Planning to take your very first skiing or snowboarding lesson on Friday, Jan. 11?

You won't be alone in your journey. Of course, there will be an instructor there, we're hoping, the sort of knowledgeable professional who can clearly explain how to best wield your poles and safely maneuver your skis or board.

But we are suggesting that other people will be with you in spirit, and spirited fun, in the larger sense. Others who will be along for your first step, er, schuss into the world of skiing or snowboarding.

Many others. As in, the thousands.

For January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month, and Jan. 11, 2019 is the inaugural Learn to Ski or Snowboard Day.

And on that day, some 53 ski-oriented destinations, across the United States, will go for a world record: "the most beginner lessons taught in ONE DAY."

There is a standing record, and the number is large: 6,002.

Snow Valley Mountain Resort is on the participants' list, so if you're there on Jan. 11, and you're stepping into a pair of skis for the first time, you'll be part of the world-record attempt.

Also good to know? The Running Springs resort is the only Southern California spot on the 2019 roster, with Sierra at Tahoe and Tahoe Donner representing the northerly end of the Golden State.

Figure, whether the record is broken on Jan. 11 or not, that you may pick up a pursuit you really love.

And, a brrr-ful bonus: More snow is on the way, in the next several days, for the mountains of Southern California. 

More details on joining the bundle-up, beginners-rule fun? Point your poles in the direction of the world-record attempt page faster than snowflake melts on your tongue.

During his border visit Thursday, President Donald Trump insisted again that his proposed wall will work.

But NBC News released an exclusive picture that shows a common saw was able to slice through one of the proposed steel barriers. The NBC4 I-Team got its hands on the government report that talks about that -- and has been looking into the claims being made about the border wall.

The federal report reveals the various ways the barriers can be evaded. Border patrol and military teams tested the mock-ups using custom tools and many times got through the walls.

They also ran timed climbing scenarios. NBC News' exclusive photo, which is part of a heavily redacted report from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows many of the models were breached. The revelations are not changing the minds of some border agents who say the wall would help them.

"What the barrier does is slow them down long enough so we can respond appropriately," said Joshua Wilson, a Border Patrol union representative from National Border Patrol Council, Local 1613.

But not one suspected terrorist was arrested along the southern border in 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says land ports of entry, not stretches of borders without barriers, are where most of the drugs are coming through and Customs and Border Protection data shows the number of undocumented immigrants arrested along the southern border has been dropping since 2000.

It's work done by agents who Wilson says are currently working for free because of the government shutdown. He is calling on Congress to help fund a border wall.

"We use manpower with boots on the ground," he said. "That is always going to be necessary without regard for what type of infrastructure is out there."

Prosecutors have cleared two Los Angeles Police Department detectives in the 2016 shooting and capture of a man on the 5 Freeway in Burbank, who was wanted in a six-month crime spree that included a murder, shootings, carjackings, and robberies across Southern California.

The two detectives assigned to the Department's Special Investigations Section lawfully shot Artyom Gasparyan during a footchase on the freeway shoulder when Gasparyan turned and pointed a .357-magnum handgun toward officers.

"Under the circumstances, the detectives had a choice to either allow a dangerous felon to escape and/or possibly fire at them, or use deadly force to apprehend him," the LA County District Attorney's Office concluded. "Gasparyan was clearly a continuing threat to public safety and, under the circumstances, the detectives and officers could not allow Gasparyan to escape into the community and continue his deadly crime spree." 

Gasparyan was shot seven times with rifle rounds fired by the detectives and survived.

According to prosecutors, at the time of the police shooting on Jan. 4, 2016, Gasparyan was wanted for a violent crime spree that began on Aug. 5, 2015, when he allegedly stabbed a woman who refused to have sex with him after the two smoked crystal meth.

Gasparyan is suspected in dozens of other crimes, including a murder on Dec. 30, 2015 at Plummer and Van Nuys Boulevard in which he allegedly shot a driver at random while fleeing from another shooting scene.

The 37-year-old driver, Adan Alexis Corea-Santillana, was struck in the shoulder, collapsed, and died.

Gasparyan is awaiting trial on a multitude of charges and will appear in court on for another pretrial hearing Jan. 24, according to the district attorney's office.

A Contra Costa couple is outraged after the dog walker they hired on a popular dog walking app to care for their dogs was captured on surveillance video abusing one of the dogs.

The dog walker now faces animal cruelty charges, and the couple is warning other dog owners to beware.

Miranda Fulks is heartbroken after seeing what her dog Ollie was forced to endure.

"He’s a little love, a super cuddly pup that just wants to cuddle with you," Fulks said about Ollie.

Fulks and her fiancé used the online app Wag to hire a dog walker. At first, everything appeared to be going great until the the dog walker said Ollie tried to bite him, prompting the couple check their surveillance video.

"It goes from grabbing his snout and yanking him to hitting him with a leash to kneeing him in the chest," Fulks said. "He has him on the front porch, and he’s kneeing him backwards, and Ollie is freaking out. David and I burst out in tears. Those are our babies."

David Brown added: "I was mortified. My first reaction was just shock; there’s no way he’s doing this."

The couple called Danville police, who reviewed the video and arrested 37-year-old Adam Vavrus on misdemeanor animal cruelty charges last week.

"I did observe the video and saw what appeared to be a crime," said Danville Officer Douglas Muse. "The DA agreed with us."

Wag insists it does thorough background checks. In a statement, the company said:

"The behavior by this walker is unacceptable. Once we became aware of his actions, we deactivated him from our platform. The trust and safety of the Wag community is critical to our company."

The couple says Wag dropped the ball and needs to do more to ensure people’s pets are indeed in good hands.

"No dog deserves this, and you can clearly see in the video he’s got too many dogs," Brown said.

Two students at Tierrasanta Elementary School were approached by strangers on their walk home Thursday, according to a letter sent by the principal.

Principal Sally Viavada said the students were walking home from school when a man and a woman in a car asked their names and offered them a ride.

The students didn’t recognize the man and woman and ran back to their school and reported what happened. The police were called immediately and a report was filed, Viavada said.

“I want you to know about this so that you may use it as an opportunity to speak with your children about safety and what to do in a situation like this. Education is our best tool!” the principal’s note said.

No other information was available.

In Santee, A 12-year-old boy walking home from Rio Seco School was a victim of a child luring attempt Thursday afternoon, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

Police do not believe the two incidents are connected.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

Tatiana Perez started her 2012 Volkswagen EOS at the dealership hours after dropping it off for a routine oil change. The car began to shake. The check engine light turned on. Perez turned the car off and went to the service counter at South Bay Volkswagen in Chula Vista.

Mechanics started the car and the same thing happened.

“It was strange because when I picked up the keys they told me there were no issues, other than I need new tires, but that was all,” Perez told NBC 7 Responds.

They gave Perez a loaner and said they would look under the hood.

They did. Not long after that’s when the single mother of two was told the bad news: the tensioner on her timing chain broke. Replacing the part would set Perez back $2,000.

“I lost it,” said Perez. “I didn’t understand how I took my car in for an oil change and this is what happened. How does this happen?”

Perez, faced with having to borrow the money for repairs, said mechanics at South Bay Volkswagen told her about a class action lawsuit filed against the car maker for the exact same timing chain issue. She said she looked the lawsuit up and found over 450,000 cars were impacted.

She called Volkswagen and asked if her car was included.

It was, however, Perez’ car had surpassed the 100,000 mile mark, which means she no longer qualified for the extended warranty.

But Perez says she needed her car back, to get to and from work and for taking her children to practices and games.

“I said, ‘Fine, let’s do it.’ It was still way over my budget and I needed to borrow the money but I needed me car. I have two kids in two different sports and I need my car,” Perez said.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

Perez said she received an email shortly after from the dealership saying they had found additional problems. In all, the cost to repair her timing chain was $3,300.

Perez said that was her breaking point.

That’s when she called NBC 7 Responds.

“I was sitting there crying and that’s when my uncle and my manager suggested that I contact NBC 7 Responds, and so I did.”

Two days later Volkswagen agreed to pay for a portion of the bill and South Bay Volkswagen agreed to cover the remaining balance.

“I just broke down into tears,” said Perez. “It’s a huge relief, and a huge stress off my shoulders.”

In a statement to NBC 7 Responds, South Bay Volkswagen owner and president Rudy Erm says the timing chain tensioner was bad and would have broken despite the oil change. He said it was no coincidence.

“I am a strong believer in customer satisfaction and I do not want Ms. Perez to feel we are misleading her or trying to cover any wrongdoing, as that is not the case,” writes South Bay Volkswagen owner, Rudy Erm.

“We shared her concern with Volkswagen and managed to obtain one last Good Faith gesture towards the repairs she needed for her Eos. It did not cover the full cost of the repairs, so I agreed to cover the additional expense for her. I hope that this resolution can give her some peace of mind during this Holiday season and restore a little faith in my dealership and the employees who were doing their best to provide good customer service.”

A man suspected in a triple-homicide case out of Little Rock, Arkansas, was arrested Wednesday night in San Diego, police confirmed.

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said Thursday that the suspect had been arrested as officers conducted proactive enforcement on the trolley. Officials with the Fugitive Task Force aided in the man’s arrest.

According to NBC affiliate KARK in Arkansas, the suspect is Joshua Milik Williams, 22.

Williams was booked into San Diego Central Jail and is scheduled to appear in court Friday. He is expected to be extradited to Arkansas to face charges.

The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported that Williams was wanted in connection with a shooting on West 14th Street in Little Rock on Nov. 16, 2018. The violence left three young victims dead and another wounded. The victims who died in the shooting were discovered inside a wrecked Jeep; the fourth victim was a teenager found wounded outside a home.

Fighting tears, the father of victim Latija Lucky, 19, spoke with KARK Monday.

"I want him to go to jail. We need justice right now, for my daughter. My daughter was murdered!" Larry Lucky Jr. told the NBC affiliate. "My daughter was murdered; three people [are] dead."

San Diego Police are expected to soon release further details on the suspect and his arrest.

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

Family and friends on Thursday mourned the loss of a 26-year-old man shot and killed after an argument outside a Koreatown liquor store.

Juanito Cuevas was gunned down by an unknown assailant Wednesday night near Beverly Boulevard and St. Andrews Place, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Cuevas was struck, then ran for help across the street, clutching his chest and telling a liquor store owner he needed help, before collapsing inside the store.

"He say, 'Call police! I got shot,'" said store owner Moni Biswas.

He says two men outside were already calling 911. Paramedics arrived and performed CPR. But Cuevas died at a hospital.

His father, Cesar, said he was working when his wife called.

"Hey, something happened," he said she told him. "She was worried."

Cuevas' father said he believes his son was hanging out with friends. Police say he exchanged words with the suspect who then opened fire.

"We were told that it looks like they had words at the very beginning and that the suspect approached in a very aggressive manner," said LAPD Lt. John Radtke. "So at this point all we know is that it was an unknown dispute."

Biswas expressed sympathy to Cuevas' father, who said his son was working with him in the family business, renting dumpsters for events and movie productions.

"We got them working hard in this country to build a future for them," Cesar Cuevas said.

Police had no description of a gunman or a vehicle.

"We're told that it looks like they had words at the very beginning and the suspect approached in an aggressive manner," Lt. John Radtke of the LAPD's West Homicide Bureau said. "At this point, all we know is there was an unknown dispute."

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has security video from the area of the shooting was asked to call the LAPD's West Bureau at 213-473- 0277.

Authorities say a man fatally shot on a freeway on his way home from work in August was targeted because of his race.

Samuel Ferguson, 27, of Cerritos, was killed Aug. 20 in a car-to-car shooting on the 91 Freeway by Daniel Martinez, a documented gang member who prosecutors say was targeting African Americans.

"And of today it still doesn't make sense," said Ferguson's brother, Byron. "Knowing that somebody's shooting people for no reason at all, based after race, just doesn't sit well with me."

Added Donna Cunningham, the victim's sister: "I can't even wrap my mind around what he must have felt like knowing someone was chasing him, firing several rounds at his car just because of the color of his skin."

The Fergusons are relieved that the suspect is behind bars, but this loving family of nine siblings says they will never recover. Two weeks ago they buried their mother, who died of health complications after seeing the suspect in court.

"Just because he's caught, it doesn't lessen the pain," Cunningham said. "The pain is still there, but it's good to know that he's being brought to justice."

A police officer in Davis, west of Sacramento, California, was shot and killed Thursday evening while responding to a traffic accident, according to the Davis Police Department.

Her suspected killer was found dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicting gunshot wound at a house in the area.

The slain officer was identified as 22-year-old Natalie Corona. She had been on the job for only a few weeks.

The shooting occurred about 6:45 p.m. in the area of Fifth and C streets near downtown, police said. Corona was responding to a three-car crash in that area, and shots were fired.

Corona was rushed to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, where she later died, police said.

Police issued a shelter in place across the city, and the UC campus was placed on lockdown as officers searched for the suspect, police said. 

Later Thursday night, police were focused on a house in the same general area of the shooting where they found the suspect dead. Police haven't provided details about the suspect.

Vacaville police also responded to the scene.

The city of Pico Rivera approved an ordinance that will allow street vending for the first time in that city. But many of these traders are not satisfied with this rule of regulation of their work.

The authorities of that city are respecting the new state law that prohibits the penalization of street vendors. However, the new municipal regulation offers some restrictions for the sale on the streets of Pico Rivera.

According to the approved ordinance, street vendors will not be able to offer their merchandise anywhere, including parks, near schools and even in the area of ​​the city's famous and popular Pico Rivera Sports Arena.

At the Sports Arena, where shows are presented all year round, street vendors can not be less than a thousand feet away from the place, nor three hours before or three hours after an event.

The ordinance was approved urgently as the state law, which decriminalizes street vending, came into force on January 1. Those who do not comply with the regulation will receive a fine but, for the time being, they only issued warnings to the offenders.

The new measure is temporary and will be analyzed within two months. Meanwhile, sellers can now apply for permits to practice their trade. However, the cost of these is not yet clear.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning travelers against having plastic surgery in Tijuana, Mexico, after reporting that 11 Americans who have had surgeries in the border town recently have returned home with antibiotic-resistant infections.

According to the CDC's Wednesday warning, those patients were diagnosed with potentially fatal Pseudomonas bacteria, also known as CRPA, after undergoing invasive medical procedures.

Most of those procedures were weight-loss surgeries, according to the CDC.

Americans go to Tijuana for medical services in search of less expensive options, but these low-cost aesthetic surgeries are too risky, says a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon.

"When people go to Tijuana, they usually come looking for cheap places, and cheap places do not follow the rules," said Dr. Benjamin Talei.

Dr. Talei points out that lack of hygiene is often the cause of the reported infections.

"[Surgical teams] do not clean the body perfectly or the instruments, and with liposculptures they are passing a piece of metal inside the body," said Dr. Talei.

According to Dr. Talei, this can then quickly spread the bacteria with potentially deadly consequences.

"With this bacteria you can lose a hand, you can have a lung infection, it can be very serious," Talai said.

According to the CDC, almost half of the infected patients underwent one of these surgeries at Grand View Hospital in Tijuana, and the rest at clinics in the area.

Experts recommend that ahead of any planned procedure, patients investigate the history of the clinic or hospital where it will take place and pay attention to past complaints.

Although the Mexican government has closed the hospital where the outbreak occurred, health authorities recommend avoiding such places.

Elizabeth Smart, who was held captive for nine months as a teenager in the early 2000s, said that the discovery of missing Wisconsin teen Jayme Closs alive on Thursday left her "thrilled," NBC News reported.

"What a miracle!!! Jayme Closs has been found!!!! I’m so thrilled to hear the news," Smart wrote on Instagram Friday morning. "What has been such a heart wrenching tragedy finally has some happiness in the story."

Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, when her parents were found fatally shot at their home in Barron. The 13-year-old was found in a remote area about 70 miles away, and more details on what happened are expected at a news conference later Friday.

Smart was taken at knifepoint from her bedroom in Salt Lake City in 2002 and has become an advocate against child abduction.

Holiday hubbub seems to get hubbubier every year, which means that many of us delay, by a few weeks, those dreams that we've been wanting to make real.

And if your dream involves inviting a dog into your home, onto your couch, and into your arms, well, the new year has begun. And, spoiler alert: There are always, always, and we do mean "always" adoptable pups needing a place to that they can finally call their own.

Rescue groups around Southern California are understandably not wasting hours as the new year begins, for a number of sweet-of-heart happenings will soon give a hearty woof around town.

Woofing on Saturday, Jan. 12? It's Mutts & Mimosas, a two-hour Wags & Walks adoption event at Tocaya Organica Playa Vista.

It all starts at 11 a.m., and includes "... mimosas, kombucha cocktails, hair braiding," and, yes, the chance to snuzzle some muzzles. Muzzles that belong to pooches that would love to go home with you, and stay for always.

If you can't make the Jan. 12 happening, do not whine nor howl, for a few more Wags & Walks to-dos are on the near horizon. There's a Movie Night on Jan. 19, featuring "The Secret Life of Pets" and "Best in Show," and the one-year anniversary party of the Wags & Walks Adoption Center.

Trot for the West LA center o' sweetness on Sunday, Jan. 27 for celebratory doings and, you bet, lots of loving Lassies and Laddies.

Seeking to connect, help, and offer comfort to those impacted by the Woolsey Fire, which raged through Malibu and several surrounding communities in the fall?

Southern Californians showed up, to be there for their neighbors as well as the treasured places that fell to the flames, in big numbers.

And that showing up continues, in myriad ways, including a fundraising concert set to bring music, deliver needed money, and raise hope at King Gillette Ranch on Saturday, Jan. 12.

The focus of the show?

To aid in the rebuilding of Paramount Ranch's Western Town. The historic film and TV set burned in the blaze, and while it was immediately determined that the picturesque town would be rebuilt, the efforts to support that goal very much roll on.

The concert will also raise funds for wildlife-tracking cameras and general park restoration, too, in addition to the love it'll send Paramount Ranch's way.

The Wardens, a trio known for summoning twang-terrific sounds, will be on the indoor stage at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas. (If you've heard The Wardens live before, chances might be that it was around Banff National Park, the gorgeous place where they're based.)

The suggested donation for the Calabasas concert?

It's $25, but feel free to give more, if you want to and are able to do so.

And, for sure, this is an all-ages show.

You can learn more about The Paramount Project, the effort to bring the burned ranch back, at this Santa Monica Mountains Fund page.

The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired catcher Russell Martin and cash considerations from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Andrew Sopko and minor league infielder Ronny Brito.

The trade reunites Martin with the Dodgers, the team that first drafted Martin in the 17th round of the 2002 MLB Draft. The 35-year-old was a four-time All-Star with the Dodgers from 2006-2010 and helped lead Los Angeles to three playoff appearances.

The Canadian native spent the last four seasons in Toronto, and the Blue Jays will reportedly send cash to the Dodgers to offset some of the remaining $20 million owed to Martin in the final year of his contract in 2019.

The move comes on the heels of former starting catcher, Yasmani Grandal, agreeing to a one-year, $18.25 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.

In 2018, Martin made 89 starts behind the plate and at third base for the Blue Jays, slashing .194/.338/.325 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI.

The upcoming season will be Martin’s 14th in the Major Leagues and he owns a career slashline of .249/.349/.399 with 185 homers and 751 RBI with the Dodgers (2006-10), Yankees (2011-12), Pirates (2013-14) and Blue Jays (2015-18). 

Overall, Martin’s teams have made the Postseason nine times in 13 years and he has caught 1,519 games (1,455 starts), which ranks third among active players, trailing just Yadier Molina (1,836) and Brian McCann (1,529). He won both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards in 2007, and in 2013 and 2014, he was named the Wilson Defensive Catcher of the Year.

Sopko, 24, was selected by the Dodgers in the seventh round of the 2015 MLB Draft from Gonzaga and has a career 27-17 minor league record with a 3.61 ERA (158 ER/394.1 IP) and 363 strikeouts against 112 walks over four minor league seasons. 

Brito, 19, signed with the Dodgers as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic on July 2, 2015 and has a career minor league slashline of .259/.339/.418 with 15 homers and 104 RBIs over three minor league seasons.

Arash Madani of SportsNet Canada was the first to report the trade:

BREAKING: Per MLB sources, the Blue Jays are trading Russell Martin to the LA Dodgers.

More to come...

— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) January 11, 2019

A 3.3-magnitude earthquake shook the Orange County area on Friday aftertnoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The temblor hit at 1:19 p.m. about 2 and a half miles north northeast of the Yorba Linda area. 

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. 

Two Marlyand sisters furloughed during the government shutdown are turning to a sweet side hustle to stay afloat.

Like many of the 800,000 federal workers going without pay, Nikki Howard and sister Jaqi Wright have struggled past-due bills and other expenses. Both women also have husbands who can't work due to disabilities.

"How do I look at my child and say, 'I can't send you back to school,'" said Howard, who works with the Food and Drug Administration.

So they turned their love for baking into a business plan.

"Cheesecake has been my weakness since I can remember," Howard said.

"Our mother said, 'You know what girl, you could sell these cheesecakes' and ding ding ding ding went off in my mind. And it's like, we can sell these cheesecakes," Wright said.

And thus, the Furlough Cheesecake was born.

"We prepared for rain, but we got a monsoon," said Wright, who works at the Department of Justice.

In a little more than a week, the sisters have received nearly 100 orders.

"Atlanta, Indiana, Texas," the sisters said in unison.

Howard and Wright said they plan to go back to their government jobs once the shutdown ends, but they'll continue to sell as many cheesecakes as they can in the meantime.

"We need to make sure that we're securing a future for ourselves and for our families and hopefully for others as well. So we’re going to keep going," Howard said.

The driver of a red SUV was leading police on very slow-speed pursuit in South Los Angeles, despite flat tires.