A man is dead after being punched in the head during a fight early Saturday morning in North Philadelphia.

The victim, police say, was punched just once during a fist-fight on 17th and Cecil B. Moore.

Police were able to catch the suspect after he fled on foot.

No word on the age or identity of the victim.

We'll keep you updated with details as they become available.

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Master sculptors from all over the U.S. and the world will complete their art pieces looking at the San Diego skyline over the Labor Day Weekend.

The public is invited to be part of the U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge & 3D Art Exposition taking place on the B Street Pier in downtown Friday through Monday.

Among those beginning their pieces Friday was apprentice sand sculptor Dale Holbrook. He usually works with clay but thought he would try his hand with sand.

“It’s very exciting and I’m having a real good time playin’ in the sand,” he said.

All he knows about his project is that it's going to be a woman with long hair. Other than that, he’ll create it as he goes.

Other projects were well on their way for the competition that ends Sunday.

On Saturday, there will be a special “I.B Challenge” that pits three teams who have walked away from the former U.S. Open Sandcastle Competitions with the grand prize.

You can watch the Archisand, I.B. Posse and Sand Squirrels face off against each other once again beginning at 9 a.m.

On Sunday, judges will survey the pieces in both contests and decide who will walk away with the cash prizes.

There will also be food trucks, live music, other art vendors and a kids’ sandbox for those little ones who may be inspired.

If you want to see the finished products, you can always stroll along the pier on Monday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Find ticket information on the organization's website.

A man convicted of stealing iPads and MacBook computers from multiple local elementary schools was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday.

Thomas Burleson, 21, is a known gang member from Riverside County, Calif., who stole the electronics from schools along with two other gang members, Trevor Williams and Eyon Zimmerman.

The break-ins happened last winter and fall at schools in the North County and Lakeside including Del Mar Heights Elementary, El Camino Creek Elementary, Cardiff Elementary, Lakeside Middle School, Lakeside Farms School and Lakeside Elementary School.

The thefts included at least 29 iPads, MacBooks and an Epson projector. The items stolen are worth approximately $250,000.

The three men were arrested in late January at a border checkpoint on Interstate 15. Stolen iPads and MacBooks were found in the trunk of their vehicle, which was being driven by Burleson. Officials also found a pair of bolt cutters inside the car.

Burleson was on probation in connection with a prior offense when he committed the school thefts. All three men were arrested and booked into jail.

During his sentencing on Friday, Burleson spoke in court, acknowledging his mistakes and asking a judge for leniency in his case.

“I know what I did was wrong,” Burleson told a judge. “And I wish that you could show me as much leniency as you possibly could, so I can be home with my unborn child, and start a new life with my family and soon-to-be wife.”

Burleson’s pregnant fiancée, Tamara Wright, also appeared in court. She was emotional, and, at one point, was unable to continue talking through tears.

“I’ve been with Thomas since I was 14 years old and it hasn’t been this long since we’ve been apart. It’s affected me tremendously,” said Wright. “I’m due in October and I want him to be part of my child’s life because a child can’t grow up with just one parent.”

In the end, Burleson was sentenced to serve four years in state prison and pay restitution.

Deputy District Attorney Brendan McHugh said Burleson, Williams and Zimmerman admitted to committing the thefts on behalf of and for the benefit of their gang.

McHugh said Williams was sentenced to seven years in prison and Zimmerman to five years in prison. Burleson was the last of the three defendants to be sentenced. The three men have no ties to San Diego, other than through their crimes.

NBC 7 has learned that former San Diego City Attorney Mike Aguirre will throw his hat into the ring as a mayoral candidate in the upcoming special election.

On Friday, Aguirre confirmed to two NBC 7 reporters that he plans to run for mayor of San Diego now that Bob Filner has resigned.

Aguirre served as City Attorney from 2004 to 2008 and was a controversial figure in San Diego politics.

As city attorney, Aguirre promised to fight political establishment. In the process, he acquired many critics. During his term, Aguirre and Mayor Jerry Sanders often publically disagreed.

Recently, Aguirre has served as an attorney for consumer groups fighting big business and utilities.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
 

At 5 p.m. sharp on Friday, embattled San Diego Mayor Bob Filner was officially stripped of his title, and San Diego City Council President Todd Gloria took over as interim mayor.

Gloria and his team moved into the mayor’s office at City Hall right away. Gloria then held a brief press conference.

"I wanted to tell you, It's a new day in San Diego," said Gloria. "Shortly after 5 p.m., I went up to the mayor's office. It’s clear, there’s a lot of work to be done."

Gloria said his work as interim mayor will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

“We’re going to move the city forward,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Gloria briefly spoke to NBC 7 about his game plan as interim mayor.

“We have been working on a list of pending items. I think it will get longer. Well start attacking it one-by-one. The days of sliding backward are over. We’re going to move forward. And that starts with a lot of pending items, much of which we’ll probably get started on Tuesday morning.”

Meanwhile, Filner was nowhere to be found Friday, just hours before his time as mayor was up. At 3:30 p.m., NBC 7 spoke to members of Filner’s security detail, who said no one was in the mayor’s office.

IMAGES: Mayor Under Fire

NBC 7 also reached out to Filner’s former fiancée, Bronwyn Ingram, regarding Filner’s last day in office. Ingram was one of the people who publicly urged Filner to resign amid allegations of sexual harassment.

On Friday, Ingram told NBC 7 she has complete confidence in Gloria’s ability to lead San Diego as interim mayor.

“I sincerely hope that everyone will rally around and support interim mayor Todd Gloria as he refocuses the mayor's office on managing city business,” said Ingram. “I have worked closely with interim mayor Gloria on the issue of homelessness and I know him to be extremely professional, competent, and caring. I have the upmost confidence in his ability to lead San Diego in his new role.”

Former mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio released the following statement to mark Filner’s departure from office:

“San Diegans are grateful that this sad chapter has come to a close. It’s time to get back to the people’s business – and that can best be achieved by electing a Mayor with the integrity, sincerity, and compassion that will make our city proud again.”

DeMaio also said he’ll announce his decision to enter the mayoral race on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Before Gloria’s Friday evening press conference, his office released a statement about Filner’s last official business as mayor.

Hours before his resignation became official, Gloria says Filner issued a “Stop Use Order” for a construction project at a Jack in the Box in North Park. The order was then rescinded by Gloria, who released this statement about Filner’s final act:

“Bob Filner’s last act was symbolic of his entire tenure as Mayor: it was contradictory and exposed the City of San Diego to liability. While Filner was Mayor, his staff approved the permit for the renovations on Jack in the Box in North Park. Before leaving office for the final time today, Filner issued a Stop Use Order to Jack in the Box for the same project that he had approved. I agree the Land Development Code must be changed so that the scenario experienced in North Park cannot be repeated. Unfortunately, Mayor Filner didn’t see it fit to change the rules while he was in office, but I’ll clean that mess up, too.”

Learn about the Jack in the Box project here.
 

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and officials from the Fugitive Task Force (FTF) are searching for a fugitive who’s known to frequent the North County.

According to authorities, Raimundo Jonathan Perez (pictured above) is wanted on four felony arrest warrants on charges including assault with a deadly weapon, vehicle theft and illegal possession of drugs.

Officials say Perez is a known gang member who frequents the North County communities, including Vista.

He has several tattoos, including a skull on his chest and the words “San Diego” scrolled across his back.

Officials consider Perez armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him, but instead immediately contact authorities or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

A $1,000 reward is being offered to anyone with information leading to Perez’s arrest. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

A woman running from the sound of gunshots died early Saturday after the driver of an SUV hit her in the Bronx, police said.

Officials said Abigail Lino, 24, of Manhattan, was killed while trying to cross the street near the corner of Bruckner Boulevard and Austin Place in Mott Haven.

Lino, who was hit at around 3 a.m., was one of several people who fled a nearby nightclub after hearing gunfire, police said.

Lino's family said she loved to play basketball and worked two jobs while trying to help her Honduran mother gain U.S. citizenship.

Her mother, Ritza Lino, was in shock after hearing about the hit-and-run.

"Why they no stop to help my daughter, why they run?" she asked.

Authorities are searching for the driver of the light-colored SUV that hit Lino and then fled the scene.

Two DUI checkpoints conducted in the North County overnight yielded six DUI-related arrests, according to officials.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department says deputies conducted an overnight checkpoint spanning a five-hour period in the 1200 block of South Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas.

A total of 618 cars passed through the checkpoint, and three drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A total of 14 drivers were cited for driver license violations as well.

Meanwhile, in Oceanside, police conducted their own overnight DUI checkpoint between 9:30 p.m. and 2:30 a.m. on Coast Highway south of Eaton Street.

There, officials also arrested three drivers on suspicion of DUI. Eight other drivers were determined to be unlicensed, police said, and 18 total citations were issued.

Both checkpoints were conducted as part of the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign over the Labor Day weekend.
 

A Newport Beach, Calif., man was convicted and sentenced to six years in state prison for stealing $2.7 million worth of wine from his clients’ storage lockers and under-reporting over $3.5 million in payroll to his workers' compensation insurance carrier, prosecutors said on Friday.

George Osumi, 65, a construction business owner, pleaded guilty to charges including: failing to file a tax return to avoid paying taxes, identity theft, perjury, grand theft, and aggravated white collar crime, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

Osumi is accused of breaking into private wine storage lockers at Legend Cellars, Inc. in Irvine, stealing other people’s wine, auctioning it off, depositing the money into his bank account, and replacing the wine he took with a cheaper brand, prosecutors said.

The wine he’s accused of stealing had an estimated value of $2.7 million, officials said.

At least once he hired a friend to auction off some of the stolen wine in exchange for a portion of the proceeds, prosecutors said, adding the man did not know the wine was stolen.

He also deposited about $280,000 into his business account and used the money to pay for personal expenses and legal fees, officials alleged.

Osumi is accused of auctioning some of the stolen wine himself for nearly $311,000 at least twice and having the money deposited into his business account, the District Attorney’s Office said.

A family member of one of the clients reported the theft to the Irvine Police Department, which launched an investigation.

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Anti-war protesters took to the streets in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday as the U.S. appeared poised to strike civil war-torn Syria over its use of alleged chemical weapons against rebels.

More than 200 people were involved in the mostly peaceful protests at Pershing Square, beginning about 1:30 p.m. Police cited about 40 people for disrupting traffic in the streets and arrested two protesters who refused to sign the citations, said LAPD Capt. Michael Oreb.

Many of the protesters were supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who questioned evidence that he used chemical weapons against rebels.

"We don't need to spend our money, our tax money, our hardworking money ... on wars," said Syrian-American protester Emily Greer. "We need peace. We don't want wars."

As President Barack Obama seeks congressional approval for military action against Syria, Congressman Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, said senators and representatives need ought to carefully consider their decision.

"This is not a judgment to be made by the Congress in haste, and consultation with the administration needs to intensify now," Schiff said in a prepared statement. "I was briefed by the intelligence community again yesterday, and look forward to tomorrow's hearing."

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At least five people have been killed and 12 others wounded in gun violence across Chicago Labor Day weekend.

One man was killed and two others were injured in a violent attack in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood early Saturday morning.

The shooting took place around 2:30 a.m. in the 3800 block of South Halsted Street where police found a 21-year-old man dead in an apartment building, police said.

Another man, 21, was found shot in the head and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition, according to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli.

A third man, 25, was found with gunshot wounds to the head and leg after his vehicle crashed into a light pole near 43rd Street and Wentworth Avenue, Mirabelli said.

Mirabelli said no other details were available on the shooting and it was not clear if the 25-year-old man was fleeing the scene.

Less than an hour later, a 19-year-old man was shot in the Pilsen neighborhood in the 1000 block of W. 20th Street.

Police said a light-colored SUV drove by and fired shots at the teen, striking him in the left leg. He was transported to Stroger Hospital in stable condition.

Around the same time, a woman was shot in the 4500 block of North Christiana Avenue during an armed robbery. The victim was transported to Swedish Covenant Hospital, police said.

The armed robbers fled the scene but were pulled over shortly after for a traffic stop in the 5300 block of North Kimball, according to authorities.

The officers then arrested two people in the vehicle’s back seat, but a third fled the scene on foot, according to police spokesperson Pat Camden.

Police chased the armed man through gangways before cornering him in the 5400 block of North Spaulding Avenue, according to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli.

Police ordered the man to put down his weapon, Camden said, but when the man raised his gun, an officer shot him in the arm and took him into custody.

Just after 4 a.m., a 31-year-old man was shot near the corner of Chicago and Menard Avenues.

Police said the man was standing on the sidewalk when a light-colored SUV drove by and fired shots.

The man was taken to West Suburban Medical Center with wounds to the chest and right arm, but police said he was later transferred to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.

Hours later, a teen was shot in the shoulder in the 500 block of West 81st Street. The 18-year-old man was shot just before 9 a.m. and police said the shooter appeared to have been a relative.

The teen was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and was last listed in stable condition, O'Brien said.

O'Brien said it did not appear the shooter was in custody as of Saturday afternoon.

A man in his 20s was found dead Saturday afternoon in the rear of a building in the Morgan Park neighborhood.

The man, said to be between 20 and 25 years of age, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene, O'Brien said.

No one was in custody for the shooting as of Saturday afternoon.

The weekend's most recent shooting took place Sunday morning around 7:40 a.m. when police were called to the 12200 block of South Aberdeen Street, according to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Sullivan.

A man was fatally shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not have any other details on the shooting Sunday morning.

Around 3 a.m. Sunday a 23-year-old man was shot in the 6700 block of South Marshfield Avenue.

The man was arguing with another man who took out a handgun and shot him, police siad.

The man was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital with a gunshot wound to the hip, police said.

An off-duty Chicago police officer fatally shot a burglar in the Old Town neighborhood late Saturday night, police said.

Around 6 p.m. Saturday a 16-year-old boy was shot in the Uptown neighborhood.

The boy was in the 1000 block of West Wilson Avenue when he was shot in the head, police said.

He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition.

A second person was also injured in the same shooting, and later walked into a hospital with a gunshot wound to his wrist, police said.

Around 1:20 p.m., in the 1100 block of North Orleans Street, a man, whose age was not immediately know, was shot in the head by another man dressed in red clothing, according to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer O'Brien.

The shooter fled the scene and the man was transported in serious condition to an area hospital, O'Brien said.

Further details surrounding the shooting were not immediately available.

On Friday, a man walked into Illinois Masonic Medical Center with a wound to the foot. The man said he was shot about six hours earlier in the 2700 block of North Western Avenue, but police said the incident is still being investigated and it appears the man may have shot himself.

Earlier, a man was killed around 1:30 p.m. in the 5100 block of South Winchester Avenue.

The man suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.

No one was in custody for the shooting and no other details were available as of Saturday morning, Mirabelli said.

Police said Sunday that, despite the violent weekend, Chicago saw a decline in shootings and murders for the month of August.

“While there have been significantly fewer shootings and murders this year, one victim is one too many and there's clearly more work to be done,” said Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. “We will continue our close partnership with the community and continue implementing our comprehensive policing strategy, but to address gun violence we need stronger laws that keep illegal guns out of our streets in the first place."
 

Firefighters are continually making headway in fighting the Rim Fire on the outskirts of Yosemite National Park: On Saturday, they had contained 40 percent of the blaze, which has now charred a total of 222,777 acres of forest.

It also now has the dubious distinction of being California's 4th largest wildfire in state history, according to CAL FIRE.

For the first time since the fire started near Yosemite two weeks ago, the smoke has reached the Valley and the most popular tourist destinations there. NBC Bay Area talked to people in the Valley who said the smoke is so thick, they cannot even see Yosemite's Half Dome.

NBC Bay Area has learned the heavy smoke has forced fire officials to ground all firefighting aircraft because of the low visibility.

Increasingly confident fire officials said they expect to fully surround the blaze in three weeks, although it will burn for much longer than that.

Some of the nearly 5,000 firefighters, including strike teams from San Francisco and Mountain View, returned home this weekend after spending days on the fire lines.

MORE: Rim Fire Incident Command Page

The Rim Fire fire has been raging in the heart of the Stanislaus National Forest since Aug. 17, and investigators said they may know what may have sparked the massive blaze.

Investigators said Marijuana growers could be to blame. A Tuolumne County Fire official told community members that investigators are looking into that possibility.

A total of 5,500 structures still remained threatened, and so far, 111 buildings were damaged - 11 of them were homes, despite earlier reports that 31 homes had burned. Nearly 5,000 firefighters have now been called in to battle the blaze.

As of Friday, several evacuations orders, including one for Tuolumne City, had been lifted. But Yosemite National Park - which has remained open during the entirety of the fire - had closed Tamarack Flat and Yosemite Creek Campgrounds.

The biggest loss was the complete destruction of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp, a family camp run by the city of Berkeley since 1922. Friends of the camp set up a Facebook page to collect old photos of good times at the camp. As of Thursday, the Berkeley Tuolumne Family Camp Photo Memorial had 1,732 friends.

The other camps in the area, including San Jose Family Camp, San Francisco's Camp Mather and Camp Tawonga were evacuated safely shortly after the fire broke out.

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Check out an interactive map via Esri.com.

The 2013 Chargers roster is set. At least, as of 2:35 p.m. Pacific time on Saturday, August 31, it is. The Bolts made 11 more roster cuts to get down to the NFL-mandated 53-player limit. The full list looks like this:

Nick Becton, T
Frank Beltre, OLB
Ben Cotton, TE
Marcus Cromartie, CB
Logan Harrell, DE
Michael Hill, RB
Josh Johnson, CB
Thomas Keiser, LB
Robert Meachem, WR
David Molk, C
David Rolf, TE

You will notice wide receiver Robert Meachem on that list. Meachem was the source of great debate during training camp. After signing a big free agent contract in 2012, the former Saints big-play threat caught just 14 passes for the Chargers.

He was relegated to working mostly with the 2nd and 3rd team offense under new head coach Mike McCoy. However, since a large portion of his contract was guaranteed, it would hurt the franchise financially to release him. Meachem will be paid $5 million this year, and count nearly $7 million against the salary cap. He'll also take up space against next year's cap.

It's a bold move by the organization, one that, frankly, I don't think they would have made in the past. With this one move, new general manager Tom Telesco and McCoy have shown they are, indeed, searching for "the best 53 guys" regardless of finances.

As for the rest of the cuts list, there are not giant surprises, and many of the players could very well end up on the Chargers' 8-man practice squad.

“I thanked all of the players for giving us their 100% effort and dedication,” said McCoy. “They all worked extremely hard and gave us everything they had. Days like this are never easy. I have been in their shoes. I was cut five times by five different teams. I feel for these men and wish them the best of luck.”

The Chargers extended their streak of having an undrafted rookie free agent make the opening day roster to 16 years. They're actually keeping three undrafted rookies, safety Jaleel Addae, defensive end Brandon Moore and defensive tackle Kwame Geathers.

As the rest of the league trims rosters, the Chargers will be looking at potentially adding more veteran players, which would mean more cuts to the current "final" group.

Cannon battles, festival food and magnificent ships delighted the crowds this weekend at the 2013 Festival of Sail along the Embarcadero.

Since Friday, 20 tall ships from around the world have docked along the Embarcadero for the festival that's been dubbed the biggest event of its kind on the west coast.

Through Monday, entry for the festival will take place at the Maritime Museum, located at 1492 N. Harbor Drive. Tickets will cost $5.

Once inside, ship fanatics and novices alike can immerse themselves into nautical culture with entrance to the museum, tall ship tours, a beer garden and more all done in the spirit of the age of sail.

Throughout the weekend, live cannon battles will take place and for an extra price the public can take a seat on one of the battling ships.

The festival has plenty to do for younger Maritime fans as well, including a kid’s zone, petting zoo and a family area. Those looking to shop shouldn’t be disappointed either as more than 150 vendors will be on hand selling one-of-a-kind items.

Proceeds from the event help fund education and youth programs at the Maritime Museum and help cover the ship's preservation costs.

For more information about the Festival of Sail 2013 or to buy tickets, visit the event’s website.
 

An amended county ordinance could lead to serious penalties – including a bill of up to $12,000 -- for law-breaking hikers, should they become lost or injured in San Diego backcountry.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the board of supervisors has amended San Diego County Ordinance 364.1 to allow for the reimbursement of costs during Search and Rescue operations.

That means that from this point forward, hikers could be billed for emergency rescue costs if they become lost or injured as a result of violating federal, state or local laws. A civil process could collect up to $12,000 in recovery expenses from individuals, and law-breakers could also be arrested or cited.

The Sheriff’s Department says the amended ordinance is necessary in order to curb costly Search and Rescue operations.

Officials say that every year – especially on long holiday weekends – dozens of ill-equipped, inexperienced or just plain reckless hikers put a strain on the department’s resources and budget.

When deputies and the department’s ASTREA helicopter are tied up in a Search and Rescue call, they’re unable to respond to other emergencies or investigations.

The Sheriff’s Department says that under this amended ordinance, the fees and penalties only apply to those who break the law. For instance, someone who is drinking illegally in the backcountry and winds up getting hurt and needing an emergency rescue response may be liable.

Deputies want to remind the public that permits are required to visit Cedar Creek Falls in the East County, a popular spot among hikers and campers. Alcohol and cliff jumping are not allowed there. Since 2011, there have been 50 rescues in the Cedar Creek Falls area, officials said.

With Labor Day weekend underway, the Sheriff’s Department has a few safety tips for hikers and campers. This includes telling someone where and when you’re going hiking or caving, and when you expect to return. This way, someone knows where to begin the search should something go wrong.

Officials also suggest hiking with a partner in familiar areas where you’re less likely to get lost. Also, know your physical limits and choose trails that match your level of physical fitness accordingly.

Finally, hikers are urged to pack ample food, water, sunscreen, a map, GPS, a first-aid kit, multi-purpose tool or knife, whistle and cell phone, in case of emergency, and wear proper clothing, including hiking boots.
 

Saturday was Todd Gloria's first full day as interim mayor after Bob Filner's resignation became official on Friday.

Gloria was on the job today at the sand sculpting competition along the Embarcadero.

One of his first acts was to stop a Jack in the Box project which former Mayor Filner approved just before leaving office. However, Gloria said there was a lot of work to be done.

He explained that city's staff had been micromanaged and not allowed to go about their usual business. Gloria said this ended yesterday and that he will empower city staff to do their jobs.

"The CEO of the city is supposed to set the tone and direction which really wasn't being done before," said Gloria. "Now that is being done and I think we're going to get a lot accomplished in the coming months."

Officially, Gloria said his work as interim mayor will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

“We have been working on a list of pending items," Gloria told previously NBC 7. "I think it will get longer. Well start attacking it one-by-one. The days of sliding backward are over."

Meanwhile, the Nov. 19 election for the mayor's seat had some new advancements Friday as City Attorney, Mike Aguirre, joined the race.

Reactions from local politicians over whether or not the U.S. should conduct military actions in Syria trickled in Saturday evening after President Barack Obama announced that he would seek congressional approval before getting the nation involved in the war-torn country.

At a press conference Saturday morning, President Obama discussed plans for U.S. military actions that he said would be of “limited duration and scope” against the Syrian regime, led by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as a reaction to an alleged chemical attack that killed 1,429 people, including more than 400 children.

The President’s biggest reveal was that he would seek approval from Congress before launching any actions in Syria.

Congress is set to return from a five-week recess on Monday, Sept. 9. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has said that the upper chamber would begin hearings on the issue next week, ahead of what he pledged would be a vote no later than the week of Sept. 9th.

On Saturday, reactions from local politicians over the President’s announcements were overwhelmingly positive.

At a press conference, U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas (D) shared his thoughts on the situation in Syria.

“If in fact chemical weapons were used to kill these people then I think we have to act,” said Vargas. “Because if not then I think you're going to see a larger, more emboldened group of people in this world wanting to use chemical weapons, maybe nuclear weapons, biological weapons. There has to be a price to pay."

Around the same time, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R) also released a statement to NBC 7:

"Given the situation at this time, the only responsible decision for the President was to request Congress make a decision on whether to authorize military action. In the coming days, Congress will review the same classified information the President has seen and both the House and Senate will be in a better position to make a judgment based on the facts."

U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D) said she also looked forward to debating whether the U.S. should get involved. Davis released the following:

“In the spirit of the President's statement, I look forward to intense and rigorous meetings and debate prior to a vote of the Congress, which is the right thing to do.

“It is unconscionable for a government to use chemical weapons against its own people. Making a decision on what is in the best interests of the American people will take thoughtful and cautious deliberation.

"I have engaged on these issues before and am honored to represent my constituents at this very difficult time.”

In his statement, U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D) of the 52nd district mentioned the toll that past overseas endeavors by the U.S. have taken on San Diegans. His full statement is as follows:

“Reports that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons against its own people, including children, are shocking. Acts like these are unconscionable and reprehensible. I understand President Obama’s concern that these atrocities not be ignored.

“As I consider the President’s request for support, I will need to determine our intended objective, the specific actions to be taken, the expected response, our exit strategy, and how these efforts will protect American interests both in the region and here at home. San Diegans have paid a particularly heavy price for our engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past decade.

"That's why I welcome the President's call for Congressional input on this very serious matter. This debate will allow Congress and the American people to have more clarity on the facts that have been gathered and on what our commitments will be moving forward. I personally look forward to a fully informed discussion in the coming weeks.”

NBC 7 reached out to Republican Darrell Issa. He has yet to respond.

Check back for updates on this developing story.