A 4.2 earthquake struck after 5 a.m. in the Pacific Ocean off Rosarito but was felt throughout San Diego County.

The U.S. Geological Survey shows light shaking was found across San Diego County from the temblor that struck at 5:13 a.m. PT.

The epicenter was located approximately 40 miles southwest of Imperial Beach and Coronado.

No damage has been reported and the USGS ShakeMap does not show any heavy shaking associated with this incident.

However, in the response section of the USGS website, some people in Alpine, SAn Marcos, Escondido and El Cajon reported feeling the earthquake.

Did you feel it? Let us know in the comments section below or on the NBC 7 Facebook page.

Football is finally upon us! After waiting an entire offseason, Chargers fans have to sit through the entire Week 1 schedule before watching the Bolts take on the Arizona Cardinals in their Monday Night Football matchup.

The Cardinals actually finished with a better record than the Chargers last season (10-6) but missed out on the playoffs in a competitive NFC.

Head coach Bruce Arians leads a strong defensive team that expects to be in the playoff mix again.

Let’s break down what we’ll see from the Cardinals.

Who to Watch on Offense
Carson Palmer: While he’s not a superstar by any means, the quarterback is able to get the job done. He completed 63 percent of his passes for 4,274 yards last year, but struggled with allowing sacks (41 last year) and interceptions (22).

Larry Fitzgerald: He has been the longtime top option through the air for the Cards, leading the team with 10 receiving touchdowns last year. The 6-foot-3 deep receiver could have a field day on San Diego’s smaller secondary.

Michael Floyd: His season actually eclipsed Fitzgerald’s last year, as the third-year wideout topped 1,000 yards. He’s expected to have a breakout year this season.
Jonathan Dwyer: Starting running back Andre Ellington may miss this game – and potentially a good amount of time – with a foot injury. That leaves room for Dwyer and Stepfan Taylor to get some action. Watch for Dwyer to outperform his fellow backup RB.

Who to Watch on Defense
Patrick Peterson: Look for the shutdown corner to cover Chargers burner Keenan Allen most of the night. This could be the key matchup of the evening.

Ed Stinson and Kareem Martinto: The rookie defensive ends need to come up with some plays for an otherwise depleted defense.

Daryl Washington, Darnell Docktt and Tyrann Mathieu: It might be more about who we don’t see from the Cardinals D. Washington was suspended for the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Dockett is out for the year with a knee injury and Mathieu is still recovering from an ACL tear last year that might jeopardize his start of the season.

Who to Watch on Special Teams
Ted Ginn Jr.: After spending the last year with the Carolina Panthers, Ginn comes out west and takes over kick return duties. He had 556 receiving yards and 595 kickoff return yards for the Panthers last year.

Chandler Catanzaro: The rookie from Clemson beat out longtime kicker Jay Feely for the job this summer. He hit all three field goals in last week’s preseason game against the Chargers. We’ll see  how he does when it counts.

On Sunday morning, dozens of volunteers continued the search for 23-year-old Christina Morris.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

The deputy director of D.C.'s Department of Corrections was found murdered Sunday morning in Alexandria, police said.

Carolyn Cross, deputy director for operations for the department, was found dead in the 4800 block of Kenmore Avenue in Alexandria at 8:12 a.m. Cross was 64.

Police have charged Dawit Seyoum, 29, of Alexandria, with first degree murder in the case.

"This is a punch in the gut," Thomas Faust, director of the Corrections Department, told News4's Tom Sherwood. "She's been a critical person in my agency and a dear friend.

"She was a rock, both personally and professionally to me and the department," Faust said. "She was a great lady. This is a huge loss."

Faust said that Cross had worked in corrections for more than 35 years. She was scheduled to leave Monday for a training seminar in Atlanta.

Cross had worked her way up through the corrections ranks, including serving as a warden at the Lorton complex in Virginia, Faust said. Cross had retired from the Department of Corrections but had come back as deputy when Faust took over, about three years ago.

Others in the department told News4 that they had no idea if her murder had anything to do with her job, saying that she had some contact with inmates on the job, but not on a daily basis.

Anyone with information about this incident should call the Criminal Investigations Section of the Alexandria Police Department at 703-746-6711.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

A 40-year-old man drowned after he jumped into the Hudson River to help rescue a 6-year-old boy who fell in the water during a cookout in Yonkers Sunday, officials say.

Police say the man and several other people at a party at the JFK Marina leaped into the river after they saw the child struggling in the water shortly before 7 p.m. 

The child was safely pulled from the water and was conscious when he was taken to a local hospital, police say.

The 40-year-old man never resurfaced.The Yonkers Police Department and NYPD's Harbor unit recovered his body at around 8 p.m.

"There are a lot of heroes here tonight," said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. "Unfortunately one of those heroes became a victim."

Police have not released the man's name. It wasn't immediately clear if he knew the child.

For the second time in one week, San Diego State University police are looking for a sexual assault suspect.

The latest alleged assault happened around 1:30 a.m. Saturday at the campus-owned Granada Apartments. The apartment complex is located at Hardy Avenue and 55th Street, about one block from Viejas Arena.

According to a crime alert from the university, the victim told officers that a young man tried to befriend her as she was walking home. The SDSU student claimed the man followed her into her apartment and sexually assaulted her.

The suspect ran away when one of the victim’s roommates arrived, officials said.

Aztec students said it’s a shame an incident like this has already been reported just days into the college semester.

“(I’m) scared of walking alone, especially at night,” said freshman Alexa Romano, who lives at the Granada Apartments.

“We usually have a security guard there at night, and you have to check in with your card,” Romano said. “But they're installing an alarm on the stairs so no one can sneak in.”

It is unclear how the suspect gained access to the building.

Campus police are asking students to be on the lookout for the suspect. He is described as a man in his early 20s, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 with an average build, tan skin, chocolate brown hair, brown eyes and possibly unshaven. He was wearing a baggy t-shirt with a gray center and multi-colored sleeves.

Witnesses are asked to call the campus police department at 619-594-1991 or email police@mail.sdsu.edu.

"It's scary, but then at the same time, it makes me feel good that they're actually doing something in the aftermath of what happens in sexual assaults,” said freshman Hannah King.

On Labor Day, another SDSU student said she was sexually assaulted in a bathroom at an off-campus house party near College Place and College Avenue.

Earlier this year, the California State Auditor found that SDSU did not adequately train staff on how to respond to sexual assault complaints. The audit also found SDSU needed to do a better job letting victims know how to report sexual assaults and what they can expect from the university.

The state also audited UC Berkeley, UCLA and Cal State Chino's sexual assault practices.

SDSU reported 31 sexual assaults from 2010 to 2012.

A 5-year-old boy abducted from National City has been found safe 200 miles away in Los Angeles County.

National City police are driving to Lancaster to arrest 27-year-old Gladys Suarez, the boy’s mother, on kidnapping charges.

Suarez took the boy from the Sweetwater Inn at 2435 Sweetwater Road sometime Saturday night. The boy’s father returned to the hotel around 1:30 a.m. Sunday and discovered that Suarez, his son and their belongings were gone, according to police.

Officers believe a man from the hotel gave the pair a ride to the Shell gas station off Leucadia Boulevard in Encinitas.

An Amber Alert was issued after Suarez called the father’s cell phone and threatened he would never see his son again, police said.

Suarez saw the Amber Alert and contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department around 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

Both National City Police and the California Highway Patrol tweeted around 1:15 p.m. that the child was found safe.

The Amber Alert was in effect for the CHP Southern, Border and Inland Divisions.

Drenching rains spawned by tropical storm Norbert pounded the Inland Empire on Sunday, causing damage to structures, toppling trees and leaving several cars in low-lying areas submerged in floodwaters.

Eight people had to be rescued after becoming trapped in vehicles that were caught in a flash flood at 14th and Vine streets in Riverside (map), officials said.

The storm was strong enough to uproot trees and cause a roof collapse at an abandoned commercial building in San Bernardino.

The storm dropped as much as nearly 3 inches of rain in Hemet and 2 inches of rain in the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County, the National Weather Service said. Isolated thunderstorms were expected to continue into Sunday evening and Monday.

A flash flood watch was in effect through Monday evening for the Apple, Lucerne and Coachella valleys, and the mountains in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the NWS said.

Flooding caused Highway 74 in Riverside County to close in both directions from Willowbrook to Highway 243, according to Caltrans.

Temperatures in the Inland Empire reached the high 90s and humid conditions persisted.

Norbert peaked as a Category 3 hurricane early Saturday with sustained winds of 120 mph, but by Sunday night it was a rapidly weakening tropical storm with winds of 45 mph.

Andrew Lopez and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

A pedestrian died after being struck by an Amtrak train Sunday morning near Torrey Pines State Park, according to officials.

The incident happened just before 11:30 a.m. near the intersection of North Torrey Pines Road and Carmel Valley Road.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, witnesses saw a man walking in the middle of the tracks along the bluffs. Sheriff’s officials said the conductor sounded the horn and activated the emergency breaking system, but was unable to stop before hitting the man.

At this point, his death appears accidental, according to officials.

The 49-year-old victim’s name has not been released. The sheriff's department continues to investigate.

The accident shut down train service in the area.

The NFL suspended former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice Monday after newly released surveillance video appeared to show him assaulting his then-fiancee in an elevator at an Atlantic City hotel.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Rice's indefinite suspension Monday afternoon, just after the Ravens tweeted that they had terminated his contract. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh didn't get in to details but said he spoke to Rice after the decision to cut him was made.

“When someone that you care about does wrong and is faced with the consequences of doing wrong, and rightfully so, it’s tough, it is hurtful," Harbaugh said Monday evening. "My pain is for both of them as a couple."

Originally Rice had been given only a two-game suspension — a punishment that was widely criticized and led to a national debate over how the NFL handles cases of domestic violence.

Goodell later increased the penalties on players for cases of domestic violence, saying in a letter and memo sent to all 32 team owners that, in the Rice case, he "didn't get it right."

The security video, which was obtained by TMZ Sports, shows Rice and his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, entering an elevator at the now-shuttered Revel Casino on Feb. 15. 

Once the elevator doors close, Palmer appears to lunge at Rice before he punches her in the face twice. The second blow causes Palmer to hit her head on the handrail of the elevator, sending her crumpling to the floor.

As she lies motionless, Rice is then seen dragging her limp body along the floor as he leaves the elevator, a scene that has been shown repeatedly since news broke of the running back's arrest.

"Something we saw for the first time today, all of us," Harbaugh said. "It changed things, of course."

• National Domestic Violence Hotline (800-799-SAFE)

On Monday, President Barack Obama commented on Rice’s suspension from the league.

"The president is the father of two daughters, and like any American, he believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilized society," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said after speaking with Obama. "Hitting a woman is not something a real man does, and that's true whether or not an act of violence happens in the public eye, or, far too often, behind closed doors. Stopping domestic violence is something that's bigger than football, and all of us have a responsibility to put a stop to it."

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley called the video "horrible, shocking and reprehensible" in a statement released Monday afternoon. He asked for support for House of Ruth in preventing domestic violence.

House of Ruth released a statement supporting the decisions by the Ravens and NFL.

"The video from the Ray Rice elevator incident simply confirms what we already knew occurred that night. It’s difficult to watch intimate partner violence as it happens. It must have been even more difficult for Janay Rice to have experienced it. One in four women will be in a physically violent intimate relationship at some point in her life, and as a community we must all have zero tolerance for it wherever it exists."

The video from inside the elevator "was not made available" during their investigation, a spokesperson for the NFL said, adding that no one from their office had seen it before it was released by TMZ.

Originally, Rice and Palmer were each charged with simple assault, but the Atlantic County prosecutor's office reviewed the case and dropped the charge against Palmer.

A grand jury lodged the more serious charge of aggravated assault against Rice in March. He has since received initial approval to enter a pretrial intervention program that could result in dismissal of the assault charge against him.

The couple married a day after Rice was indicted.

In July, the NFL announced that Rice would be subject to a two-game suspension in connection with the elevator assault, a punishment that was met with outrage given the nature of the incident. Rice was also fined more than $500,000, ESPN.com reported.

Last month, Goodell announced players will now be subject to a six-week suspension for a first domestic violence offense and banishment from the league for a second.

The 10-year-old nephew of a Connecticut man who was slain on a bike ride from Maryland to Florida has vowed to finish what his uncle started.

Family members say Kevin Adorno was on the second stretch of a bike ride down the East Coast from Maine to Florida and was planning to propose to his girlfriend at the end. Just 140 miles from his destination he was fatally stabbed in Vero Beach, Florida on Labor Day. In his obituary published in the Courant, Kevin Adorno is remembered as an artist and athlete with an infectious laugh. On Sunday, friends and family gathered to celebrate his memory.

Sebby Adorno was there working to raise funds to ride those last 140 miles for “Uncle Kevin.”

Sebby was selling T-shirts designed by his uncle which read “Roll hArd or Go home.” Kevin’s family says this was the philosophy he lived by – to always be passionate about what you’re doing, to put positive rage in your heart.

Sebby is also collecting donations on a GoFundMe page. His goal is to raise $5,000, which will be used to rent bicycles and cover the costs associated with organizing the ride. He invites others to join him in honoring his Uncle Kevin and will use part of the money to fund anyone who cannot afford the ride on their own.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

Another year, another season-opening Monday Night Football for the Chargers.

They once again play the final game of the opening week, this year a road game against the Arizona Cardinals.

This is the third straight year the Bolts will have the late MNF game to begin the season and sixth time since ESPN took over Monday NIght Football and added another game for Week 1 in 2006.

That first doubleheader was against the Oakland Raiders – a great Monday night opponent for the Chargers. In that 2006 game, they trounced the Raiders 27-0. In fact, each of their three MNF wins since then have come against their black-clad division foe to the North.

The Chargers have a 19-19 overall record on Monday night games, dating back to their first appearance in 1970 – a 22-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers at what was then known as just San Diego Stadium.

How much of a change is it to play one of the week’s featured games, especially after watching everyone else play their first game of the season?

Safety Eric Weddle is a fan of playing one of the week’s marquee games, even if it means waiting.

“It gives me more time to think and ponder the game and visualize and prepare,” he said. “I always think Friday Night Lights. It’s the best time to play. Everyone’s watching. I don’t mind it. I just sit around and be lazy. I just think about the plays and think about the game and think about winning.”

For others, the waiting game is no fun. Quarterback Philip Rivers says the leadup is a bit much for him.

“Monday, different from Sunday, seems to take forever,” he said. “Because (playing on) Sunday night you have games to play during the day. Monday, there’s nothing on, nothing to do until 7 o’clock. We should be used to it. We’ve done it a number of times.”

Indeed, the Chargers have been a part of two Monday Night Football games each of the past five years, winning and losing one game each season.

They hosted two MNF games last year, losing to the Houston Texans on opening night and defeating the Indianapolis Colts just a month later.

The last season they didn’t have a game on Monday night was 2004.The year before that they squared off against the Miami Dolphins – significant for two reasons. It was supposed to be a return to San Diego for legend Junior Seau, who had joined the Dolphins that season. But the game was moved to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., because of wildfires in California. Fans will hope we don’t see a similar problem tonight with the flooding in the Phoenix area.

In the end, it’s just another game once you get on the field.

"We get an extra day to prepare, but we just go about it the same way," said Chargers coach Mike McCoy.

Added Rivers: “The lead up, and the build up to it is the biggest change than anything. Once you’re out there you’re not thinking what night it is and what channel you’re on or what’s going on.”

From a floating Ferrari to a Food Network star, there is so much to see and do this weekend in San Diego.

Thursday, Sept. 11

Sunset Poolside Jazz Series
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. at the Westgate Hotel downtown
You’re invited to the swankiest pool party around. Every Thursday night in September, some of San Diego’s best jazz bands will perform at the Westgate Hotel’s rooftop pool. (This week, it’s the ZZYMZZY Quartet.) Take in the sunset while enjoying a smooth drink and smooth jazz.

Friday, Sept. 12

San Diego Bayfair
Begins at 7:30 a.m. in Mission Bay Park
If you’re a boating enthusiast, Mission Bay is the place to be this weekend. Besides watching the fastest boats in the world compete, spectators will witness the U.S. debut of the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Floating Ferrari. Admission is free for active duty military and reservists.

Saturday, Sept. 13

Tierrasanta 5K and Fun Run
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Tierrasanta Recreation Center
Lace up those sneakers for this 5K race and fun run. However, the event doesn’t stop after you cross the finish line. Reward yourself with a nice cold one at the Beer Garden, or take your little ones to play in the Kids Zone.

Escondido Renaissance Faire
10 a.m. – 6 p.m. in Felicita Park
Hear ye, hear ye! Royals, gypsies, pirates and more will gather in Felicita Park this weekend. There is much fun to be had, from chowing down on turkey legs to watching court jesters jump through hoops of fire. (Just don’t have too much fun, or you’ll end up in the stocks.) The Renaissance Faire continues next weekend.

Bonitafest 2014
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Bonita Vista High School
After being in jeopardy of being canceled, Bonitafest is back. This South Bay celebration features a street fair and live entertainment, including some of San Diego’s best show choirs. Also, everyone is invited to walk, bike or ride in the Bonitafest Twilight Parade, which takes place at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Rohr Park. (Don’t forget to bring a flashlight.)

Family Moon Festival
1 p.m. at the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum
Celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in the best possible way: By eating delicious mooncakes. (If you haven’t experienced the yumminess that is a mooncake, it’s a flaky pastry filled with red bean paste or sweet lotus seed.) Kids will make their own mooncakes and learn the Chinese legend of the jade rabbit and fairy princess who live on the moon.

Santee Bluegrass Festival
5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. at Town Center Community Park East
Get ready to hear some fine fiddling and banjo playing at the 5th Annual Santee Bluegrass Festival. Two of the county’s most popular bluegrass bands, Box Canyon and the Tail Draggers, will entertain and delight concertgoers. This is Santee’s largest charity fundraiser, and proceeds go toward its scholarship fund and programs for teens and senior citizens.

Sunday, Sept. 14

Taste of the Nation San Diego
3 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Calling all Food Network fans. Here’s your chance to meet cooking show host Melissa d'Arabian. Melissa will join more than 50 of San Diego’s best restaurants, breweries and wineries to fight childhood hunger. Now that’s something you can drink to.

Looking to sell your iPhone before the new model is released? The longer you wait can have a dramatic effect on the value of your phone.

Many users are looking to upgrade their phones to get their hands on the latest gadget ahead of Tuesday's expected announcement of Apple's new iPhone 6.

Even if you are locked in a contract or not due for a subsidized upgrade from your phone carrier, you can still sell your current iPhone to help pay for the new model.

Many sites offer trade-in deals that will give you a fair amount of cash for your gadget.

Gazelle, an online trade-in store, is offering up to $335 for an iPhone 5S, a price expected to be good until Tuesday. The value is estimated to drop once the rumored iPhone 6 is announced.

Worried about not having a phone? Gazelle is letting users hold on to their current phones until Oct. 10 so they are not phoneless while waiting for the new model. Users must first lock in their deal by Sept. 9 through Gazelle.com.

Through Gazelle, you lock in a price online, and the company will send you a package to ship your phone for free. Once your phone is processed, you can choose to receive a check, gift card or PayPal.

If you are looking to get more bang for your buck, you can try selling your phone privately on eBay. Prices vary depending on the model and storage space of your iPhone. Current listings on eBay as of Monday found iPhone 5S models being sold on eBay for between $300 and $500.

Another option for a user looking to unload their iPhones is Craigslist. You should complete your Craigslist transaction in a public place to be safe. Keep in mind that Craigslist does not offer any “buyer/seller protection” as they are not involved in any transactions.

Apple also has a trade-in program called Apple Reuse and Recycling Program that lets users trade in their phones and receive an Apple Store gift card in exchange. A previously owned iPhone 5 was estimated at a value of $225, while an iPhone 5S is currently not available to trade in through Apple’s site.

Another option to get rid of your phone is through a retailer like Best Buy or Amazon, which both offer competitive pricing onto a store gift card.

The value of a previous iPhone model typically drops when a new model is introduced, so the sooner you sell your phone, the more money you may be able to get.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

A portion of Six Flags Magic Mountain's wooden Colossus coaster collapsed Monday when the iconic decades-old ride caught fire at the theme park north of Los Angeles.

The fire, possibly sparked by a welder's torch, was reported at about 1:30 p.m. By 2 p.m., the fire appeared to have been extinguished.

Smoke could be seen from the nearby 5 Freeway. The park was closed Monday, and no injuries were reported, park officials said.

The fire started while work was being done to disassemble the venerable ride in preparation for a major overhaul, park officials said. Colossus had closed in mid-August after celebrating with free rides for a final few hundred riders before crews began adding steel segments to create a "hybrid" coaster, set to open in 2015.

Work is scheduled to continue after the collapse and fire.

Colossus was the world's fastest and tallest wooden roller coaster when it opened in June 1978, and the first to feature two drops that are more than 100-feet steep.

"During its reign, it was one of the world’s largest wooden roller coasters, taking up over ten acres of land with more than 4,325 feet of track," according to Magic Mountain's website.

In the 1983 movie "National Lampoon's Vacation," the coaster was the grail Chevy Chase's Griswold family quested for in their trip to the fictional amusement park Wally World.

Twitter user Tony Slauson tweeted -- "That's one way to get colossus down" 

That's one way to get colossus down pic.twitter.com/cLrfMJzNhj

— Tony Slauson (@tslauson7) September 8, 2014

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 7 San Diego

Tropical Storm Norbert that has created very muggy conditions for several days may bring actual rain to parts of San Diego County Monday.

And muggy it was on Monday afternoon. The thermometer reached 90 degrees in downtown San Diego, with 65-percent humidity.

The mountains and deserts may see some flash flooding produced by thunderstorms Monday afternoon.

“There is a much smaller chance of any rain hitting west of the mountains,” says NBC 7’s Whitney Southwick.

Norbert’s winds are sending air packed with water vapor toward the American Southwest.

Expect the humidity to lift Wednesday or Thursday this week, Southwick said.

A flash flood watch was issued by the National Weather Service for Riverside County through Monday at 5 p.m. The area included in the warning was Indio, La Quinta and Coachella.

A flash flood watch also was issued for the San Diego county mountains until 8 p.m. Monday.

As for the impact along San Diego’s coast, beachgoers can expect half the wave heights that were pushed ashore by Marie.

Tropical Storm Norbert is not nearly as large or intense as Hurricane Marie, experts said.
 

Nearly 30 children were hurt when two yellow school buses collided in the Bronx Monday afternoon, authorities say. 

The buses crashed in Co-Op City at about 3:45 p.m., according to the FDNY. Twenty-seven children were on board both buses, and had minor injuries.

Several area hospitals were staging to take in the children, though none has been transported yet. 

Eastlake High School officials increased campus security Monday after student threatened to bring a gun to school in a post on Twitter.

The 14-year-old boy sent a tweet threatening to shoot up the school. However, officials say they have contacted the student's parents and determined that there is no serious threat.

The student was out of town with a family member, police said. His father told police there is no gun in their home.

Chula Vista police believe the teenager was trying to make a joke.

As an added measure of security, police increased patrols on campus Monday and sent over a school resource officer from the Chula Vista Police Department, officials said.

Senior Mikel De Leon heard about the threat through Twitter and social media.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be around here in Eastlake,” De Leon said. “It came as a shock.”

Parent Laura Gonzalez was pleased at the school’s response and the quick communication. She talked with NBC 7 after dropping her daughter off near campus.

“Because the threat was already known I felt safe bringing her to school today,” she said.

Manny Rubio with Sweetwater Union High School District said a campus administrator was made aware of the threat around 8 p.m. Sunday and notified the Chula Vista Police Department.

“We take this as a very serious threat regardless of whether or not it was intended to be,” Rubio said.

To get the word out, school officials called students' homes, emailed them and posted a letter to their website to let parents know there would be classes Monday.

Rubio said student will face some sort of discipline, but they will spend a few days to figure out what it may be. The investigation is in the hands of the Chula Vista Police Department. 

Family therapist Jeff Palitz said whether the incident was a joke or not, it should not be ignored.

"Sometimes if they're not getting the attention they need, they seek it in negative ways, and that could be from parents, from peers, who knows," said Palitz. "But posting something like that one way or the other draws a lot of attention."

The therapist said it would be wise to explore if there are deeper issues with the boy's family life or at school.

Palitz says for more information about counseling teens, visit CounselingCalifornia.com.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Monday night that a patient at Jackson Memorial Hospital has tested negative for the deadly Ebola virus. The CDC test was a retest of a previous negative Ebola test for the same patient.

The CDC's report came after one of Jackson Health Systems' twitter accounts confirmed earlier Monday that a patient tested negative for the virus last week.

A Jackson Health spokeswoman said the patient had shown some symptoms associated with the disease.

"Last week, a Jackson Health System patient tested negative for the Ebola virus. The patient had shown some symptoms associated with the disease and was tested in an abundance of caution," Jackson Health's Jennifer Piedra said. "All of our community’s precautionary measures were taken, multiple agencies worked effectively in partnership, and we demonstrated that we are ready in the unlikely event that this disease is detected in Miami-Dade County. Out of respect for patient privacy, we are not providing any additional details."

The news in Florida comes as health officials worldwide continue to try to control what the CDC says is the largest Ebola outbreak in history. More than 2,100 cases of Ebola have been confirmed since the current outbreak started in December of last year in West Africa. Suspected deaths are at 1,848.

Three U.S. aid workers were infected in Liberia in August. Two of the workers were treated and released and a third is recovering at a Nebraska hospital. One of those patients, Dr. Kent Brantly, told NBC in an exclusive interview that he felt like he was about to die when he was isolated in a Liberian hospital.

"I said to the nurse who was taking care of me, 'I'm sick. I have no reserve. And I don't know how long I can keep this up,'" the Fort Worth doctor told Matt Lauer.

The virus is spread by direct contact with blood or bodily fluids, not through casual contact.

Check back with NBC 6 South Florida and NBC6.com for updates.