Police are investigating a home invasion case involving teenager who claims he was locked in a closet by three masked suspects that entered his home and stole his hats in San Diego’s University City area.

The 16-year-old boy called police just after 2 p.m. Friday to report the incident. Officers made their way to the teen’s home in the 7100 block of Cather Court, near Governor Drive, to investigate.

The teen told police three masked intruders allegedly entered his home, and at least one of them was armed with a baseball bat.

According to the teenager, the suspects locked him inside a closet while they stole his baseball hats and tagged his walls with graffiti. The teen said he was in the closet for about 15 minutes before calling police.

The incident is under investigation. Check back for updates.
 

It’s the first weekend in August, and San Diego is continuing summer fun with plenty of incredible events.

From beer festivals to film screenings, so what’s happening below:

Thursday, Aug. 1

Flicks on the Bricks
7:30 p.m. at 1008 Wall St.
The Athenaeum begins its film and wine series this weekend when it shows “The Big Sleep” on its big screen. Tickets are $17 for members, $22 for nonmembers.

Friday, Aug. 2

Latin American Festival
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Juan and Taylor streets
Authentic, hand-painted Mata Ortiz Pottery, colorful Mexican folk art and vibrant artisan jewelry will be just some of the artwork featured throughout the weekend at the Bazaar del Mundo Shops in Old Town.

Saturday, Aug. 3

Chargers FanFest
10 a.m. at Qualcomm Stadium
Chargers fans cab get their football fix this weekend at the 2013 FanFest. Players will sign autographs, the Chargers Girls will make their debut and fans can purchase tickets for the upcoming season.

Food Truck Festival
noon to 6 p.m. at Del Mar Fairgrounds
More than 50 food trucks will drive into the racetrack this Saturday with bites costing between $4-8. Plus there’s also plenty of craft beer to pair with your grub. The event is included with track admission.

El Dorado Craft Beer and Cocktail Showcase
4- 8 p.m. at 1030 Broadway
Enjoy some of San Diego’s best brews and cocktails served by local mixologists. Live music and an art exhibition will keep you entertained as you sip suds.

Food and Wine Classic
5-9 p.m. at 1000 Gunpowder Point Dr.
The Living Coast Discovery Center is hosting its annual fundraiser complete with delicious fare and gourmet wines. Tickets start at $50.

Art a la Carte
5-8 p.m. at La Jolla Village Drive
The Aventine is hosting its monthly free event with special guest from ArtHatch, a group of young talented artists who will be showing off their latest works.

America’s Finest Film Festival
5-8 p.m. at 5998 Alcalá Park, University of San Diego
This unique film festival is debuting 20 short films at Warren Auditorium on Saturday as part of The 1 to 1 Movement, which highlights the beauty of San Diego. Tickets start at $11.

Sunday, Aug. 4

SuperGirl Jam
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Oceanside Pier
Check out some of the best women surfers in the country at this free event in Oceanside on Friday through Sunday. In addition to the surf competition, there’s live music and free hair styling by Paul Mitchell.

A San Diego Marilyn Monroe impersonator claims Bob Filner held her tightly and grabbed her buttocks when he was mayor-elect, according to a published report.

Special Section: Mayor Under Fire

Emily Gilbert spoke with the Fox affiliate in San Diego and described meeting Filner at a fundraiser.

She was hired to perform as Marilyn Monroe and posted an image of her in costume with Filner on her Facebook page. The photo was posted on Dec. 7, 2012 along with the caption “Mayor Bobby and me!”

She told the television station that Filner put his arm around her shoulder, slid his hand down her arm and then grabbed her buttocks.

She says she usually laughs it off and moves away but said the mayor held her a little too tight.

“When it’s coming from the mayor, I didn’t want to make a scene really,” Gilbert said.

“Now that there’s other girls, he’s doing it to other people I think he should really take a look at himself,” she said.

Gilbert joins eight other women who have granted television interviews in the last two weeks and claimed Filner made unwanted sexual advances ranging from hugs, touches on the knee or on the cheek to sloppy, wet kisses.

Timeline: Filner's Mayoral Career

“He’s very arrogant in the way that he interacts with other people,” Gilbert said. “You don’t do that to people.”

A woman dressed in a burka tried to rob a San Diego-area bank on Thursday.

FBI agents and San Diego police officers were investigating the attempted robbery that occurred at 6 p.m. Thursday inside a Wells Fargo in National City.

Witnesses reported a woman wearing a maroon-colored burka and heavy eye makeup left the Highland Avenue location.

Surveillance images released by officials showed the woman at the teller station. Officials said she handed the teller a note with her demands.

Agents told NBC 7 the teller alerted a co worker then hid.

The suspect waited a few seconds then left without any cash.

Investigators say the woman left the property on foot before San Diego police officers arrived.

Police described her as a woman in her late 20s, early 30s with olive complexion standing 5-feet, 6-inches tall. She was believed to be wearing light colored or white shoes officials said.

Construction broke a gas line in Del Mar, according to officials.

The break was reported around 9:30 a.m. at 12995 El Camino Real. Three nearby buildings have been evacuated and a walk-over bridge has been closed.

Businesses affected are Fed Ex, AT&T, Searsucker, Sushiya, Crami Cafe and Snooze.

Officials said it could be anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour before the gas line was fixed.

Check back for updates on this story.

Three local activists leading the effort to recall embattled Mayor Bob Filner are now joining forces.

Land use consultant Michael Pallamary and activist Elisa Brent joined LGBT Weekly publisher Stampp Corbin in the Civic Center Plaza to announce they will work together to recall the mayor.

"The whole endeavor is unifying to just get the city back to work, and get rid of this reprehensible individual," Pallamary told NBC 7.

Separate notices of intent to launch recalls of the mayor were published after allegations of sexual harassment were made. The group will move forward with the petition filed by Brent and Pallamary.

“We are all united to let the citizens decide,” Corbin said.

Mayor Filner has apologized for disrepecting and even intimidating women in the past. On July 26, he announced he would enter a two-week clinic in order to work on the inappropriate behavior alleged by a former employee, constituents and high-profile female leaders in San Diego including a retired Navy admiral, a staff member for a local university and an official with the San Diego Port Tenants Association.

Timeline: Mayor Under Fire

They don’t plan on spending a lot of money on the effort. They’re asking businesses, industries and activists to mobilize their followers to get the petitions and circulate them.

“If you believe you want the mayor to resign then engage all the people who helped elect you,” Corbin said to the elected officials who have called on Filner to resign.

However, they will accept donations to hire paid signature gatherers.

“Everyone out there, send us some money, send us a check,” Pallamary said. The recall effort has posted a link on its Facebook page for people to donate.

The group also suggested citizens visit the website of the San Diego City Clerk's office to educate themselves on the recall process.

Special Section: Mayor Under Fire

Not everyone wants to see the mayor resign or recalled.

South Bay resident Myra Arfaro told NBC 7 she's more concerned about what Filner is doing for communities than the ongoing scandal. She said she wants him to stay in office.

On Tuesday, City Councilmember Marti Emerald said she wanted to see Filner take time to undergo therapy.  She said she wanted Filner to decide what he needed to do to end the scandal but would not call for his resignation. Watch the video

That same day, Filner's Chief of Staff Lee Burdick appeared on national television and said Filner can still lead the city because he's surrounded by "sophisticated advisors." 

On July 18, community activist Enrique Morones led a public gathering in support of Filner and argued that the mayor deserves due process in court.

Pallamary and Corbin will also appear on NBC 7's Politically Speaking with Gene Cubbison this Sunday August 4 at 9 a.m. on NBC 7.

Up in the sky! It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s “Sharknado.”

SyFy’s popular made-for-TV movie, “Sharknado,” is getting a shot at the big-screen Friday during a special, one-night-only midnight screening at theaters across the country.

Locally, the summer action flick – which gained massive popularity via social networks, namely Twitter, after its cable TV debut on Jul. 11 -- will burst onto the big-screen at three different Regal Cinemas locations.

Midnight showings of “Sharknado” will go down at Regal Cinemas in Mira Mesa, Horton Plaza and San Marcos. Tickets for tonight's showings can be purchased here.

The cable movie -- about fierce, hungry sharks propelled by tornado winds descending on the city of Los Angeles (seriously) – reportedly generated 5,000 tweets per minute on Twitter when it first premiered last month on SyFy.

It stars a slew of actors, including Tara Reid and “Beverly Hills, 90210” alum Ian Ziering, who must face the flying sharks with chainsaws, shotguns and pool cues in order to survive.

Campy? Absolutely.

Fun? Well, by the looks of things on social media, it appears summer movie-lovers certainly think so.

Here's a little taste of "Sharknado," just to see what all the fuss is about.
 

By the way, SyFy announced last month that sequel to the campy TV classic is already underway. The flying sharks will be back for seconds in 2014.

Those running Health Centers of San Diego in City Heights are at risk of not getting a permit on time because of the current scandal surrounding San Diego's mayor.

Timeline: Mayor Under Fire

The scandal surrounding Mayor Bob Filner has become what some might call a bad storm: Calls for resignation, colliding recall effort, and an announcement to seek specialized therapy.

And it's not just affecting City Hall. Some of the neediest San Diegans, who count on efficient decision-making by the City, are affected by government paralysis.

The Government and Media Relations Manager for Health Centers of San Diego Ben Avey said the nonprofit community health center received $8 million in federal money, through a competitive grant process. And for the adjacent parking lot in which patients can park: $500,000. That money, Avey said, is contingent upon deadlines and performance requirements.

"It's frustrating for us,” he said. “We just want to complete this project for our patients."

They're trying to get a permit, but with the scandal, and without Mayoral leadership, Avey said that hasn't been easy.

"What is tough for us is that we don't have a lot of avenues for recourse. We don't know who to call in the Mayor's office. Council Member Emerald - she's trying to help out, but as we all know with the Strong Mayor, he is the Chief Executive, he's the decision maker,” Avey said. “So not having people in the decision-maker's officer to reach out to, makes it more difficult."

More debilitating for City Council and, Avey said, city staff who are trying to make timely decisions, all while the status of San Diego's boss, is up in the air.

A man was struck by his own car and seriously injured at his home in Alpine Friday evening, officials confirmed.

The accident happened just before 5 p.m. in the 1700 block of Camino Del Sequan.

Officials say the man was airlifted to Sharp Memorial Hospital with serious injuries.

The accident is under investigation and further details have not yet been released.
 

An Orange County Sheriff’s deputy is facing jail time after being accused of pepper spraying a teen's pizza without his knowledge during a traffic stop last year, prosecutors said.

Juan Tavera, a six-year veteran of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at the time of the alleged crime, faces one year in jail if convicted of spraying the pizza and ultimately sickening five people who ate it, according to a release by the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

Tavera, 30, allegedly pulled over a 19-year-old named as John Doe for a traffic violation on Sept. 8, 2012, when he noticed a pizza in the back seat and pepper sprayed it without the teen noticing, the release stated.

The teen returned home to share the pizza with four friends, and all five people became sick as a result of ingesting the pepper spray-contaminated pie. He became suspicious and notified the sheriff’s department of his interaction with the deputy, the DA's office said.

Tavera is charged with misdemeanor assault or battery by a public officer and is set to be arraigned Monday in Newport Beach.

He is currently on paid administrative leave.

More Southern California Stories:

• Alert Citizen Helps Save Teen From Rapist
• San Pedro Turns 125 Years Old
• Possible Terror Threat Heightens Alert in LA
• Final X Games in LA Underway
• 15-Year-Old Boy Arrested in "Surf City" Rioting
• 405 Freeway Ramp Closures Begin
• Help Sought to Find Men in Shootings at Cops
• Teacher's Angry Letter Prompts Suspension

Los Angeles left fielder J.B. Shuck might have made the catch of the year Friday night against Toronto Blue Jays when he dove into the stands to catch what would have been a sure home run.

In the fourth inning, Blue Jays’ slugger Jose Bautista hit the ball to the shortest part of the ballpark, prompting Shuck to jump at the fence. Shuck briefly teetered on the ledge after making the catch and then fell backward into the stands. He swiftly emerged with the ball still in his glove.

He scaled the wall again on his way out, getting his cleat caught on the shirt of an Angels fan.

"When it started coming down, I just tried to go get it," Shuck said of this jaw-dropping play, according to The Associated Press. "I don't know what really happened after that. ... I watched (the replay). It looks pretty unathletic, but it's pretty cool to see. I think that's the first one I've ever brought back."

Angles went on to beat Blue Jays, 7-5.

Check out Shuck’s spectacular catch.
 

A company has issued a voluntary recall of a salsa product after three consumers reported finding pieces of glass inside the product, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed.

Olam Tomato Processors, Inc., has recently pulled three lots of their Mild Chunk Salsa and Medium Chunk Salsa products from shelves.

The recall includes three production codes:
 

• Mild Chunky Salsa (UPC 3927759137), production code L12142, with the Best By Date June 2015
• Mild Chunky Salsa (UPC 3927759137) production code L04093, with the Best By Date October 2015
• Medium Chunky Salsa (UPC 3927759139) production code L01313, with the Best By Date July 2015

To find the production code, consumers should look on the glass jar itself, right below the cap and above the product label. The labels of the affected product will say “distributed by Greenbrier International, Inc.”

According to the FDA, the popular salsa products were sold nationwide at Dollar Tree and other $1 stores, including Deals, Dollar Express and Dollar Bill$.

There are dozens of Dollar Tree stores in the Bay Area.

The FDA says no other production dates, sizes or varieties of Chunky Salsa products manufactured by Olam Tomato Processors, Inc., are included in this recall.

Though three consumers did find pieces of glass inside the salsa, no injuries have been reported. At this point, it is believed that no product remains in retail distribution.

Consumers who purchased the recalled Chunky Salsa products should not eat the salsa, and should instead return it to the store for a full refund.

Consumers with questions about this recall can call 800-876-8697, ext. 15918.

A dog is recovering after a city contractor attacked her with a weed whacker at a Dallas dog park.

The three-year-old Boxer named Ellie received about a dozen cuts on her chest after a city contractor attacked her with a gas-powered weed eater at a North Dallas dog park, witnesses said.

The incident happened Wednesday at the North Bark dog park near the Bush Turnpike.

According to at least two witnesses, the worker used the weed eater to lunge at Ellie and a few other dogs when they got close to him. The other animals were not injured.

"Ellie jumped back and yelped. I mean you could hear it hit,” said George Schneider, who was taking care of Ellie for her owners, Archie and Jennifer David.

Ellie's owners took the picture below.

Schneider said the attack was unprovoked and the dog was not threatening the worker.

"To hit a defenseless animal, that gets to me,” Schneider said.

The landscaping contractor wasn’t even supposed to be there that day.

Dallas city spokesman Frank Librio said the mowing should be done on Tuesdays when the park is closed for maintenance.

The contractor, Good Earth Landscaping, has promised not to make the same mistake again, Librio said.

The company sent a supervisor after several people at the park called police.

The worker was immediately fired and the company apologized. It also offered to pay Ellie’s veterinarian bills, give a pet shop gift card to Ellie’s owners, and make a donation to an animal charity.

“I have a dog too,” said Good Earth supervisor Emily Points.

Ellie’s owners say they accept the company’s apology.

"I don't think the company could have responded any better,” said Archie David.

“People need to be aware if they see animal cruelty, they do need to report it, because people do care,” said Jennifer David.

Dallas police Sr. Cpl. Melinda Gutierrez referred initial questions to Librio because the case involves allegations of animal cruelty, which are handled by the city’s animal control department.

Librio said he did not know if the worker received a citation, and police did not respond to further requests for information.

The Davids say police do appear to be pursuing the case and have asked for photos of the injuries and copies of vet records.

Southwest Airlines is facing its first lawsuit over a hard landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport last month that injured 16 people.
 
South Carolina resident Jacqueline Young was on the flight from Nashville, Tenn. that made a nose-first landing at the airport on July 22.

She says in a lawsuit filed in Queens on Friday that she suffered permanent injuries after the accident.

Young's lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein, said in a statement that "airline passengers who were injured are entitled to money damages for what happened to them."
 
A spokeswoman for Southwest says the airline is unable to comment on pending litigation.
 
Federal investigators said last month the plane touched down on its front nose wheel before the sturdier main landing gear in the back touched down. Southwest said then the landing described by investigators violated the airline's normal procedures.

The San Diego Junior Lifeguard Foundation will host a memorial swim Saturday for a former junior lifeguard and PB resident who died last summer in a fireworks explosion.

The “Willie Calabrese Memorial Run Swim Run” will celebrate the life of William “Willie” Calabrese, a 20-year-old man who sustained critical injuries in a fireworks explosion on August 31, 2012, at a minor league baseball game.

He was preparing a fireworks show for the Lake Elsinore Storm baseball game, the San Diego Padres’ minor league team, when an accidental explosion occurred. Calabrese was working for Fireworks America, a Lakeside-based fireworks company, at the time.

As a result of the accident, Calabrese sustained burns to more than 90 percent of his body. The UC Santa Barbara student, and La Jolla High School alum, died from his injuries on the morning of September 2, 2012.

Calabrese led an active life and was a former San Diego Junior Lifeguard, as well as a certified lifeguard.

Now, nearly a year after his death, his family, friends and fellow lifeguards will gather to remember his life.

The memorial swim/run kicks off the 2nd Annual San Diego Junior Lifeguard Ocean Festival, which runs from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the beach at 3400 Ocean Front Walk and 700 Ventura Place. The family-friendly event is open to the public, and will include a pancake breakfast and barbecue lunch.

For more information, visit the San Diego Junior Lifeguards website.
 

A 76-year-old grandmother and her three grandchildren were hit by a car outside a yogurt shop in Pacific Beach Friday, according to the San Diego Police Department.

The accident happened just before 6:30 p.m. at the Yogurt on the Rocks shop located at 1886 Garnet Ave.

Police say the grandmother and her grandkids were waiting on the patio outside the yogurt shop for the grandmother’s friend – a 75-year-old woman – to pick them up.

When the friend arrived, police say she accidentally pushed the gas pedal instead of the brake and drove right over the sidewalk and into the group waiting for her on the patio.

The grandma and all three children were struck by the car.

Police say the grandmother sustained several rib fractures, a back injury and a punctured lung. She was transported to a local trauma center for treatment.

The three kids – ages 11, 14 and 16 -- suffered minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

The crash is under investigation. Police say alcohol was not a factor.

The site of the crash is near the same location where a 25-year-old skateboarder was struck and killed by a car Monday night. In that accident, the skateboarder failed to stop for a red light, was struck by a car and broke his neck.

A driver was killed after his pickup truck plummeted 400 feet down an embankment in San Diego’s North County, CHP officials said.

According to authorities, a pedestrian was walking at the viewpoint of South Grade Road near milepost marker 43.8 when he spotted a car about 400 feet down a cliff at the base of the viewpoint.

The pedestrian walked down into the steep embankment and discovered a 1988 Chevy S10 pickup truck and a deceased man at the scene.

Investigators say evidence shows that the driver, for unknown reasons, lost control of the truck upon entering a left turn in the roadway. The truck veered off the road and plummeted down the embankment, overturning an unknown number of times.

The driver was ejected from the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries. No other vehicles or victims were involved.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Investigators say the license plate on the truck was linked to a missing person reported to the Oceanside Police Department on May 30. However, further details were not immediately available.

The county medical examiner’s office will now determine the identity of the victim. CHP officials say they will release further details as they become available.
 

Qualcomm Stadium has officially gone to the dogs – the wiener dogs, that is.

On Saturday, more than 350 wiener dogs took to Qualcomm Stadium to compete in the 18th Annual Wienerschnitzel Wiener Dog Nationals.

The pooches raced one another in quick heats at the rugby fields at the Q as spectators cheered from the sidelines.

The 16 fastest dogs will now advance to the San Diego finals, scheduled for Sept. 1 on the Del Mar Racetrack. From there, organizers say the quickest wiener dog will move on to the national championship on Dec. 30.

Saturday’s qualifier doubled as a fundraiser for the non-profit organization, Holiday Bowl.

Organizer Katharine LiMandri told NBC 7 that the event was a hit, with plenty of lively, energetic dogs running around.