Deputies arrested 10 people as they busted a drug house in Lakeside Thursday morning, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

At 5:30 a.m., deputies served a search warrant to a suspicious house at 9001 Creekford Drive.

Inside, they say they found a hash oil lab and a half-pound bag of methamphetamine. Hash oil, also known as butane honey oil or “wax," is concentrated marijuana made using the highly flammable gas butane.

Illegal labs that produce it have caused multiple explosions and fires in San Diego County.

According to officials, the county’s hazardous materials team determined the Creekford Drive home was uninhabitable, and the property was condemned.

The owner of the home will be charged with operating a drug house, investigators say, and the remaining suspects were booked into jail on charges of possession of a controlled substance for sales, felony and misdemeanor warrants and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The investigation is ongoing.

A squirrel from Palomar Mountain has tested positive for the plague, animal officials announced Thursday. 

The County Vector Control Program caught the squirrel in a routine test Thursday.

The bacteria, Yersina Pestis, is commonly found in squirrels, chipmunks, and other rodents, but this is the first time it has been detected this year. Warning signs have been posted in the area where the squirrel was found, animals officials said. 

“You should never feed or play with squirrels when you see them outdoors,” said Environmental Health Department Director Elizabeth Pozzebon in a statement. “If you’re camping, don’t set up your tents near squirrel burrows. And if you find dead squirrels, report them to park rangers.”

The bacteria can spread to humans though contact with infected animals or fleas.

People who become sick within a week of visiting an area known to have plague should immediately contact their doctor according to the County Vector Control Program. Without antibiotics, an infected person can become seriously ill or even die.

The stars and showrunner of NBC’s new action-thriller series “The Player” promised “stunts you have not seen on television before” and a whole realm of plot twists galore in the fledgling show’s first season during a panel discussion at San Diego Comic-Con International Thursday.

Fans crowded into Room 6A for a sneak peak of the upcoming show set to premiere Thursday, September 24 on NBC. They were treated to an exclusive screening of the pilot episode, featuring loud, action-packed fights and mysterious problem-solving and even one protagonist – Philip Wincester as Alex Kane – running through the streets of Las Vegas in his underwear.

Panelists Winchester (“Strike Back,” “Fringe”), Wesley Snipes (“Blade,” “The Expendables”) and showrunner John Rogers couldn’t ignore the cheers from fans as the discussion turned toward filming that scene and the chase that lead straight from the hotel room where his ex-wife had been shot down the street in nothing but his underwear.

“I don’t think anyone batted an eye in Vegas…It was the norm for Vegas,” Winchester said, laughing along with fans. “For me it was nerve-wracking, but you know, lots of push-ups and eating salad all day.”

After the audience erupted into laughter, Snipes leaned over and smiled at his co-star and showrunner.

“I’ve already suggested to [Showrunner] John we have more scenes of Philip running down the street in his underwear,” Snipes said with a sly smile.

It likely wasn’t the first time Rogers had considered bringing some lighter moments into the thrilling show.

“[Snipes’ character] is like, we want you to stop this crime, but we’ll pay double if you do it in your underwear,” Rogers joked to the audience on the heels of their laughter.

The drama, from the executive producers of NBC’s hit show “The Blacklist,” centers around a high-stakes gambling game where a group of wealthy gamblers bet on the ability of one ‘player’ to stop crimes from unfolding.

Former military operative turned security expert Alex is recruited as ‘the player’ for the house, his missions to solve crime handed out by the pit boss, played by Wesley Snipes, and the dealer, Charity Wakefield.

“I just want something that just kicks the doors in every week," said Rogers of the series, picked up by NBC in May.

But early on, stars Snipes and Winchester revealed how nervous they were when first signing on to the show. Winchester’s agent told him to play it cool when he walked in to speak with the show’s creators.

“How am I going to play it cool when it’s that good?” Winchester said he asked himself as he walked in.

For Snipes, it was also about the content. “The first attractive thing was the writing,” he said.

Showrunner Rogers said at its core, the show was about good people and bad people and their relationships with power. He said he wanted the show to be somewhat morally ambiguous with plot twists and characters viewers could connect with.

That, and action viewers would not be able to see elsewhere.

“It’s not what we set on fire, but how many things are we allowed to set on fire?” Rogers said of his team’s mentality going in.

Ever think about how much of your trash you put in recycling, instead of into the garbage?

As much as half? Two thirds? Or less?

Right now the city's working full-speed-ahead toward an ultimate goal of "Zero Waste" going to the Miramar Landfill.

Thirty years ago, there were dire predictions that the 1,500 acre dump would be full by the turn of the century.

But with intensive recycling efforts – and occasional expansions approved by the state’s Solid Waste Board -- in 2015 there's still plenty of space available.

Believe it or not, San Diego's citywide average "diversion rate" of waste to recycling has climbed to 67 percent by now.

The next benchmarks of the Zero Waste Program are 75 percent by 2020, 90 percent by 2035.

Most of the folks we surveyed at the dump on Thursday figured they're already at two-thirds recycling.

“I would say that 80 percent or so of what I do gets recycled,” Pacific Beach resident Sam Parker told NBC 7. “But I could always do better."

Clairemont resident Karen Villalpando said, "I think three-quarters is pretty easy to get to."

City environmental specialist Rebecca Hays-Chenetti cites myriad public education and outreach programs designed to raise everyone’s consciousness and commitment.

"If we get city residents recycling, commercial builders, haulers, companies all pitching in,” she said, “and people diverting more organic waste, then I think we can get that lift.”

As for what seems a mythical goal of absolute “Zero Waste” by 2040 – it’ll probably require a lot more yard waste and recycling containers, too.

"Some people have these little, tiny blue ones,” Villalpando noted. “They need to get them a regular size bin. Because we couldn't last with one bin. We had to get two more."

Two adults were gunned down in a house where five children were present during an apparent home invasion near Tampa, police said.

According to a report from NBC affiliate WFLA, the two adults are believed to the parents of the five children, who range in age from infancy to 11-years-old.

Brandenton Police tell WFLA they found the glass of the front door of the home shattered. Police say four or five masked people entered the home, but are unsure what transpired, and how much the children witnessed.

Reports did not indicate whether anything was taken from the home.

The children are reported to be safe and in the custody of Child Protective Services.

No further information was immediately available.

The Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force is wrapping up part of its Marine Corps research to set standards for what it takes to be an infantry Marine and to determine how to integrate women into combat roles.

Part of the study took place at Camp Pendleton. The task force began evaluating criteria to determine what a good infantry Marine physically looks like last October.

“Take gender out of the equation. What are the good traits that make this type of Marine good?” asked 1st Philip Kulczewski, a public affairs officer from the task force.

Those traits include variables that could include height, strength, speed, and other factors.

“Our mission was to complete a Marine Corps standards-based assessment of the physical performance of Marines in a simulated operating environment, and those Marines would be performing specific collective ground armed combat tasks,” Kulczewski told NBC 7.

Data from the study will also be used to evaluate any possible impacts that general integration would have on each unit’s combat readiness and effectiveness, as well as to establish gender neutral standards for different combat jobs.

The group was set up like a ground combat element of a Marine Expeditionary Unit, made up of 600 Marines. Inside the group, 350 volunteered for the study, 75 of whom were women.

“The ground combat element is one of our MEUs, Marine Expeditionary Units, and we’re made up of all the infantry elements: we’ve got artillery, we’ve got light armed vehicles, amphibious vehicles, we’ve got tanks, artillery and combat engineers,” said Kulczewski.

Some tests involved researchers from the University of Pittsburgh. They helped set up baseline by measuring combat tasks. Researchers hooked Marines up to heart rate monitors and GPS devices to see how much energy each used.

Many of the exercises involved firearms, Kulczewski explained.

“These Marines put rounds down range again and again and again and they did it safely, and they did live fire ranges where they were moving,” he said. “That is very dangerous stuff when you are on the ground there. And they did it day and day again.” No one was injured.

At Camp Pendleton, the AAV Platoon completed Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) tasks in the water, including water towing.

Sgt. Kassie McDole, one of the female Marine volunteers in the study, described the task: “One vehicle simulating as a disabled VIC. Then we’d drive out there next to each other and throw ropes, one vehicle throws ropes to the disabled vehicle.”

Right now the researchers and the data collectors are in a phase of number crunching and putting together the information, according to Kulczewski.

“Based on that data, the Marine Corps is going to take a look and see if we need to ask for any possible exceptions in policy in each one of the individual MOS,” he said. “Or if the Marine Corps is ready to open up those MOS now, then how do we take a look at our standards and improve them for the better.”

The Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force will de-activate next week, and while the process has taken many years, Kulczewski said he feels it was important to take that time to conduct this kind of scientific research.

“I think everyone at the end of the day really feels very good about what we were a part of and what we accomplished,” he told NBC 7.

The data collected will go to the Commandant of the Marine Corps next month.
 

More than 90 earthquakes have struck a Southern California community over the past 24 hours, causing concern for residents and a few eyebrows to raise.

The swarm of small quakes hitting the Fillmore area first started on Wednesday at 4 p.m. with a magnitude-2.0 quake striking at 4 p.m., 4 miles west of Fillmore. Since then, dozens of other quakes have hit the area in the Santa Clara River Valley.

Seismologist Lucy Jones responded to the sequence of quakes by tweeting," EQ swarms like today's have occurred in the past in Ventura basin. They start gradually and usually last for several days and then terminate."

Only two of the quakes measured above a 2.5-magnitude, according to USGS. A 2.8-magnitude rattler struck at 6:33 a.m. Thursday, 3 miles west of Fillmore and a magnitude-2.6 quake hit at 11:04 a.m. Thursday, 4 miles west of Fillmore.

An earthquake expert from Caltech said the swarm of quakes appeared to be "dissipating." But, if the quakes kicked up again, they would reconsider.

Fillmore is an agricultural area with a population just above 15,000. It's nestled between several mountains with a river running through it. Several faults also surround the city; including, the San Cayetano Fault, Timber Canyon Fault and infamous Oak Ridge Fault that once nearly-leveled the area during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.

Twitter users reached out to Jones wanting to know if "something bigger" was to come."

Jones' response," Over 50 small EQs near Fillmore. All EQs make another more likely, so probably have more. No way to know if one'll bigger."

Lynda Dagostino, who works at a nail salon in Fillmore, was a little shaken by the news. 

"Didn't know if it was me or the floor moving," she said. "I hope this is as big as it gets!"

Friday marks the second full day of events at Comic-Con International.

The annual gathering of pop culture geeks, gurus and fans attracts more than 130,000 people to the San Diego Convention Center as the big studios, comic book publishers and merchandise producers showcase their best, brightest and most desirable.

Each day we'll bring you the best stories, pictures and information straight from the convention floor. Plus we'll look ahead to what the must-see events and panels on a day-by-day basis.

What can you expect Friday? "Star Wars" mania, "The Walking Dead" ushers in "Fear the Walking Dead," "Lost in Space" celebrates a golden anniversary, and "Game of Thrones" panelists face an angry, Jon Snow-loving fanbase. 

The Black Panel

This 2015 panel consists of Ne-Yo ("Ghost: The God Killer," Non-Fiction), Joe Illidge (writer, columnist, "The Ren"), Karen Hunter ("The Karen Hunter Show," Karen Hunter Publishing, Pulitzer Prize winner), Eric Dean Seaton (Disney Channel director, creator, "Legend of the Mantamaji") and Don McGregor (2015 Bill Finger Award recipient for Excellence in Comic Book Writing). The focus of the panel is the lack of unity among many in the Black pop culture space with an open floor for ideas on how to make changes.  (10:00am - 11:30am Room 5AB)

Falling Skies:The Final Farewell

A special goodbye to TNT's alien series "Falling Skies." Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood, Drew Roy, and others will be on hand to discuss favorite moments, most gruesome deaths, and memorable alien battle scars. Con attendees will be treated to an exclusive look ahead at the epic final season and a Q&A. (11:15am - 12:15pm Ballroom 20)

"The Walking Dead" Returns

Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Chandler Riggs, Sonequa Martin-Green, Michael Cudlitz, and Lennie James join producers and special effects makeup supervisor Greg Nicotero in a panel to discuss the shocking finale of Season 5 and what to look forward to in Season 6, debuting this fall on AMC. (12:00pm - 1:00pm Hall H)

Hasbro: "Star Wars"

Join members of the Hasbro and Lucasfilm teams as they discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line. Attendees will get an in-depth look at Hasbro's latest action figure offerings, including a special product reveal. (12:00pm - 1:00pm Room 7AB)

"Fear the Walking Dead" Debut

On the heels of "The Walking Dead" panel comes the cast and producers of the highly-anticipated prequel series to "The Walking Dead" coming to AMC in the fall. There'll be a Q&A session and an sneak preview of the new series. (1:00pm - 2:00pm Hall H)

Diversity and Queer Gaming

Diversity remains a hot topic in the media, and the year in gaming is no exception. How are new gaming platforms giving a voice to underserved groups of players? How does the "Gaymer" identity spill beyond the tabletop, and what role do minorities have to play in the industry? Join Prism Comics and moderator Josh Trujillo (editor, Death Saves-Fallen Heroes of the Kitchen Table) for a wide-ranging discussion of diversity and roles in gaming, covering everything from Dungeons & Dragons to Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. (2:00pm - 3:00pm Room 28DE)

Industrial Light and Magic: 40 Years On

For four decades, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) has set the standard for visual effects, creating some of the most memorable images in the history of modern cinema. From advances in the photo chemical process, optical compositing, motion control, and models and miniatures to the company's pioneering efforts in computer graphics, performance capture and character animation, ILM continues to break new ground. The presenters will discuss the company's work from its earliest days and breakthroughs along the way. (2:00pm - 3:00pm Room 7AB)

"Game of Thrones" – Feel the Wrath of Jon Snow Fans!

With the death of popular character Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) at the end of the recent season, panelists and castmembers Alfie Allen, John Bradley, Gwendoline Christie, Liam Cunningham, Natalie Dormer, Conleth Hill, Hannah Murray, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, director David Nutter and moderator Seth Meyers are sure to face conspiracy theories about whether or not Snow will return in 2016. (2:30pm - 3:30pm Hall H)

"Lost in Space": 50th Anniversary

It's been five decades since this intergalactic family saga became a sci-fi cult classic set in the space age future of 1997! Celebrate the golden anniversary Blu-ray with those who experienced the adventure firsthand: castmembers Bill Mumy, Angela Cartwright, Mark Goddard, and Marta Kristen. (2:30pm - 3:30pm Room 24ABC)

Creating Comics with the iPad

The iPad has transformed the way you read comics, but did you know you can create comic art on the iPad too? See a comic book character come to life as Brian Miller ("Star Wars: Crush the Rebellion") and Kristy Miller ("Doctor Who") demonstrate step by step how to pencil, ink, and paint comics on the iPad. (4:00pm - 5:00pm Room 30CDE)

Entertainment Weekly: Brave New Warriors

Today's male heroes including Zachary Levi ("Heroes Reborn"), Jordan Gavaris ("Orphan Black"), Sam Heughan ("Outlander"), Kevin Durand ("The Strain") and Michael Cudlitz ("The Walking Dead") will discuss the thrills and fears of taking on iconic characters (4:00pm - 5:00pm Hall H)

"Colony" Debut

Stars Josh Holloway ("Lost"), Sarah Wayne Callies ("The Walking Dead") and show producers present an inside look at USA Network's new original drama series "Colony," which is set in near-future Los Angeles after outside intruders have seized control of the city and subjected it to a military occupation. (4:30pm - 5:30pm Room 6BCF)

Lucasfilm: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Panel

Lucasfilm president and producer Kathleen Kennedy, director J.J. Abrams, writer Lawrence Kasdan, and special guests provide a special look at the upcoming sequel to "Return of the Jedi." May the Force be with those who waited in line for hours (perhaps days) just to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the movie that is dominating Comic-Con 2015. (5:30pm - 6:30pm Hall H)

"Orphan Black" Panel

Stars of the cult BBC America series Tatiana Maslany (Sarah and the Leda clones), Jordan Gavaris (Felix), Maria Doyle Kennedy (Mrs. S), Dylan Bruce (Paul), Kristian Bruun (Donnie), and Ari Millen (Mark and the Castor clones) look back at last season before filming begins on Season 4. (5:45pm - 6:45pm Room 6BCF)

World Premiere: "Justice League: Gods & Monsters"

Animation legend Bruce Timm returns to the popular DC Universe Original Movies with his unique new vision of a Justice League you've never seen before. "Justice League: Gods & Monsters" features a Superman born of General Zod's blood, a Batman with a healthy dose of bat in the man, and a Wonder Woman rising from the ranks of the New Gods. (7:00pm - 9:00pm Ballroom 20)

"Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!"

The title says it all! Join stars Ian Ziering (Fin Shepard), Tara Reid (April Wexler), Cassie Scerbo (Nova Clarke), and David Hasselhoff (Gil Shepard), director Anthony C. Ferrante, and writer Thunder Levin for a fin-tastic behind-the-scenes journey into the global pop culture sensation, followed by a Q&A session. (7:15pm - 8:15pm Room 6A)

Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

The 27th annual Eisner Awards (the "Oscars" of the comics industry) honor comics creators and works in 29 categories. Presenters will include singer-songwriter/actor/comics fan Ne-Yo (Non-Fiction); actors Shane West ("Salem," "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"), Tara Ochs ("Selma"), Megan Hayes ("Hunger Games"), J. Michael Trautman ("Shameless"), Katrina Law ("Arrow," "Spartacus"), Kandyse McClure ("Battlestar Galactica," "Smallville"), and Tahmoe Penkett ("Battlestar Galactica," "Reign"). (8:00pm - 10:30pm Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront)

The Southern California man found dead near his stranded vehicle weeks after he and his wife were reported missing, survived for one week before dying of a heart attack, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday.

Emergency personnel found Cecil “Paul” Knutson, 79, on May 24 near Warner Springs in a remote area of San Diego County — two weeks after they were reported missing. He was slumped over the running board of the front driver’s door of the couple's Hyundai Sonata.

His wife, Dianna Bedwell was in critical condition and sitting in the passenger seat.

Lost on their way to their son's home in La Quinta, California for Mother's Day, Knutson wrote a note dated May 17 describing what had happened after they left Valley View Casino on May 10. It was on a clipboard inside the car that had come to rest three-quarters of a mile down a steep and rugged dirt road.

The couple took a route they hadn't tried before, but their stepson said they had plotted the course on an atlas before the trip, according to the report from the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office.

As they were traveling, Bedwell realized they were going the wrong way. Knutson told her that he knew where he was going, the report states.

As the dirt roads became impassable, Knutson attempted to turn the vehicle around but struck a rock and soon became stuck.

The couple survived for on rainwater, an eight-pound bag of oranges and a banana creme pie, officials said.

Knutson suffered from diabetes and cataracts and was in remission for colon cancer. He had difficulty getting around without his walker but was said to be "sharp as a tack," family members told the coroner.

The autopsy listed his cause of death as heart attack and categorized it as accidental adding that no signs of foul play or trauma were seen on the body. Contributing factors included cardiovascular disease and environmental exposure, hyperglycemia and acute bronchopneumonia, officials said.

Bedwell was released from the hospital and underwent rehab for her injuries in the Palm Springs area.

Memorial services for Knutson were scheduled to be held on July 10 at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, Calif. according to Bedwell's attorney Gloria Allred. The ceremony will include military honors for his service as a U.S. Marine.

A surveillance camera caught the couple as they left the Valley View Casino around 2 p.m. on May 10.

For several days, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department  along with volunteers and family members scoured the roads and desert area between Valley Center and La Quinta in search of the missing couple.

The coroner's report said that the sheriff's investigators attempted to locate the couple by "pinging" their cell phones but the phones were turned off.

On May 24 the couple’s car was found by a man four-wheeling in a remote and rocky area near Warner Springs along State Route 79, approximately 47 miles from the casino.

In Carlsbad, more than 20,000 signatures were turned in Wednesday in an effort to conserve 176 acres of land near the strawberry fields.

The Agua Hedionda 85/15 Plan would develop 26 acres of land currently owned by San Diego Gas & Electric near Interstate 5 and Cannon Road. Developers propose that revenue created by the new dining and retail stores will fund the creation and maintenance of the open space in the future.

Opponents fear the development will increase traffic and pollution and the added stores and restaurants could threaten local businesses.

Signatures were collected in six weeks. If verified, the number of signatures should be more than enough to put the Agua Hedionda 85/15 Plan on a ballot.

However, opponents suggested Carlsbad residents who may have signed the petition before understanding the project should ask to have their signature withdrawn.

The group "Carlsbad Locals Against the Agua Hedionda 85/15 Plan" added a post to its Facebook page Thursday saying that it was time to "hit the streets" in peaceful protest.

The Agua Hedionda 85/15 Plan is supported by the group named Preserving Carlsbad Open Space the Right Way which receives funding from Caruso Affiliated.

Rick Caruso, CEO and founder of Caruso Affiliated, has said his proposed development will offer new access to open space "while while preserving and protecting the lagoon, coastal habitat and agriculture."

Proponents of the plan say they have the endorsement of the Carlsbad Strawberry Company and The Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation as well as former planning commissioners.

The 12-year-old boy hit by a small plane on a Carlsbad beach has been released from the hospital after undergoing brain surgery.

“Welcome home” banners and balloons met Nicholas Baer as he came back to his Carlsbad house Thursday.

The boy found himself in a dangerous position on the 4th of July as he walked away from the ocean following a bodyboarding session.

A single-engine plane pulling a banner lost engine power and came in for an emergency landing on the beach, right behind Nicholas.

His friends, who saw what was about to happen, were too late in warning him. His mother, Janice, said they believe the plane’s propeller struck the back of the boy’s head before the aircraft flipped onto its roof.

"Nicholas was pretty much at the end of that plane's journey," Janice said Monday. "Somehow he was in that area at the time, so I think he's a miracle dude."

He was rushed to Rady Children’s Hospital with a concussion, and doctors quickly determined he would need emergency brain surgery.

By Monday, doctors said Nicholas would make a full recovery, though he was disappointed his head had to be shaved. Many of his friends and fellow classmates cut off their hair in support.

FAA officials say the plane lost power before the crash. It's registered to Air Ads Inc., based out of Gillespie Field in El Cajon.

The owner of the plane told NBC7 the pilot had 700 hours of training and the plane had just been serviced and checked out OK. The pilot was uninjured.

Cal Fire officials say they have arrested a suspected serial arsonist who they say is responsible for 11 fires in the past four years.

Jonathan Benjamin Cohen, 44, of Poway, was taken into custody Wednesday near Pomerado Road and Twin Peaks Road.

According to Cal Fire investigators, Cohen lit 11 San Diego County fires in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, though officials have not said which fires he is tied to.

He has been charged Thursday with 11 counts of arson to forest lands, 12 counts of use of an incendiary device and one count of attempted arson on forest lands.

“To commit arson during these drought conditions is an exceptionally heinous act and we will seek prosecution to the fullest extent under the law,” said Chief Ken Pimlott, CAL FIRE Director, in a news release.

Cohen is being held on a $250,000. It's unclear if he has obtained an attorney.

Facing a crowd of about 7,000 "Doctor Who" fans packed into Hall H at the San Diego Convention Center on the first full day of programming at Comic-Con International, series star Peter Capaldi described the scene as "cosmic."

Capaldi made his Comic-Con debut Thursday and revealed he had "never been in front of 7,000 people before in my life."

If there were nerves they weren't on display. A relaxed Capaldi sat alongside series co-stars Jenna Coleman, Melissa Gomez and "Doctor Who" executive producer Peter Moffat. Coming off a season that delivered BBC America its highest ever ratings for the show, it was no surprise the audience hung on Capaldi's every word.

"It’s the only show that I think is in my bones very deeply," Capaldi, 57, said of taking on a role that's been part of the television landscape for more than 50 years. "It’s the only show that I’ve followed since I was six years old." That sense of history was shared by the fans in attendance whose ages ranged in appearance from single digits to septuagenarian. Many dressed as their favorite incarnation of the Doctor, his traveling companions, or well-known enemies like the Cybermen. One woman even sported a full-skirted dress fashioned in the shape of a Dalek.

"The most amazing thing that happens is that I get the affection of the whole 50 years pointed in my direction," Capaldi said of playing the beloved character. He admitted to loving the B-movie feel that still permeates the series ("We have men in rubber suits pretending to be monsters!") and spoke of the moment he first came to "feel like" he was playing the character.

"I think it was when they threw a rubber spider in my face and said, ‘Fight it!’" Capaldi explained with a smirk. "I said, 'Doesn’t it work? Where’s the operator?' They said, 'There is no operator. It’s just a big rubber spider. Fight it!'"

Having been a Comic-Con regular for more than four years, "The Hunger Games" franchise delivered a heartfelt Hall H panel to thank fans and promote "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2."

An army of drummers dressed in white walked through the crowd before the film's leading cast members, director and producer took the stage to discuss the final installment and unveil a new trailer.

Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and Willow Shields said filming the last installment of the four-part franchise was definitely an emotional experience. Their affection for each other was obvious in the easy physical manner in which they interacted and the good-natured ribbing that flowed throughout.

An visibly moved Hutcherson described working on the films as "the most incredible movie-making experience, and just experience in my life, getting to know these people." Like mocking siblings Lawrence and Hemsworth playfully stroked his face and arm. "He's a sweet, sweet angel," Hemsworth joked.

Turning the mood serious, Lawrence said she hopes the franchise has helped young people realize "the power of our future is in our hands."

Though their appearance Thursday marked the beginning of the final press tour for the friends ("Mockingjay Part 2" is in theaters November 20), Lawrence said her character, Katniss Everdeen, and the films will always be a part of her. "The changes that happened in my life from doing these movies are so permanent that I don't think I'll ever really say goodbye." 

A San Gabriel man who fatally beat his ex-wife with a brick in front of her Chula Vista home was sentenced Thursday to 25 years to life.

Rand Huffman, 65, pleaded guilty earlier this year to first-degree murder for the violent beating of his ex-wife, Martha Huffman, 64.

Before handing down his sentence in the court's South Bay division, San Diego Superior Court Judge Garry Haehnle said the crime was a "brutal, brutal murder" and one of the worst he's ever seen.

In February 2014, Rand attacked Martha with a brick as she took out her trash at her home on Twin Oaks Circle. When officers arrived, they found Rand with his knee on the victim's throat, trying to cut off her air supply. He was wearing gloves and was armed with a knife and a Taser.

Martha later died at a hospital from the serious head injuries inflicted in the beating.

Martha and Rand's son, Corle, was in the courtroom Thursday.

"I visited my mother every day but one for 46 days while she was in the hospital; sometimes twice a day while she was in the hospital," Corle wrote in an email to NBC7 and other media. "But she never woke up."

Police said the Huffmans had been divorced for decades and hadn't even spoken to each other in nearly 30 years. At the time of the beating, Rand had recently rekindled a relationship with his son who lived with Martha in Chula Vista.

"The loss of my mother is impossible to put in words," Corle wrote. "My father robbed a lot of people when he took her life."

Corle also said he was proud of his father for finally taking responsibility for his actions and accepting his punishment.

"Moving forward, I hope he is somehow able to make his peace with his terrible actions," he said.

Corle thanked the Chula Vista Police Department and the San Diego District Attorney's office for their work on the case.

"I miss my mother and think about her everyday. I wish I would have gotten one last chance to speak with her," he wrote.

The idea of expanding the San Diego Convention Center has long been on the table.

Comic-Con, the comics and pop culture extravaganza that's become an annual mainstay of San Diego tourism, helped motivate that expansion. But while some have argued Comic-Con will bail if the city doesn't get its act together – and fast – on a contiguous expansion, the massive event has certainly made do with that it's got.

Comic-Con's learned to branch out beyond the Convention Center to accommodate its lengthy list of programs and panels during the four-day gathering. Spreading out around downtown has made it possible for Comic-Con to stay in San Diego, spokesman David Glanzer said.

But there's been another sticking point in deciding Comic-Con's future (for the record, the event is slated to stick around through 2018): hotel room blocks.

On this San Diego Explained, NBC 7's Catherine Garcia and the Voice of San Diego's Lisa Halverstadt lay out the back-and-forth between event organizers, city officials and hoteliers.

A Carlsbad mother said she is more committed than ever to continue the fight for an individual’s right to die, a journey started by her daughter, Brittany Maynard.

Maynard had a terminal brain tumor and moved to Oregon, where she could get medication to help her end her life. She died eight months ago at the age of 29.

Her mother, Deborah Ziegler, said it took her time to understand her daughter's wish to plan her own death. At first she was in denial, she told NBC 7 Thursday.

“When I look back on it, I think Brittany was a little girl, pulling her family behind her,” Ziegler said. “She already had this burden, and now she had to pull not only the burden that she carried, but she had to pull her mom and dad and various other family members along behind her.”

That perspective helps her understand why it is taking time for politicians to move forward on right to die legislation in California.

A bill stalled in an Assembly committee, due in large part to opposition from religious organizations that say allowing doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs is assisted suicide and goes against God's will. Similar legislation was defeated in 2007 against religious opposition.

Ziegler hopes politicians will be able to put aside their personal feelings and give those who are terminally ill the option.

“You’re not forcing anything on anyone. You’re just giving us an option and we, like you, can say no, and we can say that doesn’t fit my lifestyle,” said Ziegler. “But I’m not going to take it away from the seven people who say, ‘Yeah, I would like that option.’ And that’s what I’m waiting for.”

In the end, Ziegler said she realized that there is suffering that buys time, and then there is suffering that is meaningless. Her daughter was going to lose her hearing, sight and ability to talk before she would die.

Ziegler told NBC 7 that Maynard had to move to Oregon to avoid the meaningless suffering.

“Moving made things extra difficult. You leave your home, you leave your pets, you leave your friends, you leave your church, you leave your whole network,” said Ziegler.

The morning after she heard the legislation had been put on hold, Ziegler said she woke up more convicted about the issue.

Maynard’s voice is still in her head, she said, giving her instructions and saying thank you.

“I think she would say all that did not go in vain and for keeping the conversation alive,” Ziegler told NBC 7. “And she would tell me to stop crying.”

An El Cajon mother was found guilty of felony child endangerment and drug charges after she left her child to die in a hot car, while the boy’s father was cleared in the case.

A jury returned the verdicts Thursday in the trial of Jessica Quezada, 24, and Israel Soto, 32. Both faced child endangerment charges in the death of their 4-month-son Giovanni Soto, who died on July 27, 2013, when he was left in a hot car overnight.

Family members found Giovanni inside the vehicle at an El Cajon apartment complex. Investigators say he was left behind when Quezada and Soto returned from a shopping trip.

Officials discovered the baby had been in the car for 15 hours and had a body temperature of 107 degrees when he died.

After hearing witness and official testimony since July 1, the jury convicted Quezada of child endangerment, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

However, Soto was found not guilty of the child endangerment charge.

According to the prosecution, Giovanni’s death could have been avoided had the parents been less negligent. The deputy district attorney alleged that Quezada was smoking marijuana near the vehicle a couple hours before the unresponsive infant was found.

The defense argued that Quezada was overwhelmed and made a tragic mistake. The couple’s three other children have been well-fed and cared for, according to the defense attorney.

Quezada faces up to 12 years in prison for the child abuse charge.