A prep football standout and grandson of a Chargers Hall of Famer floored his mother when he announced his intended college Wednesday.

Frank Buncom IV, a senior at St. Augustine High School, shocked his mother when he announced which college he’ll attend in the fall.

In fact, his mother fell out of her seat when Buncom announced it on ESPNU.

“My father was more the introverted type, so he never told me where to go,” Buncom explained. “But my mother never made me doubt for a second that she wanted me to attend Stanford University. So I know if I could surprise her with that, it would be one of the best moments of her life.”

Buncom said he loved the school's combination of athletics and academics and has plans to attend medical school.

The name may sound familiar to area football fans.

Frank's grandfather, of the same name, went to USC and later earned a place in the Chargers Hall of Fame.
 

San Diego Police responded to a break-in at a pot dispensary early Thursday at the corner of Market Street and 27th street in Grant Hill.

The metal gate had been pried open and small window on the front door was broken, police said.

The alarm was triggered at about 4:30 a.m., one officer said.

Investigators went the scene but could not initially reach the owner of the dispensary to determine whether there was any loss. No signs or banners indicated the name of the dispensary.

Back in January of 1971, the Baltimore Colts pulled off a miracle.

In a game later dubbed by some as the “Blunder Bowl,” the Colts beat the Cowboys 16-13 in Super Bowl V while also committing seven turnovers, the third-highest total in Super Bowl history.

In fact, the game was a monument to mistakes, with both teams combining for 11 turnovers.

But not one of those Colts turnovers was an interception returned for a touchdown. If it had been, Baltimore would have been doomed. In fact, if it happens to either the Seahawks or Patriots Sunday in Super Bowl XLIX in Glendale, Ariz., history says that team also has no chance of winning.

As ESPN.com’s Gregg Easterbrook pointed out this week, teams that have returned interceptions for touchdowns in the 48 previous Super Bowls are 12-0. It all started when Green Bay's Herb Adderley returned an interception 60 yards in the Packers' victory over the Raiders in Super Bowl II.

“Get a pick-six, win the Super Bowl,” he wrote. “It’s pretty much that simple.”

If that’s the case, give the Seahawks the edge going into the 49^th Super Bowl.

The Seahawks – who had the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL this season -- have returned three interceptions for touchdowns this season. The Pats have zero. And in their careers, Tom Brady (2) has thrown more pick-sixes than Russell Wilson (1) – though Brady has played 15 seasons and Wilson is in only his third.

Both teams have been very careful with the football this season, however. In the 16 games of the regular season, the Patriots threw nine interceptions; the Seahawks threw just seven. On defense, New England picked off 16 passes, three more than Seattle.

Both head coaches, Pete Carroll of Seattle and Bill Belichick of New England, are defensive-minded coaches who preach the value of takeaways – but also drum it into their offensive units to take care of the football.

So, seemingly, a pick-six in Sunday’s Super Bowl might appear an unlikely prospect. Brady hasn’t won three Super Bowls by making careless mistakes in big games. Wilson, too, has developed a reputation for strong decision-making and winning close games.

Then again, Carroll’s ball-hawking ‘Hawks in practice and games are always out not only to make stops but “Get the Ball!” – one of the coach’s favorite phrases.

Said Carroll of his defensive philosophy with the Seahawks: “The defense can balance out a mistake or two by an offense by taking the football away. So it’s the No. 1 emphasis in the program.”

If the Seahawks do that Sunday, taking a Brady pass all the way back for six points, figure Carroll's bunch will be in line for their second Super Bowl rings.

Deontay Wilder has a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

Not only does he have a young family to take care of, but he has the hopes and future of American boxing on his shoulders. Wilder recently beat Bermane Stiverne to win the WBC Heavyweight Championship, the first American-born fighter to hold a belt since 2009.

He’s now 34-0, with an unbelievable 33 wins coming by knockout.

Wilder understands how the heavyweight division has fallen out of favor and taken a back seat to Mixed Martial Arts. But, he’s determined to make the Heavyweight Champion the baddest man on the planet once again.

NBC 7’s Derek Togerson talked to the Champ about tracking down Wladimir Klitschko to unify the belts, why it takes a great fighter with a larger-than-life personality to make U.S. fight fans pay attention to heavyweights again, and how he won that WBC belt, despite breaking his hand during the fight.
 

A group of unknown suspects are wanted for a series of seemingly random attacks on businesses throughout San Diego.

San Diego Crime Stoppers and the San Diego Police Department Robbery Unit are seeking the public's help in locating a group of unknown men connected to the Random Bandits robbery series. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the identification, location and apprehension of the suspects.

Police said since Dec. 15, a dozen businesses with no connection or pattern have been attacked by one to three suspects. Not all have been armed robberies, and those that have were with a handgun, a knife or both.

The suspects are all described by police as 20- to 30-year-old dark-skinned males with medium builds. Witnesses and surveillance tape suggest the suspects consistently dress "monochromatic," with no obvious symbols or designs, and they wear dark colored hoodies or long sleeves.

Police said it's possible the suspects are driving a dark colored sedan similar to a Toyota Camry or Corolla.

The robberies include a tax preparer office, hotel, taco shop, Subway sandwich shop, liquor store, pizza place and others. A full list is available here.

Anyone with information regarding this robbery series is asked to contact the SDPD Robbery Unit at (619) 531-2299 or Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477 or by clicking here.

Some people may remember President Obama showing off his singing voice in 2012, with his rendition of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together."

Now, the President has shown off his vocal skills again -- sort of -- in a rendition of the hit song "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson (ft. Bruno Mars).

The popular YouTube channel Baracksdubs has posted a mashup of the President's speeches put together to the tune of the song. The video has already racked up more than 850,000 views in its first two days.

Previously, the channel has posted videos of Obama seemingly singing "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea and "Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer.

A Los Angeles-based graffiti artist has transformed the boarded-up windows at PETA's Bob Barker Building on Sunset Boulevard into an anti-SeaWorld mural.

An SUV slammed into the animal rights group’s office on Jan. 16 during a SeaWorld protest planning meeting. There were no injuries, but the crash left a gaping hole in the office’s wall.

The group "decided to make good use of the temporary wall" by enlisting local graffiti legend Cache, PETA said in a statement Wednesday.

His work of art protests SeaWorld’s alleged treatment of its orcas. The mural depicts orcas swimming in the ocean alongside the artist’s signature chickens holding signs that reads: "Hey, SeaWorld: Empty the Tanks!" and "Born to Be Wild." 

"PETA loves turning lemons into lemonade — and with Cache's help, we've turned this accident into an eye-catching reminder that orcas belong in the ocean and that for keeping orcas in tanks, SeaWorld is the biggest lemon of them all," PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a news release.

"As people's awareness of SeaWorld's cruelty to orcas rises, SeaWorld's ticket sales, stock, and sponsorship plummet."

PETA is against using animals for entertainment and "encourages caring people to visit only interactive parks that don't condemn animals to a lifetime of suffering," according to its website. 

The theme park has been under fire since the 2013 release of "Blackfish," a film that centers on the treatment of a captive orca named Tilikum.

SeaWorld could not be reached for comment.

An Escondido man convicted of the brutal, drug-fueled murder of a young mother was sentenced to 100 years to life in a Vista courtroom Wednesday.

Jeffrey Steven McCreary, 44, was found guilty in the 2012 shooting death of 20-year-old Morayama Rodriguez. Known as Denise to family and friends, Rodriguez was the mother of an 11-month-old girl.

According to San Diego sheriff's deputies, McCreary and Rodriguez had met only a week or two before the murder.

The two were apparently riding with another friend in a white Mercedes when McCreary pulled out a gun and shot Rodriguez to death in what deputies said appeared to be an unprovoked attack.

Rodriguez's body was found by a mountain biker lying face down alongside a secluded road near Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido, according to authorities.

Deputies arrested McCreary three days later after a pursuit through Escondido.

He was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to 100 years to life in state prison.

A San Marcos father is upset about a post on his daughter's Facebook page. He says someone posted a derogatory term about African Americans but when he reported it to Facebook, administrators said there is nothing they can do.

"It's showing kids that it's OK. You can do what you want,” said Cody York of the post that used the N-word. York says he immediately responded to the person who posted it.

“After I saw that and made a comment to him about think of yourself talking to your mother or would you talk to your loved ones like that.”

York said he immediately reported the comment to Facebook Administrators saying it contained hate speech or symbols. He was surprised by the response.

“Facebook got back to me today (Wednesday) and said they reviewed it and it doesn't violate their community standards.”

The post used the N-word but spelled it with an “ah” at the end, instead of an “er.”

Dr. Roy Whitaker, a professor at San Diego State University, said this is a touchy subject. He isn’t surprised some people may feel free to use the N-word, especially on social media, and don't see it as offensive.

"It's obviously going to be a touchy term, particularly when those individuals not in the black community use the term," Whitaker said. "Of course the context will of course matter in terms of who uses the term and how they use the term.”

He went on to say, “In terms of youth culture in particular, and the social media networks, with them listening to hip hop and other forms of music, there’s a currency to the term and so it gets brought into different communities and different sectors.”

But York said in no way is it acceptable.

“Just getting the word out to parents, saying monitor your kids Facebook," York said. "They may talk one way in front of you, but you never know when they are with their friends or away from home.”

A Facebook spokesperson sent NBC 7 this statement:

“We aim to find the right balance between giving people a place to express themselves and promoting a welcoming and safe environment for our diverse, global community. Not all disagreeable or disturbing content violates our Community Standards. For this reason, we offer people who use Facebook the ability to customize and control what they see by unfollowing, blocking and hiding the posts, people, Pages and applications they don’t want to see.”

A pediatric nurse accused of performing sex acts on two infants and videotaping them has entered a guilty plea Thursday, the court clerk confirmed.

Michael William Lutts, 50, a former Kaiser Permanente nurse, was arrested last August at his College Grove home and charged with sexual exploitation of a child.

Lutts plead guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of distribution of child pornography.

A federal grand jury indictment says around July 24, he took sexually explicit digital photos of an 11-month-old girl.

He then began performing lewd acts on his prematurely born, 2-month-old foster child on Aug. 4, 2014, the day Lutts received custody of him, officials say.

Investigators detail graphic incidents in court documents, alleging Lutts touched and manipulated the infant’s genitals while masturbating and filming the abuse.

Pictures show the hospital tag was still attached to the boy’s leg, according to a complaint. The FBI says the baby can be heard crying through many of the videos.

Agents started tracking Lutts because they believed he was a child pornography distributor. When they served a search warrant to his house, they say they found several hundred pornographic images and videos involving children.

The foster child has since been placed in the care of Child Protective Services.

Kaiser Permanente said Lutts was terminated in September.

Two other men are accused of conspiring with Lutts. A federal indictment says Stephen Schaffner, an ex-counselor, directed Lutts to sexually abuse his foster child and send pictures to him.

Last week, Bartolomeo Baravella was arrested on suspicion of planning to kidnap a baby with Lutts. Baravella has been charged with possession of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Lutts faces a maximum of 80 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced April 20.

A San Diego State University professor who obtained the first conditional use permit for the operation of a medical marijuana dispensary is cleared to move forward with the business, according to a report from KPBS.

In October, the San Diego Development Service Commission approved the City of San Diego's first medical marijuana dispensary license. SDSU business professor Dr. David Blair was the man behind it all.

Blair, a business ethics professor, applied for the license to open A Green Alternative on Roll Drive in Otay Mesa. But Barbara Gordon, a North County drug specialist, appealed the ruling.

The city's Planning Commission, however, denied the appeal unanimously Thursday, KPBS said.

A Green alternative will be the second legal dispensary in San Diego county and the first for the city, according to KPBS.

“We’re just so thrilled, grateful and humbled by it,” Blair said in October of the permit approval.

Having been diagnosed with HIV and PID, Blair uses medicinal marijuana and recalls having to drive to Los Angeles to get his prescription filled legally.

He said he is dedicated to following the rules and setting an example for other marijuana dispensaries that may come to San Diego.

“We play by the rules. We always intend to play by the rules and we will only play by the rules,” Blair said.

Opponents said the one-story commercial building where the dispensary will be located is not the right place for a pot shop.

But according to KPBS, the nearest neighborhood is nearly five miles away, and to get to the nearest residence - a prison - one would have to travel two miles.

The dispensary will be located at 2335 Roll Drive #4 near near Siempre Viva Road just east of State Route 905.

Blair noted that when he is teaching, he does not medicate the day before so he can be alert for his classes.

A man accused of posting more than 10,000 sexually explicit photos of women to a website to extort them for money sat quietly in court Thursday morning, as he watched his defense attorney try to convince the jury of his innocence.

During closing arguments, defense attorney Emily Rose-Weber said while 28-year-old Kevin Bollaert's business may have been "immoral" or "sleazy," it was not illegal.

The case went to a jury on Thursday afternoon.

She compared her client's now defunct website Yougotposted.com, to other websites that defend people's reputations.

Bollaert faces 31 felony counts, including six counts of exortion, after ex-boyfriends and ex-husbands submitted photos to his website. The photos included links to the victims' social media accounts.

Deputy Attorney General Tawnya Austin said victims were directed to another website, created by Bollaert, called ChangeMyReputation.com. Victims were charged $300 to $350 to have their photos removed.

The victims were distraught and desperate to have the photos removed, Austin said during opening statements. In her closing argument, Austin described the site as a "blood sport."

"All that blood on the floor. All that humiliation. The fact that I'm the one that makes all the money off ot it. I just provided the venue -- not my bad," Austin told jurors. "That's not the way the law works."

In addition to paying a hefty fine, victims were also told they must submit another photo to Bollaert holding a sign with their birthdate.

Rose-Weber argues her client should not be held legally responsible.

"Is it illegal to host a website where bad things happen?" Rose-Weber said in her opening statement. "Is it illegal to hold up a big blank canvas to anyone who wants to paint it?"

Rose-Weber described Bollaert to the court as an aspiring web developer who wanted to start a business in the tech industry.

The so-called "revenge porn" case is the first of its kind, filed by state Attorney General Kamala Harris.

The prosecution is expected to make their closing arguments Thursday.

No celebrities or NFL players facing the camera, saying "No more." This ad simply depicts a 911 call of a woman pretending to order a pizza while calling police with her attacker still in the house.

The Super Bowl commercial by No More, the group trying to end domestic violence and sexual assault, is a stark contrast to ads in recent months bringing attention to the issue that has become central for the NFL since Ray Rice was suspended for punching his then-fiancee in a casino elevator.

The new ad has become a topic for discussion around the Super Bowl.

American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, daughter of former NFL player Phillippi Sparks, said what the NFL has gone through with domestic violence has helped publicize where women can call for help or find a safe haven. Sparks said it's great that people aren't being silent about domestic violence anymore.

"So it's unfortunate all the way around for whomever is involved in those sorts of things and for the teams having to deal with the media and all of those different things," Sparks said. "But at the same time for other domestic violence victims to know they can speak up that's all that's important, that's all that matters."

In the ad, the 911 call is a reenactment inspired by true stories of women using the tactic of disguising their calls while reaching out for help. No actors are seen in the stark ad; video shows only a house where a hole has been smashed in a wall, with books and photos knocked to the floor.

The ad concludes with the phrase: "When it's hard to talk, it's up to us to listen." It had already more than 482,000 views on YouTube by Wednesday.

The ad will air Sunday just after the second quarter between Seattle and New England. Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman said it can only help by bringing more attention to the issue.

"I think anytime you talk about domestic violence it is going to have a meaningful effect, you want to eliminate that as part of society," Sherman said.

Seattle linebacker Heath Farwell said the ad is key to better communication.

"Guys realizing this (is) an issue, and you know it's not just football, it's across this county, these are the issues we have to address and to get better at," Farwell said.

Domestic violence has been a critical issue for the NFL for nearly a year since Ray Rice was arrested Feb. 15 over an altercation at an Atlantic City, New Jersey, casino. The Baltimore running back initially was suspended two games, then indefinitely after video from inside an elevator surfaced showing him hitting his now wife, Janay.

An arbitrator threw out the indefinite suspension in December. He was released by the Ravens and has not signed with another team.

NFL players have been featured in ads from No More since October airing weekly.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said New England supports the league's efforts against domestic violence. Belichick said it has been a priority for New England owner Robert Kraft since he was hired. The Patriots gave up their draft rights to defensive tackle Christian Peter a week after taking him in the fifth round in 1996 because of questions about his history with women

"So it's always been that way for us, for our organization, and obviously we support everything in that area," Belichick said. "But what the league decides to do relative to things like that, you know, it's not really my pay grade."

A Mexican national was busted at a San Diego border checkpoint with more than $430,000 of methamphetamine hidden in his car.

Just after 10 a.m. Wednesday, U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped a 43-year-old man driving a 2007 Kia Sorrento at the Pine Valley checkpoint on Interstate 8 after a K9 alerted them, officials said.

The vehicle was then sent to secondary inspection where agents found 34 cellophane-wrapped bundles of methamphetamine inside an aftermarket compartment tucked under the SUV's back seat, according to a release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Officials said they found 48.15 pounds of meth worth an estimated street value of $433,350.

The man was subsequently arrested and turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Border Patrol seized the SUV.

For centuries insects have been included in traditional dishes around the world.

Latin Americans eat cicadas, ants and even tarantulas. South Africans put them in porridge. And we all know that Mexican tequila lacks a certain something without that worm.

Now, new food companies are hoping Americans can overcome the ick factor; introducing cookies and snack bars made with cricket flour.

According to the manufacturers, the Exo and Chapul cricket-flour bars each contain up to 40 dried, ground crickets, and that cricket flour has two times more protein than beef and 15 percent more iron than spinach.

In a blind test, Consumer Reports food experts answered the all-important question: How does it taste?

Tasters sampled six snack bars from the two manufacturers, as well as some Bitty cricket-flour chocolate-chip cookies. There were no off-notes in the bars, nothing unusual in the taste.

For the most part the bars had pretty simple straightforward ingredient listings with things like fruits, nuts, honey, flax, and of course crickets.

As for the cookies, they tasted more of coconut than crickets.

Consumer Reports advises that because crickets are closely related to shrimp, people with shellfish allergies should avoid products containing cricket flour.

It’s worth noting that cricket flour doesn’t come cheap. While regular flour is three to six cents an ounce, cricket flour costs about $1 an ounce.

In Super Bowl V, the Cowboys' Chuck Howley was voted the game’s Most Valuable Player – even though his team lost.

In Super Bowl XII, Dallas defensive linemen Harvey Martin and Randy White shared MVP honors, despite the presence of such Hall of Fame teammates as Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett.

And in last year’s Super Bowl victory by the Seahawks, under-the-radar linebacker Malcolm Smith shined brighter than Legion of Boomers Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas – by returning an interception for a touchdown and getting a fumble recovery – to be named MVP in the victory over Denver.

While usually the Super Bowl MVP winds up in the hands of a star quarterback, running back or wide receiver, occasionally the MVP goes to a surprise contributor or defender.

Given the matchup of the Seahawks and Patriots in Sunday’s Super Bowl XLIX, here are five players who – under the right circumstances – might join the list of surprise MVPs:

Doug Baldwin, Seahawks wide receiver

When the Patriots and Seahawks last played in 2012, Baldwin had a big impact. He caught just two passes, but one was a 24-yarder for a touchdown, and the other went for 50 yards. Obviously, he’s not intimidated by the Patriots (though the personnel has changed some over two seasons). Plus, Baldwin is coming off a big NFC Championship Game performance, with six catches for 106 yards.

Stephen Gostkowski, Patriots kicker

No kicker ever has won game MVP, but Gostkowski could be just the man. The Seattle defense was the best in the NFL this season, so TD opportunities could be limited for New England. Even if Tom Brady & Co. move the ball up and down the field, Seattle is strong in the red zone. That could mean a lot of field-goal attempts for the reliable Gostkowski, in his ninth season with the Pats. This season he was 35-of-37 on field goals with a long of 53 yards.

Julian Edelman, Patriots wide receiver

The Seahawks defense will be acutely aware of tight end Rob Gronkowski, and containing him will be its No. 1 goal in the passing game. Edelman, however, is a consistent, elusive receiver who often seems to be effective even when defenses are well aware of him. After 92 regular-season catches, he’s had 25 in two playoff games. Plus, Edelman is a dangerous punt returner, with four taken all the way back for TDs in six seasons.

Bruce Irvin, Seahawks outside linebacker

This week, Irvin called Seattle one of the “top defenses to ever play” in the NFL because of its depth and talent. While Irvin is a big contributor, he’s overshadowed by some of the bigger names on defense. At 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds, Irvin – in just his third season – has long arms, an ability to get to the passer and a knack for making big plays. This season he had 6½ sacks and two interceptions, scored two TDs and was in on 37 tackles. He could be a focal point of whatever scheme defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has to put pressure on Brady.

Jonas Gray, Patriots running back

In recent games, LeGarrette Blount has been New England’s go-to back, and he’s been exceptional. But the Patriots believe in going with matchups, hot hands (or feet) and a committee approach. Gray is one of three Pats backs with more carries this season than Blount, and he averaged 4.6 yards per attempt this season. At 5-foot-10 and 225 pounds, he’s a rugged back, a bit like Blount, and could keep getting the ball if he gets off to a good start. Earlier this season, Gray rushed for 201 yards in a win over the Colts.

Two men suspected of making off with $500,000 worth of jewelery during a December armed robbery are still being sought by local authorities.

San Diego Crime Stoppers and the San Diego Police Department's Robbery Unit said on Dec. 7, the two were armed with handguns when they approached a man standing by his car near the intersection of Bernadette Lane and Saint Therese Way in Del Cerro.

They took two bags with more than $500,000 in jewelry inside out of the man's car before taking off on foot westbound down Bernadette Lane, police said.

Police were able to use surveillance footage to capture pictures of the men who are described as 30- to 40-year-old medium-skinned men between 5 foot 8 inches and six feet tall. Suspect one weighs 180 to 200 pounds, was wearing a blue sweatshirt, dark colored pants and a black ball cap. The other weighs 150 to 180 pounds and was wearing a gray jacket, dark jeans and a white ball cap.

Both men were armed with black handguns, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the SDPD Robbery Unit at (619) 531-2299 or Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477 or by clicking here. A $1,000 reward is offered for anyone with information leading to an arrest.