Police are seeking one of two men responsible for a head-on crash that sent a woman to the hospital near the San Diego side of the Coronado Bridge.

The crash happened around 9:30 p.m. on Logan Avenue. Witnesses initially reported to firefighters that a vehicle flew off the bridge onto the road, but police later found the claims were unfounded. 

Instead, San Diego Police say the men in a Ford Explorer collided head-on with a woman in a Dodge Neon.

Both men took off running. California Highway Patrol officers caught one of them crossing Interstate 5, but the other is still at large. 

The woman in the car was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center and is expected to be OK.

Check back here for details on this developing story.

San Diego County sheriff’s deputies will learn how to handle aggressive dogs under a pilot program to be launched in San Marcos, officials confirmed.

Under the two-week training, deputies are learning how to read a dog's body language and recognize whether the animal is dangerous or just scared.

The program is aimed at reducing the number of animals killed each year.

Thirty-one dogs have been shot and killed by deputies countywide since 2010, six of them this year.

One of those shootings happened Feb. 18 in Imperial Beach.

Angelina Peck said her two dogs Brick and Lilly got out accidentally.

When one-year-old Lilly lunged at a deputy, the official shot and killed the dog saying he feared for his safety.

“I just hope [the sheriff’s department] comes up with some other way. Pepper spray, taser. I rather you hurt my dog for something that's recoverable than kill my dog,” she said after the shooting.

The pilot program could expand to other stations, and perhaps other departments, officials said.

 

For the third time in a week, a plane full of undocumented immigrants landed in San Diego as part of the ongoing transfer of families and children from Texas to California.

More than 100 women and children disembarked the chartered plane, walked across the tarmac at Lindbergh Field and boarded three waiting buses just after 10 a.m.

The children appeared to range in ages from toddlers to teens.

The undocumented families and children from Central America were flown to San Diego for processing as part of the federal government's plan to address the nation’s border crisis.

• Read: Veteran Newport Beach Lifeguard Dies During Rescue Attempt

Just before 11 a.m., the Department of Homeland Security buses were spotted heading south on Interstate 5 toward the U.S. Customs and Border Protection station Chula Vista in San Ysidro, just north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Around 1:30 p.m., at least three young mothers and their children were released outside of the Federal Building in downtown San Diego into the arms of friends and family, who shared tears and hugs as they were reunited. 

Among them was 32-year-old Tania Rivera with her two children, all undocumented immigrants from Honduras. 

She decided to flee the country when gangs killed her husband just five months ago, she told NBC 7. 

"It's dangerous, and they killed him," said Rivera. "And at my son's school, they're kidnapping children, holding them for ransom and everything."

Rivera's sister-in-law was waiting downtown to pick her up. The woman said the last time she saw Rivera was when she married her brother more than a decade ago.

When asked about what she thought about the family coming to the country illegally, the sister-in-law said she does not necessarily agree with it, but she is now forced to help her. 

Another family, 25-year-old Marta Marcela and her two children, entered into the U.S. illegally from Guatemala.

She told NBC 7 violence in her native country forced her out. 

"There are always problems where we live," said Marcela. "There are protests over it every 20 days or 15 days. It's a volatile situation, and it's just one of the reasons we had to leave. 

Border Patrol agents flew she and her kids to San Diego from Texas last week, and they were released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody Monday. A group that helps the Mayan community was there to pick the family up and reunite them with Marcela's husband in Los Angeles. 

The CBP had originally said buses of undocumented immigrants could be transported to the Murrieta processing facility every third day beginning on July 1.

Those plans were thwarted by a small group of protesters that blocked the buses' arrival last week. 

Officials from DHS, CHP or ICE  were not willing to provide details regarding the release of the approximate 280 undocumented immigrants brought to San Diego on July 1 and 4.

A spokesperson for ICE said officials would not be providing that information for security reasons.

One union representative told NBC 7 the entire San Diego sector of CBP employees has been told not to discuss plans regarding the arrival and movement of undocumented immigrants in Southern California.

More Border Crisis Coverage:

• EXCLUSIVE: Undocumented Mother Shares Her Story
• It's Not Neglect, It's Survival: Ex-Undocumented Child
• Murrieta Mayor on Immigrants: City Feels "Dumped On"
• 5 Immigration Fears Explained

After a swimmer was bitten by a shark over the Fourth of July weekend near the Manhattan Beach Pier, some have wondered about the chance of something similar happening in San Diego.

One fisheries research biologist said there has been a larger number of sharks thanks to recent conservation efforts, but sightings at local beaches are rare.

“There’s always going to be some associated risk,” biologist Heidi Dewar said. “Having said that, the risks are very, very small.”

She said that when we do see great white sharks in San Diego, they're typically very young and feed off fish and squid.

Dewar added that the threat of sharks is far less of a concern here than north of us, in Los Angeles County.

"The type of habitat we have is sort of less ideal for baby white sharks or juvenile white sharks than farther north like Long Beach or Huntington Beach, or Ventura flats," Dewar said. "They really like big broad sandy areas and bays which we have less of down here."

The shark attack Saturday morning of a 50-year-old Lomita man marked the first time in more than a century that someone’s been attacked by a shark in Los Angeles County. Steven Robles escaped with chest lacerations and broken artery in his thumb after spending 8 hours in a Harbor-UCLA Medical Center emergency room.

Some swimmers we spoke to at La Jolla Cove on Monday said the situation made them feel a bit uneasy, though most seemed unfazed.

One woman said the thought crossed her mind when she’s swimming, but didn’t prevent her from getting in the water.

"You think about it. Especially when you're out there all by yourself and you're kind of looking around, it gets a little spooky,” said Murrieta resident Lisa Frick. “But I still do it."

An avid surfer, Geoff Dukas, said he’s seen sharks on multiple occasions, which scares him.

"I've seen sharks three different times when I've been out surfing and it was very scary but I know it's a very rare occurrence that there's a shark attack so it never prevented me from going back in the water,” he said.

On the conservation side, Dewar described it as exciting that there’s a greater number of sharks.

“I think we're seeing is really a success story. Where if we do put in the right regulations we can actually see populations rebound which is you know exciting that doing the right thing we can actually see recoveries.”

A tree branch fell on a roller coaster track at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, partly derailing the train and leaving riders suspended about 30 feet above the ground for more than two hours, officials said Monday.

Rescuers brought in heavy equipment to free 22 passengers on the Ninja ride, including four who suffered injuries, Los Angeles County fire officials said.

Firefighters were called to the amusement park just before 6 p.m. The last rider was pulled from the ride after sunset.

Two riders were taken to the hospital to be checked out.

• Read: Questions Remain on Faulty SeaWorld Ride

According to the Six Flags website, Ninja takes riders on a winding track at speeds of 55 mph. Riders hang from the track and are swung 90 degrees each way.

"The safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority and as a precaution, the ride will remain closed until a thorough inspection of the area is complete," park officials said in a statement.

Refresh this page for updates.

 Sheriff’s officials have handed over 20 pounds of cannabis to a North County medical marijuana dispensary raided by deputies last year.

An unusual sight at the San Diego County Sheriff’s crime lab played out Monday as confiscated marijuana and grow equipment was returned to the owners of SoCal Pure Collective in Vista.

Last October, deputies raided the dispensary and took at least $10,000 worth of equipment as evidence.

“I don’t think that we needed to have assault rifles held to our heads. I think we could have been served paperwork,” owner Laura Sharp said of the raid.

• READ: Missing Marine Wife Had Planned San Diego Trip

However, a spokesperson for District Attorney’s Office said they dropped the case in April because of insufficient evidence, and a judge ordered all the confiscated items be returned – including the marijuana.

Sharp, who has operated the 2,500-member collective since 2010, said a lot of the returned cannabis is most likely not good anymore, so she will have to have it lab tested.

At this point, Sharp told NBC 7 she is not sure if she will still operate the collective because this experience has been trying, expensive and scary.

The development comes in the midst of a debate over whether dispensaries should be legalized. The SoCal Pure Collective was caught in the middle of what most agree are confusing state and federal laws regarding those dispensaries.

A judge must decide this week if prosecutors have enough evidence to send a former Navy SEAL, accused of stealing more than $1.1 million from fellow service members, to trial.

Jason Mullaney, 42, appeared in San Diego court for his preliminary hearing Monday as prosecutors laid out the case against him.

They say the former service member convinced 11 active and retired Navy SEALs and a family friend to invest in his money-lending business Trident Financial Holdings & Acquisitions.

Mullaney has pleaded not guilty to the 29 felony charges against him, including grand theft and fraud.

The first to take the stand Monday was Michael Brown, a police investigator who has been involved in the case since Mullaney’s arrest in 2012.

• READ: SoCal Lifeguard Dies While Rescuing Swimmer

Brown told the court one of the alleged victims, Andrew Geiger, trusted Mullaney as a family friend and even dated the defendant’s sister.

So when Mullaney asked Geiger to invest in his business, Geiger gave him $50,000 and expected a 24 percent return on his investment, according to Brown.

The friend claims he received nothing in return.

“[Geiger] spoke with Mr. Mullaney, and Mr. Mullaney gave him a series of excuses as to why he couldn't pay him at that time and offered the ability to reinvest for a later time,” said Brown.

The investigator said Mullaney told his investors he was loaning money to borrowers with risky credit, and he gave about $20,000 back to his investors. 

The defense pointed out Geiger had said that Mullaney himself had lost money. 

April Riel, a forensic accountant for the FBI who examined Mullaney's accounts, also answered questions for the court. 

She testified that Mullaney transferred money from his business account to his personal account, which he used for both private and business transactions. 

During his cross-examination, Mullaney's attorney grilled Riel on her methods and how she determined if an account is personal or not. She said co-mingling accounts was unusual but would not say it was unethical. 

Two men are accused of nearly striking an NYPD helicopter with a drone they were flying near the George Washington Bridge, police say.

The mid-air close call came after the NYPD chopper spotted the drone flying high near the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge early Tuesday. As the unmanned craft made its way back to the George Washington Bridge it came close to the helicopter, and the pilot had to veer off course to avoid being struck, police say.

After the miss, the helicopter followed the drone until it touched down at Fairview Avenue and Fort George Hill in Manhattan's Inwood area.

That’s when police say they found the two men, 23 and 34, along with a second drone.

The two men were both arrested in the landing zone. Both are charged with reckless endangerment. The drones were confiscated.

If your longtime neighbor has an out-of-state license plate, the California Highway Patrol wants you to turn them in.

The CHP created a website called CHEATERS (Californians Help Eliminate All The Evasive Registration Scofflaws) to help. Officers estimate the state is losing $10 million a year because of improperly registered drivers.

Three years ago, Jaclyn Gochoco and her car moved from New Jersey to California. She says her license plate, like her home state, is part of her identity.

• 4 Hurt in Los Angeles-Area Roller Coaster Accident at Six Flags Magic Mountain

"It makes you a little bit different, it makes you stand out. I don't think it's that big of a deal,” she said.

Gochoco was surprised to find out if she keeps them on her car, she could face hundreds of dollars in fines.

The CHP says drivers must exchange their plates for California plates within 20 days of starting a job or establishing residency.

"They can receive multiple citations, including no current registration, failure to properly register the vehicle,” CHP Officer Ross Lee said.

• Video Shows Jets' Apparent Near-Miss at Barcelona Airport

CHP says people have filed more reports through the CHEATERS website this year than ever before. They claim the increase in registries has boosted $1 million in revenue for California in 2014. At this pace, officers say it’ll break previous records.

"If you're going to be a California resident, you need to abide by the California rules and laws. All that money goes to maintain the infrastructure of the state,” Officer Lee said.

Once a report is anonymously filed, officers will investigate to make sure the person isn’t exempt. Some out-of-state students and military are exempt from having to switch license plates. However, if a person is ever employed in California they’ll need to get a license plate.

After an investigation, the drivers are sent letters stating they need to register their car in California.

• No Charges in Shooting of 13-Year-Old Andy Lopez By Sonoma County Sheriff's Deputy

James Casko says his father received dozens of the letters.

"It took him about two years to get it done, and finally the penalties (caught) up with him and he got it done,” Casko said.

Gochoco understands the process, but thinks the CHEATERS website pits registered Californians against transplants.

"I call this place home too. It's a little harsh to kind of turn the neighbors against each other,” Gochoco said.

A 15-month-old boy has died after being left unattended in a hot car on Monday, according to police in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Police said the staff at Danbury Hospital contacted them around 6 p.m. Monday. The child's father reportedly drove him to he hospital after finding the baby in his car and becoming concerned for his welfare.

It's not clear exactly how long the boy was left unattended in the car, but Danbury Police Captain Jeff Kreitz said in a news release he was there for "an extended period of time."

• Georgia Dad Accused in Child's Hot Car Death Asked About Insurance Money: Cops

Temperatures reached 88 degrees in the Ridgefield area Monday afternoon.

The baby's cause of death has not been determined and authorities have not released the child's name. Police said the family lives in Ridgefield.

It's the fourth incident in which a child or children was left alone in cars in the past two weeks in Connecticut.

• State Police Warn of Hot Car Dangers to Children

Police in East Lyme, New London and Orange have arrested men and women accused of leaving children alone in their vehicles.

Police are warning parents of the dangers of leaving their children in cars over the summer, when temperatures inside the vehicle can reach triple digits.

The world's most expensive potato salad is taking over Kickstarter, but some of the people paying for it won't even get a taste.

A Columbus, Ohio, man has raised more than $60,000 on the popular fund-raising site to make his first potato salad. Donations are still pouring in.

The man, who goes by Zack "Danger" Brown, was originally asking for just $10.

His campaign started out as a spoof of the fund-raising site, which is otherwise full of earnest attempts to raise money for good causes and business start-ups. Brown's silly idea quickly went viral and amused people enough to get them to part with their money.

Slate reported that Brown has not said what he will do with the excess funds, and they suggested a local food bank. However Gawker pointed out that donating the money to a charity would violate Kickstarter's terms, so for now it's just a lot of potato salad.

Brown started with just one statement to capture the imagination.

"Basically I'm just making potato salad. I haven't decided what kind yet," he said on the campaign page.

The reason that people have been so excited to help Brown remain unclear, but at least some of them will get something in return. Kickstarter allows campaigns to offer supporters a reward for their donations, depending on the amount they pledge.

If backers want to taste the salad they will have to fork over at least $3 for a bite. Brown is going to have to do more than double the recipe though, as more than 4,000 people have chipped in so far.

Pledging a little more, $5, will earn users the chance to add an ingredient. For $10, donors can receive a potato-themed haiku. For $50, donors can receive a book of "potato salads of the world."

Currently 66 people have pledged the latter, and they'll reportedly also receive a bite of the salad.

Similar campaigns have already popped up, including one for fudge, one for coleslaw and one for a cup of tea. None of these campaigns are experiencing the runaway success that Brown has.

Yesterday The Washington Post reported that by that time Brown had raised $40,000, which was then lowered to $15,000. Kickstarter explained that this was due to "ghost pledges," or people accidentally adding digits to their pledge and spending more than they intended. Administrators lowered the total to reflect only intended pledges, so it is possible Brown's current bounty could again be adjusted.

Brown is posting regular updates to his campaign as the improbable total soars. He currently says that he will rent a party hall for a pizza party (without potato salad) and invite any benefactors who pledged more than $10. That was for the lofty goal of $3,000, which he has more than surpassed.

Brown also claims that he will film himself making the salad and that all backers will be thanked online and in the video. Thanks to donations from around the globe, Brown promises he is "working with people right now to assess the feasibility of sending potato salad around the world."

But buyer beware: Brown's campaign comes with a warning.

"It might not be that good," he said. "It's my first potato salad."

The women’s basketball coach at Cal State San Marcos has been fired after complaints of discrimination and racism.

Head Coach Sheri Jennum received a notice of dismissal Monday, the university confirmed. An internal investigation found that Coach Jennum created a hostile environment by harassing student athletes because of their race

Freshman players Lynette Mackey and Kianna Williams, who are African-American, say they endured months of discrimination.

The girls’ mothers told NBC 7 that it all came to a head last October when the African-American players arrived late to a fundraiser together. Jennum allegedly told them they couldn’t ride together anymore because they were always late and started referring to them as “the group.” Lynette went to the athletic director.

After that, Jennum allegedly confronted the team about the complaint and asked for someone to confess. Kianna stood up for her friend Lynette, and her mother said Kianna forever had a target on her after that.

Months later, Kianna was kicked off the team after leaving a hostile meeting with her teammates. She was given no explanation about why she was no longer on the team, her mother said.

“It was hurtful. It took me a minute to realize really what was going on,” Kim Williams said in a phone interview.

So far, one family has filed a discrimination lawsuit, and another family said they will strongly consider it after meeting with the university next week.

Kim Williams said she's glad Coach Jennum has been fired, but said the whole athletic department needs to be investigated. Her daughter Kianna will not return to play next year.

Jennum has not commented on her dismissal. She coached at CSUSM since March 2010.

In case you were in the market for a $3.495-million house, former Chargers star LaDainian Tomlinson re-listed his home on Monday.

The nearly 10,000 square-foot mansion in Poway -- which sits on two lots, has a swimming pool with a bridge and includes the running back’s famous hill where he used to train – is now listed at its lowest price yet.

He posted this YouTube video on his Facebook page Tuesday, asking “Any takers???”

The mansion comes with plenty of bells and whistles, including a basketball court, golf green, large fish tank and in-home theater, complete with a vintage mustang inside.

The home has been listed as high as $5.2 milion and most recently was on the market for $3.75 million.

Tomlinson, the 2006 NFL MVP, was one of the greatest San Diego Chargers of all time, rushed for 13,684 yards, fifth on the career list, and scored 162 touchdowns, third-most ever.

The mother of a South Florida marine being held in a Mexican jail on weapons charges was headed to Mexico Tuesday to attend a hearing, where her son is expected to tell a judge his side of the story.

Jill Tahmooressi was flying to Tijuana Tuesday morning to attend the Wednesday hearing for son Andrew Tahmooressi, who is expected to give a statement to a judge to explain his arrest.

"I hope that the judge will consider it and discern the truth and release Andrew," Tahmooressi told reporters at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. "He's been just frighteningly abandoned for all these months and to have family present is definitely reassuring."

• Mother of Marine Held in Mexico Protests for Release

Andrew Tahmooressi, 25, was arrested April 1 after driving his black Ford pickup over the border at San Ysidro, California, into Tijuana. Family members said Tahmooressi, who was in possession of three U.S.-registered firearms, got lost near the border after dark and took a wrong turn into Mexico.

The Marine reservist, who is from Weston and has served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, was in the San Diego area to receive treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

"He's holding out as best as he can but I will say his PTSD...has been exacerbated by this imprisonment, so he desperately needs to get back to America and continue on to his course of treatment, he is a current Marine," his mother said.

• Marine Held in Mexico Speaks to San Diego Newspaper

Jill Tahmooressi said she hopes the charges will be dropped at Wednesday's hearing.

"I'm hoping I don't take the flight Thursday night, I'm hoping I take it Wednesday night with Andrew. So I'm hoping that the judge will just dismiss the charges for what it is, an accidental entry, no intention to be on Mexico soil with his U.S. legally purchased firearms," she said. "If I come back alone on Thursday, my flight, it's gonna be devastating."

Tahmooressi has gained the support of Florida elected officials, including Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Sen. Marco Rubio. His family has also started a White House petition asking for his release.

• Supporters Rally for Marine Held in Mexico

"I'm hoping for the best but planning for the worst," Jill Tahmooressi said.

President Barack Obama will request more than $3.7 billion in emergency funds to handle the influx of unaccompanied minors along the U.S.-Mexico border that has led to the release of undocumented immigrants on the streets of downtown San Diego, NBC News reports.

On Monday, another plane of undocumented women and children arrived at San Diego’s Lindbergh Field, bringing more than 100 immigrants from Central America for processing at local U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities.

The money President Obama is seeking would be for immigration judges, detention facilities, legal aid and other items that could address the situation on the border, which the administration has termed a humanitarian crisis.

An additional $625 million will be requested to help crews fighting wildfires in Western states, the Associated Press reports.

• READ: Mom in Custody After Baby in Stroller Abandoned on Subway Platform

The San Diego sector of CBP has managed the arrival and processing of close to 400 immigrants in less than a week.

Wendy Orellana, 27, is one of them. She traveled from Honduras with her two young sons. Orellana was released from federal custody Monday and quickly taken away by a cousin who met them outside the federal courthouse downtown.

Two other families – one from Honduras and one from Guatemala – were also reunited with family and friends Monday.

All told NBC 7 they had traveled by bus and train for nearly a month before turning themselves into U.S. CBP agents at the Texas border.

• READ: CHP Cracks Down on Out-of-State License Plates

Orellana and the others must present themselves to an immigration officer in 15 days at a court near their final destination. The officer will make sure they're still living where they claim and will then set a date for them to appear in immigration court.

Immigration attorneys say that due to the influx of immigrants being processed from Central America, immigration court hearings that normally would be scheduled within days are now being scheduled months out.

The Obama administration's request for emergency funds is being handled separately from its request for additional authority for the Homeland Security secretary to quickly return the minors back home.

In 2013, more than 26,000 unaccompanied minors were apprehended on the southwestern border and just 1,669 were deported, according to NBC News.

• SEE: 22 Stranded for Hours on Six Flags Magic Mountain Ride

NBC News reports some Democratic lawmakers are reluctant to give away even narrow changes to immigration law, given the fact that broader immigration reform is going nowhere.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said the White House can act within existing law to speed up the judicial process.

"The administration should use that flexibility to speed up the system while still treating these children humanely, with compassion and respect," she said.
 

Child abuse detectives are investigating the death of a baby girl Tuesday morning in downtown San Diego, according to police.

Emergency crews were called to the Baltic Inn at 521 6th Avenue around 5:40 a.m. The landlord called 911 after a tenant reported that the 2-month-old baby wasn’t moving, police said.

Officers started CPR before paramedics arrived, but were unable to revive the infant. She was pronounced dead just before 6 a.m., according to officials.

Police have not released any more details on the investigation.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
 

An 18-year-old woman was shot in the head in Chicago’s East Chatham neighborhood Tuesday, and her uncle says her weave may have helped save her life.

"[Doctors] assumed that when the bullet kind of went in, it bounced out because she had the weave in her hair," said Chantal Hammontree's uncle Randy Berry. Doctors have not confirmed that the weave played any role in repelling the bullet.

The teen was sitting in a car when shots were fired in its back window, hitting her in the head, police said.

"She was coming home, and when her girlfriend let her out of the car, the guy walked up and just shot her," Berry said.

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Police said Hammontree was the only victim in the shooting just before 1:30 p.m. in the 900 block of East 83rd Street.

She was taken to University of Chicago Hospital in critical condition and was later transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital, according to police.

Family members said Hammontree is an "A" student and recent high school graduate with plans to join the military.

Berry told NBC Chicago Hammontree was conscious and talking at the hospital and is expected to survive.

He believes the shooting stemmed from an incident with another uncle, who was shot and paralyzed in May in a gang-related shooting.

"There was the 'East Side, West Side' type of thing going on," Berry said. "[The shooter] told her that because she was affiliated with him, they were going to shoot her also."

The shooting comes after holiday weekend gun violence in Chicago left at least 11 people killed and 67 shot in a spate of shootings Chicago police Supt. Garry McCarthy called "unacceptable."

"We had basically the same level of shootings that we did last year, which is unacceptable because this year we put a ton of effort into preventing it," the frustrated chief said Monday at his weekly press briefing to show off the illegal firearms taken off the streets in the previous days.

• More Than 60 Shot Over Fourth of July Weekend
• Opinion: Bloody Holiday Creates More Than One Reality in Chicago

Still, Chicago's top cop maintains the department's overall crime strategy is working. He reiterated statistics indicating that this year is on track to have one of the lowest crime rates in decades.

Through Sunday, he said 11 fewer homicides have been recorded compared to the same time last year -- 185 compared to 196 in 2013. Shooting incidents, however, are up by 46, he said.

There were eight incidents over the weekend when Chicago officers fired their weapons or were fired upon.

Residents held a prayer vigil in the city's Roseland neighborhood to decry the violence Monday, some saying it isn't just about guns.

"I feel like it's not the guns that's killing people. It's people behind the trigger," said George Barron, who was shot in both legs in May. "Every shooting it's gonna get worse. Everyone out for revenge."

Calling it “one of the most senseless killings the court has ever seen,” a San Diego judge sentenced a man to 15 years in prison for beating to death a well-known architect at the victim's Bankers Hill home.

After hearing some strong and emotional statements from family and friends, San Diego Superior Court Judge Joan Weber denied Higinio Salgado, 32, probation and said alcohol should not be used as an excuse in the killing.

"How you committed these beatings, I will never understand," the judge said, addressing Salgado. "But I do want it to be clear in this community, alcohol will not be an excuse for a killing."

At his April trial, Salgado’s attorney had argued that his client was “blackout drunk” and should not be held fully responsible for his actions. The jury didn’t agree, convicting Salgado of second-degree murder in the connection to the April 19, 2013 killing of Graham Downes.

Jurors, however, did not convict Salgado of first-degree murder, which entails premeditated intent.

Downes was killed after hosting a happy hour party at his architecture office that turned into a night of drinking.

Both Salgado and Downes were intoxicated when they got into an argument over a former employee around 1 a.m., according to the defense.

That argument escalated into a physical fight. Salgado got the upper-hand and beat Downes’ head into the pavement over and over, the prosecutor said. He was found dead outside his home.

At Tuesday's sentencing hearing, Salgado addressed that night in apologizing to the victim's family.

"I still don't know what happened that night," he said. "I can assure you that the thought of harming Graham never, never crossed my mind."

Salgado went on to describe his victim as a mentor.

"I truly admired Graham and saw him as a mentor and friend," he said. "I had no reason whatsoever to wish him harm."

"He was a great man ... I know God is watching over him in heaven," he added.

A heartbroken family was pleading for the public's help on Tuesday after a teenage girl died trying to stop a man who stole her iPhone, police said.

Ruby Rubio, 15, was walking with her 7-year-old sister on West Warner Avenue in Santa Ana on July 3 when she was confronted by a man, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.

• Updates: Download the NBCLA App

The man snatched her iPhone before he jumped into the passenger seat of a silver or gray Pontiac waiting nearby, police said.

Rubio had just gotten the iPhone one week earlier and promised her mother she would take care of it.

Rubio chased after the robber and jumped onto the car as it began to drive away, but she fell off and was critically hurt, police said.

"As they drove off, they swerved, she was hanging on to the trunk," Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. "She fell off, struck her head and that's how this started."

The car drove away, and Rubio died at the hospital two days later.

• Read: CHP Commissioner Meets With Community Leaders After Officer Beating Video

Her family spent those two days hoping she would pull through.

"She would open her eyes and look at me for 5 seconds," said Rubio's mother, Marisol Hernandez.

Rubio's friends said she always had a smile on her face and was always happy.

"They have no heart," friend Maria Saucedo said. "That was dumb, what they did to her."

The iPhone was found near the scene, appearing to have been tossed out of the car, police said.

Police have yet to find the robber (sketch pictured). He is described as a Hispanic man in his late 20s to early 30s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall wearing a black baseball hat, white tank top and light colored jeans.

Santa Ana police urged anyone with information to call 714-245-8390 or 1-855-TIP-OCCS.