A single-story home in Escondido caught on fire Friday night, officials confirmed.

The fire began at approximately 7:35 p.m. at a residence in the 700 block of Roosevelt Street.

When Escondido fire crews and police arrived, heavy smoke and flames were emanating from the home.

Firefighters began tackling the blaze, trying to prevent the fire from spreading to surrounding homes.

Police evaluated neighboring homes and blocked off traffic in the area.

The fire was knocked down just after 8 p.m.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Kelly Hildebrandt is no longer married to Kelly Hildebrandt.

Nope, that is not a typo.

The same-name couple whose whirlwind, heart-warming romance drew headlines in the United States and abroad has divorced, the male Hildebrandt, Kelly Carl Hildebrandt, told NBC 6 on Friday.

“How do they term it at the courthouse? Irreconcilable differences, that is what I would say,” Hildebrandt said. “We gave it our best shot.”

After the couple separated, male Kelly returned in March last year to his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, where family and friends live and where his tree-service business is situated, he said.

“She’s a Florida girl, and I’m a Texas guy,” he said. “We really did come from pretty different worlds.”

For the first time since the couple separated, male Kelly returned to South Florida for a visit this week, he said. He met with female Kelly a few days ago and there were “no hard feelings,” he said.

The tale of the two Kellys began in February 2009, when Kelly Katrina Hildebrandt, of Coral Springs, found the Facebook profile of her future spouse. She saw that they had the exact same first and last name and sent him a friendly greeting to note their shared name.  

Same Name Couple Celebrates 1st Anniversary

They started having online exchanges and three weeks later, male Kelly, then 24, traveled from Texas to South Florida to meet female Kelly, then 20. They hit it off immediately and got engaged.

NBC 6 first reported about the Kellys in July 2009, and their story soon after went worldwide. They appeared on the “Today Show,” “Inside Edition,” Fox News, the front page of Yahoo.com, their wedding picture made People Magazine and they were mentioned in the monologue of late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien.

On Oct. 11, 2009, Kelly and Kelly tied the knot in Lighthouse Point. Things were going well for the newlyweds: They lived together in Coconut Creek and celebrated their first anniversary with a trip to Key West.

Then last year, the pair filed for divorce. The court case is still listed as pending, Broward County court records show.

A Tale of Two Kellys

Male Kelly said he has been happy back in Texas. “That’s where all my connections are. It’s been really great since I got back,” he said.

When he moved, he didn’t have to travel back to Texas alone. “Kelly let me keep my dog,” he said.

Female Kelly couldn’t be reached for comment Friday. But in a statement, her mother told NBC 6: “Yes, I am sorry to say they have separated. I am happy to say they have remained good friends and are both doing well.”

Male Kelly said he would be reluctant to marry anyone with the same name again. He said he suspected there would be another spotlight if that were to happen.

“I wouldn’t want my future spouse to have to deal with everything from before,” he said. “That wouldn’t be a fair situation, given the media coverage.”

Asked whether the media spotlight affected his marriage, Kelly said he didn’t have an answer. “You know, I really don’t know on that,” he replied.

He was sure, however, that having the same name didn’t impede their love, he said. That just happened to be the “cutesy side” of a real relationship, he said.  

Female Kelly has since removed her Facebook account.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a shooting outside a movie theater in San Marcos Friday night.

The incident happened around 9:20 p.m. in the 1100 block of West San Marcos Boulevard, near the Edwards Cinema and shopping center.

A lieutenant told NBC 7 the shooting stemmed from a fight that happened right outside the movie theater, possibly in the parking lot.

One round was fired. The bullet went through a window and grazed a movie theater employee who was inside, at the concession stand, the lieutenant said.

The suspects involved in the fight and the suspect who fired the shot fled the scene.

The employee sustained a minor, non-life threatening wound to the arm and was transported to a local hospital.

Deputies immediately set up a perimeter around the area and began searching for suspects. At this time, all suspects are still outstanding.

No additional injuries were reported.

The movie theater remained open following the shooting, with certain areas roped off for investigation. One screening was stopped because it was close to the section of the theater where the victim was shot.

Check back for updates on this story.

A local photographer got more than he bargained for when he bought an antique camera unknowingly loaded with vintage photographs of the World War I era.

Anton Orlov – an analog photographer who lives in the UTC area – recently purchased a 1901 Bellini Jumelle photo camera at an antique shop near Los Angeles.

Orlov says he spent $100 on the vintage gem, but what he found inside was practically priceless.

The photographer brought the camera home and spent hours cleaning it. Then, he decided to look inside.

There, Orlov discovered a series of eight photographs, already developed, taken on the camera more than 100 years ago.

The images, which show WWI airplanes, ruins, soldiers on horses and even a bomb, offer an authentic glimpse into history.

“I was pretty flabbergasted,” said Orlov. “I’ve never seen images like that come out of the camera already developed.”

Orlov says his favorite shot in the series is one that captures a group of soldiers proudly holding up what looks like a bomb.

In his eyes, film photography of this kind is truly unique and special because it stands the test of time.

“Other than fire, very few things can destroy it,” he explained. “A hundred years from now, that SD [digital camera] card is going to be pretty useless.”

The photographer feels very lucky to have purchased the vintage camera.

“When I saw it, something pulled me towards it,” he added.

Eventually, Orlov would like to know if the old snapshots hold any value. But, for now, he’s enjoying his role as the keeper of the pictures – and the fact that they’re finally seeing the light of day.

“I'm just happy to put them out there after them being hidden in a camera for 100 years. I'm just happy to see people enjoying them,” he said.

Orlov is fundraising for a film photography education journey. He wants to feature these WWII photos, along with other collections, all over the country. To learn more about his project, visit these websites: photopalacebus.org and indiegogo.com.
 

A natural gas explosion destroyed a duplex in Lewisville, Texas, hours after construction workers mistakenly cut a gas line, NBCDFW.com reported.

The duplex behind the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church of God is owned by the Christian Community Actions, an organization that assists people who are in need.

The home exploded at 12:30 p.m., while crews were working to repair a gas leak. Construction workers mistakenly cut a 4-inch gas line in the area at about 10 a.m., investigators said.

Emergency crews at the time told NBC 5 they had the issue under control and that no evacuations were necessary. But fire officials later told another NBC 5 reporter that they had evacuated a block downwind of the gas leak.

The house that exploded was not included in the evacuations.

Atmos Energy said the cause of the explosion is under investigation.

Two Lewisville firefighters and a man who was inside the duplex at the time of the explosion were sent to area hospitals after the explosion, according to fire officials.

Witnesses said the explosion "felt like a bomb went off" and said they could feel the shock wave from blocks away.

"Honestly, I didn't see anything at first," said Danny Vigil, who lives in the area. "What I felt was a huge explosion. It was almost as if you were sitting in a movie, a big action movie -- you hear bombs going, that’s what it sounded like."

"Pictures were rattling, falling onto the ground," he said. "The first thing I did was run out the front door -- ran all around because I thought some car hit our home. [I] ran to the back, I saw flames, smoke, debris in the air, shingles, branches. It was just an unbelievable sight.”

"I was sitting at my desk whenever was a loud explosion," Dwayne Ryaman said. "[I] literally thought maybe an 18-wheeler had ran into my building at first."

“When I came out of my door, I immediately saw the black smoke and flames," he said. "I got a little bit closer to the scene, saw the debris that was strewn out in the middle of the street."

Debris covered the roadway in the 500 block of East Main Street in Lewisville. The road was shut down while emergency crews worked near the scene.

None of the surrounding homes or businesses were damaged in the explosion.

The man who was inside the duplex was critically injured and taken to Medical Center of Lewisville. He underwent surgery and was later airlifted to Medical Center of Plano, where he was in intensive care Friday night. He is expected to survive.

The injured firefighters were released from the hospital later Friday.

Crews are put out hot spots at the location of the explosion. Atmos Energy crews assisted, along with fire crews from Lewisville, The Colony and Carrollton.

NBC 5's Ellen Goldberg and Amanda Guerra contributed to this report.

An emergency winter shelter operated by Father Joe’s Villages and St. Vincent de Paul Village will be open throughout this weekend to accommodate the local homeless population.

With extremely cold temperatures currently hitting San Diego -- especially overnight -- an emergency shelter has been set up at the Paul Mirable Center dining room at the St. Vincent de Paul Village campus located at 1501 Imperial Ave.

The doors open Friday at 4 p.m. and will remain open through Monday.

The four-night, 166-bed shelter is made possible thanks to financial support from the San Diego Housing Commission. Father Joe’s Villages says it will do everything possible not to turn anyone away from the shelter during these freezing nights.

“These could be life-threatening overnight conditions,” said Sister Patricia Cruise, Father Joe’s Villages President and CEO. “It is critical that we get every person possible off of the streets and into shelter over the next few nights.”

Intake at the shelter begins at 4 p.m. each evening. Dinner is served daily from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., followed by bed set-up at 7:15 p.m.

Lights go out at 9 p.m. and wake-up is at 4 a.m. Breakfast is served at 6 a.m. and exit time is set for 7:30 a.m. each mornings.

Father Joe’s Villages says space at the shelter is limited, so each visitor can only bring one bag inside with them. No drugs, alcohol or weapons are allowed on the premises.

A puppy was rescued after falling more than 80 feet down a cliff, according to lifeguards.

The puppy fell near Ladera Street at Sunset Cliffs around 2 p.m. on Friday. It fell near a mixture of sand and rock, said officials.

A hoist rescue was performed to retrieve the dog. Lifeguards said the puppy appears to have no major injuries, though it had a limp on the back leg.

Authorities said the dog was transported to the Department of Animal Services.

No owner has come forward and the dog did not have a leash or collar.

Regulators in California and Oregon have quietly directed some health insurance companies to stop denying coverage for transgender patients because of their gender identity.

The states aren't requiring coverage of specific medical treatments. But they told some private insurance companies they must pay for a transgender person's hormone therapy, breast reduction, cancer screening or any other procedure deemed medically necessary if they cover it for patients who aren't transgender.

The changes apply to companies insuring about a third of Oregonians and about 7 percent of Californians, but not to people on Medicare and Medicaid or to the majority of Californians who are insured through a health management organization, or HMO.

Advocacy groups said the action is a major step forward in their long battle to win better health care coverage for transgender Americans.

"It's just a matter of fairness,'' said Ray Crider, a 28-year-old transgender man from Portland. "I just never felt that I was like anybody else. I see everybody else being taken care of without having to fight the system."

Officials in both states said the new regulations aren't new policies but merely a clarification of anti-discrimination laws passed in California in 2005 and in Oregon two years later.

Many health insurance policies broadly exclude coverage of gender identity disorder or classify it as a pre-existing condition. Transgender patients are often denied coverage for medical procedures unrelated to a gender transition, advocacy groups said, because insurance companies deem the condition to be related to their sex reassignment.

Some transgender patients also have trouble getting access to gender-specific care. A person who identifies as a man might be denied coverage for ovarian cancer screening or a hysterectomy. A transgender woman might be denied a prostate screening.

The state insurance regulators said those procedures, if covered for anybody, must be covered for all patients regardless of their gender.

Masen Davis, director of the Transgender Law Center in San Francisco, said he's unaware of insurance regulators in any other state taking similar action.

The California regulations took effect in September and apply only to insurance products regulated by the California Department of Insurance. The agency primarily regulates preferred provider plans, or PPOs, that covered about 7 percent of the population in 2010, according to data from the California Health Care Foundation.

The agency that regulates California HMOs has discussed transgender care with consumer groups and health plans, "but no regulations have yet been proposed or adopted,'' said Marta Bortner Green, a spokeswoman for the Department of Managed Health Care.

The Oregon Insurance Division issued its guidance last month in the form of a bulletin to insurers. It applies to commercial insurance companies that cover about a third of the state's population; the rest are uninsured, on Medicare or Medicaid, or work for a large employer that's self-insured.

"This is a very historic bulletin, and it really indicates that the tide is turning on this issue,'' said Tash Shatz, transgender justice program manager at Basic Rights Oregon, an advocacy group.

Transgender advocates say gender reassignment, through hormone treatment or surgery, is medically necessary, and they've long fought insurance companies that argue the procedures are cosmetic. They hope the new state regulations will mean fewer procedures are refused and make it easier to appeal a denial.

The transgender community has picked up significant momentum securing health coverage in recent years. San Francisco in 2001 became the first U.S. city to cover sex reassignment surgeries for government employees. Seattle, Portland, Ore. and Berkeley, Calif., have followed suit.

Large employers are increasingly offering coverage for a broad spectrum of care, including gender reassignment surgeries.

State regulators don't have authority to force insurance companies to cover specific procedures, like hormone therapy or genital reconstruction. But they've told insurers that if they provide breast reduction for patients with back pain, they can't deny it for a gender reassignment that's been deemed medically necessary. Insurers could unilaterally exclude coverage of, say, breast implants, but it would have to apply to all policyholders equally, including breast-cancer patients.

"We've received the Oregon Insurance Division's directive to implement this new mandate, and we are working to ensure that our members' future coverage aligns,'' Scott Burton, a spokesman for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, said in a statement.

"We're still assessing the impact of the ruling, and will continue to monitor state and federal guidance on this topic,'' said Kathy Born, a spokeswoman for LifeWise, another large insurer in Oregon.

When Ray Crider heard the news, he danced around his apartment with his wife. A 28-year-old transgender man living in Portland, Crider fought a long battle to convince a previous employer to include transgender services in his policy.

Although he was insured, Crider paid thousands of dollars out of his pocket for testosterone treatment and mental health care before winning his fight for coverage of gender identity. He finally got a double mastectomy, covered by insurance, a year ago, he said, but not before the binder he used to flatten his chest required several emergency room trips because it constricted his breathing.

"This was one of the most incredible things that could ever happen,'' Crider said, "to know that there's a state full of people who won't have to go through what I went through.''

There are five NFL teams still looking for a head coach: the Eagles, Cardinals, Bears, Jaguars and our home team, the Chargers.

At last count, there were 16 candidates who have either interviewed, or scheduled an interview, with at least one of those teams. As teams are knocked out of the playoffs, that number will grow.

So the Chargers don't need to jump in and grab a coach immediately. They can afford to take their time and find the right guy.

On Friday the team interviewed former Bears head coach Lovie Smith, who was fired in Chicago after a 10-6 season. Players love Lovie. He's a motivator and a tremendous defensive mind. However, his biggest problem with the Bears was the offense.

Smith was never able to find an offensive coordinator to put together a consistent attack. The biggest problem was an inability to build a line, the same problem the Chargers face.

Over the weekend the Chargers are expected to interview former Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt, an offensive-minded candidate. Whisenhunt took Arizona to its only Super Bowl appearance with Kurt Warner at quarterback.

Since then his starting QB's have been Derek Anderson, John Skelton, Max Hall, Kevin Kolb, Ryan Lindley and Brian Hoyer. Canton is not exactly getting ready to build busts of any of those guys.

When he was the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh, Whisenhunt helped win a Super Bowl with Ben Roethlisberger, so when he's had a good QB he's had good success. After that kibble he dealt with in the desert, Philip Rivers must look like Johnny Unitas.

Other candidates rumored to be on the way to San Diego for an interview are Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden (yes, the brother of Jon), Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, and Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.

Police officers were involved in a shooting with a vehicle pursuit suspect in the Encanto area early Saturday morning, officials said.

The officer-involved shooting happened around 1:15 a.m. in the 6500 block of Brooklyn Avenue, SDPD Officer Frank Cali confirmed.

It all began when an officer tried to initiate a traffic stop on a speeding vehicle carrying three occupants in the 5400 block of Imperial Avenue.

Despite the officer’s police lights and siren, the driver did not yield and instead led officers on a pursuit. At that point, two other officers joined to assist in the pursuit.

Eventually, the driver made a U-turn at a dead end on Brooklyn Avenue. Three officers exited their patrol cars and once again attempted to stop the vehicle. They verbally ordered the driver and occupants to exit the car.

Officials say that’s when the driver of the sedan allegedly accelerated toward the officers. The officers verbally demanded he stop the car.

Fearing for their lives, the three officers fired their service weapons, fatally striking the driver and wounding a female passenger riding in the front seat.

The car came to a stop and the officers rendered aid and called medics.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The injured passenger was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to the shoulder and is expected to survive her injuries, SDPD Capt. Terry McManus said at the scene.

A male passenger riding in the backseat of the suspect vehicle was not injured by the gunfire.

According to detectives, the car driven by the suspect was an unreported stolen car. The deceased suspect – whose name has not yet been released – is a 21-year-old man.

The wounded female passenger is 19 and the uninjured backseat passenger is 18, detectives said.

The names of the officers involved in the shooting have not been released, but SDPD officials say the officers have been with the Department for six, five and four years, respectively.

Burglars stole two dozen laptops from an elementary school in Solana Beach Friday night, sheriff’s detectives confirmed.

The robbery happened at approximately 11:45 p.m. at Skyline Elementary School located at 606 Lomas Santa Fe Dr. The burglary alarm activated and deputies responded to the school.

When deputies arrived on campus, they discovered a computer lab classroom had been broken into and burglarized.

About two dozen Apple-brand laptops worth an estimated $36,000 had been stolen from the classroom, officials said.

Deputies did not immediately locate the school burglary suspects and are searching for leads.
The break-in at Skyline Elementary School marks the third school burglary of this kind to happen in the last two weeks.

On Dec. 29, a dozen iPads were stolen in a similar overnight burglary at Cardiff Elementary School. In that incident, the school’s alarms were activated, alerting deputies to the scene.

Burglary suspects had broken into two classrooms and broken a lock on a storage cabinet to steal the iPad tablets. Investigators said the loss was valued at $6,360.

In a separate case on Dec. 31, a dozen iPads were stolen from Ada Harris Elementary School in Cardiff.

On Saturday, an Encinitas sheriff’s detective told NBC 7 that the three school break-ins have all been similar in nature, but couldn’t confirm if they’re actually related.

The detective said each burglary has targeted an elementary school in the North County, and each break-in has occurred overnight, while the schools are closed.

In each incident, Apple-brand electronics seem to the target, specifically iPads and iMacs.

NBC 7 reached out to Solana Beach School District Superintendent Nancy Lynch about this string of school burglaries.

Lynch said the North County community, including school staff, students and parents, feel victimized. In the end, Lynch said it’s the students who lose the most.

“The students not only suffer by their school being broken into with theft of computers, their assignments and projects on those devices are lost as well,” said Lynch. “We are saddened by the impact on learning for children when this happens, since it is more than computers that is being taken from them. It is unfortunate that these individuals are motivated to steal from children.”

It’s been uncharacteristically cold in San Diego the past couple of nights, and the frigid, freezing temperatures are expected to last a little longer.

According to the National Weather Service, a frost advisory remains in effect for San Diego County through 8 a.m. Sunday.

The NWS says Saturday will bring coldest night of all, with many local areas experiencing frost and freezing temperatures. A hard freeze is likely in some areas as well.

Here’s what the temps will look like:

In the coldest coastal areas, the NWS says low temperatures will range from 26 to 32 degrees. Elsewhere, temps are expected to be between 32 and 38 degrees. Downtown San Diego will see temperatures in the mid to upper-30s.

According to NBC 7 meteorologist Jodi Kodesh, low temperatures will hit a near-freezing 35 degrees in the coast, a freezing 24 degrees inland, 19 degrees in the mountains and 28 in the desert Saturday night.

In this frosty cold snap, sensitive plants and crops may be damaged or killed if left unprotected, so locals should keep that in mind and find ways to adequately cover their plants.

The NWS says cold nights and mornings will persist Sunday through Tuesday, with some areas of frost. As of right now, the weather is expected to warm up by Wednesday.

A DUI checkpoint conducted the San Diego Police Department in downtown San Diego resulted in 12 DUI-related arrests.

Police officers manned the checkpoint in the 1500 block of 5th Avenue from 11:05 p.m. Friday until 3 a.m. Saturday.

During that period, 912 cars passed through the checkpoint and 516 of those vehicles were screened by officers. A total of 28 motorists were detained for further sobriety evaluations and, in the end, a total of 12 suspected DUI drivers were arrested.

Officers arrested an additional subject for reckless driving after he allegedly turned his car around and drove the wrong way on the one-way street, without headlights, in an attempt to avoid the checkpoint, police said.

The checkpoint was funded by a California Office of Traffic Safety “DUI Mini Grant.”
 

A small earthquake rattled an area about a mile west of Loma Linda Sunday morning, the United States Geological Survey reported.

The quake, a 3.0, hit at 6:26 a.m. Its epicenter was 11 miles under the earth, the USGS said.

There were no early reports of significant damage or injuries from the quake.

Leon Leyson, who was among the youngest of refugees to be saved from the Holocaust by German businessman Oskar Schindler, has died.

He was 83.

Leyson was 10-years old when Poland was invaded by the Nazis, and 13 when he started to work for Schindler, the hero in Steven Spielberg's 1993 Oscar-winning movie, "Schindler's List."

Many of Leyson's family members died in the Holocaust. Leon, his parents, older brother and sister survived.

Leyson and his family moved to the United States in 1949.

It wasn't long before he was drafted in the US Army. He often spoke about how grateful he was to serve his new country.

A counselor at Los Angeles City College helped him get his eduction and he became a teacher at Huntington Park High School.

He taught students there for 39 years. He lived in Fullerton with his wife, Liz, and raised two children.

For a long time, most people didn't know Leon was a Holocaust survivor. It wasn't until "Schindler's List" came out that Leyson began talking about what happened to him and his family.

He began talking at elementary schools, high schools, and college campuses.

He told students about losing his freedom, how he was hungry and frightened.

He talked about losing family members, including a beloved older brother.

"Five of us survived the war, this is the bottom line, out of everyone who was related to me in Poland. And we survived because we were on Schindler's list," Leon said during an interview in 2008 when he was the subject of a 30-minute profile with NBC4's Fritz Coleman.

Leyson spoke at the the Orange County's Chapman University often. In 2011, he was awarded an honorary doctorate.

When he heard about that, he joked, "I'm really speechless. I'll be a doctor, so if you have a headache, come see me."

A suspected drunk driver was seriously injured in a crash in Encinitas early Sunday morning, sheriff’s department officials said.

The single-vehicle collision happened in the 1600 block of Olivenhain Road near Amargosa Drive just after 4 a.m.

A 23-year-old woman, suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol, was driving a Ford Expedition when she lost control of her car and struck and jumped a curb. Her car then struck a retaining wall and a tree, causing the Expedition to rollover and land on its side.

According to deputies, the woman was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the car. She was the only person inside the vehicle at the time of the crash. No other cars were involved.

The woman sustained serious facial and internal injuries and was airlifted to Scripps Hospital. Officials say she is expected to live.

Alcohol was a suspected factor in the crash. The woman was arrested on suspicion of DUI and will be taken into custody after she’s released from the hospital.

Officials say she was also driving on a suspended license from a prior DUI and was currently on DUI probation. The woman’s name was not released.
 

A small electric fire sparked near Old Town San Diego Sunday morning, fire officials said.

The blaze started at around 9:40 a.m. in the 1900 block of historic San Diego Avenue.

Firefighters responded and quickly tackled the blaze. It was knocked out a short time later.

Officials said the cause of the fire was an overloaded electrical system. Property loss is estimated at $1,800. No injuries were reported.

Further details were not immediately available.