Five women in their 30s died Saturday night when a stretch limousine burst into flames on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge over the San Francisco Bay, police confirmed to NBC News.

Four other people in the limo escaped with burn and smoke inhalation injuries, California Highway Patrol Officer Art Montiel said. The car's driver was unhurt. 

Montiel said the women were "probably killed by the fire," though the cause of death has not been confirmed, NBC News reported.

Witnesses told NBC Bay Area the white Lincoln Town Car was not involved in an accident prior to catching on fire. It was not clear what could have sparked the flames. 

The car was driving from Alameda to Foster City, Montiel said.

When asked if an "explosion" had occurred, Montiel told NBC News it was unconfirmed, however he did say the "vehicle was partially engulfed."'

A viewer named David Solomon sent in the picture above that he said of was of the limo.

The fire was first reported around 10 p.m. in the third lane of westbound state Highway 92, according to the California Highway Patrol. 

The bridge, located about 20 miles southeast of San Francisco, connects San Mateo and Alemada counties. The westbound lanes were closed for several hours.

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Los Angeles police officials announced Monday the search for Northridge kidnapping suspect Tobias Summers has expanded to San Diego.

Investigators confirmed one person has been arrested in the case of a kidnapped 10-year-old Northridge girl, who turned up barefoot and wounded in Woodland Hills late last month.

LAPD said the subject under arrest is not the man police identified as the primary suspect -- Tobias Dustin Summers.

The case involves a 10-year-old girl who was kidnapped from her home March 27 between 1 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. She was taken to several locations in the San Fernando Valley before being dropped off in Woodland Hills.

The victim told police that two men took her from her bedroom.

She walked about a mile to a Starbucks where a passerby recognized her from media reports and alerted police. She was found barefoot and with bruises and cuts on her face at 3 p.m. the same day she went missing, police said.

Police announced last week that Summers, who has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2002 including arrests for assault and battery, and kidnapping, was the primary suspect in the case.

LAPD Commander Andrew Smith said Monday that Summers may be hiding in the San Diego area, "and he may have shaved his head to alter his appearance."

Summers was released from prison in July 2012 under California’s AB 109, an initiative aimed at easing prison overcrowding and was on "post-supervised release," according to police.

Probation officials believe the 30-year-old is a transient known to frequent the North Hollywood and Devonshire areas.

"The information on him being in San Diego is very new," said Smith, adding that detectives are still working to verify the lead.

Summers is about 6 feet tall, 160 pounds, with blue eyes and has been known to wear his blond hair cropped however, authorities believe he has since shaved his head.

He is not a registered sex offender and authorities said there is no indication at this time that the victim or her family knows the suspect.

Anyone who spots Summers is asked to call 911.

A Santee man was killed and a mother and her three children were critically injured in a horrific crash on State Route 52 Sunday.

Two victims were pulled from the wreckage by fire crews on the eastbound SR-52 just east of Santo Road around 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

One of the vehicles burst into flames at the scene, and citizens used fire extinguishers to try to put out the blaze, but the car continued burning, according to the CHP.

Matthew T. Leonardo, 30, of Santee was killed when his grey Ford sedan collided with a mini-van. California Highway Patrol investigators say Leonardo was driving the wrong way on the highway moments before the crash. 

The family in the minivan was that of Cathedral Catholic High School head basketball coach Will Cunningham, announced the school on Twitter. Cunningham's wife Alisa, a softball pitching coach, and three children ages 17, 12 and 10 were treated by firefighters and quickly transported to area hospitals.

Victims were transported to Sharp Memorial, UCSD Trauma Center and Rady's Children, according to San Diego Fire Department. A school statement said one of the Cunningham children is in the ICU.

Neighbor of the Cunningham family Walter Maksimow described the family as close-knit and very athletic. He said there will be a lot of support from the community for the family.

Investigators said a toxicology report will determine if Leonardo was intoxicated at the time of the crash.

Officials at Cathedral Catholic High School said they will hold a prayer service Monday for Cunningham family.

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A deputy U.S. marshal, who was dragged more than 100 yards by a fugitive's car, managed to pull out his weapon and shoot the suspect in the torso, bringing the speeding vehicle to a halt. 

San Diego police officers responded to Interstate 805 and Balboa Avenue around 2:45 p.m. Friday after hearing a radio call of an officer down.

The U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force had been following the suspect's vehicle along the highway when the passenger, wanted for burglary and firearms charges, learned of the surveillance.

The car unexpectedly stopped along the I-805 overpass.

As agents approached the car, a woman driving jumped out of the car and was taken into custody according to officials.

It was then that the suspect, who had been riding in the passenger seat, jumped over into the driver's seat and started to drive away investigators said.

"One of the agents reached into the vehicle and made an attempt to grab the keys and and turn the vehicle off," said San Diego police captain Terry McManus.

The deputy U.S. marshal was dragged more than 100 yards down the road before he was tossed from the vehicle officials said.

Emergency workers transported the injured agent to Scripps La Jolla Hospital where he is being treated for a head injury along with scrapes and bruises. 

The agent, although injured himself, rendered aid to the suspect McManus said.

The 31-year-old suspect was transported to Sharp Hospital where he was in surgery with non-life-threatening injuries officials said.

Both northbound and southbound off ramps from I-805 to Balboa Avenue have been closed to traffic. Balboa Avenue was closed between Charger Boulevard and Convoy Street.

The Sig Alert launched by the CHP was expected to last until approximately 9 p.m. Friday.

As of 10 p.m. Friday, eastbound Balboa Avenue had reopened. The affected portion of I-805 reopened shortly thereafter.

Officials said they do not yet know if the female driver will face charges in the incident.

San Diego police officers are handling the investigation of the shooting.

On Saturday, spokesman for the federal agency Greg Doss said the injured deputy U.S. marshal involved in this case is in good condition at the hospital, recovering from bumps, bruises and scratches.

On Sunday afternoon, the deputy U.S. marshal was released from the hospital and was said to be in good spirits.

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Two people are in custody in connection with a fight on a Southern California freeway that was caught on video, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The fight occurred along Interstate 5 in Los Angeles near 7th Street and was captured in a video by a passing driver.

Three men are seen arguing with another motorist before the physical confrontation.

The video was captured June 12 and prompted a CHP investigation.

The driver who suffered a concussion in the incident told NBCLA that in hindsight, he probably should have called police instead of fighting with three men who had stopped their car in front of his vehicle.

"In 20/20 hindsight, I probably should have called the police," said Jerry Patterson, who told NBC4 he suffered a concussion. "I'm just not that kind of person. I didn't think in my wildest dreams it would escalate to where it went to. ... It was just a fight. You win some, you lose some. ... I don't remember much of that."

Patterson, a mortgage consultant, said he was driving on the 710 Freeway when he "accidentally" cut off the other driver.

See Patteron's interview here.

David Mendez, 21, and Edras Ramirez, 27, both of Los Angeles, were jailed on suspicion of assault. They remain jailed Thursday.

The video captured images of the assailants, their vehicle and the car's license plate.

Fire destroyed a section of San Francisco's Pier 29, a building scheduled to be used for the upcoming America's Cup.

At least four ladder engines responded to the call of a roof or top floor burning along the city's Embarcadero around 1:50 p.m. Wednesday.

Firefighters were on the roof of Pier 29 battling the blaze by hand until pieces of the roof began to fall onto the sidewalk below.

No one was injured but firefighters used hoses from ladders to fight the flames. 

The fire reportedly broke out at a construction site which is also scheduled to be the home of the America's Cup.

The Pier 29 site was considered a vital negotiation piece to bring the America's Cup to San Francisco in 2013.

The building is located in a highly trafficked area between the Ferry Building and Pier 39 right along San Francisco's bay front. between Broadway and Chestnut Street.

Organizers of the sailing race were said to be prepared to spend upwards of $55 million to restore piers along San Francisco's waterfront.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

A man suspected of punching and kicking his wife was shot and killed by a San Diego police officer after a brief foot pursuit Monday. 

Family members arrived at the home of Victor Ortega, saying he was good man who was not violent.

Michelle Hooper said her brother was killed during an incident that began as a domestic violence call.

"I thought that the police were supposed to use tasers or bean bag guns, but they shot him in the head," Hooper said.

An official told NBCSanDiego a San Diego police officer fired the shot that killed the suspect.

The officer is 29-year-old Jonathan McCarthy, who is assigned to the Northeast Division, according to officials.

Officers attempted to take the man into custody as the result of a domestic violence call according to Lt. Kevin Rooney.

Ortega ran from the home at 8830 Flanders after officers arrived at 7:38 a.m.

A foot chase lasted about two minutes and two blocks Rooney said.

That’s when the suspect ran into a breezeway and closed a wooden door behind him.

The officer kicked the door open and fought with the suspect according to Rooney.

During that fight, one of the officer’s guns dropped to the ground. The suspect grabbed the gun and began to point it at the officer Rooney said.

The officer then shot the suspect with a second gun, killing the suspect officials said.

Resident Jason Crisostomo described the moments before the shooting just a few feet away from his townhome on Flanders Drive.

Crisostomo said he was getting ready for work when heard a loud scuffle. Moments later, right in front of his kitchen window, he heard someone say “Get on the ground!”

Then, he heard three gunshots followed by silence.

He ran upstairs to get a look at what was going on. Out of his townhome window, Crisostomo said he saw a man and his leg was shaking violently.

Emergency workers performed CPR for approximately 10 minutes according to Crisostomo.

After that, the man’s body was draped with a body bag in the shared driveway of several condo units Crisostomo said.

The suspect's wife suffered bloody mouth and teeth. She was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. She's also being interviewed by police investigators.

It's unknown if the couple's two children were home when the incident occurred.

The incident occurred at a street corner south of Mira Mesa Boulevard and about a half mile east of Mira Mesa High School.
 

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Four people have died after a traffic accident on State Route 67 in Ramona.

A truck traveling northbound along SR-67 veered into the southbound lanes just south of Rockhouse Road according to officials.

The driver of a Chevrolet Silverado truck struck a silver Toyota Camry first and then bounced into a blue Toyota Corolla with all three vehicles coming to rest in the southbound lanes, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Officer Joe Nielsen said when emergency crews arrived to the scene, there were several vehicles blocking the road and people out of vehicles in the roadway.

"The scene was pretty chaotic," Nielsen said. "A lot of witnesses stopped and offered information.".

Four people were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pick-up truck was 20-year-old Alexander Antonio Sebastiano of Poway, according to a medical examiner's report released over the weekend. He was pronounced dead shortly after emergency personnel arrived.

Sebastiano's back-seat passenger was a married 34-year-old man, Madhu Monoharan. Emergency crews attempted to resuscitate Monoharan, but he also died on the scene.

A couple driving a Toyota Camry were also killed in the collision. Josefina De Dios West, 74, was the passenger of the Camry. Her husband, 78-year-old San Ysidro resident Harold Eugene West was the driver. The two, who were wearing seatbelts, were pronounced dead at the scene without medical intervention.

Three people were transported for medical treatment at nearby hospitals including one child who was riding in the backseat of one of the cars Nielsen said.

Nicole Pinning, a 24-year-old Ramona resident, and her 5-year-old passenger traveling in the Corolla were transported to the hospital with moderate injuries.

The female passenger in Sebastiano's truck sustained internal injuries, and her condition is not known at this time.

It’s unknown if alcohol was involved. The weather may have played a role in the collision he said.

The investigation will determine a cause.

Cal Fire reported SR-67 was closed between Poway Road and Highland Valley, but it reopened for traffic just before 5 p.m. on Friday.

Check back for updates on this story.

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The 911 call in the suicide of former San Diego Charger Junior Seau was released Friday.

The call details the moments after Junior Seau was discovered dead in his Oceanside home by his girlfriend Megan. Listen to 911 call: Warning graphic

Seau's girlfriend can be heard screaming hysterically, "Oh my God! I  need an ambulance. Oh my God!"

"My boyfriend shot himself," she continued.

Seau, 43, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest Wednesday officials said. A day later, the county's medical examiner confirmed the death was a suicide.

At the beginning of the call, Megan said she had just returned to the home on South Strand Boulevard after working out.

"The gun is just next to him in the bed," she said.

Breathing heavily and crying throughout the call, Seau's girlfriend asks twice "What do I do?

Emergency dispatch workers ask the girlfriend to move the 260-pound linebacker and start CPR.

She puts the phone down and moves Seau. Soon after, you can hear emergency responders arrive to the home and question her about what time she found Seau's body.

Seau was found in one of the bedrooms of the home around 9:30 a.m. Megan told the 911 operator it appeared Seau had shot himself "in the heart."

A handgun was found next to Seau's body however no suicide note was found according to Oceanside police.

Seau became a Charger in 1990 and was voted to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1991 to 2002.

The former Charger got his start at Oceanside High School, where he played football as a linebacker. Seau then became a star linebacker at the University of Southern California before he playing for the Chargers. He was with the Chargers until 2003, and then played for the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots.

He retired from football in 2009, according to the NFL.

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San Diego is in mourning, remembering our hometown hero and arguably most recognizable local celebrity former Chargers Pro Bowler Junior Seau.

Seau, 43,  was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside his Oceanside home Wednesday officials confirmed.

The Medical Examiner's office confirmed on Thursday that Seau committed suicide.

Complete Coverage in our Special Section: Junior Seau 1969-2012

The news surfaced after a woman, who officials said identified herself as Junior Seau’s girlfriend, called 911 at approximately 9:30 a.m. to report a shooting. 

She had found Seau in one of the bedrooms of the NFL player's home on South Strand Boulevard with a gunshot wound to the chest.

A handgun was found next to Seau's body however no suicide note was found according to Oceanside police.

Police Chief Frank McCoy confirmed the case will be investigated as a suicide.

That announcement led to gasps in the crowd of approximately 250 people standing outside the home.

Read: Insight into Seau's Final Hours

Family members and friends had been gathering in the driveway of the home, hugging and crying throughout the morning.

They included the Oceanside High School alum's parents, Tianina and Luisa Seau.

Seau's mother, obviously very emotional and in the arms of the family's pastor, spoke outside the home. 

She looked up to the sky and screamed Junior's name.

"I don’t understand," Luisa Seau told the bank of television cameras and crowds of fans who had gathered along the bike path next to the shore. "I don’t know anything."

People in the crowd shouted "We love you Mrs. Seau!"

Seau's sister asked the media to give the family, and her famous brother, some privacy.

“My brother was a loving brother, a caring citizen. I just wish you guys would just honor his last day and give him some privacy,” said his sister, Annette.

Chief McCoy recognized the cumulative grief felt by residents in his community when he said, “Our hearts and prayers as a city go out to the Seau family.

A police escort followed the medical examiner's van as it carried Seau's body through the streets of Oceanside.

When the van first pulled away from the home, fans in the crowed yelled out "We love you Junior!" and "Rest in Peace." 

"Junior was Superman to us," Miles McPherson, a former Charger and the pastor of Rock Church in San Diego said. 

Across town at the Chargers Murphy Canyon training facility, team owner Dean Spanos told NBCSanDiego he was "stunned, shocked" and sent his condolences to Seau’s family.

“He was all football, he was such a great leader, such a great mentor for so many people,” said Chargers head coach Norv Turner.

“This one’s hard and it’s going to take a long time to get over.”

Former Charger and NBC 7 Sports Director Jim Laslavic said he couldn't believe Seau was gone.

“He has done so much good for so many people,” said Laslavic. “Junior touched a lot of lives.”

Laz was so emotional after hearing the news he wasn't sure he could talk.

"He had a passion for his game, had a passion for his family and had a passion for his community," Laz said.

After hearing the news, former Charger LaDainian Tomlinson said he learned how to be a pro football player from Seau.

"He’s an icon I looked up to my entire life before I got to San Diego. Even to this day. It’s a numb feeling in my heart right now," Tomlinson said.

Seau's children attend Bishops School in La Jolla and were pulled out of class as soon as the news started to spread according to two seniors who spoke to NBCSanDiego.

Head master Aimeclaire Roche pulled the school's 700 students into an assembly at noon and asked them to respect the family's privacy. 

For reactions from friends, teammates and fans, read our collection of social media responses here.

Seau became a Charger in 1990 and was voted to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1991 to 2002.

The former Charger averaged 100 tackles a season and nearly seven tackles per game during his 17-year career, according the NFL.

The former Charger got his start at Oceanside High School, where he played football as a linebacker. Seau then became a star linebacker at the University of Southern California before he playing for the Chargers. He was with the Chargers until 2003, and then played for the Miami Dolphins and the New England Patriots.

He retired from football in 2009, according to the NFL.

Seau continued to be a major part of the Charger culture after his retirement from football.

He opened a restaurant in Mission Valley called “Seau’s The Restaurant” in 1996 and it has been a destination on game day for the last 16 years.

The restaurant, decorated in the Charger’s Bolt blue and gold, is located at Westfield Shopping Town on 1640 Camino Del Rio North and is a testament to Seau’s career in the NFL.

Each year, Seau would hold a Thanksgiving dinner there for the homeless.

Gordon Watt, a homeless San Diegan, said he met Seau at a Thanksgiving dinner at Seau's restaurant in Mission Valley.
 
"He asked me what do you need," he said. "Then went to Target and bought me these gloves and he was just the most kind person in the world. I can't think of anyone who was better than him."

Watt wears those gloves to this day.

The official Chargers Twitter account initially sent this post, "We don’t have any information right now on the Junior Seau situation. We pray he's ok." Then, once the news was confirmed, they announced a previously scheduled news conference with head coach Norv Turner has been canceled.

In October 2010, Seau sustained injuries when his SUV crashed at the bottom of a Carlsbad cliff.

Oceanside police arrested Seau on a felony domestic violence charge. Prosecutors declined to press charges.

Then, hours after his release from custody, Seau was found behind the wheel of an SUV that had crashed over a cliff onto the beach below.

Seau said he had fallen asleep behind the wheel.

On Wednesday night, Seau's family released a new statement, asking the public for prayers.

"We ask that you continue to pray for our family during this time as we will continue to pray for those Junior has touched. God bless the Seau family."

On Thursday, Seau's brother told NBC 7 San Diego that funeral services for Seau's family and friends would be held on Friday, May 11, at the New Venture Church in Oceanside. A public service will follow on Saturday, May 12,  at Oceanside High School.

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An attempted copper theft disrupted service to some customers early Tuesday officials said.

Someone cut a fiber optic cable between midnight and 1 a.m. on Alpine Boulevard in the rural community of Alpine east of San Diego.

Seventy-five feet of fiber optic cable was taken along with 6 feet of 600 strand copper cable according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

An estimated 10 million broadband lines were down according to deputies.

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A crew of three men set up a small table along the two-lane road in Alpine near Puetz Valley Road where the line was compromised. They are working to repair a bundle of copper lines that were initially believed to serve MCAS Miramar and Navy Base San Diego 32nd Street according to deputies.

However, later Tuesday morning Maj. Carl Redding sent an update via Twitter saying "MCAS Miramar is not affected by broadband lines theft in Alpine."

Mylie Baca, spokesperson from Navy Base San Diego 32nd Street, told NBCSanDiego there was no interruption in data service.

Deputies said the Alpine Sheriff’s Station and the Pine Valley Sheriff’s Station were affected by the interruption of the broadband lines however, the incident will not interrupt 911 service. 

Just after midnight a representative for Century Link Fibertron received notification the lines were down officials said. The fiber optic cable involved is considered the backbone of the company's nationwide network deputies said.

A Centurylink spokesperson based on the East Coast told NBCSanDiego a man crawled into the manhole and cut into the network.  She said the man tried to steal the copper cable and that this type of incident happens "in a lot of places."

The spokesperson told NBCSanDiego thousands, not millions, of customers have been affected by the outage and that she expects the network to be restored by 1 p.m. PT.

Three cables were involved in the incident according to an AT&T spokesperson. One cable was Centurylink's she said.

While some AT&T cell sites were affected by the attempted copper theft, the spokesperson said, their crews are working to gauge how many customers were without service.

Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @nbcsandiego or add your comment to our Facebook page.

Moments after a mysterious sound was heard in San Diego, people started sending messages out via social media asking "what was it?"

NBCSanDiego received a number of reports from residents of a shaking or a loud noise just before 9 a.m. 

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The U.S. Geological Survey has not reported a nearby earthquake.

Officials at MCAS Miramar said the noise or vibration was not a sonic boom from their aircraft.

Reports came in from different sections of the county including La Mesa, University City, Point Loma, Paradise Hills and La Jolla.

Marielle Bravo-Saltzman of Carmel Valley posted to NBCSanDiego's Facebook page, "I felt a shake at 8:38, but no boom."

Paul Prince of Pacific Beach sent a note to @nbcsandiego via Twitter "All my windows shook in the PB area..."

San Diego State University Professor Emeritus Pat Abbott felt and heard it and stepped outside his home.

“The only time you hear an earthquake is when you’re directly over the epicenter,” Abbott said.

In his opinion, the sound was atmospheric.

Thunder and lightning were in the forecast Friday, but NBC 7 Meterologist Jodi Kodesh looked into it and said there weren't any storm cells near the area producing thunder and lightning at that time.

When lightning strikes, the discharge of energy can be felt 5 to 10 miles away as a rumble or a boom, Kodesh said.

The closest rumble of thunder at the time would have been north of Los Angeles.

Sometimes, a military exercise known as chaff can cause a similar sound.

Strips of metal foil dropped by an aircraft are used to temporarily hide an aircraft from radar detection.

The National Weather Service couldn't confirm if the sound was a result of chaff and an MCAS Miramar official told us he was not aware of possible chaff in the area.

Did you hear or feel something strange around 9 a.m. Friday? Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @nbcsandiego or add your comment to our Facebook page.

Five people were trapped in a tunnel near the U.S.-Mexico border and had to be rescued early Wednesday.

The four men and one woman were discovered inside the tunnel partly filled with sewage in Otay Mesa. The tunnel is believed to lead to Mexico, which is about 150 meters away.

The five were trapped at a point in the tunnel where a fence made it impossible to get through to the U.S.

U.S. Border Patrol agents used a dog to find the opening in the 9800 block of Via De La Amistad behind a company called Artic Containers.

Agents believe a manhole on the Mexican side is the entrance.

San Diego and Chula Vista firefighters worked for about 45 minutes to dig out the trapped victims, bringing them out one by one.

They then hosed down each person because of their exposure to sewage. The men were stripped to their underwear. The woman was taken behind a tarp where she was hosed off.

All the victims were healthy without any physical injuries, according to Border Patrol.

A robot was sent into the hole to investigate, but it got stuck according to officials.

Border tunnels are not new to the Tijuana-San Diego region. In November 2010, a tunnel running 600 yards under the border was discovered along with nearly 30 tons of pot.

Soon after, a second tunnel was discovered equipped with lighting, ventilation, and a rail system for drugs to be carried on a small cart.

U.S. authorities have discovered more than 125 clandestine tunnels along the Mexican border since the early 1990s, though many were crude and incomplete.

While national media reports suggest talk show host Phil McGraw is paying for the exhumation of Coronado murder victim Rebecca Zahau, the woman's family says those reports are not true, however he has made a donation.

Homicide investigators concluded Rebecca Zahau, 32, killed herself July 13 - two days after boyfriend Jonah Shacknai's 6-year-old son, Max Shacknai, accidentally fell while under her watch.

A multi-millionaire, Jonah Shacknai is the founder and CEO of Medicis, a pharmaceutical company based in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Max Shacknai died July 17, almost a week after suffering serious injuries in a fall down the stairs at the historic mansion.

Rebecca Zahau’s family believes they have not been given all the information and want an independent investigation from the State Attorney General’s office.

Late Monday, reports surfaced claiming McGraw, would be paying to have Zahau's body exhumed from her Missouri grave and re-tested for evidence of foul play.  RadarOnline.com reported McGraw would release the results on his television show in November.

However, Rebecca's sister Mary Zahau-Loehner told NBCSanDiego early Tuesday that the reports are inaccurate. The family is paying for the exhumation out of a donation fund, but that McGraw did make a donation to that fund.

Zahau-Loehner, has appeared on NBC Today with Anne Curry to discuss the San Diego County Sheriff's Department investigation into her sister's death.

She released the following statement:

I want to thank for all the support and donation we have received. Due to the generosity of the public, we will be able to proceed with exhumation of Becky to find the truth of her death. Dr Wecht has been kind and generous to help us with an independent autopsy.

We would appreciate further donations and support in anyway. The venture of Justice for Rebecca is going to be long and challenging. This is only the beginning of that journey and it is possible due to the tremendous support and generosity of the public, experts, news media, and our attorney Anne Bremnar.

Donation is accepted at www.RebeccaZahauFund.com

NBCSanDiego.com is also reaching out to the family's attorney Anne Bremner.  

Let us know what you think. Comment below, send us your thoughts via Twitter @nbcsandiego or add your comment to our Facebook page.

After learning about the grave medical condition of her boyfriend's son, Rebecca Zahau painted a message inside a Coronado mansion, bound her own feet and legs, and then hanged herself from a second-story balcony, authorities announced Friday.

Her DNA alone was on the rope. Only her footprints were found on the balcony. There were no drugs in her system.

“There is really no logical explanation for what happened except that she took her own life,” San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore said Friday in a public briefing of the investigation into the death of Rebecca Zahau.

The Spreckels Mansion, owned by pharmaceutical tycoon Jonah Shacknai, was the location of two deaths within days of each other two months ago.

Shacknai's 6-year-old son Max died from injuries he sustained July 11 in a fall at the home. Two days after Max's fall, Shacknai's brother discovered Zahau, 32, hanging nude from a second-story balcony at the home. 

Zahau was Shacknai's girlfriend and appeared to be the victim of a "violent death" that was "suspicious in nature" investigators said in the initial days of the investigation.

However, weeks later, investigators revealed new details into both deaths including a message left in black paint on a door, the same paint found on Zahau's hand and torso.  They did not reveal what was contained in the message saying only it was not clearly a suicide note.

Mary Zahau-Loehner told NBC 7 San Diego the message read in black paint and capital letters: "She saved him, can he save her."

Zahau's family members continue to dispute the investigation's findings that Zahau killed herself.

Detectives said the red rope tied around Zahau's neck was attached to a bed inside the home and the foot and toe impressions found on the balcony were hers. 

Forsenic evidence showed Zahau leaned over the railing and fell to her death, investigators said. They said that the railing disturbances were consistent with Zahau's petite torso. Toe impressions were consistent with person leaning up over railing and going over the railing, officials said.

They said there was no toxicological evidence that she was unconscious or incapacitated prior to hanging.

"So you mean to tell me," Zahau-Loehner said, "that some phone call at 12:30 at night, and a voice message that she listened to all of a sudden make her decide to come up with this elaborate plan?"

Jonathan Lucas, M.D., San Diego County Medical Examiner, told the reporters gathered for the panel, which exceeded an hour in length, that he would be the first to admit this was a unique and unusual case.

Investigators released a video showing the ability of a person to bind their own hands without assistance. In the days leading up to the press conference, Zahau-Loehner has adamantly denied the investigation's finds.

"There was no search on the Internet for this type of suicide," Zahau-Loehner said. "There was nothing on her computer, nothing that even showed that she even looked for this type of binding.

"I mean, I love my sister and she was smart in a lot of ways. But Becky was not smart in that kind of sense."

"Sometimes family members hear what they want to hear," Gore said. He said he did discuss the findings with Jonah Shacknai, who accepted the conclusion.

A source close to the investigation told NBC 7 San Diego a week and a half ago that detectives are reasonably confident her death was a suicide.

Sources told NBC San Diego Zahau felt tremendous guilt over the death of 6-year-old Max Shacknai because his fatal injuries happened while she was watching the boy.

Max Shacknai fell from a railing in the home's front stairwell and struck the carpeted floor face first, fracturing his forehead, officials said. If that were the only injury he had sustained, he may have survived, according to the medical examiner.

However, the fall caused a bending of the child's neck, causing an injury of the spinal cord. That injury interfered with his heart rate and breathing, causing irreversible brain damage, Lucas said.

“There was no evidence indicating any foul play in this. It was a tragic accident and we’ve ruled Max’s death an accident,” said Commander Mike Lawton, Coronado Police Department.

Shacknai, 54, is the founder and CEO of Medicis, a pharmaceutical company based in Scottsdale, Ariz. 

Shacknai released a statement Friday afternoon saying Zahau "was a wonderful and unique person who will always have a special place in my heart."

"Nothing will ever be the same for our families after these losses, but with today’s information providing some much needed answers, we will try to rebuild our lives and honor the memories we carry with us," he said.

Read Jonah Shacknai's full statement

Zahau and Adam Shacknai, Jonah's brother, were the only two people staying at the home the night of July 12.

Zahau was staying in the main house. Adam Shacknai was staying in the guesthouse.

Jonah Shacknai was not at the residence the evening prior to the discovery of the body nor at the time she was discovered, officials said.

Timeline of events
 

Rope Demonstration - Front View from San Diego County Sheriff on Vimeo.

Jani Lane, the former frontman and lead singer for the 80’s metal rock band Warrant, has been found dead in Los Angeles.

The singer, 47, was found Thursday in a Los Angeles-area Comfort Inn, and pronounced dead at the scene by the LAPD.

According to NBC News, the LAPD received a 911 phone call early Thursday evening for a death investigation. Emergency personnel pronounced the man, later identified as Lane, dead at the scene.

While the cause of death is still unknown, coroner's officials will be conducting an investigation into Lane's death.

The singer, born John Kennedy Oswald, had a troubled history with alcohol and was arrested several times because of it. In 2009, Lane was taken into custody for reporting crashing into a parked car, the Hollywood Reporter says.

His group Warrant was most famous for "Cherry Pie," which Lane penned. It was a top hit in 1990 and featured a guitar solo by Poison's C.C. Deville. Their power-ballad "Heaven" and "I Saw Red" were also chart-toppers.

In more recent years, Lane was on shows like VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" and was arrested for drunk driving, according to the Associated Press.

Stars took to social media to tweet and blog condolences. Comedian and "30 Rock" actor Judah Friedlander tweeted, "RIP Janie Lane [sic]. Heaven just got more awesome."

Selected Reading: THR, TMZ, AP

The badly damaged Sylmar building that housed an alternative-energy non-profit company, Rainbow of Hope, is now the focus of a workplace safety investigation after "a thunderous explosion" rocked the area on Tuesday.

Gallery: LAFD Images From Sylmar

Three people were sent to the hospital, two with life-threatening injuries, said a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman. One of the victims lost his arm and leg.

One of the men injured in the blast, Tim Larson, is a relative of Tyson Larson, the green energy entrepreneur killed in June of 2010 in an explosion at another green energy business called Realm Industries of Simi Valley.

"We were outside in the shop and all of sudden, we heard just a loud explosion," said witness Cuah Beltran, who works across the street. "You could actually feel it in your body. It was tremendous. It was incredible."

Witness Dee Dee Tronson said she heard the explosion shortly after 4 p.m.

"We were just in our office and our whole building shook," Tronson said. "That's when we knew something was wrong. We thought it was an earthquake at first, but then it was just too weird."

The front doors of the building were blown off. A massive hole was left in the ceiling. Debris was scattered 30 yards in all directions.

The business is located at 12349 Gladstone Ave. (map). The property owner of the building tells NBC4 he's afraid the tenants were doing more than eco-friendly non-profit research.

Firefighters say workers at the business were extracting hydrogen from water, when the explosion happened.

"In the process of extracting the hydrogen extracting product from one vessel to another there was an explosion," said LA City Fire Captain Jaime Moore.

Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: Twitter: @NBCLA // Facebook: NBCLA

Fire authorities expect full containment within the hour of a fire that burned five acres along the U.S. Mexico border.

The Doghouse Fire was 70 percent contained as of 2:45 on Friday, according to the CAL FIRE incident commander.

CAL FIRE crews were working on the fires near Doghouse Junction and Otay Truck Trail.

The largest of the three brush fires measures about five acres in size as of 10:00 a.m., a fire spokesperson said.

Because the fire is inaccessible to ground crews, fire crews needed to flown in by helicopter.

Two air tankers also targeted the area where several fires had burned together into one fire. Approximately 75 firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, according to the fire agency.

The fire was reported at 5:40 a.m. and the cause is under investigation.

Humid weather has slowed the spread of the so-called Eagle Fire, which has burned 12,700 acres with 45 percent containment as of late Monday afternoon, but six firefighters have sustained minor injuries from working in the conditions, according to Cal Fire.

More than 2,100 firefighters are working the fire located off of Highway 79 near Warner Springs, and National Guard helicopters are helping fly hand crews into remote areas.

The costs associated with the blaze jumped from an estimated $2.5 million Sunday to $6.2 million by 6 p.m. Monday. Seventy-one engines, 85 fire crews, 20 bulldozers, 30 water tenders, 17 helicopters, five helitankers, six airtankers and 274 overhead have all been assigned to assist.

The fire, reported at 10:40 p.m. Thursday, is said to be burning in a mix of grass, brush, oak and pine trees in steep, rugged terrain on the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation and the Anza Borrego Desert State Park.

Officials said it is moving toward the northwest and is visible from the desert community of Borrego Springs.

The Borrego Palm Canyon Trail and Campground in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park have been closed due to the flames.

Sunday there were reports of two injured firefighters, who were both transported to a hospital and treated for minor injuries. Their injuries were not immediately known.

Friday, officials said two cabins and a number of archeological sites were threatened ending in an evacuation, though only one outbuilding has been destroyed.

The fire that destroyed a gift shop next to the panda exhibit at the San Diego Zoo early Monday was deliberately set officials said.

The Panda Shop was engulfed in flames when San Diego Fire and Rescue crews arrived to the area of the zoo near the Canyon Café just before 2 a.m.

A zoo security guard spotted the smoke while on routine patrol zoo officials said.

The shop was mostly made of wood and burned quickly with the metal roof collapsing fire spokesperson Maurice Luque said

The gift shop was about 50 yards from the panda enclosure, and south of the large bird aviary in that part of the zoo.

“At no time were the animals endangered,” said Luque. “No other structures were endangered. It was just this gift shop, maybe 1200 square feet that was fully involved.

Firefighters were able to knock down the flames in about 15 minutes once they arrived.

In all, 25 firefighters were called to the scene -- that's 4 engines and 2 trucks.

Fire investigators are going through the charred structure to figure out what caused the blaze.

Animal exhibits were not affected however the Canyon Café may be impacted depending on how soon water and gas can be restored to the area.

A brush fire burned more than three acres in Mission Trails Regional Park early Tuesday.

The fire broke out around 1 a.m. in an area of the park that is inaccessible to vehicles, according to fire crews.

San Diego Battalion Chief Ben Castro said the fire is suspicious in nature.

More than eight crews arrived and tackled the fire in rough terrain but decided to let the fire burn itself out.

No structures were threatened. No one was evacuated.

One of San Diego's fire helicopters was used to drop water on the flames during the night.

Winds were calm and temperatures low -- favorable conditions for fighting fires. 

One lane on the west side of Mission Gorge was closed as CAL Fire crews mopped up flare-ups.

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A cement mixer collided with two cars on northbound Interstate 5 near Palm Avenue Wednesday morning prompting the closure of the freeway.

The truck driver told California Highway Patrol officers that a blue Suzuki was driving in reverse on the freeway around 1:30 a.m.

It appears the driver was backing up diagonally across the highway officers said.

The cement truck driver was traveling in the slow lanes when he swerved to try and miss the blue car but ended up violently rear-ending the small car.

“He pushed the Suzuki a good 150 feet or so and when the cement truck driver slammed on his brakes, he lost control,” said CHP Officer Michael Mazon.

The truck tipped over spilling cement onto the freeway.

All lanes were closed while a major clean-up effort began. All northbound traffic was diverted off to State Route 905 until the freeway reopened around 6 a.m. 

The man behind the wheel of that blue Suzuki was killed in the crash. CHP officials at the scene said they believe the man was likely in the military, based in San Diego..

No one else was hurt in the collision.

CHP is still investigating why that driver was going in reverse on the freeway.

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Fire crews battled a blaze early Monday at a commercial building in Huntington Park.

The fire was at a building in the 6700 block of Alameda Street. Smoke was visible from the 110 Freeway during the morning commute.

The fire started at about 5:30 a.m. Alameda Street is closed between Florence Avenue and Gage Avenue. At about 11 a.m., fire officials said flames in the building still prevented firefighters from entering the structure.

"We've tripled the original amount of resources since the fire began," said Capt. Mark Savage. "It just wasn't safe to have our firefighters charge in. Our priority, obviously, is firefighter safety. We need to become aware of what hazards might be involved with this facility."

Savage said his crews talked with people who are familiar with what might be inside the building before firefighters were allowed to enter the structure.

The building houses a food processing plant called Windsor Foods. Fire officials said one of the combustible elements in the fire was soy bean oil.

"Anytime a fire burns through the roof, it's extremely dangerous for firefighters" because of the threat of collapse, said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Don Kunitomi

About 150 firefighters were at the location, said county fire Inspector  Matt Levesque.

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A sergeant shot and killed a possible murder suspect at a rest stop near Descanso on Wednesday, according to sheriff’s deputies.

Craig Petersen, 52, was shot by a sergeant at 1 p.m. Wednesday at a rest area off Interstate 8 and State Route 79 near Descanso, deputies said.

The incident started when deputies responded to a report of a stabbing at a house in the 2100 block of Borrego Hills Road around 7 a.m. Wednesday.

"Once the deputies arrived on scene, they found a white male adult with trauma to his upper body," said Sgt. Roy Frank. "Paramedics and deputies rendered first aid."

The victim was pronounced dead on scene.

Witnesses at the scene were able to give deputies a description of the suspect.

Early Wednesday afternoon a sergeant spotted a pickup truck matching the description of the suspect’s truck, deputies said. 

"The sergeant was looking through the area and off a hunch he came to this location and located the blue F150," said Sgt. Frank.

It was parked in a parking lot at the rest area off Interstate 8 and State Route 79 near Descanso.

The sergeant approached the pickup truck and noticed a man sitting in the bed of the truck matching the suspect’s description, deputies said.

"As he continues to walk up on the truck, the suspect grabbed a weapon that appeared to be a firearm," said Sgt. Frank. "The sergeant at that time discharged his firearm hitting the suspect."

Petersen and the 72-year-old stabbing victim have known each other for at least 10 years, according to deputies. But they won’t say what their relationship was or what led up to the incident.

Bomb squad members disabled a device believed to be a pipe bomb inside a home in Bay Terraces Wednesday morning.

The device was discovered when the San Diego SWAT team served search warrants at 7221 and 7271 Big Oak Street to help the regional Computer and Technology Crime High-Tech Response Team (C.A.T.C.H.).

While searching one of the homes, they found a device that appeared like a pipe bomb – about 10 to 15 inches long with a cap on both ends.

Police were called just before 8:30 a.m., took one man into custody from 7221 Big Oak Street and evacuated five homes in the area.

Just before noon, the device was rendered safe by the Metro Arson Strike Team and residents were allowed back into their homes said Lt. William Stetson with SDPD.

Nearby news crews overheard shouts of "Fire in the hole" followed by a small blast.

A pipe bomb explosion could damage property within several hundred feet in each direction police said.

Stetson could not share details about the search warrants as they are sealed.

A handful of homes were evacuated but the neighborhood was blocked off so people who had left could not return for several hours.

A nearby school was not on lockdown because the students were on break.

Several law enforcement agencies were on the scene inlcuding San Diego police, San Diego County sheriff's deputies and ATF.

An Escondido woman was shot while driving southbound on State Route 163 near Balboa Avenue Tuesday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A bullet entered the woman's 2006 silver Toyota Matrix while she was on her way to school at the University of San Diego.

The 21-year-old told police that she was near Balboa Avenue when she noticed pain in her lower right torso, CHP officers said.

Original reports from CHP indicated that the woman drove to the USD campus and asked for help from security guards who then called paramedics. But University of San Diego officials later said she called her mother while driving to report that she was having difficulty breathing.

“Mom called 911. The paramedics were able to reach the victim about 50 yards shy of the USD East Campus Entrance,” said USD Assistant Vice President of Public Affairs Pamela Gray Payton.

Emergency crews examined her and found a gunshot wound in her right side and took her to Sharp Memorial Hospital where she went into surgery.

The woman was out of surgery as of 11:45 a.m. and her prognosis for recovery appears to be good, according to the CHP.

Officers shut down SR 163 southbound from Interstate 15 to Balboa Avenue around 11 a.m. while investigators searched the highway for evidence in the case.

Traffic was backed up from the 52 interchange to Mira Mesa Boulevard as officers walked on foot searching for shell casings or any evidence indicating where the shot may have come from.

Officers found about ten shell casings near the shoulder along the highway between Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and Balboa Avenue. They say it's still too early to know whether those casings are related to the shooting.

"Whatever we come across here with respect to possible evidence, we have to analyze to see if it is associated with this crime. So, we can't make an assumption at this point, nor should we make an assumption at any point," said CHP Officer Kenneth Jackman.

CHP reopened southbound lanes to traffic around 2 p.m.

The bullet entered the woman's car through the rear passenger side door, police said.

A CHP investigator examined the vehicle before it was towed.

There are no other witnesses and no 911 calls related to this shooting, according to the CHP.

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Residents jumped from a second-floor window to escape flames from a house fire that left 12 people injured in Ontario Monday night.

Police and firefighters found the two-story house in the 15-hundred block of Fairfield Street engulfed in flames when they reached the scene shortly after 11 p.m.

"When officers arrived, there were actually family members on the second floor,  jumping down," said Ontario Police Sgt. Michael Caldera. "Our officers, along with some neighbors, were trying to catch them."

Some other family members were inside trying to find relatives who were unaccounted for at the time, said police.

"Officers went inside and brought everyone out,"  said Sgt. Caldera.  "The second floor was totally engulfed, but the other family members were already outside the house and officers found them across the street."

 A 10-year-old boy was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center after suffering serious burns, and is in critical condition, said police.  The other victims all suffered smoke inhalation and have been taken to several area hospitals, but their conditions are unknown.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A third teen victim has died from shootings Monday in a school cafeteria in Chardon, Ohio, MSNBC reported.

Demetrius Hewlin, who had been in critical condition, died Tuesday morning, a Cleveland hospital said.

Earlier, 17-year-old Russell King and Daniel Parmentor, 16, were identified as killed in the attack at Chardon High School that wounded two others.

Read more in this article from MSNBC.
 

Osama bin Laden, the terror leader who eluded capture for more than a decade since ordering the 9/11 attacks, has been killed inside his heavily fortified compound in Pakistan, President Obama said Sunday night.

For full coverage click here.

A man broke into his former Eastlake home and threatened his own sons with a knife according to Chula Vista police.

Officers said it started around 9 p.m. Sunday with the report of a man using a baseball bat to break a window and force his way into a home near East Ridge Loop and Greensview Drive.

Three people were inside the home including the suspect’s two sons - 17 and 20 years old - and a brother-in-law, officers said.

Once inside, the man grabbed a knife and threatened the residents Chula Vista police said.

Those inside got out safely but the suspect stayed in the home, refusing to come out for hours.

Officers evacuated homes to the north and south of the standoff, near the Eastlake Country Club. Officers used flash bangs and brought in negotiators.

Just before 6 a.m., officers said they had the man in custody. He’s been identified as 48-year-old Omar Acosta.

Officers said Acosta used to live in the home with his ex-wife.
 

Third time proved to be the charm for No. 7 San Diego State as they beat No. 8 BYU Saturday for the Mountain West Conference Tournament championship 72-54.

Students rushed the floor chanting and cheering after the win.

For the Aztecs, the win is the second straight MWC championship and puts great cap to a 32-2 season.

"We played hard three straight games. I think our defense allowed us a great offense and they didn't shoot it the way they shot it for two games," said head coach Steve Fisher immediately after the game.

Cutting down the net was pretty special for the team said Fisher.

Aztec forward Billy White scored 21 points with 12 rebounds, his third career double-double.

"I just want to thank my teammates for giving me the ball, I couldn't do it without them," said White.

"I just want to play with a passion," he said. And passion he did. His five steals set the tone for the game.

SDSU held BYU to only 32.2% shooting according game officials.

As for the team that proved to be their toughest opponent all year, White said the team wanted this win badly.

"This means a lot to mean and my teammates. We wanted it real bad and we got it," he said.

After the celebration, the team will prepare for Selection Sunday as they wait to see if they get Tucson or Denver in the NCAA Tournament.

Led by Jimmer Fredette \, the Cougars (31-3) had the number of the otherwise perfect Aztecs this season, but that would not hold true Saturday.

The game marked the first time BYU was matched up against San Diego State’s athletic frontcourt — headlined by sophomore Kawhi Leonard (15.3 points, 10.8 rebounds) — without top interior presence Brandon Davies.

Davies was suspended for the season due to a violation of university rules.

Point guard D.J. Gay hit a one-handed floater Friday night with 4.9 seconds remaining to life San Diego State to a 74-72 win over tournament host UNLV.

The National Weather Service issued tsunami warnings Friday morning for the West Coast following the magnitude 8.9 earthquake that struck Japan. And those warnings proved to be the real thing for the people who have boats in the Santa Cruz Harbor.

The warnings turned to advisories Bay Area-wide for the entire region by the early evening hours, but the damage was done with estimates in the millions of dollars.

A tsunami-related surge severely damaged at several docks and dozens of boats at the Santa Cruz Harbor. The harbor is just south of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and is marked by the Santa Cruz Breakwater lighthouse. The damage estimate to the harbor alone, according to city officials, was $2 million.

Dozens of people stood on the bridge and the railroad track that cross Pillar Point Harbor to watch the damage throughout the day. A worker at the Cliff House referred to the tsunami as a "spectator sport."

The water started to pour into the harbor around 7:45 a.m. and put all moorings to the test. The first surge knocked one boat and two dock-like objects free. Later surges knocked dozens of boats free as they began to slam into each other. Some capsized under the water's pressure.

Complete Tsunami Coverage Here

Authorities issued a local emergency and warned residents to stay away from the coast because larger waves were likely to hit the coast later in the day.

The tsunami's surge went both ways. The water came in and then went back out with just as much force. It was a circular cycle that took about a minute to change directions and resembled time-lapse photography, with high-tide turning into low-tide within a matter of seconds.

Definitions: Tsunami Advisory, Watch, Warning | Other Tsunami Terms | Webcams: Santa Cruz/Monterey Beaches | USGS: West Coast Advisories

KCBS anchor Stan Bunger compared the force of the water in the harbor to the force of the water that runs near the Grand Canyon. He said the water in Santa Cruz was actually moving faster then the Grand Canyon on Thursday morning.

NBC Bay Area meteorologist Christina Loren predicted the damage would continue throughout the day Friday as more tsunami's continue to pour into the California coast. That proved true. Even as late as 4 p.m. tsunami surges poured into the harbor.

Near the Oregon border the Crescent City harbor also reported major damage. It is smaller than Santa Cruz but emergency officials there say that numerous vessels have been damaged by tidal flows in and out of the harbor. A tsunami caused major damage in Crescent City in 2006, but Friday's surges were much worse. One local described the harbor as a total loss.