A longtime San Diego police officer killed in the line of duty is about to receive a lasting legacy.

On Monday, community leaders will rename Skyview Neighborhood Park after Officer Christopher Wilson.

Wilson, 50, and the SWAT team were providing backup to probation officers as they searched for a dangerous parole violator inside a Bay Terraces apartment on Oct. 27, 2010. The 17-year SDPD veteran was shot in the head and later died from his injuries.

Thousands of people, including then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, attended Wilson’s public funeral. A candlelight vigil was held at Skyview Park, the same park that will now bear Wilson's name.

Besides renaming the park in his honor, officials will reveal a 9-foot-long cement park sign dedicated to Wilson. The unveiling is set for 10:30 a.m. Monday at the park at 7226 Skyline Drive. Wilson was a father of two, and his daughter Kaylee is expected to speak at the event.

Three people are behind bars for Wilson’s death. Two other suspects committed suicide before they could be captured by police, according to investigators.

A Naval officer and father of five was found dead in his room at an air base in Qatar, military officials said. 

Cmdr. Christopher E. Kalafut, 49, of Oceanside died Friday from “a non-combat related incident” at Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar, according to the Department of Defense.

"He was a very bright, bright student,” Stephen Kalafut told NBC 7 Sunday as he recalled his son’s time at El Camino High School.

A football player, and band member, Christopher Kalafut eventually married his high school sweetheart, had five children and settled in Atlanta where he worked as a Delta Airlines pilot.

His family was featured by the NBC station in Atlanta in August. Sitting around the table, one of the Kalafut children was brought to tears when asked to describe how much he missed the dad he called “Boss-some.” The nickname combined “boss” with “awesome.”

Stephen Kalafut says his son knew early on what he wanted to be.

"His goal that he put on paper when he was in 7th or 8th grade was that he wanted to be an engineer, and he wanted to be a commercial pilot. And he eventually accomplished both of those,” Stephen Kalafut said.

Kalafut’s death is under investigation. The U.S. Navy Commander and reservist was recently deployed to the Persian Gulf.

As a father of five boys. Stephen Kalafut says he always tried to prepare himself for something bad to happen but when he found out his son died in a non-combat incident, he says it was an even bigger shock.

"Him being a pilot, I know what type of accidents can happen. And I mentally prepare myself for that to a degree. But in this case, it was a non-flying billet so I don't, you know, I'm like what the hell? I, I don't know,” he said.

Kalafut was assigned to Naval Amphibious Liaison Element, Combined Forces Air Component Center, U.S. Central Command, the DoD said.

The commander is the second Southern California serviceman to die last week in the Middle East. Marine Lance Cpl. Sean P. Neal, 19, of Riverside died from another unspecified non-combat related incident Thursday in Iraq, according to the DoD. Neal was based at Camp Pendleton.

A San Diego doctor is defending the actions of Dr. Craig Spencer, the man hospitalized for Ebola in New York City.

Spencer, who tested positive for Ebola on Thursday, has been criticized by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for not obeying a 21-day voluntary quarantine.

In her first on camera interview, one of Spencer’s friends defended his actions.

Dr. Liz Edelstein described Spencer as someone who is selfless, inspiring and always willing to make sacrifices.

“My heart ached and it still does and it just it hit very close to home,” says Dr. Edelstein. “It's definitely scary.”

She met Spencer at a Wilderness Medicine Retreat where students learned to prevent, diagnose and treat disease in the back country without access to modern technology.

Edelstein defends Spencer saying he followed Ebola monitoring protocols.

“He is a careful doctor he's conscientious in his job he's out there because he knows better than most doctors how to deal with this,” says Edelstein. ”What happened is a risk of his job.”

A risk, she prays he can overcome.

“A lot of us went into medicine because we want to do things like that there's a calling,” says Edelstein. “And Craig is one of the few who actually does it."

Spencer has been hospitalized and was said to be in serious but stable condition Monday. He has received a plasma transplant from Ebola survivor Nancy Writebol.

Spencer had returned to New York City from treating Ebola victims in Guinea for Doctors Without Borders. In the week after his return, he rode the subway, went bowling and ate at a restaurant.

A father and son face charges after a police pursuit ended overnight when the stolen vehicle they were riding in flipped and crashed into the living room of an Escondido home.

Homeowner Aaron Todd and his family were sleeping inside their home on Fieldbrook Place north of El Norte Parkway at 11:30 p.m. Sunday.

He said he felt what he thought was an earthquake and then, standing at the top of his stairs, he saw the car crashed into the front of his home.

“It was loud and you could smell the tires. I could hear the guy moaning and you could see him try and come out of the vehicle and into the house,” Todd said.

Not knowing what the man wanted, Todd said the only thing he could think of was getting the man out of his home and away from his kids.

As the driver was fumbling around with the front door, Todd ran to the back of the house and helped the driver escape through the back door.

“I opened the glass door for him just to get him out of the house,” Todd said.

The driver was found several minutes later on nearby Prairiestone Way with visible head trauma, officers said. He's been identified as Larry Frank Lopez, Sr, 42, of Oceanside.

The passenger, Larry Frank Lopez, Jr, 23, of Oceanside, suffered life-threatening injuries and had to be pulled from the wreckage by emergency crews. He was transported to Palomar Medical Center.

Officers said the two suspects had handguns.

The Toyota 4-Runner was reported as a stolen vehicle in Oceanside six days prior to the crash, according to Escondido Lt. Greg Kogler.

Kogler said when Escondido officers learned the vehicle was stolen, they attempted to stop the driver. That’s when the pursuit began.

Escondido police reported losing sight of the 4-Runner. Twenty minutes later, police found the wreckage of the car.

Todd and his family are living next door right now at his mother-in-law’s house.

San Diego State University police are investigating a sexual assault reported by a student near campus Sunday.

The victim says the assault happened around 1 a.m. on 55th Street just north of Viejas Arena.

Campus police said the suspect is known to the victim and that the suspect is not a student but is college aged.

Capt. Mays with SDSU Police said the area has student housing apartments.

The incident is under investigation. It’s not known if alcohol played a factor in this assault, Mays said.
 

A Vista teenager was stabbed Sunday in a fight over a skateboard, deputies said.

A 16-year-old boy said he had just picked up dinner and was riding his skateboard home around 9 p.m. when he was confronted, deputies said.

The victim told deputies he knew the teenager who demanded his skateboard.

According to the victim, he was stabbed when he refused to give up the skateboard.

The teenager was found injured on W. East Drive west of N Santa Fe Avenue around 9 p.m. He was taken by ambulance to Palomar Medical Center with a non-life threatening injuries, officials said.

A search of the area did not turn up a suspect. Deputies are investigating the teen’s recollection of events.

For further information contact the Vista Detective Unit at (760) 940-4551.
 

Rumors have been swirling throughout the NFL on the eve of the league’s trading deadline, which is Tuesday at 1 p.m.

One of those involves the Chargers making a deal for Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch.

The man they call Beast Mode has fallen out of favor with the Seahawks front office after incidents that include an attempted holdout over the offseason and Lynch failing to appear at the White House Super Bowl ceremony.

ESPN threw out a deal of Lynch for Chargers rookie running back Branden Oliver and a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft and other media outlets have been running with it.

If that were the case, the Bolts would be fools not to look long and hard at the trade. Lynch has been one of the best rushers in the league, even if at age 28 he is reaching old-timer status for running backs.

Oliver could be a star in the making, but he could also be the guy every other team in the league passed on in this year’s draft.

It could be well worth the risk.

Unfortunately, don’t look for that trade to happen. Even at 4-3, the Seahawks still have to consider themselves in the hunt for a playoff berth. It wouldn’t make sense to deal away a guy who knows their offense well for a relatively unproven rookie, especially after they just traded away receiver Percy Harvin to the New York Jets.

Also hampering a deal is the injury to fullback Derrick Coleman, which thins Seattle’s backfield even more and will likely result in a shuffling of roles for backups Christine Michael and Robert Turbin. Many think Michael is their back of the future, but that potential hasn’t turned into success.

All in all, it doesn’t look like the Chargers will get a new toy in the backfield. That’s OK, as starter Ryan Mathews could be ready as early as this week after missing six games with a knee injury.

For Chargers fans, getting a healthy Mathews would be even better than a trade.

Wal-Mart apologized Monday after a "Fat Girl Costumes" category on its online site sparked a media uproar.

Halloween shoppers searching for costumes noticed the "Fat Girl" section featuring items, which were very similar to the store's "Women's Plus Costumes" category, according to Jezebel.

The company apologized and removed the section from its website amid a backlash.

"This never should have been on our site," Wal-Mart said in a statement to news outlets and on Twitter. "It is unacceptable, and we apologize. We are working to remove it as soon as possible and ensure this never happens again."

Walmart has also been apologizing directly to angry tweets from customers. 

However, some shoppers did not find the selection title offensive.

The planned launch of a rocket from a NASA launchpad in Virginia was aborted at the last minute Monday night, over a possible boat nearby in the launch area.

But although the mission was aborted, skygazers in the Washington, D.C., area could still be in for quite a sight, as the International Space Station itself was passing overhead just a few minutes after the rocket had been slated to launch.

Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket had been supposed to launch its space gear-stuffed Cygnus capsule into space at 6:45 p.m. ET on Monday, en route to the International Space Station, from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's eastern shore, becoming the biggest rocket to launch from the site.

Orbital had explained when watchers would be able to see the rocket soar into view with a handy map, showing how many seconds after blast-off they should expect to spot it. 

If you're unsure how to spot a rocket blasting off, the Washington Post advises looking for a glowing trail of light that makes an arc in the sky. Orbital released diagrams of the expected view from major sites and cities on its website.

Monday's launch had been supposed to kick off the third in a series of eight planned Orbital delivery missions to ferry crucial equipment and food to astronauts.

This one will also carry a trove of science experiments — including the Meteor, the first space-based system to observe meteors, and the Drain Brain, a special neck collar for astronauts to determine how their blood flows down to their hearts without gravity, Discovery News reported. The results could help researchers develop countermeasures for headaches in space, an ISS scientist told Discovery.

An American Airlines flight slated to depart LAX for London is taking off Monday after being delayed overnight because of a WiFi network that had been named "Al Queda Free Terror."

Around 10 p.m. Sunday night, a passenger on board an airplane reported that her phone had picked up the network, according to a statement from Los Angeles Airport police.

The plane was returned to the gate.

Passengers on the plane were interviewed and the flight was cancelled and departed Monday afternoon.

Police said it was determined no crime had been committed and there will be no further investigation.

A pedestrian has died after being hit by an Amtrak train in Carlsbad, San Diego County Sheriff's officials confirmed.

The collision happened just before 1 p.m. Monday at 2700 State Street.

When paramedics arrived, they confirmed the person died at the scene.

Trains stopped in both directions as sheriff's rail deputies investigate the incident.

According to the North County Transit District, buses picked up passengers at the Carlsbad Village Station, Poinsettia Station and Oceanside Transit Station to take them to their desired stop.

By roughly 3 p.m., northbound and southbound train service was resuming.

BOO! Now that I have your attention, here's what's happening this weekend in spooktacular San Diego: 

Thursday, Oct. 30

San Diego Zombie PubCrawl
5 p.m. – 2 a.m. in the Gaslamp Quarter
Drinking witch’s brew doesn’t have to break the bank. Revelers will meet at Taste and Thirst to receive a map of participating bars, offering $2 draft beers, BOGO mixed drinks and $4 shots. Dress as your favorite “Walking Dead” zombie and be there. (Halloween-themed PubCrawls will also take place Friday and Saturday.)

Pre-Halloween Bash
7 p.m. – close at the True North Tavern in North Park
We celebrate Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, so why not All Hallows’ Eve Eve? DJ Demon will spin haunting hits as dancers devour $5 Fireballs and $5 Blue Kamikazes. You should be afraid to miss it.

Friday, Oct. 31

Monster Bash
6 p.m. – 12 a.m. in the Gaslamp
If you only attend one Halloween event this year, make it the biggest Halloween block party in California. The 14th Annual Dos Equis XX Monster Bash will fill eight blocks of the Gaslamp Quarter Halloween night with live music and crazy costumes. The event benefits the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation.

Zombieball
7 p.m. – 12 a.m. at the Museum of Man
Calling all VIZs (Very Important Zombies.) Guests will enjoy Halloween-themed cuisine, live performances and even professional makeup artists to complete their costumes. Plus, it’s the best night of the year to check out the Museum of Man’s new Monsters! exhibit. Proceeds benefit San Diego’s Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company.

For a complete list of Halloween events in San Diego for both adults and kids, click here.

Saturday, Nov. 1

Shave the Date
Starts at 12 p.m. at Harrah’s Resort in Valley Center
It’s the first day of “Movember,” a whole month dedicated to men’s health issues. Brave men will step on stage to shave their beards and mustaches, and celebrities will compete in a poker tournament to benefit the Movember Foundation. Stick around until 7 p.m. for a comedy set from funnyman Jay Mohr.

Bite San Diego
1 p.m. – 4 p.m. in La Jolla
Take a bite out of San Diego – literally – at this gourmet tasting event. From Hawaiian BBQ to sweet and savory crepes, attendees will savor local delicacies and the beautiful La Jolla landscape at the same time.

Sunday, Nov. 2

The California Ballet Presents “Giselle”
2 p.m. at the San Diego Civic Theatre
Heartbreak. We've all been there. Watch how the impeccable dances of the California Ballet convey the emotion of lost love in "Giselle." 

You may turn up your nose at this list. Or maybe not.

San Diego ranked as the 16th snobbiest city in America. The good news is that this means there are 15 more pretentious cities than America’s Finest City.

Still, our city did make the Travel and Leisure’s list, which cites as examples of the snobbery the Turf Club at the Del Mar racetrack and “some ‘tude as part of the serious craft beer scene.”

We do take a lot of pride in our locally crafted brews (and for good reason).

The magazine article said the ranking was a result of a reader survey asking folks their preference and opinion of the 38 major metropolitan areas.

Other California cities that topped the list -- and are apparently more snobby than San Diego -- were Los Angeles at No. 3 and San Francisco at No. 8.

And finally, the most snobby city in America is also the largest: New York City.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department issued a warning for parents Monday that candies infused with marijuana may end up in their child’s trick-or-treat bag this Halloween.

Edibles, as they’re called, add marijuana into the batter for cookies or brownies or can be added to sugar candies or gummies.

For patients who need medicinal marijuana, they can be an alternative to smoking marijuana.

However, as the San Diego County Sheriff warns, they can also be a danger to children if ingested.

In the images posted to the sheriff’s Facebook page, the candies look like chocolate bars or jelly candies. The active ingredient in the edibles, THC, is concentrated and can make a child sick, deputies said.

So they suggest feeding your children before they go trick-or-treating to avoid “snacking” along the trail. When you get home, look at all the candy and read the labels. Sometimes edibles look like a chocolate candy bar.

Look for any signs of tampering such as torn candy wrappers or pinholes.

Throw away homemade items like cookies or other pastries. Toss fruit or any unwrapped candy.

Also, remind your children not to accept candy from anyone in cars, officials suggest.

If your child starts to feel or act strange after eating candy, take them to the doctor or call Poison Control at (800) 222‐1222. In an emergency, call 911.

If any form of marijuana candy ends up in your child's Halloween bag, call the Sheriff's Department at (858) 565‐5200.
 

A sea lion was found in La Jolla Sunday impaled by a long fishing gaff, a pole used to spear fish and flip them back into a fishing boat.

The 10-foot pole had a large hook on the end that was twisted about three inches into the sea lion's shoulder.

Staff with SeaWorld rescue used a net to capture the injured sea mammal and sedate it on Sunday morning. They then used a saw to cut through the fishing pole. Once they could maneuver the long pole, they were able to work it out of the sea lion's shoulder before transporting him to SeaWorld.

Video of the rescue was posted on Facebook by a member of La Jolla Friends of the Seals.

On Monday, the 200-pound male sea lion was on the mend.

"He's using that flipper, so that's great," said Kortney Sanders with SeaWorld. "It does look a little swollen, so he's getting some anti-inflammatory (medication) to help with that swelling, some antibiotics in case of an infection."

The biggest hurdle now is getting him to eat freshly thawed fish, she said. They hope to release him within the next week.

However, SeaWorld rescue teams say there has been an alarming number of what they call "human interaction cases."

Within the last year and a half, they have seen at least three similar cases involving the gaffs. At least eight sea lions have been shot in the past year, and many have had to be euthanized, SeaWorld says.

The cases have been reported to the National Marine Fisheries, but a spokesperson for that agency told NBC 7 the incidents are hard to investigate because it is difficult to determine when it happened and who is responsible.

A 30-year-old Oakland mother of four was shot dead on her way home from grocery shopping Sunday, in an attack that police say road rage may have triggered and that a neighbor says cost her family its heart.

Perla Avina's husband Mando Lopez was driving the two of them home from the grocery store around 12:30 p.m. when, police say, another driver shot her near her home after "some type of confrontation."

Neighbor Dwayne Jackson said he saw Lopez race up the driveway, putting pressure on his wife's face. Jackson called 911 and performed first aid, as Lopez cried out to Avina, "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

"I didn't see any signs of life," Jackson said. "There was no waking up."

Family members performed CPR on Avina. Police did, too. But it was too late. Avina, who said on her Facebook page she is originally from Los Angeles, was declared dead at the scene.

"It's a life-changing experience," Jackson said, to "help someone knowing I couldn't help them. I tried everything in my power."

Avina was "the heart of the family," Jackson said, and authorities told the Oakland Tribune she worked as a medical receptionist.

"She made the family work, with the kids, and school and working," Jackson added. "This could have been my family."

Oakland police are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to whoever shot Avina, as she rode in the front passenger seat of a black 1998 Toyota Camry heading south on 98th Avenue.

"Road rage may have possibly occurred," police spokeswoman Johnna Watson said. "Road rage is extremely dangerous. In this case it turned deadly."

Watson gave few details on why investigators feel the deadly shooting is likely linked to road rage.

Police did not indicate that any of the four children, one of whom is as young as 18 months, were in the car and did not say where they were at the time of the shooting.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Oakland police Homicide Unit at (510) 238-3821 or Crime Stoppers of Oakland at (510) 777-8572.

NBC Bay Area photographer Henry Jerkins and Telemundo photographer Jose Luis Cosme and Lucero Benitez contributed to this report.

Three psychiatrists have found the defendant incompetent to stand trial in the Mission Valley Christmas Eve triple homicide, according to his defense attorney.

Carlo Mercado is accused of killing brothers Sal and Gianni Belvedere and Gianni's fiancee, Ilona Flint.

Deputy Defense Attorney Brian Erickson said reports submitted by three psychiatrists found Mercado not competent to stand trial.

Psychiatrists diagnosed Mercado as schizophrenic, psychotic and suffering from catatonic depression, according to his attorney.

When attorneys from both sides met in court Monday, the competency hearing was rescheduled for next week.

The prosecutor has only received one judge-ordered report and wants to make his decision after looking at the reports done by the defense.

Prosecutors asked for a week to look into whether they will demand a civil trial with a jury to determine whether Mercado is competent to stand trial.

This will include possibly getting a psychiatrist of their own to review the psychiatric reports provided by the defense.

If the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office decides not to pursue a civil trial, Mercado will be sent to Patton State Hospital.

It could take months of treatment for Mercado to be able to be tried, his attorney said.

Flint and Salvatore were found critically shot in a parking lot outside the Macy’s department store at Westfield Mission Valley Mall in San Diego’s Mission Valley area on Dec. 24, 2013.

Flint was pronounced dead at the scene of the Christmas Eve shooting. Salvatore died at the hospital a few days later.

Four years after the tragic loss of a San Diego police veteran, the community gathered Monday to honor him by designating a city park in his name. 

Officer Christopher Wilson was gunned down Oct. 27, 2010 during a SWAT operation at a Bay Terraces apartment building. 

At Monday's ceremony, community leaders announced the Skyview Neighborhood Park in Skyline will now be known as “Officer Christopher Wilson Memorial Park.” They also unveiled a 9-foot-long cement sign with the park’s new name.

Dozens of friends, family members and San Diego Police Department officers attended the ceremony to remember the father of two.

Longtime colleague Lt. Steve Behrendt said the park, which is located next to the Southeastern Division police station, is a fitting tribute to his friend.

“Chris spent his whole career here at Southeastern Division. I think it’s a great honor for him. He’s here next to the station where he worked his whole career,” Behrendt said. “It’s a place of honor. The community is able to see it and be reminded of Chris.”

"He was a great guy. I miss him," Behrendt said.

The Officer Christopher Wilson Memorial Park is located at 7226 Skyline Drive and features a playground, basketball courts and picnic tables.

Marijuana and methamphetamine use is increasing at a dramatic rate in San Diego County: specifically, marijuana use has hit a 14-year high, according to a new report by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG.)

The report was based on interviews with 953 people last year as part of the county's substance abuse monitoring program.

Researchers found that nearly half of men arrested in San Diego County and one in three women tested positive for marijuana, the highest rate since 2000.

Meth abuse is also increasing dramatically, rising for the fifth straight year among men. Last year, 41 percent of male arrests tested positive for meth, a jump from 31 percent the previous year. Female meth use slightly declined last year, from 47 percent to 46 percent.

For some perspective: A decade ago, the percentage of men and women who used meth was less than 30 percent.

Other notable findings:

• For the first time, male arrestees tested positive for any drug at a higher rate than women.
• The average age of a first-time marijuana user is 14 and about 90 percent of arrestees reported using cannabis at some point in their life.
• More than half of those arrested have tried meth before.
• Those between 18 and 24 were more likely to use marijuana, while those 25 and older were more likely to do meth.

Eight vehicles crashed on a busy San Diego freeway during the Monday evening rush hour, according to the California Highway Patrol.  

The accident happened just before 4 p.m. on eastbound Interstate 8, just west of Interstate 15, in the Mission Valley area. Get the latest traffic here

CHP has issued a Sig Alert. As of 4:45 p.m., four lanes of I-8 East were closed.

Paramedics were responding, but there is no word yet about injuries.

Check back for updates.