Nearly a year after the shooting deaths of two teens at Libby Lake Park, members of the Oceanside community are demanding an end to gang violence.

"We're tired of this nonsense violence," said Natalie, a sister of one of the victims.

Natalie didn't want to be identified by last name because she fears retaliation. Just last week, a Mira Costa College student was arrested for allegedly sending death threats via text message to students if they talked about the murders.

On March 13, 2013, four teens were gunned down in Libby Lake Park. Two of the victims, 16-year-old Edgar Sanchez Rios and 13-year-old Melanie Virgen, were killed.

Fernando Felix Solano, 16, and Sandra Salgado, 14, were shot to death in the same community park on May 3, 2011.

"It's shocking when it happens to you,” Natalie said. “You think you can come to the park and bring your kids, but then something like that can happen to you. It is scary.”

Since the shootings, Natalie says she's seen a little change. Trees that used to cloak and conceal the area have been chopped down to stubs. Light poles were installed around the area where the two teens were shot.

Still, family and friends say more changes need to be made.

"Things haven’t gotten better,” said Isabelle Fried, a teacher at El Camino High School, where one of the victims went to school. “We have a lot of work to do here in Oceanside."

Fried and her students started raising funds to dedicate a bench in memory of all the teens killed at Libby Lake Park in the past three years.

“To me, the memorial bench is going to be a symbol of strength, a symbol of moving past the pain when you have to," Fried said.

On Sunday, the victims’ families hosted a fundraiser. Members of the Oceanside community opened their hearts and their wallets to take back their community.

"If we raise enough money for the bench, any money that’s left over is to fix up the park,” Natalie explained. “I know what it is to lose somebody, and I don’t want anyone else to go through it again.”

Sunday’s event raised more than $1,000. They hope to have the bench up by the shooting's one year anniversary in March.

Authorities are investigating two deadly motorcycle crashes that both happened Sunday night in San Diego County.

Just after 7 p.m., a motorcyclist crashed into a pedestrian on Del Dios Highway, just west of Date Lane, in unincorporated Rancho Santa Fe.

Officials say both the pedestrian, a 31-year-old man from Valley Center, and the motorcyclist, a 60-year-old man from Oceanside, were pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the pedestrian was walking with four other people. The others told officers that they were on a nature walk in the Del Dios Highlands Preserve.

“Unfortunately, at this time in the evening, a motorcyclist doesn’t expect a pedestrian to be standing in the road,” said CHP Officer Jim Bettencourt. “There was nothing the motorcyclist could do and unfortunately, what we have is a tragic accident.”

CHP issued a Sig Alert; Del Dios Road was closed for more than three hours.

Earlier in the evening, three vehicles were involved in a crash on Mollison Avenue at Park Avenue in El Cajon.

El Cajon police tell NBC 7 the motorcycle collided with a van. Meanwhile, a truck trying to avoid them rammed into a tree.

One witness said the motorcycle flew more than 100 yards.

“I just heard the crash. I ran out the door and as soon as I do, I see the motorcycle just skidding across to that pole,” John Aguilera said.

The motorcyclist was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital and pronounced dead, according to police. The other two drivers were not hurt.

None of the victims’ names have been released. The causes of both accidents are under investigation.

Even though the 56th Annual Grammy Awards' red carpet didn't offer up any major fashion faux pas, the ceremony was packed with plenty of water cooler moments. Or should we say Twitter-worthy moments? We're talking to you and that hat, Pharrell Williams!

Madonna and Son Go For Matchy-Matchy

Ahead of her performance with Grammy winners Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Madonna hit the red carpet accompanied by her 8-year-old son, David Banda. "He dressed me tonight," Madonna told E!'s Ryan Seacrest of her and Banda's matching ensembles. The pair rocked black and white variations on a tuxedo by Ralph Lauren. Madonna accessorized her outfit with a glittering grill and wide-brimmed hat.

Pharrell's Hat Debuts on Twitter

Talking of large hats, Grammy winner Pharrell Williams went ultra-casual on the red carpet, sporting jeans, an Adidas sweat jacket and a big brown hat reminiscent of Smokey the Bear. So incongruous was the head gear that it inspired one quick-witted Twitter user to create the account titled "Pharrell Hat." It quickly drew more than 12,000 followers.

Beyonce Has a "Cabaret" Moment

Channeling a 21st century Sally Bowles, Beyonce opened the show with a performance of "Drunk in Love." Dazzling in a sheer bodysuit, Beyonce's stripped back act featured a chair and a lot of Liza Minnelli "Cabaret" overtones before she was joined on stage by hubby Jay Z (sporting a slick tux) to round out the act. Kudos to Jay Z for the surfboard move!

Beatles Come Together

In a rare performance, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr — the only living members of the Fab Four — performed together on stage. Feb. 9 marks 50 years since the Beatles made their groundbreaking appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Sadly, the two didn't revisit any of their classic hits. Instead they performed the track "Queenie Eye" from McCartney's latest album. Regardless, the pairing was enough to have Yoko Ono dancing in the aisles.

Grammy Gets Wedding Fever

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis took their tear-jerker hit "Same Love" to new heights Sunday night when they were joined on stage for a performance of the song featuring Mary Lambert, Queen Latifah and Madonna. If that powerhouse line-up weren't enough, 33 gay, straight and lesbian couples in the audience were simultaneously married under Latifah's command. Katy Perry caught a bouquet as the newlyweds received a standing ovation, and Keith Urban wiped a tear from his eye.

Daft Punk Rocks With Stevie Wonder, Pharrell and Nile Rodgers

French electronic DJ duo Daft Punk emerged in all their helmet-clad glory for their first live appearance since the release of "Random Access Memories," and reportedly their second ever live television performance (the first was for the 2008 Grammys). Stevie Wonder, Chic's Nile Rodgers and Pharrell kicked off "Get Lucky" before Daft Punk revealed themselves behind the controls in the makeshift studio. The robots then led a dance party mash-up of Chic's "Le Freak," Stevie Wonder's "Another Star" and their own "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." Daft Punk, who earlier took home a record of the year Grammy with Pharrell and Rodgers for "Get Lucky," went on to steal the night's top prize, album of the year.

• READ: Daft Punk, Pharrell Dominate 2014 Grammys

San Diego State’s men’s basketball team just keeps on climbing the polls.

The Aztecs are ranked No. 5 in the latest AP and USA Today Coaches polls, jumping from No. 7 in both polls a week ago.

After Saturday night’s overtime win over Utah State, the Aztecs (18-1) have won 17 straight games and are a perfect 7-0 in the Mountain West Conference.

It’s SDSU’s highest ranking since jumping to No. 4 in the AP poll on Jan. 24, 2011. That year, the Aztecs won 20 games to start the season – the only longer winning streak in school history.

They return home to play Saturday afternoon against Colorado State. The game starts at 4 p.m. at Viejas Arena.

Fire officials have cleared an area in Torrey Highlands after finding an unexploded mortar earlier in the day.

Construction workers discovered the mortar around 11:15 a.m. at Camino Del Sur and State Road 56.

As of 4 p.m., the device was rendered safe and crews were clearing the scene. No evacuations or injuries were reported and roads are open in the area.

The man killed in a motorcycle crash in El Cajon on Sunday evening was an active duty sailor stationed at the Naval Station on 32nd Street in San Diego.

The 29-year-old black male was riding his motorcycle on southbound N. Mollison Avenue when he collided with a van turning in front of him.

He was ejected from the motorcycle and came to rest in the northbound lanes of Mollison Avenue, where he was hit by a pickup truck.

Paramedics transported him to Sharp Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The other two drivers were not hurt.

One witness said the motorcycle flew more than 100 yards.

“I just heard the crash. I ran out the door and as soon as I do, I see the motorcycle just skidding across to that pole,” John Aguilera said.

The victim's name has not been released.

The California Supreme Court on Monday denied a law license to a disgraced former journalist who was caught fabricating dozens of stories for major national magazines. 

The unanimous seven-judge court ruled that Stephen Glass had insufficiently rehabilitated himself in the years since his misdeeds, saying he "failed to carry his heavy burden of establishing his rehabilitation and current fitness."

Glass' misdeeds stunned the profession when they were uncovered in 1998. His widely publicized fall from grace earned the rising star a prominent place in the pantheon of journalistic cheats and scoundrels such as Janet Cooke and Jayson Blair — two prominent reporters caught fabricating quotes, sources and entire stories.

Glass' ethical missteps were turned into the Hollywood movie "Shattered Glass" and recounted in his novel "The Fabulist," for which he earned $190,000.

Glass, 41, now works as a paralegal for a Los Angeles law firm and lives in a suburb. Through his lawyer, Glass declined an interview request.

Attorney Jon Eisenberg said his client "appreciates the court's consideration of his application and respects the court's decision."

Glass went to work for The New Republic magazine in 1995 and began filing colorful and attention-grabbing articles, including a racially explosive piece that culminated with his supposedly witnessing the robbery of a cab driver.

He also filed stories reporting that young, politically conservative Republican men were more interested in sex and drugs than politics, and about a supposed encounter with a computer company help desk that brought an anti-Semitic slur.

In the end, 31 of 42 articles Glass published in The New Republic were found to contain significant fabrications and falsehoods.

Glass was exposed in May 1998 when a reporter for Forbes Digital Tool uncovered significant fabrication in a story Glass wrote for George magazine detailing a supposed young hacker's extortion scheme of a software company.

Still, Glass pressed on with his cover-up. He created fake business cards, a bogus website and notes that he asserted were from interviews with sources.

Ultimately, Glass conceded that he fabricated the "Hack Heaven" piece and was fired.

His editor at The New Republic, Charles Lane, testified before a California state bar committee, saying Glass was not helpful or forthcoming in assisting the magazine in identifying all the bogus stories.

The California Supreme Court said its review "indicates hypocrisy and evasiveness in Glass' testimony at the California State Bar hearing."

"We find it particularly disturbing that at the hearing Glass persisted in claiming that he had made a good faith effort to work with the magazines that published his works," the court said.

Glass argued that he had undergone years of psychotherapy since being exposed. He also pointed to several former teachers, judges he clerked for, and others who testified on his behalf at the 2010 state bar court hearing as proof he was fit to practice law.

The California Supreme Court said that wasn't enough.

"We also observe that instead of directing his efforts at serving others in the community, much of Glass' energy since the end of his journalistic career seems to have been directed at advancing his own career and financial and emotional well-being," the court wrote in the unsigned ruling.

While working at The New Republic, Glass attended Georgetown University Law Center, graduating in 2000. After passing the New York state bar exam, Glass in 2002 applied to practice law in that state. He withdrew his New York application two years later after he was informally told that his application would be rejected.

The California Supreme Court cited Glass' aborted efforts in New York as a major reason for rejecting his latest application to practice law.

"In the New York bar application materials, he exaggerated his cooperation with the journals that had published his work and failed to supply a complete list of the fabricated articles that had injured others," the California Supreme Court wrote.

Glass applied to practice law in California after passing the state's bar exam in 2007. But divided state bar officials grappled with his application, finally appealing to the California Supreme Court to decide.

A committee reviewing his application deemed him morally unfit for a license. But that determination was overturned by a state bar court that found Glass had shown enough rehabilitation to be trusted to practice law in California.

The state bar committee then appealed to the California Supreme Court.

"The ruling today vindicates the idea that honesty is of paramount importance in the practice of law in California," State Bar President Luis J. Rodriguez said.

Arguments began Monday in a highly anticipated lawsuit that challenges statutes in California Education Code that provide job protections for teachers.

Vergara v. California: Read the Complaint

Plaintiffs in Vergara v. California, including students and their famliies, attended Monday's morning's proceedings in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom. Their attorneys will argue that California's code regarding tenure, seniority and dismissal of teachers does not ensure access to adequate education and violates the U.S. Constitution.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge will hear arguments from attorneys who filed the lawsuit on behalf of nine students -- including Los Angeles Unified School District 10th-grader Beatriz Vergara -- and their families. Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. John Deasy will be among the witnesses called by the plaintiffs, according to the lawsuit's lead attorney Theodore J. Boutrous, who was part of the legal team that helped overturn Proposition 8, California's ban on same-sex marriage.

"The system is dysfunctional and arbitrary," said Boutrous. "Outdated laws handcuff schools administrators from operating in a fashion that protects school children and their rights to equality of education."

During Monday's proceedings, Boutrous said the laws "disproportionately burden poor and minority students, students who are in suspect classes."

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Dozens of states have moved in recent years to either abolish or toughen the standards around giving teachers permanent employment protection and seniority-based preferences during layoffs. Eliminating such laws is erasing a vital support system for a profession that is already losing talented people to higher paid positions in the private sector, unions have argued.

"The lawsuit is without merit," Josh Pechthalt, president of the California Federation of Teachers, told LA School Report. "It ignores the real problems of education and demonizes teachers and teachers unions for the perceived problems of public education."

Backers of the job protections provided by state education code called the lawsuit misguided.

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The lawsuit, sponsored by the nonprofit Students Matter, was filed in 2012 against the state of California and the California Department of Education. In the 2012 complaint, the plaintiffs argued the "handful of outdated laws" limit how administrators make employment decisions.

The ruling after the 20-day trial could mean sweeping changes for school districts throughout the state. 

A man and his nephew were taken into custody outside a San Marcos church.

San Diego County sheriff’s deputies waited outside Templo Calvario Church around 12:30 a.m. Monday and jumped on the two men.

They say the men forced the church's front door open, took valuables including cash and then ran out the back.

Deputies had the church surrounded and caught up with the men as they attempted to flee. 

One deputy used a taser in the arrest of Daniel Arango, 26, and Luis Arango, 18.

The man and his nephew face charges of burglary and resisting arrest, deputies said.

The church is located on Smilax Road just east of State Route 78. 

A Del Mar man who is charged with raping a La Mesa woman in her apartment after meeting her on dating website ChristianMingle.com was accused of inappropriately touching another woman he met on the website, according to testimony on Monday.

The woman claims she met the defendant, Sean Banks, on the Christian dating site and went out with him a few times. Then he offered to pay half of her airfare to fly her out to London in 2010.

While there, she claims he danced very close to her and made aggressive movements at a dance club, then touched her in a sexual way in his hotel room.

"It was pretty uncomfortable," she said. "I'd never been touched like that before."

The former U.S. Navy lieutenant was arrested on Feb. 11 after a La Mesa woman told police she had been raped.

The woman is not named as a victim in the lawsuit, which also includes the alleged rape of another woman in 2009 in San Diego County.

Banks' trial is set for June 9. He faces 44 years to life in prison if convicted of forcible rape, rape of an unconscious person, sex with a foreign object and burglary.

Gluten-free eaters: the Girl Scout cookie season is underway and you're (finally) welcome to indulge.

The group known for its delicious and much-anticipated treats is joining the gluten-free movement, testing the grain-free goodies in select test markets, two of which are in Southern California.

Gluten intolerance can cause digestive problems, abdominal pain and even depression and irritability, a symptom most common in children, according to the Celiac Disease Center.

The newest addition to the Girl Scout cookie line-up is a gluten-free chocolate chip shortbread cookie (pictured below), according to ABC Bakers, which makes the treats.

Twenty Girl Scout councils are testing the gluten-free cookies, including those in San Bernardino and Orange counties.

If there's a hunger for them, the celiac-friendly treat soon could be available nationwide.

It’s estimated about 1 in 133 Americans have celiac disease, an inherited autoimmune disorder that affects the digestive process of the small intestine and the cure for which is a gluten-free diet, according to the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center.

A protein found in wheat, rye and barley, gluten can cause digestive problems in people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

Another group that may opt to go gluten-free could have "non-celiac gluten sensitivity," which often results in symptoms affecting the gastrointestinal tract but is not the same as the immunological response that occurs in eaters with celiac disease.

Introducing a gluten-free cookie isn’t the first time the Girl Scouts took into consideration alternative diets when baking up their signature snacks. Four of the Scouts’ cookies –Thin Mints and Peanut Butter Patties among them – are vegan.

The Girl Scout cookie season began Sunday and lasts through March 9.

If you don’t know a Girl Scout, you can download the Girl Scout Cookie Finder app for iPhone or Android to find a sale near you.

After a year off, the Miramar Air Show is coming back.

The show was canceled last year due to last year’s government shutdown, according to Miramar's Commanding Officer Colonel John Farnam. This year's air show will be Oct. 4-5.

“The centerpiece of this year’s show will be our marine air ground task force demonstration,” Farnam said. “And as part of that, you’ll also see the F-35 B joint strike fighter.”

This year, the world-famous Blue Angels will be back as well as the Patriots jet team.

The Canadian Snowbirds will also be back after many years.
 

A man shot and killed by Escondido police after a highway pursuit was unarmed, officials confirmed Monday.

Aaron DeVenere, 27, of San Diego had been released from jail just three days before he and an unidentified female friend were involved in a pursuit with San Diego police, Escondido police and California Highway Patrol along Interstate 15 Sunday.

Exclusive video obtained by NBC 7 shows the moments leading up to DeVenere's death. A blonde woman can be seen getting out of a brown truck and running into the arms of officers. Soon after, a single gunshot can be heard. The woman who ran to police officers was a friend of DeVenere who told police she was held against her will.

The pursuit began around 7 a.m. on northbound I-15 at Aero Drive in Kearny Mesa when an officer attempted to pull over the small, brown pickup truck for expired registration, officials said. .

The pursuit headed north to Escondido with DeVenere as a passenger inside the truck. During the chase, he called 911 and spoke to San Diego police and CHP dispatchers.

He told the dispatcher he was holding the female driver hostage and threatened to shoot her unless police backed off, officials said.

DeVenere also allegedly told the dispatcher that he was armed with a gun and had an explosive device.

Around 7:45 a.m., the pickup truck exited I-15 on Centre City Parkway, in Escondido. That’s when DeVenere stepped out of the truck.

Officials said Sunday that DeVenere displayed a gun and was aiming it at the driver.

An officer fired a single shot, killing DeVenere. Investigators said Sunday that the officer who fired felt the lives of police officers and the driver were at risk.

However, a search of the vehicle uncovered no guns or explosives, officials said Monday. Officials did recover knives from the bed of the pickup truck.

San Diego County sheriff's deputies confirmed that DeVenere was in custody up until Jan. 23. No information was released on the circumstances surrounding his previous arrest.

His father, Michael DeVenere of Las Vegas, posted a photo of Aaron when he informed family and friends of Aaron’s death. He also said details were few but that the woman inside the vehicle was his son’s friend.

Late Monday, officials confirmed the woman had a relationship with DeVenere and was initially willing to drive the truck.

She told Escondido police officers that DeVenere would not let her pull over for police. She said she believes he had a gun and, at one point, grabbed her hand and threatened to break her fingers.

The woman was taken to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido for treatment of a sprained finger.

DeVenere, 27, attended Patrick Henry High School as a member of the Class of 2004 according to his Facebook page.

A fire in hospital parking garage at one of San Diego's busiest medical centers was set intentionally, according to fire officials.

The fire started as a car fire and spread to two other vehiclesinside the parking structure outside Sharp Memorial Hospital near Health Center Drive and Frost Street Monday.

Monday evening, San Diego Fire Rescue officials confirmed the incident was arson.

Officials said the fire caused $100,000 worth of damage to the three vehicles and $50,000 to the parking structure.

The fire created a large plume of thick, black smoke and access problems for patients and staff.

NBC 7 viewers sent in video of the large cloud of black smoke visible to patients, visitors and staff as well as drivers on nearby State Route 163.

Watch raw video

Eight engines responded to the fourth floor of the 5-story parking structure after the fire broke out around 9:40 a.m.

Firefighters told NBC 7 that when the gas tank of one of cars caught fire, gas started leaking down the structure’s ramp.

Even though firefighters chased the flame with foam, they say the gas kept reigniting.

Ambulances enter the hospital from the Frost Street entrance so there were no delays for incoming trauma patients, according to hospital officials.

One hospital patient told NBC 7 he could not access his car parked in the structure but he wasn’t too worried about it.

See viewer images

Hazmat teams were brought in to clean up gas, oil and rubber residue.

San Diego police officers were called in to help direct traffic in an already high-traffic area.

There were no injuries.

The hospital distributed food tickets to its cafeteria for patients who were affected by the fire.

The area is the location of as many as eight medical facilities including Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Center, Sharp Memorial Hospital Rehabilitation Center, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women, Sharp Memorial Outpatient Pavilion, Stephen Birch Healthcare Center at Sharp Memorial Hospital, Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego MRI Center, Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital and Sharp Knollwood.  

February is the shortest month of the year, so you don’t want to miss a single weekend of it. Check out some of the great events happening in San Diego.

Thursday, Jan. 30

Painting and Vino
6 p.m. in Little Italy
Not exactly Rembrandt? No worries. The instructor will show you how to recreate this painting step-by-step. (It’s kind of like Paint By Number for grown-ups.) Just let your creative juices—and the wine—flow

Friday, Jan. 31

Lunar New Year Festival
5 p.m.- 11 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium
2014 is the Year of the Horse. Come celebrate with lion dancers, cultural foods, carnival rides and more. The annual event runs through Sunday.

Saturday, Feb. 1

San Diego Museum Month
Various locations
February is Museum Month here in San Diego. With your Museum Month pass, you’ll get half-priced admission to 44 museums all month long. Pick up a pass at your local Macy’s and click here for a list of participating museums.

Saturday, Feb. 2

Super Bowl Sunday
Various locations. Game begins at 3:30 p.m.
Watch the Super Bowl San Diego-style at the Wave House, where you can sit on the beach and watch the big game on a giant scene. Or head to Dirty Dick’s in the Gaslamp Quarter to see who has the Best Beer Belly in San Diego. Or just meet up with friends at your favorite local bar.

Lawyers for an elderly man who was arrested for jaywalking filed a claim on Monday for $5 million in damages against the NYPD, alleging he was assaulted by officers during the arrest and had to be hospitalized for his injuries.

The claim was filed against the NYPD and the city of New York by Kang Wong. The claim alleges that officers pushed the 84-year-old against a wall, beat him and threw him to the ground, causing him to lose consciousness. Wong was hospitalized for his injuries and was bleeding from the head.

A lawyer for Wong said at a press conference Monday that Wong was crossing the street at the crosswalk with other pedestrians on a Sunday afternoon when he was stopped by a police officer who was waiting for him on the other side. The officer asked for his ID. Wong, a Chinese immigrant who speaks limited English, understood the word "ID" and handed it to the officer.

"After a few minutes, Mr. Wong asked for his ID back in Chinese and also made a hand gesture to get it back," said Hazel Chin, his attorney. "The next thing he knew was the officer had apparently radioed probably for backup, and a bunch of cops then showed up. The next thing he knew, he was being taken down to the ground."

Through an interpreter, Wong said he injured his head, the side of his face, an elbow, his ribs and his back during the arrest.

"How could this happen in this city today?" said another attorney for Wong, Sanford Rubenstein. "We have a mayor who is a proud progressive. We have a police commissioner who has committed to improve community relations. All criminal charges against Mr. Wong must be dropped."

NYPD Commissioner William Bratton has said he isn't aware of any excessive force used by officers.

"Some of the witnesses involved, including members of the press, gave a sense that the injuries he received were from a fall to the ground," Bratton said. "That will be fully investigated as you would expect with an injury."

Funeral services will be held Tuesday afternoon for Ana Herrera Rodriguez, the Shelltown mother who was hit and killed while walking her daughter and a neighbor to school last week

After four days in the hospital, Rodriguez's daughter, who was also injured in the accident, is home.

Five-year-old Anahi is restricted to a wheelchair, but it has not slowed her down. The little girl was pushed out of the way of an oncoming San Diego Gas and Electric Truck by her mother.

Anahi has a broken pelvis and leg. The little girl will spend at least six weeks in the chair but is expected to fully recover.

“She's getting better right now, but my father is the one that is struggling. But we're getting better,” Anahi’s brother Jose Rojas said.

Jose's father, also named Jose, stood with arms crossed and head down during Monday’s nightly vigil. Since his wife's death, family and friends pray the rosary every night at the sidewalk shrine.

“I see my family together and then when you wake up, you don't see part of your family,” Rojas said.

Rodriguez was crushed under the SDG&E utility truck in front of her home last Wednesday. She was walking Anahi and her 4-year-old neighbor, Jaslene Arias, to preschool.

The family says they’re still waiting for answers as to why the driver did not stop.

“They don't say nothing. They don't call us. We don't know anything,” Rojas said.

NBC 7 was first to report that investigators consider this a case of distracted driving. So far, no charges have been filed against the SDG&E employee.

While he was not injured, at last check, he was not yet back to work.

A 13-year-old boy was hit by a Metropolitan Transit bus downtown on Monday night.

The teenager was at 11th Avenue and C Street when he was hit by the bus just before 8 p.m., according to San Diego police.

Police said the boy was with his family when the accident happened. He was taken to Kaiser hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries.

San Diego police and MTS are investigating.

Not only are whales spyhopping more than usual off the SoCal coast this year, they're putting on shows rarely seen in this part of the Pacific.

An amorous pair of gray whales was spotted rolling in the surf about 2 miles off the Dana Point coast Sunday -- a ritual suggestive of courtship and possibly mating, and usually seen farther out in the ocean.

"It's not often that we catch this behavior on film," said Alisa Schulman-Janiger, director and coordinator for ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project.

Schulman-Janiger was hesitant to describe the behavior as mating since it wasn't clear exactly what was happening underwater, but she said the whales rolling, breaching and touching certainly looks like courtship.

A camera on board Captain Dave's Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari captured the moment, embedded below. Among the voyeurs witnessing the couple were a pod of curious bottlenose dolphins, kayakers and a stand-up paddle boarder.

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"Apparently everyone was curious, especially the dolphin. We often see pacific white-sided dolphin interacting with these whales but to have bottlenose dolphin was extraordinary,” Captain Dave Anderson said.

Every year, gray whales migrate some 12,000 miles from their feeding grounds near Alaska and British Columbia to the warm, protected lagoons of Baja California -- hundreds of miles south of Dana Point -- to give birth and nurse their calves.

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“We don’t know why these two whales chose to make a stop along the way,” Anderson said.

It’s also a mystery why this season has been particularly plentiful for whale watchers off the Southern California coast. Schulman-Janiger said gray whale sightings are the second-highest they've been in 31 years, and several factors could be contributing to the trend.

California's extremely dry winter has made visibility along the coast consistently better, so watchers may be seeing more whales simply because conditions are clearer, Schulman-Janiger said.

"If you can see them, you can count them," she said.

Another possibility lies in the whales' arctic feeding grounds, which froze earlier than usual this year, forcing them to head south sooner than expected.

But that still doesn't explain why so many whales are appearing to hug the shore, a route typically taken by young whales who aren't in such a rush to get to the Baja lagoons and mate. Schulman-Janiger said scientists will need to see the whole picture of this year's season before a conclusion can be reached.

So far, Captain Dave’s safaris have had 168 gray whale encounters this season, which runs from January to May. By comparison, the safaris recorded 78 sightings of gray whales last year, the group said.

About 50 miles north along the Palos Verdes Peninsula, where Schulman-Janiger's whale census project is stationed, there have been about 738 gray whale sightings since Dec. 1, 2013. That’s up about 200 since last year and more than twice the average, according to data from the ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project, pictured above.

For those hoping to spot whales, the creatures will continue migrating south until about mid-February. At the end of April and beginning of May, mothers and their calves will start moving northward again.

To protect the still-vulnerable juveniles, these pairs tend to hug the shore so there’s a better chance of spotting them on their way back to arctic feeding grounds, Schulman-Janiger said.