Mandatory evacuations for the San Gabriel Valley foothill communities of Azusa and Glendora are possible as another strong storm system moves into Southern California.

Voluntary evacuations were issued on Wednesday as rain touched down on the Ridge View Drive area of Azusa, but with a stronger storm expected on Thursday mandatory evacuations were set for noon.

Azusa police made the decision for evacuations after speaking with National Weather Service representatives, according to a statement.

The neighborhood was burned in January’s Colby fire, forcing residents to stack sandbags around their properties for protection from possible mudslides and debris flows as the rain moistens the hillsides.

Police said an alert message would go out at the time of the mandatory evacuations. An evacuation center was set up at the Crowther Teen & Family Center located at 241 W. Dawson Ave.

Extra officers were going to be patrolling the affected neighborhood to prevent criminal activity while residents are away from their home.

In neighboring Glendora, voluntary evacuation orders were issued Wednesday. Officials planned to meet Thursday to decide whether mandatory evacatuions are necessary.

NBC4's Jonathan Lloyd contributed with this report.
 

Two bobcat attacks in the same area of San Diego in one week have some residents worried. However, wildlife officials say the sightings aren’t unusual.

While it is extremely rare for a bobcat to attack a human, it’s common for the animal to go after small pets like the rabbits and chickens that have been attacked in San Diego County recently.

On Tuesday, Rancho Penasquitos residents say a bobcat jumped a 6-foot fence to get to 15-pound French Lops rabbits. A week earlier, a bobcat attacked a pen of chickens in the backyard of a Torrey Highlands home.

The attacks weren't surprising to Rich Burg, Senior Environmental Scientist for California Department of Fish and Wildlife. In fact, he said a bobcat can easily clear a 6-foot fence.

The animals are not endangered and the department doesn’t consider them a public safety issue.

Just like coyotes, bobcats are normally out at night and in the early morning hours in canyons, open spaces and golf courses in the Scripps Ranch and Rancho Penasquitos areas.

While they tend to hunt for rodents and other small animals, Burg said bobcats can be opportunistic hunters if they should happen upon a pen or cage that’s accessible.

If a bobcat gets too close, Burg suggests homeowners should simply try and scare the animal off.

“If they find one in their yard or their driveway, they can shoot it with water from the hose or a supersoaker with a couple capfuls of ammonia will sting their eyes," Burg suggested.

He also suggested throwing rocks or making loud noises. 

Pet owners can relax because Burg said it would be unusual for a bobcat to take on an outside cat because the cat would be able to fight back.

“Bobcats are only about twice the size of a normal house cat. I would be more concerned with rabbits and chickens than household pets like dogs or cats,” Burg said.

Because bobcats are not endangered, it is possible to get a license to trap and kill one.

As for calling someone out to remove the animal, Burg said homeowners should not call the state.

The Department of Fish & Game is not staffed to remove bobcats nor are they mandated to do so.

The county’s wildlife services will come out for a fee to remove nuisance animals, Burg said.

If you do choose to raise chickens and rabbits on your property, the Department of Fish and Wildlife suggests you lock them up in an area where a bobcat can't easily get to them.

California's much-needed recent bout of wet weather and snow are welcome, but did little to make a dent in the state's persistent drought conditions.

Surveyors from the California's Department of Water Resources recorded the snowpack’s statewide water content 24 percent of average for the date, far below normal, but "more than expected."

Last month's survey recorded a 12 percent historic average.

Electronic readings showed that water content in the northern mountains is 15 percent of normal for this date; 32 percent of normal for the central Sierra; and 24 percent for the southern Sierra. The third snowpack survey of the season was conducted at Phillips Station at Highway 50 and Sierra at Tahoe Road, about 90 miles east of Sacramento.

• Sierra Snowpack Brings Disappointing Results, 12% of Historic Average

“We welcome the late storms but they are not enough to end the drought,” DWR Director Mark Cowin said in a statment.  “We can’t control the weather but we can control the amount of water we use.  This drought is a wake-up call that we all have to take water conservation seriously and make it a way of life.”

Also on Thursday, a newly released map showed more serious news for the state of California. The United States Drought Monitor showed that more than a quarter of the state - 26.21 percent - falls into the "exceptional drought category" - the most severe of the categories. Last week, just 14 percent of the state fell into that category.  Much of the remainder of the state - 73 percent - is in the "extreme drought category."

This kind of news has regular folks worried, too.

"I"m doing a lot of praying... for some type of moisture," Kingvale resident Frank King said Thursday morning as snow on the community on the border of Placer and Nevada counties. "Can't live without it."

• U.S. Drought Monitor: California "Exceptional Drought"

Surveyors manually measure snowpack water content on or about the first of the month from January through May to check the accuracy of real-time electronic readings.  The snowpack – often called California’s largest reservoir – normally provides about a third of the water used by cities and farms as it melts into streams and reservoirs in spring and early summer.

Here is a list of California’s major reservoirs, which the water agency said are dangerously low.  

• Lake Oroville in Butte County, the State Water Project’s principal reservoir, is at only 39 percent of its 3.5 million acre-foot capacity (57 percent of its historical average for the date).
• Shasta Lake north of Redding, California’s and the federal Central Valley Project’s largest reservoir, is at 38 percent of its 4.5 million acre-foot capacity capacity (53 percent of its historical average). 
• San Luis Reservoir, a critical south-of-Delta reservoir is at a mere 33 percent of its 2 million acre-foot capacity (40 percent of average for this time of year).

 Electronic Snowpack Readings - Electronic Reservoir Readings - Statewide Water Conditions

 NBC Bay Area's Bob Redell contributed to this report.

California is in the midst of a drought, and many San Siegans are looking to cut back their water usage.
One option is to recycle the gray water in your home.

Every time you wash a load of laundry, you use roughly 45 gallons of water.

“Californians use a lot more water than they should,” said Brook Sarson of H2ome.

But what if you could use those gallons of water again?

“You can use it on trees, shrubs, vines anything like that,” said Sarson.

Brook Sarson installs systems that takes gray water from your washing machine and recycles it elsewhere.

“The gray water kind of extends out in this area so every time we do laundry, instead of use having to come out and water it or set up a separate irrigation system, every time we do laundry this whole area is taken care of,” says Sarson.

Another system uses pipes to catch rain water from your roof.

“People underestimate how much water comes off our roofs. The rule of thumb is 1000 square feet of roof will shed 600 gallons in one instance of rain,” says Sarson.

And now cities are catching up, Chula Vista requires all new homes to be pre-plumbed for gray water systems.

If you install it yourself, city and county rebates you can get some of the materials for free.

“It’s very easy. The rebates are there,” says Josh Robinson with the San Diego Sustainable Living Institute. “For about $250 you can go and do it yourself with a couple of friends in a few hours.”

Brook and Josh will hold free workshop in City Heights to teach you how to install these systems.

They will also hold an open house of a home that was recently converted on March 15th.

For information on rebates, visit:

City of San Diego Rebate
SoCal WaterSmart Rebate

Or click here to sign up for a workshop.

The Allen High School stadium, the most expensive high school football stadium in the U.S., was shut down Thursday amid structural concerns over "extensive cracking" schools officials called "unacceptable."

The nearly $60 million, 2-year-old stadium in North Texas has cracks in the concourse and will remain shut down until at least June while the problems are evaluated and repaired. School officials said the cracked areas have been covered by tarps.

The Allen Independent School District said the cracks were first noticed before the stadium opened in 2012 and initially were viewed as normal, before they worsened during the last year and half.

The cracks are up to 3/4-inch wide — wider than would be expected from normal foundation cracking, Allen ISD officials said, when asked about drought conditions and how bad the cracks are.

Allen ISD has relocated daily activities and graduation ceremonies scheduled for June 6 at the stadium have been canceled.

The school said home football games for fall might be affected, and "repairs could be expensive," however it was unclear who will be responsible for the cost of repairs to the stadium.

Allen ISD officials said they are very disappointed that there are problems with the stadium and called the cracks in the concourse "unacceptable."

“Through the course of the last year and a half, we’ve noticed the cracks have gotten more pervasive and a little wider,” said Beth Nicholas, with Allen ISD.

When asked about the repairs needed, a representative of Pogue Construction said the goal was to have the stadium repairs completed before fall football season.

Ben Pogue, the CEO of Pogue Construction who was the contractor for the stadium, said he couldn’t comment on what is possibly causing the cracks.

Football seniors Anthony McGaffin and Ryan Johnson said they’re disappointed if the upcoming seniors don’t get to play in the stadium.

“It’s kinda sad, like it’s a waste of money.We build all that and now it’s breaking two years later,” said McGaffin.

“I think it’s awful paying $60 million – all the homeowners and stuff paying it. It’s really unfortunate there’s cracks in it,” said Johnson.

Parents are being notified of the developments in a district-wide message.

Anthony Samuel is a parent of an Allen High School junior and said he feels the district rushed the project during construction.

“If you would’ve taken your time to do it right the first time, you wouldn’t have this problem,” he said.

And when asked about taxpayers Samuel simply stated, “I think we should get a refund check.”

Allen ISD said the same construction firm that built the stadium is also working on $36 million dollar service center for Allen ISD. That project is now under review.

Currently, a third party is conducting a review on the stadium, expected to be completed sometime in June.

“Ten percent of that report is done, but until that report is completely done we know what. There is speculation of multiple things right now but we don’t have the data,” Pogue told the media.

The University of California, San Diego is set to host a special memorial on Mar. 1 for late actor James Avery, an alumnus of the university who often returned to his alma mater as a guest, performer and commencement speaker over the course of his life.

Avery – best known for his role as Philip “Uncle Phil” Banks alongside Will Smith on the popular ‘90s NBC sitcom, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” – died in Glendale, Calif., on Dec. 31, 2013, due to complications from open heart surgery. He was 68 years old.

The actor, whose film credits included “Fletch,” “The Prince of Egypt” and “8 Million Ways to Die,” was also a poet and writer.

He graduated from UC San Diego’s Thurgood Marshall College, or Third College, in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in drama and literature, according to the university.

He frequently returned to the La Jolla campus for different events. In June 2012, for instance, Avery was a speaker at multiple commencement ceremonies.

Together with his wife of 26 years, Barbara Avery, who’s a 1974 alumna of UCSD, Avery also established the “James Avery Scholarship” in support of African American students studying performing arts at UC San Diego.

Avery was a scholarship recipient himself while he attended the university in the ‘70s.

Avery served in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. After leaving the Navy, he settled in San Diego and began writing TV scripts and poetry for PBS. He won an Emmy for production and then received a scholarship to UC San Diego, thus beginning this time as a proud UCSD Triton.

UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla said Avery won’t soon be forgotten.

“James Avery was a talented artist, and a strong champion of our campus and our students. He established a legacy of support for future student artists with the ‘James Avery Scholarship,’ an endowed fund that will continue to help generations of students,” said Khosla.

Allan Havis, provost of Thurgood Marshall College, seconds that sentiment and is proud to call Avery an alumnus.

“James represents the best attributes of our college in his stellar achievements as an artist, as a
social activist and Navy veteran, and as a philanthropist helping younger generations of college students in the performing arts,” said Havis.

The university’s tribute to Avery will take place at 2 p.m. on Mar. 1 at the Mandell Weiss Forum on campus. It will include an afternoon of theater, live music, personal reflections and poetry readings in the actor’s honor, followed by a reception.

UC San Diego artists, alums and friends of Avery will perform and attend the event, including Daphne Maxwell-Reid, the actress who played Avery’s TV wife, Vivian Banks, on “Fresh Prince,” according to organizers.

The memorial is free and open to the public.

Meanwhile, the university said Avery’s loved ones have established a new scholarship in his name, the “James Avery Memorial Scholarship,” to honor Avery’s achievements and support the dreams of future UC San Diego undergraduate students pursuing studies in performing arts.

To register or donate a gift to the memorial scholarship, visit this website.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has been released from a Washington, D.C., hospital after being taken there via ambulance as a precaution Thursday morning.

The Department of Justice said Holder had been feeling faint and was short of breath and had an elevated heart rate when he arrived at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

Holder had been meeting with his senior staff at 9:30 a.m. when he said he wasn't feeling well. He excused himself and went into his office, where he decided he should go to a hospital.

"It was nothing sudden or traumatic," said an official.

Holder was taken to the hospital by ambulance, according to a Department of Justice official, and was there a little less than three hours. An initial report indicated Holder was taken to the hospital by his security detail.

Holder reportedly joked with paramedics on the ride to the emergency room.

Shortly after his arrival, the DOJ released a statement which said in part: "During his regular morning meeting with senior staff, the Attorney General began experiencing symptoms including faintness and shortness of breath. As a precaution, the Attorney General was taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center to undergo further evaluation."

An official said Holder was "doing fine," is alert and had approved the DOJ's statement.

Holder was released around 1:15 p.m. Thursday and went home to rest after receiving a full range of tests, a second official statement said.

A Justice Department official said Holder was joking with paramedics on the way to the hospital, and told them he walks five flights of stairs to his office every morning.

An avid basketball player, Holder is 63 and has been in good health. However, the DOJ said Holder had experienced similar symptoms several years ago, but in a milder form that didn't require serious medical attention.

An official said Holder had been feeling under the weather all week, so this morning's episode may be related to that, reported NBC News' Pete Williams.

Holder had been scheduled to attend President Barack Obama's My Brother's Keeper event Thursday.

An alleged drug deal went bad in Spring Valley, leaving one person with a gunshot wound in the leg and an armed and dangerous suspect on the loose.

A 20-year-old man went to the 8200 block of Loma View Court just after 7 p.m. Wednesday to sell marijuana to a 22-year-old suspect, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

As the transaction played out, the suspect aimed a handgun at the victim, and the two men started struggling.

Each fought to get control of the weapon, but the gun fired, hitting the victim in the leg.

The suspect stole the victim’s marijuana, cell phone, wallet and necklace and escaped in a black Honda Accord, investigators said.

The victim was taken to a nearby hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Detectives said they know the name of the suspect, but he is still at-large and is considered armed and dangerous. The identities of those involved have not been released.

If you have information about the incident, call the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s Station at 619-660-7090.

Two people were injured in an officer-involved shooting in Encanto early Thursday.

Officers were serving a narcotics-related search warrant at 604 64th Street around 7:30 a.m. when they were threatened, according to SDPD Lt. Jorge Duran.

A member of the San Diego police narcotics unit repeatedly knocked on the front window of the home while the team was executing the search warrant. As the officer knocked, the window broke, police said.

As the officer looked inside the residence, the officer saw a 35-year-old man inside the room stand up and retrieve what appeared to be a weapon, officials said. Fearing he was going to use it, the officer fired several rounds according to investigators.

The man inside the room was shot in the hip area and was transported to a nearby hospital.

A second shooting victim, a 56-year-old woman, walked out of the home with a gunshot wound to the leg.

There were six people inside the home at the time of the shooting. None of the occupants was carrying a weapon, officials said.

No officers were injured.

The officer who fired the shots -- a three-year department veteran -- will be on paid administrative leave while the incident is under investigation.

The location is north of Atkins Avenue and south of Brooklyn Avenue where two elementary schools are located. No word on if students at the schools were impacted.

San Diego police confirm that a Vietnam veteran killed by police sergeant in a downtown stand-off was holding a plastic pellet gun.

John Edward Chesney, 62, was shot after about an hour-long standoff with police in the 900 block of Broadway. 

The dead man’s friends told NBC 7 they do not blame officers for Wednesday's deadly shooting, but still think that terrible outcome could have been avoided.

Those friends and Chesney’s landlord, David Reichbart, said Chesney had been in poor health and had significant mental health issues.

They also said he abused alcohol and became despondent and upset when he drank.

“He would get kind of melancholy, kind of sad, thinking about his family, people that he’d lost, and just very emotional,” Reichbart told NBC 7 News.

Police responded to Chesney's apartment around 11 a.m. Wednesday on reports of a man with a long gun in his hands. 

Officers and negotiators tried to communicate with Chesney, but to no avail, police said. That's when canine officers, a psychiatric emergency response team and a SWAT team were called in. 

During the ordeal, officers said Chesney acted agitated and ultimately pointed what police believed was a rifle at officers. 

Sgt. Kerry Mensior -- a 22-year veteran of the police department -- then opened fire, killing Chesney.

Michael Michaud, who had known Chesney for seven years, thinks his friend was suicidal and recalls how Chesney recently told another friend that he “wanted to go out in a blaze of glory.”

"It's very sad, breaks my heart that it happened like that," said Michaud, "and I'll miss him very much."

Homicide investigators confirmed Thursday that the weapon they say Chesney pointed at an officer was replica pellet gun, modeled on an AR-15 rifle.

Two friends said they could have persuaded Chesney to drop the weapon and surrender to police.
But Michaud was away at work during the standoff, and Reichbart said police would not let him near Chesney’s room.

“They took over the situation, and that was it. They didn’t want anyone near the building,” Reichbart said.

Still, Reichbart and Michaud do not blame police for their friend's death. They only wish the stand-off could have ended differently.

“It’s very sad,” Michaud said. ”It breaks my heart that it happened like that. And I’ll miss him very much.”
 

Sunday marks the birthday of late renowned writer, poet and illustrator Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel, but it’s the library at UC San Diego that’s receiving a huge gift: more than 1,500 new Dr. Seuss items from his personal archive.

With this big donation – added to the university’s existing Dr. Seuss Collection, which is housed in Mandeville Special Collections within Geisel Library – a famous, fitting Dr. Seuss quote comes to mind:

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

According to UC San Diego, the materials were donated to the library by Dr. Seuss’ wife, Audrey Geisel. The couple – longtime residents of La Jolla – has supported the university for many years.

The materials include hundreds of rough sketches and drawings for a variety of unpublished projects such as “Cat Ballooning,” “The Pet Shop,” “Bee Watches,” “How Welk Can You Spelk,” “The Clock Book,” and “Arabian Adventures.”

Also among the new items: Dr. Seuss’ ink drawings for a version of “Daisy Head Mayzie.”

There’s also a screenplay treatment by Dr. Seuss for something called “Tex McTarbox and the Fountain of Youth,” described by the beloved author as “the treatment for half of a screen play which I thought had great possibilities for mirth.”

Audrey Geisel told UC San Diego that passing along her late husband’s work to the library helps preserve his legacy.

“I am pleased about more of Ted’s work and memorabilia being in Mandeville Special Collections at Geisel Library,” she said in a statement to UC San Diego. "His Seuss history will be preserved for posterity.”

For more than 20 years, the UC San Diego library has had an extensive, longstanding collection of Dr. Seuss drawings, notebooks and other memorabilia given to the university after Dr. Seuss’ death in 1991.

Over the past decades, Audrey Geisel has continued to generously donate funds and materials to the Geisel Library.

Today, thanks to those colorful contributions, Mandeville Special Collections houses more than 10,000 items in its Dr. Seuss Collection, including original drawings, sketches, manuscript drafts, books, notebooks, photographs and memorabilia. The items document the full range of the author’s achievements, from his high school activities in 1919 through his death.

Brian E. C. Schottlaender, The Audrey Geisel University Librarian, said the new materials are highly valuable to the university.

“The UC San Diego Library is thrilled to receive this addition of creative materials to our fabulous Dr. Seuss Collection. We greatly treasure our Dr. Seuss materials and view Ted Geisel as much more than one of the most popular authors of children’s books. He is also a symbol of extreme creativity and innovation, values that are part of this University’s DNA,” said Schottlaender.

UC San Diego chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla agrees.

“Theodor and Audrey Geisel have been generous and stalwart supporters of UC San Diego and our Library,” said Khosla. “We are honored and grateful to receive these amazing new materials and feel certain that they will inspire more phenomenal Dr. Seuss books. It is clear that Ted Geisel’s creative genius never ceased to burn bright.”

The new materials will be exhibited through the end of March in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

Lynda Claassen, the director of the Library’s Special Collections & Archives, said they’re certainly worth exploring.

“It’s an amazing collection of rough drafts, sketches, project notes, and more…further evidence of Ted Geisel’s whimsical imagination and ever-present creativity. They add another dimension to the wealth of materials we already hold by illustrating how he expanded on early ideas with new freshness or how many ideas he had that were never fully realized. There are several unpublished book-length manuscripts in the gift, and these will probably be forthcoming from his publisher in the next few years.”

As is done every year, UC San Diego will hold its annual birthday party for Dr. Seuss. This year, the celebration takes place Monday at noon in front of Geisel Library. The party will boast a giant, inflatable “Cat in the Hat” and 2,000 cupcakes will be served with the help of Khosla and Schottlaender.

The party will also feature live musical entertainment from The Teeny Tiny Pit Orchestra, playing songs from “The Cat in the Hat Songbook.”

A teenage skateboarder suffered significant head trauma when he was hit by a car in Escondido Wednesday night, police confirmed.

Police say Jason Mendez, 18, was struck by a driver in a gray Hyundai at around 9:30 p.m. while riding his skateboard in the 1600-block of East Washington Avenue.

According to Escondido police, a preliminary investigation indicates Mendez was riding his skateboard eastbound in the second lane of East Washington Avenue. The Hyundai was also heading in the same direction in the same lane.

Witnesses said Mendez tried to make a left turn and was hit by the car. He was seriously injured and hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

As of Thursday night, officials said Mendez was alive, but listed in critical condition at the hospital.

The driver of the car was not injured in the accident.

The collision remains under investigation but police do not believe alcohol played a factor.
 

Some of the toughest water restrictions in Southern California were approved Thursday, after a splash of rain from a quick-moving storm and a heavier system in the forecast inspired muted celebration in the drought-stricken region.

The board of water commissioners in Long Beach voted unanimously to declare an "Imminent Water Supply Shortage," a preemptive action meant to shore up the city’s water supply amid a looming statewide shortage.

The decision means:

• Residents can water their lawns on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays only;
• Restaurants cannot serve water to customers unless the customer requests a glass;
• Sprinklers can run a maximum of 10 minutes each day designated for watering

The new rules come on top of water-saving prohibitions already in effect in Long Beach. Residents were not -- and are still not -- allowed to:

• Water their lawns between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.;
• Wash their cars with a hose that does not have a water shut-off nozzle;
• Over-water their lawns to the point of causing unnecessary runoff;
• Wash their driveways, parking areas, sidewalks, patios or other outdoor areas with a hose.

"We are fortunate to be in good shape in terms of water supply as we face this drought thanks to the prudent policies put in place by our predecessors and our staff during and after the last dry spell," said Harry Saltzgaver, president of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners.

"The action we take today is meant to be proactive, and will ensure that we can continue to provide an adequate supply of water to Long Beach residents, even in the face of continued drought conditions."

The city said Gov. Jerry Brown's emergency drought declaration, the first-ever reduction in the State Water Project allocation to zero percent, declining water storage in key California reservoirs and record low levels of rainfall and snowpack throughout the state inspired Thursday's decision in Long Beach.

After successfully reducing its water usage to among the lowest in the state during the drought of 2007-09, Long Beach is hoping the new restrictions will inspire a repeat.

"The decrease was almost exclusively driven by an aggressive outreach and education program aimed at raising awareness of the importance of water conservation," the city said.

Long Beach joins a growing list of California cities placing water restrictions on residents, or asking that they take water conservation into their own hands.

Restaurants in Santa Cruz have also barred restaurants from serving drinking water unless a customer requests it.

Earlier this month, Ventura implored its residents to reduce their water usage by 10 percent.

Santa Monica called on its residents to cut back on water usage by 20 percent. The coastal city also replaced warnings with citations for some water violations and offered rebates to fix leaky toilets.

Light showers greeted San Diegans Thursday morning but this isn’t the extent of the series of storms that the National Weather Service describes as the "largest rain event" in Southern California since March 2011.

On Thursday, rain will taper off in the afternoon hours. Then, another major storm will arrive.

Heavy rain is expected Friday afternoon. To help residents prepare for this unusual amount of precipitation expected, the NWS has issued a flood watch beginning in the early morning hours of Friday and extending through Saturday.

Flash flooding may occur in the mountains and recent burn areas. Some valleys and areas prone to flooding – like the San Diego River in Mission Valley - and those urban areas with poor drainage will see excess water.

Some thunderstorms are expected as well.

Get Today's Forecast

There's a coastal flood watch issued with widespread minor coastal flooding expected Friday and Saturday during times of high tide. Residents and businesses in La Jolla, Cardiff and Imperial Beach should be prepared for the possibility of minor flooding.

The highest high tides are expected Friday morning.

Strong rip currents, elevated surf heights and lightning will create dangerous conditions for swimmers and surfers off San Diego's coast, forecasters warn.

Get Forecast by Zip Code

To help residents prepare for damage from flooding, the county is offering free sandbags at several locations. San Diego firefighters and the City of Escondido have also distributed a list of locations where residents can pick up the bags.

On Thursday, the weather system moved down from Northern California, bringing up to an inch of rain in drought-stricken coastal and valley areas of Los Angeles County, and more in the mountains.

About an inch of rain fell earlier around the San Francisco Bay Area.

The storm -- and the far larger one expected to arrive Friday -- brought worries and recommended evacuations in some areas in the suburbs of Glendora and Azusa about 25 miles northeast of Los Angeles, because they sit at the foot of the steep San Gabriel Mountains where a wildfire last month stripped nearly 2,000 acres where water could now pose a danger.

A high wind watch is also in effect through Saturday for San Diego County mountain and desert areas.

San Diego Gas and Electric wants to remind customers they should always assume that power lines are energized. Report any downed lines to 911 and SDG&E immediately at 1-800-611-SDGE (7343).

To make sure you’re prepared, download NBC 7’s free app for breaking news alerts throughout the storm and our new free NBC 7 Weather app for radar and forecast anytime, anywhere.
 

A man accused of stealing about $45 in cash from a donation jar belonging to Girl Scouts selling cookies outside a grocery store was arrested Thursday, officials confirmed.

David Betancort, 21, is suspected in the petty theft that turned a day of selling sweet treats into a sour situation for a couple of Girl Scouts from Troop #2034 on Saturday.

Police said Betancort – who was known to have warrants issued for his arrest on unrelated cases -- was located by detectives and U.S. Marshals inside an Escondido residence. Once officials made contact with Betancort, he fled the home and led officials on a short foot pursuit. Shortly thereafter, he was taken into custody for the arrest warrants.

Police said the investigation into the Girl Scouts theft will now be passed along to the San Diego District Attorney’s office with a recommendation that he be charged with petty theft.

• READ: Man Steals from Girl Scouts' Donation Jar for U.S. Military Troops

On Saturday, Girl Scouts Zoe and Gracie Fullerton, under their mother’s supervision, were selling cookies outside the Albertson’s grocery store located at 1570 W. Valley Pkwy. in Escondido.

The girls had set up a table outside the store and were going about their business when, suddenly, Betancort ran out of the store.

As he ran past the girls, he allegedly stole money from a tip jar on their table that was set up to collect donations for something called “Operation Thin Mint,” a program that originated in San Diego County designed to provide cookies and support to U.S. troops deployed overseas.

After nabbing the cash, the suspect jumped into a getaway car and fled the scene.

A troop leader and other witnesses memorized the license plate of the fleeing vehicle and notified police, who were able to trace that information to Betancort, eventually leading to his arrest.

The incident left the Girl Scouts and their mother with a very bad taste in their mouths.

“Not only did they rob the Girl Scouts, they robbed the soldiers, too,” the girls’ mother, Erin, told NBC 7 in an interview Saturday.

During the incident witnesses banded together to try to stop the suspect.

Employees inside the grocery store also rallied behind the Girl Scouts, collecting donations to replace the money that was stolen.

"A lot of people really restored our faith in humanity," Erin said.

Betancort is being housed at the Vista Detention Facility and scheduled to appear in court Friday for other charges stemming from his warrants.

Following word of the alleged thief’s arrest, Mary Doyle, director of communications for Girl Scouts San Diego, released this statement Thursday evening:

"Girl Scouts do so much good in the community, and it’s unfortunate that they were targeted by a thief. Congratulations and thank you to the police for their diligence in apprehending the suspect.

It was heartwarming that so many people rallied to support the girls and our Operation Thin Mint program. Thank you to all San Diegans who participate in our cookie program that teaches girls valuable skills, keeps Girl Scouting available and affordable for 30,000 local girls, and sends “a taste of home” to military troops far from home."

A deputy district attorney is applauding two teenage boys after they gave graphic testimony at their former karate instructor’s preliminary hearing on Thursday.

Juan Melesio Flores, 38, was bound over for trial on 15 total counts including lewd acts on a minor and oral copulation on a minor.

Flores was the co-owner and lead instructor at Z-Ultimate Studio in Tierrasanta before two teenagers came forward to accuse him of molesting them.

The 15-year-old and 17-year-old recounted their teacher’s alleged actions at Flores’ preliminary hearing.

One said Flores’ advances started slowly about a year ago and gradually grew in intensity. The other teen described a similar pattern, according to San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Wendy Patrick.

The alleged abuse took place between 2012 and Dec. 2013 at the studio, which held overnight events like “Ninja Nights.”

Flores has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.

He remains free on a $350,000 bond, and a stay-away order is in effect against him. He will return to court on March 13.

El Cajon police are investigating a Granite Hills High School teacher accused of “inappropriate behavior” involving students.

According to police, the alleged bad behavior happened during the 2012-2013 school year.

Police have not released any further details about the accusations. At this point, the teacher has not been charged or identified.

The Grossmont Union High School District released a statement which read, in part: 

Yes, an employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. As you know, the district cannot comment on personnel matters.

The District is cooperating with the El Cajon Police Department who is conducting the investigation. Our top priority is ensuring the safety of our students and staff.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

The jury in the Kerry Kennedy drugged driving trial began deliberating Thursday but left without a verdict, and is expected to resume its work Friday.

Kennedy, the daughter of the late Sen. Robert Kennedy, swerved her car into a tractor-trailer on a New York interstate highway in 2012, and tests later found a small amount of sleeping medication in her blood.

She is charged with one count of driving while ability impaired.

The trial began Monday.

Kennedy said on the stand during the trial that she believes she accidentally took the sleeping pill instead of her daily thyroid medication. Both were set out on the counter, in similar bottles, in preparation for an upcoming overseas trip.

Prosecutors argued that she should have pulled over once she realized something was wrong. Her lawyers said, and Kerry testified, that she never realized she was impaired until after the crash.

Her sister, Rory, was a character witness for the defense, and her mother, Ethel Kennedy, was in the courtroom for the trial.