A shooting was reported at a Chula Vista apartment complex Thursday morning.

The shooting happened around 8 a.m. on E. Street near 2nd Avenue. More than a dozen police officers plus SWAT officials were called to the scene.

At 8:40 a.m., the Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD) confirmed the 200 block of E Street had been shut down due to police activity at 160 E. Street. The Mission Gardens apartment complex is located in that area.

CVPD Lt. Fritz Weber confirmed a suspect had shot and killed a victim in a car.

Dispatchers said the suspect was barricaded inside an apartment unit, possibly armed with a rifle.

One resident who has lived in the apartment complex for 10 years told NBC 7 he heard a loud blast but thought it was related to nearby construction and didn’t think much of it.

He took one of his three children to school and when he returned, police cars had the street outside his home blocked off.

“I thought it was a gas explosion, seriously I didn’t think it was a gun,” the man said.

The resident told NBC 7 he didn’t hear screaming or fighting before the blast.

The resident said he's been talking his mother who is in the apartment with his other children. He said they are safe and staying inside.

Another resident told NBC 7 he heard at least six back-to-back gunshots erupt  near the complex as he was leaving for work. Seconds later, he heard one final shot.

Police did not immediately release additional details.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story.
 

A man walking along a street in Chula Vista Thursday night died after being struck by a car, police confirmed.

The pedestrian was walking in the 600 block of E Street around 10:15 p.m. when he was hit by a car driving westbound. Several bystanders called 911 to report the collision. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered the victim unconscious, suffering from critical injuries.

He was rushed to UCSD Medical Center where he died a short time later.

Police said witnesses reported seeing the man walking across the street northbound – not using the crosswalk – when he was hit by the car.

The driver stopped at the scene and cooperated with police. The driver was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, investigators said.

The victim’s name has not yet been released. Anyone with information on this case should contact the Chula Vista Police Department at (619) 691-5151.

A student who was pushed in front of a commuter train in New York was reunited with the officers who rescued her at her college graduation Wednesday.

Maya Leggat, 22, hugged the MTA police officers who saved her as she received special recognition during her graduation from Hunter College.

Leggat became emotional during the touching reunion, saying she never considered the possibility of not living to see her graduation day.

“I never thought that I wouldn’t be able to do what I wanted to do, that there wasn’t a positive outcome at the end,” Leggat said.

Leggat was shoved from behind by a homeless man as a Metro-North train entered the White Plains station in September 2013.

The force of the train flung her under platform instead of crushing her, so officers Ted Uzzle and Victor Pastrana were able to pull her out and administer life-saving aid immediately, the New York Post reported. Leggat suffered a broken back, a severed finger, other broken bones and cuts.

The man who pushed her, Howard Mickens, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He had previously pleaded guilty to attempted murder. 

L.A. isn't the only SoCal city to get a secret show from the Rolling Stones. The iconic rockers, who packed Petco Park on Sunday, are now gearing up for a surprise show at the Belly Up on Wednesday night.

Although the Belly Up would only confirm that a private party had been booked for the night, sources said that the "private party" will actually be another area appearance by the Rolling Stones, paid for by a single individual with very deep pockets.

The media had speculated previously that Mick & Co. might be hanging around the area to soak up some rays -- but, hey, since the sun isn’t actually shining, why not just play another show instead since the first one went so well?

Fans were lining up at the iconic Solana Beach venue by early afternoon, hoping for a band sighting (we were told they were already inside) or, even more unlikely, a chance at seeing the show. Also on site: news trucks and 91x's van. It's probably only a matter of time till Boltman shows up ...

The Rolling Stones opened their Zip Code tour in San Diego at Petco Park on Sunday to a sold-out stadium packed with thousands of screaming fans [check out our gallery from the event]. It was their first performance in San Diego in 10 years, when they were the first band to play Petco Park. On Sunday, they rocked through more than two hours of greatest hits [watch the video], pulling out some lesser-known tracks from the band’s expansive catalog before closing the night with an encore of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” backlit by fireworks.

This wouldn’t be a first for either the Stones (who aren’t scheduled for their next stop on the 15-city Zip Code tour until Saturday, May 30, in Ohio) or the Belly Up (which shows an empty calendar on Wednesday). As we reported last week, the Rolling Stones warmed up for San Diego with a semi-secret show at the Fonda in Los Angeles, announcing it the day of and selling tickets for just $5 a pop. The Belly Up, for its part, played host to a hush-hush private show put on by the William Morris talent agency, who brought in the Foo Fighters, Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett and Aloe Blacc back in January.

Hannah Lott-Schwartz, a San Diego native, moved back to the area after working the magazine-publishing scene in Boston. Now she’s straight trolling SD for all the music she missed while away. Want to help? Hit her up with just about anything at all over on Twitter, where -- though not always work-appropriate -- she means well.

A former substitute custodian in the Grossmont Union High School District pleaded guilty Wednesday to texting a teenage girl to meet him for sex.

Elias Morales II, 21, was working as a substitute custodian at El Capitan High School in February when he attempted to have a relationship with a 14-year-old student. 

Morales accepted a plea agreement Wednesday that could lead to jail time. He may also have to register as a sex offender.

The custodian asked the student to skip class and meet him off-campus, and San DIego County Sheriff's Department detectives — posing as the student — agreed to meet up for a sexual liaison.

When Morales drove to the planned Lakeside location Thursday, deputies arrested him.

District officials said Morales passed screening done by Department of Justice and FBI before his hiring.

A San Diego County Sheriff's deputy shot and killed a man with a screwdriver in Alpine, officials said Wednesday. 

Just before 4:30 p.m., deputies got a report of a mentally ill, violent man in the 3600 block of Emmanuel Way, about six miles south of Viejas Casino and Resort. However, by the time they arrived, the 33-year-old suspect had left, according to Lt. John Maryon.

“The person at the location said that the male had planned an attack on a deputy using a screwdriver, forcing a deputy to shoot him or he would overdose on narcotics," said Maryon.

As investigators broadcast the warning, another deputy met the suspect on a roadway.

Maryon said it's not clear what happened, but they do know the deputy deployed his Taser and then shot at the man, striking him.

Deputies and paramedics tried to perform CPR on the suspect, but he died a short time later. A screwdriver was found by his body, according to Maryon.

"I mean, someone that’s desperate to possibly kill themselves will — if they don’t have access to a weapon that they can really harm themselves with — unfortunately they might reach out and find another weapon and cause us to do it for them. Very unfortunate," said Maryon.

The suspect lived in the area with his parents, but officials have not released his identity. No deputies were injured in the incident.

The investigation is ongoing, and sheriff's detectives are interviewing the deputy involved for more information.

Heavy black smoke started pouring from the Fish Market Restaurant Wednesday evening, covering a portion of the San Diego Embarcadero in a haze.

About 160 customers and 75 employees streamed out of the building as it was evacuated at 6:20 p.m. The fire began to spread in the restaurant's top floor at 750 North Harbor Drive, just south of USS Midway.

"There was at least a good five-foot, 10-foot flame coming out from the top," said Alex Worth, an employee.

Visitor Sophia Ramirez said she had just ordered her food when a man ran down the stairs, yelling "Get out!"

"That's when everyone started getting mobilized; everyone started running out, panicking and you could kind of, by that time, feel the smoke in the air and kind of see it a little bit," said Ramirez.

Firefighters quickly jumped on the roof, cutting holes for ventilation. The initial flames had sparked a couple of smaller fires, officials said, but all were confined to the attic.

The fire was extinguished by 6:45 p.m., and investigators believe grease in a kitchen hood vent system in the attic set the restaurant ablaze. No one was injured.

In the end, the fire caused about $1.2 million in damage, including smoke and water damage to the first and second floors.

Employees said they were told to go home for the evening because the restaurant will not be reopened for some time. It's unclear how long it will be closed.

"It's one of my favorite restaurants also," said San Diego Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Dennis Clay. "Sort of sad to see something like that happen to some place like this."

One worker told NBC 7 he had experienced three evacuations there, and this was the worst.

Through Wednesday evening, viewers sent in pictures and videos:

The Southern California man who was beaten by sheriff's deputies at the end of a horseback pursuit filmed exclusively by NBC4 has been charged with multiple counts in connection with the pursuit.

Apple Valley resident Francis Pusok, 30, would face up to 19 years and 4 months in prison if convicted of the 14 charges listed in the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office complaint, released Thursday.

Ten deputies were placed on administrative leave as the beating, filmed by NewsChopper4 on April 9, is being investigated by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and FBI.

"I assure you that if there's any criminal wrongdoing on the part of any of our deputy sheriffs or any policy violations, we will take action," Sheriff John McMahon said soon after the incident.

The charges filed against Pusok include allegedly evading an officer in a motor vehicle, stealing a horse and cruelly overriding it and being under the influence of marijuana and amphetamine. Three charges of receiving stolen property were filed against Pusok and Jolene Bindner, his longtime girlfriend.

Pusok is out of jail on a $100,000 bond. He is scheduled for arraignment June 16.

Pusok settled with the County of San Bernardino for $650,000 earlier this month, avoiding litigation.

"I thought I was being beaten to death," said Pusok, who suffered wounds to his head, ribs, back, face, neck and legs. "I was wondering, 'When is it going to stop?'"

The City of Santee installed a new street sign Thursday at the intersection where a high school student was recently killed.

West Hills High School student Ryan Willweber, 17, died on May 1 when his car was T-boned as he tried to turn left out of the campus on to Mast Boulevard.

Two new signs barring left turns have been posted at two driveways leaving campus.

Just a few feet away is a floral cross planted in the median, a reminder of the tragic collision that affected students, faculty and parents.

"From a city government standpoint, we are moving at light-speed," Mayor Randy Voepel told NBC 7 Thursday.

City leaders in Santee took public comment on possible changes to the section of road ranging from new striping, flashing beacons, rumble strips or traffic lights.

Officials say there will be a change to the traffic signal at Medina Drive to allow U-turns for those people wanting to go west on Mast Boulevard from the high school.

A second traffic signal will be installed before next school year at the school's western entrance, the city said.

Also, there will be changes to the striping on Mast Boulevard in both directions to create a buffer zone between cars and bikes.

A labor union representing flight attendants is backing one of their own amid a controversy involving a photo of the airline employee posing inside a plane’s engine.

The Spirit Airlines flight attendant, who has been identified as Ericka Paige Diehl, took the photo shortly before the aircraft's take off at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, according to reports. A passenger contacted a local TV station with concerns.

The airline said in a statement after the photo was brought to their attention that the "activity portrayed absolutely goes against Spirit policy," adding that it, "will be investigating further and take appropriate action."

However, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said that many airline employees have taken similar photos since "the dawn of the jet age" and there was no security risk for travelers.

"Flight attendants and pilots have been photographed with the engine as a celebration of the might of aviation," AFA president Sara Nelson said in a statement. "These images are iconic and common. The photos have become a rite of passage for crews. The only security risk here is for the flight attendant herself, whose name, age, and city have been broadcast in the media across the country."

Other flight attendants across the U.S. also backed Diehl, posting photos on Twitter of themselves inside of plane engines (as seen below) under the hashtag ‪#FLYwithERIKA‬.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said in a statement that the practice is not prohibited under its regulations, though the agency “discourages individuals without proper training or supervision from climbing onto any part of an aircraft.”

“As part of normal maintenance and inspection procedures, certified mechanics sometimes climb into these engines, which are designed to be structurally robust,” Cory added. “The FAA has been in contact with the airline that employs the flight attendant. The airline inspected the aircraft in question and found no damage.”

Diehl couldn't be reached for comment.

Many would imagine that being taken as a hostage would be scary and nerve-wracking.

But Jagdish Bhalla, 75, who was one of two hostages held against his will inside an Arco gas station in Bay Area for hours on Wednesday, described the ordeal differently.

"I'm feeling great," the Antioch gas station owner said Thursday. "He was nice to me. He never misbehaved, did not use filthy language. He treated me very respectful."

In turn, Bhalla offered the 35-year-old suspect, Horacio Gutierrez  – who was arrested after surrendering peacefully to police Wednesday afternoon – Brisk tea so that he wouldn't "have a hard attitude toward me."

Both he and the other hostage, a gas station employee, were eventually allowed to leave the station in the 2600 block of Contra Loma Boulevard. They had been kept in a back room during the standoff. Bhalla said the Gutierrez, who authorities said lives in Newark, never pointed a gun at them, although he had one at his side.

He was never bound, and was allowed to make a phone call to his family. At one point, Gutierrez dozed off, Bhalla said, which is when he and the employee were thinking of making a run for it. But just then, the man woke up and forbid them to do so, Bhalla said.

Authorities said the suspect had been armed and carjacked several vehicles about 11 a.m. while driving through Antioch, Concord, Pittsburgh and back to Antioch. The California Highway Patrol lay down a strike strip, puncturing his car's tires, and the suspect eventually ran into the gas station, taking both the station's owner and the employee as hostages.

Police told the Contra Costa Times Gutierrez had an "extensive rap sheet" that included arrests for drug violations, burglary and vehicle thefts.

Asked if he wanted to say anything to the man who held him for four hours? Bhalla said it was the "best day of my life," because he survived the harrowing ordeal.

"I say, 'Thank you,'" Bhalla said. "And God bless him in his life."

NBC Bay Area's Lisa Fernandez contributed to this report.

The city of Cupertino won't be having a fireworks show on July 4 because of California's drought, and in an odd twist, the reason is because the Silicon Valley suburb was trying to be extra conscious of saving water.

“People are very disappointed,” said city spokesman Rick Kitson. “Who doesn’t love fireworks? But overall, I think they get it.”

And though no agency formally tracks fireworks cancellations related to drought, Cupertino – home to Apple Inc. headquarters – could be the first city in California to squash such a pyrotechnics display as the state enters its fourth year of drought.

Until this year, Cupertino was one of the rare spots in the Bay Area to still host city-funded firework shows while other cities, such as Livermore, Hercules, Oakland and San Leandro, cut such events during the recession. Kitson said the last time the city cancelled a show was about a decade ago, and that was for monetary reasons.

The reason the community show was shuttered this year is because of water conservation efforts.

Cupertino High School switched to artificial turf a while back, in part, Kitson said, to save money on watering the lawns.

And it’s those synthetic fields, where thousands of people congregate, that need 100,000 gallons of water to douse both before and after the fireworks display, according to the Fremont Unified School District.

The water is needed to prevent any fireworks fallout on synthetic grass that would yield a mass of burning plastic, Kitson pointed out. He added that if the fields were still full of real grass, the fireworks show could probably still have been held. A little bit of sparks and ash falling on real grass, he said, “isn’t that big of a deal,” and wouldn't require the same amount of water preparation that fake grass does.

“Because we’ve done the right thing, the total use of water becomes more conspicuous,” Kitson said. “You’ve got to hose down the plastic before and a lot afterward.”

Cupertino is doing several things to counter the drought – not just saying no to fireworks. The city has turned off two fountains and is letting the grass turn brown on public land.

Lisa Lien-Mager, spokeswoman for the Association of California Water Agencies, said her agency is not tracking whether cities cancel fireworks shows because of the drought. But she did say that in past droughts, some communities have disbanded such events.

In 2012, three Chicago suburbs cancelled fireworks shows because of a persistent drought in the Midwest.

While the cherry bombs and Chinese Crackers won’t be popping off to celebrate America’s birthday, Kitson said the city of about 60,000 is going to play up other July 4 extravaganzas so that Cupertino’s residents won’t be gypped.

The city, he said, will give extra care to the morning parade, the community swim and the pancake breakfast.

“We’re going to make those activities a lot bigger,” Kitson said. “There will still be a lot to do."

San Diego County has $1.3 million in unclaimed refunds and they want the public to search the database to see who is owed money, officials said Thursday.

When the county can’t locate property taxpayers or others who may have previously owned property in the County of San Diego in the past five years, they add the refund to an “unclaimed monies list.”

Sometimes the refunds have been sent to the last known mailing address on file. Other times, checks return uncashed.

This year, the County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office has 4,329 unclaimed accounts. The funds in those account total approximately $1.3 million, officials said.

To search for your name, go to www.sdtreastax.com. Use the website to find out how file a refund claim or call (619) 531-4862.
 

A bill to clean up California’s security industry was unanimously approved by the California State Assembly Thursday, moving it, once again, one step closer to becoming law.

Assemblymember Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) introduced the bill, AB 1042, after seeing an NBC 7 Investigates story exposing the local underground industry of untrained, unlicensed security officers.

The story came after two local deaths involving bouncers – one where the bouncer was arrested and charged for involuntary manslaughter and the other where the death was ruled a homicide. The San Diego Police Department forwarded that investigation to the San Diego County District Attorney’s office for review.

Click here to see the complete investigation.

If adopted, the bill would further professionalize the security guard industry and protect public safety.

“If a guard or bouncer wears a uniform or performs a security role, they should have to meet minimum professional standards and pass background checks,” Cooper said in a press release about the bill. “AB 1042 will ensure individuals providing security services are properly licensed, trained and certified,” he added.

NBC 7 Investigates original story, exposed two issues in the security industry:

1. If a security officer/guard isn’t wearing a uniform, he or she does not have to be licensed in the state of California.
2. Many of security guards are getting state-issued security guard registration cards (also known as guard cards) and getting jobs but may be completing only a fraction of the curriculum.

AB 1042 updates the definition of a Proprietary Private Security Officer and adds examples of security officer duties to ensure individuals employed by a business such as a bar or restaurant and who provide security services are not unlicensed.

According to the release, the bill would ensure individuals providing security services are subject to a background check and receive appropriate training. The bill adds example of security officer duties to ensure individuals employed by a business, such as a bar or restaurant and who provide security services, are not unlicensed.”

The bill is supported by the California Association of Licensed Security Agencies, Guards and Associates and will next be heard in the State Senate.

A girl reported being followed by a stranger while on her way to school, San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies confirmed Thursday.

Parents received a message from Lindo Park Principal Nina Drammissi Wednesday informing them of the report.

An 11-year-old girl was walking to school when she saw a man wearing a black hoodie and blue shirt with gray sweat pants with a red stripe down the side was running toward her, according to a sheriff’s spokesperson.

The girl reported the man was never closer to her than 50 yards, officials said.

In her note, the principal suggested parents review safety procedures with students.

“The best defense is to run to another adult while making lots of noise,” Drammissi wrote.

Sheriff’s officials say that’s what the girl in this incident did. She turned away from the stranger and ran to the school to report what happened to her teacher.

Deputies searched the area but did not find anyone matching the girl’s description.
 

Here’s some cool news: a new gourmet ice cream shop will open its doors in Pacific Beach this Friday and is giving away free ice cream sandwiches to celebrate their beachside digs.

CREAM – a dessert franchise founded in Berkeley, Calif., and known for its indulgent, unique ice cream sandwiches – will open a shop at 1038 Garnet Ave. in PB (see photo of storefront below).

The sweet treat freebie will be available there from 3 p.m. to midnight. The shop expects to draw a large crowd and give away more than 3,000 cool confections.

This is the second CREAM location that has opened in San Diego this year.

Back in March, CREAM set up shop in the College Avenue area near San Diego State University, also marking the occasion with free ice cream sandwiches for patrons.

CREAM – which is an acronym for “Cookies Rule Everything Around Me” – was founded in 2010 and currently has 14 locations operating throughout California and Nevada. The company plans to continue expanding across the U.S. over the next few years, specializing in its signature cookie ice cream sandwich creations.

The menu at CREAM includes fresh baked cookies in 20 flavors such as red velvet, double chocolate chip and lemon heaven. Ice cream flavors – also 20 on the list – include banana walnut fudge, pistachio delight and royal caramel swirl, just to name a few. The menu also includes lots of sweet toppings, plus “The CREAM Taco,” a taco shell-shaped cone stuffed with three flavors of ice cream and two toppings of your choice.
 

A bicyclist was struck and killed by a vehicle in Oceanside late Thursday.

The collision happened on State Route 76 at Frazee Road near Towne Center just before 9 p.m.

Oceanside Police closed down eastbound lanes of SR-76 while they conducted an investigation.

The cyclist was traveling the wrong way before the collision, police said. Witnesses said the cyclist veered into oncoming traffic.

One driver was able to avoid striking the cyclist but a second, a 2005 Acura MDX, could not avoid the collision. 

The cyclist was pinned beneath the vehicle, officials said.

The driver of the vehicle stopped and was not cited.

The victim was described by officials as a 54-year-old man. He was not identified.

Oceanside Police say the incident is under investigation but it appears alcohol may have been a factor.
 

A dog walker made a grisly discovery in Delaware County Thursday afternoon.

The person was walking in the area of the old Westinghouse plant near 2nd Street in Tinicum, Pennsylvania -- not far from Philadelphia International Airport -- when he saw the suitcase, said the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office.

The man called police who came out and unzipped the suitcase to discover the man’s body stuffed inside the large brown case. The man appeared to be in his 20s, said investigators.

Jim Martin -- who walks his dog in the area called "Back Road" that sits just below flights paths -- said that he saw the case in the weeds a few days back and he noticed something strange about it.

"I smelled a smell -- you mentally think something, then you're like pause, pause it's my imagination," said Martin.

It wasn't and it's possible the suitcase had been there for weeks. The investigation into the case continued late Thursday.

A group of beachgoers discovered a body Thursday afternoon near the Ocean Beach pier, fire officials said.

After the group called 911, firefighters and lifeguards found the body 100 yards west of the pier, floating in the water.

They have retrieved the body, which is believed to be that of a woman, and said it was heavily decomposed. Officials say it had been in the water for at least a day, if not more.

The medical examiner's office will determine a cause of death.

Check back here for details on this breaking news story.

A compromise has been reached at Scripps Ranch High School which may open the door for a valedictorian to have some role in her commencement ceremony, according to San Diego Unified School District officials.

Scripps Ranch High School senior Toni Bronars will graduate next month with a 4.85 GPA.

She's excelled in cross country and track and will head to University of California Berkeley on a full ride academic scholarship in the fall.

However, when she auditioned to be a speaker at her upcoming graduation - per school policy - she was not one of those selected to address her class.

An online petition started by a classmate quickly picked up hundreds of signatures over the Memorial Day weekend in support of Bronars.

Principal Ann Menna met with a group Wednesday that included students who were identified as speakers from the audition process, student leaders, parents and staff.

The group decided not to change the speaker lineup out of respect to those who were selected, SDUSD spokesperson Ursula Kroemer said.

Instead, the principal offered Bronars the opportunity to recite a poem or a quote at graduation.

Kroemer said Bronars and her mother were both pleased at the offer.

Unlike many high schools, Scripps Ranch has had a policy for 18 years requiring all interested students audition for the right to be one of the commencement speakers - even the valedictorian.

Scripps Ranch HS will revisit its policy next year, Kroemer said.