Fire fighters transported two people to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla Friday night after a car accident on northbound I-805 just north of Governor Drive in University City.

Rescue crews had to use a rope to climb down into the ravine and pull the people to safety. According to the California Highway Patrol, the car went 200 feet down an embankment into heavy brush. A police helicopter assisted from the air.

Officers were originally looking for a third person involved in the crash, but have called off the search.

“We don’t know who the driver was,” said Mike Finnerty of the San Diego Fire Department. “Their report to us was that the driver had left. We searched for that person using two helicopters, using infrared, and determined that there was no third person.”

Authorities say the two people in the car did not have major injuries. There is no word on what caused the crash.

An armed man who barricaded himself inside a wireless store within a Southern California shopping center for hours after he allegedly robbed a nearby business has taken his own life, authorities said.

After a nearly six-hour standoff, tactical team entered a Connect Wireless store Friday night to find the man "deceased apparently by his own hand," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Crescenta Valley Station said in a tweet.

No shots were fired by authorities on scene, the department added.

Officials received a report of a man with a gun about 4 p.m. at The Marketplace Shopper Center (map), located in the 2600 block of Foothill Boulevard in La Crescenta. News broke shortly before 10 p.m. that the barricaded man had died.

The owner of Connect Wireless told NBC4 two of her employees were inside the store when the man entered and threatened to take them hostage, but the workers ran out the front door the first chance they could.

No hostages were taken, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Crescenta Valley Station said.

The situation unfolded inside The Marketplace Shopping Center, which also houses a Ralphs, Rite Aid, U.S. Bank and Starbucks, among other shops. Shoppers were seen running from Rite Aid and Ralphs Friday evening as authorities slowly evacuated the plaza.

Rite Aid employees told NBC4 a man went into the store's pharmacy, demanded a prescription and showed a gun. When a worker gave the man the pills he asked for, the robber ran from the store.

A 1-block stretch of Foothill Boulevard between Raymond and Rosemont avenues had been closed for the investigation. Sheriff's officials said all streets around the shopping center were reopened about 10:15 p.m.

The chaos developed the day during Black Friday, when consumers were set to take advantage of longer store hours and steep discounts to start the holiday shopping season.

Dozens of cars were in the plaza's parking lot when the situation began. A sheriff’s deputy with a rifle was seen stationed outside the doors of a Ralphs grocery store next door to the wireless store.

It was previously reported that the store involved in the barricade is a Verizon location, but rather, it belongs to Connect Wireless, a third-party vendor that sells Verizon products, according to a Verizon Wireless spokesman.

When the report first came in, everyone in surrounding stores had been ordered to shelter in place. At about 5:30 p.m., the Rite Aid inside the shopping complex was evacuated. Shortly before 7 p.m., the Ralphs was evacuated. By 8 p.m., the center had been emptied and shut down, the sheriff's department said in a tweet.

Members of the sheriff department's Special Enforcement Bureau -- the equivalent of a SWAT team -- responded to the scene. An armored vehicle was stationed outside the Connect Wireless storefront.

Refresh this page for updates.

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A customer shopping at a Saginaw, Tex., Wal-Mart on Thanksgiving recorded video of commotion inside the store from shoppers seeking deep discounts.

Joseph Solis, 21, went to the store Thursday night to purchase a television with his aunt and his cousin, when he noticed a commotion as an 8 p.m. sale began on DVD/Blu-Ray combo players, speakers and GPS units.

"And something just told me take out your phone and record this, because most of the time when people gather around like this something is bound to happen," Solis said.

Solis, and other shoppers, witnessed was a scrimmage as shoppers tried to grab merchandise.

As a result, at least one man was injured.

"It was kind of like 'The Hunger Games.' It was just like everyone just rushed towards the middle and that was it," Solis said.

Shoppers are seen pushing, shoving and knocking over store displays on video for more than three minutes.

The video shows more than 10 Wal-Mart associates and four uniformed, off-duty Saginaw police officers trying to control the situation.

Please be advised that the YouTube video does contain graphic language. 

At about the 2:24 point in Solis' video, you can see one of those officers, and who appears to be a customer, help an injured man out of the crowd. The man is limping and appears to be favoring his right arm.

A Wal-Mart spokesperson described a scene captured at a Saginaw store Thanksgiving night in thevideo as an "isolated incident."

In a statement to NBC 5 in response to the incident, Wal-Mart spokesperson Kayla Whaling said:

"This was an isolated incident at this store and was not a representation of the experience the vast majority of our stores had last night."

Solis, a sociology major at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, said he did not expect to witness what he did.

"None of it had to happen. This was out of control," Solis said. "Humans shouldn't act like this."

When a Bridgeport, Conn., man was robbed of his Thanksgiving dinner, police found a way to turn his day around.

The man called police Thursday morning to say he was walking to his friend’s house carrying a turkey and stuffing when he was robbed at gunpoint.

The robber took the turkey and the victim’s wallet, police said.

"At first I thought he was joking, but I could hear from his voice that he was serious," said Bridgeport police dispatcher Denny Viera, who spoke with the victim.

Officer Daniel Mendez headed to the scene and confirmed that the turkey had been stolen, according to police.

"I wanted to do something," said Viera.

She called a local Stop and Shop supermarket in an effort to replace the stolen turkey, but there were none left. Viera also figured it was getting too late in the day to start cooking a turkey, so she headed to Boston Market instead.

Police said Viera and her coworkers bought two turkey dinners for the victim and his friend. Mendez picked up the dinners and delivered them to the victim.

"When he gave them the meals, Danny said they were the happiest guys on earth," Viera said.

Police are investigating the robbery.

A former Marine accused of stabbing four homeless men to death in Orange County has died while in custody, authorities said.

Itzcoatl Ocampo was found sick in his cell Wednesday evening and transported to a hospital in Santa Ana, according to Lt. Jeff Hallock with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Ocampo died Thursday afternoon around 1:30 p.m.

Authorities said Friday in a press release that Ocampo was shaking and vomitting in his single-man cell.

A cause of death has not yet been determined, but his autopsy is tentatively scheduled for early next week. Toxicology results will not be available for several weeks, officials said.

UPDATE: Ajax Killed Suspect in Homeless Slayings, Lawyer Says

Ocampo was behind bars accused of killing four homeless men and a mother and son in a serial “thrill-kill” spree that set a community on edge for months.

He was arrested Jan. 13, 2012. A friend of Ocampo’s, Eder Herrera, was initially arrested in connection with the slayings, but released when DNA evidence linked Ocampo to the crimes, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty against Ocampo, who they described as “intelligent and calculating” in planning the slayings, stalking out his victims and carrying out “these vicious executions with no plans of stopping.”

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said Ocampo preyed on homeless men because of their vulnerability.

The first victim, James McGillivray, 53, was attacked as he slept outside a Placentia shopping center on Dec. 20, 2011.

The body of 53-year-old Lloyd Middaugh was found on a Santa Ana river trail on Dec. 27, 2011; on Dec. 30, Paulus Cornelius Smit was found dead behind a Yorba Linda library.

The last slaying happened Jan. 13, 2012, when John Berry was stabbed outside an Anaheim Carl’s Jr.

Witnesses saw the slaying, chased Ocampo away and notified police who caught him after a search though a mobile home park in Yorba Linda, police said.

Ocampo also faced charges in the Oct. 25 stabbing deaths of the mother and brother of a childhood friend -- Raquel Estrada, 53, and Juan Herrera, 34.

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A United flight attendant was injured when a plane was forced to brake suddenly to avoid a collision at Dulles International Airport Saturday morning.

A Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokesperson said United Flight 379 to Orlando, FL, had pushed back from the terminal and started to taxi to the runway when the pilot made an abrupt stop to avoid a ground vehicle. A flight attendant who was standing was hurt during the stop.

The spokesperson said the flight attendant was likely giving safety instructions when the stop occurred.

The spokesperson said there was no collision with the ground vehicle and the flight returned to the gate. The flight attendant was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the ground vehicle was issued a notice of violation. He will be taken off airfield and go through retraining before being allowed to drive again.

The flight to Orlando was originally scheduled to depart at 8:14 a.m. FlightAware, a live flight tracking website, reports the plane was rescheduled for departure at 9:16 a.m.

San Diegan Yolanda McKenzie knows why it's important to make a plan before doing her holiday shopping.

"I'm one of nine children so we always had to budget our gifts," said McKenzie.

Some people make a budget out of habit, others do it out of need.

"We both teach public school and have two little ones," said John Posternack. "So I wish it was for whatever we wanted, but we're on a budget."

Certified Financial Planner Mary Beth Storjohann says planning now for the holidays is critical. 

"My big push is always, have a plan, buy presents, but just start with a plan," said Storjohann.

The founder of Workable Wealth says some of her clients don't really know how much they spent during the holiday season until the bills start arriving in January.

Storjohann says it is best to start with a list of people you are buying for and then put a dollar amount for each of those presents.

But she says there are more expenses to think about than just what goes under the tree.

"They should also have a budget for their holiday travel, for their holiday events and parties. There should be a long list of what your holiday expenses are," Storjohann explained.

But does creating a budget for everything take some of the fun out of shopping?

Well, Storjohann says Santa creates a list, so why shouldn't we?

"If you don't belong here don't park here," Bogdan said.

That message was heard loud and clear Friday as police made sure holiday shoppers weren't taking advantage of parking spots designated for the disabled.

One parking violator was seen leaving his wife's car with her disabled placard in the window, but she wasn't with him, as required by law.

When police ticketed the vehicle, they discovered the placard in the window actually expired three years ago.

"I got bad knees too," the driver said. "[My wife] was supposed to be with me, but she's in pain so I had to do the shopping for her. So its not that I'm trying to take advantage of the spot."

As for why the man was using an expired placard, he said the updated sign was recently lost.

Police were on the lookout for parking violators as part of a weekend long crackdown on people abusing disabled parking laws this holiday shopping season. The enforcement blitz had local and Secretary of State police patrolling several malls and parking areas near the Water Tower.

"As a person with a disability and father of three small children it's very frustrating when I need to use these accessible parking spaces and they've been taken by someone who doesn't belong parking in those spots," said Disability Liaison to Governor Pat Quinn Bill Bogdan.

Violating the Illinois law could lead to fines of up to $500 and suspended driving privileges for up to 6 months.

"I'm sorry," said one ticketed driver.
 

A SWAT standoff ended peacefully after police took a suspect into custody near the Westfield Mall UTC in University City on Friday night.

Police officers evacuated Torrey Pines Village apartment complex in the 8900-block of Lombard Place at around 4:35 p.m. after a relative of the suspect called and said he was making threats that “he was going to kill his girlfriend or that he already killed his girlfriend,” according to Lt. Kevin Mayer.

Mayer said the suspect also made threats that “he would hurt or kill law enforcement.”

The suspect’s girlfriend was found on the apartment grounds and the suspect surrendered to police a little over an hour later.

Several police vehicles were on the scene with a canine unit and a police helicopter circled the apartment building telling people to stay in their homes. Many residents were still not allowed back into their apartments as police continued to clear the scene.

The suspect, pictured below, has not been charged with any crime and police are looking to see if any laws have been broken. The suspect lives with his girlfriend in the apartment complex and has a number of firearms registered to him.

New details are emerging in the death of man killed in a fiery car explosion after being chased by Border Patrol along Interstate 8 in Pine Valley in March 2012.

Court documents filed in federal court earlier this month confirm for the first time that a Border Patrol agent did use a Taser device seconds before the man's car became engulfed in flames.

The family of the young man who died is suing the federal government, claiming the taser caused the car explosion that resulted in their son's death. The company that makes the devices has warned that they should not be used in proximity to flammable materials because they send off a spark when fired.

Earlier this month, the federal government answered back to the lawsuit describing how this was the second time the man led officers on a high-speed pursuit trying to evade arrest.

In the more recent incident, the family of 25-year-old Alex Martin says Martin was on his way back from Texas in March 2012 when he became lost in Pine Valley. According to court documents, Border Patrol agents tried to stop Martin who was driving in the wrong direction on I-8 freeway.

He sped away leading officers on a high speed pursuit.

"At one point, Martin pulled over and stopped near the Sunrise Highway off ramp. But Martin sped away when Border Patrol agents got out of their car," the court filing from the U.S. Attorney's office states.

Attorney Eugene Iredale is representing Martin's mother and father in the wrongful death lawsuit.

"Here it was a dark night. A young man, who is lost in the area, who is trying to find the right way to go ... and he's approached by agents who start screaming at him," said Iredale.

Iredale says agents in unmarked cars deployed spikes in the road to deflate Martin's tires. Martin continued driving anyway on flat tires until he finally had to come to a stop.

Agents yelled at Martin to get out of the car and show his hands, according to court documents. And when he didn't, an agent used his flashlight to break a window and then deployed a Taser device to try to subdue him, the court documents state.

Gabriel Pacheco, a lead Border Patrol union representative, said the risk to the agents involved in the incident was high. The agent who deployed the taser received minor burns to the face and was also blown-off his feet by the car explosion.

Pacheco said all Border Patrol procedures were followed in the pursuit and stop.

"You have a vehicle running down the freeway in the wrong direction. We've had other incidents where we've had 'alien smuggling' occurring in the same fashion - running down the freeway in the wrong direction," Pacheco said. "We need to stop that car and get that car safely off the freeway." 

The federal court records state that this was not the first time Martin resisted law enforcement, describing an incident nine months prior when Martin fled the scene of a DUI hit-and-run accident in Texas, leading officers on a high speed pursuit then. When he staggered out of his pick-up truck during that incident, police found a .38 caliber pistol and ammunition, according to the court records.

Iredale, attorney for Martin's family, said weeks went by before Border Patrol admitted that a taser had been used before the explosion, and he pointed out the incident was one of three in recent years where the agency's use of force has been called into question.

"They completely covered up, ignored, refused to disclose the fact that this explosion happened after the taser, with its electric spark, and that caused this explosion," Iredale stated.

Iredale also represents the family of Anastasio Hernandez-Rojas, whose case garnered national media attention in 2010 after a passerby documented a crowd of Border Patrol agents using a Taser on an immobile, handcuffed Hernandez-Rojas as he begged for help in Spanish. He died shortly after the incident. 

Family of Valeria "Monique" Alvarado, a 32-year-old mother, have also employed Iredale to seek answers to her September 2012 death. She was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent while fleeing from a home where an arrest warrant was being served. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has stated the agent who shot her was carried on the hood of her car for several hundred yards before he fired his gun. 

Pacheco said Martin's death could have been avoided if he had pulled over his car and yielded to the law enforcement officers.

"My question would be: 'Why would he flee?'," Pacheco said. "Anybody who is in their right mind typically would understand that if they see a red or blue light behind them that they would need to yield to the law enforcement that's behind them."

A San Diego woman pranked by her brother while driving on Interstate 15 spoke exclusively to NBC 7 San Diego Friday about the bomb hoax that caused a massive, lengthy traffic jam on Thanksgiving.

Deanna “Dede” Diaz, 27, was on the I-15, on her way to visit family in Escondido Thursday, when she received a couple of extremely frightening phone calls from a number she did not recognize.

After calling twice, the person on the other end – a deep, serious, unfamiliar voice that Deanna said she did not recognize – left a chilling voice message.

The voicemail, which Deanna played back for NBC 7, said there was a bomb inside her car that would soon detonate. The caller had a thick accent.

“I know you drive a white car. I put a bomb in your car and you’re going to explode,” said the voice.

“At that moment, I just panicked. I didn’t even want to stop my car, to be honest. I literally wanted to jump out of my car,” said Deanna. “[I wondered] ‘What if I stop the car and put it in park and something detonates?’ I was in panic mode. I was freaking out, [wondering] why someone would do this to me.”

“I was just scared. What if some guy is watching us? What if he shoots us in the car? What if? Every worse scenario you could think of, I went through,” said Deanna. “I’m going to get killed and we’re going to all die. I was just in complete panic.”

Immediately, Deanna pulled over to the center divide on northbound I-15, near Miramar Way. She and a friend riding in her car jumped out and ran away from the vehicle. Deanna then used her cell phone to call 911.

From there, a large law enforcement response ensued.

At around 2:45 p.m., authorities from multiple agencies, including the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Bomb Squad responded to the scene.

California Highway Patrol officials shut down the I-15 in both directions.

Thanksgiving traffic came to a bumper-to-bumper halt on the busy freeway and stayed that way for hours as officials and bomb squad dogs inspected Deanna’s vehicle.

Deanna said officials took her to safety at a nearby Carl’s Jr. restaurant. There, she received yet another threatening phone call, which an officer told her to answer on speaker phone.

This time, the mystery caller said he knew she was going to Escondido. But, how, Deanna thought, did he know that?

Deanna said she panicked again. She felt a tingling in her left arm and thought she may have been having a heart attack.

“It just tingled – it was numb. [I thought] I’m going to pass out. I was just grabbing myself,” she explained.

Soon, officials determined the caller had been Deanna's older brother – Victor Diaz, 28 – playing a prank on his unsuspecting sister.

Victor didn’t know how far the bomb hoax had escalated, Deanna said, and only found out about the traffic jam and police response when he arrived in Escondido, where their family was meeting for Thanksgiving.

CHP officials told Victor to come down to the scene for questioning. He was arrested for making a false bomb threat and booked into San Diego Central Jail on felony charges.

Though officials confirmed Victor was remorseful over the prank gone-too-far, officials said sorry wouldn’t just cut it.

“He was very apologetic and everything. He just didn’t think it would go this far,” said Deanna. “I told him he could’ve called or texted me, ‘Hey, I’m just joking,’ after the first call. But, after three calls threatening me, I took it pretty seriously,” said Deanna.

By 6:15 p.m., all lanes had reopened in both directions in I-15, and traffic picked up again.

On Friday, Deanna’s older brother remained in jail. He’s scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 4.

“I feel bad. I’m a little upset with myself. He’s in jail, and they’re not misdemeanor crimes, they’re felonies he’s looking at. He has a baby on the way next month. I feel bad he’s in jail, but I had known, none of this would’ve happened,” she lamented.

Deanna said she and her family members often play practical jokes and pranks on one another, but nothing ever to this extreme.

Their mother, Lucia Diaz, said she's deeply saddened by the incident. She said Deanna played the bomb hoax voicemail for her too, and even Lucia didn't recognize Victor's voice.

"The voice wasn't the same, like him," Lucia said regarding her son.

“I feel sorry for both of them. [Deanna] was sick, Victor is in jail,” said Lucia. “I couldn’t sleep last night.”

Lucia said she spoke to her son and he said he regrets his actions.

“He said, ‘Sorry, Mom, but I didn’t think this was going to end up in a big problem.’ He’s sorry. I hope he stops playing jokes on other people too because of what happened,” said Lucia. "I feel very sad. It was a sad day for all of us -- for everyone."

Deanna said she feels awful about the entire incident. She also said she’s sorry to all of the drivers who were stranded along the I-15 on Thanksgiving.

“I felt horrible – all these people trying to get to their families. I’m pretty sure they missed their flights, missed something – some events with their families – for a hoax like this,” she added. “I apologize. If I could take it back, I would. Had I known it was him, none of this would’ve happened. I apologize for them missing time with their families. It’s Thanksgiving; I wanted to be with my family too.”

More NBC 7 San Diego Stories:

• Brother-Sister Bomb Hoax Halts I-15 Traffic
• SWAT Standoff Ends in University City
• Man Stabbed During Black Friday Event in Carlsbad

The big 9-0 is a major milestone in anyone’s life. Wanita Zimmerman decided to mark the occasion by going skydiving.

Zimmerman, who lives in Elk Grove, Calif., celebrated her 90th birthday Friday by jumping out of a plane that took off from the Jump Center at the Lodi Airport.

She also jumped on her 85th birthday.

Zimmerman took the plunge along with her doctor, her doctor’s daughter, and her 69-year-old son, Gary, who’s from Baltimore.

The California Highway Patrol was on high alert this Thanksgiving, ready to catch those who enjoyed too many cocktails with their turkey dinners.

In San Diego County, CHP officers arrested 42 people for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol between Wednesday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 6 a.m.

One person was killed in a DUI-related crash during that time.

The statistics were down compared to last year’s 61 arrests over the same period. Statewide, CHP reported 724 DUI arrests this year, compared to 840 in 2012.

Eleven people have died across California since Wednesday evening in alcohol- or drug-related crashes. At least eight of those killed were not wearing seat belts, and one was a pedestrian.

Wednesday night, San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 22 people for being drunk in public in the North County.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 728 people nationwide will be injured or killed each day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day in drunk driving accidents, a rate two to three times higher than the rest of the year.

A traffic officer was struck and killed by a truck Saturday afternoon in midtown Manhattan, officials said.

The truck hit the officer at 44th Street near the corner of 5th Avenue.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the officer was working and standing in the street's parking lane when he was hit.

"It underscores how dangerous the job can be," Kelly said. "He was in the roadway doing his job and he was struck and killed."

Witnesses said the truck was just beginning to pull away from the curb when the right front side hit the officer, pulling him under the wheel, and that it looked like he was on a cellphone before he was hit.

No other injuries have been reported in connection with the accident, which is under investigation.
 

In just a few hours on Saturday, a west suburban man gave away almost everything he owned.

Brian Bagnall, 32, of Franklin Park, who authored a book on happiness, gave away everything in his home aside from a few personal items as he prepared for a move to a furnished home in Virginia.

Instead of selling his belongings, Bagnall reportedly posted on Craigslist that he was giving away his things for free.

“After seeing the many videos of people acting crazy on Black Friday, we wanted to encourage some human kindness,” the Craigslist ad read. “We thought about selling it, but that just wouldn’t be in the holiday spirit.”

But the sale didn’t come without a few rules.

Bagnall asked that no one push, shove, run, yell or do any other mean acts during the giveaway.

“This isn’t Walmart,” the ad said.

Roughly 200 people showed up Saturday morning to clean out his three-bedroom home in the 3200 block of Dora Street, and within a few hours, the place was empty.

"People were waiting all over the lawn and cars were lining up and down the street," Bagnall said. "There were 40 or 50 people on the front lawn when it first opened."

Bagnall said the sale was part of his and his girlfriend's plan to live the life he preaches.

He said the two try to do little things each day to spread happiness, like buying a coffee for the person in line behind them when they go out.

Bagnall gave away everything from couches and love seats to tools and ladders. He said people were even taking shelves off the walls.

"There were a lot of smiles today," he said. "People need happiness more than ever right now and Black Friday shows it."

A string of small earthquakes centered near Julian shook up parts of San Diego’s East County early Saturday morning.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the first minor, 3.2-magnitude quake first rattled land just after 3:30 a.m. Another of the same magnitude followed around 7:10 a.m. The epicenter of the earthquakes was about 10 miles southeast of Julian.

Residents in some East County communities, including Pine Valley and Alpine, reportedly felt the quakes. Three other microquakes followed, but those were even lower magnitude rattlers -- between 1.2 and 1.7-magnitude.

No injuries or damages were reported.

Did you feel the earthquakes in your neck of the woods?

After the Black Friday blitz, San Diego residents turned their attention – and wallets – to shopping local during “Small Business Saturday.”

Consumers took to the streets of small, eclectic neighborhoods such as North Park and South Park in San Diego’s Uptown area to shop for those perfect holiday gifts while supporting local merchants and the local economy.

Interim Mayor Todd Gloria kicked off Small Business Saturday at Pigment, a family-owned shop located at 3801 30th St. in North Park that specializes in art, flora, furniture and other quirky, thoughtful gifts.

The shop is the brainchild of husband-and-wife duo Chad Anglin and Amy Paul, who aim to showcase goods created by San Diego artists and artisans.

Gloria stressed the importance of shopping small, and urged San Diegans to shop locally at neighborhood businesses not just on Saturday, but throughout the holiday season.

“Small businesses are the backbone of San Diego’s economy and integral parts of each neighborhood’s character,” said Gloria in a prepared statement. “Buying from local businesses is a way to support local jobs and provide unique gifts for your friends and family members. Take a day off from the hysteria of malls and fighting for parking spaces, and walk or bike to shops in your neighborhood.”

In the North Park community, 30th Street is home to a multitude of mom-and-pop shops, cafes and restaurants. On Saturday, some of those businesses offered special deals to visitors.

But, in North Park, the local bargains don’t end on Small Business Saturday.

According to the 30th Street website, the community is currently running a program called “30th on 30th,” which focuses on highlighting independent businesses along the street by offering specials at local eateries and bars on the 30th of each month.

Most specials start between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. and include a feature appetizer for $3. The specials change every month, with the latest updates posted on the 30th Street website.

This month, for example, Ritual Kitchen & Garden/Tavern is offering a $3 pork poutine appetizer and $3 cans of certain specialty brews. On the front patio of Sipz Vegetarian, patrons can enjoy a pad Thai or orange chicken with rice dish for $5, crispy pot stickers for $3 and all house wine and beer for $3. Tornado brewery is pouring seven Sierra Nevada drafts for $4 all night.

By the way, 30th Street has been hailed as one of the nation’s best streets for craft beer, so suds are typically included in these monthly specials. Another fun fact: North Park was ranked one of America's Hippest Hipster Neighborhood's by Forbes last year.

Over in South Park, small businesses also reign supreme, with more than 40 independent retail shops, restaurants and cafes that focus on local products and fare.

Many of those businesses are located on 30th and Fern streets, with some on Juniper, Grape, Beech and Kalmia streets as well. A full business directory for the area can be seen here.

On Saturday, San Diego councilmember and mayoral runoff candidate David Alvarez planned to visit the community in support of this year’s Small Business Saturday.

“I’m a true supporter of our small mom-and-pop shops, entrepreneurs and innovators that are the backbone of San Diego’s economy,” said Alvarez in a media release. “I look forward to being out on National Small Business Saturday to celebrate and promote the contributions they make each and every day.”

Alvarez planned to visit South Park’s Big Kitchen Café, the So Childish boutique, Progress South Park, the Make Good shop and Eclipse Chocolate during his excursion. He planned to buy Christmas gifts for his daughter along the way.

Again, the main focus in the South Park business community remains on locally-produced goods.

Popular shops such as Make Good – which is located at 2207 Fern St. – pride themselves on highlighting local artisans and offering handmade items that are truly one-of-a-kind, including jewelry, clothing, art and home goods.

The shop’s website cites a 2012 study by Civic Economics concerning how much revenue stays in the local economy if consumers choose to shop local.

According to the figures, a typical nationally owned retail chain keeps 13.6 percent of its revenue in the local economy, while a locally-owned retailer typically keeps about 48 percent of its revenue in the local economy.

Make Good says it’s able to keep more than 75 percent of its revenue in the local economy because 100 percent of products are sourced locally.

Emergency crews report that a house in Grandview exploded late Saturday night. The search for possible victims and a cause of the blast continued into early Sunday morning.

Hundreds of people reported hearing large explosions in Johnson County around 11:00 p.m. on Saturday night. Law enforcement dispatchers said emergency crews searched the area near County Road 408 and FM 916. 

Via Twitter, the Johnson County Emergency Management said there are no evacuations ordered and "the structure is a complete loss." 

JCEM also said the Fire Department reported that the destroyed structure was "residential, not commercial."

At least one resident of Grandview posted on Facebook that a structure near her home exploded near FM 916.

There are more than 200 responses to a post about the explosions on the NBC DFW Facebook Fan Page. Many respondents in or around Grandview said they felt their home shake or heard large "booms."

Some suspected that it was an earthquake. NBC DFW checked the US Geological Survey's website and no earthquake was reported.

Keep checking NBCDFW.com and NBC 5 News, as soon as we learn of any new information, we will pass it along to you.

Paul Walker's publicist confirmed to NBC News that the actor best known for starring in "The Fast and the Furious" movie franchise has died after a fiery crash in Valencia, Calif., Saturday afternoon.

He was 40 years old.

"It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide," said a post on the actor's verified Facebook page Saturday evening.

The Facebook post said Walker was the passenger in a friend's vehicle at the time of the crash, but authorities have not confirmed that detail.

Deputies responded to the wreck about 3:30 p.m. in the 28300 block of Rye Canyon Loop, according to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

A car engulfed in flames was found and extinguished by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Authorities found two people inside the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT after the fire was put out, officials said.

The two victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said speed was a factor in the crash,  but its cause is still under investigation.

Actor Paul Walker was one of the two people killed in this crash Saturday in Valencia, Calif. (Dan Watson/Santa Clarita Valley Signal)

Los Angeles coroner's said the bodies were burned beyond recognition. Walker was not identified as a victim in the crash as of 10 p.m.

“We smelled the smoke and then we didn’t pay much attention to it because of the fact that this street on Friday and Saturday nights, a lot of the guys come up here with their fast cars and drift around this corner here,” said Ruben Soto, who says he was nearby at the time of the crash.

Universal Studios released a a statement Saturday evening mourning the loss of Walker.

"All of us at Universal are heartbroken. Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us," the statement said.

Fans could be seen gathered outside near the crash site around 11 p.m.

A police officer at the scene of the crash which killed actor Paul Walker (Dan Watson/Santa Clarita Valley Signal)