The elections that saw a surge of women running, especially Democratic women pushed forward by antipathy toward President Donald Trump, got off to a promising start for breaking barriers with the first result to be recorded: the territory of Guam chose Democrat Lou Leon Guerrero as its first female governor.

By early Wednesday morning, the results for the U.S. House were historic: at least 89 women had won seats, beating the record of 84 in the current session. Like Guerrero, women also won victories in governor's and U.S. Senate races.

When the first flip of a House seat of the night came, from Republican to Democrat, it was in a Virginia race where state Sen. Jennifer Wexton defeated the two-term GOP incumbent, Barbara Comstock. The second Democratic gain went to a woman too: Donna Shalala, secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton, beat Republican Maria Elvira Salazar to replace Republican Rep. Ileana Pos-Lehtinen.

By the end of the night, Democrats had taken control of the House.

Other firsts among Democratic women: Sharice Davids became the first gay, Native-American congresswoman in Kansas while in New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest woman elected to Congress at 29. The first Muslim-American women were elected, Rashida Tlaib in Michigan and Ilhan Omar in Minnesota. Pennsylvania went from having no women in its delegation to having four. A surprise win came in in Oklahoma where Kendra Horn won what was thought a safe House seat for Republicans.

In the governor's races, Laura Kelly beat Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach in Kansas and Gretchen Whitmer won in Michigan. In New Mexico,  Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham was projected to become the first Democratic Hispanic woman to be elected governor.

Among Republicans, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, was elected Tennessee’s first woman U.S. senator. In the gubernatorial races, Republican Kay Ivey retained her seat in Alabama.

"We’re seeing this pretty important shift in the makeup, especially on the Democratic side, in terms of the leadership and who are going to be the rising stars in that party," said Eric Schickler, the Jeffrey & Ashley McDermott Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. "I do think that is one of the noteworthy shifts. Whenever there’s an open seat or a potential vulnerable Republican, female candidates did really well, probably mobilized in part by anger over Trump. And I expect to see that continue."

But some incumbents suffered losses. Senators Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota and Claire McCaskill in Missouri, Democrats serving in red states, came up short.

Challenger Amy McGrath, a former fighter pilot, lost in Kentucky.

A record number of women ran for office this year: 237 women for the House, up from 167 four years ago, and 23 women for the Senate, beating 2012’s record of 18, according to The Center for American Women and Politics, a division of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Sixteen women ran for governor.

Democrats led in nominations: 77 percent of women in the House, Senate and governor’s races.

Among progressive Democratic women, the 2016 presidential election appeared to have been a catalyst, said Kelly Dittmar, the center’s Gender Watch 2018 project director.

“Even if they were already engaged in politics in other ways, their sense of urgency for making their voice heard in politics was even greater after the 2016 election,” she said. “Because — not just Donald Trump specifically, I think he’s often given credit in this — but more generally that it was going to be a Republican controlled government.”

They competed to preserve health care, preserve environmental regulations and push back against other parts of the Republican agenda, she said. Many were first time candidates who worried less than women before them about having all of the right experience and credentials. Trump’s success, against Hillary Clinton, a candidate with more government qualifications, may have convinced them to dive in, Dittmar said.

Early results from the NBC News Exit Poll showed a divide between the parties on the importance of electing more women to public office. Some 46 percent of voters said it was very important for more women to be elected; among them a large majority of Democrats, but just 18 percent of Republicans and 41 percent of independents.

Another window into voters’ positions was their view of the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, accused on sexual misconduct, to the U.S. Supreme Court. Voters were more likely to oppose than support his appointment, 48 percent to 43 percent, and women even more so, 53 percent to 37 percent in support. Men on the other hand supported it 50 percent to 44 percent against.

Sierra Jackson contributed to this story.

Nathan Fletcher is leading over Bonnie Dumanis in their race for the District 2 seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, according to preliminary results.

"I do believe we can make change," Fletcher said. "We’re beginning to point our county in a new direction. We’re beginning to talk about issues that clearly the voter of San Diego want to see addressed."

Fletcher’s wife, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, is leading in her own race for State Assembly 80th District, according to preliminary results.

She called her husband’s race a “blowout.”

Two board seats were up for grabs from Districts 4 and 5.

The candidates included Bonnie Dumanis and Nathan Fletcher who are running for the District 4 seat, and Jim Desmond and Michelle Gomez who are running for the District 5 seat.

Fletcher said his number one priority was standing up to the Trump Administration. Dumanis said her number one priority was addressing the homeless and mental health problems in the county.

Desmond served as Mayor of San Marcos, focusing on public safety and sound infrastructure. Gomez served as a county commissioner, focusing on ending human trafficking and domestic violence and addressing affordable housing.

There are almost 70,000 registered Republicans and almost 164,000 registered Democrats in District 4, according to the California Secretary of State.

There are roughly 117,000 registered Republicans and about 100,000 registered Democrats in District 5, according to the California Secretary of State.

To learn more about the candidates who ran to join the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, click here.

Marijuana proponents were elated Tuesday after major cannabis measures passed in Michigan and Missouri and Democrats took control of the House.

The victories — for recreational cannabis in Michigan and medical marijuana in Missouri — have emboldened some leaders in the prohibition reform movement to declare that they'll push for legalization in the House, NBC News reported. Utah voters also approved the legalization of medical marijuana. 

"We are going for the jugular on this issue," said Michael Collins, interim director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance.

Michigan's initiative will tax and regulate sales of marijuana for those 21 and older. Missouri will allow medical use for doctor-approved patients who have certain conditions.

Pot proponents were also claiming victory in key congressional races. Longtime incumbent Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, was defeated Tuesday by Democrat Colin Allred. As chairman of the House Rules Committee, Sessions repeatedly blocked pro-marijuana legislation.

The woman charged in the Brooklyn crash that killed Broadway star Ruthie Ann Miles' young daughter and unborn child died Tuesday of an apparent suicide, a senior law enforcement official briefed on the case tells NBC 4 New York.

Dorothy Bruns, 44, was found dead in her Staten Island home sometime Tuesday afternoon, the senior law enforcement official said. Authorities say pills and a note were found nearby.

Miles was walking with her friend and their two young children in Park Slope on March 5 when Bruns allegedly blew through a red light and plowed into the group, killing both children — Miles’ daughter, Abigail, and the friend's 1-year-old son, Joshua. Miles, who was expecting a baby girl with her husband Jonathan Blumenstein, lost the unborn baby due to injuries she suffered in the crash. The baby was due in May.

All four were found on the pavement with various injuries. Cops later learned a fifth pedestrian, a 46-year-old man, had also been hit and had been taken to the hospital in stable condition.

Bruns was later indicted in connection with the case and was arrested at her Staten Island home May 3 on a 10-count indictment charging her with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault and other crimes. She faced 15 years in jail. 

Bruns told police at the time she had medical issues — and though her license had been suspended she had not been criminally charged in the case until now. Prosecutors said she had in fact suffered a seizure at the time of the collision, and had been driving in direct defiance of a doctor's orders following a hospitalization less than two months prior. That hospitalization stemmed from yet another car crash — that time into a parked vehicle.

Police are investigating Bruns death, the senior law enforcement official said. 

One person was killed in a motorcycle crash in La Mesa early Wednesday, officials confirmed.

At around 5:10 a.m., Heartland Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched to westbound Interstate 8 at State Route 125 for reports of a motorcycle collision. California Highway Patrol officials confirmed one person had died at the scene.

A traffic alert was issued, halting morning commuters from the scene of the crash through the exit to Mollison Avenue. Drivers were experiencing delays of about an hour on the freeway just before 6 a.m.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner will identify the motorist involved in the deadly crash. No one else was hurt.

A motorcyclist was killed along Interstate 15 in Fallbrook Wednesday morning after being struck by several cars in a crash that shut down three lanes of the freeway, officials said.

The deadly collision happened just after 5 a.m. on northbound I-15 at Rainbow Valley Boulevard. California Highway Patrol officials said a motorcyclist was hit and killed; all motorists involved in the crash remained at the scene and waited for investigators to arrive.

A traffic alert was issued, closing the three left lanes. The morning commute was backed up to State Route 76 at Pala Road; the crash also impacted southbound traffic from Interstate 215 in Murrieta.

Further details about the crash were not immediately released, including the identity of the motorcyclist.

Most congressional and gubernatorial races for the 2018 midterm elections have been called, but a few elections are still awaiting decisions. In two toss-up Senate elections, Republicans have narrow leads. Republicans also have narrow leads in some gubernatorial races. Democrats are leading in half of the House races that have not yet been called. 

Here’s where the results stand for some of the key contests as of Wednesday morning:

Mississippi Senate Special Election Goes to Runoff
A GOP favored Senate race in Mississippi between incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democrat Michael Epsy, a former U.S. secretary of agriculture, resulted in a run-off because neither candidate garnered 50 percent of the vote, NBC News reported. Hyde-Smith notched 41.5 percent of the vote and Espy 40.6 percent, with 99 percent of precincts reporting. Another Republican, Chris McDaniel, had 16.5 percent. The special election was held to fill a seat by retired Sen. Thad Cochran. Hyde-Smith and Epsy next compete in a runoff on Tuesday, Nov. 27, NBC News reported. 

Arizona Senate Too Close to Call Before Historic Outcome
In the U.S. Senate race to represent Arizona, Republican Rep. Martha McSally has a 0.9 percentage point lead over Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, the pair separated by nearly 16,000 votes with 75 percent of results in. McSally, a former combat pilot, competed against Sinema, a former Green party activist who campaigned as a pragmatist for the seat held by outgoing GOP Sen. Jeff Flake. Whoever wins will become Arizona's first female senator. It could take days before the victor is determined, the Arizona Republic reported. "There are a lot of outstanding ballots – especially those mailed-in – and a lot of reasons to feel good!" Sinema tweeted Wednesday. The Maricopa County recorder’s office had 472,000 ballots left to count, according to KPNX reporter Brahm Resnik.   

Florida Senate Expected to Go to Recount
In the Florida race for U.S. Senate, Republican Gov. Rick Scott has a .4 percentage point lead over three-term Democrat incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson, with 99 percent of the vote in. State law requires a recount when candidates are within one-half a point of each other. Nelson’s chief of staff said that the candidate has no intentions to concede the race, a move that Scott's campaign slammed after having declared victory. “This race is over. It’s a sad way for Bill Nelson to end his career," spokesman Chris Hartline told NBC. "He is desperately trying to hold on to something that no longer exists." Florida officials will not order a recount until the first set of official returns are due on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.  

Will Stacey Abrams Force a Runoff in Georgia?
Georgia’s much-watched election for governor between Republican two-term Secretary of State Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams, a lawyer, former state legislative leader and romance novelist, is also still too close to call. Kemp has a 1.7 percentage point lead with 99 percent of the votes in for the race, for a lead of 66,316 votes. Kemp said that even with absentee, mail-in and provisional ballots left to count the "math is on our side." Abrams' campaign countered that there are at least 87,000 early votes and mail-in ballots left to count that could help them trigger a runoff, The Associated Press reported. Abrams campaign estimates it needs to notch nearly 25,000 votes to do so. She would become the nation's first black female governor, if elected.      

14 House Races Yet to Be Decided
There are also 14 House races that still have no apparent winner, six of them in California. Democrats currently lead in seven races: three in California and one each in Maine, Washington, Georgia and Utah. Republican candidates lead in seven: three in California and one each in Georgia, Minnesota, North Carolina and New Jersey. 

—Daniel Macht and The Associated Press contributed to this report.  

During an exclusive hard-hat tour in October of the then soon-to-be-opened $10 million Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse at the InterContinental San Diego hotel in downtown, general manager Michael Manoocheri stated: “There are steakhouses in every corner in this area, but, we hope to stand out by the ambience we’ve created.”

For some time now, the buzzing area, near the San Diego Convention Center, Petco Park, the Gaslamp Quarter and the harbor, has been a hub for trendy restaurants, but especially steakhouses, running the gamut between chain extensions like Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse to locally-grown ones like Morton’s The Steakhouse and Lou & Mickey’s. A search for steakhouses in ZIP code 92101 in San Diego will yield over a dozen results of high-end chophouses that include Fleming’s Prime, STK San Diego, Greystone Prime Steakhouse & Seafood and Born & Raised. Now, with Del Frisco’s, which was set to officially open its doors Nov. 3, it raises the questions: Is the zone oversaturated with eateries that specialize in steaks and chops?

‘Room for Everyone’

“I think there is room for everyone,” said Sara Arjmand, general manager of Greystone. “For San Diego being a small town, it’s actually a pretty big town in many ways. If you want a location near the water that is scenic, that may be reason enough to set up here. We get a lot of the convention crowd, as well. And, with San Diego being a destination place, when people think of a great night out or a date night, they usually think steakhouse.”

Miro Copic, marketing professor at San Diego State University, says the convention center is definitely a major push for steakhouses to set up shop in the neighborhood.

“The more conventions there are there, the more opportunity there is for the restaurants surrounding it,” he said, adding although convention attendees are a major driver of revenue for locations in the vicinity, the steakhouses have to build a following among San Diegans as well so that they can make the short list as opposed to one-and-done. “It will also depend on the menu items, the quality of the food, the pricing and, of course, the ambience.”

Convention Crowd

According to the San Diego Tourism Authority’s Visitor Industry Performance 2018 report, the number of conventions held in San Diego by August was 51. About 457,000 people attended those conventions and spent $479.3 million in the county as a result.

To Copic’s point, Manoocheri says Del Frisco’s, with its oceanlike blue hues and browns and copper to represent beach sand, is banking on its atmosphere.

‘Big and Bold’

“Everything we do is big and bold, from the steaks to the award-winning wine list of over 1,400 selections, to the sophisticated details and the ambience,” said Manoocheri. “We try to take things in from the guest’s point of view and the staff’s point of view, and we ask ourselves: Is this functional to work in? Is it comfortable for guests? Of course, our service is part of that.”

Manoocheri says Del Frisco’s research team took the time to visit other steakhouses in town which helped it make decisions the team hopes would make the restaurant a top and recurring choice for locals and visitors alike.

“There are so many great restaurant companies out here in general, and a lot of those are steakhouses, but, I feel there are plenty of savvy diners in San Diego that are discerning and are probably willing to try us,” said Manoocheri. “All these restaurants have great services. But, we take the service and turn it into hospitality. That translates into a state of mind and how you are made to feel.” Manoocheri said. At the end of the night, the staff at Del Frisco’s hand-writes thank-you cards to send to those guests whose addresses they have on file.

Dry-Aging Room

King Signature Group’s vice president of operations Mark Augarten, who oversees the Lou & Mickey’s location, says on top of offering its guests what he describes as “an approachable steakhouse atmosphere,” the restaurant is currently building a Himalayan sea salt dry-aging room. Set to open in December, the room will allow the eatery to also have more control of the cut of meat it offers.

“It will be an illuminated wall of Himalayan sea salt that will help extract moisture from the room to the meat, so the flavors will be intensified,” Augarten explained, adding the restaurant also has what it calls a very successful “shareable program,” which allows guests to order multiple types of steaks and share with those at their table.

“Another important part of the process will be air flow, so, we’ve spent a lot of time installing specific fans inside the room. To control the meat every step of the process — we can age from 30 to 45 to 60 days, and we are even experimenting with 90-days — it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Welcoming the Competition

One thing’s for sure, many say they welcome the friendly competition that Del Frisco’s will bring to the waterfront.

“We are truly thrilled for Del Frisco’s and the city of San Diego,” said Ryan Tichenor, general manager at Donovan’s Steak & Chop House. “Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group is a first-class team and upholds similar standards that we attain here at Donovan’s Steak & Chop House. Donovan’s welcomes the quality of competition and looks forward to growth in the market.”

Police are searching for a possible arson suspect that may be linked to two brush fires in El Cajon Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Officers were patrolling the area near the Interstate 8 and Greenfield Drive at about 10:20 a.m. for the man described to be in his 30s with a scraggly beard and tan pants. The man was also shirtless, the El Cajon Police Department said. 

He is suspected to be linked to a brush fire reported at 10:20 a.m. that was quickly put out by firefighters, the California Highway Patrol said.

He may also be connected to a fire at an Albertson's grocery store on Broadway earlier Thursday morning, CHP said. 

No other information was available.

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

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has resigned "at the request" of President Donald Trump, according to a letter he submitted to the White House, released Wednesday. 

Here is the complete text of that letter.  

[[499964741, C]]

[[441035243, C]]

A gas leak in Vista led officials to order a school to shelter-in-place Wednesday.

San Diego Gas & Electric public information officer Joe Britton said a 3-inch gas line was struck by construction crews digging near the 800-block of Olive Avenue just before 10:30 a.m.

Ned Vander Pol, deputy fire chief with the Vista Fire Department, said nearby Vista Innovation and Design Academy, located at 740 Olive Lane, was ordered to shelter-in-place due to the leak.

Vander Pol said the students were taken to safe evacuation zones and were not in danger.

Officials with the Vista Fire Department and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department were at the scene helping with the situation. SDG&E crews are also on their way to cap the leak and investigate the incident, Vander Pol said.

Paul Manafort's former son-in-law was arrested for allegedly engaging in wire fraud and identity theft in a high-end real estate scam in Los Angeles, NBC News reported.

Jeffrey Yohai had already pleaded guilty to different real estate-related financial crimes and was out on bond when he engaged in activities "strikingly like" what he had earlier admitted, federal prosecutors alleged in a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday.

Yohai, who divorced Jessica Manafort in August 2017, did deals with Paul Manafort, which special counsel Robert Mueller and federal prosecutors have examined. The complaint alleges he made false statements to investors during a lunch to the effect that "he 'turned state's evidence' on … Manafort" and "that he had to go to 'D.C.'" to meet with staff from Mueller's office or "downtown" to meet with "the feds."

Yoahi was expected to make an initial appearance on the new charges Wednesday afternoon.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani spent nearly $900,000 since April, including around $12,000 on cigars and $7,100 on pens, his wife claimed at a divorce proceeding.

Judith Giuliani and her husband of 15 years appeared in court Wednesday in New York City in the wake of their divorce filings.

Court papers claim Rudy Giuliani, 74, spent nearly $900,000 since April, including $286,532 to support his alleged mistress, Maria Rosa Ryan, $447,938 “for his own enjoyment” and $165,165 for travel expenses.

His wife’s counsel, meanwhile, claimed her husband spent $12,012 on cigars and $7,131 on pens since April, while simultaneously cutting her off from their credit cards.

In response to his wife’s claims, Giuliani claimed he was dealing with a diminished income.

His wife’s attorney, however, maintained he shouldn’t have agreed to work for President Donald Trump “for free.”

Giuliani previously called the situation between him and his wife “amicable.”

“In these divorce situations, you cannot place blame, it is 50/50, there are problems on both sides, Giuliani told the Post back in April.

Toward the end of their court appearance, Judge Michael Katz urged the two to work through their issues privately with their lawyers before seeking third-party discovery.

“It is beyond me why this is done publicly… throwing out all [your] dirty laundry for consumption,” Judge Katz said.

The two married in 2003 in what was the third marriage for both of them.

Giuliani was mayor of New York from 1994 to 2001.

Two small fires broke out in La Mesa Wednesday afternoon south of Mission Trails Regional Park. 

The two fires started just after 1:30 p.m. along Jackson Drive, a busy route through the residential community. 

One fire was reported at Jackson and Hemingway Drive. A second fire was less than a half of a mile away near Jackson and Tuxedo Road. 

When crews with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department arrived, they found brush burning uphill and threatening structures, according to a spokesperson.

The fuel was light to medium. 

Fire officials called for air support from the Cal Fire Ramona Air Base but canceled the request around a half hour later. 

A helicopter made at least one water drop on the fire that was burning in a wooded area between homes. 

One acre was damaged in one fire and a half acre was damaged in the second fire, an SDFD spokesperson said.

No structures were damaged and no one was injured.

Officials have not determined what caused the fire.

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

The first flu death of the season in San Diego County was a 52-year-old woman, health officials reported Wednesday.

The woman lived in San Diego and died on Friday, Nov. 2, according to the County Health and Human Services Agency. 

She had underlying medical conditions, officials said. They said it was not known if the woman had received a current flu vaccination. 

“Any death is tragic. Our condolences go out to the individual’s family,” Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer said in a written statement from the county. “This death serves as an unfortunate reminder of the importance of getting a flu shot.”

Last week, the county reported the number of influenza cases in the region was down 60 percent from this time last year. 

In San Diego County, 342 residents died of flu-related causes in the 2017 to 2018 flu season.

At this time last year, the county had reported two deaths tied to influenza. 

No other information was available.

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

A popular park in Santee will be closed beginning next month and well into 2019 as the city launches a $10 million renovation of the site.

Mast Park – located at 9125 Carlton Hills Blvd., near the San Diego River – will undergo extensive upgrades to many of its amenities, with construction starting on Dec. 4.

The city said Wednesday the project will require the park to be closed to the public until renovations are completed in late 2019, citing safety reasons.

Mast Park is perhaps best known for two unique features: its off-leash dog park and disc golf course.

The city said the dog park area will be reconfigured to include three sections: one dedicated for puppies, another for small dogs and a third for bigger dogs. The disc golf course will also get a facelift. A concession stand will be placed between the dog park and the disc golf course.

Meanwhile, the city said the park’s other amenities – the restroom, shade pavilion and basketball court – will be replaced with modern facilities. The playground will also be replaced, and the project will add a “nature play area” that includes tree trunks for kids to climb.

The project will also triple the amount of space in the park designated for picnics and add parking to the northwest corner of the park.

The city said another main focus of the renovation is to enhance public safety at the park. This will be addressed with a few additions: a dedicated parking spot reserved for sheriff’s deputies, “improved sight lines” so deputies can see more areas of the park, and a well-lit loop trail for visitors to use.

The city said most of the mature sycamore, oak and cottonwood trees that provide shade at Mast Park will remain untouched, while new landscape featuring drought-tolerant native plants and dry creek beds is added.

Mast Park is one of nine parks in the Santee community. The nearest parks with play structures for kids are Town Center Community Park West and Town Center Community Park East, and the nearest disc golf courses are the Olive Glen Disc Golf Course in El Cajon or Morley Field in Balboa Park.

With Jeff Sessions now out as attorney general, President Donald Trump's choice to fill his shoes, at least temporarily, is in the position to have a significant impact on the scope of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, NBC News reports.

Matthew Whitaker, who has served as Session's chief of staff since late 2017, has been tapped to become acting attorney general and will therefore take over the role of overseeing Mueller's probe from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Sessions had recused himself from overseeing the probe because of his involvement with the campaign, but Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Flores said on Wednesday, "The acting attorney general is in charge of all matters under the purview of the Department of Justice."

For months, Trump publicly attacked Sessions for recusing himself from overseeing the probe, and blamed his decision for allowing Rosenstein to appoint a special counsel. Now, with Whitaker at the helm, Trump has someone leading the Justice Department who has already suggested that Mueller's probe should be reined in.

"If he was selected because he doesn't think it's an appropriate investigation, then I'm deeply concerned," said Chuck Rosenberg, a former U.S. attorney and general counsel at the FBI.

A Red Flag Warning was issued for San Diego and much of southern California for Thursday and Friday, according to Cal Fire.

The warning will start 10 a.m. Thursday and last until 10 p.m. Friday, Cal Fire said. It extends from the border north to Santa Barbara County.

“As we remember the tragic fires that occurred in October and December of last year, they should serve as a stark reminder for everyone to be prepared for the unexpected,” Cal Fire Director Chief Ken Pimlott said.

Cal Fire hired more staff in preparation for strong fire conditions such as these, Pimlott said.

Humidity will fall to 10 percent Thursday night and down to five percent during Friday, NBC 7’s meteorologist Sheena Parveen said.

The inland valleys may see gusts of up to 30 miles per hour, while the foothills and mountain passes could reach up to 60, according to Parveen.

For more information, check out today’s forecast.

The man accused of killing his mother over the weekend in Oceanside was arraigned Wednesday and is being held in jail without bail.

Anthony Sardina, 37, looked emotionless in court as the charges against him were detailed.

He's accused of using a knife to kill his 64-year-old mother, Regina Sardina, in a home she owned in Oceanside on Sunday.

Police say Regina was discovered by one of her three sons at around 12:30 p.m. and the Oceanside Police Department was called

Regina was supposed to meet another one of her sons in Las Vegas, but when she didn't show another son came to check on her and found her, according to OPD Sgt. Bussey.

When officers arrived at the home they discovered her Mercedes was missing. It was found a short time later abandoned in the parking lot of a nearby Hobby Lobby.

Investigators found a wine bottle and vomit near the car, and said surveillance cameras caught Anthony, Regina's oldest son, leaving the car.

A witness told police he saw a man near the car who appeared very drunk.

According to police, Anthony caught a cab to Carlsbad where he was later arrested. 

Anthony looked rather emotionless in court Wednesday and occasionally looked up at family members who were in court.

Neighbors told NBC 7 Tuesday that Regina lived in Las Vegas but would often visit San Diego. They also said the house she was found in was recently put up for sale and that her sons have been staying there.

"I can't make sense of that because I just can't and imagine that, personally, a son hurting his mother," neighbor Greg Holmes said.

Other neighbors told NBC 7 they've heard some family bickering in the past but nothing that signaled violence.

Anthony is being charged with murder and could face 51 years to life in prison if convicted.