A Southern California family say they got a dangerous surprise when they cut into two apples and found not just a core, but sewing needles.

The San Diego Sheriff’s Department issued a public safety warning on Monday afternoon after Linda Nguyen's husband reported making the discovery Friday as he bit into a honeycrisp apple.

"He was upset, like, 'This is wrong. This is evil. Who would do a thing like this?'" Nguyen said.

He told her he had washed it under the faucet and hadn't felt anything. Nguyen had bought the fruit at the Albertsons at 1133 S. Mission Road in Fallbrook more than a week ago.

The scare forced Sandra, the couple's daughter, to issue an edict to her younger siblings so they don't face the same danger.

"After Dad found the needle in the first, we said, 'OK kids, whenever you eat an apple, slice it up first," said Sandra.

The warning was well-advised and a potential life-saver just the next day. Another member of the family, 9-year-old Hannah, cut into another honeycrisp and found a similar metal point.

The family went back to the Albertson's to warn the employees about their disturbing discovery. They received a refund for the five apples they bought -- two of which had needles -- and the store stoppped selling the honeycrisp apples as they investigated how the needles got into them.

Officials have reviewed video archives of the store, but have not found any suspicious activity.

Albertsons spokesman Carlos Illingworth released a statement Monday outlining the actions the store is taking in light of the discovery.

"The health and safety of our customers is of the utmost importance. As such, we immediately notified local law enforcement, and removed the remaining product, which was inspected and did not show any evidence of tampering," he said. "We have also notified the vendor and are cooperating with the appropriate agencies."

Sheriff’s deputies in Fallbrook are investigating.

Hannah, for her part, is sticking to oranges.

"Don't want to get stabbed in the throat with a needle," she told NBC 7.

Jurors reached a split verdict Monday in the case of a South Bay man accused in the crash that killed his 4-year-old son.

Angelo Fabiani, 41, was found guilty of hit-and-run and not guilty of felony child abuse. The jury made its decision less than three hours after starting delibarations.

Two jurors told NBC 7 the not-guilty verdict was the easy part because they did not think Fabiani willfully endangered his son while trying to rescue him, acting on instinct.

In closing arguments Monday morning, the prosecution said Angelo Fabiani was negligent and reckless when he left the scene of single-car accident that gravely injured his son, Valentino, on June 2, 2013.

Fabiani cut his wounded son from his car seat after Fabiani’s Nissan Titan hit a palm tree on the side of Interstate 5, near Old Town. But after freeing Valentino from the wreckage, the boy tumbled 10 feet to the concrete below.

His father walked away from the scene before paramedics could transport the child to Children’s Hospital. Valentino died of head injuries several days later.

Defense attorney Allen Bloom told jurors his client was actually a hero, who risked his life to unstrap his son from his car seat moments after the accident.

“He takes the heroic effort of going after his son and disregarding his personal safety. Jumping to [the mangled pick-up truck] that even the officers said to be careful of. It’s tilted. It might fall at any time. Gasoline is in the air," Bloom described.

Fabiani loved his son “passionately and intensely,” Bloom said, and was not in his right mind when he left the crash scene and walked 19 miles to his home in Imperial Beach.

But the prosecutor said Fabiani did nothing to help his dying child or assist investigators, even though he must have known police were looking for him.

“He gets on a dating website, he gets on Facebook,” said prosecutor Marisa Di Tillo. “You know where he doesn’t go? He doesn’t go to the news stations. He doesn’t go to the website for Children’s Hospital. He doesn’t go to the website for the medical examiner.”

Valentino's mother previously testified that Fabiani never came to the hospital in the eight days his son was there before he died. She also never got a call or text from the father, she said.

The prosecutor told jurors that Fabiani also talked about fleeing the U.S. for Mexico. She said fear of an arrest and prison time may have motivated Fabiani because he was on probation for a DUI, when the crash happened. There is no evidence that alcohol or drugs played any role in this accident.

“He didn’t make one inquiry as to how his child was doing,” Di Tillo told the jury. “He only thought about himself. He thought about getting out of San Diego and protecting himself.”

The defense attorney told the jury his client was so overcome with emotion and guilt, he didn’t even know what day it was and had no plan to escape the consequences of his action by fleeing to Mexico.

“We know that if his brain was working, and if he wanted to get to Mexico, all he had to do was walk out of his house, down the stairs, and drive away in [his company] truck that was right there.”

After the verdict was read, a judge denied bail for Fabiani, calling him a "menace" based on his five previous DUI convictions. The most recent was last November while he was out on bail in this case.

Fabiani faces two to four years in prison for the hit-and-run conviction.

A friend of one of the Boston Marathon bombers is expected to plead guilty to a reduced charge of lying to the FBI.

Khairullozhon Matanov is scheduled to appear Tuesday in federal court in Boston for a change of plea hearing.

Matanov was a close friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev's and an acquaintance of his younger brother, Dzhokhar. Prosecutors say Matanov deceived authorities when questioned about his relationship with Tamerlan Tsarnaev in the days after the April 2013 bombings. Tamerlan died after a gunfight with police.

Matanov had been charged with lying and with deleting information from his computer.

His lawyer has not said if Matanov plans to testify in the ongoing death penalty trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Matanov's lawyers say he went to police voluntarily.

Supporters rallied outside University of California, San Diego, historic Che Cafe early Tuesday in the hopes of changing university officials’ minds as a formal eviction went into effect for the site.

After a year of legal wrangling between the co-op, the UCSD administration and student advisory boards, the school officially served the collective a 5-day eviction notice on March 17. Read the full back-story here.

The order mandated that the 73-year-old building, located at 1000 Scholars Drive, be vacated by March 24. Anyone not vacating voluntarily can and may be removed forcibly by law enforcement agents.

Activists trying to prevent the eviction began rallying at 5 a.m. Tuesday at the site. An official with the sheriff's department said later on Tuesday morning that deputies had 180 days to enforce the notice and had no plans to do so on Tuesday. They added that they won't be announcing when the eviction notice will be enforced. For their part, supporters stated that they will have someone at the Che around the clock until the eviction notice is served by the deputies.

The University Advisory Board voted to cut Che Cafe’s funding last year after saying there were fire safety hazards, that extensive repairs were needed and that there was a lack of interest by students in the club.

In turn, the cooperative argued that they have proof from a university fire marshall that they do meet fire safety standards.

The Che Cafe has hosted such artists over the years at Nirvana, Jimmy Eat World, Billy Corgan, Bon Iver and Green Day.

A program that helps locate at-risk missing people will now be accessible online.

"Take Me Home," a San Diego Sheriff's Department program, helps locate missing at-risk people by accessing a database with their information. It is a free and confidential database service for law enforcement and members of the public. 

Members of the public and loved ones can register their family members or themselves for that database. Prior to the launch of the database, people would have to print out an application and take it to a Sheriff’s facility to register the person for the program.

The database is accessible by all law enforcement agencies in the county. If an at-risk person registered in the system walks away, law enforcement will then have photographs, physical descriptions and emergency contacts from the database.

You can register online by going to the Sheriff's website and clicking here. 

A rattlesnake bit a woman in Santee Tuesday morning, officials confirmed.

The incident happened around 9:15 a.m. at Lairwood Drive and Shoredale Street. Heartland Fire officials said the victim was bit by a baby rattlesnake.

The woman was taken to a local hospital. Her condition is unknown.

Earlier this month a man was bit by a rattlesnake at the Ocean Beach dog beach on Voltaire Street.

Warmer weather is known to bring out more rattlesnakes. Last year, higher temperatures at the start of the year resulted in more than triple the number of rattlesnake calls to the County’s Department of Animal Services (DAS).

Typically, rattlesnakes wait until spring to come out of hibernation.

DAS recommends locals discourage the critters from making themselves at home in yards by getting rid of any possible shelter or food for rattlesnakes, including heaps of trash, wood piles, mice and rats.
Also, if you spot a rattlesnake on your property, calmly back away and leave it alone. Then, call DAS for assistance in safely removing the snake.

DAS also suggests being aware of your surroundings at all times if you are walking anywhere snakes might be, which means avoiding becoming distracted by your cell phone. If you’re walking your dog, keep it on a leash, that way you can pull your pet away quickly if you encounter a rattlesnake.

Wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes while walking or hiking and stay on paths or trails, and avoid tall grass, weeds and brush where snakes might hide. Also, make sure you can always see the path ahead of you and look for snakes that might blend into the ground before picking up rocks or sticks.
 

A woman's body was found in a shallow grave in Philadelphia’s Frankford section and police arrested a man who was seen digging the grave with a shovel, police said.

Residents near the 4700 block of Frankford Ave. told NBC10 they heard a woman screaming Tuesday morning, but no one called police. One witness even saw a man and woman arguing on the street.

"I was walking down Frankford and saw a couple fighting," said witness Michael Kendell. "People argue all the time on the street, I just kept walking."

Around 11:30 a.m., a woman's body was discovered in a shallow grave behind a property on that block.

"I saw them walk in and then the girl never came out. Next you see the cops all over the place," said Kendell.

Another witness says he was walking in the area and saw a man with a shovel digging the grave. That's when he flagged down officers who quickly located the man, who took off running, police said.

When the officers caught up with the man, they used a Taser to subdue him, according to officials.

The man was taken into custody.

No word on charges or on the identity of the woman.

This story is developing. Check back for details.

A brand-new baby hippopotamus was born at the San Diego Zoo, officials announced Tuesday.

The hippo was born around 6:30 a.m. Monday and is doing well, Jenny Mehlow of San Diego Zoo Global said. Keepers have been observing the newborn and its mother, Funani, and the calf has already nursed several times, Mehlow said.

For now, the calf will be staying very close to its mother since baby hippos typically nurse for about eight months.

Mehlow said this is the fifth calf raised by Funani at the San Diego Zoo. She has birthed 11 calves since 1989. Her mate is Otis, an adult male hippo brought to the San Diego Zoo from the Los Angeles Zoo in 2009 specifically to breed with Funani.

Last March, Funani gave birth to another baby hippo. Sadly, that calf died just days after its birth.

Mehlow said this newborn has had no issues thus far. The zoo's animal care staff is watching both the baby and Funani closely.

The San Diego Zoo says the river hippopotamus is a threatened species. The zoo’s first hippopotamus was born at the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago in July 1935 and arrived in San Diego in August 1936, becoming the first hippo to be exhibited by a zoo on the West Coast, according to the zoo website.

In 1940, hippos Rube and Ruby arrived in San Diego from the Calcutta Zoo in India. Together, the pair had 11 offspring, helping the exhibit grow. Ruby and Rube died in 1982 and 1988, respectively.
 

Two twin boys are recovering after they both received successful heart transplants, just eight weeks apart from one another.

11-year-old Eric Montano received the first-ever pediatric heart transplant at Rady Children’s Hospital in January. His brother, Raul, also needed a new heart and received a transplant in March. The boys’ cousin also received a heart transplant in the past eight weeks.

Raul sat with his mother, father and brother at a press conference Tuesday and spoke emotionally about his recent transplant.

"It was amazing," said Raul. "It was a strong heart beat and I just cried."

The San Diego boys needed the surgery because both of them suffered from restrictive cardiomyopathy, a condition that meant the walls of a heart got stiff and limited the heart from filing with blood properly. 

Eric and his twin brother were both placed on the waiting list for a new heart at the same time. However, regulations meant that Eric was placed higher on the transplant list because he was smaller in size for his age, doctors said. 

Alma Mundo, their mother, said though her sons had a heart condition, she tried to give them a normal life. Now, she is overjoyed they both have new hearts.

"I'm screaming everyday of happiness and thankfulness that both of them are doing great," said Alma Mundo, their mother.

As their diseases progressed, Eric and Raul became limited in what they could do, including participating in sports and playing with friends.

“When I see them start walking around, I see the dream came true for them,” said their father, Rogelio Montano.

Transplant surgeon Daniel DiBardino said performing the surgery and watching the boys recover has been incredible.

“You go through this process where you're doing heart surgery, but it's a special kind of heart surgery and for a period of time you have the patients on the table and there's literally no heart in their chest and they're connected to the bypass machine and it's just this tremendous thing that these patients go through - they recover and you see them a couple weeks later and they're sitting there talking about playing soccer,” said the transplant surgeon. “It's absolutely incredible. It's a miracle."

Both boys are in the process of recovering. Eric and Raul said they can't wait to go to school, watch TV and play sports.

Get your pompoms ready, the San Diego Charger Girls are searching for new dancers to fill 28 spots on the team.

On April 4, over 400 dancers from all across the country – as well as some from overseas – are expected to audition for the squad. Judges are looking for bright, young dancers age 18 and up who can please a crowd all while keeping their legs straight and pointing their toes during the halftime performance.

This is an exciting time of the year for hopefuls since the Charger Girls are known as one of the most talented and respected cheer and dance teams in professional sports.

Hopefuls should note there is a $20 registration fee due no later than April 1. After that date, registration increases to $25. Applicants are encouraged to include a 5x7 headshot or body shot with their application.

So, what does one wear to this audition? Judges ask dancers to sport a two-piece and flesh colored tights with jazz, dance or athletic shoes.

Dancers should arrive no later than 9 a.m. for registration at University of San Diego’s Jenny Craig Pavilion. Auditions begin at 10 a.m.

Those who make it to the final round will also go through an interview process and a final dance audition during the week following this first audition.

Applications for the team can be found on the Chargers website.
 

Crews are working to clean up a section of brush in Chula Vista after an early morning vegetation fire in the area. 

The small vegetation fire broke out at approximately 6:03 a.m. near the northbound Interstate 5 north of F Street between E Street, near the trolley tracks in the area. A sig alert had been previously issued for the area shortly after 6:15 a.m. and was later canceled. 

Officials said at least the 4th lane has been blocked from H street to E street. There was backup in the area while crews worked to put the fire out. Smoke could be seen from a distance away. 

The fire burned about half an acre of land right off the interstate. 

Transients lived in the area but were not there when firefighters arrived. 

A helicopter flew over the area but did not drop any water on the area. 

Fire officials said they did not know the exact cause of the fire. 

A public memorial will be held this weekend for San Diego businessman Mike “Bossman” Hardin, owner of the iconic Ocean Beach burger joint, Hodad’s.

The local burger legend will be honored with a “Celebration of Life” event at Petco Park’s Park in the Park in downtown San Diego. The tribute runs from 11:11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

Hardin – also known as the “unofficial mayor of Ocean Beach” – died of natural causes last month at a Holiday Inn in Chowchilla, California. Officials later confirmed a heart attack led to his passing.

San Diegans mourned Hardin’s death, leaving flowers at a makeshift memorial in front of Hodad’s in Ocean Beach last month and posting hundreds of messages online and on NBC 7’s Facebook page.

Saturday’s tribute will be organized by Hardin’s family, employees and friends. It’s free to attend and, according to organizers, “open to everyone who ever knew Mike or knew his burgers.”

The memorial will include a special video tribute, musical performances and presentations from Hardin’s loved ones.

Hardin, who lived in San Diego from 1960 until his passing, took over Hodad’s in the 1980s from his parents. He later expanded the OB burger joint to a second location in downtown San Diego and a third in Petco Park.

Both Hardin and Hodad’s were featured on the popular TV show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” hosted by Guy Fieri.
 

An unknown suspect pointed a gun at a female San Diego State University student and tried to kidnap her, campus officials said.

The incident happened at 10:50 p.m. Monday night on the corner of Campanile Drive and Baja Drive near the SDSU campus.

The suspect approached the victim on foot and drew a black handgun, pointing at her and telling her to “get into the car.”

The victim ran away and escaped unharmed. The suspect later fled in an unknown direction.
Later, the victim called police.

The suspect is described as a 40- to 60-year-old male, approximately 5 feet 10 inches. At the time, he was wearing blue jeans, a light blue polo shirt and glasses. He was possibly driving a brown pickup truck.

San Diego Police are investigating. Anyone with information or questions should contact San Diego Police at (619) 531-2000.

Parents, students and activists planned to march from downtown San Diego to San Diego City College Tuesday demanding justice for the students missing in Mexico since September who are presumed dead.

The 43 college students missing since Sept. 26, 2014, were killed and incinerated after being seized by police in southern Guerrero state, the Mexican attorney general said in January. Investigators said it is likely that their burned bodies were thrown into a river.

Caravana43 is the group leading the local march. The event will be attended by family members of some of the missing students, organizers said, who came from Ayotzinapa, Mexico.

A community forum is also planned after the march, at 3 p.m., from City College to the Federal Building at 880 Front St. downtown. At 6 p.m., the group will move to Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park to continue spreading awareness on the situation.

“They’re our brothers and sisters, and we’re going to keep fighting until we find justice,” one activist told NBC 7.
 

A 14-year-old girl was convicted Tuesday of starting last year's devastating Cocos Fire by sparking a small fire in her backyard.

The judge found her guilty of four of the five counts against her, including the one linking her to the Cocos Fire, though the judge said she did not intend to harm anyone. 

The blaze destroyed 36 homes and caused more than $10 million in damage last May. Outside the courtroom, one woman whose apartment burned in the Cocos Fire said she felt as if justice was served. 

"Like the judge says, there’s no winners in this," said Mitzi McKinney. "It’s a sad situation, but I feel like justice was definitely served today. The evidence was overwhelming that she started the fire that burned all the homes down. I’m sad and happy at the same time."

McKinney said she hopes the teen gets the help she needs and hopes no one loses their home, like she did last May. 

"This whole thing to me all the way through is extremely sad on every level," said McKinney. "So like the judge said, there’s no winners in a case like this, it’s very sad all the way around."

The prosecutor said it is too early to decide on any potential punishment for the girl. Restitution for victims is possible in the future and the parents of the girl could be responsible, though only to a limited dollar amount. The exact dollar value of any restitution, if any, is unclear. 

During the trial, the teen girl admitted to starting fires with a lighter the same week the Cocos Fire swept across San Diego’s North County, destroying dozens of homes last May, according to her mother’s testimony in court during the trial.

The girl told investigators she "didn't want to kill anybody" -- only to "see what would happen" when she set the first of two fires in her backyard, according to an audio tape played in court on Monday.

During the trial, prosecutors claimed the defendant set two fires in her family’s backyard on May 13 and May 14. One of those fires, prosecutors say, left behind an ember that floated away and eventually sparked the Cocos Fire. That fact, however, was disputed by the defense.

The girl was charged with four felony charges, including two counts of arson of an inhabited structure or property in which multiple structures were burned, and two counts of arson of a structure or forest land in a reckless manner. She also faced a misdemeanor of unlawfully allowing a fire to escape from one’s control.

It is NBC 7’s policy not to identify juvenile defendants; we are not identifying family members to conceal the defendant’s identity.

The San Diego City Council approved a measure Tuesday to providing a year-round homeless shelter in a permanent facility, ending nearly 30 years of temporary tent housing.

The city of San Diego proposed a yearlong interim housing option for the homeless instead of the tents they provide downtown during the winter months.

The program, which will cost the city nearly $1.9 million annually, will be operated by St. Vincent de Paul at the organization's downtown Paul Mirable Center, located at 1501 Imperial Avenue in Councilman Todd Gloria's district.

Starting with 100 beds, the interim shelter should open as early as April 1, but the official opening will be on July 1.

The move is expected to help more than 2,800 homeless people, three times the amount the winter tents have been able to house.

“This facility will be the front door to a coordinated system of homeless services. Moving this program to a year-round operation will help almost three times as many San Diegans move off the streets annually by connecting them with resources and shelter,” Gloria said in a statement.

The expansion will include 350 beds for homeless men and women 18 years and older, but 40 percent of those beds will be reserved for veterans. Other benefits will include three meals a day and 45-day length of stay, which will encourage residents to move into more permanent housing.

The annual cost will come out of the city’s general funds, federal emergency solutions grant funds and the federal community development block grant funds. 

The San Diego Housing Commission staff recommended this change to assist the homeless. Mayor Kevin Faulconer also played a role in the development.

The Veterans Village of San Diego and People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) will partner with St. Vincent’s to bring supportive services to the facility.

The Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, Spain, has been under construction for more than 130 years, but now thanks to the 21st century technology of 3D printing, the 19th century project may finally be completed by 2026.

Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi began work on the Gothic and Art Nouveau masterpiece in 1883, but only a quarter of the church was completed at the time of his death in 1926. Up until the turn of the century, the intricate project relied on hand-crafted prototype models from Gaudi's designs before anything was permanently installed, according to BBC.

That changed in 2001 when architects Jodi Coll, Jordi Faulí, and Mark Burry started using 3D printers to create plaster models in 12 hours, BBC reported.

The printers alternate layers of dust and binding material to create modular pieces that can be swapped around and modified post-printing. The plaster-like material also allows the architects to mix parts between the age-old models and the newly produced ones, according to BBC. The new technology has allowed the team to accelerate the project, which reduced costs and set the completion date for 2026.

In 1936, construction on the church -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts 2.8 million people a year-- stopped during the Spanish Civil War and many of Gaudi’s renderings and models were stolen or destroyed. Since then, many architects have been worried about preserving Gaudi’s original vision. But chief architect Jodi Coll believes Gaudi would have embraced 3D technology.

“If Gaudí was alive today, he would have brought 3D technology to its maximum exponent, since much of his work was already conceived tri-dimensionally,” said Coll, according to 3D Systems.

The architects used 3D technology to piece together a digital version of how the finished Sagrada Familia will look like in 2026.

“This model couldn’t be produced before, primarily for technical reasons—advances in computer power, precise 3D scanning of the existing building, and 3D prototyping allowed us to work at a scale and a level of detail hitherto impossible to achieve,” architect Jordi Faulí told Architect Magazine.

You have a better chance of spotting gray whales this year, as there were more than 200 of them seen off San Diego, according to one local whale-watching business.

Sightings of gray whales in December, January and February were more frequent this year compared to those same months the past three years, Flagship Cruises reported on Tuesday.

Whale watchers spotted 747 gray whales this season, compared to 531, 443 and 539 over the past three years, respectively.

It wasn’t immediately clear the reason for the uptick, though some local tourism experts say whale-watching here has become a year-round activity.

The probability of seeing whales is near 100 percent, one captain told the Associated Press, and eight different species can be seen throughout the year, almost always in ideal weather and sea conditions.

Joe Terzi, president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority, also told the AP that San Diego should be considered the world's No. 1 destination for whale watching.

Farb Middle School in the Tierrasanta area has been locked down due to police activity.

The lockdown was ordered at about 3:50 p.m. at the campus, located at 4900 La Cuenta Drive, according to San Diego police.

School police said someone heard a single gunshot behind the school, but the SDPD said they did not find any suspicious activity in the neighborhood.

Officials lifted the lockdown about 10 minutes later.

A house set to go on sale in Milton, Massachusetts, was wired to explode if someone just flipped a light switch, police said Tuesday.

Attention was initially called to the home on Craig Street when the homeowner and an electrician came to the house as part of a pre-sale inspection. The electrician immediately determined that a device in the home was suspicious.

Police and the bomb squad responded and disabled the device. Police say the device was wired to detonate when a lamp or wall switch was flipped. The wires ran through the entire house, including the rafters.

According to police, they were called to the house one week ago for a vandalism complaint. They say someone had plugged all of the drains with cement.

Boston Police and Milton Police are searching for the individuals renting the home. They say everyone connected to the house are being considered persons of interest.

Police continue to investigate the home. Craig Street, which was closed off Tuesday, has since reopened.