Custom carved wooden bowls, worth $15,000 in value, have been stolen from a home’s garage in Fallbrook.

San Diego County Crime Stoppers and investigators from the Fallbrook Sheriff’s Substation want your help in identifying and locating the person who broke into a home's garage and stole $15,000 worth of custom carved wooden bowls.

The incident happened overnight on Thursday, July 27 at a home on East Mission Road.

At least 15 bowls were taken. The artist values each bowl at around $1,000, investigators said.

Someone broke into a truck and SUV parked inside the garage as well and stole several items, including a GPS and garage door openers.

Two leaf blowers were also stolen from the garage.

The sheriff's department would like to remind the public to lock their homes and cars to avoid becoming the victim of a crime.

If you have any information on this burglary, call the Fallbrook Sheriff's Substation at (760) 451-3100.

You can also call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to an arrest in this case.

Information on how to send anonymous emails and mobile app tips can be found on our website at: www.sdcrimestoppers.org.

A SWAT standoff in Logan Heights Tuesday morning involving an assault suspect armed with a bat ended with a victim running to the safety of police.

The incident began just after 10:30 a.m., when the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) received a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at a home on 33rd and Gillette streets.

The suspect, an unknown man, was allegedly armed with a bat, and had assaulted a woman, SDPD Officer Billy Hernandez confirmed.

The man barricaded himself inside the home as dozens of SDPD patrol cars descended on the neighborhood and SWAT officers surrounded the house.

A standoff ensued.

Just before 11:45 a.m., SWAT officers could be seen positioned at the back entrance to the house, preparing to make entry. They pushed their way through a back door.

In the dramatic final moments of the ordeal, a woman -- the assault victim -- ran out of the front door of the home, with her hands up.

Police officers ran towards the woman, initially placing her in handcuffs. A few minutes later, she was put on a stretcher by paramedics and placed into an ambulance.

About five minutes later, the assault suspect was arrested, Hernandez said.

No one else was hurt. No other information was available.

A Camp Pendleton-based U.S. Marine was identified Tuesday as one of the victims in the fatal military aircraft crash off the east coast of Australia.

Pfc. Ruben Velasco, 19, was assigned to the Battery G, Battalion Landing Team for the third Battalion, fifth Marines based out of Camp Pendleton, according to the U.S. Marine Corps.

Velasco was among three U.S. Marines presumed dead after the submerged wreckage of a military aircraft was found two days after it crashed into the sea near Australia.

“The loss of every Marine is felt across our entire Marine Corps family. To the families of the brave Marines we lost – there is no way for us to understand what you are going through,” said Col. Tye R. Wallace, Commanding Officer, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, in a statement.

His decorations included the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

The other victims were identified as first Lt. Benjamin Cross, 26, from Oxford, Maine and Cpl. Nathaniel Ordway, 21, from Kansas, according to the U.S. Marine Corps.

"They will live on forever in our thoughts and our hearts. You will always be a part of the Marine Corps family, and you will remain in our prayers," added Wallace.

Governor Jerry Brown honored Velasco by ordering that flags be flown at half-staff over the State Capitol. Brown is sending his condolences to the Velasco family in a letter.

An Australian navy ship arrived in Shoalwater Bay in Queensland state Sunday night to help the U.S. military hunt for the MV-22 Osprey, which the Marines said was conducting regularly scheduled operations on Saturday when it crashed into the water. The wreckage was found shortly thereafter, Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said, in a statement.

Twenty-three other personnel who were on board the Osprey when it crashed were rescued. Three Marines went missing and were later presumed dead.

The Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but flies like an airplane. The aircraft has been involved in a series of high-profile crashes in recent years.

Since 2014, SoundDiego has been tracking the stay or leave ping pong volley between UCSD and the Che Cafe. As of Friday, July 28, the match is over.

After more than three years of protest and negotiation, UCSD’s renowned DIY music venue Che Cafe has officially been granted permission to stay on campus, ending both UCSD’s termination of the Che’s lease and also UCSD’s eviction lawsuit against the venue.

With help from Chancellor Pradeep Kholsa, the university’s four student-run co-ops -- Che Cafe, Groundwork Books, the Food Cooperative and the General Store Co-op -- and UCSD administrators have agreed to a new master space lease.

As part of the agreement, all four co-ops will only be charged a dollar a year with the added benefit of free utilities. The lease allows the Che Cafe Collective use of the storied building for 40 months with an extension opportunity of 48 months after that.

But all of that is contingent (as it has been since the original 1993 agreement) upon Che members paying for liability insurance, maintaining nonprofit status and allowing the university to move forward with safety renovations to the building.

Although the Che has still been putting on shows rather consistently during the legal struggle, music has been noticeably absent from the La Jolla venue since April of this year.

And that’s because, according to UCSD Co-ops and Collectives Alumni Association member Monty Kroopkin, “everyone thought the new lease would be signed by early May of 2017. The negotiations had early on (in 2015) included a plan for the Che Cafe Collective to temporarily turn over possession of the space to admin within a week of signing a new lease, so that the construction work on the Che building could then begin as soon as possible. The expectation of starting the construction work is why the Che stopped programming in April.”

So what does that mean for the punk, DIY and all-ages scene that makes the Che so important to the San Diego music community? Well, as soon as construction’s done, it’ll be just like old times.

Rutger Rosenborg was almost a Stanford neuroscientist before he formed Ed Ghost Tucker. Whoops. He now plays in the Lulls and makes music on his own when he's not writing. Follow his updates on Facebook or contact him directly.

An inmate who ditched his GPS tracker and took off in San Diego was arrested Monday, confirmed state officials.

The authorities searched for 24-year-old Quincy Crawford, who fled the Male Community Re-entry Program (MCRP) facility on Thursday, Aug. 3, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

U.S. Marshals Service officials apprehended Crawford at about 6:30 p.m. in Albuquerque, New Mexico less than a week later. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center.

Crawford will be taken back to the prison in California, and his case will be referred to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, said state officials.

While he was attending a college class, Crawford cut off his GPS device and disappeared, said CDCR spokesperson Krissi Khokhobashvili.

On the same day, CDCR officials were notified at about 2:30 p.m. that Crawford's GPS device had been tampered with. It happened around the same time that he was last seen exiting the MCRP facility on an approved pass to attend college courses.

The GPS device was discovered abandoned in a parking lot, tossed near a trash can at a fast food restaurant in North Park, said CDCR officials.

Local law enforcement agencies were immediately alerted that Crawford escaped, according to CDCR. Within minutes, agents took off to search for Crawford.

Crawford is serving a 6-year sentence for two counts of burglary in the first degree and pimping as a second striker. He arrived at CDCR in January 2015 and was transferred to the MCRP last May.

He was scheduled to be released on probation in April 2018, according to CDCR.

The MCRP allows eligible offenders to transition back into the community with helpful programs and tools. Male offenders with about one year left to serve can volunteer for the program, said CDCR officials.

The facility is not a secure area, with no electrified fence surrounding the location. Inmates live in open houses with staff around 24/7, while wearing the GPS devices, said Khokhobashvili. They earn different privileges as they go through the program, such as going to school, having a job and visiting family.

Crawford will face escape charges and could have time added to his sentence, said Khokhobashvili.

Disney wants to own a piece of the streaming pie.

The company announced during its latest earnings report on Tuesday it intends to pull all its content from Netflix for its own streaming service in 2019, CNBC reported. 

CEO Bob Iger told CNBC's Julia Boorstin Disney had a "good relationship" with Netflix, but decided to exercise an option to move its content off the platform. Movies to be removed include Marvel as well as Disney titles.

It will also be making a "significant investment" in exclusive movies and television series for the new platform.

"Jeff and the Showgram" may be long gone from a local radio station’s morning lineup, but now listeners can hear another familiar voice on the airwaves, filling that time slot.

San Diego radio personality AJ Machado launched his new show on KyXy 96.5 Monday morning, filling the 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekday-mornings slot left vacant in late June with the abrupt cancellation of the longtime program, "Jeff and the Showgram."

"AJ Mornings" features Machado – a fixture on San Diego radio for more than 17 years – and co-host Sara Perry, who was on the air at KMFB-FM, for the past 15 years.

In a press release, Chris Patyak, program director for KyXy 96.5, said “AJ Mornings” aims to be “an exciting and fresh way for our listeners to start their day.”

Machado said “it was only a matter of time” before he and KyXy paired up.

“I’m looking forward to building something fresh, fun and relatable that the audience can wake up to for years to come!” he added, in the station’s press release.

Per his station bio, Machado is married with two daughters. He enjoys competitive running, cooking, and martial arts. He spearheads the “AJ’s Kids Fund,” which helps collect toys for patients at Rady Children’s Hospital.

Perry is also married, and a mother to one daughter and one son. She enjoys yoga, walking her dog and, as her bio states, “making Target runs alone.”

About six weeks ago, "Jeff and the Showgram" was suddenly taken off the airwaves after being broadcast on San Diego radio for nearly 30 years.

"The Showgram" was co-hosted by Jeff Detrow, Tommy Sablan, Laura Cain and Emily Griffiths, during the weekday morning commute.

Following the cancellation, Sablan told NBC 7 that he was proud of the work "The Showgram" had done over the decades -- not only on the air but in the community.

Sablan said he was optimistic "The Showgram" gang would land on their feet and one day come back to radio.

The radio show, formerly called "The Jeff and Jer Showgram," had been on the air in San Diego since May 3, 1988.

For 27 years, it was helmed by broadcasters Detrow and Jerry Cesak, with Sablan serving as producer and on-air sidekick. Cain joined the team in 1992, and Randy Hoag joined in 1993. Griffiths rounded out the ensemble in 2009.

When Cesak retired from radio in October 2015, the program was renamed "Jeff and the Showgram." At that time, Sablan said KyXy had signed the show on for a few more years.

In 2016, the "Showgram" saw another change when Hoag left the program. After that, Detrow, Sablan, Cain, and Griffiths held down the fort.

Over the decades, "The Showgram" bounced around several different local radio stations, including a run on Star 94.1 where a contract dispute took the show off air in 2009. For a couple of years, Cesak and Detrow produced an online radio show from Cesak's garage.

The show eventually found a home on KyXy, debuting its first broadcast on that station on Jan. 24, 2011. "The Jeff and Jer Showgram" was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2016.

The hosts continue to run a Facebook page for "The Showgram," in which they take turns posting messages. The threads are filled with comments from fans expressing how much they miss listening to the radio show.

On June 29, two days after the final "Showgram" aired on KyXy, Detrow posted a message to the Facebook page in which he called the loss of his job "a sock in the gut."

About three weeks later, the group posted a photo of all of them together, with the caption, "Planning the future!"

On Aug. 2, Sablan published a post in which he told listeners that the group loves and misses them.

"There's only so much we can say right now but please know we will be back on the air," Sablan added.

President Donald Trump vowed the U.S. would "win" the battle against the heroin and opioid crisis on Tuesday, but did not declare a national emergency as his hand-picked commission recommended, NBC News reported.

Instead, Trump promised to "protect innocent citizens from drug dealers that poison our communities."

Trump also did not announce a new policy in the fight against opioids despite his promise of a "major briefing" in a tweet Tuesday morning.

Last week, the presidential opioid commission, chaired by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, urged Trump to "declare a national emergency" and noted that "America is enduring a death toll equal to Sept. 11 every three weeks."

An early morning Rancho Santa Fe crash sent seven teens, two children and an adult to the hospital, Rancho Santa Fe fire officials said. 

The crash happened at approximately 8:30 a.m. Tuesday when firefighters, paramedics and EMTs from Rancho Santa Fe to Encinitas to Escondido to San Marcos first responded to a crash near Elfin Forest Road and Harmony Grove Road. 

When officials first arrived on the scene, they found that an SUV with seven teenagers inside had flipped onto its side. 

Another SUV struck the car, officials said. A woman and two children were inside. 

All victims were able to get themselves out of the cars safely. 

The victims were taken to local hospitals with injuries ranging from moderate to critical, fire officials said. 

The road was shut down in both directions while crews worked to help the victims and cleared the scene. 

California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials are investigating. 

No further information is available. 

Deputies asked the public Tuesday to help find a man who spent more than $500 on a credit card stolen from a gym locker in Santee.

The suspect is accused of burglary and credit card fraud, according to Crime Stoppers.

On May 6, the suspect bought several items worth more than $500 at a CVS store just after midnight. It happened at Mission George Road in Santee.

The credit card was allegedly stolen from a wallet inside a secured locker at the 24 Hour Fitness near the pharmacy, said Crime Stopper officials.

About a month later, the suspect stole another victim's wallet from a secured locker at the same gym. Deputies said it happened between 11:10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on June 10.

After stealing the second wallet, the suspect bought a $500 gift card from the Walgreen's located on Mission Gorge Road. He then tried to use the same credit card at a nearby CVS store, but it was already deactivated.

Deputies from the Santee Sheriff's Station described the suspect as a man between age 30 and 40, with a medium build and dark hair. He was wearing shorts, a t-shirt and tennis shoes or sandals. He was seen driving a dark-colored sedan.

A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest. Call the Santee Sheriff's Station at (619)956-4000 or the Crime Stoppers' anonymous tip line at (888)580-8477.

Airbnb has deleted accounts of users who booked accommodations to attend an upcoming the far-right political rally, "Unite the Right."

The Daily Stormer, a white supremacy website, had organized a series of large gatherings rally through the home-sharing site, Airbnb told NBC News. Concerned Airbnb users flagged the thread, leading the company to investigate potential violations of its user contract which calls for unbiased hospitality.

Airbnb said they decided to remove the far-right lodgers because they were "pursuing behavior on the platform that would be to the Airbnb Community Commitment."

Jason Kessler, organizer of the "Unite the Right" rally and self-described "pro-white" activist, said Airbnb's blocking of certain users is "outrageous and should be grounds for a lawsuit." 

Clay Hansen, the executive director of the nonpartisan Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression in Charlottesville, said Airbnb'schoice to terminate accounts does not violate the First Amendment.

"I would say that while Airbnb's actions wouldn't necessarily comport with general free speech principles, they are a private company and are entitled to enact and enforce their terms of service as they see fit," Hansen told NBC News.

The rally, scheduled to take place Saturday, Aug. 12, in Charlottesville, Virginia, is shaping up to be the "the largest hate-gathering of its kind in decades," according to Southern Poverty Law Center.

As of Tuesday, Aug. 8, almost 700 people said they were attending and another 1200 showed interest in the event on its Facebook link. The rally aims to "to affirm the right of Southerners and white people to organize for their interests."

"It the racial targeting of white people for their ethnic advocacy," Kessler wrote in an email to NBC. "Would Airbnb cancel the service of black nationalists or Black Lives Matter activists for their social media activity? Of course not!"

White supremacists gathered in Charlottesville in May to protest the removal of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's statue. They chanted "All White Lives Matter" while carrying torches. Klu Klux Klan members also protested there in July for the same cause.

The statue has not yet been taken down, but Charlottesville has gained the reputation for hosting white nationalism rallies. 

North Korea said on Wednesday it is "carefully examining" a plan to strike the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam with missiles, according to a Reuters report.

The news came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump told the North that any threat to the United States would be met with "fire and fury."

A spokesman for the Korean People's Army, in a statement carried by the North's state-run KCNA news agency, said the strike plan will be "put into practice in a multi-current and consecutive way any moment" once leader Kim Jong Un makes a decision. 

In another statement citing a different military spokesman, North Korea also said it could carry out a pre-emptive operation if the U.S. showed signs of provocation.

This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.

This year’s “banner bloom” at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park was one for the books and if you captured pretty pictures of Mother Nature at work, now is your chance to share them.

The Anza-Borrego Foundation, in partnership with Borrego Art Institute and Kesling’s Kitchen, recently launched the 2018 Anza-Borrego Desert Photo Contest to find incredible photos of views, blooms, and memories taken by visitors to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (ABDSP).

The theme of the contest focuses on the unique and natural beauty of the park. Submissions will be accepted in across six categories: plants of ABDSP; desert bighorn sheep of ABDSP; animals (not sheep) of ABDSP; landscapes of ABDSP; people enjoying ABDSP; black & white photos of ABDSP.

All photos must be taken within the boundaries of the park; the deadline for digital submissions is 12 p.m. on Dec. 1. Contestants can submit up to 10 photographs for the contest, across different categories.

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According to the competition rules, judges will conduct an initial review of the submissions and choose approximately 200 photos to move onto the next round. Those photographers will then have to submit a printed version of their work, along with a $5 entry fee.

Judges will conduct a final review of the prints in early 2018. On Feb. 3, 2018, judges will make their critiques, choose the winners and award first, second and third-place ribbons and a grand prize to the “Best in Show.”

All winners will receive a one-year gift membership to Anza-Borrego Foundation; the winning photos and honorable mentions will be displayed at Borrego Art Institute from Feb. 3 through Feb. 28, 2018.

There will also be a voting period open to the public for the “People’s Choice” winners in each category, from Dec. 20 through Jan. 26, 2018. The work of those winners will be featured in the Anza-Borrego Foundation’s social media.

NBC 7 saw many breathtaking photographs of ABDSP earlier this year -- around late February to mid-March -- during the park's famous "Desert Bloom" season.

This year, thanks to a perfect a trifecta of healthy rainfall and mild temperature and winds, the desert saw a vibrant "Super Bloom" that brought forth colorful fields of yellow, white and pink wildflowers.

Just before the season began, NBC 7 spoke with Ernie Cowan, president of the Anza-Borrego Foundation (ABF), about the blooming process and he said it was "all coming together."

Cowan said the western edges of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park – the Badlands – is always well-known wildflower zone, as well as Henderson Canyon Road, and Di Giorgio Road.

For big horn sheep sightings, he recommended the mild, 3-mile walk or hike along Borrego Palm Canyon.

Anza-Borrego State Park, the largest state park in California, is located about 90 miles east of downtown San Diego. One-fifth of the park lies in San Diego County, while the rest lies in Imperial and Riverside counties, spanning Borrego Springs and Shelter Valley. 

"The only time as an adult that I have cried was when I left the gate of Camp Lejeune," Bill Barrons, a San Diego-based World War II veteran, said.

Barrons looks back fondly on his days in the United States Marine Corps. He joined toward the end of World War II, but now, the 91-year-old vet said he’s on another mission. 

“She will not allow me to fly my flag,” Barrons said. 

For more than 10 years, Barrons said he’s been flying an American flag outside his 11th-floor apartment on State Street in downtown San Diego.

But recently, Barrons said he received a letter from his apartment complex asking him to clean his balcony and bring in his flag. 

“The flag is a reasonable thing to fly if you have any patriotism in your bones, and I do,” he said. 

Barrons said he appealed to the owner of the building but when he didn’t receive a reply, he contacted NBC 7 Responds for help. 

After talking with Barrons, NBC 7 Responds reached out to the building manager who put us in contact with the company that manages the property, G&K Management out of Culver City, California.

The property management company told NBC 7 Responds they met with Barrons and figured out a way he could fly his flag without modifying the building’s structure or impacting the residents living below.

“I got my flag up so I’m a really happy camper now,” Bill said. 

NBC 7 Responds consulted with a tenant rights expert who explained there is no law allowing renters to fly an American flag if their landlord said no. The Freedom to Display the American Flag Act, passed in 2006, only applies to home or property owners. 

To read more about the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act, click here. 

Despite his public criticism of the special counsel's investigation into Russian ties, President Donald Trump has sent friendly private messages to the counsel's office through lawyers, NBC News reported.

The exchanges were first reported by USA Today. Trump’s chief counsel John Dowd told the paper that Trump’s team has passed along messages of "appreciation and greetings" to special counsel Robert Mueller.

Such gestures are seen as not very common.

Trump has repeatedly denied campaign collusion with Russia and has slammed the investigation as a "witch hunt" against him. Trump was heavily scrutinized for citing the Russia investigation as a reason he fired former FBI Director James Comey.

A San Diego man has been identified as the drowning victim pulled from white water rapids in Fresno County's Kings River, Fresno Sheriff officials said. 

Luca Chiarabini, 47, reportedly went missing around 9 a.m. on Thursday near the river, by Yucca Point, northeast of Hume Lake. 

Chiarabini and two friends parked at Yucca Point and hiked down to a trailhead, where they crossed the river and camped overnight, deputies learned. 

After camping, the group went back to cross the river. 

Chiarabini chose to pass first as the others stayed back to the shore. 

To cross the river, Chiarabini wore a helmet, wetsuit and fins, but no life jacket, his friends told investigators. He tied himself to a rope and secured it to a nearby rock.

As he swam across the river, deputies said, the current overwhelmed him. The current carried Chiarabini into the rapids and took him downstream, away from his friends. 

One of the hikers activated his emergency beacon, equipped with inReach satellite technology, which called Sheriff's deputies to respond. 

Sheriff's deputies, California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Search and Rescue officials (SAR) launched a search in the area.

Around 9:50 a.m., deputies operating the department's helicopter found Chiarabini submerged underwater. SAR officials conducted a rescue and recovery plan through white water rapids to recover Chiarabini's body. 

Deputies warn anyone heading to the area that the water in Kings River moves faster this year than in years past. 

Deputies ask those heading to the area to make good judgment calls, to avoid anything outside your experience level and to wear a life jacket.

Starbucks held on-the-spot interviews to hire refugees in El Cajon Tuesday.

The coffee company said they are committed to helping refugees find work.

Dozens of people from Syria, Somalia and other countries throughout the middle east and Africa came out to interview at the International Rescue Committee office on Main Street.

"I came here from Afghanistan a month ago and I am hoping to be an employee of Starbucks," said Ali Arman, who added he came to San Diego with his family to escape violence.

About 30 Starbucks managers were present at the event to help with hiring. Applicants needed to have work authorization and will go through the same review and background check as other potential employees, according to the company.

Some locals expressed concern on social media over the hiring event, saying it could take away jobs from more qualified candidates.

"If they are pushing to hire refugees they might discriminate against other applicants," said one commenter.

Starbucks said the goal is to hire 10,000 refugees globally by 2022.

The embattled leader of San Diego's Regional Planning Agency, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), will retire by the end of the calendar year, the agency announced Tuesday.

The announcement comes amid recent scandal at the agency. SANDAG is under fire after an independent investigation found the agency showed a "severe lack of judgment" in responding to staff concerns about "Measure A" revenue projections.

In a statement, Gallegos explained why he was retiring. 

“While retirement has been on my mind for some time, my goal during the last few months has been to help

The independent investigation Gallegos referenced came after a series of revelations from Voice of San Diego that the staff knew revenue forecasts were incorrect months before their Measure A was put on the ballot. But SANDAG went forward with the incorrect projection anyway.

Measure A was a proposed half-cent tax for a period of 40 years. According to the measure, a portion of the funds raised would have gone to specific transit projects throughout the county.

The report also said there was no intent to mislead the public.

In emails sent to NBC 7 Investigates and the Voice of San Diego, board members said they were not informed of errors in the agency’s economic forecast, which were used to create revenue expectations for both Measure A and the agency’s existing sales tax, 

However, obtained emails show For more information about that, read the NBC 7 Investigates story here.

The report led to calls, by some, saying Gallegos should resign. He has overseen the agency since 2001.

Gallegos told the Union-Tribune that his retirement had been in the works for a while, and stepping down gives others the chance to lead. 

The goals he set out to achieve have now been achieved, Gallegos said in a statement.  

“Moving forward, with the Board’s support my intention is to work hard at keeping this organization focused on all of our very important initiatives and give the Board of Directors time to consider next steps,” Gallegos said.

The El Segundo community has raised over $5,000 to support a high school valedictorian whose college fund was stolen while she and her parents were away for her freshman orientation.

When Kristin Villanueva, 17, returned home from orientation at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and saw her room had been rummaged through, her excitement for college quickly dissipated.

The $2,000 Villanueva earned from tutoring over the past four years, money that was supposed to go towards tuition and textbooks during her first quarter at Cal Poly SLO, was stolen.

"She would rush from going to her internships, coming back to tutor, and sometimes not eating lunch because she's so busy with school work and engineering club, robotics until eight, nine at night," said her mother, Jane Kihara. "She worked hard for it, every penny."

When the El Segundo Police Officers' Association heard about what happened to Villanueva, they started a GoFundMe page for her. In less than 10 days, they raised more than double the amount of her original college fund.

"She's helped tutor kids in the city, saved up all her money, she's the valedictorian — we felt (she's) someone who's done everything right her entire life, and something terrible happened to her," said Joseph Cameron, an El Segundo Police Department officer. "We felt we could step in and help out."

Villanueva says the community's kindness has boosted her inspiration to do well in school and beyond so she can give back to the place that has given her so much.