From once rampant sexual harassment to their new role of eyes and ears in hallways, hotel housekeepers are revealing secrets of the job and debunking myths. 

Five housekeepers at downtown Chicago hotels, who asked us to only use their first names and not reveal their workplace, sat down with NBC 5 Investigates and Telemundo Investiga. 

For the women, their favorite part of the job is the flexibility that allows them to be home with their children as they leave for school and when they return, as well as the ability to meet people from all over the world who stay in Chicago. 

The housekeepers discussed how their union, Unite Here Local 1, is fighting for their safety and better conditions. They also revealed the time of year in Chicago that most housekeepers dread. 

#1 Sexual harassment was once widespread 

The five women said they either personally experienced or know a colleague who endured sexual harassment on the job. 

There is a universal three-knock rule in hotels. After three knocks, the housekeeper assumes the room is empty and is safe to enter. 

“I enter the room, and there’s a guy standing there completely naked,” said LaTonia. “I felt embarrassed, ashamed and angry.” 

The women said they’ve also been solicited. 

“When I ask, ‘do you need service or do you want service?’ They ask, ‘what kind of service?’” said Faviola. “They make me angry because I don’t know what they think we are.” 

A 2016 survey of nearly 500 women working in hotels in Chicago, conducted by Unite Here Local 1, found 58 percent of hotel workers experienced sexual harassment by guests. It prompted the union to push Chicago aldermen to implement panic buttons in all hotels. The ordinance passed with a July 1 implementation date. 

The housekeepers said the panic buttons make them feel safer. 

“We wear it with pride,” said LaTonia. “It’s scary being on those floors alone and knocking on doors and you never know what’s on the other side of that door.” 

#2 The worst time of year for housekeepers in Chicago: Lollapalooza 

The popular summertime festival, along with New Year’s Eve and Taste of Chicago, prove to be a challenging time each year, the housekeepers said. 

“The guests leave behind a mess,” they explained. “A lot of damage, a lot of broken stuff, pictures off the wall, drugs…a lot of vomit. And during the festivals, if it’s raining…they come in with bare feet and there’s mud all over their feet, mud in the tub.” 

The women said they typically have a half hour to clean rooms for a multi-night stay guest and 45 minutes for a check out, which they said it not enough time. 

The Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association told NBC 5 that its member hotels have “policies in place to provide housekeepers with additional assistance and resources when rooms are excessively dirty.” 

#3 Go green or save green? 

The “green” program in hotels, which encourage guests to skip service or re-use towels in order to save the environment, creates problems for hotel workers, the housekeepers said. 

“The guests think they are doing the right thing, but essentially what happens is it lays the workers off,” said LaTonia. 

The housekeepers also explained that declining a turn-down means a bigger mess to clean up the next day. 

“It doesn’t save anything. We use more water. We use more chemicals,” Dias said. 

The Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association told NBC 5 that its hotel members are “committed to preserving the jobs of their team members by ensuring they receive the proper workloads.” 

“Job growth and protecting our precious environment are not mutually exclusive, and I’m proud of our hotels’ commitment to both,” said Michael Jacobson, President and CEO of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association. 

#4 The most disgusting and outrageous things found in rooms 

Hotel housekeepers have truly seen in all. 

They said the most disgusting things they have found include vomit, unflushed toilets, toothpaste in the sink, used condoms in drawers. 

“You have to get on your knees and look for them under the bed,” Dias said. 

#5 The worst kind of guest 

Even worse than the creepy or disgusting guest is the rude guest, the housekeepers said. 

“No matter what you do, he’s not happy, she’s not happy,” Tina said. “You just have guests that complain because they want something free – a bottle of wine, a free night stay, breakfast. And they get it, but we’re the ones who face the consequences.” 

#6 Their jobs go beyond just cleaning 

In the aftermath of the 2017 Las Vegas massacre, where a gunman killed more than 50 concertgoers by shooting from a hotel window, housekeepers are now required to be extra vigiliant. 

“If the guests don’t request service in a couple of days, we have to report that, so (hotel management and security) can come up and investigate.” 

#7 Housekeeping is a taxing job 

The housekeepers said a majority of their colleagues are on daily medication to relieve aches and pains. 

“I had surgery on my rotator cuff due to repetitive work,” said Tina. “It’s a lot because you’re scrubbing down walls in the bathroom, scrubbing toilets, scrubbing sinks.”

The woman said they are on their feet for 8-hour shifts, pushing carts that can weigh upwards of 200 pounds. 

It’s one of the reasons why Unite Here Local 1 initiated a citywide hotel strike in September, calling for year-round healthcare. 

The women said during the slow tourism period in the winter months, housekeepers and other hotel workers were laid off without health insurance. The union negotiated with each downtown hotel by early October to end the strike. 

#8 Should you really drink from those glasses? 

Despite common hotel myths, the housekeepers said everything is wiped down and cleaned from one guest to another, from the TV remote, drinking glasses, drawers, mirrors and phones. 

Mattresses are replaced every 3 months, the women said. 

#9 Should you tip? 

Tips have declined, the housekeepers said. They’re not required by any means but very much appreciated. 

“If you stay three to four days, and you’re a mess every day you’re there, and I make it tidy for you, just out of appreciation, you should leave something,” said LaTonia. 

The housekeepers said handwritten ‘thank you’ notes are often worth more than a couple dollars. 

“A thank you note? Oh, it would just make me feel like I did something and they were satisfied,” Dias said. 

“I like when they leave a note, saying I did a good job and they like my service. That makes me feel good,” Faviola said. 

#10 Guest freebies and etiquette 

Yes, go ahead and leave used towels on the floor. That’s not considered rude, the housekeepers said. 

Also, there’s little the housekeepers won’t give you if you ask (except for themselves). 

Extra hangers, chocolates, bottled water, toiletries? It’s all free of charge. 

“I had this one guest who completely took my whole caddy, the whole thing! And then came back and asked for some more. I couldn’t do nothing but give them more,” Tina said. 

“You always have to make the guest happy.”

President Donald Trump's legal team is closing in on submitting written answers to special counsel Robert Mueller's questions on Russian interference in the 2016 election, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News Tuesday.

The answers, which don't touch on obstruction of justice, could be submitted as early as this week, the source said. Trump has met with the team at least once this week, according to a person familiar with the meetings.

Prosecutors would not typically be satisfied with written answers in an investigation, but Mueller may want to avoid a legal battle.

"I imagine that the Mueller team is still going to want to sit down with the president," former federal prosecutor Chuck Rosenberg said on MSNBC.

The New Jersey homeowners who started receiving threatening letters from someone identified as "The Watcher" after they bought a home in Westfield have spoken out and shared the letters in a new interview.

Derek and Maria Broaddus had just purchased the home for nearly $1.4 million in 2014 when they started receiving letters from someone who claimed to be its rightful owner and said he or she was watching the house.

In an interview with New York Magazine published this week, the Broadduses spoke out about the terrifying ordeal.

The family ultimately decided they couldn’t live in the house after receiving the letters, which contained threats toward their children.

“657 Boulevard has been the subject of my family for decades now and as it approaches its 110th birthday, I have been put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming,” the first letter read, according to New York Magazine.

“My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s and my father watched in the 1960s. It is now my time. Do you know the history of the house? Do you know what lies within the walls of 657 Boulevard? Why are you here? I will find out,” the letter went on to say.

Subsequent letters made disturbing mentions of the Broaddus’ children.

“It has been years and years since the young blood ruled the hallways of the house. Have you found all of the secrets it holds yet? Will the young blood play in the basement? Or are they too afraid to go down there alone. I would [be] very afraid if I were them. It is far away from the rest of the house. If you were upstairs you would never hear them scream,” one letter read, according to the outlet.

The family decided to move in with Maria Broaddus’ parents as they dealt with the issues at their new home before deciding to sell it, but weren’t able to find a buyer.

“I was a depressed wreck,” Derek Broaddus told the outlet.

Later, they filed a lawsuit against the former owners of the home claiming they failed to disclose a note they’d received from “The Watcher” before they sold the home, but a judge ultimately threw out the suit. The Broadduses were eventually able to find renters who didn’t mind living at the property.

The Broadduses also shared a recent letter from The Watcher with the outlet.

“You are despised by the house,” the letter reads, according to the outlet. “And The Watcher won.”

Some Westfield residents and people who followed the news story believed the Broadduses could have sent the letters to themselves, among other conspiracy theories, according to the outlet.

“What happened to my family is an affront to their contention that they’re safe, that there’s no such thing as mental illness in their community,” Derek Broaddus told the outlet. “People don’t want to believe this could happen in Westfield.”

As news of Amazon's move to Northern Virginia sinks in, residents and real estate watchers are monitoring the impact the announcement will have on rent costs and sale prices.

Northern Virginia realtor Jen Walker said she's already seen what's being called "the Amazon effect." Overnight, some of her potential buyers changed their minds from passing on a home to buying it.

"They woke up this morning, saw the Amazon announcement and they decided they wanted to move forward with a contract," she said. "They said, 'We’re going to get priced out if we don’t do this now.'"

Getting priced out is what Alex Howe fears will happen to low-income families in Northern Virginia. Howe is a member of the D.C. chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. The group runs the website NoVa Says No to Amazon.

“We’re going to see, I think, an explosion in rents and housing prices. And folks in these communities, like up the street in the Chirilagua neighborhood — developers have been eyeing that area for a really long time," Howe said. "They’ve been able to hold them off, but honestly I think the pressure's going to get higher."

Chirilagua is the predominantly Latino neighborhood on the Arlington-Alexandria line.

Amazon says the tech giant is moving to an area they're calling National Landing, which is comprised of parts of Crystal City and Pentagon City in Arlington, and Potomac Yard in Alexandria.

But Howe says the fight isn't over. He hopes that activists and residents still can shape how much Amazon gets in tax incentives.

"We’re still giving away taxpayer money to one of the largest corporations on the planet and run by one of the richest men on the planet," Howe said.

In remarks Tuesday, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam promised Amazon's new headquarters would benefit all communities.

"To be able to invest in our education system, infrastructure and affordable housing, this is an exciting day in Virginia," he said.

Walker, who has sold homes in Northern Virginia for more than two decades, said Amazon's move will make a lot of local homeowners happy. She said she wonders how much higher the already-booming local housing market can go.

"We are at the top of the market, but I’ve said that for two years, and the top just keeps continuing to go up," she said.

Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, Pillow Pets and Nerf guns may all seem like good holiday gifts for children, but one group is warning otherwise.

World Against Toys Causing Harm, also known as WATCH, released the 2018 top 10 list of "worst" holiday toys and featured all of the above. The nonprofit organization says the toys included in its list pose choking hazards, risk blunt injuries and have the potential to cause facial injuries.

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For more than four decades, WATCH has released these lists to warn parents of the potential dangers that come with their children’s selection of toys on their holiday wish lists.

This year’s list includes:

• Nickelodeon Nella Princess Knight Pillow Pets Sleeptime Lites for its "potential for ingestion and battery-related injuries"
• Nerf Vortex VTX Praxis Blaster for its "potential for eye injuries"
• Marvel Black Panther Slash Claw for its "potential for eye and facial injuries"
• Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel Superstar Blade for its "potential for blunt force and eye injuries"
• Cabbage Patch Kids Dance Time Doll for its "potential for choking injuries"
• Zoo Jamz Xylophone for its "potential for ingestion and choking injuries"
• Nici Wonderland Doll: Miniclara the Ballerina for its "potential for choking injuries"
• Stomp Rocket Ultra Rocket for its "potential for eye, face and other impact injuries"
• Cutting Fruit for its "potential for puncture and blunt force injuries"
• Chien Á Promener Pull Along Dog for its "potential for entanglement and strangulation injuries"

WATCH presented its list on Tuesday at Franciscan Children’s Hospital in Boston.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports an estimated 240,000 toy-related injuries happened in the U.S. in 2016. Between January 2017 and October 2018, an estimated 3.5 million units of toys were recalled in the U.S. and in Canada, according to WATCH.

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The Toy Association disagrees with the non-profit's claims.

"Each year, WATCH's dangerous toys list needlessly frightens parents and caregivers," the Toy Association said in a statement. "By law, all toys sold in the United States must meet 100+ rigorous safety tests and standards."

Wicked Cool Toys, which manufactures the Cabbage Patch doll that was named in WATCH's list, said safety is their priority.

"We take safety very seriously, and all of the products we bring to market have been through and passed all required safety testing," their statement said. 

The manufacturer reminds consumers that all toys sold in the U.S. are required to exceed safety testing before hitting store shelves.

Hasbro, which manufactures the Nerf Vortex and the Black Panther claw, also said their top priority is safety.

"Our products comply with all applicable global safety laws, regulations and standards, including those enforced by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission," Hasbro said in a statement. 

PlayMonster manufactures the Cutting Fruit set and also said they take consumer safety seriously and that it is their priority.

"Toymakers and The Toy Association are committed to toy safety year-round," the Toy Association said. "These efforts include providing useful tips for families and caregivers to help them choose age-appropriate toys and ensure safe play."

Toy manufacturers CJ Products, Vtech, NICI, D & L Company and Janod; Juratoys did not immediately comment on the list.

Toys that were featured in 2017’s list included a Wonder Woman sword, fidget spinners, a Spider-Man drone and more.

Liberty Zabala fights 40 mph winds as she reports on Wednesday's red flag warning. The warning was extended due to dangerous fire weather conditions.

A high wind warning has expired but the threat of wildfires continues Wednesday as gusts remain powerful enough to quickly spread any ignition, the National Weather Service warns. 

A red flag warning was set to expire Tuesday but the fire danger warning was extended until 5 p.m. Wednesday because humidity remained at critically low levels while Santa Ana winds continued to whip the county. 

The combination of low humidity, gusty winds and hot temperatures creates the potential for wildfires to spark and spread rapidly. the red flag warning in effect from San Diego's mountains to the coast was extended until 5 p.m. Wednesday. 

"The high wind warning that we’ve been talking about, that’s over but that’s only because we’re not going to be seeing gusts over 60 mph," NBC 7 Meteorologist said. "We will, however, be seeing gusts over 40 mph in our mountain areas. That’s still enough to be funneling some wildfires. "

Several small spot fires ignited across the county amid red flag conditions on Tuesday but firefighters aggressively tackled each wildfire, sending twice the average crew size, and had them out quickly. 

Crews have been on alert since the beginning of the Santa Ana conditions last week and several agencies, including San Diego Fire-Rescue, has increased staffing levels as a result. 

NBC 7 Meteorologist Dagmar Midcap said though the wind warning expired Tuesday evening, the county would still be experiencing potentially dangerous Santa Ana wind patterns that would bring about dry conditions.

San Diego Gas & Electric cut power to even more customers on Tuesday as a precaution due to the severe wind conditions, bringing the total number of homes and businesses without electricity to more than 24,000.

Strong winds had knocked out power to an additional 7,300 customers.

All were expected to be without power at least until the red flag warning period ended, the utility company said.

SDG&E dispatched a large, one megawatt generated to the Julian community to help serve the businesses in the downtown area, said Brian D’Agostino, Director of Fire Science and Climate Adaptation with SDG&E.

Several San Diego County school districts are keeping students at home for an additional day Wednesday in response to the utility's power shutoff. 

D’Agostino said the agency is using 177 weather stations to closely monitor the winds, which he described as "hurricane-force."

Winds overnight Wednesday were drastically lower than the night before. The highest gusts recorded from 5 a.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday was a gust of 86 miles per hour at Sill Hill (south of Julian).

The inland valleys were being thrashed as well. Alpine saw gusts at 71 mph during that period and Dulzura and Ramona were seeing winds in the low 50s. 

Along the coast, Brown Field saw winds speeds at 54 mph and Carlsbad Airport wind gusts topped 38 mph. Solana Beach saw gusts at 35 mph. 

While the red flag warning is in effect until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Parveen said Santa Ana conditions would continue through the work week. Some relief would come over the weekend as Santa Ana winds die down and humidity returns. 

Warnings are also in effect in the Los Angeles-area where gusty winds could spread the massive 93,000-acre Woolsey Fire that forced about 75,000 people to evacuate.

Read details about the red flag warning here.

A senior from Scripps Ranch High School – who, turns out, can solve the Rubik’s Cube while blindfolded – is headed ot the semi-final “Jeopardy!” tournament against other brilliant young minds from across America.

Jack Izzo is among 15 teenagers competing in the 2018 “Jeopardy! Teen Tournament,” airing through Nov. 20 on NBC. There will only be one winner as the teens vie for a $100,000 prize.

On Monday, it was Izzo’s turn to compete on the TV trivia stage in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

As host Alex Trebek was getting to know Izzo, the teen shared that, for fun, he is able to solve the challenging Rubik’s Cube puzzle while blindfolded.

“Aw, come on!” Trebek quipped, as the audience laughed.

“It’s a different method,” said Izzo, smiling. “The blindfolded time involves solving the cube and memorizing the cube beforehand, so it obviously takes a lot longer because you have to figure out which pieces need to swap where, but it’s something that I really enjoy doing.”

“That’s amazing,” Trebek added.

Back home in Scripps Ranch, fans held a viewing party at Yanni’s Bar & Grill in support of the standout hometown student.

Izzo was up against Tim Cho, of Champaign, Illinois, and Rhea Sinha, of Chatham, New Jersey. The competition was fast and fierce, and Izzo fared well.

In the category of “Classic Literature,” Izzo won $2,000 answering this: “This 1958 Chinua Achebe novel depicts the struggles of the Igbo people in Nigeria before independence.”

“What is 'Things Fall Apart,'” said Izzo.

About half-way through the episode, Izzo took the lead with $9,600 in his bank by knowing that the rupee is “the main currency unit of India.”

He also won $1,600 in the “Theme Parks” category.

“'Harley Quinn Spinsanity' is the newest ride at this park 'over Texas,'” Trebek said.

“What is Six Flags,” Izzo answered correctly. 

After a half-hour of rapid-fire trivia, it was time for “Final Jeopardy!” in the category of "International Groups."

Izzo was in second place as he went into the final round with a bank of $16,800. Cho, holding onto first place, had earned $17,400, while Sinha had earned $11,800.

“The 'economic bloc' known as the G8 became the G7 in 2014 upon the expulsion of this country,” the trivia statement read.

The teenagers had 30 seconds to answer. Sinha was knocked out of the game with a wrong answer.

Izza answered correctly, “What is Russia.”

He wagered a conservative sum of $1,200, which left him with $18,000.

Cho also answered correctly but risked far more of his earnings, $16,201, plumping his bank up to $33,601 and securing his spot as a semi-finalist.

But with a solid second place, Izzo’s turn in the “Jeopardy!” spotlight isn’t over just yet.

The high school senior advanced to the semi-finals as a wildcard contestant, one of four non-game winners with the highest money totals. He will compete again on Thursday night.

Fans can keep an eye on the results on the Jeopardy! website. 

Izzo said he's enjoyed his time on the show and having a lot in common with his fellow contestants.

“All of the other contestants were really, really awesome and it was just really fun to sit and talk about literally anything,” Izzo said in a video previewing the show.

Jason Coffman didn't plan out what he was going to say when he spoke Tuesday night at a vigil for his son Cody, who was killed last week when a shooter opened fire in the Borderline Bar in Thousand Oaks.

But the 12 red roses the mourning father clutched in his hand filled the spaces where words failed to express his grief and the compassion for those who shared his agony. After saying a few words between sobs to the more than 1,000 people who gathered on a chilly and windy night in Newbury Park, Coffman handed a rose to each family of the 12 victims in last Wednesday's mass shooting.

"I have 12 roses, and I would absolutely be honored to meet the families, right now, one by one," Coffman said.

Wearing his blue Dodgers hat and a hooded sweatshirt, Coffman then handed each family a rose and shared tearful embraces and memories of those they had lost.

The size of the crowd, many bundled in jackets, touched friends and family. The gathering was at a park where 22-year-old Cody Coffman umpired for little league baseball teams.

"When he was here, he didn't think he had an impact on anybody," said friend Brandon Garza. "He thought he was just an average guy. Look at what he did. He brought all these people together."

Like many of the shooting victims, Cody Coffman had been making plans for what he wanted to do with his life. He was talking with Army recruiters and preparing to fulfill his dream of serving his country, his father said. He loved his three brothers, ages 6 to 9, and was eager for the birth of a baby sister -- due Nov. 29.

Before his son left for the Borderline Bar last Wednesday night, Coffman told him not to drink and drive, and that he loved him. Hours later, he was at a family unification center waiting in depseration to hear whether his son had made it out of the Thousand Oaks bar.

He then shared the horrible news with those gathered outside the unification center that his son was among those killed.

A memorial service Wednesday at 7 p.m. for Cody Coffman will be open to the public at Perez Family Chapel in Camarillo.

Fallbrook High School will have extra security patrolling the campus Wednesday due to a social media threat that law enforcement does not believe to be credible, school officials said.

The threat made on the social media platform Snapchat was discovered on Tuesday, according to a message from Fallbrook High School. In the threat, a firearm was shown and a threat was made towards the school, though administrators did not provide any more specifics. 

The school said the Snapchat account that posted the threat was created on Tuesday. 

Law enforcement was notified and believed the threat not to be credible but security would be increased at the school on Wednesday as a result, the school said. Classes would go on as planned. 

Fallbrook High School has had threats made against the campus in the past, at least one leading to the arrest of three of their students in 2017. 

The campus was shut down after a photo showing a student posing with a gun inside a school bathroom made its rounds on social media. A loaded firearm was later found hidden in a classroom. 

This year, unfounded threats of explosives at Bonsall and Fallbrook high schools placed both campuses on lockdown for what turned out to be a case of "swatting," or falsely reporting an emergency to authorities, triggering a law enforcement presence. 

This week, a 14-year-old suspected of making online threats via social media to El Capitan High School in Lakeside was arrested. 

Extra patrols were also added this week at Scripps Ranch High School in the city of San Diego due to a rumor circulating on social media of a shooting at the school. 

No other information was available.

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

Members of a migrant caravan that traveled through Mexico reached the beachside fencing that separates the U.S.-Mexico border on Tuesday. 

Images and video show members of that caravan atop the fence as they hooted and hollered, showing their excitement of reaching their destination.

After several migrants were told there were no shelters or shelters they continued west to Border Field State Park in Imperial Beach, California, where a fence crosses the beach and ends in the water of the Pacific.

Once they arrived, some of them climbed up onto the and sat for a moment to see up close the dream that had motivated them to walk thousands of miles through Mexico.

About a dozen migrants stood on the sand on the U.S. side of the fence before eventually returning to the Mexico side. No arrests were made.

The group of 357 migrants who arrived Tuesday in Tijuana is only the second group that has arrived in the region.

Authorities expect an average of 5,000 more people to Baja California in the following days in search of asylum.

Border Field State Park has a long history and involves government entities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico Border.

The Border Infrastructure Project is a fenced corridor between an older fence once constructed along the border and a new fence built in 2008 – 2009. It is owned by the federal Department of Homeland Security.

Friendship Park stands within the DHS-owned land. It is a half circle that marks the starting point for the land survey that established the border between the two countries.

Families and friends who are separated will meet up with each other through the fence at Friendship Park. Access is managed by officers with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The area north of Border Field State Park is a river estuary and wildlife refuge.

Forty-four National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from five continents have thus far qualified for the ANOC World Beach Games San Diego 2019. Shortboard surfing, 3X3 basketball, beach handball and individual kata have all hosted qualification events already.

“It is very exciting to see that so many NOCs from all five continents have already qualified for next year’s first-ever ANOC World Beach Games,” ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said via a press release. “The qualification process has been designed to ensure that the world’s top athletes will compete in San Diego next year and the athletes that have competed in the qualification events so far have shown how much we have to look forward to.”

Approximately 1,300 athletes are expected to partake in the games, with more than 400,000 fans expected to attend. Last month, ANOC signed a broadcast deal with NBC, which will be the official broadcaster of the event.

The event will take place Oct. 10-14.

Five days after the discovery of two bodies in a burned out vehicle in Malibu, another body has been found in Southern California's Woolsey Fire zone.

Law enforcement officers found the body Tuesday in a burned house in the 32000 block of Lobo Canyon Road in Agoura Hills, according to the county coroner's office. Details were not immediately available, but the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said it is apparently related to the fire.

Aerial video showed blackened hillsides, burned vehicles at at least two destroyed residences in the canyon area.

The deaths are part of a devastating month of wildfires in California. At least 48 people have died in the Camp Fire that all but destroyed the Northern California town of Paradise, making it the deadliest fire in state history.

On Friday, the remains of two people were found inside a burned vehicle in a long driveway in the 33000 block of Mulholland Highway. The Woolsey Fire burned through the area's mountains after it started Thursday in Ventura County. 

The 97,600-acre Woolsey Fire was nearly 50-percent contained Wednesday morning. It has destroyed an estimated 435 structures and led to tens of thousands of evacuations.

Some evacuations were lifted Wednesday in Malibu, but firefighters are watching for hot spots that might be whipped up by Santa Ana winds. Gusts were expected to peak Wednesday morning before diminishing around midday.

Fall is historically one of the most dangerous times of the year for wildfires in California. Seven of the state's 10-most destructive wildfires occurred in October -- many fueled by monster winds, including Santa Ana gusts.

Through early November, Cal Fire has reported about 5,600 fires that burned more than 621,700 acres. During that same period last year, the agency reported 5,800 fire that burned 316,600 acres. Over the last five years, California has averaged 5,293 fires that burned 231,400 acres during that interval.

Firefighters were called to respond to a fire at a South Bay high school Wednesday morning.

The fire was reported at Otay Ranch High School off Olympic Parkway at about 7:30 a.m. Both firefighters and police responded. 

Crews located a blaze in the bathroom of one of the buildings and it was quickly extinguished, according to the Chula Vista Police Department.

no one was injured. It was not clear what caused the fire. 

No other information was available.

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

A young man who violently attacked a couple as they loaded their car in a San Diego International Airport parking lot will learn his fate Wednesday.

Alberto Moreno Jauregui, 19, pleaded guilty to threatening a woman with a knife and stabbing her husband while unsuccessfully trying to steal the couple's car at Lindbergh Field.

The attempted carjacking and stabbing took place on Oct. 28, 2017, just before 5 p.m., at the San Diego International Airport’s Economy Parking Lot located at 3365 Admiral Boland Way. The lot is used daily by travelers seeking long-term parking.

As a husband and wife were loading their car, investigators said Jauregui – wielding a knife – confronted them. He grabbed the woman by her neck and demanded the keys to the couple’s car.

The husband stepped in to protect his wife and he and Jauregui fought.

Jauregui stabbed the man several times during the struggle. He fled the scene before police arrived and was last spotted heading toward the intersection of Pacific Highway and W. Washington Street.

The victim was rushed to a local hospital where he underwent surgery that night. The victim’s wife was not harmed.

On Nov. 7, 2017, Jauregui was detained at the San Ysidro Port of Entry at the U.S.-Mexico border. San Diego Harbor Police officers traveled to the border crossing and arrested Jauregui on several counts in connection with the airport parking lot attack, including attempted murder in the first-degree.

A few days later, Jauregui pleaded not guilty in court. Ultimately, he changed his plea to guilty.

No one else was hurt in the attack.

Parkland school shooting suspect Nikolas Cruz is facing new charges after officials say he attacked a detention deputy inside the Broward County Jail, where he is awaiting trial for allegedly killing 17 people in February.

Officials with the Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed to NBC 6 that the 20-year-old Cruz attacked a detention deputy inside the facility Tuesday evening just before 6 p.m. The deputy refused medical treatment and Cruz was evaluated by medical staff but had minor injuries that didn't require medical treatment, officials said.

According to an arrest report, Cruz struck the deputy in the face following a verbal disagreement before grabbing hold of the deputy's stun gun — which went off during the fight.

The verbal disagreement started when the deputy told Cruz to stop dragging his sandals on the ground and Cruz gave him the middle finger, the report said.

Surveillance video showed Cruz striking the deputy several more times, according to the report, before the deputy grabbed the stun gun back and hit Cruz with it. Cruz eventually got off the deputy and was placed under arrest.

According to BSO jail records, Cruz faces three preliminary charges: aggravated assault on a correctional officer, battery on a law enforcement officer and use of a chemical or electrical weapon on an officer. All are felony charges. The charges are listed on the jail's website in addition to the 34 charges he faces for the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

BSO officials said the 41-year-old deputy involved in the incident has been with the department for 15 years.

Cruz's attorneys had no immediate comment. Cruz made a brief court appearance Wednesday afternoon, where his attorneys were granted authorization to take photos of any injuries he may have. Another hearing was scheduled for Friday afternoon.

Cruz has been held without bond since his arrest shortly after the shooting.

Andrew Pollack, father of Parkland victim Meadow Pollack, spoke about the latest Cruz incident Wednesday.

"They should've finished what he started, that's my opinion, if I was there working at the jail that's what would've happened," Pollack said.

The incident comes at the same time as the MSD commission is meeting in Sunrise, with Broward schools superintendent Robert Runcie, Sheriff Scott Israel and Scot Peterson — the school resource officer who has been criticized for his response during the shooting — scheduled to speak.

On Feb. 14, Cruz allegedly entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas, where he was once a student, and opened fire, killing 14 students and three staff members before being arrested shortly after. He's pleaded not guilty in the shooting but his lawyers say he would plead guilty in exchange for a life prison sentence.

When audiences see the national tour of "Waitress" the musical at the San Diego Civic Theater at the end of the month, they'll be seeing two young actresses make their debut on the big stage.

Meet Kensley Dibble, 5, of Temecula, and Sloane Viora, 5, of Point Loma.

The two locals will take on the role of Lulu, the daughter of protagonist Jenna, during the musical's run in San Diego from Nov. 27 to Dec. 2. The musical tells the story of Jenna, who bakes delicious pies at a local diner and longs to get out of her loveless marriage.

Both Kensley and Sloane have been dancing and performing for years. Kensley started competitive dancing at two and is now a national tap dance champion and trains in jazz.

Sloane, a fourth-generation San Diegan, has been dancing with San Diego Danceworks since she was just three years old. She enjoys tap and ballet and has been involved with San Diego Junior Theater.

It's a big debut for the two young actresses, and they feel completely different about the nerves. Kensley says she isn't nervous, and Sloane admits she is a little nervous. 

What are they most looking forward to?

"Playing Lulu," Sloane said. 

And the two little ladies are soaking it all in. 

"It's a lot of fun," Sloane said. 

Dibble and Viora were selected after a day of auditions in San Diego. Dozens of young actresses participated in the auditions. "Waitress" company members and Broadway San Diego officials presided over the auditions.

"Waitress" officials cast the role of "Lulu" in each city the tour visits. Two girls share the role; in this case, each actress will play four performances. The actresses start rehearsing for the role before the show arrives and play the character while the show is in town.

To get tickets for "Waitress," click here. 

Two pedestrians were struck by cars in separate crashes at the same point on a Poway roadway Tuesday, leaving one dead and another injured. 

The crashes both happened at about 8 p.m., within minutes of each other, on a curve of Twin Peaks Road near Midland Road, San Diego County Sheriff's Department Lt. Chris Collier said. 

First, a woman struck a pedestrian who was crossing the road. The woman's husband then arrived at the scene and, while crossing the same road, was struck by another oncoming vehicle, Collier said.

The man was rushed to the hospital where he later died from his injuries. 

The first pedestrian was transported to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The person's current condition was not known.

Both drivers stayed at the scene and alcohol does not appear to be a factor in either crash, Collier said. There were no arrests made. 

The cause of both crashes has not yet been determined. 

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