Planning for a military burial was underway Wednesday after a widow came forward to say three urns left outside a Southern California church contained the cremated remains of her in-laws and her husband, a man police said was a US Army Vietnam War veteran.

Staff members at Nativity Church in El Monte found the urns on Tuesday, and detectives have since learned the ashes are those of veteran Brian Earl Muldrow, and his parents, Erna and Rodney, police said.

It all began when Laurie Muldrow, widow of Brian Muldrow, put the ashes of her husband and his parents inside a storage space in Glendora.

But Laurie Muldrow lost track of those ashes three years ago when she couldn’t pay the storage fees anymore.

"I felt so bad because there was no closure," she said. "It was awful."

Laurie Muldrow said her husband got hooked on prescription painkillers following cancer surgery. He turned to heroin and died of an overdose on Thanksgiving Day in 2008, she said.

She and her two teenage children lost their home to foreclosure and ended up homeless. She turned to drugs but is now in a recovery program.

After she stopped paying for storage, the contents of the unit were auctioned off in a blind auction.

A woman named Lydia Rivera then purchased the storage container and found urns inside, police said.

Rivera told police she wanted to return them to their next of kin but didn't know what to do, so she dropped them off at her local church, and church officials told El Monte police.

Laurie Muldrow saw the urns on the news and called police.

"I saw it on the news this morning ... and now I have everything back," she said.

Detectives are now working with Laurie Muldrow and the Veterans of Foreign Wars - El Monte Post 10218 to provide Brian Muldrow with a proper military burial, El Monte police said.

The remains of Brian Muldrow's parents will be given to their other son Michael, who lives in Hesperia.
 

A hearing to decide whether to lock up "Pillowcase Rapist" Christopher Hubbart in a state mental hospital was held Wednesday in a Santa Clara County courtroom, amidst a handful of protesters who came out to say they wish he would be put behind bars again.

"We're very hopeful and excited, hoping he gets sent back to Coalinga where he belongs under lock and key, where someone is watching him," said Norma Valenti of Palmdale, one of five women who drove from Southern California to San Jose for the hearing. "We'd feel safer again. Our kids could come out and play."

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Richard Loftus was set to listen to several hours of testimony after the Los Angeles District Attorney requested  to consider revoking 64-year-old Hubbart's conditional release. A ruling is not expected to be issued on Wednesday.

At issue: Whether Hubbart violated the terms of his release by not charging his GPS ankle bracelet on two occasions and whether he took out the trash without the supervision of security guards.

Hubbart testified for about an hour, acknowledging under cross examination that he never fully charged the unit after his second violation letter was sent to him, because he wasn't aware that plugging it in for longer would result in a full charge. He said it was a simple mistake. And his Santa Clara County public defender argued that the public was never in any danger since there are plenty of other safeguards in place.

Hubbart admitted to raping 38 women in California between 1971 and 1982, about two dozen of which occurred in Los Angeles County. He was released to the Bay Area in 1979, where he raped 15 more women. He became known as the "Pillowcase Rapist" because he muffled victim's screams with pillowcases. His last-known victims were in Santa Clara County.

When Hubbart's prison term ended in 1996, he was deemed a sexually violent predator and confined to a state mental hospital. Doctors at the hospital recently concluded he was fit for release.

In July 2014, Santa Clara County Judge Gilbert Brown granted Hubbart's motion for conditional release from a state hospital and allowed him to live in Lake Los Angeles, where Hubbart was born and raised. Brown has since retired.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office declined on Wednesday to discuss its reason for seeking Hubbart's revocation, saying the paperwork was sealed and there was a gag order placed on the case. Hubbart's public defender didn't respond to email and phone requests for comment.

 “Yeah, this is an unusual hearing,” said Steven Clark, a legal analyst and former Santa Clara County deputy district attorney.

He said the prosecutors would have to convince a judge based on two things: That they have new evidence, such as a mental health expert, who would say that Hubbart is not fit for release anymore, or that he violated a term of his release.

And that second matter, Clark said, would likely be very easy to show. “The Mr. Hubbarts of the world are under a microscope. It’s very easy to violate your terms, even if you’re trying. And there is a tremendous outcry over this case, with people saying, ‘Tthis man is just not safe because he’s not locked.’ ”

The move on Wednesday is a change for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. When she announced the hearing would be taking place earlier this month, DA Jackie Lacey said it was a positive step.

"We believe this violent predator continues to pose a serious danger to our community," Lacey said. "My office is committed to protecting the public."

Hubbart was said to be being monitored around-the-clock, and attending twice weekly therapy sessions. He is also required to wear a monitoring device around his ankle, undergo polygraph exams and submit to random searches of his house. He also lives with an around-the-clock security guard.

There has been strong resistance in Lake Los Angeles to Hubbart's release to the area.  Community protests, and local elected officials have called for a revocation of his freedom. Local law enforcement officials say they are concerned with public safety. Many neighbors of Hubbart's post angry social media comments about his residency, and protesters turn up nearly every day outside Hubbart's property.

Several of Hubbart's neighbors from Acton, Palmdale, Lake Los Angeles, Little Rock and Rosamond drove the 350 miles to attend the hearing in San Jose.

"I'm not willing to risk anybody else's life or their well-being in order to say, 'Well, the guy served his time, let him go,' " said Beth Bagley of Acton. "That's not acceptable."
 

NBC Los Angeles' Michael Larkin and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Demonstrators in San Diego are taking action in solidarity with Baltimore protesters, organizing a march of their own Wednesday evening.

Chanting "No justice, no peace, no racist police," the groups say the issues in Baltimore mirror those faced in San Diego.

Protests on the East Coast city turned violent Monday after the funeral for Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died after suffering mysterious spinal cord injuries in police custody.

In San Diego, about 100 people marched around the Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park in City Heights to stand against problems between officers and the community.

"Whether we choose to admit it and choose to deal with it or not, is up to our political leaders," said protester Bryan Kim over shouts of "All night, all day, we will fight for Freddie Gray."

"And I think it's pretty clear, from the community behind us, that there's the will to make it happen, he added."

Organizers say cities across the country need more police accountability, but some do not agree with taking their grievances too far. They want a peaceful protest, unlike the rioting, burning and looting that has occurred in Baltimore this week.

“We have issues here too, and how we can approach that from a solution-based mindset versus a damaging mindset in which we are going out and damaging things in order to prove our point,” said Pastor Shane Harris with National Action Network.

He said they can prove their point through silent, peaceful demonstrations, as well as strategizing in community meetings and town halls.

In a statement, San Diego Police said their thoughts and prayers are with both the Baltimore officers and the community.

“We absolutely support their First Amendment right to freedom of speech. The vast majority of these gatherings are law abiding, peaceful events needing no law enforcement action,” the statement reads.

More than 200 people have been arrested in Baltimore as tensions between protesters and police turned into riots, forcing leaders to call in 3,000 police and National Guardsmen. But on Wednesday, demonstrations took on a calmer tone as the city enforced an emergency curfew.

Other cities across the country also held solidarity marches, including New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Minneapolis and Indianapolis.
 

The California Supreme Court refused a plea for legal help from a disgraced former San Diego police officer convicted of groping women.

Anthony Arevalos is serving more than eight years in prison for molesting female motorists in the Gaslamp Quarter, but he is trying to get that sentence thrown out.

Shortly after Arevalos was convicted in November 2011, the trial judge dismissed two of the most serious convictions. That decision would have cut several years from Arevalos’ sentence.

But the district attorney’s office appealed that ruling, and in February, an appeals court agreed with prosecutors and reinstated those convictions.

Arevalos’ lawyer quickly appealed to the state’s highest court, asking the justices to again thrown out the two convictions.

The Supreme Court reviewed that petition April 22 at its regular weekly conference. The justices, however, were not persuaded and denied Arevalos’ petition.

That decision was posted Wednesday on the appeals court website.

The district attorney’s office and Arevalos’ attorney both confirmed that decision.

In response to an inquiry from NBC 7, a spokesperson for District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis said, “Barring any intervention from the federal courts, all of the original convictions will stand (and) he will serve the 8 year, 8 month sentence, and be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.”

Arevalos' behavior has forced the city of San Diego to pay out more than $8 million in settlements to the ex-cop's 14 victims. The majority of that money -- $.59 million-- will go to the prime plaintiff in the case, known as "Jane Doe."

She filed a police misconduct claim after Arevalos pulled her over for a routine traffic stop in March 2011. The woman says Arevalos suggested they go to the bathroom of a nearby convenience store. He convinced her to give him her underwear in exchange for not arresting her for DUI.

Police say Arevalos preyed on women in the Gaslamp Quarter from 2009 to 2011.

A truckload of frozen pork didn't stay that way for long when the semi-truck carrying it caught fire on Interstate 8 and caused a small explosion.

A driver called 911 to report a big rig's brakes were on fire as it headed west on the freeway at about 7:40 p.m.

When it caught the attention of the semi-truck driver Samuel Williams, he pulled over at Lake Jennings Park Road.

"Nervous, shaking," Williams said about his reaction. "I couldn't think. I was just like — you know, my mind was going a hundred miles a minute. I didn't know what to do." 

Thankfully, Williams was able to jump from the truck before the fire spread through the cab, sending flames shooting about 20 feet in the air. It soon ignited the embankment and fired up about a quarter acre of land on the roadside.

As firefighters got to the scene, they saw a little explosion coming from the truck.

Williams was bracing for a bigger burst, which did not come.

"I'm still kind of shaken a little bit, and I'm thinking, where I go from here," said Williams. "But besides all that, I'm fine."

Extra crews were called in to help fight the flames. A tow truck crew drained all the fuel from the truck, making sure there are no hot spots before they move it.

Williams, who was taking the meat from Oklahoma to San Diego, said he had his brakes fixed on Tuesday in Arizona. He is convinced the person who installed them failed to clean off the grease, which he thinks started the fire.

The driver has not been cited for the incident. His truck and everything in it are a complete loss.

A fourth fire sparked on Camp Pendleton Wednesday, joining three others in burning more than 4,000 acres of the base.

The latest blaze started at about 5 p.m. near Range 202 Whiskey Impact Area. It has since spread to about 40 acres.

Since Monday, three other fires began burning in live-fire impact areas and spread to about 4,000 acres.

However, none of the four fires are threatening structures or personnel, so Camp Pendleton fire officials are letting them burn out. Crews are staging in the area in case one gets out of control.

There is no word on when they expect the fires to be contained.

A secret concert in Coronado did not stay that way for long as the country twang of Tim McGraw drew beachgoers to the Hotel Del Coronado Wednesday night.

The grammy-award winning superstar performed at a private event for the 25th anniversary of Zaxby's, a fast-casual restaurant chain. 

But because the stage was set up on the public beach in front of the hotel, area fans – who learned of the concert online and via social media — soon gathered outside the perimeter of the concert.

Hundreds packed the sand to cheer on his songs like "Live Like You Were Dying" and "Barbecue Stain." 

McGraw gave no indication about the private show on his website.

See the ecstatic reaction of surprised fans, and the disappointment of those who missed it, below:

San Diegans love Cinco de Mayo and perhaps the best place to celebrate the Mexican holiday is at Old Town State Historic Park, which is known to host one epic fiesta.

This weekend, Old Town will hold its 32nd annual Fiesta Old Town Cinco de Mayo, the largest event of its kind in Southern California featuring food, live entertainment and, of course, margaritas.

The free outdoor event runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and will boast performances on three live music stages, a cantina beer and tequila garden, a low rider car show, historical demonstrations and equestrian performances.

Attendees will also be able to enjoy drink and food specials at more than 20 participating Old Town restaurants and cantinas throughout the event, including specials at Casa Guadalajara, Old Town Mexican Café, Casa de Reyes and Café Coyote.

Vendors will set up shop along the streets selling their handmade goods, including clothing, jewelry and art.

The kids can have some fun too with a variety of interactive activities in a special kids’ zone, including a petting zoo and pony rides until 7 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday.

Car fanatics will enjoy the low rider show on Twiggs Street until 4 p.m. each day where more than 40 cool cars will be on display.

The Old Town Market will become a stage for historical performances of the Batalla de Puebla, the very battle behind the Cinco de Mayo holiday. Those performances will go down between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. both days.

The three music stages at the weekend-long event will each feature back-to-back live entertainment, including folklorico performances and mariachis. For the full entertainment lineup and more details on the fiesta, click here.

Construction is under way in Lakeside for a memorial paying homage to the victims of the devastating 2003 Cedar Fire.

The memorial will stand on the same property of the Lakeside Fire District’s fire station. But make no mistake, Fire Chief Andy Parr said, the memorial is a community project.

“This is not the fire department’s memorial,” he said. “This is the community’s memorial.”

“It really is the community bringing the ideas and design,” he added.

The memorial will honor the 14 people who died and 104 people injured in the devastating blaze that destroyed thousands of homes and properties.

It will include public art, a garden, memorial to the victims and educational information about wildfires.

Construction should be finished in June and a dedication ceremony is tentatively set for Oct. 26.

A man that stabbed his friend and fled the scene of the crime left behind a bloody trail at least part of the way as he walked from the body to the border, police said. 

Police are searching for 19-year-old Andrew Cortez, who is wanted for homicide in the death of 44-year-old Rene Macias Pressa. 

Chula Vista Police were called to the second-story building at 45 3rd Avenue at approximately 1:30 a.m. Thursday. The crime scene is located east of Interstate 5 and south of State Route 54.

The two men knew each other, police said, and were coworkers at a restaurant. The night of the crime, Cortez, who lives in Mexico, stayed over at Pressa's place, police said. 

During the night, Cortez stabbed Pressa during an argument, police said, and then immediately fled the scene. 

The 44-year-old man was found lying in his doorway, suffering from “severe injuries,” police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. 

Police he was injured in the confrontation and left a "very long bloody trail" from the scene of the death to a Starbucks and potentially further down the path he took to walk to the border. 

Investigators then found a trail of blood and other evidence that stretches approximately a mile to a nearby Starbucks.

Chula Vista Police Lt. Fritz Reber said Thursday a roommate of the victim discovered the body and called it in to police. A pair of bloody pants were found near the crime scene.

“We’re still walking the trail,” Lt. Reber said on Thursday. “We’ve come to a location where we can’t find anymore and that location is maybe a mile from here.”

Cortez walked a significant portion of the way to the border from Chula Vista to San Ysidro, police said, between 1 a.m. and 4 p.m. on surface streets. Police said he was barefoot and possibly bleeding. 

He was last seen wearing a black tank top and tight shorts or boxers, police said. Cortez is described as about 5 feet 5 inches, 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Chula Vista Police coordinated with the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Apprehension Team to take Cortez into custody, but he fled his Tijuana home before authorities arrived. 

Anyone with information regarding the homicide, Cortez's current whereabouts, or anyone who may have contacted Cortez while he walked home the night of the murder, are asked to call the Chula Vista Police Department's COV Division and speak with Detective Anthony Molina at (619) 691-5178. If you wish to remain anonymous you mall also call Chula Vista's Help-Us-Solve-A-Crime tip line at (619) 422-TIPS. 

A man accused of stabbing a man to death and later telling the babysitter of that man's kids he "slayed the beast" was held on $2 million bail in court Wednesday. 

David Anthony Strouth, 34, is accused of fatally stabbing his friend, 49-year-old Bradley Thomas Garner, in Oceanside. 

Strouth pleaded not guilty to a murder charge and a special knife use charge at his arraignment. He faces a maximum of 26 years to life in state prison. 

Deputy District Attorney Patrick Espinoza, outlining the basics of the incident, said Strouth and Thomas walked into Thomas' house Friday night and greeted the babysitter. The next time the babysitter saw Strouth, she noticed blood stains on his shirt. 

"He made a statement, 'I slayed the beast,'" said Espinoza. 

It was then the babysitter decided to leave when, on her way out, she looked back inside the garage and saw Strouth lying over a man's body on the floor of the garage, the prosecutor said. An examination later revealed he had stab wounds to his chest and the back of his neck. 

When Strouth saw the babysitter peering into the garage, he chased her to her car, where he tried to accost her, Espinoza said. She successfully got away and flagged down neighbors, who returned to the house to subdue him out of concern for the kids, who were still inside. 

Oceanside police said the neighbors grabbed a knife and a handgun and went to the home to get the children to safety.

When the neighbors found him, Strouth was inflicting wounds to his neck and wrist. 

Law enforcement later arrived. It took five Oceanside Police officers to subdue Strouth, who was found inside an open garage on Santa Rosa Street at approximately 9:30 p.m.

Strouth was airlifted to a Scripps Hospital La Jolla with non-life threatening injuries. He was later booked on homicide charges.

"When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they took Mr. Strouth into custody and he was making statements like, 'kill me' and 'put me out of my misery,'" Espinoza said. 

Strouth was airlifted to a Scripps Hospital La Jolla with non-life threatening injuries. He was later booked on homicide charges.

The babysitter and the children, ages two and four years, were not injured.

The investigation is ongoing. 

A Chula Vista substitute teacher faces child pornography distribution charges after federal investigators say he admitted having incriminating evidence on his home computer.

Homeland Security special agents arrested Alejandro Castillo Jr., 35, on April 21 when they served a search warrant to his Chula Vista home.

Castillo, a longtime substitute teacher at Los Altos Elementary School, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in federal court Tuesday. He is being held without bail.

According to a complaint, a Homeland Security agent was doing an undercover investigation into child pornography sharing when he came across a computer suspected of distributing illicit files.

He was able to download at least five videos of child pornography from that source, the complaint states. When he traced the computer’s IP address, the information led him to Castillo.

On April 21, computer forensic agents found more evidence of child pornography on Castillo’s computer when they served a search warrant at his home, investigators say.

While agents read him the warrant, the agent says Castillo told them he possessed the illegal pornography. Even after he was read his Miranda rights and said he understood them, he admitted there were “traces” of child pornography on his desktop and on a hard drive, according to the complaint.

In addition to working as a substitute and student teacher for Los Altos Elementary Castillo was a tutor for day care programs and served as a counselor for a youth camp in England. Lauren Mack with Homeland Security says the day care facilities were outside of San Diego County, and the investigation has revealed no victims from where he worked.

Castillo will no longer substitute at Los Altos Elementary or any other school, Principal Santos Gonzalez said in a letter sent to parents about the suspect’s arrest.

"We are aware that this is a cause for concern for our school community," the letter reads. "A safe and secure learning environment for all students is our top priority. This matter is also a personnel issue, and we appreciate your patience as we navigate privacy and due process regulations."

Authorities told Gonzalez there is no reason to believe the school or its students were involved, according to the letter.

Chula Vista Elementary School District Superintendent Dr. Francisco Escobedo said he and the staff are “definitely disturbed with this whole arrest,” and their top priority is working with Homeland Security on this investigation.

Castillo's preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 5.

Strategic Hotels & Resorts Inc. is selling the 417-room Hyatt Regency La Jolla for $118 million, the Chicago-based company announced.

Officials said Strategic Hotels has signed an agreement with affiliates of Chicago-headquartered Walton Street Capital LLC and San Francisco-based JMA Ventures LLC to sell a 100 percent interest in the property. Strategic Hotels currently owns a 53.5 percent interest.

At closing, the joint venture buying the property will retire $89.2 million of debt secured by the hotel. The transaction is subject to certain closing conditions and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2015.

The hotel was built in 1989 at 3777 La Jolla Village Drive, and is part of the mixed-use Aventine development near Interstate 5.

In a statement, Strategic Hotels Chairman and CEO Raymond Gellein said the sale of the property “is consistent with our disciplined capital allocation strategy to divest non-core assets and de-leverage the company’s balance sheet.”

Strategic Hotels & Resorts is a real estate investment trust with a portfolio of high-end hotels and resorts totaling 18 U.S. properties with 8,325 rooms. Its holdings include Hotel Del Coronado.
 

Police on Thursday morning were still searching for a suspect wanted in connection with an officer-involved shooting near the Facebook headquarters after an armed home-invasion robbery led police on a chase that ended near the Menlo Park, Calif., building. 

The outstanding suspect was described as a man with a skinny build wearing dark-colored pants and a light-colored sweatshirt last seen running eastbound on Hamilton Court.

Menlo Park police did take two others into custody: Haloti Lauese, 22, of East Palo Alto and Shawn Thomas, 19, of Sunnyvale on charges of attempted murder, causing great bodily injury and resisting arrest, among other charges.

The search and arrests stem from a home-invasion robbery in the 39800 block of Fremont Boulevard in Fremont on Wednesday about 5 p.m. The suspects fled, but officers spotted it as it began to flee over the Dumbarton Bridge.

A Newark police cruiser caught up to chase the Fremont detective in chasing the getaway car through East Palo Alto and then into Menlo Park on Willow Road, about a quarter-mile from Facebook, police said. The social media giant never shut down during the chase, company officials said.

At some point, the suspects' vehicle went westbound and turned into the Menlo Park Business Park before the suspects fled on foot and fired shots at the pursuing officers.

The Newark police patrol vehicle was struck by gunfire. The officers were uninjured and did not return fire, authorities said.

Police also said two firearms were recovered during the investigation.

Willow Road was temporarily closed during the police response, but reopened to traffic at about 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The amateur photographer whose iconic image from Baltimore's protests was chosen as Time magazine's latest cover said he has mixed emotions about the accolades he's received.

"This is a tragedy. It’s sad that I’m getting recognition off this," said Baltimore photographer Devin Allen, 26.

Before Time picked up one of his photos, his images on Instagram had gone viral and were noticed by Ice Cube, Beyonce and Rihanna, among others.

"My goal was always to make history and I never thought it would come until I was 40 years old," he told NBC Owned Stations. "I’m just a regular guy from Baltimore city who loves the city with a passion."

Allen took to the streets at the start of the Baltimore protests that followed Freddie Gray's death, he said.

Gray was arrested by Baltimore police on April 12 and died a week later from spinal cord injuries he suffered while under police custody. Baltimore police completed an investigation and the state's attorney's office is now tasked with determining whether charges are warranted in Gray's death. The Justice Department is conducting its own investigation, NBC News reported.

Allen's iconic image featured on Time's May 11 cover was shot on April 25 -- two days before the riots that followed Gray's funeral. Allen's Fugi mirror camera captured police as they advanced up Pratt Street in response to rioting and destruction of police property, he said. 

The cover photograph shows a masked man running in front of dozens of police officers carrying batons. The magazine's text crosses out the date 1968 to read "America, 2015," in a reference to riots in Baltimore that followed Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. 

When Allen found out that his photo was selected for Time's cover, he said he was at work and began to cry.

His clients who have intellectual disabilities looked at him and wondered what was wrong.

“I was so happy but I’m stressed," he said. "It’s a lot of mixed emotions."

Most of Allen's images posted to his Instagram account are black and white and depict his hometown grappling with Gray's death and the oppression the community face, as he explained in his Instagram and Twittter posts.

In one Instagram post that captures two men singing, Allen wrote: They say singing will heal the heart so brother sing on ::: #welovebaltimore #RIPFREDDIEGRAY ::: #DVNLLN

San Diego’s finest craft brews will take the sudsy spotlight this weekend as Escondido hosts the Hopstown Craft Beer Fest.

The 21+ event will be held from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday at 800 W. Washington Ave. Tickets cost $20 for a day pass or $30 for a weekend pass. Designated driver tickets cost $10. The Goods is currently selling weekend passes as well at half price, for $15 per person.

Each general admission entry includes a 2-ounce taster cup that can be refilled up to 18 times.
The beer fest will include flavorful samplings from 40 small and independent local breweries based across all regions of San Diego, according to organizers.

Participating breweries include Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits, Refuge Brewery and Helm’s Brewing Co.

Besides brews, the fest will feature live music, including a Beatles tribute band. Gourmet food trucks, vendors and artists will round out the activities. Attendees are allowed to bring their dogs to the fest, too.

Chefs and brewers will attend the event as well, so guests will have a chance to chat with local brewers about their passion for the craft and maybe even cheers to a taste or two. Some brewers will also partake in educational panels highlighting San Diego’s local craft beer culture.

For more information about Hopstown, visit the event website.
 

Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighters helped rescue a teenage boy trapped in rubble in Nepal for five days Thursday, authorities said.

Pemba Lama, found under rubble from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that shook the country Saturday, was rescued by the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team. Members worked for around six hours, using an excavator, jacks, saws and shovels to free the 15-year-old, the group said.

The LA firefighters worked with counterparts from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, who hail from Virginia, during the rescue.

Team leader Andrew Olvera told NBC News that the teen wasn’t crushed by the rubble. The boy had been trapped in a concrete "box" between floors of a collapsed building. He suffered no major injuries, and has been taken to an Israeli field hospital for treatment.

"Search dogs located (the) boy in rubble. He was treated by (the) team doctor and taken to hospital," a Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman said.

He was pulled from a small hole and was immediately put onto a backboard and moved a few feet away. He was given water and an intravenous drip before being placed in an ambulance. Rescuers told NBC News the teen was conscious and talking.

"It's a miracle, a true miracle," a police force general at the scene told NBC News. "He came out and he's okay!"

The rescue came as the official death toll from Saturday's disaster rose above 5,500.

Over the weekend three Pasadena firefighters and an elite team of 57 LA County firefighters left for Nepal to help in search and rescue operations.

Other local agencies, including the Los Angeles Fire Department, are on standby and ready to go if needed.

Long Beach is on track to join the ranks of US cities that have made sufficient housing available for every veteran in need, Mayor Robert Garcia said Wednesday.

In four years, the number of homeless veterans in the city has been reduced from 309 to 94, as of the biennial survey conducted earlier this year. On average, housing is found for 12-15 a month, according to the city's figures.

The challenge to provide housing for every homeless veteran by the end of 2015 had been issued last year by President Obama.

"We will end veteran homelessness in Long Beach this year," Garcia said.

Garcia cited cooperation with the VA Healthcare Systems, and nonprofit veterans assistance organizations, including the United States Veterans Intiative, known as US Vets. US Vets provides housing to some 550 veterans in the Century Villages at Cabrillo, developed on the former Naval housing site for the Long Beach Shipyard, which closed in 1997.

Over the years, it has provided transitional housing to thousands of veterans while they gain control of the issues that resulted in their homelessness, said Steve Peck, a Marine Corps veteran who serves as president and CEO of US Vets.

"They're in there 90-120 days and most move on to permanent housing in the community," said Peck.

Veterans who consider themselves "graduates" attest to the transformation in their lives.

"It just changed my life at that point," said Navy veteran Wayne Hansen.

After serving in the 1980s, he worked two decades as a truck driver, but found himself in 2010 and went to the VA for help.

"I found myself with US Vets in a transitional housing program, and from there I was just connected to all kinds of resources I didn't realize were available," Hansen said.

Four years later, he's living in an apartment, getting his bachelor's degree from Cal State Fullerton in human services, and preparing to return to the workforce full-time.

"When I walked into the VA hospital, I had no idea there was a place like this," said Stephen Brunner, 34, an Army combat veteran who had grappled with PTSD for eight years, seeking help from the VA only after his marriage fell apart and he lost his home.

After nine months in the Villages at Cabrillo, he has completed a substance abuse program, worked full-time as a painter, and next week will be moving to an apartment and preparing to enter Cypress College.

One of the chief benefits of the US Vets program Brunner sees is the environment and camaraderie with fellow veterans who understand the challenges. Brunner is aware of the initiative to find housing for veterans still living on the street in Long Beach.

It's the nature of veterans to be self-reliant and not ask for help, he said, but he's glad he overcame that barrier and urges others facing challenges to do so.

"By me moving out, I'm opening a bed for another guy," Brunner said.

Marine Corps Veteran Stacie Mello, 44, is another who has been able to recover from "bad choices" that left her without work or a home in 2010. It took three months, but a case worker was able to find her housing, with rent subsidized by a voucher from HUD, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Vouchers are provided through a program known as Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing.

Mello graduated from nursing school, and is awaiting her certification as an LVN, has worked as a peer support for the HUD VASH program in Orange County.

One ongoing challenge is the resistance of some landlords to tenants with rental subsidies.

American Family Housing and other focused organizations welcome tenants recovering from homelessness, but there is still a shortage of affordable housing, or housing that accepts vouchers. New Orleans, Salt Lake City, and Phoenix are among the cities that have announced meeting the goal of making sure housing is available to all of their veterans.

The challenge is greater in Los Angeles, which has the nation's largest population of veterans without housing, as many as 4,000, though the results countywide point in time census will not be announced till next month.

The Home for Good initiative, spearheaded by United Way, reports it is finding housing for 300 veterans a month and will need to increase that to meet the President's goal by the end of the year.

The San Diego Tunnel Task Force is investigating an illegal smuggling tunnel found in San Ysidro feet from the border.

U.S. Border Patrol agents saw a sinkhole Tuesday near the fence just east of the water treatment plant. That sinkhole collapsed revealing an opening to the tunnel.

NBC 7 had the only U.S. news crew to get a close up look at the tunnel. It was about four feet high and three feet wide. It had a rail-cart system, lighting and a ventilation system which consisted of a couple air blowers and dryer hoses.

“The tunnel was not completed. It was currently under construction, “ said Border Patrol Agent James Nielsen. “It’s clear it was going to be used for smuggling activity, but it was unclear whether it was going to be used for people or possibly drugs.

Agent Nielsen says transnational criminal organizations are using unorthodox methods to cross the border such as tunnels, aircrafts and by sea. He says since September 11, 2001 there have been 56 underground tunnels discovered in the San Diego sector.

“We’ve had tunnels on the east side of the San Ysidro Port of Entry cross the international border and then come inside warehouses,” said Agent Nielsen.

Investigators don’t know where the tunnel was heading (although it was heading in the direction of a residential community in San Ysidro), but they do know where it started. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say it started in a home in Tijuana about 220 yards away.

NBC 7 went to that area in Tijuana Wednesday and saw the home surrounded by tape and several Mexican military officials. The home was still under construction. The roof was exposed and its walls were held up with pieces of wood. The home was only about 50 yards from the border fence.

Officials say no drugs were found in the tunnel and, as of Wednesday, no arrests were made.

Task force officials plan to fill the tunnel with a concrete semi-solid substance in the coming weeks. They say the material is used because if someone were to try to dig again in that spot, the material would collapsed on itself making it difficult to create another tunnel.

Border Patrol officials also want to raise awareness about their border hotline, which should be used when you notice suspicious activity near and along the border. That number is 877-988-6635.