Six weeks after a woman was found in her backyard swimming pool beaten to death, prosecutors in South Jersey charged her husband with "purposely or knowingly" causing her death and trying to cover his tracks.

Norman Long allegedly ordered food at a local restaurant as part of that effort, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday.

The death of Michelle Long was ruled a homicide after the county medical examiner determined the 47-year-old woman died of blunt force trauma. Her body was found June 17 at her home, which is located on the cul-de-sac of Forrest Court in Woolwich Township, prosecutors said.

"Mr. Long killed his wife inside their home then placed her fully clothed body in their backyard swimming pool," Dalton alleged.

Long, a self-employed construction contractor, is accused of "using physical force to cause blunt force head and neck trauma," Dalton said.

After placing his wife's body in the pool, Long went to an area Applebee's restaurant to grab food before returning, calling authorities and telling first responders his wife drowned, Dalton alleged.

"The information that he provided was not consistent with the evidence," Dalton said.

In addition to first-degree murder, the 51-year-old suspect also faces a count of concealing evidence and obstruction for placing his wife's body in the pool and "disposing paper towels containing the blood of Michelle Long in the kitchen trash can," Dalton said.

Long "became combative" while CPR was being administered to his wife on June 17 and had to be restrained, according to a police report. A small dog was also found dead in the pool when police arrived around 8:35 p.m.

Family members called Michelle Long a loving person.

"She did not deserve this at all, we are broken without her," Michelle Long's daughter Brittany Maguire said.

"She was known by friends and by family alike as a very caring, happy person, a successful business woman," Dalton said.

Dalton didn't give a motive for the alleged killing.

Long was committed to a state psychiatric hospital for observation following his arrest Tuesday after stating he wanted to kill himself, Dalton said.

An attorney for Long did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Long doesn't face any animal cruelty charges in relation to the death of the dog as there is a lack of evidence, prosecutors said.

Fifteen local companies looking to get their goods and services into the hands of international customers have been selected to participate in MetroConnect, an export assistance program run by World Trade Center San Diego, an affiliate of the San Diego Economic Development Corp.

The companies that have been selected, which include two brewing companies, Coronado Brewing Co. and Julian Hard Cider, language translation software platform Urban Translations and cleantech company Envision Solar International, will receive $10,000 in matching grants to cover up to half the costs associated with international expansion and other financial and programmatic resources to support their efforts in going global.

The companies also will be considered to compete in May for an additional $35,000 at MetroConnect’s Grand Prize Pitchfest.

The MetroConnect program launched in 2015. Two cohorts – a total of 30 companies – have gone through it so far. Together, according to the San Diego EDC, they have generated $10.5 million in new export sales, signed more than 70 new contracts, added 50 new jobs to the region, set up nine new overseas facilities and seen three successful company exits.

Companies that have participated in the program include Calbiotech, which was recently acquired by Germany-based company ERBA Diagnostics, and Cypher Genomics, which was snapped up by San Diego’s Human Longevity Inc. in 2015.

Here is the list of companies selected to go through the program this year:

• Coronado Brewing Co.
• CP Global Manufacturing
• CureMatch
• Del Mar Oceanographic
• Dermala
• Envision Solar International
• FoxFury
• Guru
• Julian Hard Cider
• Optimized Fuel Technologies
• Performa Learning
• Planck Aerosystems
• Tioga Research
• Tunnel Vision
• Urban Translations

President Donald Trump sought to have the leaders of Australia and Mexico make concessions on immigration, at least publicly, to improve Trump's image on the issue early in his presidency, according to what The Washington Post reported are transcripts of those conversations.

Trump had calls with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull about a week after he was inaugurated. Trump asked Peña Nieto to consider dropping his public insistence that Mexico will not pay for the wall along its border during negotiations, while he argued with Turnbull that upholding a prior agreement to accept 1,250 Syrian refugees being watched over by Australia would "kill me" politically, according to the transcripts the Post published.

And Trump allegedly chalked up his primary victory in New Hampshire to the fact that it is a "drug-infested den," a characterization that prompted backlash from the state's Republican governor and two senators.

A White House representative could not confirm or deny the authenticity of the leaked classified documents, which the Post published in full, to NBC News. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the backlash.

The White House declined to comment to the Post, which reported that an official familiar with the conversations said, "The president is a tough negotiator" who is "direct and forceful in his determination to put America and Americans first."

Both leaders visited the U.S. after their phone conversations in late January, and immigration continues to be an important issue for Trump, whose executive order to limit immigration from several Muslim-majority countries partially went into effect in June after stiff legal challenges.

Talk of the border wall took up most of the discussion with Mexico's president, even though it became clear the two leaders would not agree on what to say after Trump insisted its funding "will work out in the formula somehow."

In one exchange, Peña Nieto said: "My position has been and will continue to be very firm saying that Mexico cannot pay for that wall."

Trump replied: "But you cannot say that to the press. The press is going to go with that and I cannot live with that. You cannot say that to the press because I cannot negotiate under those circumstances."

When Trump told his counterpart that he wanted to balance the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico, Peña Nieto said he intended to have his administration work to find mutual benefit.

They agreed to work together to combat drug cartels, and during that conversation, Trump said as an aside that he "won New Hampshire because New Hampshire is a drug-infested den."

Both of the state's U.S. senators criticized his comments in statements on Twitter, while Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement that Trump was wrong.

"It’s disappointing his mischaracterization of this epidemic ignores the great things this state has to offer," he said. 

It was previously reported that Trump's call with Turnbull was contentious — Sen. John McCain called Turnbull later to reiterate the United States' commitment to the alliance with Australia — but the White House staff-produced transcripts the newspaper obtained show how the conversation unfolded.

"Why is this so important? I do not understand. This is going to kill me. I am the world's greatest person that does not want to let people into the country," Trump said after Turnbull said it is important to Australia that the deal be upheld.

Trump grudgingly accepted that he was obliged to follow the "embarrassing" deal, but he said before ending the call that the call was more unpleasant than one he had with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the day. It's not clear when the refugees will be resettled. 

"I have had it," Trump said. "I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous."

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, an occasional critic of the president's, said it was unfair that the leaked transcripts were being shared.

"Whether you like President Trump or not, no president can do business if their phone calls are going to be leaked to The Washington Post," he told NBC News. "I hope (Attorney General) Jeff Sessions can do something about the leaking because it's really hurting the president."

One of the greatest moments in San Diego Chargers history came on Dec. 10, 2006, when LaDainian Tomlinson swept left and into the record book.

With the capacity crowd at Qualcomm Stadium on its feet, Tomlinson scored his third touchdown of the day and his 29th of the season, breaking the NFL's single-season record.

He was engulfed by his massive offensive linemen, hoisted onto their shoulders and carried toward the sideline. Tomlinson held the ball high in his right hand while waving his left index finger as the crowd chanted "L.T.! L.T.!" and "MVP! MVP!"

Tomlinson finished with 31 touchdowns, 28 rushing, in one of the greatest seasons in NFL history. He also ran away with the Most Valuable Player Award.

Those magical days are long gone, as are the San Diego Chargers. They officially ceased to exist on Jan. 12, when chairman Dean Spanos announced he was moving the team to a Los Angeles suburb.

The San Diego Chargers will live on, though, through players such as Tomlinson, who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Many fans are still angry at Spanos for bailing for Los Angeles, where the Chargers will play in a 30,000-seat soccer stadium before moving into a stadium being built by Rams owner Stan Kroenke. Some have been further incensed because Tomlinson, once universally beloved in San Diego, has taken a job as a special assistant to Spanos.

Tomlinson said he isn't conflicted in the slightest as he prepares to accept his Hall of Fame bust.

"I'm going in as a San Diego Charger because that's who I played for," Tomlinson said. "And I recognize that you cannot erase the history of 56 years in San Diego. However, I do realize that I now work for Dean Spanos and the L.A. Chargers, and so there's no conflict there. I know who I played for, but now in my retirement I now work for the L.A. Chargers, who, in my mind they're the Chargers.

"To me it's always been about the lightning bolt. And that's my thought about conflict and what not."

But Tomlinson, inspired in his youth by watching Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith, said it hasn't been easy.

"It's been a lot of, I won't say sleepless nights, but tossing and turning sometimes at night wondering if I'm making the right decision," Tomlinson said. "But at the end of the day, I love both. I have the bolt tattoo on my calf, there's no secret about that. There's a part of me that always will be. But the same goes with  the community. I came were as a 21-year-old kid and I left a 30-year-old man. So I learned how to be a man in this community. So I'm kind of torn. I can't have one without the other. The Chargers were here for 56 years and it's hard to just get over that.

"I completely understand how people are feeling. My hope is that one day they can start to forgive. People want me to choose a side, but that's not who I am at the core of my soul and spirit. I can't chose either side. I want to be on both sides. But I understand how people are feeling right now. My hope is they can forgive me because I feel like I'm doing something right."

According to the Hall of Fame, the only other person to be enshrined the same year that the team he played for relocated was Orlando Pace from the class of 2016. His St. Louis Rams moved back to L.A. last season.

Tomlinson played nine mostly brilliant seasons for the Chargers (2001-2009) before being released for salary cap reasons and because his role had decreased. He played two seasons with the New York Jets before retiring.

Tomlinson rushed for 12,490 yards and 138 touchdowns with the Chargers, club records by far. He won NFL rushing titles in 2006 and `07.

He said he still gets nostalgic when he's in San Diego, "especially when I pass by Qualcomm. It's something you can never forget. Those old feelings that I have, they're still there. The interesting thing about it when I'm here, I have a certain smell. It's really weird. There's a certain smell like when I used to go to the game, it was game day. I had a certain smell in the air that told me it's time to play ball.

"I still have that same feeling, that smell, sometimes when I come here. It's like I'm getting ready for a game but I'm not. There's so much history here that I can never erase."

Tomlinson helped the Chargers rebuild after the nightmarish Ryan Leaf years and a 1-15 finish in 2000. The Chargers took Tomlinson with the fifth pick overall in the 2001 draft after trading the top pick to Atlanta, which used it on Michael Vick.

Tomlinson finished his career with 13,684 yards rushing, fifth all-time, on 3,174 carries. His 145 rushing touchdowns rank second and his 163 total TDs are third, behind Jerry Rice (208) and Emmitt Smith (175).

Hall of Fame numbers for sure.

The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a flash flood warning for northeastern San Diego County until 3:00 p.m.

Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. A warning indicated that flash flooding may begin shortly.

Some locations that will likely experience flooding include:

• Warner Springs
• Highway South 22 between Ranchita and Borrego Springs
• Ranchita, Borrego Palm Canyon
• Highway South 2 between Highway 79 and Highway 78
• Highway 79 between Santa Ysabel and Warner Springs
• Los Coyotes Indian Reservation
• Santa Ysabel Indian Reservation

The hot and muggy weather is not just affecting East County; it is affecting San Diegans everywhere.

This last week San Diego has been feeling more humidity than it has in recent memory.

Humidity levels will be almost double in East County by the end of the day.

However, relief from the wet and stormy weather is on its way in San Diego County.

Drier air will begin to move into the region tomorrow, making thunderstorms much less likely and mostly limited to the higher mountains.

High temperatures today will be:

• 77 to 82 degrees at the beaches
• 83 to 88 degrees inland
• 86 to 91 degrees in the western valleys
• 90 to 95 degrees near the foothills
• 87 to 95 in the mountains
• 105 to 110 in the deserts

The two victims killed in a crash with a big rig on a La Mesa freeway were a mother and daughter, both of whom leave behind spouses and children.

According to Timothy Thompson, the son and brother of the victims, his mother, Nancy Bauerlein, 57, and sister, Jennifer Thompson-Campbell, 29, were killed Wednesday when a big rig plowed into their green Chevy Aveo on State Route 125 at Interstate 8.

Thompson described Bauerlein as a “loving wife and mother” of three children and two step-children. She was a grandmother of 10.

Thompson told NBC 7 his sister was also wife and mother of two. She was one week shy of her 30th birthday, which would’ve been on Aug. 10.

He said both his mother and sister worked at the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest on Naval Air Station North Island. He said both women “will be extremely missed” by their family and friends.

Bauerlein and Thompson-Campbell were in a Chevy Aveo traveling on the northbound SR-125 transition ramp to eastbound I-8 at around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when a big rig plowed into their car.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver of the big rig lost control moments before slamming into the Chevy Aveo, as she got onto the southbound SR-125 transition from westbound Interstate 8. The big rig driver smashed through the metal guardrail on the freeway, crossing lanes on northbound SR-125 before crashing into a concrete divider wall and slamming into the women’s vehicle.

The front end of the jackknifed big rig wound up pressed up against the back end of Bauerlein's green Chevy Aveo. The car was mangled, and its rear window blown out and its front windshield shattered.

The big rig also crashed into a family inside a black Kia Sorrento: two adults and two little girls, ages 4 and 6.

The 6-year-old suffered a broken girl and was having trouble breathing. She was rushed to Rady Children’s Hospital where she continued to recover Thursday.

The 4-year-old suffered minor injuries. In the chaos of the aftermath of the crash, a firefighter with the Heartland Fire & Rescue Department comforted the little girl, carrying her away from the wreckage.

News helicopter footage captured the tender moments between the firefighter and the girl. He carried her over to a fire engine and eventually put her down to give her a drink of water. The child was soon back in his arms, resting her head on the firefighter’s shoulder.

The mother of the girls and another family member were inside the black SUV. The mother suffered minor injuries but was able to ride in the ambulance with her 6-year-old as that child was rushed to the hospital, paramedics told NBC 7.

CHP spokesman Kevin Pearlstein said the 4-year-old girl was in a car seat at the time of the collision, but the 6-year-old was not.

The driver of the big rig and a passenger in the big rig suffered moderate injuries in the crash. In all, six people were hurt but survived – the two adults in the Kia, the two girls in the Kia and the two people in the big rig.

The big rig had the Swift Transportation logo on its side. Swift Vice President of Marketing and Communications said their safety team is investigating the crash.

"Our Safety team is investigating everything as thoroughly and as quickly as they can, and I’m told we will have someone on the scene as soon as possible," Cozette Phifer said in an email to NBC 7. "Our entire company is heartbroken whenever there is any kind of accident involving one of our Drivers."

The investigation is ongoing. CHP Officer Ben Demarest said Thursday that it does not appear that drugs or alcohol contributed to the deadly crash. 

He said additional details are forthcoming, as investigators gather more information.

Oceanside police have found a missing 3-year-old child. 

The Oceanside toddler, believed to be with his unaccounted for 23-year-old brother, was found safe, police said. The 23-year-old was also found safe. 

No other information was available.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a grand jury to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Citing two people familiar with the matter, the newspaper reported the grand jury will convene in Washington.

Joshua Stueve, a spokesman for Mueller, declined to comment to the newspaper. 

Ty Cobb, special counsel to the president, said he wasn’t aware that Mueller had started using a new grand jury, the Journal reported.

“Grand jury matters are typically secret,” Cobb said. “The White House favors anything that accelerates the conclusion of his work fairly.…The White House is committed to fully cooperating with Mr. Mueller.”

NBC News had previously reported a grand jury was already involved in investigations into Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser, and Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman.

The rising use of swear words in literature may suggest an increase in support for freedom of expression in American culture, with millenials embracing the trend, according to a new study.

San Diego State University researchers said the study highlights an upward trend of individualistic values. The evolution of how society uses swear words over time captures the development of the ever-changing American psyche, explained SDSU psychology professor Jean M. Twenge.

"The increases in swear words in books is part of a larger cultural trend toward individualism and free expression,” said Twenge, in a statement. She is also the author of the book "Generation Me." 

After World War II, some Americans rebelled against the niceties and constraints of post-war American society. Comedian George Carlin's 1972 routine "The Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" demonstrated his generation's rejection of restrictive speech, said an SDSU spokesperson.

Many curse words have become much less taboo over time, said Twenge. One possible interpretation is that young people are valuing free expression more. Previous studies also support that viewpoint.

"Millennials have a 'come as you are' philosophy, and this study shows one of the ways they got it: Culture has shifted toward more free self-expression,” she said.

Tens of thousands of books published between 1950 and 2008 were analyzed for the study. Using the Google Books database, researchers searched for the seven common curse words.

Twenge worked with SDSU graduate student Hannah VanLandingham and University of Georgia psychologist W. Keith Campbell to analyze the texts.

They discovered a steadily rising trend of the seven terms. Curse words were used in literature 28 times more often in the mid-2000s than the early 1950s, according to the study.

"Forty-five years after George Carlin's routine, you can say those words on television—and in books,” Twenge said.

A recently released report concludes the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) “forfeited the public’s trust” and “lost employee morale” by failing to adequately explain how and why it overestimated the Measure A revenue forecast. 

The failed measure, which was on the November 2016 ballot, called for a half cent sales tax increase; SANDAG made an incorrect revenue projection of 18-billion dollars. 

The report also details an effort by some SANDAG officials to hide public records in an unsearchable file and to delete documents. 

Click here to read a copy of the 41-page report commissioned by SANDAG and overseen by three SANDAG board members. 

Based on the report, a local public records attorney, Felix Tinkov said, SANDAG's action to hide and delete information could be a violation of California law and the California Public Records Act (CPRA). 

“It’s a real problem, this is a government agency,” Tinkov said. 

NBC 7 Investigates’ media partners, Voice of San Diego, raised questions suggesting SANDAG knew the revenue forecast was inaccurate about a year before the vote. 

According to the report, the agency was "already in a panic.” One employee said SANDAG's executive director instructed staff to stop communicating by email and to instead use their phones or speak in person. The report also details that employees were directed to delete draft documents. 

Under SANDAG's policy, documents not deleted within 60-days have to be kept for two years. Tinkov said that is a potential violation of California law and the CPRA. 

“If their belief is that a record or email or electronic document doesn't become a public record in the first 60-days of its existences, they're absolutely wrong,” Tinkov said. 

In an email to NBC 7 Investigates, David Hicks, the Communications Manager for SANDAG said staff believes Board Policy 15 (the section of the policy that details how long documents are kept) is consistent with the California Public Records Act. 

California Government Code section 6200, provides that the destruction of government records “is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years.” This applies to records that are stolen, removed, destroyed, altered, falsified, mutilated, defaced or secreted, according to the Code. Violations of the CPRA are handled in civil court where after a lawsuit is filed, a judge rules on whether the records requested should be released. In addition, the judge can require repayment of attorneys’ fees. 

According to the report, “although such an instruction is permissible under California law and SANDAG Board policy, it should not have been given at this time,” and the conduct, according to the report, “raises the spector of impropriety.” 

NBC 7 Investigates reached out to SANDAG executives and board members about the independent review. They said they will not comment until the report is formally presented to the board on Friday. 

The independent report also revealed the creation of a folder known as “Hana Tools.” According to the report, the folder allows information to remain confidential, but the file was also not 'searchable', a way, according to the report, for the agency to avoid public records requests. 

“It appears that the staff has made some really, really bad…decisions to both hide information and or destroy it,” said Tinkov.

Firefighters are working to extinguish the flames after a house caught fire in Mountain View Thursday, confirmed San Diego Fire-Rescue officials.

The fire broke out around 2:15 p.m. at the 200 block of South 36th Street, near Webster Avenue and Imperial Avenue, according to SDFD.

Once firefighters arrived at the scene, they found smoke billowing from the house. Crews are currently working to extinguish the flames.

It was not yet clear what caused the fire. San Diego police are at the scene, redirecting traffic around the area.

No other information was immediately available.

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

Suicide among teen girls between the ages of 15 and 19 has hit a 40-year high, according to new data released by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Male teens, by comparison, experienced an increase in suicides from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s.

Academic pressure, cyberbullying and undiagnosed mental disorders could offer a partial explanation of why a young person might consider or attempt suicide, according to experts. This is especially true of young people who are gay, trans or questioning.

"At times, 11-year-olds and 12-year-olds say … 'If I don’t get straight A’s in seventh grade, I’m not going to get into AP courses in ninth grade … and I’m not going to get into a good college. If I don’t get into a good college, I’m going to be homeless,'" Dr. Tami Benton, psychiatrist-in-chief at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told NBC10 earlier this year for the groundbreaking series Preventing Suicide: Breaking the Silence.

In 2015, the latest data available, more than 44,000 people took their own lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 34. More than one million people attempt suicide every year.

Men are more likely to die by suicide, but women are more likely to attempt it, the CDC reported. The disparity comes down to method: men gravitate towards suicide by firearms and hanging while women turn to overdosing on medication. The latter has a higher chance of reversal with timely medical attention.

Recently, researchers from San Diego State University found that for almost three weeks after Netflix show "13 Reasons Why" debuted, there was an uptick in Google searches involving the word "suicide." Searches included methods, hotlines and prevention. The show depicts the suicide of a teen girl and her blaming specific people for it.

The study did not provide a definitive link between actual suicides and the Netflix series.

The new data comes on the heels of the sentencing of Michelle Carter, who was 17 when she urged her 18-year-old boyfriend to kill himself. Conrad Roy Jr. died by intentional carbon monoxide poisoning in 2014.

If you are in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting 'Home' to 741741.

A 35-year-old man attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border was found dead near Otay Mountain Tuesday morning, leading to the arrest of a man for human smuggling, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed.

Monday evening, the U.S. Border patrol was notified by Mexican officials that they had received a call from a woman claiming she was lost north of the border. She told officials her husband was very sick and was suffering from dehydration.

Border Patrol agents, the Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) along with CBP Air and Marine Operations launched a search for the couple.

The woman was found two miles north of the border around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, CBP said. Her husband's body was found at approximately 8 a.m. near the same area.

According to CBP, the 22-year-old woman and her 35-year-old husband are Mexican nationals.

Agents were able to link the couple to a group of six people taken into custody approximately five miles north of the border near Dulzara.

All were Mexican nationals, according to CBP.

A 23-year-old man was arrested and charged with human smuggling.

"Due to this tragic result, the smuggler should face the highest consequences," said Acting Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Boone Smith.

A man who aimed a handgun at San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy in Encinitas was sentenced to more than two decades in prison Thursday. 

Robert Parkin, 53, has been sentenced to 21 years and four months in prison.

On Nov. 15, 2016, Parkin was armed with a .45 handgun when deputies tried to pull him over, detectives with the Sheriff's Homicide Detail said.

Deputies believed Parkin matched the description of an armed robbery suspect when they spotted him riding a blue motorcycle near Birmingham and El Camino Real early that morning.

The motorcycle did not stop until it crashed at the corner of El Camino Court and El Camino Real in front of the Pacific Pines Apartments.

As Parkin ran toward the apartment complex, he pulled the handgun from his waistband and "began to point the gun" at deputies, officials said in a written news release.

Three deputies chased the suspect. One deputy fired and struck the suspect, SDSO Lt. Kenn Nelson said.

Even after Parkin suffered multiple gunshots to the lower portion of his body, he refused to follow commands and reached for his gun, officials said.

The deputy then fired his weapon again.

Parkin was struck six times including in both thighs, his scalp and his buttocks, deputies said. Twelve rounds were fired.

No deputies were injured in the pursuit or shooting.

Parkin will be eligible for parole.

Emergency callers to San Diego Fire-Rescue Dispatch waited more than two minutes for a dispatcher to answer their 911 call on seven occasions last week, according to call center data obtained by NBC7.

The seven calls were a very small fraction, less than a hundredth of a percentage point, of the total 4,090 calls the center answered last week. The Metro Zone Emergency Command and Data Center (ECDC) answered the vast majority of calls within 15 seconds.

Calls were answered in less than 15 seconds between 91 percent and 98 percent of the time each day, the data shows.

In recent months, staffing levels in the ECDC have dipped to levels that concern dispatchers, fire administration officials and outside consultants.

The staffing shortfalls are causing mandatory overtime for dispatchers, missed breaks and potential burnout on a very stressful job, sources told NBC 7.

A spokeswoman said the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) is in the process of hiring 14 more dispatchers and improving operations of the center.

Citygate, a management consultant commissioned to study the problem, found SDFD's staffing minimum of six to nine dispatchers was "insufficient by any reasonable calculation to handle incoming calls during peak hours."

The March 2017 report was never heard at a public meeting, and several city councilmembers told NBC 7 they were unaware of the report or its findings until our news report on Wednesday. 

NBC 7 requested and obtained data for approximately the past week of 911 calls into the dispatch center. The department tracks the data in categories of less than 15 seconds; between 15 seconds and 60 seconds; between 60 seconds and 120 seconds; and more than two minutes.

The data can be viewed here. 

Last Saturday, five emergency callers to 911 waited more than two minutes for a dispatcher to answer.

University Heights resident Sam Sahagun said two minutes is too long to wait for an answer to a 911 call, even if it happens very rarely.

"I'd be panicking," he said. "I'd be angry and upset. 911 is what we are told when we grow up. That's the number to call if there's an emergency, so if I can't get a response in a minute of what to do ... What if it's my parent? What if my mom or dad is having a heart attack?"

NBC 7 contacted the SDFD and the mayor's office Tuesday morning for their responses on this story. As of Thursday, both the mayor and the SDFD fire chief declined on-camera interviews.

SDFD spokeswoman Mónica Muñoz sent the following information:

"We are looking to improve the operations of ECDC. We are currently in the process of hiring 14 dispatchers. These individuals will be assigned their interview dates very soon. We are also looking into the possibility of changing to a different shift schedule versus the current 12-hour shift schedule. This would be to better utilize the resources we currently have."

Muñoz added that the public could help SDFD tremendously by not calling 911 for non-emergencies.

"We recommend talking to your kids and family members about using 911 and also having a plan in case of an emergency," she said.

Click here for information and guidance on when to call 911. 

New state data show levels of lead in the water at Reidy Creek Elementary School in Escondido was discovered at levels more than three times the limit set by state and federal regulators.

A sink in the kitchen of the elementary school tested with levels of lead at 50 parts per billion (ppb), according to data provided to NBC 7 by State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB).

Schools are required by the state to fix problems if they discover lead in water at levels greater than 15 ppb.

School officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Districts across the San Diego County are participating in a voluntary state program that allows for them to request free testing to determine lead levels in school drinking water.

The program requires water agencies to pay for the water testing if a school requests it, and then submit the lab results to the SWRCB. 

NBC 7 Investigates has been collecting the data gathered by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and putting it in a searchable format for parents.

Parents can click on this link to find the information.

Type your child's school into the search box with the magnifying glass icon, and if the school has been tested, results will be available here as they are reported to the State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) and updated weekly.

So far, 16 water agencies in the San Diego region have sent the SWRCB water lab results for 439 schools across the county.

Of the results compiled by the SWRCB, and provided to NBC 7 Investigates, about 72 schools had water that tested with lead above 5 parts per billion (ppb). That's the threshold used for bottled water and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration standard.

In the results reported so far to the state, 10 schools had levels of lead higher than 15 parts per billion.

Here's a list of schools countywide with water samples greater than 15 ppb of lead:

• Twin Oaks High in San Marcos, 31 ppb
• Cesar Chavez Middle, Oceanside, 18 ppb
• Ira Harbison, National City, 20 ppb
• Grapevine Elementary, Vista, 49 ppb
• Imperial Beach Charter School West Campus, 25 ppb
• Emerson Elementary, San Diego, 29 ppb
• San Diego Cooperative Charter 2, 38.6 ppb
• Birney Elementary, San Diego, 19 ppb
• English French Learning Academy, San Diego, 35.9 ppb
• Reidy Creek Elementary, Escondido, 50 ppb

Since February, NBC 7 Investigates has been collecting this same data from the state, approximately on a weekly basis and reporting on the individual schools when the results were high.

The results do not include schools that contracted with a private lab to test the water, like La Mirada or San Ysidro Middle in the San Ysidro school district. La Mirada had levels of lead ranging from 15 ppb to 267 ppb, and the district has not yet provided lab results to NBC 7 Investigates for levels of lead at the middle school.

Lead poisoning in children can cause symptoms ranging from headaches and hearing or speech problems to learning and behavioral problems or damage to the brain and nervous system.

NBC 7 is gathering our coverage of concerns regarding drinking water in our special section "Safe to Drink?' here.

A hairy tarantula frightened a woman in San Diego, as pest control has seen a rise in creepy crawlers across the region.

This marks the second sighting of a tarantula within a week in the region. Pest control company officials said there's a lot of bugs around this time of year.

While tarantulas live all across San Diego County, pest control officials said it's rare to find them inside homes. Following the wet winter, they've seen a huge rise in all kinds of unwanted critters including spiders and mice.

Tarantulas are no exception, it turns out. One Scripps Ranch resident was shocked and disgusted when she opened her microwave and came within a foot of a great hairy spider.

"I walked in here and I went into the fridge to get my snack and I literally got this close to it," said Hannah Dafferner, visibly cringing. "I went to open the microwave before seeing it right there, literally a foot away from me."

The image of a huge tarantula looming over her head is now ingrained in her memory. She was less than pleased with the unexpected late night discovery.

"Wait, they make spiders that big here? No," Dafferner said, with a shudder. "I thought my little sister was pulling a prank on me. I didn’t think it was real until it moved its leg."

Her home is near an open space, with the door frequently left open to let the dogs out. The hairy creature may have crawled through the backyard into the kitchen.

"I'm not staying here," said Dafferner. "I'm going to stay with friends this weekend."

Although pest control officials assured the family that tarantulas do not travel in packs, they've still called an exterminator to spray inside their home. Dafferner's mother was very unhappy about the unexpected visitor.

"She was crying and then she was begging my dad to stay up all night with her," said Dafferner.

Just days earlier, another homeowner a few miles north found a tarantula in his garage, taking shelter inside his shoe. He was confused that his foot wouldn't seem to fit inside. Then he reached into the shoe and felt something fuzzy with his hand.

Although Dafferner's family said they were slightly traumatized by the spider, one of their neighbors had quite a different reaction to the incident.

A nine-year-old girl happily adopted the tarantula, and she's keeping the spider alive and well.

Experts say the hairy spiders are generally pretty docile and won't usually bite. According to a BBC report, when they do bite, it's usually no worse than a bee sting. But their first defense is to hide, as the spiders are not naturally aggressive.

A San Diego-based company wants to add a buzz to your morning cup of joe.

BrewBudz are K-cups that can be put into a coffee Kurig and made into marijuana-infused coffee.

BrewBudz also makes tea, both with caffeine and an herbal tea for bedtime.

"A lot of people are under the impression that cannabis is a downer, and that is only 50 percent true," said Kevin Love, director of strategic accounts for U.S. Coffee, helping to launch BrewBudz. "There's different strains of the plant.

The product raises economic questions on what kind of niche San Diego will carve out once recreational marijuana is fully legal in California come January 2018.

There have been concerns from the San Diego Police Department that with the release of new recreational marijuana products, new safety concerns will come up. For instance, officers fear people will be more inclined to smoke marijuana before getting behind the wheel of a car or before going to work.

"You wouldn't drink alcohol before work and that is legal," said Love. "There is a stigma with marijuana. Putting it in a coffee or tea removes the stigma of something that is actually medicinal and normalizes it."

BrewBudz will be available in local dispensaries within 60 to 90 days, Love added.

A couple stopped by San Diego County sheriff’s deputies for a cracked windshield were turned over to federal officials, and the incident has sparked some questions regarding protocol, according to a published report.

Carlos Nieblas-Ortiz and his wife, Martha Valenzuela-Luna, were stopped by two deputies in Mission Valley on June 25, according to a U.S. Border Patrol statement provided to NBC 7. The story was first reported by NBC 7 media partner the Voice of San Diego.

The couple was with their 14-year-old daughter and 20-year-old son, a DACA recipient, at the time, Nieblas-Ortiz told Telemundo 20.

Nieblas-Ortiz said deputies never asked them for their immigration status, and did not issue a citation, but the pair were not allowed to leave. Instead, deputies called U.S. Border Patrol, the Voice of San Diego reported. 

In a statement, Border Patrol spokesperson Mark Endicott confirmed they detained the couple. 

"The U.S. Border Patrol does confirm that two individuals were arrested for immigration offenses on June 25, 2017, near Dana Landing in San Diego, California after agents arrived to the scene of a vehicle stop that was conducted by another law enforcement agency," the statement read.

The couple's immigration lawyer, Daniel Castaneda, told NBC 7 the couple was detained because they had a cracked windshield. 

"Mr. Nieblas informs me that he presented his ID, his drivers license to the officer, and instead of being cited or ticketed or anything, they made him wait for over an hour, and the sheriff's department apparently called immigration on him," Castaneda said.

Nieblas-Ortiz said his two children were worried when the situation unfolded. 

“I can see that my daughter and son are afraid about the situation," Nieblas-Ortiz said. "So are we.”

Nieblas-Ortiz was released on bail, but are still not clear whether they will be deported. 

“I just want my life to be released. We are all in limbo. I don’t know what’s going to happen," he told Telemundo 20.

On January 25, President Donald Trump issued an executive order authorizing local law enforcement agencies to deport undocumented immigrants who have criminal records.

Many living in San Diego County feared that local law enforcement officers would be called to enforce federal immigration law.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department said policy dictates deputies will not stop and arrest individuals based on immigration law.

Ryan Keim, SDSO spokesman, told NBC 7 their investigation in this incident was related to narcotics trafficking and not immigration status. 

“I want to make something very clear. We have a policy, and we do not detain, question or do immigration enforcement,” Keim told NBC 7.

“The Sheriff’s Department doesn’t have the authority or the man power to conduct immigration enforcement,” Keim added.

 Keim said in this case, deputies saw the low-riding truck in Mission Bay, a familiar spot for traffickers to unload drugs that will then get picked up by other cars. 

The car had no gap between the tire vehicle --- "all indicators of possible narcotics trafficking," Keim said.

Deputies are still looking into the ongoing felony criminal investigation, Keim said. 

Being in the country without documentation is not a criminal act the sheriff's department will actively enforce, according to an official statement.

"Deputies will not stop or detain a subject to check their documentation or immigration status based on the appearance of foreign ancestry alone," the statement reads. "Whether they are a victim or a witness to a crime, we do not want our immigrant residents to be afraid to call the Sheriff’s Department."

Residents visiting libraries in the City of San Diego will have a new way to check out. 

All 36 public libraries across the City will have new self-check machines available for patrons, the San Diego Public Library (SDPL) announced. 

The devices come after a project to upgrade libraries, which lasted from Dec. 2016 to July 2017. 

“Our main objective is to enhance our customer service,” said SDPL Director Misty Jones in a statement. “The self-check machines are simple to use and allow our staff to focus more time on helping patrons with library materials or developing new, innovative programs to serve our diverse communities.”

Patrons can select from 27 languages and pay overdue fees on the machine with a new credit card feature. No library staff positions have been removed due to the initiative, SDPL officials said.

Libraries have reported an increase of at least 80 percent in patron usage rate with the new technology, according to the SDPL.

The SDPL also reported seven million patrons over the past year, a 20 percent increase in the last five years.

The increase correlates with the millennial generation’s growing interest in the availability computer and internet, 3-D printers and free courses in subjects like computer coding and virtual reality, according to a recent Pew Research study.

Besides the self-check machines, new security gates were installed at several locations. The staff has also able to tag about 2.6 million library materials with new identification microchips to catalog and track items, which replaced the old barcode method.

Each library was closed for two weeks at a time as the updates were installed. The project was made possible through donations to the SDPL Matching Equipment fund and California State Library grants, according to SDPL.