As violence continues to grip Chicago, area teens are presenting their ideas on how to curb the seemingly endless violence to city leaders Saturday.

• What some teens are saying about violence

The University of California, San Diego, may be known as a school for serious academics, but the La Jolla university is also regarded as a top school for surfers.

The Surf Channel has just released a list of the “Top 10 Universities for Surfers” and UCSD comes in at the tubular No. 2 spot, mainly for its close proximity to Blacks Beach.

The list waxes: “Long, consistent lines with shreddable 10-12’ foot potential? Who are we kidding, how does anyone get an education at UCSD with Blacks Beach just a hike away?! Plus, if you’re trying to build a rep, UCSD has a rounded surf team that dedicates every week to early morning training, guess it shows with six national titles.”

“This ranking is a testament to the dynamic student experience at UC San Diego,” UCSD Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla said in media statement. “In addition to being an academic powerhouse, our vibrant campus community and incredible location on the Pacific Ocean offer students a variety of unique opportunities outside the classroom.”

“Having the ability to park in the Muir College parking lot, suit up, run across the street to go surfing and come back to go to class is a pretty unique experience,” said Shaun Burrell, senior co-captain of the UCSD surf team.

Other local universities that made the list of top schools for surfing include Point Loma Nazarene University (ranked No. 5) and Cal State San Marcos (No. 9).

UC Santa Barbara, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Florida Institute of Technology, Pepperdine University, Monmouth University and Cal State Long Beach also made the cut.

Finally, UC Santa Cruz earned top honors as the No. 1 school for surfers.

For the full list click here.
 

Family members whose loved ones were killed or seriously injured by Border Patrol and CBP agents rallied in protest Saturday at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

The families are in San Diego for two days of demonstrations and meetings with government officials regarding alleged Border Patrol brutality.

Saturday’s protest ran from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Families were joined by human rights organizations, including Alliance San Diego. Together, the group plans to take their concerns to Washington, D.C., to speak about how alleged out-of-control border enforcement has affected their lives.

The family members leading the protest are linked to several local high-profile cases involving accusations of Border Patrol brutality.

This includes Porfirio Hernandez and Maria de Luz Rojas, parents of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, a man who was allegedly beaten and tased by BP and CBP agents in May 2010. His widow, Maria Puga, is also protesting.

Family members of Carlos Lamadrid, who was allegedly shot and killed by agents in March 2011, also rallied, as well as Shena Gutierrez, wife of Jose Gutierrez – who was allegedly beaten and tased into a coma in March 2011.

Valentin Tachiquin, father of Valeria Tachiquin-Alvarado also took part in the demonstration.

Tachiquin-Alvarado, a local mother of five, was killed in an agent-involved shooting in Chula Vista on September 28, 2012. Her family has publicly expressed outrage over the shooting and filed a wrongful death claim against the Border Patrol last October.

On Monday, family, faith leaders and human rights advocates plan to travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with policymakers and continue seeking justice for the deaths and injuries of their loved ones.

NBC 7 reached out to CBP officials for comment on this local protest and they released the following statement:

“All accusations of misconduct are taken seriously, and are investigated as thoroughly as possible. In most circumstances, after an investigation of wrong-doing, agents and officers were found to have conducted themselves appropriately. However any CBP agent or officer within our ranks that does not adhere to the highest standards of conduct will be identified and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken. Mistreatment or misconduct by a CBP agent or officer will not be tolerated in any way. We appreciate the efforts of individuals to report concerns as soon as they arise and we will continue to cooperate fully with any effort to investigate allegations of misconduct."
 

Strong, high winds are expected to blow through San Diego over the weekend, the National Weather Service (NWS) reports.

To that end, a high wind warning is in effect beginning at 10 p.m. Saturday, through 4 p.m. Sunday. Another high wind advisory will follow from 4 p.m. Sunday until 3 a.m. Monday.

According to the NWS, some local areas will experience northeast winds from 25 to 35 mph, with gusts up to 65 mph through and below passes and canyons.

Strong winds will develop Saturday night, with the strongest gusts occurring Sunday morning.
Gusty northeast winds up to 45 mph are expected to continue through late Sunday night.

The high winds could make driving difficult, especially for motorists driving larger, high-profile vehicles. Drivers are urged to be extra alert on roadways, on the lookout for possible broken tree limbs and downed power lines.

Click HERE for our latest weather news and updates.
 

A limo bus occupied by a wedding party burst into flames near Old Town San Diego Saturday, fire dispatchers said.

The bus fire sparked around 12:30 p.m. near the Old Town bus and trolley stop, just uphill from Old Town near Taylor Street.

Wedding party passengers were able to get out safely and no one was injured. The limo bus, however, was destroyed.

Firefighters knocked down the blaze within 15 minutes. Officials say the cause of the fire was electrical in nature. The investigation is ongoing.

Taylor Street was temporarily closed following the party bus fire, but the Old Town Station was not affected.

Shooting hoops is no problem for one otter at the Oregon Zoo.

Eddie the otter was trained by zoo staff to dunk a basketball in a small plastic hoop. However the exercise isn't simply for some playtime.

He is currently 15 which is pretty old for an otter, and with age comes ailments as with all creatures. His fur was once a rich brown color but now his coat is creamy white around his face and neck. He also has developed arthritis in his elbows. Dunking the basketball helps the balling animal's arthritic joints.

He usually sinks the ball with ease. But when he does miss, he hits the boards, grabs the rebound and goes up again until he scores.

Eddie makes most of his shots. But when he misses, he hits the boards, grabs the rebound and goes up again until he scores.

Sea otters have incredible dexterity which explains Eddie's talent, according to keeper Jenny DeGroot.

San Diego police are searching for an armed suspect who allegedly shot a man around 7 a.m. Sunday at an apartment complex in the 2500 block of J Street.

The 18-year-old victim told police he answered a knock at the door at the apartment in Sherman Heights, and a man pointed a .38 revolver at him and fired, according to San Diego police officer Dan Lasher.

The victim was taken to a local hospital trauma unit suffering from gun shot wounds to the back and torso, authorities confirmed. It was unclear if he sustained other injuries, but he is expected to survive, police said.

Police are looking for a Hispanic male wearing white tennis shoes, blue jeans, a black baseball cap and a black hoodie. He is described as having a tatoo of "CJ" above one of his eyes.

The 18-year-old suspect is about 5 feet 5 inches tall with a thin build. He has black hair and brown eyes, according to officers.

Police said he fled the scene in a red Mitsubishi Eclipse, and he is likely armed.

San Diego police Lt. Darryl Hoover said the shooting stemmed from a previous domestic violence incident on Saturday, in which the same suspect allegedly assaulted a female at the apartment. Her family member, believed to be a second cousin, came to the home to protect her if the suspect returned.

"We have a good Samaritan here, who had come out to protect the interests of this female victim from the prior incident, and it appears our suspect shot that person, and then fled," Hoover said.

If anyone sees a person matching the suspect's description, they are asked to call San Diego police at 619-531-2204.

A person was shot and injured in an attempted robbery in San Marcos Sunday morning, sheriff’s officials said.

The incident happened around 8:40 a.m. in the 300 block of Smilax Road.

Sheriff’s Lt. Scott Amos said the victim was approached by two or three suspects in an attempted robbery.

When the victim resisted, one of the suspects opened fire.

Lt. Amos said the victim sustained a gunshot wounds and was transported to a local hospital.

The suspects fled the scene in a black car, possibly a Honda. Lt. Amos said the suspects, described as Hispanic males, were not immediately located. They remain at large.

No information was released about the victim’s identity or extent of injuries.
 

A man sustained a serious head injury after an unknown suspect attacked him with a crowbar at a local gas station.

The violent attack happened just before 3 a.m. at the Express Gas station located at 5109 Imperial Ave. in San Diego’s Valencia Park area.

The suspect had driven into the gas station and told the station clerk he needed gas but had no money. The clerk refused him gas.

Just then, another car drove into the gas station occupied by a man and woman.

The man began pumping gas when the suspect walked up to the woman wielding a crowbar. The suspect demanded money, but the woman refused.

Police say that’s when the suspect walked up to the man pumping gas and asked him for money. Again, his request was ignored.

The suspect then allegedly hit the man multiple times in the head with the crowbar before fleeing the gas station.

The victim – a 25-year-old man whose name has not yet been released – sustained a serious head injury and was transported to a local hospital. The woman was not injured in the crowbar attack.

The victim’s current condition is unknown.

The suspect is still outstanding.

Police describe him as a white man in his 50s with a heavy build and long, white beard. He was wearing a green camouflage hat, green camouflage pants, an orange shirt and an orange and white Miami Dolphins or University of Miami jacket during the beating.

His vehicle is described as a white Mazda truck with a white camper shell with two separated windows on the sides.

Anyone with information on this suspect is urged to contact authorities.

A National City police officer is being recognized for his key role in Christopher Dorner investigation.

Dorner, an ex-LAPD officer-turned-fugitive accused of killing four people during a revenge-fueled crime spree earlier this month, spent time in National City before fleeing to Big Bear, where he would eventually die of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a fiery cabin.

Now, the careful police work of local Officer Paul Hernandez has come to light as crucial in linking Dorner to the Feb. 3 murder of Irvine couple Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence – Dorner’s first victims.

After the murder of the couple, officials say Dorner headed to San Diego, passing through National City, where a surveillance camera filmed him throwing a few personal things away in a dumpster behind a store on Feb. 6.

Timeline: Revenge-Plot Slayings | Map: LAPD Manhunt

Those discarded items included body armor, bullets, a military belt strap and an LAPD uniform.

That’s where Officer Hernandez’s role in the investigation came into play. With some quick thinking, he was able to put a few of puzzle pieces together.

Hernandez told NBC 7 he was just doing his job when he found the LAPD equipment tossed by Dorner inside that National City dumpster.

The dumpster happened to be near police headquarters.

Hernandez said he had no idea his discovery would start a massive manhunt for an armed and dangerous suspect.

At first, Hernandez thought the LAPD uniform and other equipment had been stolen from someone in the LAPD.

Until, that is, he took a closer look at the evidence.

“They wear similar uniforms to ours, however, they actually say ‘LA Police’ on the buttons. And then [the uniform] had a similar nametag to mine, but it had Dorner's last name on it,” recalled Hernandez.

Dorner’s name – which, at that point, was still unknown to law enforcement and the public, as the manhunt had not yet begun -- was also found on an officer's notebook, as well as Dorner’s serial number.

The name and serial number of Sgt. Teresa Evans was also on the notebook.

Hernandez immediately called Sgt. Evans by phone to ask a few questions.

Evans told Hernandez how she knew Christopher Dorner. In fact, Evans was one of the LAPD officers named in Dorner’s online manifesto, which would be highly-publicized a short time later.

“She had been working under him as a training officer and said that he had gotten terminated several years ago,” said Hernandez.

After their conversation, Evans pointed Irvine police in Dorner’s direction as a possible suspect in the murders of Quan and Lawrence, who had been gunned down in the parking structure of their apartment complex.

From there, police found Dorner’s now-infamous online manifesto, which vowed revenge against LAPD officer and their families.

Many of those LAPD families went into hiding and were under 24/7 police protection while Dorner remained at large.

The international manhunt for Dorner followed, until the fugitive’s death in the Big Bear area on Feb. 12.

But, it was the critical bit of work from Officer Hernandez that helped get the ball rolling -- and may have even saved the lives of more innocent victims.

“I was happy to see that [through] the stuff we had located here in our city, that they were able to link things up and give it to other officers in the field, and hopefully prevent any other incidents from happening,” said Hernandez.

Still, some parts of the Dorner investigation remain a mystery.

National City police still can’t explain why Dorner circled their police department building three times before tossing his items in the dumpster right across the street. They also wonder why Dorner chose to deposit that evidence so close to the police station.

A blind San Diego resident and a former Padres player are teaming up to run a marathon for a good cause.

On March 10, former Padres set-up pitcher Aki Otsuka will serve as a sighted guide to Hiro Iwamoto as they run side-by-side through the 13.1-mile course of the San Diego Half Marathon.

Their participation in the run is intended to help raise funds to buy a sail boat that will be donated to high school students involved in sailing clubs in Fukushima, Japan.

The fundraiser is the brainchild of Iwamoto, a blind runner and sailor who resides in San Diego and runs the website www.SeeWhatISea.com/en.

Iwamoto – a native of Japan – says the plan is to donate a sail boat to students impacted by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Iwamoto says those impacted by the earthquake and tsunami experienced so much fear during the disaster, they may have lost their passion for the ocean and sailing.

By donating a new sail boat, he hopes young Japanese sailors will embrace the seas and take up the hobby once again.

“A lot of people must’ve gotten fear after the tsunami. I want them to go out to the ocean again. I want to give them the opportunity to start feeling that the ocean is great again,” Iwamoto told NBC 7.

Otsuka says he’s happy to be involved in Iwamoto’s fundraising efforts. He has immediate family in Japan who was affected by the 2011 earthquake.

“Japan is still suffering, so this is a good way to help,” he told NBC 7.

The pair has been practicing and running together in preparation for the marathon around San Diego.

And, while Otsuka is supposed to serve as the sighted guide to Iwamoto during the race, he says Iwamoto has been just as supportive to him – especially when it comes to keeping stride.

The former Padre admits he’s not accustomed to running such long distances, as his baseball career required shorter distance running.

“I haven’t run this much distance since high school,” Otsuka said with a laugh. “[During] the first practice, I was supposed to lead Hiro, but I was led by him instead!”

Iwamoto says his running partner has been training and running a lot lately, so he’s confident they’ll complete the half marathon without a hitch.

The pair will run side-by-side during the race, with a special rope connecting them. Iwamoto says the tension from the rope will help indicate which direction he should be turning during the run.

After the San Diego Half Marathon, Iwamoto will travel to Japan to start preparing for another endeavor: sailing across the Pacific.

He plans to sail from Fukashima back to San Diego with the help of a Japanese sighted sailor.
Iwamoto says that sailing trip will begin in June, which should have him sailing into San Diego by mid-August.

To learn more about Iwamoto’s running and sailing adventures, visit this website.

Drone technology is not just for the battlefield. Now, drones can also be used to help fight fires.

While drones are commonly used by the military for surveillance and dropping bombs, unmanned aerial systems are now being developed for much broader uses outside the military.

Take, for instance, Datron's 2.5-pound drone equipped with a camera  “Scout.”

The Scout -- which can fly above 1,500 feet and has a two-mile radius – can help firefighters do their job more safely and effectively, according to Orion Linekin of Datron.

“The scout is designed as a squad level solution for that soldier on the front line or that firefighter public safety officer on the front line to get immediate situational awareness,” Linekin told NBC in an exclusive interview.

The drone’s design makes it ideal for helping fight fires.

"Anytime we have an aerial view for the incident commander it helps us make operational decisions," said Cal Fire San Diego Capt. Mike Mohler.

From Santa Ana winds-driven wildfires – like those that sparked back in 2007 – to providing a rooftop view for structural fires, Capt. Mohler says drones like the Scout can be another tool to help firefighters prevent death and destruction.

“If it's a Santa Ana wind-driven fire, maybe the next affected neighborhood, but if we have an aerial drone up we can see the rate of spread and know that within a certain amount of time a certain neighborhood or community may be threatened,” added Mohler.

It's a simple system that can be flown right from a touchscreen tablet.

“Then we just climb by holding on to the altitude bar,” explained Linekin.

And the Scout’s size, and easy assembly, makes it ideal for on-scene commanders.

“There’s still going to be a need to bring in helicopter assets and water drop assets, but those take longer to get on scene. This is something that comes immediately out of the truck and, within five minutes, you can be looking at what you’ve got to deal with,” said Linekin.

A little drone, with a big picture, that can help save lives.

The Scout is being demonstrated for its use in assisting firefighters, and it's already been used in a HAZMAT situation.

For the aforementioned potential use in Santa Ana winds-driven fires like in 2007, the Scout can fly in sustained winds greater than 30 mph and has stayed airborne in gusts greater than 50 mph.
 

Once again, El Cajon rules the NASCAR world.

Granite Hills High School alum Jimmie Johnson won the 55th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday. It's the second time the Lowe's #48 car has won The Great American Race. The first was in 2006, when Johnson win the first of his 5 straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Championships.

"This race car, this Lowe's Chevrolet, was so good," said Johnson in Victory Lane "(crew chief) Chad Knaus and all of Hendrick Motorsports had me a fast car, and I could really stay up front all day long."

With 20 laps to go, Johnson had reigning Sprint Cup champ Brad Keselowski were side-by-side on a restart. Keselowski gave it a good run, but damage his car sustained from a crash earlier in the race eventually took its toll. Still, Keselowski did a tremendous job getting back into contention with duct tape holding the from end of his car together.

Without a dominant car, he really had no chance to hang with the 48.

"I had a lot of confidence those final few laps leading the train," said Johnson, who really went unchallenged after another restart with 6 laps left. "I knew just how fast this car was."

Danica Patrick finished 8th, the highest finish ever for a woman at the Daytona 500. Crowd favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 2nd, right behind his team mate.

It's the 61st win of Johnson's Hall of Fame career. He's the 10th driver in history to win multiple Daytona 500 titles.

Afterwards, he did what all good drivers do. Thanked the fans, and played corporate pitch man.

"Go to Lowe's, buy some stuff, Spring's coming. Go and buy a Chevrolet. Awesome day."

On a Sunday, a day of worship, Bishop Ivory Wilson sees a shattered window of a building that serves as a church on the weekend and as a day care during the week.

There is the charred cafeteria where children would eat their snacks. A roof is now blackened with soot. It's just feet away from where students learn and play at the day care center.

"We worked hard to make this,” Wilson said. “The kids love us, the parents love us and we love them.”

Director Sandra Wilson said: “This just broke my heart, I couldn't stop crying.” 

They say they believe the fire was deliberately set, given the vandalism spray-painted on the walls: three large red swastikas. 

The owners of Little Leapers Childcare center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., say it’s a hate crime. In the last few weeks, employees say they also have been on the receiving end of a verbal threat. 

Three weeks before the fire, an anonymous someone phoned “and threatened us,” said Joyce Bryant, lead schoolteacher. The caller told staff to pack their bags and get out, Bryant said.

When that call came in, the bishop and his wife contacted police. Sunday, instead of singing and praising in the auditorium, they're tallying up items that were stolen: Cameras, music equipment and flatscreen TVs used to live-stream sermons.

"Here we've got parents that won't know where to take their kids tomorrow morning," Wilson said.

They've been present in the community now for more than four years. They can’t understand why they’ve been attacked.

"We think everyone should be able to run their own business without anyone trying to run them out," Bryant said.

The bishop said vacating the building is the last thing they'll do, unwilling to let hatred win.

"We're not going to run,” he said. “Whatever game they're playing doesn't frighten me.”

Pope Benedict XVI has issued a "motu proprio," a personal document that has the force of church law, to speed up the timeline for choosing his successor.

The conclave rule change allows cardinals to move up the start date if they all arrive in Rome before the usual 15-day transition. Once the cardinals meet in what's called General Congregations, they will set the date for the conclave, which is now scheduled for March 15.  

Vatican insiders anticipate a new date of March 9 or 10 so that a pope will be in place before Palm Sunday.  

Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago, spoke at a ceremony at the Holy Name Cathedral Sunday afternoon, where he called the week ahead an "intense moment."

“It’s an intense moment because it’s taken very seriously,” George said.  “Hopefully the conclave will make a good pope. It worked last time and the time before that so I'm sure it will work this time too.”

Pope Benedict XVI delivered his final words earlier that day where he emphasized that he is not abandoning the church but that he will serve in a way “more suitable” to his age and strength.

George said he plans to take “an active part” in the conversation to elect a new pope and asked that his followers pray for him and the other cardinals as he heads to the Vatican Tuesday.

A veteran New Jersey high school teacher was accused of contacting a student through Facebook and offering that student cash in exchange for sexual acts, prosecutors said.

Thomas Weir, a teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson, N.J., was arrested Saturday evening in the parking lot of a restaurant where he planned to meet the student, authorities said. 

Weir, 50, was charged with attempted sexual assault, attempted endangering the welfare of a child and official misconduct, among other crimes. The Monticello, N.Y., resident has been employed by the Paterson Board of Education for more than two decades.

Prosecutors said Weir contacted the student through Facebook instant messaging and offered the student $50 for a sexual encounter. 

Weir faces a maximum of 40 years in prison if convicted of all the counts against him. Bail had not been set as of Sunday evening.

It wasn't immediately clear if Weir had an attorney. 

A man rolled a car down a 50-foot embankment and ended up trapped in the backseat early Monday near Hillcrest.

The car was traveling northbound along State Route 163 around 1:15 a.m. when it went out of control near the onramp to 6th Avenue.

Firefighters and California Highway Patrol officer found the driver trapped in the back seat.

It took crews about 10 minutes to free him.

They fitted him with a neck brace and strapped him to a gurney before taking him to a nearby hospital for treatment.
 

Dog owners are being warned that dog treats and food sold nationwide may be contaminated with salmonella.

The products were voluntarily recalled on Thursday by two separate companies, including San Diego-based business The Honest Kitchen.

The Southern California company recalled five lots of its Verve, Zeal and Thrive pet food products manufactured between August and November 2012.

No other Honest Kitchen products have been affected, according to the company. The Honest Kitchen’s products are sold in the U.S. and Canada at various retail stores, including smaller shops.

Human-grade parsley in the dog food may be contaminated with salmonella and has been recalled by the supplier, the company said.

The Honest Kitchen said it has not received any reports of illness. In a statement, company founder Lucy Postins said the move was “precautionary.”

"While our quality control tests did not find evidence of salmonella in any of our finished products, we are accountable for everything we make," Postins said.

Pet treats made by Kasel Associates Industries Inc. between April 20, 2012, and Sept. 19, 2012, have also been recalled due to possible salmonella contamination.

The Denver-based company’s recall includes Boots & Barley, BIXBI, Nature’s Deli, Colorado Naturals, Best Bully Stick items and Petco products, such as pig ears and jerky. The items are sold at major nationwide retailers including Target, Petco, Sam’s Club and Costco.

The FDA found 48 out of 87 samples of the product tested positive for salmonella, with more than 10 different species of the contagious bacteria. The affected treats were made at the company’s Denver plant.

Although there have been no reports of humans getting sick from the recalled products, the FDA said it has received complaints of illness in dogs who were exposed to the Kasel-brand treats.

The FDA warned consumers to dispose of the treats in a place where any pets cannot reach them, thoroughly wash their hands after touching the treats and wipe down any surfaces the product may have touched.

Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers of the bacteria and infect other animals or
humans, according to the FDA. Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections.

Humans infected with salmonella may experience symptoms such as:

• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea or bloody diarrhea
• abdominal cramping
• fever

Pets with salmonella infections may experience these symptoms:

• lethargy
• diarrhea or bloody diarrhea
• fever
• vomiting
• decreased appetite
• abdominal pain

For a complete list of the recalled Honest Kitchen-brand dog foods, click here.

For a complete list of the recalled Kasel-brand dog treats, click here.

Click here to check other pet food safety recalls and alerts.