A suspect with a firearm held up an Arco AM/PM gas station in Lemon Grove late Saturday. 

The armed robbery happened at 9 p.m. when Sheriff's deputies from the Lemon Grove substation responded to the gas station on the 2700 block of Lemon Grove Avenue. 

The suspect, armed with a firearm, drove off in a car before deputies arrived. The car was described as a white Sedan, potentially a Buick, last seen driving northbound on Lemon Grove Avenue toward State Route 94. 

No injuries were reported during the robbery. Deputies said they did not have an exact loss reported yet. 

The suspect is described as a 5 feet 8 inch tall man in his 40s with short black hair, last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt and blue jeans. 

Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at (888) 580-8477 with information. 

San Diego's first and only Cat Cafe is wrapping up its first year in business by celebrating more than 100 cat adoptions.

"We're really stoked about that, it's about double what we expected," said cafe founder Tony Wang.

The cafe works with the San Diego Human Society to help clear its shelters. The Humane Society is at full capacity each year, with 30,000 animals.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for our friendly cats to get some extra socialization while they wait to get home," said the Humane Society's Stacy Archabault.

The Cat Cafe is also kicking off new programs, like cat yoga, to attract even more cat lovers. Wang says a Comic Con event was a huge success. On a recent weeknight, the cafe hosted its first Cats on Mats yoga class.

Wang brought the idea to San Diego from Taiwan and Japan, where cat cafes are extremely popular. He said San Diego's cafe gets a good mix of tourists and locals. Some people stop by on their work breaks.

One woman named Kat Lee (yes, that's her real first name) takes the trolley all the way from Chula Vista several times a week to visit the cat playpen.

"I just fall in love with every cat that comes here and just like playing with them." Lee said.

"I admire what he's doing here," cafe volunteer and self proclaimed feline fanatic Marcy Leftridge said about the cafe's founder.

Among the dozens of adoptions are some that Wang considers especially surprising. Tourists from Nebraska, Pennsylvania and the Bay Area have fallen in love with cats and taken them home.

Another success story? A cat named Primrose came to the cafe after being abused. The cat was aggressive and did not like people's hands. The cafe worked with Primrose over the course of several months, and then successfully adopted the cat out to a family.

"A scared aggressive cat turned into a loving kitty," said Wang.

Wang said one regular customer doesn't even like cats, but stops by every day for coffee. The cafe sources its coffee from Cafe Virtuoso in Barrio Logan and West Coast Coffee Roasters in Chula Vista.

If you buy a drink, that's your admission ticket to the cat playpen. If you don't want to purchase anything, the admission fee for the playpen is $5.
 

Two people died Sunday and three were seriously injured in a possible DUI crash that closed down a section of Interstate 805 and left presents scattered among the wreck in the Mount Hope area of San Diego.

California Highway Patrol officers responded to I-805 northbound near Market Street for a vehicle rollover with five passengers trapped. Jaws of Life were used to remove the roof of the car and side doors to extract the five people from the crash. 

"The angle they struck that support structure, is with the roof of the car, cars aren't made to withstand those kind of forces," said CHP Sgt. Dan Kyle.

Officers confirmed a man and a woman, both from Las Vegas, died in the incident that occurred at 6:06 a.m. They were described as a married couple, though the San Diego County Medical Examiner's office has not identified the husband and identified the wife as "Jane Doe." 

Three other passengers, identified as 34-year-old Maria Miranda-Haro, 29-year-old Lucero Vazquez and an unidentified 16-year-old juvenile, were transported to Scripps Mercy Hosital, UC San Diego Medical Center and Scripps Mercy Hospital, respectively, with what officials described as life-threatening or major injuries. Those three passengers were all from San Diego. 

Investigators said it appeared the car drifted before running into the dirt on the right hand side of the highway and overturning, lodging itself between the guard rail and cement pillar of the overpass. 

CHP temporarily shut down the Market Street onramp to northbound I-805.

San Diego Police are assisting at the scene.

No further information was immediately available.

The father of a teen kidnapped by a carjacking suspect said the teen's coach, who wrestled a gun away from the armed suspect, may have saved his son's life. 

"Didn't hit me 'till church that we could have been at a funeral Mass instead of a Christmas Mass," said Kevin Spencer, father of the kidnapped boy. "It kind of hit me right then and there we could have lost our son."

Two days before Christmas, and two days before his wife's birthday, Spencer's 16-year-old son Jack was preparing for upcoming tryouts with his 28-year-old baseball coach, Dylan Graham, at Hickman field in Kearny Mesa when, they say, a man approached them with a handgun. 

He forced the duo into the coach's Jeep Latitude and ordered them to drive him to Ramona, according to SDPD Robbery Unit Commander Todd Griffin.

With the coach in the driver’s seat, the teen in the front passenger seat and the suspect in the back, they drove until they reached the mountains near Ramona. The suspect told the pair he would let them go near Ramona, but after making a call, he told them his plans had changed.

Graham said he remembers thinking the suspect was going to kill them, but was just waiting for the right time. He said he began thinking about an escape route to keep he and Jack alive. 

When the suspect pulled out a cigarette and began smoking, Graham lunged at the suspect and grabbed his gun. 

"He literally took off his seat belt and went in between the two seats and went after the guy," Spencer said.

As they struggled over the weapon, two shots were fired into the roof and the Jeep veered off the road, crashing at San Vicente and Wildcat Canyon roads in Ramona. The coach told the teen to run as he held the suspect at gunpoint.

The victim fired two shots at the suspect’s feet, Griffin said, and the suspect ran away, bleeding from his forehead and hand and holding his leg. Down the road, he carjacked another vehicle. The 79-year-old driver who picked him up eventually jumped out of the car, which was later found abandoned in a parking lot.

Though Graham was not trained for a situation like this, "yet he did it and pulled it off," Spencer said. 

And the father said Graham's brave actions saved his son's life. 

"If Dylan didn't do what he did, the circumstances could have been vastly different," Spencer said. "It could have been a heck of a lot worse."

Following the struggle, Graham went to the hospital for minor wounds. The former San Diego State University baseball player is recovering now and expected to be okay.

Graham is "a little bumped up and sore, but we've communicated to him out thankfulness for his courage for his actions and very pleased that he's safe and hope that he's feeling better," Spencer said.

Spencer said what Graham and his son did displayed great bravery during a difficult time. In a world with so much negativity, Spencer said, he wanted people to know how Graham, one of the "good guys", helped save a life. 

"I don't know if I could have done what my son did, and I certainly don't think I could have done what Dylan did," Spencer said. "Two remarkable kids. I shouldn't call Dylan a kid, but you know to me, he is. But two remarkable young men. And Dylan especially felt the need to protect our son."

The incident turned the last few days of 2015 into an unforgettable miracle for Spencer's parents, who are thankful both their son and Graham are alive and well. 

"My wife and I put a spin on it: that probably was the best birthday present she'd ever gotten and certainly a Christmas blessing, that something like this could happen and nobody, thank God, was hurt and everyone's home with their families," Spencer said.

Spencer said they received word the suspect was taken into custody earlier, but authorities have not confirmed that information to NBC7 independently. The investigation is ongoing. If you know anything about the suspect or the incident, call the SDPD at 619-531-2000.

The 51-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of intentionally drowning her 4-year-old grandson in the bathtub has confessed to the crime, according to police in Fairfield, California, although some of her extended relatives can't believe such a thing from a woman they describe as loving and caring.

Dawn Diana Raines-Hewes of Fairfield was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of murder. She was booked into the Solano County jail and is being held without bail, police said.

Officials said Raines-Hewes' 4-year-old grandson drowned in a bathtub at a home in the 1400 block of Jefferson Street. Police were dispatched around 10:50 a.m. Tuesday and found the boy unconscious and not breathing. He could not be revived.

Authorities believe Raines-Hewes drowned the boy intentionally. Fairfield police officer Cleo Mayoral cited "evidence at the scene, including statements that were provided — statements from the grandmother herself."

It was not immediately clear if Raines-Hewes had an attorney, as by Wednesday morning, she had not yet been arraigned. She is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday afternoon.

But her former sister-in-law, Lori Hewes of Fremont, told NBC Bay Area on Wednesday that the news about a woman she once called her "best friend" is barely believable.

"I'm just shocked," Hewes said. "That's just not her. She loves kids. I don't know what happened. I'm just an emotional wreck."

Crystal Hewes, 25, of Modesto said by phone Wednesday that Raines-Hewes, her former step-mother, was a "great mother to her own children. She's a loving caring person. She treated me as her own child."

Lori Hewes said her brother used to be married to Raines-Hewes, and that the grandchildren involved stem from her first marriage. Raines-Hewes has two grown daughters, according to relatives.

Two other grandchildren, a 1-year-old girl and a 6-year-old girl, were also under the care of Raines-Hewes but were unharmed, according to police.

Police late Tuesday were not releasing any information regarding a motive.

But the death unnerved people who live close by and made some neighbors wonder what Raines-Hewes had been doing inside the house that day.

"I think it's very sad. I have kids and I can't imagine someone doing that to a grandson," said neighbor Uriel Perez. "It's just horrible."

And Gloria Vargas said Raines-Hewes had acted a bit odd about 20 minutes before police say they were called to the house.

Raines-Hewes came out of the home looking pretty stressed about 10:30 a.m. asking Vargas if she could use her phone to call her boyfriend. Then, Vargas said she went to another neighbor asking if she could use that person's phone, though she didn't say why. She also asked for a ride somewhere, Vargas said, but suddenly disappeared back into the home.

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

San Diego Convention Center operators are projecting a record $708.1 million in direct attendee spending to be generated from a total of 108 events slated for the facility in 2016.

A statement from the San Diego Convention Center Corp. said approximately $25.6 million in tax revenue is expected to be generated by convention attendees. Officials said 66 primary citywide conventions are expected to attract a facility record of 673,814 attendees during 2016, with another 42 secondary events drawing 228,545 local and regional attendees.

Center operators are projecting a record 856,035 hotel room nights to be generated locally by events at the facility, beating a previous high mark set in 2003. Total regional economic impact of local conventions, including direct and indirect spending, is expected to surpass $1.2 billion in 2016.

The 2016 events include 15 medical meetings, projected to generate $458.1 million in regional impact as they draw more than 148,000 attendees. Medical gatherings are expected to account for 353,734 hotel room nights and approximately $9.7 million in tax revenue, the highest levels seen since 2007.

Major medical conventions slated locally in 2016 include those held by the Society for Neuroscience, American Society of Hematology, Experimental Biology and the American Academy of Otolaryngology.

The San Diego center will also play host in 2016 to Major League Baseball’s All-Star Fanfest, a full-facility, multi-day fan convention being held in conjunction with the July 12 All-Star Game, being played at the nearby Petco Park. Officials said this will be the first time the Fanfest has been held in downtown San Diego, and just the third time it has been held in the city in the All-Star Game’s 87-year history.

The 2016 edition of Comic-Con International, which annually draws 130,000 attendees to the center and is the biggest single event held there, is scheduled for July 21-24.

Fast-food chain Carl's Jr. will launch Wednesday a line of "all-natural" turkey burgers aimed at millennial diners, CNBC reported.

The move comes about a year after the CKE Restaurants unit debuted hormone-free, grass-fed beef burger patties.

"Even though most people know us as the brand to introduce indulgent, creative burgers, we also have a long history of introducing better-for-you fare, which is a surprise to some people," Carl's Jr. Chief Marketing Officer Brad Haley told CNBC.

Prices for the new turkey burgers are set to rise by 80 cents at company-owned locations.

A 73-year-old North Korean aide to leader Kim Jong Un died in a car crash, the country's official news agency reported Wednesday. Kim Yang Gon was Kim Jong Un's "closest comrade, a solid revolutionary partner," the KCNA news agency said.

Kim, who was a secretary of the ruling Workers' Party,was part of a delegation that produced a deal in talks that followed an exchange of artillery fire between the North and South earlier this year, Reuters reported.

North Korea's road network is badly maintained and few people in the country own cars.

Still, several high-level officials have died in traffic accidents over the years, according to Reuters.

"North Korea has a long track record of suspicious deaths around high-level officials," North Korea expert Andrei Lankov told Reuters.

As friends and family choked back tears remembering a preschool teacher killed in a fire Monday morning, Vanessa DeLaCruz's father explained who she was to him.

"She's everything to me. She's my angel," Vanessa's father, Arnold DeLaCruz said. " I gave her my blessing. I told her I would take care of the baby as well." 

Vanessa's older sister Nicole talked about her sister's huge heart, constant smile and how being six weeks pregnant made her mature overnight. She explained Vanessa did everything from reading about what she should eat to listening to Mozart to prepare to be the best mom she could be.

The candlelight vigil was held  at Kid's Depot Tuesday night - a place where Vanessa had already made a difference in so many children's lives.

Vanessa died early Monday after a fire swept through her family's Bonita home. Both of Her parents and two of her siblings survived, including her army medic brother, who saved his little brother and attempted to save Vanessa.

He told NBC 7 he put a ladder up to her room and broke her window trying to get to her as she called for help, but the fire was too hot and the smoke too thick. Vanessa never made it outside.

"She was just a little spark, she would always bring joy and life, she would always be happy at all times,” coworker Emma Velazquez said. “I would never see her crying or anything, she was so positive about everything."

Friends remember Vanessa as a vivacious, kind woman who always had a smile, but after hearing about her final moments - they can't shake the thought of her struggling to escape.

“That makes us more sad to know she was fighting to get out of the house,” Kid’s Depot teacher Delores Lopez told NBC 7. “She was fighting but with all the smoke she didn't make it, so that makes it harder for us, cause we just wished she was in her sleep and that's how she passed."

Vanessa had just completed the credentials she needed to become a preschool teacher earlier this month.

"The kids loved her, there was not a day without a smile, always smiling, in all her pictures she was always smiling, it's so unreal right now,” Lopez explained.

Fire officials have still not determined the cause of the fire, but Sheriff's officials have ruled out arson as a cause. 

A GoFundMe page has been set up in her name. It has already raised nearly $9,000 for her family.

A husband and wife convicted of plotting to bomb a shopping mall or subway train on the anniversary of London's 2005 terror attack have been sentenced to life in prison.

Mohammed Rehman, 25, and his wife Sana Ahmed Khan, 24, were found guilty Tuesday and both received life sentences Wednesday. Rehman could be eligible for parole after 27 years; Khan after 25. Khan's is the longest sentence every handed out for a female terrorist in Britain.

Prosecutors said the couple planned to attack civilians on the 10th anniversary of London's July 7, 2005, bombings.

The Seven Mile Casino in Chula Vista reopened Wednesday, almost three weeks after a federal raid shut its doors.

FBI agents descended on the casino and a card club December 9 on the same day they raided as another club in North Park earlier this month.

The U.S. Attorney announced indictments of 25 people in connection with an alleged conspiracy to launder millions of dollars from high stakes poker games.

In order to reopen, the clubs had to stop paying current partners and shareholders and had to hire a manager who is independent of the current corporations under indictment.

The Seven Mile Casino said its 300+ employees needed to get back to work provide for their families.

The criminal charge brought against TV star Bill Cosby Wednesday arose from an alleged sexual assault nearly 12 years in the Philadelphia suburb of Chelthenham Township -- though authorities did not identify the victim by name. Andrea Constand was then director of operations for the women’s basketball team at Temple University, of which Cosby was a trustee and an alumnus. Now a 42-year-old message therapist in Canada, Constand says the attack occurred while she was visiting the TV star at his home seeking career advice. Cosby has denied the accusation.

Here is a timeline of the case: 

Mid-January to mid-February 2004: Constand is allegedly sexually assaulted by Cosby after he gave her pills that left her semi-conscious. Cosby said in a later deposition that she did not stop him. A police complaint against Cosby gives a range of dates for the alleged assault though other legal papers specify January.

Jan. 13, 2005: Constand reports the alleged assault to police in Ontario.

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Feb. 17, 2005: Then Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. announces he will not charge Cosby. Earlier he had said that the victim’s delay in reporting the alleged assault had hurt any case.

March 8, 2005: Constand sues Cosby over allegations of sexual assault and defamation.

Sept. 27 and 28, 2005: Cosby is deposed in a civil lawsuit brought by Constand during which he acknowledges giving Quaaludes to young women he wanted to have sex with.

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Nov. 8, 2006: Constand settles a civil lawsuit she had brought against the comic on confidential terms.

July 6, 2015: Cosby’s testimony from Constand’s civil lawsuit is unsealed after which prosecutors in Pennsylvania reopen the case.

Oct. 26, 2015: Constand files a defamation lawsuit against Castor for comments he made during an unsuccessful bid to regain the district attorney’s job. Castor's opponent, Kevin Steele, accused him of not looking out for Cosby's alleged victims.

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Dec. 30, 2015: Steele, the district attorney-elect, announces a felony charge of aggravated indecent assault against Cosby just before the statute of limitation runs out. It is the first criminal charge brought against Cosby after more than 40 women said he made unwanted sexual advances toward them. He has denied all allegations and has sued several accusers. Cosby was arraigned and released on $1 million bail.

The University of Southern California "Spirit of Troy" and the University of Wisconsin "Badger Band"  - two of the best college marching bands in the nation – faced off in the annual Battle of the Marching Bands before the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

Here's a little taste of the event held in downtown San Diego on Tuesday, December 29, 2015.

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For mobile users: 

WATCH: USC Trojans Perform 'Tusk'

WATCH: Badger Flirts With USC

A National City man was in custody after police say he called 911 Tuesday and told the dispatcher he had just stabbed his wife.

National City Police arrived at the home on I Avenue around 10 p.m. and performed CPR on the 38-year-old female stabbing victim, identified as Angelica Maria Hernandez.

National City police said the woman was stabbed in the chest and not responsive when they arrived. She was pronounced dead at the scene after attempts to resuscitate were unsucessful. 

Jose De Jesus Hernandez, 43, was still on the scene when police arrived. He was taken into custody and booked into the San Diego Central Detention Facility for murder.

Jose and Angelica have five children together, ages four to 16-years-old. At the time of the stabbing, the children were staying with family in Tijuana and are with their family members now. 

A woman who lives in the area and whose family lives nearby said to have this happen so close to home is upsetting.

“It is rattling and it is scary,” Shannon Gomez Pierson told NBC 7.

No further information was available.