Two plastic "bottle bombs" of acid mixed with metals exploded early Sunday in a crowded Northern Virginia theater complex, making sounds loud enough that patrons thought they were gunshots.

No one was hurt, but the sounds led many people to flee the theater and then led to the complete evacuation of about 2,000 people in the theater and a nearby food court.

The two devices exploded shortly after midnight near the entrance of two theaters inside the AMC Theater at Tysons Corner Center in McLean, Virginia. Fire officials believe they were plastic bottles filled with acid and metals, which react with each other and explode.

They may have been mixed on-site, said Deputy Chief Mike Reilly of the Fairfax County fire marshal's office.

"There's a very large sound when that occurs, almost sounds like a gunshot," Reilly said. "So it's easily understandable why, when that device went off, people thought that it was gunfire."

The first calls to police said there was an active shooter at the theater. But emergency squads, including an active shooter team, quickly discovered the devices. They called in a hazardous materials team to check the area and look for any other devices.

The detonations did not cause any injury or damage, though the bottle bombs are capable of spraying acid as far as 30 feet, Reilly said.

"Very fortunately no one was injured," Reilly said. "No one was exposed to the chemical that we are aware of and no one was injured in the evacuation process."

The scene inside was chaotic, Reilly said. One patron captured it on cell phone video.

Fairfax police are asking the public for their help in finding the people who placed the bottle bombs. Anyone with information is asked to call Fairfax County Crime Solvers by phone at 1-866-411-TIPS or by text to 274637.

"We believe this is a very, very serious crime that involves several felonies and maybe even an act of terrorism, based on what their intent is," Reilly said. "While people may think this is a prank or a hoax, we are not taking it that way."

On July 20, 2012, 12 people were killed and 70 people were injured in a movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado during a screening of the movie "The Dark Knight Rises."

In January, a 71-year-old man fatally shot a 43-year-old in a Tampa movie theater after a dispute over texting in the theater.

• Man Struck by Car Then Falls to His Death

A bizarre series of events left a man dead and his friend hurt along a busy southeast Pennsylvania interstate overnight.

• Man is Shot, Gets on SEPTA Bus

It all began when Daniel Raymond's Suzuki broke down on the left shoulder of northbound Interstate-95 just before Exit 49 in Lower Makefield, Bucks County just after midnight.

• ATV Rider Finds Dead Body

Raymond's passenger Benjamin Melendez then called a friend to come and help them. That friend, Maria Nyars arrived a short time later and pulled over on the right shoulder of the northbound lanes, according to Pennsylvania State Police. 

• Drunk 1-Year-Old Taken to Hospital

Melendez, 30 of Trenton, N.J., began to cross the road to meet his friend when he was struck by the mirror of a passing Lexus. The force of the crash left Melendez sitting upright in the right-hand lane, according to investigators.

Seeing his friend in the roadway, Raymond, 36 of Levittown, Pa., darted into traffic to try and drag Melendez to safety.

A passing Hyundai Santa Fe then struck both Melendez and Raymond.

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The force of the crashes killed Melendez and landed Raymond in St. Mary Medical Center with undisclosed injuries. 

The drivers of both cars stayed on the scene of the accident and were not intoxicated, according to police.

State Police said they would investigate if alcohol use played any role in the victims' actions.

The full cause of the crash remained under investigation Sunday.

Police didn't immediately charge anyone. 

As fire raged toward San Diego County homes Wednesday, some residents were forced to evacuate so quickly they had to leave everything behind – including their pets.

Carlsbad resident Alane Payne left home before the Poinsettia Fire started. But when she tried to go back to get her dog Sammy, police wouldn’t let her.

"I was worried about my neighbors. I was worried about the house, but mostly, I was worried about my dog," Payne said.

Fortunately, Payne’s friend was able to rescue her dog.

“He opened the door, and Sammy was sitting on the bed in the dark with no power,” she said, describing their reunion. “It’s scary, and I just feel really lucky.”

• READ: Letter of Hope Left at Home Destroyed by Fire

Cody Powers wasn’t as lucky. Powers’ girlfriend was home with their two dogs when she had to evacuate immediately.

“We’re crushed. My girlfriend keeps replaying things in her mind. She couldn't grab their leashes. She was just in her underwear," he explained.

The couple was able to find one of their dogs, but the other – a lab/husky mix named Tikaani – is still missing.

Powers has posted flyers around the area and is scouring the internet. He says he won’t stop searching until Tikaani is home.

“They mean everything to me. They're a part of my family. I'd do anything for them,” he said.

• READ: Scared Kitty Rescued in Cocos Fire

Animal Services tells NBC 7 they picked up 50 pets during the evacuation. Anyone missing a pet should contact one of the county’s three shelters in San Diego, Carlsbad and Bonita.

The county has also joined forces with a free app called Finding Rover. The app uses snapshots to match the faces of lost dogs with those that have been found or admitted to county shelters.

Thousands of dead fish have flooded one of seven basins at Marina Del Rey late Saturday evening.

The first report came in just after 9 p.m. at the A-Basin located at 13000 block of Tahiti Way, officials said.

Authorities said upon sheriff’s arrival at the reported location, they discovered thousands of dead fish floating in the water.

It was not immediately known what caused these fish to die and wash up to the basin. California Fish and Game was called to the scene but are not expected to clean up the dead fish until later in the day, officials said.

Authorities said the fish may have died due to a lack of oxygen.

Officials are worried that the foul odor will cause a huge discomfort for both visitors and residents nearby.

San Diego police are searching for an unknown suspect who allegedly set a small ground fire in the Torrey Pines area Sunday morning, but whose plan was thwarted by a couple of passing joggers.

According to San Diego Police Department officials, the incident happened around 10:40 a.m. on a path near North Torrey Pines Road at Expedition Way.

Two joggers came upon a small ground fire that a transient had allegedly started. The joggers quickly stomped out the small blaze and called police.

Officials said the suspect took off running and had fled the scene by the time officers arrived. There is no suspect description at this time, officials said.

No one was injured and the fire did not burn much.

This case comes on the heels of nearly a week of devastating fires that have ravaged San Diego County. At one point, nine separate fires burned throughout the city, destroying homes and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate.

One of the most destructive fires, the Cocos Fire in San Marcos, scorched 1,995 acres and consumed more than three dozen homes. It was 85 percent contained as of Sunday morning, and by 11 a.m. all evacuations in that particular fire zone had been lifted.

Check out a timeline of San Diego's May Firestorm here.
 

San Diego detectives are investigating a murder case involving a woman found dead inside a business in Mira Mesa early Sunday morning.

At around 2 a.m., police officers responded to a concerned citizen’s request for a welfare check at the LBC Express business office in the 8900 block of Mira Mesa Boulevard.

The citizen said his wife worked at the location. When she didn’t come home from work at her usual time, he grew concerned and called police to check on her.

When officers arrived at the business, they made a grisly discovery: the man’s wife was found dead, with obvious signs of trauma to her body.

Police said the victim’s death is being investigated as a murder. Further details were not immediately released. The 63-year-old woman’s name has not yet been released.

The LBC Express website describes the business as a 24-hour air cargo delivery service that also offers an express courier and money remittance service throughout the Philippines.

News of the murder spread quickly Sunday morning among others who work in the area. Patty Van der Veld, an employee at a nearby Rite-Aid , said she was stunned by the incident.

“I’m shocked. I don’t know what to think,” said Van der Veld. “Nothing like that happens around here. I know these people, I see them every day. They're all very nice people.”

Anyone for information regarding this case should contact the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
 

At least two people have been killed and 19 others wounded in weekend Chicago shootings.

Both of the weekend’s fatal shootings happened Saturday on the city’s West Side.

The first homicide took place just before 4:30 p.m. in the 200 block of North Pine Avenue in the city’s Austin neighborhood. Police said a 32-year-old man was seated in a parked vehicle when offenders in a passing vehicle opened fire at him.

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The man attempted to flee the scene in his car but crashed nearby.
He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the right side of his body and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was later pronounced.

• Dad Gets Restraining Order Against Kindergartener

Around 11:30 p.m., a 20-year-old man was shot in the 3400 block of West Madison Street. The man was outside when shots were fired from a white minivan, striking the 20-year-old man in the head and body.

The man was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital and was pronounced dead, police said.

• Boy, 4, Killed in Accidental Shooting with Parents' Gun
• Police Find Guns, Drugs at Home with Daycare Center

At least 14 others were wounded in shootings Saturday afternoon and into Sunday morning.

• A 15-year-old boy was shot around 3 p.m. in the 4600 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue. Police said the teen suffered wounds to his back and abdomen and was listed in serious condition at Comer Children's Hospital.
• Around 6 a.m. Sunday, police said a 24-year-old woman was shot while sitting in a car with an acquaintance in the 900 block of North Lavergne Avenue. The woman told police she heard shots and felt pain, before realizing she had been shot in the left hand. Her acquaintance drove her to Loretto Hospital for treatment.
• About two hours earlier, a 23-year-old man was shot in the 4600 block of West Diversey Avenue. He was taken to Our Lady of Resurrection Medical Center with multiple gunshot wounds. He was last listed in stable condition, police said.
• Just before 3:30 a.m. a 19-year-old man was the victim of a shooting near 81st Street and Drexel Avenue. The teen was sitting in a parked car when someone walked up and opened fire at his vehicle. Police said the teen fled the scene in his vehicle but crashed into a parked car. He then fled on foot to 79th and Ingleside where he called police. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in stable condition.
• Less than an hour earlier, a man was shot in the Washington Park neighborhood. Police responded to a call of a person shot in the 5600 block of South Wabash Avenue and found a man, believed to be 20-30 years old, on the sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds to his body. He was taken in critical condition John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, according to authorities.
• On Saturday, a 16-year-old boy was shot around 11:30 p.m. in the 2100 block of North Lawndale Avenue. Police said the boy was walking on the block when someone fired at him from a passing dark-colored vehicle. The teen fled on foot to the 1900 block of North Central Park to notify police. He suffered wounds to his thigh and a hip and was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in stable condition.
• Around 8:30 p.m. a 19-year-old man was shot in the 7000 block of South Vernon Avenue. The teen was shot when someone fired at him from behind. He was taken to an area hospital in unknown condition.
• A little over an hour earlier, three people were shot in the 1600 block of West 70th Street. Police said someone opened fire on three people from an alley. An 18-year-old man and 20-year-old man were both shot in the leg and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in stable condition. A 15-year-old boy was also shot in the foot and taken to Holy Cross Hospital in stable condition. Police said the victims knew the offender who shot them and Area South detectives are investigating.
• Just after 4:30 p.m. a 50-year-old man was shot during an attempted robbery in the 7100 block of South May Street. The man was approached by two men, one of which held a gun to him while the other took items from his pockets, police said. The victim was shot in the left leg during the robbery and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in stable condition.
• About 10 minutes earlier, a 24-year-old man was self-transported to Holy Cross Hospital in critical condition. Police said the man had a wound to the neck and was in critical condition, but noted the shooting took place in the 7200 block of South Artesian Avenue.
• Around 12:45 pm. an 18-year-old man was shot in the 8600 block of South Exchange Avenue. The teen had a wound to his inner thigh and was in good condition at an area hospital, police said. Details surrounding the shooting were not immediately available.
• At about noon, a 17-year-old man was shot in the 7400 block of South Vernon Avenue. The teen was struck in the right leg and taken to St. Bernard Hospital in stable condition.

At least five others were wounded in shootings since Friday afternoon.

A University of California San Diego student was found dead over the weekend after the university’s annual outdoor music festival, school officials confirmed.

The fourth-year student attended UC San Diego’s Revelle College and lived in the Village East Tower on campus. He died at approximately 2:30 a.m. Saturday.

The school’s Sun God Festival ended at midnight, but it is unknown if the student attended the event, or if his death is in any way related to the festival.

School officials said the student’s cause of death has not yet been determined. A report had not been released by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office as of 3 p.m. Sunday.

The investigation into the student’s death is ongoing.

According to UC San Diego’s campus newspaper, “The Guardian,” sources said the student died in his sleep. The newspaper said some residential advisors were notified of the death in an email.

The Sun God Festival happens every year at UC San Diego’s Rimac Field, and is a highly-anticipated event among students.

The event features several stages and live music by well-known artists. In years past, performers have included Drake, Thrice and Kendrick Lamar.

This year’s star-studded line-up included Young the Giant, Juicy J, Miner and Torro, Torro, among many others.

The event is regarded as a time for UC San Diego students to let loose before they break for summer.

The Quinnipiac University College of Arts and Sciences graduation ceremony has been delayed following a bomb threat, according to Hamden police and the school's vice president of public relations.

"There was a security threat at Quinnipiac Univesrity's thhird commencement today on the Mount Carmel Campus," said a university spokesperson, in a statement. "The commencement was moved to the TD Bank Sports Center, and is delayed until 7:30 p.m. ET. Questions regarding the nature of the threat are being forwarded to the Hamden Police."

Hamden police confirmed that officers were sweeping the campus after a bomb threat was made, but said no additional personnel were called and a bomb squad was not responding.

BREAKING: The College of Arts and Sciences Commencement has been moved to the York Hill campus due to a "security threat."

— The Quad News (@TheQuadNews) May 18, 2014

The announcement was made on the Mount Carmel campus moments ago. Students & families now leaving. The re-scheduled start time is 7:30 p.m.

— The Quad News (@TheQuadNews) May 18, 2014

According to the Quinnipiac Chronicle, the ceremony was moved down the road to the TD Bank Sports Center at 305 Sherman Avenue in Hamden.

The College of Arts & Sciences commencement ceremony, originally scheduled for 6 p.m., has been moved to TD Bank Sports Center.

— The QU Chronicle (@QUChronicle) May 18, 2014

It's not clear if they've identified a suspect.

No additional information was immediately available.

Check back for updates to this developing story.

A San Diego family is shocked and grief-stricken after losing its matriarch.

Anouchka Mihaylova, 62, was struck by a car around 8:30 p.m. Saturday in the 11000 block of Rancho Bernardo Road. The victim's son Boian Spassov said she died while walking with her husband to their favorite restaurant

Boian said mother and UC San Diego professor passed away in his father's arms.

“My dad wanted to drive, but she said, ‘no, we must walk,’” Boian said.

• READ: Letter of Hope Left at Home Destroyed in Fire

According to San Diego police, a car jumped the curb, fatally struck Anouchka and took off without stopping.

“They took away my dad’s partner, and they ran away. It’s cowardly,” Boian said.

Anouchka, who is originally from Bulgaria, worked in the Department of Bioengineering at UCSD and was doing research on the artificial heart.

“Just type her name into Google and see how much good she’s done,” Boian said.

“She loved her work. She loved who she worked with. She loved UCSD.”

• READ: Looking for Answers in the San Diego Fires

Boian had a simple message for the runaway driver who killed his mother: “Turn yourself in.”

The suspect vehicle is only described as a silver car with damage to the right side and mirror. As of Sunday afternoon, no arrests had been made.

Boian described his mom as an energetic person who loved everyone she met. Now, he begins the painful process of coming to terms with her death.

“I wish I had spent more time, put aside the small things,” Boian said.

“We have a small family. It’s just my dad and I now.”

A group of women from San Elijo Hills banded together Sunday to collect donations for victims who lost everything in the Cocos Fire that ravaged the San Marcos community.

Melinda Staab, Suzanne Beyerlein and Andrea Maur are all members of the SHE’s of San Elijo Hills, a neighborhood group that brings together women who live in the San Elijo and San Marcos area.

When the Cocos Fire was at its peak earlier this week, all three women and their families were forced to evacuate their homes. Like so many of their neighbors, the women worried about whether they’d have homes to come back to.

Staab said the SHE’s kept in touch on social media, updating one another on the status of the fire and evacuations and offering each other support.

The fire, she said, brought the group and the San Elijo Hills community closer together.

• Read: Letter of Hope Left at Home Destroyed by Fire

Staab, Beyerlein and Maur were among the lucky ones.

Once the evacuations were lifted, they each returned to their homes, which were all spared by the fire.

Other residents in the Cocos Fire zone, however, weren’t so lucky.

Staab decided it was her group’s responsibility to come together and help those fire victims. Within 24 hours, the SHE’s organized a large donation drive for fire victims, collecting piles of clothing, furniture, toys, money, gift cards and other donations for at least two families who lost their homes to the Cocos Fire.

“We were lucky enough to be able to come back to our homes the other day, and we realized that not everybody could. We wanted to do something to help,” said Staab.

“Some people just left with the shirts on their backs. There are some families that have children who have nothing. We wanted to give them a sense of normalcy and some items that they can take until they find a place,” she added.

• PHOTOS: Acts of Kindness Amid Firestorm

Maur hopes this small gesture inspires others to pay it forward, too.

“Hopefully this will inspire people to actively look for people that they can help in their own communities,” she said.

At Sunday’s event, dozens of people turned out to donate anything and everything they could. Bag after bag, piles began to form – piles that will hopefully give fire victims a fresh start as they begin the difficult process of rebuilding their lives.

According to fire officials, the destructive Cocos Fire, which began Wednesday around 4 p.m., ripped through 1,995 acres and destroyed at least 40 structures in its path. It was 85 percent contained as of Sunday morning, with all evacuations lifted.

The cause of the fire, like so many of the other blazes that consumed the county, remains under investigation. Cal Fire officials said 1,148 firefighters had a hand in battling the Cocos Fire. The teams included 133 fire engines, six air tankers, two helicopters, two dozers and 16 water tenders.
 

Since the Bernardo Fire sparked Tuesday, firefighters and other first responders have been working round-the-clock to protect San Diego County and its residents from a string of devastating wildfires. Check out how some San Diegans are showing their gratitude.

• READ: More Businesses Open Hearts, Wallets

How are you saying “thanks” to our brave firefighters? Tweet your pictures to @nbcsandiego.

One San Marcos, California, family thought they were in the clear when their home survived the Cocos Fire. But a quick turn of events changed it all.

Randy Calado thought he was doing everything right.

He keeps an emergency preparedness kit in his car stocked with water, food, sleeping bags and other necessities for his family.

So, when Calado's neighbor knocked on his door telling him to evacuate on Wednesday afternoon, he and his family were out of their San Marcos home in about 10 minutes.

• Read: All Evacuations Lifted in Cocos Fire Zone

Calado and some other relatives who also had to evacuate due to the Cocos Fire stayed at the Staybridge Suites on Mira Mesa Boulevard until they were allowed back home on Saturday afternoon.

But Saturday morning, they woke up to the unthinkable.

The priceless items the Calado family grabbed as they evacuated – including irreplaceable heirlooms – had been stolen.

The family had parked their car in the hotel parking lot and thieves broke the window to the vehicle and stole many of their valuables.

"You know, my heart dropped to the floor," Calado told NBC 7. "You know, this whole week has been very stressful to say the least. That was kind of like a one-two punch.”

• Read: A Timeline of the San Diego Fires

Among the stolen items were two safes filled with money and personal documents like birth certificates and social security cards.

But Calado says his family is most saddened by a set of jewelry his wife wore on their wedding day.

The bracelet, necklace and earrings are family heirlooms passed down for generations.

Calado describes the jewelry as a "24-carat gold necklace and a 24-carat gold bracelet, and also some diamond earrings."

He says he wanted to share his story with NBC 7 because he doesn't want something like this to happen to someone else. He said he made a mistake leaving his valuables in his car overnight.

• Read: Letter of Hope Left at Home Destroyed by Fire

Calado says in stressful situations, sometimes you can't think about all of the possibilities, especially when you're not sure if you will even have a home after something as devastating as the Cocos Fire.

"It's devastating and I just don't want it to happen to any other family."

Calado suggests keeping the things that are important to you close to you at all times.

Especially during vulnerable times like the May Firestorm when thieves are looking for crimes of opportunity.

With the destructive Cocos Fire winding down, all evacuees in San Marcos were allowed to return home as of 11 a.m. Sunday, city officials confirmed.

All road closures were also lifted by 11 a.m. and the San Marcos Emergency Operations Center was deactivated by 11:30 a.m., according to officials.

On Saturday evening, many evacuees were given the green light to go home as the City of San Marcos released its latest map of the repopulation plan for the area (see below).

• See a Close-Up of the Repopulation Plan Here

As of 6 p.m. Saturday, evacuation orders had been lifted for all areas affected by the Cocos Fire except for the Coronado Hills Community of San Marcos.

City officials said residents of the deeply impacted Harmony Grove Spiritual Association area were able to return home, but needed to have some proof of residency in hand when attempting to enter their neighborhoods. Officials expected to have all evacuations and closures lifted by Sunday.

• Special Section: May Firestorm 2014

Evacuated residents who live in the fire zone can visit the City of San Marcos website for an interactive map of the area and repopulation plan.

Fire officials said the Cocos Fire was 85 percent contained as of Saturday morning. The blaze -- which began Wednesday afternoon -- scorched 1,995 acres and consumed more than three dozen structures in its path, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate.

Here's the repopulation map, as released Saturday night. The areas in green signified neighborhoods where evacuations had been lifted, while the light pink area was the zone where evacuations remained in place as of Saturday evening. As of Sunday morning, the whole map was green.

The latest information on the San Diego fires as of Sunday, May 18, 2014.

Cocos Fire – San Marcos & Escondido

• 1,995 acres
• 85 percent contained as of 6 a.m. Sunday, with full containment expected by later in the day
• Cause of fire: under investigation
• All evacuations lifted (including Coronado Hills) by 11 a.m. Sunday
• All road closures lifted by 11 a.m. Sunday
• San Marcos Emergency Operations Center deactivated as of 11:30 a.m. Sunday
• City of San Marcos released updated repopulation plan and map Saturday night
• Arrests: 1 man who official believe was attempting to loot evacuated homes
• No injuries
• Damage: 39 single-family homes, 1 non-residential commercial structure
• Evacuation shelters at Mission Hills High School and Escondido High School closed Saturday
• Cost to Date: $4,247,669
   

Combat, Las Pulgas, Tomahawk Fires – Camp Pendleton area:

Combat Fire (formerly Talega Fire and also known as San Mateo Fire):

• 1,500 acres
• 80 percent contained as of Sunday morning
• All evacuations lifted

Las Pulgas Fire:

• 15,000 acres
• 55 percent contained as of Sunday morning
• All evacuations lifted

Tomahawk Fire:

• 5,400 acres
• 97 percent contained as of Sunday morning
• All evacuations lifted

Collectively, these three fires -- now known as the Basilone Complex -- burned nearly 23,000 acres, or 18 percent of the base, according to the latest assessment.

Poinsettia Fire – Carlsbad:

• 600 acres
• 100 percent contained as of 5 p.m. Saturday
• 8 single family homes were destroyed or damaged, 3 other homes sustained minor damage, an 18-unit apartment building was destroyed, an 18-unit apartment building was damaged, 2 commercial buildings destroyed/substantially was damaged, 1 modular building was destroyed
• Cause of fire: under investigation
• All evacuations lifted as of Thursday evening
• As of Friday morning, there were three points where Carlsbad Police Department was still controlling access to residents for safety reasons: Black Rail Poinsettia, Black Rail Sapphire and Poinsettia Brigantine
• Damage: $22.5 million and counting
• The Carlsbad Police Department has established a Tip Hotline for the Poinsettia Fire. If you have any information regarding the origin of the fire or suspicious activity or persons who may be involved with the starting of the fires, please call (760) 602-7599 or email PoinsettiaFire@carlsbadca.gov
• The City of Carlsbad’s Faraday Administration Center (1635 Faraday Ave.) will be open Monday at 7:30 a.m. to help fire victims who need assistance with housing and rebuilding

Highway Fire in Bonsall, Fallbrook area:

• 441 acres
• 100 percent contained as of 6 p.m. Saturday
• No homes destroyed or damaged
• Cause of fire: under investigation
• Heavy fuels have not burned since Gopher Canyon Fire (1970)
• Damage: $1,105447

River Fire in Oceanside:

• 105 acres
• 100 percent contained as of Thursday; contained to riverbed
• Arrests: one man accused of attempting to fuel the fire

Bernardo Fire:

• 1,548 acres
• 100 percent contained
• 50 structures were threatened
• 3 injuries, per Cal Fire
• Evacuations lifted
• Official cause: backhoe working on construction project

Escondido police have released a sketch of the suspect sought in an attack on an LA Fitness employee.

A fitness club employee in Escondido told police she was attacked by a man who hid in the gym until after closing time.

The woman was getting ready to close up the LA Fitness on El Norte Parkway Tuesday night when she says the man jumped out and punched her, knocking her to the ground, according to investigators.

As the man tried to pull at her clothing, the woman said she fought back.

The suspect fled. He was described as Hispanic, about 35 to 45 years old, 5-foot 5-inches tall, overweight with a shaved head, a tattoo of a teardrop near his left eye and a tattoo of a cross on the ring finger of his left hand.

He was wearing a white tank top, black shorts, black high-top tennis shoes and white knee-high socks, police said.

The victim suffered minor cuts and scrapes. She was treated and released from Palomar Medical Center.

Police aren't sure if the suspect belonged to the gym. If he didn't, members question how he got inside.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Escondido Police Investigation Division at (760) 839-4717. Information can also be left anonymously by calling the Escondido Police tip line at (760) 743-8477 or by going to the EPD website.

Santa Fe Christian students Jack McGuinness and Josiah Simpson say most of their freshman class was at Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas Thursday afternoon celebrating the last day of school.

That celebration quickly turned to chaos around 2:10 p.m. when, fire officials say, two males were found unconscious in the waters.

McGuinness and Simpson, both 15 years old, were among those to first spot the lifeless victims and pull them to shore.

“I thought, ‘Hey, that's like a weird piece of seaweed’ and we went over to it, and it turned out to be a body,” McGuinness told NBC 7. “I picked him up and got him above water and he had no muscle movement.”

• Read: Man Accused of Stealing Human Skin from Hospital

McGuinness says about seven Santa Fe Christian students were in the water at that time, and one of them swam to get a lifeguard.

As McGuinness and a few other students pulled the young victim to the beach, he says Josiah Simpson came over to tell them about the strong rip current near them.

Fire officials confirmed lifeguards initiated a “mass rescue” due to the severity of the rip current and the number of people in the water.

Simpson says that's when he heard more screams.

“They started screaming ‘There's another one, another body!” Simpson said.

Both he and McGuinness are junior lifeguards. Simpson says he never though their skills would be put to the test like this.

“So I flipped him over and secured an airway and checked his pulse and there wasn't any,” he recalled.

“There's still a pit in my stomach," he said when he spoke to NBC 7 Thursday night. "I don’t know how to feel about it.”

• Read: Why a Senator's Wife Called Gwyneth Paltrow a "Joke"

With McGuinness, the other students and lifeguards occupied with the first victim, Simpson said he had to drag the second victim to shallower waters on his own. A lifeguard met them when they closer to shore.

Not sure whether their actions saved the victims’ lives, the boys gathered with their classmates and parents in the garage of the lifeguard office to hold a prayer circle.

As of Thursday evening, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department reported they still have not been able to identify the victims – only that they’re Hispanic males.

One is a juvenile and the other male’s age is unknown.

Officials confirm the victims are not Santa Fe Christian students. At last check, officials also told NBC 7 the victims were alive.

Lifeguards also want to warn the public of a southern swell they expect to bring in more sporadic rip currents over the next four to five days along our coastline.

A Virginia man accused of stealing two signs from parks honoring victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and calling a victim’s family to say the Newtown shooting was a hoax has been arrested, police said Friday.

Andrew David Truelove, 28, was arrested in Herndon, Virginia, with the help of police in Connecticut.

Truelove is accused of stealing a memorial sign for 7-year-old Grace McDonnell from a park in Mystic, Connecticut, and another for 7-year-old Chase Kowalski from a park in Mantoloking, New Jersey. Both signs were stolen about a month ago.

After allegedly stealing the sign from the park honoring McDonnell, he called the slain girl's mother to say her daughter "never existed" and that the shooting was a hoax, according to one of the playground's supporters.

Herndon police told NBC Washington that Truelove may be a conspiracy theorist who believes that the Sandy Hook school shooting was staged to trigger stricter gun laws. He is banned from a school property in Herndon, according to police.

"It's hard to explain the 'why,' because from our perspective it doesn't appear rational, that type of thought process," Herndon Police chief Maggie DeBoard told NBC Washington. "We know Sandy Hook occurred, obviously there are a lot of victims in that case. So I can't explain the 'why.'"

Police searched a room Truelove rented at a home outside Washington and found the two stolen signs. Truelove has been charged with possession of stolen property and is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

Police say blogger and reporter Chez Pazienza of The Daily Banter  helped to track down the suspect. Pazienza wrote an open letter asking the thief to come forward, and he received a response, including photographs of the signs in a living room.

"I was really angry and I wanted to see this person go down for this," Pazienza told NBC Connecticut in a Skype interview Friday. "I wasn't just going to let it go."

Truelove's father, Alan, says that his son didn't steal the signs.

"They're chasing the wrong fella," Alan Truelove told NBC Washington. "So police have this investigation completely wrong."

Police in Virginia said grand larceny charges in Connecticut and New Jersey are pending. Investigators may upgrade his charges to felonies, NBC Washington reported.

The arrest comes after Connecticut police contacted Virginia authorities with a possible address for a suspect, police said. Police from Stonington, Connecticut, will travel to Virginia to get the sign for the park in Mystic next week.

The resignation of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki hit close to home for a San Diego-based couple who knows all too well about the lack of care for veterans at the VA hospital in Phoenix at the center of the national military scandal.

Howard and Jean Somers’ son, Daniel Somers, served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan long as a National Guardsman.

When he returned to the U.S. from combat, he was suffering from a traumatic brain injury and PTSD. However, his parents said Daniel was unable to get adequate care at the Phoenix VA.

Nearly a year ago, Daniel took his own life.

Today, the Somers’ reaction is mixed about the resignation of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

The parents said they believe many government officials were aware of the widespread troubles plaguing the VA health care system long before the investigation that led to Shinseki's resignation.

“Is this really going to help? I mean, you are going to have to bring someone new in who is going to have to get up to speed, but on the other hand has he really provided the leadership and the initiative that has been needed to fix the broken system?” said Howard.

The Somers have vowed to seek reform following the death of their son.

The parents have been making trips to Washington, D.C. – one 10 months ago – to talk with members of Congress about the issues at the VA. They believe it is the post 9/11 veterans who have sounded the call for change in a system that has been dysfunctional for years.

“A lot of these were known issues when we went to Washington 10 months ago people were just shaking their head yes -- so it wasn't like these weren’t known it’s just that there was not enough people saying do something, do something, do something, and now there are, “ said Jean.

“You need the critical mass and it appears that we're at a perfect storm right now and hopefully we will see some significant change, but there are a lot of barriers to change,” added Howard.

The Somers also run an organization and website, Operation Engage America, to help other families and soldiers dealing with PTSD. On June 7 they are bringing together experts and resources on PTSD to San Diego. The event is open to the public.

Shinseki's resignation comes two days after a scathing internal report found broad and deep-seated problems in the health care system that provides care to about 6.5 million veterans annually.

The scandal first surfaced when a whistleblower alleged that as many as 40 veterans died while waiting for appointments in a VA hospital in Phoenix, NBC News reported.
 

An El Cajon woman who was discovered covered in stab wounds on the steps outside her apartment had screamed for help after the attack, neighbors said Friday.

Resident Han Younan said it was the middle of the night when he heard noises coming from the unit at The Ballantyne apartment complex.

“It was a lady screaming like ‘Help, help, help’ for like about one minute and then the noise stopped,” he said.

El Cajon police say they found the woman on the stairs and her teenage son inside the apartment with similar stab wounds.

The woman's other son, Mohammed Raad Agab, 20, was arrested and booked on charges of murder and attempted murder.

Agab's 14-year-old brother was found with multiple stab wounds. Heartland Fire/Paramedics transported him to the hospital, and he is expected to survive.

• Read: Man Accused of Stealing Human Skin from Hospital

Lt. Eric Taylor with the El Cajon Police said they received a family disturbance call from the complex on Ballantyne Street north of E. Madison Avenue just before 1 a.m.

The mother -- who has not been identified pending family notification -- her teenage son and Agab lived in the unit together, police said.

Family friend Mohammed Ali told NBC 7 that the suspect, who he identified as Majda Agab, had lived there up until recently.

Ali was shocked to learn of his friend's death.

“I can’t believe what’s going on, why he killed her or what happened,” he said.

He said the victim was a good woman who would help anyone. He also said he knew she had been having troubles with her older son and that she was afraid of him.

“She say my old son, he makes me trouble," he said.

“I think he’s a drug man that’s why he can’t control himself," Ali said. "Always he make trouble with his mom."

Ali told NBC 7 the suspect was planning on moving to Colorado to be with his father.

Other neighbors were unnerved to be awakened by the presence of police officers and crime scene tape outside their homes.

"El Cajon is kind of dangerous as it is, let alone in my apartment complex,” said resident Ashlie Baniak.

Police do not have a motive in this case. Agab is scheduled to be arraigned next Tuesday.

Anyone with information regarding the incident call the El Cajon Police Department at (619) 579-3311. Those who want to remain anonymous, can contact the Crime Stoppers line at (888) 580-8477.