LeBron James passed a concussion test Thursday night, but an X-ray on Friday confirmed that he has a broken nose, according to NBA.com.

James was injured while going up for a dunk in the fourth quarter of the Miami Heat's victory on Thursday. Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka hit James on the nose and it led to the Heat star profusely bleeding on the court.

Before falling to the floor, James did complete the thunderous dunk but it was immediately evident something was very wrong. James, who so often gets up after hard hits, stayed down with his head buried in his hands.

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"I'm like everybody else. You're used to seeing him like Superman, get up and sprint back even after tough hits and tough falls. So we knew something was up," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra told the Sun-Sentinel after the game.

James will likely need to wear a mask due to the broken nose as is the norm for this type of injury.  This would not be the first time James had to play with a mask so he should have a moderate comfort level.

Back in 2004 while with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James broke his left cheekbone after a hit from Dikembe Mutumbo. Following the hit, James donned a similar mask to one that has since been seen on several players including Kobe Bryant.

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James didn't speak to the media after the game but he did take to Twitter in the early morning hours. James made reference to wearing a mask in the form of Batman villain, Bane.

I mean I just might have to...BaneJames #StriveForGreatness http://t.co/XHlHnArbWG

— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 21, 2014

James is currently listed as questionable for Sunday's game and will be a game-time decision according to the NBA.com report.  After an extended road trip, Miami will be playing at home for the first time since February 3rd and will take on the Chicago Bulls.

Officials at a San Diego-area high school confirmed Friday that it was a strain of meningococcal disease that killed a 14-year-old girl on Feb. 13.

In a letter sent to parents, Patrick Henry High School Principal Listy Gillingham said the county public health department determined Jewelean Pimentel died from a “Group Y” strain of meningococcal (also known as meningococus) bacteria.

Gillingham said that strain should be covered by the MCV4 vaccine, which Pimentel received two and a half years ago.

However, because it failed to protect Pimentel, health officials will look into the specific batch she received to check its quality.

“So, why did she get the disease? It could be because no vaccine is 100% effective,” Gillingham’s email said.

Nevertheless, the principal continued to recommend students ages 11 and up receive the MCV4 vaccine to prevent contracting the disease.

While they can cause meningitis, meningococcal bacteria also cause blood infections, which is what killed Pimentel.

Health officials said Pimentel’s case was isolated, meaning there were no other cases and no epidemic potential.

On Friday, a moment of silence marked a PHHS pep rally in honor of Pimentel and her family.

The school has planned a green candlelight ceremony – where cell phone app candles or flashlights will be used instead of real candles – for Monday evening at 5:30 p.m. in the center of the PHHS quad.

Had Pimentel's strain not been covered by the MCV4 vaccine, health officials would have had to import the European vaccine, as they did during a meningitis outbreak at UC Santa Barbara. 

It can’t be eaten or reused, but kitchen grease is fueling a major crime spike in Southern California.

Much like copper, inedible kitchen grease, or IKG, has a commodity value and a full truck load of the used cooking oil could fetch as much as $600 at a grease recycling center.

A gallon of the grease is worth about $2.50, according to a corporate security expert who requested to remain anonymous because those behind the thefts he’s investigating have made death threats.

"This is more than just a few casual thieves stealing cooking oil randomly," he said, calling the rings "well-organized."

Restaurants and companies are losing millions of dollars due to theft and container damage by grease thieves, who syphon the slippery gunk from storage containers at the rear of restaurants, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Aside from the business loss, officials said grease theft is a potentially hazardous to the environment because as thieves transport their loot, the oil could leak and spill onto streets and into soil.

California Assemblyman Chris Holden is sponsoring a bill to levy heavy fines for those trying to steal used kitchen grease. Right now, it’s an unregulated industry.

Authorities have outlined what witnesses should look for if they suspect IKG theft:

• Pumper trucks often with no markings on the side. Trucks are required by California law to have a company name and IKG sticker issued by the state affixed to the truck.
• Trucks cruising alleys behind businesses late at night.
• Trucks pumping from containers belonging to other companies. The containers behind the businesses are labeled with the name of the company that services them. The container ID and company name on the truck should match.

A $500 reward has been posted for information leading to the arrest and conviction of IKG thieves.

Anyone who has a suspected grease theft to report is urged to submit their tips by filling out this online form, emailing HitGreaseTheft@cdfa.ca.gov or calling 855-HIT-GREASE.

Law enforcement officials arrested 17 people in a probation sweep across neighborhoods in San Diego’s East County.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, the sweep – part of the county’s Regional Realignment Response Group – took place from 6 a.m. through 3 p.m. in Santee, Lakeside and El Cajon. Officers and deputies visited probationers to make sure they were following conditions of their release.

Not everyone passed the check-in.

Officials said a total of 17 people were arrested in the operation for a range of charges including being wanted on a warrant, probation violations, possession of a controlled substance, obstruction of justice and being under the influence of a controlled substance. The arrestees varied in age, from 20 to 52 years old.

Officials said the goal of a sweep like this is to track known offenders and their associates. Deputies can then trace that information to actual crimes and address safety issues in local communities.
 

San Diego Mayor-Elect Kevin Faulconer has decided to make officer scandals plaguing the San Diego Police Department his top priority once he is sworn into office.

Faulconer met with SDPD Chief William Lansdowne Friday for a “very good and frank” conversation about what Faulconer expects once he becomes mayor.

During their roughly 30 minute discussion, Faulconer said he emphasized to the chief that he wants best policies and procedures followed by officers, agreeing with a plan to invite an outside auditor to review those practices.

“I will expect and demand that we have the best police department in the country,” said Faulconer.

The audit comes in the wake of two sex scandals involving a current Officer Donald Moncrief and former Officer Christopher Hays.

Moncrief has been suspended with pay after a woman accused him of groping her and exposing himself during an auto theft arrest in 2013.

Hays resigned from the police department after he was charged with false imprisonment and sexual battery involving alleged incidents with four women.

The chief of police serves at the will of the mayor, which means Lansdowne needs the support of Faulconer and the city council to keep his job.

When asked if he still has confidence in Lansdowne, Faulconer said, “I have confidence in the men and women who are doing their job every single day. My job as mayor is to ensure that all city employees come to work, are given the resources they need to be successful. I’m going to ensure that not only in the police department, but in every city department. I’m going to have very clear standards about what I expect and what I will not tolerate.”

As mayor, Faulconer said he will move forward with a proposal to place cameras with police officers, and he will allocate money for that purpose in his upcoming budget proposal.

He will be deciding on the number of cameras and how quickly they are implemented in the next couple of weeks.

Faulconer also talked with Lansdowne about ways to improve recruitment and retention within the department, an effort he said will also be reflected in the budget.

After the scandals came to light, Lansdowne started to crack down on policies, announcing that from now on, two officers will transport female suspects to jail to prevent more problems.

Crisis communication expert David Oates said his strategy of transparency is working.

"Cameras are going live -- access to the public without really any filtering process, without being able to say, ‘Well, let me start this again,’” said Oates. “His leadership team has really taken a forthright approach with that."

But others said Lansdowne’s call for an independent audit could backfire.

According to public relations consultant Bob Schuman, an audit could uncover even more problems with SDPD leadership.

“I think it's probably good for the citizens, and it's good for the taxpayers, but for the chief, I'm not sure it was a very bright idea,” said Schuman.

Lansdowne announced this week that he has no plans to retire and wants to fix what’s broken inside his department. Schuman said it’s probably too late for that because Lansdowne does not have strong support inside or outside the department.

However, Oates said the chief’s candor and personality will pull him through the crisis.

The audit would take at least six months to complete, but first, the city council must approve Lansdowne’s proposal.

 A wild pursuit ended Friday night on a quiet, residential street in Point Loma. 

San Diego Police said officers spotted a suspected drunk driver in a Jeep Wrangler leaving a Friar's Road liquor store just after 10 p.m. 

When the officers tried to pull him over, the driver fled on residential streets, reaching speeds up to 50 miles per hour and blowing through stop signs and traffic lights. 

Police used spike strips in Point Loma to flatten the suspect's tires at Garrison and Rosecrans streets. 

The man drove another mile on blown-out tires before he stopped at Canon Street and Anchorage Lane.

He stepped out his Jeep with his hands up and surrendered to police. The suspect was arrested and taken to jail.

City lifeguards at La Jolla Shores appear to have gotten a handle on a safety hazard involving their new tower that opened last summer.

That hazard, to the well-being of beachgoers, is the sun – specifically, the way it plays off the windows in the $3.8 million tower when it gets close to setting.

It distorts, and sometimes washes out, the lifeguards' view of people in the water.

Somebody, it would seem, didn't account for the sun's seasonal migrations.

"With the glare reflecting and re-projecting itself to the north, it causes essentially a blind spot similar to what you would see in the afternoon when the sun's setting,” explains Lifeguard Sgt. Ben Lewis. “It puts a glare on the water that makes it difficult to look into. So that same glare reflects itself to the glass to the north, creating a double-glare effect."

It's a problem that didn't present itself when the tower opened last summer -- but became a major issue when the sun was farther south last fall.

And it will be a problem again this spring, when the sun will have tracked back north.

So until the windows are replaced, reconfigured or redesigned, lifeguards also are staffing a summer-season lookout near the main tower from mid-afternoon to sunset to provide visual backup for colleagues in the main tower.

“It’s working out well,” said Lewis. “The guard in that observation tower doesn’t suffer from the same glare issues that the guard in the current observation tower does. So he’s able to essentially cross-check the water for us.”

Beachgoers interviewed Friday by NBC 7 were glad to know there's another set of eyes where they need to be -- but disappointed that the problem and its temporary work-around couldn't have been avoided in the first place.

"We were here all last season when they were building this, and we thought 'Wow, this really looks cool!' And it does look cool,” said La Jolla resident Jeremy Eisen. “But it's unfortunate to hear that it doesn't serve the function it was designed for."

Experts are now working on optical fixes estimated to cost around $75,000, with the city looking to recover from contractors and or/vendors.

"Whoever's selling you the product has to know what they're selling you; that's a good thing to know,” said Bonita resident Frank Almado. “And then when you buy the product, you should probably know what you're buying. So there's probably a problem on both ends here."

Officials say the long-term fix or fixes should be completed before the summer beach-going season.

They point out that glare is an issue in any lifeguard tower, but the situation at the Shores apparently is in a class of its own.

The police in the island nation of Seychelles say autopsies will be performed next week on the bodies of two former U.S. Navy SEALs found dead on a ship, one of whom lived in San Diego County.

Former Fallbrook resident Jeffrey Keith Reynolds, 44, and Mark Daniel Kennedy, 43, were American security contractors who were found dead Tuesday in a cabin on the ship while berthed in Port Victoria in the Indian Ocean.

Maersk Line said in a statement on Thursday that drugs were found in the room of the Maersk Alabama where the two men were found on Tuesday. The Maersk Alabama was the focus of a 2009 hijacking dramatized in the movie "Captain Phillips."

A statement from the Seychelles police on Friday said that despite the reports of drugs being found, the police "never released any reports suggesting" that the two Americans may have died from a drug overdose.

The police said next week's autopsies are expected to establish the cause of the two deaths.

"We are saddened by the tragedy and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased men," Maersk Line Ltd. spokesman Kevin Speers said in a statement.

Speers said the Seychelles police report includes observations about the presence of drugs and paraphernalia in the room where the two men were found dead, although the type of drug is unknown.

On Thursday, police spokesman Jean Toussaint said, "As far as I know there is no evidence of physical trauma" on either man's body. Speers said the Maersk Alabama was cleared to leave Seychelles following the onboard investigation and that it is already underway.

The Maersk Alabama is a Norfolk, Va.-based container ship that provides feeder service to the east coast of Africa and employs security contractors to provide anti-piracy services. The two men who were found dead worked for a Virginia Beach, Va.-based maritime security firm, The Trident Group.

In a statement posted on its website, The Trident Group President Thomas Rothrauff said there "is no immediate indication as to the cause of death, but the deaths were not caused by operational activity." Rothrauff wrote that the next of kin have asked that no further information be released and that their privacy be respected.

The Maersk Alabama's owner, the Norfolk, Va.-based Maersk Line Ltd. also has said the deaths were not related to security duties or ship operations. The ship has since left the African port. Speers statement says the company has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to drugs and alcohol, and that based on past experience working with The Trident Group, it believes this is an isolated incident.

Still, the company is responding by requiring reviewing its personnel records to confirm that drug tests and background checks are current, among other things. Speer said The Trident Group will also implement a random drug testing program to increase the frequency it screens security personnel.

The Trident Group was founded by former Navy SEALs and hires former special warfare operators to perform security. On Thursday, the Navy confirmed that Kennedy and Reynolds belonged to the SEALs, an elite unit of the military's special operations forces who are sometimes called upon to combat piracy.

In 2009, Navy SEALs aboard the USS Bainbridge shot and killed three of the pirates who were holding Capt. Richard Phillips in a lifeboat, bringing the five-day hijacking standoff involving the Maersk Alabama to an end. The "Captain Phillips" movie starring Tom Hanks as Capt. Richard Phillips was released last year.

Kennedy, whose home of record with the Navy was Baton Rouge, La., enlisted in 1995 and completed his final tour of duty in 2008, according to a summary of his record provided by the Navy. Kennedy was assigned to an East Coast-based special warfare unit, according to the record. Virginia Beach serves as the home of the Navy's East Coast SEAL teams. He had medals for serving in campaigns in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Reynolds, whose home of record with the Navy was Fountain Valley, Calif., enlisted in 1990. He was assigned to a West Coast-based special warfare unit until he was discharged in 2000. He had won two medals for good conduct while in the Navy.

Former military personnel frequently provide security on board ships sailing through the waters off Somalia to provide security against pirate attacks. Kennedy and Reynolds boarded the ship Jan. 29, Speers said.

The Alabama transports food aid to East Africa in support of the U.S. government's "Food for Peace" program, according to Maersk Line. Crew members also help support the Bee Hive Children's Home in Mombasa, Kenya.

Several crew members who were aboard the ship when it was hijacked in 2009 are suing Maersk Line and Mobile, Ala.-based Waterman Steamship Corp.

Nine crew members in the lawsuit, filed in Alabama in 2012, say they suffered physical and emotional injuries after Somali pirates boarded. Some crew members were held at gunpoint with Phillips; others hid in an engine room.

A person recently diagnosed with measles may have exposed others to the highly contagious disease at two different Naval medical facilities in San Diego, county health officials announced Friday.

According to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), the ill person contracted measles after a trip to the Philippines and was treated at Branch Health Clinic Miramar on Feb. 14 and Feb. 18 and at Naval Medical Center San Diego on Feb. 17.

HHSA officials say patients, visitors and hospital staff may have been exposed to the virus if they visited either facility, specifically if they were present at the Branch Health Clinic Miramar on Feb. 14 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., or between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Feb. 18, or at the emergency department or waiting room of Naval Medical Center San Diego on Feb. 17 between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m.

County public health officer Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., says measles is a contagious disease that’s easily spread through coughing, sneezing or coming in contact with an infected person.

“Measles is spread through the air and is very infectious to persons who are not vaccinated, including infants under the age of 12 months who are too young to receive the first dose,” said Wooten. “The best way to prevent measles is by getting the measles vaccine.”

HHSA officials say measles take between seven and 21 days to develop after exposure. Early symptoms include a cough, runny nose and red eyes and even early on, an ill person is considered contagious.

About one to four days after early symptoms, a distinctive red rash typically appears, beginning on the face and head and then proceeding downward and outward to the hands and feet. The rash fades in the same order it began, from head to feet. Complications from the disease can include diarrhea, ear infection and pneumonia.

Wooten says anyone who was present at either Naval medical facility during those time slots should be on the lookout for symptoms of the disease and contact their health care provider or the HHSA Epidemiology Branch at (619) 692-8499.

The HHSA and Navy public health officials are in the process of contacting people who were registered as patients at both facilities during the exposure periods to determine if they have been vaccinated for measles. All persons in 1957 or after should have received the vaccine as children.

According to the California Department of Public Health, 15 cases of measles have been reported in the state so far this year.

In San Diego, this is the first diagnosed case of measles in the county since July 2013. Health officials say there is an ongoing measles outbreak in the Philippines responsible for 1,700 cases of the disease and 21 measles-related deaths in 2013.

Currently, there is no treatment for measles, but health officials recommend plenty of bed rest, fluids and fever control. For more information about measles and vaccination, call the HHSA Immunization Branch at (866) 358-2966 or visit this website.

After such lofty hopes, American hockey has taken a beating at the Winter Olympics.

The slide culminated Saturday with a humilating loss to Finland on Satuday, the second-to-last day of the Sochi Games.

That put the Americans' out of contention to win the Winter Olympics medal race -- a disappointment after winning the most medals in Vancouver four years ago.

Things might be different if the Americans had Vic Wild on their side. But he's winning golds for Russia now.

A U.S. bobsled team is the last American squad with a shot at a medal.

Here are Saturday's highlights.

Hockey agony

A couple days ago, the U.S. men’s hockey team seemed to have a legitimate shot at a gold medal.

The team was stacked with National Hockey League stars in their prime.

Those dreams have been dashed, with the final blow coming Saturday, when the Americans lost 5-0 to Finland.

That defeat, in the bronze-medal consolation game, followed a 1-0 semifinals loss Friday to defending champion Canada. It left the U.S. off the podium completely.

With that, the Americans wasted a chance to earn medals in consecutive Olympic hockey tournaments for the first time since winning gold in 1960 and silver in 1956.

Bobsled hopes

The four-man bobsled remains the U.S.'s last hope for a final medal in Sochi.

The U.S. 1 sled, led by Steven Holcomb, part of the gold-winning team in Vancouver, ended Saturday a hundredth of a second behind the third-place German team. Russia is in the lead.

There are two more heats on Sunday that will decide the medals.

American wins snowboarding golds — for Russia

Saturday was a big day for American-born snowboard racer Vic Wild, who won his second gold medal.

But it’s the Russians who benefited.

Wild is from Washington state but married a Russian snowboarder, moved to Moscow and joined his adopted country’s Olympic team after a lack of support in the U.S.

That decision led to validation in Sochi, where he won the parallel giant slalom on Wednesday, and then the parallel slalom on Saturday.

His Saturday win was an upset of Austria's Benjamin Karl and drew praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said Wild proved that "sports fate smiles on the most talented, driven and strongest in spirit,” according to the Associated Press.

Ligety falls short in slalom

American Alpine skier Ted Ligety, who won gold in the giant slalom earlier this week, failed to medal in his final event in Sochi.

He didn't finish his second run in the men’s slalom on Saturday after losing control and going off course.

The event was won by Mario Matt of Austria, who at 35 became the oldest Alpine champion in Olympic history.

Teammate Marcel Hirscher won silver, a one-two finish that gave the Austrians nine Alpine medals, a remarkable turnaround from Vancouver four years ago, when they won four.

The Americans, which won seven Alpine medals in Vancouver, finished with five in Sochi.

U.S. loses medal lead

America ended Saturday, the second-to-last day of the Sochi Games, with 27 total medals, nine of them gold.

That put the U.S. in second place in the overall standings, with no realistic chance of winning the final medal race.

Host Russia leads with 29 total medals, 11 of them gold.

Only Norway has as many golds as Russia. It is in third overall with 26 total medals.

There are only three eventsleft to be played on Sunday: The four-man bobsled, in which the Americans have a shot at a podium finish, the men’s hockey finals, which does not include the U.S., and the men’s cross country 50km free master start, where America is not considered a contender.

A man was fatally shot at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, just north of San Diego Friday night, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.

According to officials, deputies were called to the casino located at 45000 Pechanga Pkwy. at 11 p.m. to investigate a report of a man who had been shot, possibly in a domestic violence disturbance.

When deputies arrived on scene, they discovered a man in the lobby of the resort suffering from a critical gunshot wound. He was taken to Temecula Valley Hospital where he later died.

Investigators said a woman who knew the victim was found in a guest room at the resort with non-life threatening injuries. She was questioned by officials at the casino.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has not yet released the name of the man who died in this incident. He was only described as a man in his 50s, according to officials.

Homicide detectives are still investigating the man’s death. There are no outstanding suspects, officials confirmed.

Anyone with information regarding this case should contact the Riverside Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955-2777 or the Sheriff’s Southwest Station at (951) 696-3000.
 

A Delta Airlines flight en route from San Diego to Salt Lake City was forced to make an emergency return to the San Diego International Airport Saturday morning after experiencing some sort of pressure issues in the cabin.

Delta Flight 978, a Boeing 737-800 twin-jet aircraft, took off from Lindbergh Field at 6:15 a.m. as planned. However, 15 or 20 minutes into the flight, things quickly changed, leading to a frightening ordeal for approximately 140 passengers and crew aboard the plane.

Passenger Melinda Wing was traveling with her husband to visit her kids in Salt Lake City. They were sitting near the emergency exit when, suddenly, she said their oxygen masks dropped from above their seats without warning.

“The pilot came on [the loudspeaker] and announced that we were losing pressure,” she told NBC 7. “He told us to put on our masks.”

Wing said the plane then began turning around and heading back to San Diego, where it safely landed without incident about 20 minutes later.

While she and her husband tried to remain calm, Wing said there was some panic on the plane as the aircraft dropped to a lower altitude and made its way back to San Diego.

“There was a little bit of hysteria; babies crying, losing pressure in their ears. Condensation coming out from under the seats as we were landing, which was a little scary, because people thought it was smoke,” she recalled.

Fortunately, once the airplane landed back at Lindbergh Field, Wing said everyone on board seemed okay. The aircraft was towed in and passengers eventually disembarked.

As they landed, Wing said she texted her kids to let them know they weren’t going to make it to Utah as planned. She also texted them photos of her and her husband wearing their oxygen masks and told her kids she loved them.

“We landed safely and all is well. But now that it’s over, that we’ve landed, it all sets in,” added Wing.

Michael Mishko was also a passenger on Delta Flight 978. He said he was sleeping when, about 20
minutes into the flight, he was suddenly awakened to the sounds of oxygen masks dropping and the pilot making an announcement.

Mishko, who was sitting toward the rear of the plane, said he heard a loud noise behind him, “like a big rush of air.”

He then said he heard some passengers and crew saying there was smoke in the cabin.

Though some people around him were panicking, Mishko said he wasn’t all that frightened.

“I wasn’t too afraid, as long as the engines are running, we’re okay,” he said. “But, it was definitely an experience.”

Passenger Kipp Gstettenbauer said the incident was a bit surreal. He’s never experienced anything like it before.

“It was really weird. Not a lot you can do up there, you just see what happens,” he told NBC 7. “I thought it was a prank at first. It was just weird.”

Gstettenbauer said he believes the oxygen supply unit shorted out on the plane, causing some smoke throughout the cabin. He said a lot of people aboard the aircraft were shaken up, with some screaming. He also said some passengers fell ill due to the sudden drop in altitude.

Gstettenbauer said that once the plane returned to Lindbergh Field, passengers could see fire engines, police cars and ambulances waiting on the runway.

After disembarking, the airline re-booked him for a later flight, he said.

Paula Knight, also aboard Delta Flight 978, said she became very frightened once the oxygen masks dropped and the pilot made his announcement.

“It was just frantic. I couldn’t get the mask on right,” she recalled.

Knight said the cabin then experienced some changes in temperature, pressure and altitude, with it becoming hot and then quickly very cold. She then saw condensation and possible smoke making its way through the cabin.

“It scared the crap out of me. I thought I was in a movie. It freaks you out. I thought I was going to die. [It was] seriously scary,” she told NBC 7.

NBC 7 reached out to Delta Airlines for comment on the incident but have not heard back from the company. Delta was working to get Flight 978 passengers booked on other flights following the incident. Officials at the San Diego International Airport said the flight was canceled for the day and the plane is currently out of service.

As the 2014 Olympic Winter Games wrap up, one San Diego-based caterer is also closing up shop in Sochi and gearing up to make his way back home.

John Crisafulli, owner of the Sorrento Mesa company, Behind the Scenes Catering, was hired as the U.S. Olympic Caterer for the 2014 Sochi Games.

His duties included the Olympic-sized challenge of feeding 5,000 people for 60 days in Sochi, Russia – everyone from U.S. Olympic Committee executives to NBC broadcasters.

Though the Sochi Games only go on for a few weeks, Crisafulli has been in Sochi for the past three months preparing for the event.

He’s been living in a one-bedroom apartment next to Olympic Park since November.

Over the past few months, small items inside his apartment – including a poker set and letters from his twin daughters – have served as comforting reminders of home.

As much as he’s ready to return to San Diego, his kids are even more excited.

“They have a countdown clock on their iPads and they call me every night and remind me, ‘12 days left, Daddy, 12,’” he said.

Prior to setting up a temporary home in Sochi, Crisafulli had traveled to Russia seven times in preparation for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Over the course of various months, he has seen the snowy mountain city transform right before his eyes.

“These roads I’m driving on now were literally not even here six weeks ago. They were paved about a week before the Opening Ceremony so when we would drive through here it was mud and rocks and dirt and construction,” he recalled. “They kept saying it’ll be ready and they were right, it was ready.”

Of course, between checking out Sochi Crisafulli has been hard at work.

His staff of nearly 300 comes from around the world. A handful of those staffers, including Teresa Diaz, are from San Diego.

The Olympic-sized gig has come with its share of logistical challenges, including getting 41 giant shipping containers through customs. That task, Crisafulli said, made setting up 11 different kitchens in Sochi seem easy.

“They’re eating us out of house and home,” said Crisafulli, referring to his hungry patrons.

This is Crisafulli’s eighth consecutive time working for the Olympics.

Unlike previous games – including the time he was hired to cater at the 2012 London Games – the Sochi bubble doesn’t provide many outside dining options.

“This time, if we have 1,800 people on the docket, then 1,800 plus are coming in every meal. There’s just nowhere else to go,” he explained.

While Crisafulli is ready to head home, there is one thing he is dreading: telling his wife about an April trip to Rio de Janeiro, his first of many in preparation to work at the 2016 Olympic Summer Games.

The case to give a fallen San Diego Marine a posthumous Medal of Honor has been closed.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Friday that he will not reopen a Medal of Honor nomination for Sgt. Rafael Peralta, who some say fell on a grenade to save his fellow troops.

Peralta died in 2004 when he was caught in crossfire during an assault in Fallujah, Iraq.

While he did posthumously receive the Navy Cross – the military’s second highest honor – he was denied the Medal of Honor because a previous Defense Secretary cited forensic evidence that suggests Peralta was not conscious when he smothered a grenade with his body.

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter has been campaigning since 2012 to urge the Department of Defense to reopen the matter, joined by a recommendation by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus to award Peralta the military’s top honor.

However, a Pentagon statement Friday evening said that after familiarizing himself with the history of the case, Hagel decided the evidence does not meet the standard of proof required for a Medal of Honor, according to the Associated Press.

READ: Marine Killed in I-8 Chain Reaction Crash

This is the third time the request has been rejected.

"I fully respect Secretary Hagel's decision, and I'm grateful for the extraordinary amount of time and attention he's dedicated to reviewing this case,” said Hunter in a statement to NBC 7 Saturday.

Hunter maintained that he believes Peralta deserves the Medal of Honor, but said he believes Hagel made the best decision with the information he has.

“Peralta has a Navy Cross. That can never be taken away and his legacy will endure, and that's something that no one can take away from him, his family or the Marine Corps," said Hunter’s statement.

Another honor was awarded to Peralta in Sept. 2013. USS Rafael Peralta, a Navy military destroyer, was named for the war hero.

Legos are taking over the world.

For the third straight week, The Lego Movie is expected to be the number one movie in the world. That's great news for Warner Bros. -- the studio that made the movie -- but also for the theme park that shares its name.

"Yesterday we doubled our expectation," said Legoland General Manager Peter Ronchetti. 

That's when Legoland California first displayed a 3-million brick set used in the actual film.  The lego city was created on the East Coast, filmed in Burbank and reassembled in Carlsbad.

"The buzz around the movie has really combined to just bring more energy to Legoland," said Ronchetti.

Gail and Sherry Miller brought their two young children to the Legoland after they watched the movie.

"It reminded me of the whole movie," said Malia Miller.

Tonia Levans says her family already had plans to visit Legoland but made sure they saw the movie before driving down from Los Angeles County.

Master Model Builder Robbie McCarthy says you can tell when park visitors have seen the movie when they see the lego display.

"The adults who haven't seen the film give it kind of a quizzical look.  But you can tell when the kids go straight to the city of Bricksberg," said McCarthy.

The Movie Experience will be on display all year.  Warner Bros. has announced a second Lego movie is now in the works.

The Sochi Games were peppered with moments of triumph and despair that will be remembered long after the Games move on to the next host city. Here are nine of the most unforgettable:

Historic Victory Uplifts Struggling Figure Skating Team
When Meryl Davis and Charlie White laced up their skates for the Olympic ice dancing competition, the U.S. team was sorely in need of good news. Two figure skating pairs and two men's skaters had already failed to make the podium with none getting farther than 9th place. The women's skaters hadn't yet competed but none was a shoo-in for the gold. If the U.S. was to salvage any part of its fraying reputation as a strong figure skating competitor, Davis and White would have to uphold theirs as the top skaters on the team.

And they did with a pair of stunningly flawless gold medal performances that finally pulled the Sochi favorites from the shadow of their training partners, Vancouver gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. 

• WATCH: Davis and White's gold medal routine.

A Tear Jerker at the Finish Line
Alpine skier Bode Miller made history when he won the bronze in the Super-G. The 36-year-old became the oldest skier to win a medal in the event and the most decorated American Alpine skier. But it was what happened after his run that will most likely stick in the minds of those who saw it. In a finish line interview, Miller broke down in tears remembering his late brother, who had recently passed away. 

• WATCH: Bode Miller's emotional finish line interview.

A Jaw-Dropping Tumble Silences an Arena
One of the more unfortunate moments of the Olympics came in the men's figure skating competition when American Jeremy Abbott, who had fallen during a team competition, wiped out again, crashing into the ice, then into the boards in the worst figure skating spill of the Games. He remained down on the ice for an excruciating few seconds before finally standing up and responding to rallying calls from the audience to finish his routine. The spectacle continued at a press conference following the event, where he told critics that he'd like to put his "middle finger in the air" and "say a big F-you to them."

• WATCH: Jeremy Abbott's fall.

Squandered Chance Leaves Team With Heavy Hearts
Team USA was minutes away from finally beating Canada for the first time for gold — and blew it. Those final moments that saw a 2-0 U.S. lead evaporate and the team suffer elimination in overtime will go down as one of the biggest American disappointments of the Games.

• WATCH: Full replay of U.S.-Canada game.

Russian Figure Skating Icon Shocks the World From Center Ice
Russia's legendary figure skater Evgeni Plushenko stunned his country when he announced his withdrawal from the men's figure skating competition — and retirement — seconds before he was supposed to take the ice and cap off his illustrious career with a fifth Olympic medal. He was the only Russian in the men's competition and his last-minute departure over an injury left the home crowd stunned. 

• PHOTOS: Plushenko withdraws from competition.

In Plushenko's absence, pressure mounted on 15-year-old Julia Lipnitskaya who was suddenly anointed as Russia's best figure skating hope for a medal. Yet it was someone else, a 17-year-old with an inconsistent record, who wound up clinching Russia's gold. Fans in the Iceberg Skating Palace roared for Adelina Sotnikova as she approached the end of her free-skating routine and it became clear that Russia was destined for the podium, after all.

A Little-Known Snowboarder's Impromptu Run for the Gold
Sage Kotsenburg, a 20-year-old from Park City, Utah, won one of the most unexpected and exhilarating Sochi golds. On a final run down Rosa Khutor's heavily criticized slopestyle course he decided to try out a new move — a quadruple-rotation jump he called the "Holy Crail." He nailed the landing and won the first gold medal of the Games in the debut Olympic event. The victory set the tone for the rest of the snowboarding competition and emphasized that the U.S. would not need snowboarding star Shaun White, who had withdrawn from the event, to win.

• WATCH: Watch Sage Kotsenburg's gold medal run.

An Embattled Icon Shows a Human Side
Snowboarding star Shaun White, under a barrage of criticism for withdrawing from the slopestyle event, took a moment to step away from the competition and give a few fans a memory they will never forget. After qualifying for the halfpipe final he leapt a barrier to give out hugs and high fives to 10-year-old Ben Hughes and 19-year-old Kaitlyn Lyle, who had fought cancer and were in Sochi courtesy of the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

• WATCH: White makes fans' day

A Redemptive Final Act for Japanese Figure Skater
Though Japanese figure skater Mao Asada never made it to the medal podium in women's figure skating, the 23-year-old's stunning and redemptive free skate will go down as one of the most memorable performances of the Sochi Games.

• WATCH: Full replay of women's figure skating competition

Asada entered the Winter Olympics under massive pressure to outdo her 2010 silver medal before skating into retirement. But her priorities quickly changed after she blew her signature move, the triple axel — which only she has landed in a women's competition — in both a team event and on the first night of the women's individual competition in Sochi. Practically overnight her Olympic task transitioned from winning the gold to saving face and proving she was still one of the best. She did just that, resuscitating her fading reputation with a masterful triple axel and routine that NBC commentators Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski said was among the best Olympic acts they'd ever seen. Asada knew it too and was crying before she skated off the ice.

An Epic Shootout Win Over an Old Rival
The Russians suffered their own game-end disappointment in a shootout against their top "Miracle on Ice" rivals. The Russians lost to the Americans on home ice, in front of President Vladimir Putin and a roaring crowd that gave the preliminary match-up the feel of a gold medal game. American T.J. Oshie dominated the shootout round by scoring four of six attempted goals, and become a household name.

• WATCH: T.J. Oshie shootout

His team couldn't rally against Canada to make the finals, though, which leaves open the possibility of a U.S.-Canada hockey re-match in 2018 when the Winter Games kick off once again.

Get more on NBCOlympics.com:

• WATCH: Top 10 Viral Videos of Sochi Olympics
• Figure Skating Controversy: Online Petition Gains 1 Million Signatures
• WATCH: Top 2 Figure Skaters' Free Skate Routines Side by Side
• PHOTOS: The Many Faces of Ashley Wagner

The bandit dubbed "El Chaparrito" by the FBI may be responsible for a ninth bank robbery. 

The agency is now offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect after he robbed the Chase Bank in the 300 block of W. Washington Street in Hillcrest on Feb. 13, according to FBI spokesman Darrell Foxworth. 

The suspect earned the nickname "El Chaparrito" due to his small stature. He has been tied to eight other robberies dating back to Nov. 2013. 

The FBI said El Chaparrito's robberies are all similar in nature, involving a short man entering a bank, yelling about his intent to rob the bank and demanding money in both Spanish and English. 

Witnesses told investigators the suspect is a 20 to 30-year-old man between 5-foot-3 and 5-foot-9 with a medium build, and he weighs between 140 and 180 pounds. 

While his stature is distinctive, his face has been covered by a bandana under a hat. He has worn gloves, all black clothing and a jacket zipped to his chin in some of the robberies.

His previous suspected robberies are as follows: 

• Chase Bank at 1130 E. Plaza Blvd. on Nov. 19, 2013
• 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
• Bank of America at 5851 Balboa Ave. on Jan. 29, 2014

If you have any information about El Chaparrito, call the FBI at 858-320-1800 or Crime Stoppers at 888-540-8477.

After just 11 days of work, artist Michael Rosenblatt found his mural in the East Village defaced by a vandal.

But instead of throwing in his paint brush, Rosenblatt said he’s determined to finish the project and hopes surveillance video helps catch the culprit.

Six months ago, Rosenblatt agreed to paint the mural for free if Father Joe’s/St. Vincent de Paul Village supplied paint and equipment.

They agreed, and he started working on the wall of Father Joe’s maintenance facility on 17th and Commercial streets.

Rosenblatt is in the process of painting an ocean view for those down and out in the community.

“I want to help these people by giving them something enjoyable to look at. They have thanked me over and over again for bringing brightness into their lives,” he said.

Wednesday morning, Rosenblatt showed up the site and saw red tagging covered a significant portion of his mural.

He fixed it that day, but returned Thursday morning to find more tagging.

That time, the graffiti covered more than half the art.

The head of maintenance for Father Joe’s believes the same person is responsible for both incidents because it appears the same type of paint is used.

Since the incidents, security officials have set up a surveillance camera. They say they’ll involve law enforcement if the culprit continues and remains uncaught.