Nine people were arrested by San Diego Sheriff's deputies during a warrant sweep and probation check in Fallbrook Monday.

Deputies and probation officers knocked on doors in the Fallbrook, De Luz, Rainbow and Bonsall areas as part of the holiday watch safety operations looking for people with outstanding warrants for DUI, reckless driving, hit-and-run and domestic violence.

Of the five probationers contacted, three were arrested. Another six were taken in on felony or misdemeanor warrants. All nine were booked into Vista Jail.

The sweep was meant to ensure people on probation are following their terms of release and the focus was on traffic-related warrants in an attempt to make the roads safer for coming New Year's Eve weekend.

One person arrested for driving on a suspended license was also being investigated in connection with an indoor marijuana grow.

The following people were arrested on suspicion of violating probation and felony or misdemeanor drug possession:

• Jeff Jones, 67
• Jessi Koenig, 26
• Melissa Fleming, 31
• Richard Perillo, 21
• Roland Phillips, 50
• Suzanne Steinmeier, 33
• Elizabeth Tetu, 50
• Tangie Winder, 46
• Todd Winegar, 41

The Sheriff's Department is asking people with outstanding warrants to turn themselves in. For information on warrants and bail notices, click here.

At least one person sustained major injuries after a suspected drunk driver caused a three-car crash on Interstate 805, California Highway Patrol said.

CHP and fire crews responded to reports a mulit-car accident on southbound I-805 at Interstate 8 just after 6:20 p.m. Monday night.

Authorities said three cars were involved in the crash, at least one of which was blocking lanes and a Sig alert was issued.

One person was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, CHP said.

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.

Bank of America is connecting its customers to art in 2015 by offering cardholders free admission to select museums via their Museums on Us program.

Starting January 3, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch cardholders can enjoy free admission to the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, the Museum of Photographic Arts and The San Diego Museum of Art during the first full weekend of every month.

Customers just need to show their Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit cards and photo ID to receive full admission to the museums on the select dates: the first consecutive Saturday and Sunday of each month through the end of 2015.

The offer is not just for San Diegans either. The program includes 150 leading U.S. cultural institutions, the company said. For a full list of eligible locations, click here.

Not a Bank of America customer? Balboa Park offers free admission to some of its museums to San Diego residents every Tuesday. Each Tuesday boasts a different offer and all you need is your ID with a San Diego address to get in. For a list of which museums are open when, click here.

East coast favorite Dunkin' Donuts has come to San Diego yet again.

The donuts and coffee chain opened its third San Diego-area store location on Monday at Naval Base Medical Center San Diego.

The Commanding Officer of the Naval Base Medical Center was the first to take a sip of coffee during Monday's 6 a.m. grand opening, according to franchise officials.

This store location opening is especially exciting, officials said, because the franchise is led by Major Talisin Buron of the United States Marine Corps Reserve, who served 10 years of active duty, including two wartime deployments.

Dunkin' Donuts announced plans last year to expand  the franchise with dozens of new locations all throughout Southern California.

The first Dunkin' Donut shop locale in San Diego is in the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base in Oceanside. To make a purchase, civilians must be affiliated with someone with a Department of Defense identification card.

In October, the second donut store opened at the Embassy Suites San Diego Bay Downtown hotel at 601 Pacific Highway.

For a growing number of drone owners, public airspace seems to have become a private playground – or commercial marketplace.

But some major atmospheric changes are now on the not-too-distant horizon.

While unmanned aircraft are flying in a sort of Wild, Wild West of 'blue yonder', that’s now giving way to storm clouds of concern over safety and privacy.

The Federal Aviation Administration is looking to issue some ‘rules of the road’ -- and so are California lawmakers, joining counterparts in several other states.

Meantime, as ingenious as the San Diegans who built Charles Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis", those now propelling the modern drone industry are involved in dozens of local ventures that mostly fly 'below radar' -- waiting for regulations that have been long in coming.

Their guarded outlook, explains Lisa Halverstadt, who covers the fledgling industry for Voice of San Diego, is this: "Once there are rules, they may be willing to follow them. But they don't want to hold back, or slow innovation of any sort and assume there are going to be rules that may not actually play out."

Says aviation law attorney Robert Griscom, a retired FAA investigator: "I think very likely where it will go is that the federal government will require some sort of certification for the operators of these things."

While weighing how to regulate commercial drones in "low-risk, controlled environments", the FAA limits hobbyist drones to altitudes below 400 feet, and at least five miles away from airports -- within sight of their operators.

But under a bill introduced by San Diego County Assemblywoman Marie Waldron (R-75th District), the state of California may wind up creating its own rules task force.

Depending on the scope, any regulations such a group might come up with could be preempted by Uncle Sam.

Should certified transponders be required for hobbyist drones operating under 400 feet?

Should manufacturers install software to keep the aircraft from reaching higher altitudes in busy airport locales?

”I think the wise approach is to keep the pressure on the FAA and let them get this thing put together properly,” Griscom told NBC 7 in an interview Monday. “...before the states jump in and say, ‘We're going to do it ourselves’."

Halverstadt offers this caution about the Waldron’s proposed state regulatory task force: "If California does have more rigorous rules for drone use than other places, you'll probably have a lot of industry leaders speaking out against that -- saying 'Hey, we're really a hotbed of innovation here. You're trying to stymie us'."

Besides basic aviation safety and privacy issues, there are concerns about drones being deployed by drug traffickers and terrorists.

Even if federal and state regulations wouldn't serve as a deterrent to those threats, it's one more question mark hovering over an industry that's filled with opportunities -- and potential, unintended consequences.

A week after pleading guilty to a single count of tax fraud in Brooklyn federal court, New York Rep Michael Grimm announced he would resign, sparking buzz about potential candidates to fill the soon-to-be vacant seat.

In a statement Monday, Grimm said he felt he could no longer be "100 percent effective in the next Congress." His resignation will take effect Jan. 5.

"This decision is made with a heavy heart, as I have enjoyed a very special relationship and closeness with my constituents, whom I care about deeply," Grimm said.

Grimm's guilty plea last week to aiding in the filing of a false tax return came after he was re-elected to his Staten Island seat in November, even though he was under indictment.

Grimm reportedly talked with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, before deciding to step down. Boehner has forced other lawmakers to resign for lesser offenses.

In a statement, Boehner said Grimm made the "honorable decision" in stepping down.

"I know it was made with the best interests of his constituents and the institution in mind, and I appreciate his years of service in the House," Boehner said.

A former Marine and FBI agent with support from former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Grimm was elected to Congress in 2010, scoring an upset win over first-term Democratic Rep. Michael McMahon.

Typically, Gov. Cuomo would have 30 days to announce a special election, which would be held up to 60 days after that. New York City Board of Elections Director Michael Ryan said a special election would cost $960,000 if it were held on a date when another election was not being held. 

Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan, a Republican with more than 25 years of public service experience who has co-authored legislation with Grimm, has been among the names tossed around as a possible candidate to replace Grimm in the 11th Congressional District.

In a statement Tuesday, Donovan said "my phone has been ringing off the hook" since Grimm announced he would step down. He said he was "deeply flattered by the enthusiastic expressions of support" and is seriously considering an entry in the special election.

The longtime prosecutor was slammed across the city after the grand jury he convened failed to indict a police officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner, but has maintained widespread support in his borough over the years. Two GOP sources said the party would likely unite behind Donovan.

Former Rep. Michael McMahon, a Democrat who represented the 13th Congressional District, and Republican State Sen. Andrew Lanza are among the others considered to be possible candidates. A source close to McMahon told NBC 4 New York McMahon was "considering" a run but wanted to enjoy the rest of the holidays with his family before he made any decisions.

A message left at Lanza's office was not immediately returned.

The new Congress is scheduled to open Jan. 6, and Grimm's presence would have been a distraction for Republicans who will control both the House and the Senate.

According to the indictment, the tax fraud began in 2007 after Grimm retired from the FBI and began investing in a small Manhattan restaurant called Healthalicious.

The indictment accused him of underreporting more than $1 million in wages and receipts to evade payroll, income and sales taxes, partly by paying immigrant workers, some of them in the country illegally, in cash.

"The congressman fully embraces and accepts his responsibility for his actions," his lawyer, Stuart N. Kaplan, said in a statement Tuesday, adding that Grimm "shows great humility in moving forward for himself, as well as his constituents, to resign."

Grimm's sentencing is scheduled for June 8. Prosecutors said a range of 24 to 30 months in prison would be appropriate, while the defense estimated the appropriate sentence as between 12 and 18 months.

After his court appearance last week, Grimm said he planned to stay in Congress. "As long as I'm able to serve, I'm going to serve," he said.

He also apologized for his actions. "I should not have done it, and I am truly sorry for it," he said.

In his statement Monday, Grimm said he made his "very difficult decision ... with a heavy heart" after much thought and prayer.  

-Andrew Siff contributed to this report

Two San Diego-based ships will join the search for a plane that went missing without a trace two days ago.

Guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson will help search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 at the request of the Indonesian government, the U.S. Navy announced Monday. Also assisting in the efforts will be the USS Fort Worth.

The plane went missing during a flight from Indonesia to Singapore with 162 people on-board. The search is focused on the Java Sea.

The Sampson is currently on an independent deployment in the Western Pacific. She left Naval Base San Diego at the end of October with 300 sailors and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 35 aboard.

USS Forth Worth departed to Southeast Asia on Nov. 17 for a 16-month deployment, with the crew rotating every four months.

The Navy says it is working with Indonesian officials to see if more ships or air support are needed.

The man who authorities said died after being tased by agents while in custody at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on Christmas Eve was identified by the San Diego Medical Examiner's office as 40-year-old Francisco Cesena of El Cajon.

Customs and Border Protection officials said Cesena was taken in for a security check when he attacked two officers and was subsequently tased.

He became unresponsive and stopped breathing just before 7 p.m. He was pronounced dead less than an hour later at Sharp Chula Vista Hospital.

His exact cause and manner of death is still unknown.

LeBron James celebrates his 30th birthday by adding another record in the books.

The Cleveland Cavaliers star has scored 23,901 points in his career, more than any other NBA player before the age of 30, according to NBA.com.

The birthday feat puts an exclamation point on the statistical accomplishments spanning his career. 

"It's not oh my God, it's the wow factor, you know, I've been in this thing for 12 years already, and I've done some pretty cool things in my career," James told Cleveland.com, when asked about his milestone birthday.

The three-time Olympian was the number one NBA draft pick in the 2003 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. After becoming a free agent in 2010, James left the Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. He went onto win two NBA championships with the Heat before returning to the Cavaliers in 2014. 

His numbers on the court don't lie. Compare his accolades between Cleveland and Miami.

"King" James recently posed with British royalty — Prince William and Kate — after a Nets game. He made headlines at the same game in December by wearing an "I Can't Breathe" T-shirt in solidarity with demonstrators protesting a grand jury's decision not to indict a NYPD officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner.

In addition to being a basketball superstar, James is a husband and dad to two boys and a daughter. 

James is spending his birthday playing basketball in Atlanta, where he'll take the court against the Hawks.

Happy 30th Birthday to three-time Olympian @KingJames! pic.twitter.com/peZy41xbtY

— US Olympic Team (@USOlympic) December 30, 2014

Fifteen children have died from flu complications, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to formally declare the latest rise in the virus as an epidemic.

Of all deaths reported in a survey of 122 cities this flu season, 6.8 percent were linked to pneumonia and influenza.

Since the agency's last weekly report, the number of states that have reported escalating illnesses has also risen from 13 to 22.

“The United States experiences epidemics of seasonal flu each year and right now, all of CDC’s influenza surveillance systems are showing elevated activity,” CDC spokeswoman Darlene M. Foote said in an email. These surveillance systems monitor the numbers of virus detections, hospitalizations, and deaths across the U.S.

The report also specifically pointed to the H3N2 strain of the virus as the culprit in the latest outbreak.

This year’s flu vaccine protects against three to four strains of flu, H3N2 being one of them. However, the strain of H3N2 causing many to get sick has mutated and only about half of cases match the vaccine, the CDC has said.

“At this point, CDC is still recommending that unvaccinated people get their flu vaccines,” Foote wrote. “While some of the viruses spreading this season are different from what is in the vaccine, vaccination can still provide protection and might reduce severe outcomes such as hospitalization and death.”

Although an average of 24,000 Americans die each flu season, the CDC prefers to use a range to convey how variable the flu can be. It estimates that from the 1976-1977 flu season to the 2006-2007 season, flu-related deaths in America ranged from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people.

The latest report of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths follow a typical pattern for a flu season, the CDC said.
 

Two people were displaced after fire tore through their University Heights apartment Tuesday.

The blaze started just after 12 p.m. in the 4600 block of Hamilton Street. Smoke was pouring from the windows of a first-floor unit when firefighters arrived, officials said.

San Diego Fire Battalion Chief Grace Yamane says a mattress leaning on a wall heater started the fire.

“(It) also ignited a Christmas tree in the living room,” she said.

Yamane says the fire department sees more fires like this as temperatures drop.

“I already went to a fire earlier this morning that was the result of having a rug on top of a floor heater,” she said.

Yamane offers these tips to prevent a house fire this winter:

Have San Diego Gas and Electric check your heaters to make sure they’re venting properly.

Keep anything flammable away from heating units.

Recycle your Christmas tree. (Click here for a complete list of recycling sites.)

The fire caused major damage to the living room but did not spread to other apartments, according to the fire department.

The residents weren’t home at the time of the fire, so no one was injured. They’re getting assistance from the Red Cross.
 

Dunes of salt spilled from a Morton Salt warehouse in Chicago after a wall collapsed Tuesday, burying cars at the McGrath Acura dealership next door under the white crystals.

No injuries were reported in the collapse at the salt company's North Side factory in the 1300 block of North Elston Avenue, fire officials said.

The wall may have collapsed because the salt inside was piled too high, a preliminary inspection by the Department of Buildings found.

"We are working with local authorities to review and respond to the situation," Morton Salt said in a statement.

Representatives from Morton Salt were at the scene and working with a structural engineer to ensure the remaining structure is safe and supported, according to authorities.

The last inspection at the facility was completed on March 5 and a refrigeration inspection was done on Nov. 2, 2012, officials said. The building also has an outstanding violation for failure to maintain its roof in "sound condition" and make repairs to the western portion of the roof, the department said.

Noble Jones, the general manager at McGrath Acura, says about 11 cars were damaged by the collapse and buried in salt. Jones estimates between seven and eight vehicles belong to customers and four to five were to be sold by the dealership.

Jones said a majority of the vehicles are "a total loss" because there was so much salt the suspension might be damaged.

This year marked the 100th birthday of the Morton Salt girl, according to their website.

Quinnipiac University has temporarily shut down a fraternity expelled a student member after a hazing investigation, and other members have been suspended or disciplined, school officials say.

The university has issued fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) a cease-and-desist order during student conduct proceedings. One student member was expelled, two were suspended, several were sanctioned and many others are being investigated, according to Lynn Bushnell, vice president for public affairs.

The names of the students punished have not been released, and information wasn't immediately available on the nature of the reported hazing.

TKE is listed as the Kappa Psi chapter, according to the organization's website.

Bushnell said that the discipline for the TKE members are "a result of a university student conduct investigation into allegations of hazing."

"Other TKE members have also been sanctioned as part of the investigation, and several more will face the student conduct process," Bushnell said. "In addition, the university has issued the fraternity a cease and desist order prohibiting it from operating at the university until the student conduct process is completed. With the safety and security of our students being paramount, the university will simply not tolerate hazing of any kind by any group or individual and will act swiftly to remove those held responsible from the community.”

The number of law enforcement officers killed by firearms in the U.S. jumped by 56 percent this year and included 15 ambush assaults, according to a report released Tuesday.

California topped the list of officers killed, at 14 deaths. San Diego, though, did not see any officer deaths this year.

The annual report by the nonprofit National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund found that 50 officers were killed by guns this year, compared to 32 in 2013.

In all, the report found that 126 federal, local, tribal and territorial officers were killed in the line of duty in 2014. That's a 24 percent jump from last year's 102 on-duty deaths. Shootings were the leading cause of officer deaths in 2014 followed by traffic-related fatalities, at 49.

"Let’s remember there are 900,000 men and women in law enforcement who go out each and every day facing the dangers the rest of us wouldn’t want to deal with. And some of them didn’t make it home this year, 126 families ripped apart because these officers died in the performance of duty," Craig Floyd, chairman and CEO of National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, said in an interview with NBC Owned Television Stations. "We owe these officers at the very least, remembrance, honor for those who have served and sacrificed, support (for) their families, the survivors left behind – and (to) do everything possible to make it safer for those who continue to serve."

The sharp increase in gun-related deaths among officers followed a dramatic dip in 2013, when the figure fell to levels not seen since the 19th century. This year's uptick comes amid increased tension between police and the public following the high-profile deaths of unarmed black men by white police officers, including those of Eric Garner in Staten Island and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Still, even with the increase, this year's gun death tally remains below average for the past decade and the total fatality count for 2014 is one of the lowest in 50-plus years.

The states that saw the most officer deaths after California were Texas, at 11, and New York, at nine. Florida followed with six deaths, and Georgia had five, according to the report.

The 15 ambush assaults on police officers this year compares to just five in 2013, but matched 2012 for the highest total since 1995, the report said.

Floyd told NBC Owned Television Stations that officers are now "running up against a more cold, calculated killer – people with a lack of respect for government in general, law enforcement in particular." He cited both backlash to the Ferguson and Staten Island decisions, and the June slayings of two Las Vegas police officers shot point-blank in a pizza restaurant by a couple who authorities said held anti-government views.

"These are two self-proclaimed sovereign citizen types who hated the government, viewed the government of the U.S. as their enemy," he said. "And who is the most vulnerable, the most visible symbol of government in America? It’s the uniformed police officer patrolling the streets of our nation, enforcing the laws of our country."

Among the ambush assaults were the fatal attacks on two police officers in New York City on Dec. 20. Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were gunned down in their patrol car by Ismaaiyl Brinsley after Brinsley had made threatening posts online, including a vow to put "wings on pigs'' and references to the Garner and Brown cases.

After shooting the officers, Brinsley ran into a subway station and killed himself. Police said he was troubled and had shot and wounded an ex-girlfriend in Baltimore earlier that day.

NBC Owned Television Stations' Jon Sonnheim and Torey Van Oot contributed to this report. Graphic by Nelson Hsu.

Drivers on southbound Interstate 5 near Naval Base San Diego can’t miss the billboard on the right sponsored by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

The sign advertises the upcoming Military-Veterans Career Fair, while San Diego Police staffing is at its lowest level in a decade.

“This is actually going to be our first military-veterans career fair that we're sponsoring by our department,” said Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel Hedge.

Hedge said his department is looking to fill hundreds of positions; 400 alone for a new correctional facility in Indio.

“Everyone is trying to recruit the best for their agency," Hedge said. "As well as Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

“Everyone” includes the San Diego Police Department. Last month they posted a video on YouTube advertising “America’s Finest,” asking possible candidates to come see what SDPD has to offer. The advertisement comes at a much-needed time when SDPD’s record-low staffing level is projected to continue to decrease.

This isn’t the first time SDPD faced competition from outside the county. In early December, recruiters from the Austin Police Department visited San Diego, dangling salaries close to $70,000 after a year of service.

When asked about the new competition, including the billboard, San Diego Police Lt. Kevin Mayor said, “We are all competing to hire the very best."

“Mayor Faulconer understands the recruitment and retention crisis in the police department and has taken steps to address it," said the press secretary for the mayor’s office. "He included $3.2 million in this year's budget for retention efforts."

That’s in addition to funding 172 police recruits - 36 more than last year.

The question remains – will that be enough with more offers now on the table?

The Bay Area father of a 5-year-old boy bitten by a coyote on Christmas Day fought the animal off his son with a scooter.

Fremont resident Mayur Parnerkar said the attack happened at about 5:30 p.m. when his son, Prathmesh, went outside to meet his friends on the sidewalk. Parnerkar decided to check on his son one last time before closing the door when he saw an animal approaching.

"I thought it might be a dog, but then I got suspicious because there was no owner," Parnerkar said.

When Parnerkar realized the animal was a coyote, he ran to his son.

"The coyote come, and then he attacked me," said Prathmesh, who was bitten by the animal on his left thigh.

Parnerkar took his son's scooter and threw it toward the coyote, and while he fought off the coyote, his wife then grabbed their son. The father kept himself between his family and the coyote, easing back toward their home.

"I had to be there to save my son," he said. "He was so aggressive. He was looking into my eyes, and completely -- I was shaken."

After a two-minute stare-down with the animal, the family made it safely inside.

Parnerkar said the Alameda County Public Health Office called to report the coyote was tested and did not have rabies.

Police said the coyote, which was eventually killed by officers, was responsible for another attack on Christmas Day. The animal bit a 42-year-old man while he was walking to his car on the 3100 block of Starr Street, just near where Prathmesh was attacked, police said.

Officers also responded to another report of a coyote attack at 6:28 p.m. The caller told police that he was running near his home on Montevideo Circle, when what he described as a wolf began to chase him.

The man was able to kick off the animal and safely return to his home, police said.

A husband and wife were killed in a New Hampshire hospital Tuesday in an apparent murder-suicide that their best friend told NECN was an "act of love," not a crime.

Mark and Katherine Lavoie both died after shots were fired just after 6 a.m. at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, friends and family confirmed to NECN, though authorities have not revealed the pair's identities.

The New Hampshire attorney general's office said the investigation is still in its early stages, but the two deaths appear to be the result of a murder-suicide. Autopsies will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of the deaths.

On Facebook, Mark Lavoie stated his anguished motives for wanting to take his wife's life, writing in part, "now because of my selfishness in dialing 911, she is experiencing the only thing she feared more than her illness, life-support on a respirator."

The best friend of the Lavoies told NECN that it was not a crime, but an "act of love," and that the two were soulmates.

Around 6:03 a.m. Tuesday, the attorney general's office said Dover Police responded to a 911 call from Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover reporting shots fired inside the facility. The responding officers found a dead man and his dead wife in a room inside the hospital's critical care unit.

"This morning at 6 a.m. in our ICU, a very sad and horrific event took place," hospital president Gregory Walker said at a press conference held outside the hospital on Tuesday afternoon. Asked for his thoughts when he first heard about the incident, he said, "I was very saddened, and sick."

He said the hospital remains open, and remained open throughout the day. He said counselors will be available on an ongoing basis for patients or staff members who need them.

Walker said the critical care unit consists of private rooms, and only family members have access. He said the hospital has a no firearms policy.

Investigators are withholding the identities of the deceased pending notification of their next of kin. Assistant Attorney General Jay McCormack said he does not anticipate that the names will be released on Tuesday.

"It's in the early stages," McCormack said. "We're not at liberty to release a lot."

A man was shot and killed by police after he allegedly tried to run them over with his car in Delaware County Tuesday.

The suspect was wanted for terroristic threats after he allegedly threatened to kill police and FBI agents in a video posted on YouTube. Police followed the man as he left a relative's home in Clifton Heights late Monday afternoon, according to investigators.

The man was then stopped by Clifton Heights, Upper Darby and Haverford Police officers at Garrett Road and Shadeland Avenue in Drexel Hill. After officers told him to get out of the car, the suspect allegedly put his car in reverse and accelerated, slamming into the vehicle of the Clifton Heights Police chief.

The man then allegedly tried to run over other officers with his vehicle. The officers took out their weapons and opened fire, striking the man several times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have not yet identified the suspect but describe him as a 52-year-old white male. They plan on searching his car to determine whether or not he had a weapon.

No officers were hurt during the incident.

This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for updates.
 

Bomb-sniffing dogs alerted officials to two suspicious packages Tuesday morning at the San Diego International Airport.

The 2-foot-tall boxes were singled out around 9 a.m. in the Southwest Airlines area of the Cargo Terminal, located between the Commuter Terminal and Terminal 1, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue.

SDFD spokesman Lee Swanson said the large boxes were packed with smaller boxes. Swanson identified them as "Amazon packages."

The packages turned out to be harmless.

“We found electronics. We found some cords in there. It looked like a lot of cell phone cases, stuff like that, and some candles,” said Capt. John Wood with the Bomb Squad.

Workers in the cargo area were evacuated, but the incident did not impact passengers.

“Luckily, we didn’t have to shut down the airport. We’re always thinking about that,” Wood said.

Units cleared the scene around 11:45 a.m. Tuesday.

A two-legged dog with a pair of wheels for front legs, which garnered worldwide attention, has a San Diego man to thank for his new wheels.

The Chihuahua named “Turboroo,” who was born without his two front legs, was just a small puppy when someone dropped him off at an Indianapolis veterinarian’s office with a note suggesting he be euthanized if he can't be properly cared for.

A technician at the veterinarian’s office took him in, giving him a second chance at life. She pieced together a tinker toy-like contraption to help him walk, but it wasn’t until San Diego’s Mark Deadrick saw a photo of the pup online that Turboroo got a real chance to run.

“I knew I could make something better,” said Deadrick, who owns 3DYN, a company that develops aerospace products.

Deadrick said it was like a personal challenge. Less than 24 hours later, he'd designed the wheeled legs and watched them come to life through his 3-D printer.

“The weight of the dog is pretty low, so we can use some off the shelf parts," Deadrick said. "We’re using inline skate wheels for the really small dogs. We’re using scooter wheels for the medium sized dogs.”

Deadrick was as surprised as anyone to watch the dog and his invention go viral.

The story is sparking interest on all sorts of new animal prosthetics, but Deadrick is also working on new ways to help humans and is excited about the future of 3-D printing.

“Eventually, if we’re talking prosthetics, I don’t see any reason why within the next 15 to 20 years we couldn’t print someone a new arm or a new leg,” he said.