Smoke from an 80-acre brush fire clouded the skies above Otay Lakes Friday afternoon, causing traffic delays in the area.

The fire started just after 4 p.m. near Otay Lakes Road and Woods Drive and was soon upgraded to a second-alarm incident. 

The flames were coming dangerously close to a few structures, but a helicopter was soon on scene to help drop water on the fire. Another two helicopters and a plane were called in to assist, carrying water from the Otay Lakes Reservoir.

Firefighters stopped the fire before it reached any buildings, and it was extinguished by 6:45 p.m. Crews expect to be on the scene for the next three hours to mop up hot spots.

No evacuations were put into place, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue officials.

Chula Vista police helped stop drivers in the area as firefighters attacked the flames, and pedestrians were cleared from walkways on Otay Lakes Road and Wuste, according to Chula Vista police. 

About three dozen residents stood staring at the sky, watching the smoke rise.

In all, about 100 fire crews from Chula Vista and Cal Fire helped fight the blaze.

One of the convicted murderers who escaped from a maximum-security prison in upstate New York three weeks ago, leading police on a manhunt through miles of difficult terrain, was shot and killed by law enforcement officers Friday, two senior state officials tell NBC News, and another law enforcement official tells NBC 4 New York gunfire was later heard as authorities tried to close in on the second fugitive.

Richard Matt was shot after he, armed with a shotgun, was confronted by Customs and Border Patrol officers who were sweeping a wooded area in Malone, the Franklin County town to which authorities had narrowed their search following the discovery of new DNA evidence in a cabin, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation tells NBC 4 New York.

The officers ordered Matt to put up his hands, and he challenged them; that's when he was fatally shot by the officers, State Police Superintendent Joseph D'Amico confirmed in a news conference held alongside Gov. Cuomo Friday evening.

A 20-gauge shotgun belonging to Matt was recovered from the scene. No shots were fired by Matt, and no officers were injured, D'Amico said. 

"You never want to see anyone lose their life," Cuomo said, but continued: "These are dangerous, dangerous men and that is why you see law enforcement from across this country before you today cooperating with one mission: to bring these gentlemen to justice."

Law enforcement got a 911 call just before 2 p.m. from a man who reported hearing a loud sound while towing a mobile camper on Route 30, according to D'Amico. He at first thought it was a flat tire and got out of the camper to inspect the vehicle; he didn't find a flat and proceeded to a campground in a nearby town.

That's where he found a bullet hole in the camper and called 911, said D'Amico. State police responded and determined the camper had been shot about 8 miles back, and multiple agencies were deployed to that area. Officers got into a cabin there and smelled gunpowder and realized a weapon had been fired. It also appeared someone had recently been there and fled out the back door. 

As law enforcement conducted a ground search in the woods near Route 30, the tactical team from Customs and Border Protection heard movement and coughs and found Matt. They engaged him, and when he refused to comply, shot him, D'Amico said. 

The manhunt is ongoing for the other escaped murderer, David Sweat, though law enforcement sources say two sets of footprints were located in the woods so they believe the two killers were traveling together. 

"There's no indication that Sweat wasn't with Matt," D'Amico said. 

Law enforcement officers converged on a limited wooded area late Friday afternoon where they believe Sweat may be hiding, an official said, and a round of gunshots was heard as officers tried to close in on him. D'Amico declined to detail the ongoing search for Sweat, saying only: "We are going to continue to use the same tactics over the past few weeks, which is to search 24 hours a day until we find him." 

He noted: "Our preference would always be to capture them alive." 

He reminded the public to remain vigilant and to call 911 immediately and not approach Sweat in case of a sighting. 

Thom Kelly, 36, says he was at his mother-in-law's house near Route 30 around the time of the shooting.

"We heard a lot of sirens by Route 30 so we stepped out to see what happened," Kelly said. "One local officer stopped by and said, 'We got one.'"

At a news briefing earlier Friday, Guess said the search efforts had shifted slightly north after police found items dropped by Matt and Sweat in a cabin and field north of their last suspected location. The findings, combined with other evidence, gave investigators "a high degree of confidence" that the men may have been making a run for the border, Guess said.

Guess wouldn't reveal what evidence was connected to the men, but said that officials presumed the escapees were traveling under the cover of darkness.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation told NBC News that DNA belonging to at least one of the escaped prisoners was found in the cabin in Malone. According to those sources, the cabin owner noticed the place had been broken into at some point Wednesday or Thursday.

The timeline and location of the positive DNA test confirmed that at least one of the prisoners was able to travel about 13 miles northwest since evidence indicated the duo had been near Owls Head Saturday, the sources told NBC News.

On Friday, as the search extended into its 21st day, a small contingent of New York state troopers were stationed along power lines in Malone, and motorists had to pass through a checkpoint. Other heavily armed troopers combed sheds and went door-to-door in the efforts to find the men.

Sweat and Matt broke out of the prison in Dannemora on June 6. Authorities say they cut through the steel wall at the back of their cells, crawled down a catwalk, broke through a brick wall, cut their way into and out of a steam pipe and then emerged from a manhole outside the prison.

Sweat, 35, was serving a life sentence without parole in the killing of a sheriff's deputy. Matt, who turned 49 on Thursday, was doing 25 years to life in the kidnapping, torture and hacksaw dismemberment of his former boss.

Meanwhile, New York state prison officials said Friday that a corrections officer facing charges related to the escape has been suspended without pay.

Gene Palmer's suspension from his $72,644-a-year job comes after he was arrested Wednesday night on charges of promoting prison contraband, tampering with evidence and official misconduct.

Palmer has told investigators he provided paint, tools and prison catwalk access to Matt and Sweat. The veteran guard says he had no idea they were planning to escape, and investigators have said they have no reason to believe otherwise.

He is free on $25,000 bail.

Another prison worker, tailor shop instructor, Joyce Mitchell is charged with helping them escape. Authorities say Mitchell smuggled hacksaw blades, a screwdriver and other tools into the prison by hiding them in frozen meat that Palmer delivered to the inmates.

A drug trafficker who used his cellphone to text photos of a man who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered during a drug deal gone south has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

The office of U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy said Juan Castro-Navarro, 43, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced in a federal courtroom in San Diego to 182 months behind bars on a charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.

A judge called him a “monster” who brought “poison” into the U.S. in the form of drugs.

According to prosecutors, in January 2014 Castro-Navarro used his cellphone to document the gruesome, violent torture of a man murdered in retaliation for stealing 10 pounds of methamphetamine.

Court documents show that Castro-Navarro – also known as “J” – sent graphic photos of the victim in a series of text messages to fellow drug traffickers.

He also sent the pictures to his girlfriend, telling her not to worry because he was working. In the texts, he told his girlfriend to look at a photograph and then “erase it.” In more messages, he told her again to “not to forget to erase” the images.

One photo that Castro-Navarro sent to his contacts was accompanied by this text message: “I just want you to know that I love you guys and that I’m only going to kill one more. I have never killed anyone who didn’t deserve it. I’ll see you later.”

Court documents said Castro-Navarro and other traffickers were set on revenge for the drug theft. In some text conversations, they incorporated emoticons.

One trafficker, identified as “Pokemon” texted Castro-Navarro: “Did you beat him or choke him?”

Castro-Navarro replied: “The second.”

Pokemon responded: “Very well.” He also added a semi-colon and a parenthesis to denote a winking emoticon face, the documents said.

Prosecutors said the first photograph sent via Castro-Navarro’s cellphone showed a man tied and taped to a chair with his hands behind his back. The victim had a black eye and was wearing a black sweatshirt and green or gray jeans.

After sending that picture, Castro-Navarro texted this message to a fellow trafficker: “I’m so f***ing pissed and these people are doing as I say.”

In another text, Castro-Navarro told a trafficker he and his crew were “extracting information” from the victim.

In a follow-up message, he texted: “I haven’t killed him because he says he is going to bring me 20 pieces [units of narcotics].”

Castro-Navarro then sent another photo showing a person holding down the victim with one knee on the man’s back, pulling on the end of a baseball bat. The victim’s face was down on a concrete floor with his pants half off. Another person was holding the victim’s head down. A third person holding a baseball bat was also standing nearby.

Half an hour later, prosecutors said Castro-Navarro sent another picture of the victim which showed the man face-down, naked from the waist down. He had a green plastic bag over his head. A person was stepping on the back of his head while another held the victim’s arms behind his back and a third person stepped on his legs. Prosecutors said the victim’s buttocks showed signs of bruising.

Castro-Navarro texted the victim was “gone” and then said he had been choked to death.

The final photo sent by Castro-Navarro to his associates depicted the victim’s lifeless body wrapped in a blanket.

According to a prosecutor, the body of a man brutally beaten to death was found wrapped in a blanket in Tijuana, Mexico, the day after Castro-Navarro sent the graphic text messages. The victim was wearing the same clothing as the man in the cellphone photos. The violent murder was documented in a Tijuana newspaper, the prosecutor said.

Castro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 40 kilograms of meth and two kilograms of heroin on Jan. 13, 2015. He also admitted he managed other traffickers in the distribution of the drugs within California and from California to Utah, Washington and other parts of the United States.

His charges carried a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years and a $10 million fine and a maximum of life imprisonment.

Duffy’s office said U.S. authorities did not charge Castro with murder because the victim was not a U.S. citizen and the crime occurred in Tijuana, thus the U.S. government lacked jurisdiction on that type of charge.
 

A man, pushed away for interfering in a medical call, yelled "I'm going to kill you all" before stabbing two firefighters in East Village, a deputy district attorney said.

Ryan Allen Jones, 34, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges stemming from Wednesday's violent incident. He is being held on a $750,000 bond for counts of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest.

As a San Diego Fire-Rescue crew responded to a medical call at the Park and Market trolley station Wednesday, Jones was told multiple times to move back so they could treat another person.

A fire captain tripped over Jones feet, and prosecutors say Jones became irate.

"Concerned for his safety and the safety of those around him, the captain pushed this defendant back over a concrete barrier," Deputy District Attorney Steven Schott told the court. "At this point, your honor, the defendant said, 'I will kill you all.'"

Schott said Jones attacked to Metropolitan Transit System officers, beginning a fight that was caught on surveillance video. After going over a rail, Jones started kicking firefighter Benjamin Vernon, 37.

"This firefighter can be seen starting to back up. He has his hands up," said Schott, "and this defendant takes out a knife."

With his folding knife, Jones is accused of stabbing Vernon twice in the back, causing a collapsed lung. When fellow firefighter Alex Wallbrett, 32, ran up to help Vernon, he was stabbed at least twice in the upper torso.

MTS officers jumped in the fray and pepper sprayed Jones, subduing him long enough to handcuff him. Wallbrett was released from the hospital Thursday, while Vernon was released Friday afternoon.

According to prosecutors, Jones has at least seven prior convictions, including a 2002 robbery and assault on a peace officer in Oakland.

In San Diego, he has a handful of loitering citations, as well as two charges for carrying a concealed weapon and a knife longer than two inches.

He faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted on all charges.

Wednesday's stabbing shocked SDFD senior supervisors and captains, who were shaken to the point of tears, Fire Chief Javier Mainar said Thursday. Officials stressed how dangerous the job is for emergency crews across the city.

According to SDFD spokesman Lee Swanson, one of the firefighters who responded to this week's incident also worked to save the life of San Diego Police Officer Jeremy Henwood. Henwood was shot to death while sitting in his patrol car in a 2011 unprovoked attack.

Brooklyn teenager Johileny Meran was all smiles Friday as she received her high school diploma. But her journey to graduation day wasn't easy.

Meran has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. She was bullied as a child, grew up in a homeless shelter and lost her mom to cancer five years ago. The odds seemed stacked against her. 

But she was motivated to not only get her diploma from Juan Morel Campos Secondary School, but to walk away with top honors. She was named valedictorian and received a full scholarship to New York University. 

"I made it through. I was able to overcome many of the things that stood in my way," she said. 

Her commencement speech Friday brought family members and classmates to tears. 

Her uncle beamed as he said, "It's a good feeling when somebody have the power, the inspiration to keep going, working for something she believed in."

"The best thing about her, she doesn't give up," Meran's counselor Mariela Regaldo said.

Meran plans to study neuroscience at NYU and join the fight against cancer, a disease that taught her about loss and also about overcoming adversity. 

"It inspired, she inspired me to keep going and that's why I'm here today." 

Two people – a teenager and adult – were bloodied in machete fight in Vista Friday night, officials confirmed.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said deputies were called out to the Mesa Gardens East Apartments in the 800 block of E. Bobier Drive around 10:20 p.m. to investigate reports of a fight in the parking lot involving multiple people.

When deputies arrived, they found a crime scene and a machete with blood on it.

Two victims were discovered nearby, a 16-year-old boy and adult. The teen had suffered a laceration to his back, deputies said, while the adult had several lacerations to his head and hand. Both were taken to a local hospital and expected to recover.

The sheriff’s department said the suspects in the altercation had fled the scene by the time deputies got there. One suspect was described as a short, 15 to 16-year-old boy with brown hair. No suspect description was available for the second suspect.

Vista Station detectives are investigating the incident. Anyone with information should contact investigators at (760) 940-4551.
 

Firefighters are working to put out a bus on fire stopped on Interstate 805, just south of Interstate 8.

The incident happened around 12:46 p.m. Saturday when, for an unknown reason, the back of the bus went up in flames.

All passengers are off the bus, California Highway Patrol officers said, and are walking toward Interstate 8.

Further details were not available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story.

After destroying more than 30,000 acres and burning for 11 days, the Lake Fire was at 40 percent containment Saturday morning, prompting officials to reopen Highway 38.

Fifty-two crews committed to the 30,526 acre fire, that caused damage worth an estimated $21.9 million. The cause of the fire, that started June 17, is under investigation with four injuries reported.

Although the highway was reopened, speed limits were reduced in several areas and access to connecting roadways on the south side of the roadway were limited.

Firefighters worked day and night over the past week to try and get the fire under control. 

Crews left about 3,000 feet of hoses and fire-resistant gear on the northeast portion of the blaze for other firefighters installing a direct line near the perimeter, from the Rainbow area north to Onyx pea, San Bernardino National Forest officials said.

The supplies helped them work safely through the night and improve containment efforts.

Crews continued to build direct and indirect lines to the northeast and east portions of the fire that were uncontained.

Up to 120 firefighters camping near the blaze would be flown out of the area Saturday evening as thunderstorms approached the area. 

Fire officials didn't anticipate significant growth to the fire Saturday, but said smoke would be visible east of the Three Sisters Peaks and south of the wilderness, officia

The California Highway Patrol shut down a portion of State Route 163 near Friars Road due to police activity.

As of 3:40 p.m., police cleared their scene and opened the roadway. 

The closure of the large freeway snarled traffic on the Saturday afternoon. Both the northbound and southbound directions were closed for a period of time. 

A call came in around 12:30 p.m. Saturday reporting three to five military-type ordinances in the center divide, the CHP said. 

When a CHP unit went out, they could not initially tell what the objects were, so they took extra precautions and shut down the freeway and called out a bomb squad. 

Camp Pendleton and Miramar officials were called as well to see if something may have been dropped in transport. Caltrans said on scene what they found "appeared to be replicas."

A boy lost three of his fingers after a firework blew up in his hand in southern California, a Moreno Valley fire department said.

Firefighters found the 13-year-old had suffered a significant injury when they arrived following the explosion on the 24000 block of Webster Avenue at around 5:39 p.m. Thursday, a Riverside County Fire Department spokesman said.

He was taken to a local hospital for treatment to injured hand and is in a moderate condition, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. 

It is illegal to have fireworks in most of Riverside County, including Moreno Valley, while ones that only explode such as firecrackers are illegal everywhere in California.

A zero tolerance policy is in place for the use, sale, purchase, transport or storage of fireworks in Riverside County. Anyone caught will have their fireworks confiscated and face a fine of up to $500.

San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 is happening in less than two weeks and organizers have just released the programming schedule for the biggest day of the pop culture spectacular.

Per usual, Comic-Con Saturday – landing on July 11 this year – will be jam-packed with all-day events at the San Diego Convention Center to delight every fanboy and fangirl.

The entertainment lineup includes the “TV Guide Magazine: Fan Favorites” panel at 11 a.m. in Ballroom 20 featuring stars like Yvette Nicole Brown (“The Odd Couple” and “Community”), Wendi McLendon-Covey (“The Godlbergs”), David Anders (“iZombie), Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”), Eliza Taylor (“The 100”), Ming-Na Wen (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and Maisie Williams (“Game of Thrones”).

NBC’s new show “Blindspot” will host its pilot screening and panel at 11:15 a.m. in Room 6A with stars Sullivan Stapleton and Jaimie Alexander. Celebrating its 27th season, “The Simpsons” will host a panel at noon in Ballroom 20 with creator Matt Groening and Nancy Cartwright – the woman behind the voices of Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz and Ralph Wiggum.

The notoriously busy Hall H will host back-to-back programming, including a presentation from Warner Bros. at 10:30 a.m. that will give fans an exclusive sneak peek at upcoming flicks. “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” will take over Hall H at 12:15 p.m., followed by the 1:30 p.m. “Quentin Tarantino’s: The Hateful Eight” panel featuring Academy Award winner Quentin Tarantino, who will bring fans an exclusive look at his highly-anticipated eighth film.

Legendary Pictures will steal the Hall H show at 2:30 p.m. with filmmakers and talent from Legendary’s upcoming “Warcraft,” “Crimson Peak,” “Great Wall,” and “Krampus.”

At 3:45 p.m., the popular “Entertainment Weekly: Women Who Kick Ass” panel will take its turn in Hall H with fantastic females like Gal Gabot (“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”), Gwendoline Christie (“Game of Thrones”), Hayley Atwell (“Agent Carter”) and Kathy Bates (“American Horror Story.”)

Comic-Con fan favorite Joss Whedon will also take the spotlight in Hall H at 4:45 p.m., followed by 20th Century Fox at 5:45 p.m. The Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment Screening Block begins at 8 p.m. and will include a look at “Supergirl,” “Gotham,” “Arrow,” “The Flash,” “DC Legends of Tomorrow” and “Vixen.”

In Room 6A, Comic book icon Stan Lee will discuss his long career in the industry, plus future projects, during a 1:45 p.m. Q&A session.

At 3 p.m., NBC’s “Grimm” will host a panel in Ballroom 20 that includes cast members David Giuntoli, Russell Hornsby, Silas Weir Mitchell, Reggie Lee, Sasha Roiz, Bree Turner and Claire Coffee.

Actor William Shatner will showcase “William Shatner’s Man O’ War: Cinematic Graphic Novel” during a 4 p.m. panel in room 6BCF.

NBC’s “Hannibal” – though canceled – will still savor the fandom at its panel at 5 p.m. in Ballroom 20 featuring producer and creator Bryan Fuller and star Hugh Dancy, to name a couple of panelists.

Of course, these are just some highlights from Saturday’s programming schedule. For the full list, click here.

Since Saturday the busiest day of the 4-day convention, it’s important to get there early and plan accordingly. It’s safe to say the crowds and quirky, colorful costumes will be everywhere.

For details on what to expect at Comic-Con on Wednesday through Friday, click here.

A person is in critical condition after being shot in the head during an unofficial basketball tournament outside a Hartford elementary school in a shooting that injured four adults.

Hartford police received multiple 911 calls at about 4:30 p.m. about multiple shots fired and several victims at 260 Holcomb Street, where the Sarah J. Rawson Elementary School is located. The shooting happened on the school's outdoor basketball court.

One of four people shot was hit in the head and is in critical condition at St. Francis Hospital. The other three victims have non-life-threatening wounds. Some victims were taken to the hospital in private vehicles and others were transported in ambulances.

Police are reviewing a lot of evidence and are working to obtain video surveillance from the school

Hartford major crimes detectives and a shooting task force are on scene. The crime scene division is on its way.

Police were unaware that the basketball tournament was taking place and said that typically the department likes to be made aware of events that size.

No one is under arrest at this time.

Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra expressed outrage at the incident.

"I am not going to allow our children, our community to be threatened in this way," he said. 

Police ask anyone with information to call Hartford police, particularly if anyone has cellphone or camera video footage taken at the time of the shooting.

The incident does not appear to be targeted, police said.

Two cousins killed in a rollover crash on a busy Chula Vista road early Friday morning have been identified by officials.

According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office, Bryan Carranza, 28, and Kyle Carranza, 27, died in the collision at 30 Telegraph Road, near Hilltop Drive.

Bryan was the passenger and Kyle was the driver, officials said.

The ME’s office said both men suffered multiple blunt force injuries in the high-speed crash. They were both married, according to the ME reports.

The deadly crash happened just before 2:20 a.m. A resident across the street heard it, ran outside and called 911.

For unknown reasons, Kyle lost control of his BMW on a sweeping curve, struck a curb and plowed into a eucalyptus tree at a high rate of speed. The car then rolled 100 yards off the roadway, police said, also striking some metal posts.

The BMW’s roof ripped off before the wrecked car finally came to a halt. Debris was strewn about the crash site, the car in pieces.

Police said both men were wearing seat belts, but the impact was just too much to survive. The cause of the crash is under investigation, but the ME said no alcohol was found in the vehicle.
 

A 16-year-old driver and 21-year-old driver are in the hospital following a head-on late-night crash Friday.

The crash happened at approximately 10:34 p.m. Friday on State Route 67 in Poway where a 16-year-old man with a provisional driver’s license was driving with another 16-year-old in his 2013 Kia Optima. The teens were driving southbound on State Route 67.

The 21-year-old, driving north on SR 67, was heading toward Ramona in his 2015 Honda Civic.

The 16-year-old driver swerved and crossed into the northbound lane after he lost control of his car, he told San Diego Sheriff’s deputies.

The Kia crashed head-on into the Honda.

The 16-year-old was taken to Palomar Hospital with possible rib and facial injuries. The 21-year-old suffered facial and torso injuries and was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital.

Sheriff’s deputies said the collision does not appear to be alcohol or drug related.

Any witnesses to the collision are asked to call Deputy Marshall Abbott at (858) 513-2820.

An inmate at a federal prison in central California has agreed to plead guilty to killing a correctional officer seven years ago to avoid a possible death sentence, federal prosecutors said.

Jose Cabrera Sablan, 47, agreed on Friday to plead guilty to murder in a negotiated agreement that will put him in prison for the rest of his life, U.S. Attorney Ben Wagner in Sacramento said in a statement.

Sablan is currently serving life with a chance of parole. The plea deal "would eliminate the possibility of release," Wagner said.

He also said that prosecutors had to consider the likelihood of obtaining the death penalty and fighting appeals in a case that has already gone through 7 years of litigation.

News of the agreement was first reported by KFSN-TV in Fresno.

The agreement was condemned by the union that represents 33,000 federal prison workers, including correctional officers. "It feels like there's no justice," said Eric Young, national president of the Council of Prison Locals.

The death penalty is a deterrent for inmates who might attack federal correctional officers, who don't carry guns in prisons, Young said.

He noted that it has been seven years since Officer Jose Rivera was killed on June 20, 2008.

"It's unfortunate that we're actually on the anniversary and ... his killers haven't gotten the ultimate punishment," Young said. "What message does that send to our inmate population? We want to know that there's an ultimate consequence when someone takes the life of our correctional staff."

Wagner's statement said his office and the Department of Justice are committed to prosecuting those who endanger the health and safety of correction officers.

Sablan was serving a life sentence for murder at the U.S. penitentiary in Atwater when he was accused of fatally stabbing Rivera, 22, a U.S. Navy veteran who served two tours of duty in Iraq and had been on the job for 10 months when he was attacked.

According to court documents, Rivera was returning inmates to their cells for a headcount when Sablan pulled an ice pick-like shank and a shaft the diameter of a large screw driver from his pocket and stabbed Rivera in the chest.

Another inmate, James Guerrero, held down Rivera while he was being stabbed. Guerrero took a plea deal last year and was sentenced to a second life term.

Rivera's mother said she was outraged and saddened by prosecutors' decision not to pursue the death penalty for her son's killer.

"My son gave his entire life to his country. He believed in the justice system and it failed him," Terry Rivera said from her Merced home.

"I know it would be hard to get the death penalty, but we could have fought for it harder," she added.

Sablan is expected to enter his plea July 17 in a Los Angeles courtroom.

One unassuming individual became the one millionth visitor to the San Diego County Fair Saturday.

San Diegan Monica Weaver walked in at 5:42 p.m. Saturday and became the one millionth person at the fair, a mark the fair has reached for the 26th time.

The fair has reached the one million visitor mark every year since 1989.

This year, the mark came on the 17th day of the fair.

When Weaver walked in, she was greeted with confetti cannons, noisemakers and a huge crowd of onlookers. She also received a lifetime fair admission pass and free concert tickets for any of the remaining 2015 shows.

In 2014, fair attendance reached more than 1,450,000 people.