DiNardo confessed to Thursday.

Sean Michael Kratz, 20, who is linked to addresses in the Oxford Circle section of the city and in Upper Dublin, was taken into custody by Philadelphia police late Thursday from a Magee Avenue house.

Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub declined to comment on the case Friday morning, but has scheduled a 2 p.m. press conference.

It is unclear how Kratz and DiNardo know each other. Detectives from Bucks County were searching a property on Susquehanna Road in Upper Dublin also linked to Kratz.

DiNardo, 20, admitted in a "full confession" Thursday afternoon to participation in the killings of four men who disappeared in early July, his attorney said. They are Dean Finocchiaro, 19, of Middletown Township, Mark Sturgis, 22, of Pennsburg, Montgomery County, Tom Meo, 21, of Plumstead Township, and Jimi Taro Patrick, 19, of Newtown Township.

The Associated Press, citing a source with knowledge of the confession, reported that DiNardo killed each man separately after selling them marijuana.

The AP's source said DiNardo, who sold quarter-pound quantities of marijuana for thousands of dollars and handguns, felt cheated or threatened during the drug deals.

"Every death was related to a purported drug transaction, and at the end of each one there's a killing," the person said.

The confession is part of a deal to avoid the death penalty, attorney Paul Lang told reporters outside the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown.

Moments later, the 20-year-old DiNardo was seen being escorted to a sheriff's van. He was shackled and wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.

"I'm sorry," he said before being driven away.

A source close to the investigation with knowledge of the plea negotiations told NBC10 that DiNardo admitted to killing all four men on the 90-acre Solebury Township farm. The source said multiple victims were shot and three of the four victims were found in a 12-1/2 foot deep "common grave." DiNardo admitted to burning at least two of the bodies and told officials where to find the remains of the fourth victim, according to the source.

The sudden announcement came a day after cadaver dogs helped lead investigators to a patch of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, farmland where the remains of at least one of the missing young men were buried deep underground.

"He admitted to the participation in the commission of four murders," Lang said. "In favor of that, the Commonwealth will not be seeking the death penalty. So Cosmo was spared life for in terms of giving all of his relevant information he could."

Investigators have been looking into the possibility that he had help in the crime, the source told NBC10.

DiNardo has been held since Wednesday on $5 million bail for allegedly trying to sell a car belonging to one of the men.

Human remains identified with at least three of the four dead men have been found at the farmstead estate in the rolling, lush hills above New Hope, a trendy borough on the Delaware River.

Meo's grandfather, Chuck Meo, told an NBC News producer that crews found the remains under a blue tarp after lifting out a propane tank.

The sprawling property, which is bordered by three roads, is about three miles west of New Hope on the Delaware River, in a secluded part of the county where hidden mansions are marked by names like Idlewild and Mountaintop.

The property consists of three separate parcels that Cosmo DiNardo's parents, Antonio and Sandra DiNardo, of Bensalem, purchased between 2005 and 2008 for a combined nearly $6.5 million.

DiNardo was initially arrested Wednesday after investigators determined he tried to sell Meo's 1996 Nissan Maxima to a friend after his disappearance.

DiNardo was also arrested Monday on an unrelated weapons charge but left the Bucks County jail Tuesday night after his father, Antonio DiNardo, posted 10 percent of $1 million bail.

According to an affidavit obtained by NBC10, DiNardo was accused of possessing a 20-gauge shotgun and ammunition in February despite being barred from owning a firearm due to a history of mental illness that included an involuntary commitment. A district judge dismissed the charge in May, but the district attorney authorized for it to be refiled on Monday.

A family lawyer released a statement Wednesday, before the human remains were discovered, on behalf of DiNardo's parents.

"As parents, Mr. and Mrs. DiNardo sympathize with the parents and families of the missing young men and they are cooperating in every way possible with the investigation being conducted by law enforcement," the family attorney wrote.

According to Sturgis' father, Mark Potash, Sturgis and Meo are longtime friends who work in construction for him. Finocchiaro was a mutual friend of theirs, Potash said. Investigators began looking at DiNardo after they received tips indicating he was seen with the men shortly before they went missing.

Patrick went missing on Wednesday, July 5 and has not contacted family or friends since, police said. Finocchiaro was last seen alive Friday around 6:30 p.m. getting into a vehicle.

According to a newly obtained criminal complaint, Meo's mother reported him missing Saturday. Meo's girlfriend said she last texted him Friday at 6:53 p.m. and didn't hear from him after. Meo is an insulin-dependent diabetic.

Sturgis, who was last seen leaving his home on Walt Road in Pennsburg around 6 p.m. Friday, told his father he was going to meet with Meo in Doylestown.

On Sunday at 2:10 a.m., Sturgis' vehicle was found in the area of Peddler's Village in Buckingham Township about two miles away from a DiNardo estate.

Unlike neighboring estates, the DiNardo property has no name markers at the main entrance on Lower York Road. Only a broken mailbox, with fading numbers, marks the driveway. On the other side of the property, along Aquetong Road, a small and crumbling white house stands near the road.

A marked police cruiser held guard over that location Thursday, idling in front of a decrepit garage several yards from the house. The car of Thomas Meo was found inside the still open structure less than two hours after Sturgis' car.

Detectives say they found Meo's car keys hanging up on the wall of the garage. They also found Meo's diabetic supplies inside the vehicle.

On Sunday at 4:30 p.m., Bucks County detectives interviewed DiNardo's friend, whose identity police are withholding. The friend told police DiNardo had called him Saturday at 5 p.m. The two then met on Bristol and Galloway roads in Bensalem where DiNardo allegedly offered to sell Meo's Nissan Maxima to him for $500, the criminal complaint reads.

Police also interviewed DiNardo Sunday. DiNardo allegedly told detectives he was driving a silver Ford pickup truck Friday night.

A Solebury Township police mobile license plate reader data found DiNardo's Ford pickup truck was on 2541 Street Road in Solebury Township Friday at 7:49 p.m. Within a few seconds, the license plate reader also captured Meo's vehicle at the same location.

The location where both vehicles were captured is within two miles away of the DiNardo home and less than one mile away from where Sturgis' vehicle was found.

Based on the information, investigators say they had probable cause that DiNardo did "unlawfully take and retain control" of Meo's vehicle.

Susan Coleman, a woman who lives near the farm, told NBC10's Deanna Durante that she heard gunshots from around the property on Saturday — hours after Meo and others were last seen.

"We heard a series of blasts, they were loud," Coleman said.

Coleman said she was sitting outside with her husband when she heard the gunfire but at first didn't think much of it since people go hunting in the area. But, she decided to talk to investigators after hearing what sounded like more gunshots then yelling and commotion.

About 50 students, faculty and staff also gathered at a chapel at Loyola University in Maryland where Patrick was a rising sophomore to pray for him and the three other men. Director of Campus Ministry Sean Bray told the Baltimore Sun the group wanted to honor the request of Patrick's grandmother to "storm heaven with our prayers for Jimi's safe return."

Patrick, who graduated from Holy Ghost Preparatory School in Bensalem, was on the Dean's List at Loyola, his grandparent Sharon and Rich Patrick said in a prepared statement supplied to reporters.

Officials continue to work to identify the other human remains that were found Wednesday night. The investigation is ongoing.

"We're going to remain strong," Weintraub said after announcing Finocchiaro's death. "We're going to see this investigation to the end and we're going to bring each and every one of these lost boys home to their families, one way or another. And we will not rest until we do that."

NBC10 journalists Deanna Durante, Rosemary Connors and Katy Zachry contributed to this report.

Four people were rescued from a boat that ran aground in Ocean Beach Thursday night, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) confirmed.

The driver of the 28-foot fishing boat misjudged the entrance to the Mission Bay Channel, and the boat wound up ashore on Dog Beach at around 9 p.m., said SDFD spokesperson Monica Munoz. 

A rescue boat helped the four people on the vessel safely disembark. No one was injured, the SDFD said. Officials do not believe alcohol was involved in the crash. It appears to have been a mistake, said Munoz.

A man was killed in a motorcycle crash in Chula Vista.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the man lost control of the motorcycle before crashing near Otay Lakes Road and Wueste Road. 

It happened Thursday about 10:30 p.m.

Officers are investigating what may have led the driver to crash. 

No other information was available.

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

A judge has overturned the conviction of a woman found to have disrupted Congress by laughing during Attorney General Jeff Sessions' confirmation hearing and ordered a new trial, NBC News reported.

Desiree Fairooz, a 61-year-old Code Pink activist, allegedly chuckled twice during the Jan. 10 hearing when Sessions, then a U.S. senator, was described as having a record of "treating all Americans equally under the law is clear and well-documented," according to court documents. Fellow activists characterized it as a reflex to an absurd statement.

Fairooz was facing up to six months in prison, but a District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Robert E. Morin ordered a new trial on Friday, court officials said. Fairooz said had an issue with the conviction.

"Well, I can’t say relieved. I’m not happy about [the re-trial] but I guess, in a way, it’s a small kind of a win. It just seems like an absurd waste of tax dollars," Fairooz said.

A group of people inside a stolen car led police on a pursuit from Mountain View to Spring Valley Friday morning.

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said officers tried to pull over the driver of the stolen car at around 8:50 a.m. near Marketplace Avenue and Ocean View Boulevard in Mountain View. The driver refused to pull over, and a chase ensued.

Police said the suspect drove onto southbound Interstate 805, transitioned onto eastbound State Route-54 and then took the exit to Jamacha Road.

With officers in pursuit, the driver traveled onto residential streets in Spring Valley.

At some point, police said the driver crashed. The pursuit came to an end near the parking lot of a Kmart store on Sweetwater and Jamacha roads.

Several people inside the stolen car were arrested.

No further details were immediately released.

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

In a three-bedroom apartment in San Diego's El Cajon community lives a growing statistic -- seven of them, in fact.

Mostafa Inezan -- a blind refugee from Syria -- his wife, and their five sons arrived in San Diego last September. They are one of the hundreds of Syrian refugee families now living in San Diego County.

Their situation is more challenging than most.

Through translator Zainab Nuhaily, who works with the group Hearts for Refugees, Inezan told NBC 7 how he was tortured for weeks by the Syrian government, and electrocuted until he went blind.

Now, even though his family is safe in the United States, he is unable to work.

“Rent is a very difficult thing for them to make each month,” explained Nuhaily.

In addition to being blind, Nuhaily said Inezan faces a challenge that's common among refugee families: learning to speak English.

“If he’s not working, he doesn’t have a home and how’s he supposed to work if he doesn’t speak the language?” said Nuhaily.

This family’s situation is one that has become a lot more familiar over the past few years.

According to the San Diego County Department of Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), there have been 300 new Syrian refugee arrival cases since last October.

For the year of October 2015-2016, there were 788 cases, which was an increase of 1,400 percent from the year before.

“We noticed there was an overwhelming amount of refugees arriving in San Diego. So, we started offering them basic needs,” said Nuhaily, referring to the services provided by Heart for Refugees.

The organization started an "adopt a family" program, which has connected 200 Syrian families living in San Diego with sponsor families.

The Inezans have two sponsors trying to raise money to help them pay rent and buy food every month, Kathy Gallagher and Alicia O’Sullivan.

The sponsors said the Inezan family is always smiling, despite their situation.

“It always brings a tear to my eye. They’re such great people,” Gallagher told NBC 7.

The women are trying to help the family fill a $500 per month gap in their expenses.

“To actually see where it’s going towards and how it helps them out is something that’s very fulfilling to me,” said O’Sullivan.

California is ground zero when it comes to the U.S. part of the global refugee crisis.

According to the Refugee Processing Center, 4,763 refugees arrived in California between October 2016 and June 2017. That is the most of any state, and more than 24 other states combined.

Nuhaily said she is witnessing, firsthand, the welcoming so many of these families need.

“They’re receiving so much support from Americans whether it be moral or financial, or just letting them know they’re loved and that what they went through is not okay," she added.

A GoFundMe fundraising page has been established for the Inezan family. To learn how to donate to them, click here.

To find out more about Heart for Refugees, click here.

Voters across the country slammed President Donald Trump’s commission on voter fraud in public comments sent to the panel, calling it “evil” and “vile” for requesting personal data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity's request for extensive information about voters ignited a bipartisan firestorm from officials who oversee elections. So far, 48 states are not fully complying with the panel’s request, according to an NBC News count.

Many officials and watchdogs have expressed disbelief and outrage at the request — some info is confidential or sensitive, they say — and the public comment request from the commission ahead of its first meeting next week was a chance for voters to weigh in.

The comments, released Thursday, ranged from thoughtful critiques to profanity-laden tirades.

"You are evil. Pray there is no hell,” wrote one critic.

Stocks rose to record levels on Friday as earnings season kicked off, CNBC reported.

The S&P climbed 0.6 percent to close at 2,459.27, setting intraday and closing records. The index's previous intraday record was 2,453.82, which was set June 19.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed 84.65 points higher at 21,637.74, a record. The 30-stock index also notched an intraday record.

The Nasdaq composite outperformed the Dow and the S&P, rising 0.6 percent to close at 6,312.47.

A homeless man sitting on the sidewalk in front of a CVS store in Pacific Beach was killed Friday morning when a driver – thinking her car was in reverse – accidentally ran him over.

The accident happened at around 11:30 a.m. in front of the CVS drug store at 4445 Mission Blvd., near Hornblend Street.

San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Officer Sean Bannan said the driver – a woman in her 50s – parked her white sedan in the lot and went inside the store to do some shopping. When she finished and got into her car, she thought she put it in reverse, when she actually shifted her gear into drive.

The woman’s car traveled forward, hopped the curb and hit a man who was sitting on the sidewalk. Bannan said the impact pinned the victim underneath the woman’s car.

He died at the scene. Bannan said the victim is believed to have been homeless; he was in his 50s. His name has not yet been released.

Investigators said the deadly crash was accidental; alcohol did not play a factor. The driver was not arrested and, at this point, Bannan said police would not be filing charges against her.

Eater San Diego shares the top stories of the week from San Diego’s food and drink scene, including a look inside a new waterside brewery that has landed in Del Mar.

Take a Tour of Del Mar's First Brewery Restaurant
Viewpoint Brewing Co. has landed on the shores of the San Dieguito Lagoon, just steps from Del Mar Fairgrounds. The stylish 7,000-square-foot space includes a spacious outdoor dining area and a full-service restaurant featuring seasonal, chef-driven dishes that are made to pair with its house beers.

Where to Eat and Drink During Comic-Con
Whether donning a Superman cape or just cruising through downtown to people watch, these are 12 top-notch bars and restaurants to eat, drink, see and be seen during the festivities next week -- all within walking distance of the San Diego Convention Center. 

South Park's Buona Forchetta Expanding to Encinitas
With popular eateries in South Park and Liberty Station, Italian food specialists Buona Forchetta are planning another expansion, this time to North Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas, due in late 2017. The North County location will feature a wood-fired pizza oven and signature menu favorites. 

16 Essential Pizzerias to Try in San Diego
San Diego may be better known for California burritos and fish tacos, but the city's range of pizzas is impressive. From California-inspired creations to classic Italian, New York and Chicago-style pies, here are 16 spots to satisfy even the most die-hard pizza snob. 

Coastal Italian Restaurant Comes to Coronado
Blue Bridge Hospitality, which also runs Coronado's Stake Chophouse and Leroy's Kitchen + Bar, has taken over Vigilucci's restaurant and renamed it Mareitalia Ristorante. The eatery now has a refreshed "modern coastal Italian" menu that focuses on seafood, handmade pasta, and antipasti. The restaurant’s redesign is in the works. 

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The Junior World Golf Championships finished up in San Diego this week and the shot of the entire tournament may have been one that didn’t even count.

During a practice round for the Boys 6-Under division at Colina Park Golf Course, Oceanside’s Jaden Nacional stood on the tee at the 15th hole during a practice round … pulled his 7-irons … and nailed it 62 yards for a hole-in-one.

Jaden, who is six years old, was wearing his lucky PGA Junior League Golf jersey when he made his perfect tee shot. Jaden finished the tournament in a tie for 15th place but the ace is something he will remember forever.

If you’d like information on PGA Junior League Golf to get your youngster started click here.

A man who viciously attacked a county nurse will spend life in prison, a judge ruled Friday.

Gregg Allen Taylor, 57, was convicted last month of premeditated attempted murder in the November 14 attack.

Taylor stabbed the victim, a county psychiatric nurse, as she arrived for work at the North Central Region Outpatient Clinic on Morena Boulevard. 

The victim said "Hi" to Taylor and then moments later she was stabbed 11 times in the chest, neck, and head. 

San Diego police arrested Taylor three blocks away.

President Donald Trump is adding to his growing roster of lawyers handling investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, NBC News confirmed Friday.

Veteran Washington lawyer Ty Cobb is the latest to join the president's legal team, a White House official said. Cobb will spearhead responses to media inquiries related to the ongoing Russia probes and work with attorney Marc Kasowitz, who is leading the Trump team.

The new hire comes at at time when a number of key figures — both inside and outside the White House — have retained legal counsel.

Cobb is a partner at Hogan Lovells, the same firm headed into a Supreme Court battle against the Trump administration on the president's controversial travel ban. He is a relative of the Hall-of-Fame baseball player with the same name.

Lead water testing this spring in the San Diego Unified School District was a very public process. The district told parents and students, invited the media to broadcast initial testing and posted results on its website.

But, before that public process began, the district wanted to see where it stood. So, it conducted some preliminary water quality sampling, finding dangerous levels of lead contamination in at least one elementary school.

The district did not tell parents.

At Euclid Elementary in Mid-City, tests found lead in the water in September 2016, ranging from none to 38 parts per billion to 240 parts per billion, which is 15 times higher than the amount considered alarming by state and federal regulators.

A district spokesman said the district believes students were never at any risk from the tainted water. The highest levels of lead were discovered in an abandoned classroom sink at Euclid Elementary that was never used for drinking water.

“We did some spot sampling at a couple schools throughout the district, at some of our older schools, just to gather some preliminary data,” said Samir Naji, a school district spokesman. “It was basically ‘Let’s just see what we get.’”

NBC 7 Investigates found the district did not notify the public and it remains unclear whether state and federal regulators were notified when drinking water samples tested with levels of lead ranging from 3 to 15 times above acceptable limits set by the state.

Through the California Public Records Act, NBC 7 Investigates obtained lab reports, showing lead-contaminated water at Euclid Elementary School; Sunset View; and slightly elevated levels of lead at Birney Elementary and an unidentified school labeled only as “fountain samples.”

Here are the documents provided by the San Diego Unified School District under the California Public Records Act: 

San Diego Unified Records Part I

San Diego Unified Records Part II

San Diego Unified Records Part III

In February, officials discovered elevated levels of lead at two Southcrest schools located on the same campus on Newton Avenue prompting district officials to accelerate and expand plans to test all schools, a spokesman said at the time.

In April, the San Diego Unified School District publicly began lead water testing at all its schools under a new state program.

Touting itself as a trailblazer, the second largest district in the state invited the media to Horton Elementary to document and broadcast the initiation of its lead water testing program conducted by its water-supplier, the City of San Diego. The district began publishing the results on its website. 

The public tests found 96 percent of schools were lead-free and only four schools had levels of lead that required the district take action to fix fixtures or plumbing.

At the conclusion of the testing, the district held a news conference announcing it was pleased with the results

But the records obtained by NBC7 Investigates show at least seven months prior, the district was quietly sampling schools for lead in water without notifying parents or state or federal regulators when results came back at higher than acceptable levels set by the state.

One lab report shows results for a generically labeled “fountain samples” and the district spokesman did not immediately know which school was tested.

Another sample taken from a Euclid Elementary sink in what the district says was a classroom used only to store furniture showed lead at 240 parts per billion. Water experts say when water sits stagnant; it is more likely to become contaminated with lead, especially from older fixtures.

That Euclid sink was taken out of service and helped district officials develop a testing protocol for the public lead water testing program they launched about seven months later, Naji said.

“The classroom was abandoned,” Naji said. “They took a sample there. It was elevated and even though that classroom was not in use, they investigated the classrooms around it and took some additional sampling around the school and there was no indication of a water contamination issue.”

Naji said no parents were notified and the results were not posted online because the district was sure no students were at risk.

Maria Jimenez, who lives across the street from the school and has a niece who attends Euclid, thinks the district made the wrong call.

“I think parents should have been very alerted to that because it’s something that your daughter or son is drinking and therefore I think you should be concerned about it,” she said.

During the city’s round of public testing this spring, four samples found no detectable levels of lead at Euclid and one sample found just barely above a detectable amount – not high enough to trigger any notification or remediation requirements.

“All of this is being done to protect kids and fortunately in this situation, there were no kids at risk and that’s been reconfirmed by the city sampling,” Naji said.

At Sunset View Elementary in Point Loma, records show the district found 15 parts of lead per billion parts water in one preliminary sample taken from the school.

That level is right on the edge of what is considered an acceptable level to have in drinking water, but in this case, it was discovered coming from a piece of outside equipment known as a backflow preventer. Naji said it was not reaching the drinking sources of sinks, faucets, and fountains at the 480-student school.

In that case, the district notified one parent who expressed a particular interest and concern about lead, he said.

At Birney Elementary, the district’s preliminary testing in September 2016 found lead at 8 parts per billion, which is under the threshold that requires action. Later public testing found higher levels of lead in the water, and the school is now on bottled water as district officials work to address the problem.

NBC 7 Investigates requested and is awaiting further records related to the district’s prior testing, including communications with an environmental remediation firm, Forensics Analytical Consulting Services, about what type of clean-up efforts may have gone into removing or flushing lead from school water sources.

When "Star," a service dog refused to drink blue-tinged school water at the Emerson-Bandini campus in Southcrest in February, the firm recommended the district do extensive further testing, gather data on other cases of nausea and vomiting at nearby campuses, and submit formal complaints to the San Diego County Public Water Utility and San Diego Department of Public Health. The school district did not follow all the recommendations.

NBC 7 Investigates was also seeking district emails related to water quality at San Diego schools just before the public water sampling began in April. An attorney for the school district said those emails have been “inadvertently lost.”

Scripps Ranch High School will find out whether the Advanced Placement (AP) test scores of over 500 students will be released, or if students will have to retake their exams.

A federal judge will make the determination Friday.

San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) filed a lawsuit against the College Board and Educational Testing Services (ETS) on June 7, after the board invalidated Scripps Ranch test scores because of improper seating arrangements, according to a statement.

The district alleges the College Board ruling was a breach of contract, and students will be penalized thousands of dollars in college credits if the test results remain voided.

SDUSD Board Vice President for District B Kevin Beiser said the school board should have administered a lesser penalty.

College Board spokeswoman Jaslee Carayo defended the College Board’s decision in an email, stating colleges expect the integrity of the AP scores to be protected.

“When a high school does not comply with the College Board’s test administration requirements, an indeterminate number of students can gain an unfair advantage,” said Carayo in the email. “For that reason, while we take the decision to cancel scores very seriously, there is no alternative in such situations.”

A test proctor filed an incident report with the College Board after one student was suspected of cheating at the school, which caused the College Board to launch an investigation.

The investigation showed seats at Scripps Ranch High School were too close together while students were taking the exam, and partitions were separating the students.

Partitions are prohibited and there is a minimum distance required, according to the College Board’s seating rules.

SDUSD stated there was no real evidence of cheating but legally the agency has the right to invalidate test scores.

Families were notified of the College Board’s decision to invalidate test scores in June, when students were already gone for summer vacation or working jobs and unable to make the retest dates.

“We were told where to sit, it was not our choice,” said Marissa Barnes, an incoming senior at Scripps Ranch High School. “Now because of that we have to suffer.”

SDUSD will provide free retests, with the first retest dates scheduled for July 17 through July 20, and more to follow in August.

Students who do not take the retests will be reimbursed fees for the first exam, according to SDUSD Superintendent Cindy Marten in a statement.

More AP retest information is available on the Scripps Ranch High School website. 

Frantic brides-to-be descended on Alfred Angelo Bridal stores across the country Thursday amid reports that the company was closing all of its locations by the end of the day. 

Police responded to at least one location in Washington state where a group of angry customers gathered outside, banging and rattling the locked doors. And in Texas, San Antonio police tells NBC they received at least three 911 calls from desperate brides seeking help to retrieve their time-sensitive dresses.  

The bridal retailer boasts on its website that it helps brides "realize your wedding dreams," but by the end of day Thursday the promised wedding fantasy of so many had quickly turned to nightmares.

The abrupt closure of Alfred Angelo's more than 60 stores threw brides-to-be into limbo, leaving thousands of customers distraught over the prospect of finding another dress on short notice. 

"Panic, complete and utter disarray," Julie Jones, a bride-to-be who ordered several gowns from one of the retailer’s Southern California stores, told NBC San Diego. "I am crying hysterically. My poor fiance is tired of hearing about it because I can't stop crying about it."

The Wall Street Journal reports, citing company sources, that Alfred Angelo Bridal hired Miami-based law firm Stearns, Weaver, and Miller to guide the company through legal proceedings for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. NBC has not independently confirmed the WSJ report and Alfred Angelo and the firm did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

On Friday, the company filed to liquidate its operations in bankruptcy court. According to documents filed in the Southern District of Florida, the company lists its assets at $50,000 or less.   

At Alfred Angelo’s headquarters in Florida, employees were reportedly seen leaving the company’s corporate Delray Beach office Thursday “en masse,” according to the Palm Beach Post. And as social media buzzed of a rumored bankruptcy, the bridal retailer remained silent.

Angry customers turned to Facebook and Twitter to vent their frustrations over the sudden closures and the Delcompany's lack of a response

"@AlfredAngelo seriously your closing and half my bridal party doesn't have their dresses. #banruptcy," Jamie, of Pennsylvania, wrote on Twitter.

Ohio bride-to-be Amber McGraw said she didn't know how to describe the "sick feeling" she had paying "for a wedding dress I won't get." She added: "I'm getting married in 64 days and now have to look for a new dress and hope I find the money to pay for it #robbed."

"Alfred Angelo sounds like they won't honor the three bridesmaid dresses already ordered and paid for for mine & @JLynnWorden's wedding," wrote Twitter user Danny Surman.

Some customers say they were notified earlier Thursday to pick up their orders before stores shuttered their doors for good at the end of the day. Others learned of the closures through social media and arrived only to find the locations closed.

Brides who ordered Alfred Angelo dresses say they aren’t sure if they will ever get their dream gown while several customers reported stores were unable to process refunds because the credit card machines were no longer working.

"They said, 'We can't do any refunds, we can't do anything to help you,'" said Kathy Hunt, who told NBC Los Angeles she was out $1,100 for her daughter's dress.

But it's not just customers who were caught off-guard. Mollie Frish, a seamstress at the Alfred Angelo store in Manchester, Connecticut, said employees were advised at the beginning of their shift on Thursday morning that it would be their last day of work. 

"Many of these girls, this is their livelihood and they are without a job suddenly. Are they going to get paid? We don't know," Frish told NBC Connecticut.

Founded in 1933 by Alfred Angelo Piccione and Edythe Vincent Piccione, the company eventually grew to operating more than 60 stores nationwide and selling merchandise in more than 1,400 retail stores across the U.S. and around the globe.

Valen Studios Bridal Boutique, which carries Alfred Angelo dresses in its Chicago store, says it has about 50 orders pending and the company has been vague about what the closure means for her customers. The shop's manager, Erica Janel, told NBC Chicago that if Alfred Angelo Bridal doesn't fulfill her brides' orders, Valen plans to refund those customers out of their own pocket.

David's Bridal, a rival bridal chain, offered brides a light at the end of the altar: a special discount to bride's affected by the closures.

Customers with outstanding orders or who want to file a claim are directed to contact:

Patricia A. Redmond, Esquire
Stearns Weaver Miller
150 West Flagler Street
Miami, Florida 33130
Phone: (305) 789-3553
Fax: (305) 789-3395
predmond@stearnsweaver.com
www.stearnsweaver.com

Over 200,000 people are expected to come to San Diego this weekend for the Pride Festival.

The festival is expected to attract more people than ever, leading some security experts to worry that it could be a "soft target," or a place where violent acts could be planned in a massive crowd.

"We’ve seen a fifty percent increase in the folks that want to participate in the parade itself," said Director of Operations for San Diego Pride, Fernando Lopez.

He added the festival is working with the San Diego Police Department, San Diego County Sheriff's Department and FBI to keep attendees safe.

According to the San Diego Police Department, on Tuesday a portion of University Avenue was shut down near the nightclub, Flicks, in Hillcrest for a report of a suspicious black leather bag.

Police said they shut down the area because the bag was on a ledge and was hard to get to. It turned out to be nothing more than an empty bag. Officers added they will remain just as vigilant during the festival.

"We have security in places that you won't be able to see," said San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman. "We'll have cameras, officers in plain clothing, and a plan for more resources that we can get in a moment's notice."

A San Diego couple was charged Friday with the violent killing of a man who was a known acquaintance to them in Vista, confirmed prosecutors.

"The detectives eventually went to Ms. Chevis' house and caught her cleaning the clothing, cleaning out her car, bleaching the victim and her boyfriend's clothing," said Deputy District Attorney Keith Watanabe.

Shyrehl Wesley, 20, and Sheffah Chevis, 18, face murder charges. Wesley faces up to 108 years to life in prison if convicted.

Wesley allegedly killed 21-year-old D'Angelo Charon "execution style," said Watanabe. His body was found with multiple gunshot wounds in Vista, off the rural road Twin Oaks Valley Road, near Gopher Canyon, according to San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) homicide detectives.

Prosecutors set the amount of Wesley's bail at $6 million because he had a previous conviction for a violent armed robbery involving a gang in El Cajon.

His girlfriend, Chevis, did not appear in court with him and did not leave her jail cell Friday. She is set to appear in court Monday.

Wesley was charged for murder with a handgun, as well as having a prior strike for robbery. He pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations. Chevis was charged with murder, for aiding and abetting, since she drove Wesley to the scene where he allegedly shot their acquaintance.

The couple allegedly drove up to Vista and fatally shot the victim in the early morning on July 12. A man later spotted the body on the side of the road while driving to work, and police arrested the couple later that night.

Detectives said they have recovered what is believed to be the weapon used in the killing as well as the vehicle involved.

Investigators said surveillance cameras caught the group of three leaving a liquor store in San Diego early Wednesday morning. The couple and Charon were seen getting into a car together.

Several hours later, Charon's body was discovered. Prosecutors said he was struck violently on the back of his head, with 40 bullet casings left on the sidewalk.

After the alleged killing, the couple decided to head back to their individual homes and both were arrested less than 24 hours later, said Watanabe.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force are asking for the public’s help in finding a man who robbed two banks in four days.

The first bank robbery occurred on Tuesday around 11:57 a.m., in the California Coast Credit Union at 8002 La Mesa Boulevard. The suspect gave a handwritten note demanding money from a bank teller, then fled the scene after receiving an unspecified amount of cash.

The second incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. on Friday, in the First Citizens Bank at 175 West Main Street in El Cajon. The robber again provided a note and departed with cash.

The bank robber is described as a dark skinned male in his 30’s, 6 feet tall and weighing approximately 200 to 250 pounds.

In both robberies, he was wearing sunglasses and a hat.

Anyone with information on the suspect can contact the FBI at (858) 320-1800 or San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

A small kitchen fire broke out on the 21st floor of a retirement community home in La Jolla, prompting evacuations Friday.

It happened around 6:40 p.m. on the 8000 block of Costa Verde Boulevard. According to San Diego Fire Rescue (SDFD), the top three floors of the high rise have been temporarily evacuated.

The fire sparked when a chef sprayed cooking oil into a pan. The pan caught fire, setting off a ceiling fire alarm at Vi, a senior assisted living facility. The cook was slightly injured, according to SDFD.

The fire was quickly extinguished. No other information was immediately available.

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