A flight from Washington, D.C. bound for Germany made an emergency landing at Newark Liberty International Airport Friday night after there were reports of a smell of smoke in the cabin, an airline spokesman said.

United flight 932 to Frankfurt, which departed Dulles International Airport at 9:55 p.m., landed at Newark at 11:30 p.m. following reports of a smell of smoke, according to a United spokesman.

The plane, a Boeing 777, landed safely and taxied normally at Newark, the spokesman said.

Some passengers were treated for smoke inhalation, according to a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, but no one was seriously injured. 

The passengers, who were put up in hotel rooms for the night, were expected to resume their flight Saturday.
 

The investigation into the slayings of three San Diego residents continues, and now friend of the victims' family is trying to raise money for a reward to help find who killed the trio.

"At that point when someone is going through this you can't take the pain away,” said Brooke Bailey, a friend of the Belvedere family who's raising reward money for information on the case. “You can't help out in that kind of way."

Timeline of the Belvedere Homicide Mystery

Bailey has set up a reward fund to help find the person behind the mysterious killings of Ilona Flint, 22, Salvatore Belvedere, 22, and Gianni Belvedere, 24.

Salvatore and Gianni were brothers. Gianni and Flint were in a longterm relationship and engaged to be married. The three were originally from Utah but relocated to San Diego several years ago.

Flint and Belvedere were found shot in a parking lot outside the Macy's at Westfield Mission Valley mall at around 1:15 a.m. on Christmas Eve. Flint was pronounced dead at the scene. Salvatore died at a hospital a few days later.

A couple of days after the shooting, the Belvedere family and San Diego Police Department announced that Gianni had gone missing. He was last seen at his home in Tierrasanta on Dec. 23, 2013, around 10 p.m. -- just hours before the fatal shooting of his brother and fiancee.

For the next three weeks, police searched for Gianni while his family pleaded for his safe return.

On Jan. 17, the body of Gianni was found in the trunk of his car in Riverside, Calif., about an hour-and-a-half north of San Diego County.

Though the grim discovery brought an end to Gianni's missing persons case, it also brought mounting, unanswered questions surrounding the triple homicide.

On Jan. 24, San Diego Police Department Lt. Mike Hastings revealed some new details on the case, including more information about a possible suspect.

Lt. Hastings said a man wearing a black hoodie with white bands in the biceps area of the sweatshirt, tan pants and white tennis shoes is believed to have been at the Mission Valley mall on Dec. 23, 2013, at around 11:15 p.m. -- about two hours before the shooting of Flint and Salvatore.

Investigators believe that same man returned to the mall at 12:15 a.m. on Christmas Eve, about an hour before the shooting. Police described the suspect as an unknown race, standing 5-foot-10 to 6-foot.

At that same briefing, Lt. Hastings went on to say that San Diego police have spent hundreds of hours on this case.

“If this case can be solved, this case will be solved,” he assured.

To date, police have not arrested a suspect in connection to the slayings. Information about a possible motive for the crimes has also not been released by investigators.

With many San Diegans following the developments of the unsolved case, Bailey is trying to collect donations to add to a reward fund for information leading to the arrest of whoever is responsible for the killings. Her goal is to round up $100,000.

Those who want to contribute to the reward fund can go to this website.

"I'm hoping people can reach out, and people who followed this case can reach out," said Bailey. "Even if they can't donate, at least share, so that we can get the word out there, even if it helps to find any information to who did this."

Former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley is in the ICU at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, officials said Saturday.

The mayor was taken to the hospital Friday evening after returning from Arizona on business feeling ill.

Law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, where Daley holds a counsel job, sent out this statement Saturday:

"Former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, 71, was taken by ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital after returning yesterday (Friday) evening from Arizona on business feeling ill. He is in Northwestern's ICU for monitoring and evaluation. Mayor Daley's family is with him and they are visiting between tests."

Heard said Daley communicated with his family that he wasn't feeling well in Phoenix and that the family sent an ambulance to Midway because "otherwise he might not go [to the hospital]."

Daley walked to the ambulance, however, sources tell NBC Chicago's Ward Room blogger Mark Anderson that he was brought into the hospital by a stretcher.

Heard would not describe the nature of Daley's symptoms, but insists he lives a healthy lifestyle.

A former state senator and county prosecutor, Daley was elected mayor in 1989, to complete the term of the late Harold Washington.

He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, holding the top seat for six terms before announcing in 2010 that he would not run again for office.

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Former-Mayor-Daley-Taken-To-ICU-243082851.html#ixzz2s6oiTDK8

 

What is sitting inside your desk drawer as you read this sentence?

Maybe some rubber bands? A pair of scissors that don't quite close all the way? Or some reminder slips regarding phone calls you're two or three years late in returning? 

What about coins? It's a timely question, given that Randy Lawrence of La Jolla had a penny in his own desk drawer, inside a plastic sandwich bag, for over three decades, a penny that turned out not to be very penny-like.

Numismatic experts have deemed the coin worth 25,000,000 pennies, give or take, which, if you don't have an abacus nearby, equals $250,000.

Dollars. Yep. In case that dollar sign looked like it might not belong there.

It's a "genuine 1974 Denver Mint Lincoln cent that was struck in aluminum, the only one of its kind known dated 1974 from the Denver Mint," says a representative.

The "experimental penny" will be displayed through Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Long Beach Coin, Currency, Stamp, & Sports Collectible Expo.

As with any interesting coin tale, the 1974 Denver Mint Lincoln aluminum cent enjoyed a few twists and turns along the way.

Mr. Lawrence inherited the penny from his father 33 years ago. And while the penny indeed was drawer-bound for much of that time, it spent last August in the trunk of Mr. Lawrence's car, as he drove from Denver to La Jolla.

Not long after that, the unwitting owner of one very precious penny contacted Michael McConnell, owner of the La Jolla Coin Shop, to sell his coins.

When Mr. McConnell realized what the penny was, he contacted Mr. Lawrence right away. "I wouldn't be able to sleep without notifying him," said the professional numismatist.

Nice. And there the story takes an even nicer turn: The two men will "share in the sale of the cent" this spring, and "will donate 'a significant portion of the proceeds' to a San Diego charity that helps the homeless."

The penny's ultimate price could exceed a quarter of a million dollars. Heritage Auctions, the company responsible for its Long Beach display, will be overseeing the process.

If you'd like to see what can indeed be called a lucky penny, make for the Long Beach Convention Center by Feb. 1. Plenty of coin enthusiasts and experts'll likely be checking out the silver beauty, so come prepared to learn more about the Denver Mint, rare finds, and those headline-making, oh-so-surprising desk drawer discoveries.

A fatal crash involving a pedestrian hit by a car on Interstate 805 shut down two southbound lanes of the busy freeway near Chula Vista Friday night.

California Highway Patrol officials responded to multiple reports of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle on I-805 at Olympic Boulevard just before 9 p.m. When officials arrived, they found the critically injured pedestrian at the scene.

Paramedics attempted CPR but could not resuscitate the victim, who was pronounced dead at the site of the accident.

Traffic was diverted onto Telegraph Canyon Road and was at a standstill for nearly an hour while all southbound lanes were closed immediately following the crash. A SigAlert was issued in the area.

The fatal accident is under investigation. The posted speed limit on the freeway is 70 mph, and it is unclear how fast the car was traveling at the time of the collision with the pedestrian. Officials have not yet determined what the pedestrian was doing on foot on the freeway.

The car involved showed heavy damage. The windshield had a deep depression at the point of impact.

There is no word if any charges will be filed or if there were any arrests. No other cars are being sought and police said the driver who struck the pedestrian stopped and cooperated with authorities.

The name of the victim killed in this incident has not been released.

The "next generation of e-cigarettes" has just hit the online market and is now being featured at a downtown San Diego business. The company, BLOW, known for its e-cig products, is now making electronic hookahs.

Unlike traditional hookahs, the makers say the e-hookah utilizes a smoke, tar and toxin-free liquid in a flameless, charcoal-free device. BLOW Co-founder Fritz Graf hopes it becomes the next big thing to hit the already rapidly expanding vaping industry.

"Really, what we took was the technology of a little e-cig and turned it into this big glorious hookah," he said.

Medical experts like Dr. Ted Mazer, who is the speaker for the California Medical Association House of Delegates, are still very concerned about possible health risks.

“So when kids start smoking hookahs instead of e-cigs, they're going to become nicotine addicted, which is a great long-term sales pitch much like we know in the history of cigarettes,” he said.

Currently, the Food and Drug Administration is not regulating any non-medical e-cigarette product, let alone e-hookah product. A FDA representative gave this statement:

“The FDA intends to propose a regulation that would extend the agency’s “tobacco product” authorities -- which currently only apply to cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and smokeless tobacco -- to other categories of tobacco products that meet the statutory definition of “tobacco product.” Further research is needed to assess the potential public health benefits and risks of electronic cigarettes and other novel tobacco products.”

The inventor of BLOW e-hookah claims, other than nicotine, the liquid used only consists of natural citrus extract and vegetable glycerin. We asked Graf if he knew of any possible dangers  of inhaling glycerin.

“All I do know is if you look at glycerin, it’s is in almost everything we eat, even baby food. … [This product] took a year of research and development, like 15 prototypes to perfect every little component in it,” he said.

Many health experts are also concerned about the marketing of these products. According to a Center of Disease Control Study, the number of children in middle and high school who are vaping has doubled.

“E-cigs may be playing a role in that. They're playing a role because now it's cool to put something in your mouth and smoke it or vape it,” said Dr. Mazer.

“People are just going to have to make their own assumptions,” said Graf.

Graf says they'll display their product at a local nightclub convention in the coming months. That's when they'll officially launch the e-hookah. He says he's already getting requests from around the world.

Covered California, the state agency responsible for handling Obamacare, hired convicted felons to enroll Californians, according to the agency.

State lawmakers are now calling for an investigation, as new information released by Covered California showed 31 people with criminal backgrounds were hired as enrollment counselors.

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Their past crimes range from forgery to shoplifting, burglary, robbery and welfare fraud.

Covered California said the employees pose no threat to anyone's personal security.

A bank robbery suspect dubbed ‘El Chaparrito’ by the FBI due to his small stature is being sought by law enforcement officials for his alleged involvement in at least eight heists across San Diego County.

According to the FBI and San Diego Police Department, the El Chaparrito bandit, or short bandit, has been robbing local banks since November 2013. The latest in his series of crimes happened Wednesday at a Bank of America branch located at 5851 Balboa Ave.

In that incident, the bandit ran into the bank and approached a teller station while yelling, “Give me money!” The FBI said the suspect had one hand raised, as if holding a weapon, and the other in his jacket, also simulating a weapon.

Investigators said El Chaparrito’s robberies are all similar in nature. They usually involve the short suspect entering the bank, yelling that he is there to rob the bank and then demanding money in both Spanish and English.

Investigators said witnesses describe El Chaparrito as a Hispanic or white man between 20 and 30 years old with a medium build, weighing between 140 and 180 pounds. As for his notable height, he’s said to be between 5-foot-3 and 5-foot-9.

According to the FBI, the bandit began robbing local banks on Nov. 19, 2013, with a heist at a Chase Bank located at 1130 E. Plaza Blvd. in National City. That was followed by these robberies:

• California Coast Credit Union at 1060 University Ave. #A101 on Dec. 13, 2013
• Chase Bank at 6116 Mission Gorge Rd. on Dec. 19, 2013
• Chase Bank at 4500 Bonita Rd. in Chula Vista on Jan. 3, 2014
• Chase Bank at 4111 Governor Dr. on Jan. 10, 2014
• Chase Bank at 5303 Ruffin Rd. on Jan. 15, 2014
• Wells Fargo Bank at 1220 Cleveland Ave. on Jan. 23, 2014

And, finally, the aforementioned robbery from Wednesday.

Through surveillance footage, the FBI has been able to examine some images of El Chaparrito. However, it’s difficult to identify his facial features because he typically wears a bandana over his face and a hat. He’s also worn gloves, all black clothing and jacket zipped high up to his chin during some of the robberies.

Anyone with information on El Chaparrito should contact the FBI at (858) 320-1800 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 540-8477.

After a brutal 2012 season that saw him snap a string of four straight 4,000-yard seasons while setting career highs in turnovers and sacks, critics wondered aloud (a-really-loud, actually) whether or not Philip Rivers could still be a top-tier NFL quarterback.

Saturday, a lot of those critics offered a group, "We're sorry for doubting you, Philip. Here's a trophy." Rivers was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press.

Philip led the league in completion percentage and finished in the top-5 in yards, touchdowns, first downs, QB rating, and bolo ties.

It's a tremendous honor for the Chargers signal-caller. But, let's hope he's never in a position to win it again.

Authorities investigating a series of thefts of recyclable metals received a big break in the case on Thursday when a 22-year-old suspect was caught in the act and arrested in Spring Valley, according to San Diego County Sheriff’s officials.

Deputies report that James David Solak and a woman said to be his girlfriend, identified as 29-year-old Jace Tanay Hernandez, were arrested for their involvement in at least 15 thefts of recyclable metals taken from local schools and commercial buildings.

According to investigators, the damage caused by the thefts is estimated to be in excess of $200,000.

For the past two months, authorities from several local agencies have been trying to find the suspect responsible for the crimes.

Participating in the investigation were officials from the San Diego Metal Theft Taskforce, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, and Lemon Grove patrol deputies, among others.

Solak and Hernandez were arrested around 4 p.m. Thursday in the 3500 block of Sweetwater Springs Blvd., according to Sheriff’s officials.

At that time, a deputy was reportedly in the area conducting a follow-up investigation on the thefts when he spotted Solak’s vehicle parked next to a building that had been a previous target in the crimes. Officials said that building had its air conditioning units damaged in the thefts.

After noticing Solak’s vehicle, officials reported the deputy then saw Solak on the building’s roof dismantling two air conditioning units and removing major components.

At that point, the deputy requested assistance from Lemon Grove patrol deputies, detectives, and ASTREA.

A perimeter was set and as Solak made his way down from the roof with the stolen components, deputies attempted to take him into custody, according to officials.

Deputies said Solak fought with them and a Taser had to be used in order to subdue him. After the altercation, Solak was transported to an area hospital to be treated for injuries he sustained.

Solak was later booked into San Diego Central Jail on several charges of grand theft of copper material. His bail was set at $160,000.

Hernandez was arrested for grand theft of copper material and burglary. She was being held on $30,000 bail.

Sergeant Greg Hampton said in a media release that identifying suspects in thefts like these is difficult and catching them in the act was rare.

Sheriff’s officials said the investigation into the thefts would be ongoing.

Anyone with information about the thefts was asked to contact the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Station at (619) 337-2000.

Dozens of volunteers with local non-profit group San Diego Habitat for Humanity gathered on Saturday to build homes for disabled veterans and their families in Lakeside.

Volunteers of SDHFH's Building for the Brave program took part in building four town homes from the ground up in the 12000 block of Lakeshore Drive.

SDHFH organizers said Building for the Brave aims to provide housing for wounded warriors who want to own a home but are unable to do so.

All four of the Lakeside town homes will be given to families who are able to demonstrate a need for improved housing due to undesirable living conditions and their financial situation.

The project has been in the works since March 2013 when ground was first broken.

Construction on Saturday began at around 8 a.m. with donated tools and more than 30 volunteers were expected to be on-site throughout the day.

Each of the units are 1,500 square feet, as well as handicap accessible.

The Building for the Brave initiative was made possible with sponsorship from Bank of America, The Home Depot Foundation, TD Ameritrade, SAIC, and Cox Communications, among others.

Families will be able to start moving into the homes around the end of May, when the project is scheduled to be completed.

As part of the program, the families will be asked that they participate in homeowner education workshops, be active members of the homeowner’s association, and complete between 250 and 500 hours of what organizers called “sweat equity.”

Since 1988, the San Diego-Tijuana Habit for Humanity, later shortened to SDHFH, has helped to build nearly 200 homes for people in need throughout San Diego and across the border in Mexico.

Longtime San Diego newsman and media icon Neil Morgan has died, according to “U-T San Diego.” He was 89 years old.

Morgan joined the Navy after college and moved to San Diego in 1944.

The “U-T “ says Morgan first began his career as a San Diego journalist in 1946 as an employee of the “San Diego Journal.” Morgan worked as a columnist and editor of “The Tribune” from 1950 until 1992. When the newspaper became “The San Diego Union-Tribune,” Morgan became the associate editor and senior columnist of the “Union-Tribune.”

Morgan said he was fired from the "Union-Tribune" in 2004.

In 2005, Morgan co-founded “Voice of San Diego” alongside entrepreneur Buzz Woolley, writing and editing for the non-profit website through recent years. He was also the author of 12 books, including "Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel: A Biography," which he co-wrote with his wife, Judith Morgan.

He lived in La Jolla and is survived by his wife and daughter.

Last year, “Voice of San Diego” established the “Neil Morgan Fund for Investigative Reporting,” a special fund for the investigative team at “Voice of San Diego” to continue creating the type of investigative journalism Morgan loved.

Current “Voice of San Diego” CEO Scott Lewis told NBC 7 that, to this day, Morgan could hardly send an email or take notes without it being poetry. Lewis said Morgan encouraged writers to be controversial in order to make San Diego a better place.

Longtime friend Bob Witty told NBC 7 that Morgan seemed to make friends with everyone he met.

“When people met Neil, people would say he’s nicest person they ever met, finest person they ever met. He had a magnetic personality,” said Witty.
 

A funeral was held Saturday in La Mesa for a 15-year-old girl who was killed on Wednesday when she was struck by a semi-truck while crossing the street.

At about 4 p.m., family and friends of Noemi Mendez held a funeral for her inside Aztlan Mortuary located at 7856 La Mesa Blvd.

The accident that took Noemi’s life occurred Wednesday in Otay Mesa just after 5 p.m. along the six-lane Otay Mesa Road at La Media Road.

It’s there that investigators say Noemi was killed after she stepped into the path of an oncoming semi-truck, despite her brother's last-minute attempt to save her.

Investigators report that, at the time of the accident, Noemi was using her cell phone and was distracted – something her family has denied as being true.

At Noemi’s funeral on Saturday, the question of what exactly caused her death was no longer the main focus.

Instead, family and friends used that time to share memories of a girl whose life was taken too soon.

“Her smile would always give us a joy," said Luis Moreno, one of many of Noemi’s friends who attended the funeral. "There was something in her that would make us smile a lot; every time she'd give us a hug you'd feel joy in yourself."

Friends of Noemi, including several from Castle Park High School, made it clear that Noemi had made a lasting impression on them.

“I really, really miss her …she's just so amazing and nice and kind and I thank her for being amazing with all of us,” said friend Briana Neunez.

It's Noemi’s smile and cheer that her family said they’ll miss the most.

On Friday, Noemi's family told NBC7 that they hoped the deadly accident would push drivers to be more alert when it comes to pedestrians.

Former Senator John Glenn, also known for his career as a decorated Marine Corps pilot and as the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth, visited San Diego Saturday for a special event involving the christening of a United States Naval Ship named in his honor.

“I’m very proud to have my name on this ship – very proud,” said Glenn, referring to the new USNS John Glenn (MLP 2), christened at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego.

The patriotic ceremony featured several speakers, including NASSCO vice president and general manager, Kevin Graney and Admiral Jonathan W. Greenert, USN, Chief of Naval Operations. Others who took the podium included: Lt. General John A. Toolan, USMC, Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force; Rear Admiral Thomas K. Shannon, USN, Commander, Military Sealift Command; and The Honorable Sean J. Stackley, Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

After many speeches commending Glenn’s career and commitment to the U.S. Marine Corps, the ship’s namesake himself took a moment to address the crowd.

On stage, the man who flew 149 missions as a U.S. Marine pilot, spent 218 hours in space as an astronaut and spent four consecutive terms in office as a U.S. senator, seemed truly humbled by the moment.

“All the nice things being said about me are a little hard to assimilate,” said Glenn. “Thank you.”

Glenn went on to talk about his deep respect for the U.S. service members and heroes he served with in World War II and the Korean War.

“All of them did not come back,” he lamented.

“While I’m accepting accolades here and my name is going to be on this ship, [let’s] do this thinking about all of those people, too,” Glenn added. “[Those] wonderful folks.”

In traditional christening fashion, Glenn daughter, also the ship’s sponsor, broke a champagne bottle against the ship’s hull (see photo below).

After the ceremony, Glenn briefly spoke with media, saying he looks forward to seeing USNS John Glenn in action. He said the ship would be used to help countries around the world and provide humanitarian aid as needed.

According to NASSCO, USNS John Glenn is the second ship of the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) class, which is a flexible platform that will provide capability for large-scale logistics movements. This includes the transfer of vehicle and equipment from sea to shore. It will also provide support in the absence of a port, making it useful for Marines during disaster relief response.

USNS John Glenn will be delivered to the Navy in the first quarter of 2014.

A mysterious object fell through a northern Virginia woman's home Friday morning and members of the Federal Aviation Administration were visiting her home on Saturday.

The FAA is trying to figure out if a piece of metal that crashed through an awning and landed in a dining room came from a plane.

"We have no idea if it's an aircraft part or where it came from and we have to investigate it," FAA investigator supervisor Barry Barbini said.

Homeowner Abby Baker said she found the piece of metal and the hole in her awning and her ceiling Friday morning when she returned from taking her child to school. Her house is in the flight path for aircraft from Dulles International Airport.

"At first, I thought maybe a gas pipe burst or something, and then i found this piece here that i thought maybe was a pipe from a gas pipe,” Baker said. “But when i had the gas company come out, they identified it as likely a piece of aircraft."

The piece of metal is about four inches long and weighs a couple of pounds.

Barbini said the FAA plans to have the National Transportation Safety Board analyze the object and send inspectors to Dulles on Monday.

"We need to do some ground work to see if any airlines have reported any incident with one of their aircraft," he said.

Baker said she's glad no one was hurt and hopes this never happens to her or anyone in the flight path area again.

"Had it been a little this way or a little that way it could have hit my dog. It could have hit the kids in the elementary school if they had been playing out over there,” she said. “And that's scary to me for sure."

A man was arrested in the food court of a New Jersey shopping center Friday for having an imitation handgun, police said.

Devin Rivera, 18, was arrested after police received calls that he was brandishing a black semi-automatic handgun in Paramus' Westfield Garden State Plaza food court.

Police said they determined the weapon was a realistic appearing BB handgun after surrounding Rivera and taking it from him.

According to authorities, Rivera said he was carrying the weapon because he was afraid of other individuals who might also be at the shopping center. He was charged with possession of an imitation firearm for an unlawful purpose.      

Information on a lawyer for Rivera was not immediately available.

 

Police arrested several people Saturday in San Francisco for protesting the city's nudity ban.

Advocates rallied and held what they called a "Body Freedom" parade in the Castro District. San Francisco's so-called nudity ban has been in effect for one year as of Saturday and nude activists staged the rally to mark the anniversary.

Protest leader Gypsy Taub said since the ban has been in effect, she was arrested for standing naked in front of City Hall on the first day of the ban. She said there has been growing acceptance of the body freedom movement.

"We're here to protest the nudity ban," she said. "This is draconian legislation. Somehow it's a crime to appear in your most-natural state."

There are exceptions under the nudity ban for children under 5 and for certain events, such as the Folsom Street Fair and Bay to Breakers.

While family and friends cheered from the side lines, the 25,000 Miami Marathon runners focused on making it to the finish line.

And one runner was met with a shocking surprise when she crossed that line.

Rachael Avisrur, who was running with Team Lifeline, found boyfriend Ari Wolf at the end of the race with flowers and an engagement ring in hand.

"I'm like the happiest person ever," Avisrur said. "I thought he was in New York."

Wolf said he chose the Miami Marathon for the proposal because he knew it would be meaningful for Avrisur.

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"You only live once," he said. "She supports Chai Lifeline. I knew she was here and wanted to surprise her with something she loves to do."

Team Lifeline is a group of more than 300 runners who pushed cancer survivors and children with chronic illnesses along the race route.

For others running the marathon, the finish line represented pride and perseverance.

Runners from more than 80 countries came into town to participate in the race and held up their nation's colors proudly throughout the route.

Samuel Malakwen of Kenya won the 26.2-mile race in two hours, 19 minutes, and 46 seconds. He said running in the Miami weather was a little challenging.

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"I was happy because yesterday I was kind of [thinking], 'Will I be able to run this race?' Because of weather," Malakwen said.

For the second year in a row, Mariska Kramer of the Netherlands was the first woman to cross the finish line. Kramer, however, wasn't happy with her end time.

"I was very slow today," she said. "I didn't have a very good day, I got sick last night and well it's not a good thing to do when you want to run a good marathon."

Athletes with disabilities also participated in both the half and full marathon.

The San Diego Aztecs took home their 18th win on Saturday evening against the Colorado State Rams at the Viejas Arena.

The fifth-ranked Aztecs defeated the Rams 65-56.

Along with 18 straight wins, Saturday’s victory was the 300th for Head Coach Steve Fisher.

The team’s next game is against the Boise State Broncos on Wednesday at the Taco Bell Arena in Idaho.