Emirates Team New Zealand has established a top speed for America's Cup 72-foot catamarans, hitting 44.15 knots, or 50.8 mph, on San Francisco Bay.
 
The Kiwis set the mark on the first reaching leg as they sailed alone around the course to collect another point in the Louis Vuitton Cup for challengers. The scheduled opponent, Artemis Racing, has yet to race as it works to get its second boat launched following the fatal capsize of its first boat on May 9.
 
The Kiwis' top speed on Thursday translates to 81.7 kilometers per hour or 74.5 feet per second. The wind speed on the leg peaked at 15.8 knots.
 
The team's previous best mark was 43.26 knots, or 49.78 mph, set July 9 in slightly stronger winds.
 
The cats generate their speed thanks to wing-shaped mainsails and hydrofoils that reduce drag.
 

Fire crews battling a fast-growing wildfire that ripped through Southern California's scenic San Jacinto Mountains were bracing for potential storms Friday evening as the powerful blaze raged on its fifth day, prompting a new evacuation warning.

The Mountain Fire had burned more than 38 square miles by Friday, reaching over the crest of the mountains and within two miles of the western border of Palm Springs. A blanket of ash and smoke draped the resort destination.

The blaze was also getting dangerously close to Idyllwild, where the flames were more active than those nearing Palm Springs, US Forest Service spokesman John Miller told NBC4 Friday.

RELATED: Mountain Fire photos | Firefighters Brace for Fierce Fire Season | Hotel Discounts for Fire Evacuees

At about 11 a.m., the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said the community of Pine Cove, north of Idyllwild, was being given a warning about a possible upcoming evacuation order. Anyone who feels threatened by the Mountain Fire should leave the area, where there are about 700 homes, authorities said.

Health officials Friday night told residents in the following areas to boil their water before using it for drinking, making ice or cooking: Pine Springs Camp, Ronald McDonald Camp (AKA Rainbow Camp), Bonita Vista Road, Living Free Animal Sanctuary, Fleming Ranch, May Valley Road, Zen Center, Hurkey Creek, and Apple Canyon Road.

Until further notice, residents should use bottled water, water disinfection tables, or boil their water for one minute and let it cool before using. Officials expect to have the problem fixed within 2 to 3 days.

Residents with questions about water safety can call Zen Mountain at 951-659-5272; Pine Springs Ranch at 951-659-4131; or the California Department of Public Health at 619-525-4354.

Meantime, more than 3,300 firefighters were on scene, and had worked overnight into Friday to "corral" the blaze away from Idyllwild and surrounding mountain communities, pushing it instead to the north.

Some erratic winds forecast for Friday became a cause for heavy concern, and Miller predicted "extreme fire behavior given unstable atmospheric conditions," citing the possibility of thunderstorms. Draft winds could produce new spot fires, he said in a morning news release.

On Friday afternoon, Fire spokesman Capt. Mike Lindbery said a storm front headed toward the region in could provide some relief with cooler weather and a chance of rain, but it might make the situation much more volatile with lightning and strong winds.

In the Pine Cove evacuation warning, authorities described a dangerous "ice cap" that could form atop a column of smoke and ash northwest of the fire. The smoke column could create create a thunderstorm, and associated lightning and wind.

"Eventually the weight of the ice will cause the column to collapse. When the column collapses, strong downdraft winds push the fire in multiple directions, placing firefighters at risk," the warning stated.

The blaze, burning 100 miles east of Los Angeles, had scorched 27,179 acres by Friday evening and destroyed 23 structures, including seven homes. The fire remained 15 percent contained Friday evening, according to an online incident report.

The cost to battle the raging fire reached $10.9 million by Friday evening, Miller said in a statement. Officials had said Thursday that a continuing investigation showed that human activity caused the blaze, but wouldn't say if it was intentionally or accidentally set.

More than 260 fire engines were working on the Mountain Fire, according to a Friday morning report from fire officials. From the air, 19 helicopters, 10 fixed-wing aircraft -- including a DC-10 -- were fighting flames.

A smoke advisory was again issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which said that unhealthy air conditions are likely to occur in the Hemet/San Jacinto Valley area, the Banning Pass area, the Coachella Valley, and the northeastern Anza area. Smoke can also make air unhealthy for people with healthy issues in the Perris Valley area, the the metropolitan Riverside County area, the Big Bear Lake area; and the central and western San Bernardino Mountains, AQMD said.

Evacuation orders had been expanded Wednesday, but several communities were reopened to residents by Friday, including Apple Canyon, Bonita Vista, Fobes Canyon, and Spring Canyon Ranch.

State Route 74 was reopened to traffic Thursday night, but State Route 243 remained closed from the intersection with 74 to the Nature Center, south of Pine Cove.

U.S. Forest Service fire Chief Jeanne Pincha-Tulley said at a news conference Thursday afternoon that the evacuation had been expanded in case the fire took a turn toward Idyllwild.

"If the fire goes over the slopes and makes a major run (downhill), we wouldn't have much time to get people out of there,'' Pincha-Tulley said. "We asked everybody to leave (Wednesday night) so we can secure the area without worrying about folks getting in the way.''

On Thursday, she called the Mountain Fire "the national priority."

Meanwhile, area residents were dealing with the fear of losing their homes. The nearby town of Idyllwild looked like a ghost town after it was evacuated Wednesday night.

"It's grown into a monster that we haven't seen before," said San Jacinto Valley resident Ralph Savory, who was packed up and ready to go if deputies ordered him to evacuate. "We're waiting for the word. Got our cars packed. All we got left is us and our dogs."

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which takes visitors nearly 6,000 feet up steep Chino Canyon, was closed Thursday because of unhealthy air quality due to smoke.

Evacuation orders remained in effect for Idyllwild east of State Route 243, Fern Valley, Trails End, Mount San Jacinto State Park and nearby San Bernardino National Forest areas. Details were posted online.

The edge of the blaze was nearing Saddle Junction, an area where many popular hiking trails -- including the famed Pacific Crest Trail -- converge in the state park, a map release Friday morning showed.

The Mountain Fire broke out Monday afternoon in steep, rugged terrain on private property just off State Highway 243 in the community of Mountain Center, south of Idyllwild (map).

Evacuation centers were set up at the following locations:

• Hemet High School, 41701 E. Stetson Ave., Hemet;
• Hamilton High School, 57430 Mitchell Road, Anza;
• Beaumont High School, 39139 Cherry Valley Blvd., Cherry Valley;
• Large and small animals can be brought to the San Jacinto Animal Shelter, 581 S. Grand Ave.

The fire was about 12 miles from the site of the 2006 Esperanza wildfire that killed five U.S. Forest Service firefighters and destroyed 34 homes. The area has not burned in many years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Here comes the sun, to Saturn? Photographs from space this weekend will show photos of Saturn you've never seen before and a side of Earth you'd never thought you'd see.

Two NASA spacecraft are in position to take stunning photos of Saturn and its rings, showing the planet eclipsing the sun Friday and Saturday. The photos will also show Earth as just one pixel in size, according to NASA.

The photos, taken from the Cassini and Messenger spacecrafts, will show Saturn and its "dusty" rings back-lit by the sun. Coincidentally, Earth should appear in the background of some of the images. At the time of the photos, the Cassini spacecraft will be nearly 900 million miles away from our planet.

"My sincere wish is that people the world over stop what they're doing at the time the Earth picture is taken, to revel in the sheer wonder of simply being alive on a pale blue dot of a planet, and to appreciate the ever-widening perspective of ourselves and our world that we have gained from our interplanetary explorations," Carolyn Porco, head of the Cassini mission's imaging team, said in a press release.

The Cassini spacecraft is scheduled to take its photos between 5:27 and 5:42 p.m. EDT, Friday, July 19, while the Messenger expects to shoot at 7:49 a.m., 8:38 a.m. and 9:41 a.m. EDT, both today and Saturday.

During the interplanetary photo session, NASA is encouraging people to go outside and look in the direction of Saturn and take photos of themselves waving and share them on Social Media using the hashtag #WaveAtSaturn.

"The Cassini team is looking forward to giving the world a chance to see what their home looks like from Saturn," Porco also said. "With this advance notice, we hope you'll join us in waving at Saturn from Earth, so we can commemorate this special opportunity."

Several of the region's top Democratic elected officials held a meeting Sunday evening in the Golden Hill home of Congressman Juan Vargas to discuss the situation with embattled Mayor Bob Filner, and to pick a candidate should a recall effort begin.  

The meeting was called at the behest of Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez and was held for elected officials only, two attendees of the meeting confirmed.

"The idea was, basically, if there is going to be a recall, we should get together and get behind one person. We should be organized and make sure we present a unified front," according to someone who had firsthand knowledge of the meeting but could not be named.

Lurid sexual harassment accusations have plagued Filner since his former allies Donna Frye and attorney Marco Gonzalez, a sibling of Assemblywoman Gonzalez, and Cory Briggs called on the mayor to resign.

Filner has publicly apologized for disrespecting women and at times intimidating them. In recent interviews and a newspaper op-ed, he has described himself as "a hugger" and said that he needs to be more self-aware of his behavior.

If a recall effort were to gain steam, and an eventual vote brought before the public, a candidate with the single most votes wins the office under a recall voting system. So, a crowded field of Democratic candidates could hurt the political party's chances of hanging on to the mayor's office.

Names of those discussed at the Sunday night meeting as possible replacements for Filner in a recall effort included former mayoral candidate Nathan Fletcher, San Diego City Councilman Todd Gloria, state Assemblymember Toni Atkins and former state Senator Chris Kehoe.

Labor leader Tom Lemmon with the San Diego Building & Construction Trades Council said he was unaware of the meeting, but was not pleased by it.

"It's way too premature for that," he said. "As people who represent workers, we believe in due process." 

Congressman Scott Peters, State Senator Marty Block, San Diego Councilman David Alvarez, and Chula Vista City Councilwoman Mary Salas all attended the meeting, but all declined to discuss details or say whether there was a consensus on who to rally support behind. Gonzalez did not return phone calls about the meeting, and a spokesman said she had no comment. 

The day after the meeting, Block and Peters issued statements calling on Filner to resign.

"“The grave and horrific allegations against Mayor Bob Filner are shocking and disgusting, and I extend my deep sympathies and concern to any victims. If these charges are true, Mayor Filner should resign immediately,” a statement from Block's office stated.

Peters' statement, issued later in the day Monday, read in part:

"Last Friday afternoon, I called Mayor Filner to talk to him directly about the very serious accusations being made against him. I left him a voice mail asking him to step down for the good of the city, and offering to help him and his staff accomplish an orderly transition. He has not yet returned my call."

Vargas' statement didn't come until early Wednesday, and he called for a full investigation into the accusations: 

"The accusations against Mayor Filner are very serious. It is of the utmost importance that these accusations receive an impartial, thorough, and transparent investigation. It is my sincerest hope that this matter is addressed in a dignified manner and that all San Diegans display the utmost respect for all those involved. Sexual harassment is an especially cowardly offense and my prayers go out to all the courageous survivors of this senseless act."

Accusations against Filner came to a boiling point this past Monday at a heated press conference held by Frye, Gonzalez and Briggs, who presented detailed accounts of unidentified women claiming to have been sexually harassed and groped by Filner.

Meantime, the San Diego County Democratic Party has called a special meeting Thursday night to discuss the allegations against Filner. Filner did not return requests for comment on this story.

The family of a murdered Saginaw, Texas, girl woke up to another crime scene Friday morning after someone set fire to the family's car.

Investigators said someone torched the family’s car and also set fire to a small memorial for Alanna Gallagher. 

The 6-year-old girl was found dead earlier this month. Her body was found under a tarp, bound with duct tape, just a mile from her home on July 1.

Police still haven’t found the girl's killer and now they’re looking for an arsonist.

The crime scene tape is back up on the Gallagher’s street in Saginaw.

Police and neighbors said the grieving family has been through so much in the past couple weeks.

“It sucks, it sucks for them to have to go through this,” said neighbor Megan Pearman.

At about 2:15 a.m. Friday, the Gallagher family discovered someone set their car on fire in their driveway.  As the car was towed away, NBC 5 crews spotted damage to the front of the car.

Police rushed to the home they’ve become familiar with recently, during the murder investigation of their daughter, Alanna.

“We did find the car engulfed in flames, and we’re currently investigating it as an arson at this time,” said Damon Ing, an officer with the Saginaw Police Department.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is helping in the investigation. 

Just down the street, agents learned a small memorial for the little girl had also been set on fire where a teddy bear and other items were charred.

“The family is still distraught from the loss of their child, and of course, now they have to deal with this.  It’s very disturbing,” said Ing.

The latest attack is taking detectives attention away from the murder investigation.  They’ve been scouring cell phone pictures and video from homeowner’s security cameras in the neighborhood and may soon release some of that information to the public.

“It’s very disheartening.  In the fact, I know that investigators are spending a lot of time in the Alanna Gallagher case, and for whatever reason, someone intentionally set this fire,” Ing said.

“Might be some kids, might be a hate crime,” said neighbor Raymond Rodriguez.

Police said they haven’t received any threats against the family.  Right now, investigators don’t have a motive for the arson or the murder.

Instead of sugary snacks and soda, students at Mt. Carmel High School can use their change to pick up some pita chips and coconut milk between classes.

The North County high school is part of a new pilot program offering healthy alternative snacks to high school students.

Two vending machines have just been set up at the school in Rancho Penasquitos.

“I don't know why they would come to a vending machine to buy healthy snacks, 'cause they're not thinking healthy, they're 17-years old,” said former Mt. Carmel student Raymond Fowler.

But not everyone is a cynic. Some believe the vending machines promote a healthy lifestyle students need to embrace.

“I noticed they were lower in calories, they had some power drinks, coconut water and I was like, wow, this is great after you work out instead of grabbing a soda or chips,” former Westview student Kendall Sczempka said.

The machines are being used by campuses on a trial basis.

They'll see what items sell, which ones don't and then share the results with other schools in the district.

There's no charge for the machines, and 25-percent of the profits go to the student body.

“As to how it will be utilized and whether it will be utilized, I think the ASB kids want to find that out. They didn't come and ask for a soda machine,” said Dawn Kastner with the Poway Unified School District.

One of the machines is actually at the Mt. Carmel track and football field.

The thinking is that the healthy snacks, are not only for students but for everyone using the facility including residents running the track or the stairs.

The Healthy Vending machines help schools meet federal and state limits on fats and sugars sold on campuses.

But the items are not cheap.

Prices ranging from $.75 -cents for 11-ounces of apple juice to $2.25 for muscle milk or $2 for pure coconut water.
 

Preliminary work to remove a disputed quote from the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial begins next week, the National Park Service said Friday.

Beginning Monday, the site will be prepped for repairs, with scaffolding going up. Sculptor Master Lei Yixin is expected the following week to begin the work.

The work is expected to be complete ahead of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington Aug. 28, according to NPS.

In December, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he reached an agreement with King's family, the group that built the memorial and the National Park Service to remove a paraphrase from King's "Drum Major" speech by carving grooves over the lettering to match existing marks in the sculpture, rather than cutting into the granite to replace it with a fuller quotation.

Yixin recommended removing the inscription that way to avoid compromising the monument's structural integrity.

Critics, including poet Maya Angelou, complained after the memorial opened in 2011 that the paraphrased quotation took King's words out of context, making him sound arrogant. The paraphrase reads: "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness."

The full quotation was taken from a 1968 sermon about two months before King was assassinated. It reads:

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter."

Ed Jackson Jr., the memorial's executive architect, told the Associated Press that the lettering will be replaced with horizontal "movement lines" that are already part of the design to show the movement of the central "Stone of Hope" out of a "Mountain of Despair" behind it.

That design was inspired by a line from King's "I Have a Dream" speech: "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope." That message is inscribed on the other side of the sculpture and will remain.

Cutting granite out of the sculpture and replacing it to make way for a longer quotation would have looked like a "patch job" forever, Jackson said. Removing the inscription retains the integrity of the artwork, he said.

The memorial will remain open during the work, though access to some areas will be affected, according to NPS.

PREVIOUS STORIES:

• Quote on MLK Memorial to Be Removed
• Interior Secretary to Address Controversial MLK Jr. Memorial Quote
• Paraphrased Quotation on MLK Memorial Will Not Change: Architect
• Maya Angelou Says Memorial Quote "Minimizes Man"
• Stone Carver Brings Dr. King’s Words to Life

A new pilot program in Chicago has police knocking on the doors of would-be criminals, hoping to alert them of stiff penalties for gun crimes and warn them they are being watched.

The "custom notifications" are part of a comprehensive policing strategy aimed at reducing violence and crime by targeting specific groups of individuals allegedly committing a majority of an area's criminal activity.

"Much of the city’s violence is perpetrated by a small group of individuals, and we’re putting these individuals on notice," Director of Chicago Police News Affairs Adam Collins said in a statement.

Chicago Police began hand-delivering letters from the district commander on Friday to targeted individuals with the "highest propensity for violence."

The letter reminds them of the consequences of crime and "puts them on notice."

"If they commit a crime we will seek the strongest penalties available," Collins said in a statement.

It also outlines opportunities for social services and a "path out of the life of crime."

It's the latest part of an ongoing police strategy to stem Chicago violence. Among the most recent shootings, 12 men were killed and at least 60 others were wounded during the Fourth of July weekend, including two boys shot and injured within hours at city parks.

Chicago Police say shootings are down year-over-year, though. Numbers released this month by police indicate a 25 percent drop in shootings and a 14 percent drop in overall crime in the first half of this year compared to the first six months of last year. Murders are down too, police say, by 29 percent.

"Through a close partnership with the community and our comprehensive policing strategy there have been significant drops in murders, shootings and overall crime this year," Supt. Garry McCarthy said, "but it's progress and not victory because one shooting or murder is unacceptable."

The program is reportedly set to begin in the city's Austin neighborhood.

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• More Than 2,000 Chicago Teachers, Staff Face Layoffs

Hypersexuality is blamed for wrecking lives and leading to financial ruin, but UCLA researchers suggest so-called sexual addiction may not be a real disorder.

A newly released study published in the journal Socioaffective Neuroscience and Psychology measured how 39 men and 13 women, who identified themselves as being hypersexual, reacted to seeing erotic images.

Researchers found that the brain response was tied to their level of sexual desire, and that having a high sex drive was not necessarily an indication of hypersexuality.

"If they indeed suffer from hypersexuality, or sexual addiction, their brain response to visual sexual stimuli could be expected [to] be higher, in much the same way that the brains of cocaine addicts have been shown to react to images of the drug in other studies," a UCLA news release stated.

According to Nicole Prause, the study's senior author, hypersexuality symptoms, such as uncontrollable sexual urges and frequent sexual behavior, are not representative of an addiction.

However, Prause said the study needs to be replicated before the idea of sex addiction is dispelled.

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A former employee of San Diego Mayor Bob Filner during his time in Congress "never would have raised a dime for him” if he knew he was going to transfer power to the city manager in a time of crisis he tells NBC 7.

Humberto Peraza worked for U.S. Rep. Bob Filner between 2004 - 2009 as his District Director.

In an interview Friday, Peraza describes his disappointment after hearing accusations involving Filner’s inappropriate behavior directly from some of the victims.

Here’s the Q&A:

Why did you ask Filner to resign?
I asked Filner to resign, number 1, because I talked to some of the victims. Some of these victims are friends of mine. I should add some of these victims are friends and some of them I know will never come out. I am standing up for them now. Obviously, it was a very difficult decision having worked for Bob for nearly seven years. I think he, at this time, does not have an ability to run the city or be the mayor of this city. When I see the slogan of 'having moved the city forward,' I see it as moving the city backwards. He has, in effect, handed the mayorship to someone else. With all due respect to Walt Ekard, if Bob Filner had run on a platform that he was going to hand the strong mayor seat over to Walt Ekard, I never would have supported him. I never would have raised a dime for him. I don't think people would have elected him with that platform. He's basically turned the strong mayor (system) into a city manager system.

How difficult of a decision was this for you?
It was heart-wrenching. Being someone I worked with for so long, I am hugely -- I can't even put into words -- how disappointed I am in Bob Filner. I don't think I have ever in my life been more disappointed and angry.

What's your reaction to last night's vote?
The community leaders only have a few options for recourse in times like this. The message about due process isn't appropriate. The due process will come. This is a political process. These are our only options - a political process - and that's what you are watching play out.

In your time working for Bob, had you ever seen any behavior indicating this type of problem?
None of that ever occurred with any of the Congressional employees I supervised while I worked there.

Finally, are you surprised by the situation?
No comment.

Peraza currently works as District Director for Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, who has called on Filner to resign.

He's also an elected official, serving as a trustee on the Southwestern College board.

A former Marine was sentenced to death for killing a colleague and his wife in their Southern California home in 2008.

Jurors recommended the death penalty for 25-year-old Tyrone Miller - one of three former Marines convicted of shooting Sgt. Jan Pietrzak and his wife Quiana Jenkins-Pietrzak in October 2008.

Miller was sentenced Friday in Riverside.

Prosecutors say the men went to Pietrzak's house to rob him and that Pietrzak was assaulted and his wife sexually assaulted before they were killed.

Miller testified he was upset because Pietrzak told him he would not be promoted. He said he fought with Pietrzak but did not see who shot him.

Two other men are scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 16. A fourth man is being tried separately.

A Connecticut priest accused of sexual assault of a minor has been arrested on federal firearms charges.

Rev. Paul Gotta of East Windsor was arrested by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Friday.

Gotta had been the administrator of St. Philip Church in East Windsor and St. Catherine Church in Broad Brook but was placed on administrative leave on Monday after being accused of sexual abuse, according to the Archdiocese of Hartford. Federal authorities said Gotta is now living in Bridgeport.

The Department of Children and Families is investigating the abuse allegations.

Gotta is charged with aiding and abetting the unlawful transport of a firearm in interstate commerce and the purchase of a handgun by a juvenile. He faces a maximum of five years in prison if convicted.

Gotta is the same priest who contacted police in June to report an 18-year-old who had allegedly made threats against his school, the Metropolitan Learning Center, in Bloomfield. He told authorities Kyle Bass had weapons and the ability to make bombs and had made references to both the Newtown tragedy and the Boston Marathon bombing, prosecutors said at the time.

Bass was arrested on bomb manufacturing charges in June. He was held on $750,000 bond.

It was not clear Friday if the firearms charges against Gotta were related to the case against Bass.

A firefighter is accused of making fake 911 calls so he could sneak into empty firehouses in Queens and Staten Island to steal money while firefighters were out responding to his calls.

Firefighter Joseph Keene is charged with allegedly making three 911 calls during May and June about nonexistent fire emergencies and then stealing around $1,900 from other FDNY employees while they were gone, authorities said.

"For anybody to call in a fake 911 call when the police department, the fire department, EMS have so much to do is outrageous," said Rose Gill Hearn, the commissioner for the Department of Investigation. "For it to be a firefighter doing it is beyond the pale of anything we have seen."

Keene is also charged with stealing around $50 from the employees' locker area at a Randall's Island facility where he worked, and sneaking into a Queens firehouse and stealing $100.

Keene reported smelling gas in two of the emergency calls, and in the third he called about a sparking transformer, officials said.

Keene admitted Thursday he made the fake calls and stole the money, according to the Department of Investigation.

He faces felony charges for making the fake calls as well as for grand larceny and burglary.

Information on a lawyer for Keene was not immediately available. 

--Andrew Siff contributed reporting

Investigators are searching for the suspects involved in a string of catalytic converter thefts in Poway, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday.

According to detectives, unknown thieves targeted multiple parked cars in Poway between Jul. 13 and Jul. 17, stealing the catalytic converter from each vehicle.

In each case, detectives say the thieves targeted Toyota Tundra and Toyota Tacoma trucks. The thefts have occurred overnight, between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m., with suspects stealing the catalytic converters that are bolted to the undercarriages of the parked vehicles.

The thefts have happened at the following locations in Poway: the 12000 block of Conley Street; 13000 block of Arikara Drive; 13000 block of Frame Road; 13000 block of Robison Blvd.;
13000 block of Sam O Reno Road.

Investigators believe the thieves are stealing them, removing the metals and selling them to recycling businesses.

Detectives say the cost to replace a catalytic converter is between $800 and $1,000.

The Poway sheriff’s station and Crime Stoppers are now looking for leads that will help investigators track down the theft suspects. Anyone with information on this string of thefts should contact the Poway Sheriff’s Station at (858) 513-2800 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
 

Snoopy: A Retrospective: Peanuts creative director Paige Braddock and special guests discuss Snoopy: astronaut, beagle scout, novelist, flying ace, and much-misunderstood pet of Charlie Brown. Created by Charles M. Schulz, everyone's favorite beagle debuted in papers on October 4, 1950. With any luck we may get details about the Peanuts gang's return to the big screen in 2015 and the new Snoopy balloon that will be gliding through New York's concrete canyons during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. (3 p.m. in Room 28DE)

"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.": "The Avengers" director Joss Whedon and Marvel's head of television Jeph Loeb will be joined by surprise guests to dish on the highly-anticipated new ABC series that takes its cues from the blockbuster movie hit of 2012. (1:45 pm. in Ballroom 20)"Game of Thrones": The HBO hit series stars, including Emilia Clarke, Richard Madden, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington and more, will take over the Con's biggest room. 2:50 p.m. in Hall H

"Veronica Mars": Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign the cult television series set in the fictional town of Neptune, California, and starring Kristen Bell as the title character, gets a big screen update. Cast and crew will be on hand for a special video presentation and and Q&A session of this much-hyped resurrection. (11.15 a.m. in Hall H)

"The Walking Dead": Stars Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, David Morrisseey, Scott Wilson and Chad Coleman will join the AMC smash hit's creative team to talk season 4 and the best way to avoid those pesky walkers. (1:35 p.m. in Hall H)

"Star Wars" Origami: Oh come on! You know you can't wait to learn how to craft Yoda out of a piece of parchment. Origami Master folder Chris Alexander (author of "Star Wars" Origami) demonstrates and teaches folding techniques to make origami figures from the beloved franchise. Attendees will fold an exclusive Comic-Con model along with other art from the Star Wars universe. Materials included! (2 p.m. in Room 7AB)

The Return of "RoboCop" and "The Amazing Spider-Man 2": Sony Pictures offers a sneak peek at two of their hot properties. The reimagined "RoboCop" is back in all his half-man, half-robot glory and stars Joel Kinnaman, Abbie Cornish and Samuel L. Jackson along with director José Padilha will provide insight into this eagerly awaited movie.

Last year, actor Andrew Garfield swung into theaters and launched a new chapter in the Peter Parker story with "The Amazing Spider-Man." To herald the next installment in the franchise (due in 2014), Garfield will be joined by director Marc Webb and costar Jamie Foxx to discuss what's next for the web slinger. (4.05 p.m. in Hall H)

"The Big Bang Theory": Go inside the writers' room of TV's number one comedy and learn how they come up with all the science-speak and stinging one-lines. Bazinga! (10 a.m. in Ballroom 20)

"Defiance": The Syfy hit series' stars Grant Bowler, Julie Benz, Jaime Murray and the rest of the cast will discuss the show, the game and what we can look forward to in the second season. (10:30 a.m. in Room 6BCF)

"The World’s End": The director and stars of "Shaun of the Dead"and "Hot Fuzz" have joined forces for a third movie-and it’s “Barmageddon.” Nick Frost, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright will be on hand to unveil their new comedy, which arrives in theaters on August 23. (10:00 a.m. in Hall H)

"Sleepy Hollow": "Star Trek's" Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci bring their new Fox series to the Con for an exclusive world premiere screening. (3:30 p.m. in Room 6A)

"Metallica Through the Never": Join all four members of rock band Metallica — James Hetfield (vocals, guitar), Lars Ulrich (drums), Kirk Hammett (guitar, background vocals), and Robert Trujillo (bass, background vocals) — for the world premiere of the theatrical trailer, poster, and an exclusive preview of footage, followed by a discussion on the making of this 3D concert movie. (6:30pm, Hall H)

A San Diego man has been found guilty in federal court of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine-- and possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it. 

Kirk Borja, 41, was arrested back in January of last year as part of “Operation Carnalismo,” an investigation into the Mexican Mafia gang.

According to federal authorities, Borja concealed the heroin inside his body before being discovered by FBI investigators. He admitted he was planning on distributing it inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Downtown San Diego.

He'll be sentenced on Sept. 27 – the maximum penalty could be 40 years.

Deputies are searching for an unknown man who allegedly entered the bedroom of a young girl early Friday morning and then quickly fled once the girl began screaming.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the incident happened at a home in the 1200 block of Calle Colnett in San Marcos around 5:30 a.m.

Officials say the intruder entered the girl’s bedroom, but didn’t offer details as to how, exactly, he got inside. She started screaming, and he fled the scene. The girl’s mother then called deputies to report the incident.

San Marcos deputies searched the area for the suspect, but were unable to locate him. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Child Abuse Unit also responded to the scene and began their investigation, which is ongoing.

No further details, including a suspect description, were released.

Deputies want to remind the public to secure all exterior doors and windows while sleeping to avoid intruder incidents such as this case.
 

San Diego Lifeguards and the U.S. Coast Guard rescued two people and two animals stranded at sea after their boat caught on fire Friday.

All had abandoned the 50-foot vessel and waited in a dinghy off the coast of Point Loma after calling for help around 7 a.m. officials said.

When lifeguards arrived, they saw smoke rising from the boat but saw no active flames.

The owners along with their dog and cat were picked up by lifeguards and returned to San Diego.

Check back for an update on this developing story.