Los Angeles police officers shot and killed a man on Skid Row on Sunday while he allegedly struggled with them for control of one of the officers' guns, officials said.

Dramatic cellphone video captured the violent confrontation that took place about noon on a sidewalk in the 500 block of South San Pedro Street in downtown LA.

Police were responding to a report of a robbery when they confronted the man, who was not identified.

Cellphone video taken by a witness shows several officers attempting to take him into custody as bystanders look on.

The man can be seen swinging his arms as officers approach him. The man then falls to the ground and officers apparently attempt to take him into custody.

"While on the ground, the suspect and officers struggled over one of the officer's handguns and then an officer-involved shooting occurred," the LAPD said in a statement.

The officers first used a stun gun on him, police said. At least five gunshots were fired shortly after.

Multiple officers could be seen with their guns drawn after shots rang out.

"There was no reason for them to do that," said witness Jerome Guillory.

No officers were struck by gunfire, officials said. Two of them suffered minor injuries.

Several witness videos showing graphic portions of the altercation were posted online. One taken from another angle shows a person nearby picking up a police baton from the floor. That person was knocked to the ground by officers and taken into custody.

LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith said at least one of the officers was wearing a body camera.

Police did not release the man's name, and Smith said he did not know whether the man was homeless, according to The Associated Press.

Officials said "video from various sources" will be reviewed during the investigation.

Demonstrators gathered at Pershing Square on Sunday night to protest the fatal shooting.

"People here, they have mental health issues, you know what I'm saying? They're homeless. Be trained to deal with those type of people," said local resident Tonia Gibson.

Residents of #SkidRow sharing a video of #LAPD officers shooting a man during a fight earlier today. #OIS #LA https://t.co/MlLQM8Q7OJ

— Gadi Schwartz (@GadiNBCLA) March 2, 2015

NBC4's Asher Klein and Kevin LaBeach contributed to this report.

One person was killed in a shooting inside a Santa Ana restaurant early Monday that occurred after an altercation inside the bar, according to police.

The shooting was reported inside El Zocalo Mexican Grill and Seafood, located at 301 North Tustin Avenue in Santa Ana, police said.  Orange County Fire Authority personnel arrived to find multiple people with gunshot wounds and transported at least four to a hospital.

Details regarding their conditions were not immediately available.

Officials confirmed that the restaurant was open during the time of the shooting and the patrons were evacuated out to the parking lot. There were at least 20 witnesses, police said.

An altercation inside the restaurant led to the shooting, and there may have been more than one gun, police said. Two individuals were taken into custody after they were detained by bar patrons, police said.

Police closed the intersection of North Tustin Avenue and East 4th Street during the investigation for an unknown duration. 

NBC4's Jonathan Lloyd contributed to this report.

A flash flood warning was issued for parts of Orange County early Monday after a weekend of winter storms that drenched the region and brought snow to mountain communities.

The warning is expected to remain in effect for east-central Orange County until about 7:30 a.m. Radar indicated a heavy band of showers moving through the area that could dump more than one-half inch in one hour, according to the National Weather Service.

The downpour might cause flooding, mud slides and debris flows in the Silverado burn area.

The rain is part of a new cold low pressure system moving across Southern California Monday morning after a weekend of rain, snow and cool temperatures.

"We still have some showers and thunderstorms out there," said NBC4 forecaster Crystal Egger. "It's going to be another busy day, especially in the afternoon."

More snow showers are likely in the mountains of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties, though not the Santa Monica range. The snow showers in the San Gabriel Mountains are expected through Monday evening.

Overnight rain totals varied across the region. Less than one inch falling and Los Angeles International Airport, but 2.61 inches were reported just seven miles north at Santa Monica Airport. Areas of Malibu and southern Ventura County reported nearly two inches of rain in a 24-hour period.

Crews are working to clean up a mudslide that shut down a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway and a freeway south of downtown Los Angeles was partially closed because of flooding. Hail fell on Venice, and plane pilots reported seeing funnel clouds over the ocean about 25 miles off Redondo Beach.

Along California's central coast, San Luis Obispo reported heavy rain, pea-size hail and lightning. To the north, the Sierra Nevada range received a welcome dose of snow Friday and Saturday with some resorts reporting 12 to 18 inches of snow.

Despite the wet weather, the latest rainfall was not expected to put a dent in the state's drought, headed into a fourth year. Significant drought relief would require several large, powerful rainstorms and consistent snowfall in the Sierras, where springtime runoff provides water for an estimated 25 million Californians.

She is known as the dean of the Senate among her women colleagues. She is often described as feisty.

And after she became the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, The New York Times reported that although her predecessors were loved and respected, she was feared.

On Monday, U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, the longest-serving woman in Congress, announced that she would retire when her term ends in January 2017.

The Maryland Democrat became a senator in 1987 after 10 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, was the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee and was the first woman to head it.

Mikulski has long had a reputation for being blunt. Here are some of her memorable comments:

In January 2014, announcing a bipartisan appropriations bill, Mikulski said the process involved no "cute and funnies," according to U.S. News and World Report.

"This wasn’t kind of fun and Kumbaya," she said. "This was hard work."

Of women who are strong and persistent, she told the same publication: "Men fear us, but that is the way they talked about their mothers when they said 'clean up your room.' We said 'clean up your act, it is time we do something to help the American people.'"

In August 2013, The New York Times described a reporter calling out "Madame Chairwoman" as he tried to keep up with her in a hallway.

"That's right, 'Madame Chairwoman.' I like it," she said without stopping.

In July of that year, Mikulski halted a hearing when a BuzzFeed reporter, Rosie Gray, tweeted that she was trying to keep other senators from asking the director of the National Security Agency about the agency's data mining programs, The Times also reported.

"There is no attempt here to muzzle, stifle any senator from asking any line of question," she responded to the tweet.

"So, Rosie, it's an open hearing. Hi, look forward to keeping in touch."

"OMG WHAT IS GOING ON," Gray then tweeted.

"@SenatorBarb, call me!"

In 2013, Slate reported that when Republicans tried to encourage the rumor that Mikulski was gay, she denied it. She joked to Bob Shrum, who was working for her campaign: "There was no Ted Kennedy who ever asked me out."

Senate Republicans in 2013 blocked a bill she had sponsored aimed at tightening a law that made it illegal to pay women less than men for comparable jobs.

"When I hear all these phony reasons, some are mean and some are meaningless, I do get emotional," Mikulski said of arguments against the legislation. "I get angry. I get outraged. I get volcanic."

When she first ran for the U.S. Senate, she was told she did not look like a senator.

"A lot of Americans, black or white or female, are always told that they don’t look the part," she said, according to Time magazine. "It’s one of the oldest code words.”

In her comments about her retirement on Monday, she reassured listeners about her decision.

"I want the people of Maryland to know there is nothing gloomy about this announcement," she said. "There's no health problem; I'm not frustrated with the Senate. The Senate will always be what the Senate is."

Torey Van Oot contributed to this article.

Southern Californians along the coast are being warned to take shelter from "dangerous lightning" if they're on the beach.

The National Weather Service issued a warning Monday morning, reporting dangerous lightning at 9:15 a.m. from Hermosa Beach to Palos Verdes.

"If on beach, take shelter" the NWS said in a tweet.

Newport Beach lifeguards issued voluntary evacuations of all beaches and piers due to lightning strikes.

The warning comes as thunderstorms build off the coast after a weekend of winter storms that drenched the region with rain, snow and hail.

At 915 am, dangerous lightning al beaches from Hermosa to Palos Verdes. If on beach, take shelter.#LAWeather pic.twitter.com/WYri1AWW3v

— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) March 2, 2015

A driver who was holed up in a garage Monday morning after a San Gabriel Valley chase in which a police cruiser crashed with another vehicle was arrested after a standoff.

The pursuit began after the driver fled a traffic stop. Details regarding the initial traffic stop were not immediately available.

The driver, wearing red shoes, bailed out of the vehicle and jumped over fences and walls before entering a Baldwin Park garage after the pursuit on freeways and streets in the West Covina area. Officers waited in a rainstorm for about 30 minutes before the man walked from the garage and surrendered with his arms raised.

Nearby homes were evacuated and Elwin and De Anza elementary schools were locked down during the standoff.

Details regarding the condition of the driver involved in the head-on collision with the police cruiser were not immediately available.

Refresh this page for updates on this developing story.

A former San Diego Police Department officer sentenced to jail for misconduct on the job – including assault, battery and illegally detaining several women – has been released from jail.

Hays was sentenced to a year in jail on October 3 and served his full sentence, San Diego Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Jan Caldwell said. He was released from the Central Jail at 6:51 a.m. during a scheduled

Defendants are often released early because of good behavior.

Christopher Hays, 30, was sentenced on Sept. 26 to one year in county jail, plus three years of probation. Hays pleaded guilty to felony false imprisonment as well as misdemeanor counts of assault and battery under the color of authority by a peace officer on Aug. 22.

At least four women came forward accusing Hays of allegedly inappropriately touching and groping them during pat-downs while he was on duty.

At his preliminary hearing in April, three alleged victims identified only as Jane Doe One, Two and Three described their interactions with the officer in uniform.

Jane Doe Two said Hays allegedly gave her a pat down that included lingering over every part of her body. Jane Doe Three accused Hays of dropping his hand towards his groin and asking her to touch his body.

Hays, a four-year veteran of the SDPD, was charged with the misconduct crimes in February. Hours after his arraignment, he resigned from the SDPD, saying he was not guilty. He said he felt betrayed by the department.

Hays denied the groping charges, later pleading guilty to the other counts of misconduct on the job, including battery and assault. Because he did not plead guilty to the sexual allegations, he will not have to register as a sex offender.

Hays' attorney said that, with good behavior, Hays could possibly get out of jail in six months and begin a new life with his family. The attorney said his client plans to eventually move out of San Diego and back to his home state of Arkansas with his wife and kids, where he may pursue a new career as a welder.

The white stuff blanketing Southern California’s Huntington Beach on Monday was not powdery sand.

It was hail.

People of all shapes and sizes flocked to the beach to snap images of the white stuff covering the Orange County shoreline.

But Eric Boldt, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said despite the Twitter frenzy of photos, this is not all that unusual.

“Any time a thunderstorm moves over and there’s a little bit of ice,” this phenomenon happens, he said. “For once, we’re having a normal winter precipitation.” He also insisted that it was hail dotting the beach, not snow.

Other parts of California saw weird weather over the weekend as well. In the Bay Area, it hailed in San Jose on Sunday, and even snowed a bit on the hillsides.

Boldt said that weather conditions should warm up by Tuesday.

A brazen thief led police on a 60-mile, slow-speed pursuit Monday in a stolen moving truck filled with old junk to be recycled before police spike strips punctured the tires and the driver surrendered peacefully.

The pursuit began on a report of a stolen Budget truck at Sheldon Street and San Fernando Road in Sun Valley, police said. It ended on a freeway transition road near Fontana.

The truck was rented Friday from Budget rentals.

Sharon Pereida said it was filled with used furniture and an old clothes dryer she got from an abandoned storage unit.

The truck was stolen when she had gone to Sun Valley Paper Stock to recycle a load of paper. When she went inside to get her money, the thief took off with the truck. An employee of the recycling company jumped into a car, tried to chase him and reported to police the truck's location.

"I come to the door and Marco, my son, goes running and says, 'They stole our truck,'" she said. "I said, 'No! Never, ever leave your keys, even for a half minute.'

"Luckily nobody lost their life and everything was replaceable."

Pereida said her assistant left her cellphone in the truck — and the thief called her from that cellphone twice but never spoke. Finally he threw the phone out the window.

When he finally made his way onto the northbound 15 near Fontana, the CHP used a spike strip to flatten the truck's tires. He surrendered when police approached the truck with guns drawn and a police dog on a leash.

Pereida said she doesn't care about the belongings inside the truck and is mostly unhappy her assistant lost her cellphone.

The thief, who has not been identified, is behind bars facing a felony evading charge.

Asher Klein contributed to this report.

A mechanic who had worked for American Airlines for 30 years died Monday after falling from a jet bridge at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

NBC 5 has learned the mechanic was closing and locking the door on a Boeing 767 at about 10:30 a.m. when he somehow slipped and fell about 14 feet from the jet bridge to the ground below.

The plane, sources said, had just been moved from a maintenance hangar to Gate D30.

Emergency responders with the airport treated and transported the man to a hospital, airport officials said.

Transport Workers Union Local 591 identified the man as aircraft maintenance technician Dave Ostang and asked for thoughts and prayers for his family.

American Airlines has confirmed the employee's death, but did not confirm his name or specifics about the incident in a statement released to the media Monday.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to our co-worker's family and friends, and our hearts go out to our entire team of DFW airport and maintenance colleagues. Our focus is on taking care of his family and friends during this difficult time,” the airline said in a statement.

A jet bridge is the elevated gangway used by passengers to walk from the terminal to an airplane.

Ostang was remembered by friends Monday night at a Knights of Columbus meeting he likely would have attended.

“We all have this hole in our heart, this sadness of loss,” said Eric McKuzes, Grand Knight and friend.

Ostang, a father and veteran, was a member of the group for years.

“I just couldn't believe it. I didn't believe it when they told me,” said McKuzes. “As the day goes on, you find out the facts, it’s just sad he’s not here.”

The Knight of Columbus are known for supporting the church and families in need. Now, one of their own families is in need of support.

“That’s what we'll be doing, looking at ways so that we can help his family get through this,” said McKuzes.

NBC 5's Ray Villeda and Katy Blakey contributed to this report.

Two people were killed when their small plane crashed in the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Palm Beach County Monday, officials said.

The single-engine plane went down just before 1 p.m. in a marsh area near Lee Road and State Road 7 in Boynton Beach, and sheriff's officials responded, fire officials said.

The plane had taken off from Palm Beach County Park/Lantana Airport with two people on board, FAA officials said.

Two bodies were found at the crash scene, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue later confirmed in a tweet. The victims haven't been identified.

Footage showed firefighters at the scene spraying water on the wreckage. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials were also at the scene.

The FAA and NTSB have been notified, fire rescue officials said.

No further details were immediately available.

A Chicago man rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital delivered their 8-pound, 1-ounce baby girl on the side of the road after Mom suddenly went into labor in the car en route Monday morning.

Javier Sanchez was headed to McNeil Hospital in Berwyn overnight after his wife started having contractions around 3 a.m. But on his way to the hospital, Sanchez said the family had to exit the Eisenhower Expressway at South Austin Boulevard when the contractions grew faster.

He pulled over in the 800 block of South Austin Boulevard and delivered his baby girl.

"I'm on the highway, so I come out," Sanchez said. "I tried to make it to the hospital, but I can't. The baby's come out."

An ambulance met them and took the mother and baby girl to West Suburban Medical Center.

"The call was that mom delivered in the car, she was not finished with the afterbirth process," said Donald Reese, a doctor at West Suburban Medical Center.

Reese said his biggest concern was the newborn's possible exposure to cold during the frigid March morning.

"The baby was only a little cold," he said. "Mom did a wonderful job of keeping her warm."

Camila Sanchez weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce. Officials say she and her mother are both in good condition.

Heavy flames and plumes of black smoke could be seen for miles Monday as firefighters battled a massive, explosive fire at a Montgomery County sheet metal plant.

The five-alarm fire began at Trico Metal Products, a sheet metal fabricator business on the 2300 block of Wyandotte Road in Upper Moreland around 5:20 p.m. Officials said there were reports of an explosion prior to the blaze.

A front wall and back wall of the facility collapsed as numerous explosions from overheated compressed gas cylinders inside the plant put responding firefighters at risk.

"There are no hazardous materials or anything that affected the community," said Willow Grove Fire Chief Brian Focht. "However, as a danger to firefighters there were multiple explosions and a building collapse."

The entire building as well as surrounding businesses and homes were evacuated. No injuries were reported.

Firefighters were finally able to bring the flames under control around 8 p.m. The business, which stood for more than 50 years providing sheet metal to manufacturers, was gutted after the fire consumed the roof and all of the first floor. 

The plant is located next to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and caused major backup as well as delays on I-276 in all directions between Exit 339 - PA 309 and Exit 343 - PA 611.

"The Turnpike eastbound is running very slowly between Welsh Road and 611," said NBC10 Photo Journalist Jim Friedman, who was at the scene of the fire. "When I got off the 611 Interchange there were just cars everywhere. There are detours set up all over the place." 

Friedman told NBC10 one of the hydrants was frozen during the fire, making it difficult for firefighters to fight the massive flames. Friedman also took photos of two aerial nozzles, one of which was not working.

Around 900 PECO customers in the area were without power due to the fire. Power was restored to all but 42 of the customers as of 8:45 p.m.

The Montgomery County Fire Marshal is investigating but has not yet been able to access the building to determine a cause.

The nearly three-year search for Sierra LaMar will soon be suspended, her family announced Monday.

The Sierra LaMar Search Center has been conducting weekly searches since the Morgan Hill teen went missing on March 16, 2012. Her family said the last search will be held on Saturday, March 14.

"It basically boiled down to just not having viable search areas at this point," said Steve Lamar, Sierra's father.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said its investigation is still active and acknowledged the support it got from the search center.

"We got a lot of help from them, we got a lot of tips," Sgt. James Jensen said. "They did a lot of hard work. They were out there for days on end, running and walking around in the mud. They were out in the sun. Extremely disappointing they are closing."

Suspect Antolin Garcia Torres has been charged with murder in LaMar's disappearance even though no body has been found. His lawyer last week told a judge he needed at least another six weeks to prepare for the murder trial. The district attorney is seeking the death penalty in the case.

Torres is scheduled to return to court April 8 for another trial-setting date.

NBC Bay Area Legal Analyst Steven Clark said the end of the searches could impact the case, including speeding up proceedings.

"This is a very big watershed moment in the case. What this signals is the investigation is closing. And now it's time to try the case," Clark said. "As long as those searches were continuing, this was a 'fluid' investigation, which also encouraged some of these delays."

The LaMar family said there will still be an on-call search group ready in case any new tips or leads come in.

The United States District Court denied the fourth change of venue motion filed Monday by lawyers for the surviving accused Boston Marathon bomber, just days before opening statements are slated to begin in the trial.

In addition, the court denied the defense motion to dismiss Tsarnaev's indictment. 

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's lawyers argue in this motion and earlier motions have argued it isn't possible for their client to receive a fair trial in Boston. In this latest filing, they say that the voir dire of prospective jurors hasn't cured any presumptive prejudice in the case.

Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to planting two bombs near the Boston Marathon finish line in April 2013, killing three people and injuring more than 260 others. His older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, was killed in a shooting between authorities days later in nearby Watertown.

Opening statements are slated to begin Wednesday at 9 a.m. 

A man shot dead by Los Angeles police had "forcibly" tried to grab for one officer's holstered weapon during the fatal Skid Row struggle captured on body cam video, Los Angeles' police chief said Monday.

A screengrab from one of several witness videos shows that the man, the subject of a 911 call to report a robbery, reached for an officer's waist where his holstered weapon was located Sunday during the altercation before officers shot and killed him, Chief Charlie Beck said at a Monday morning news conference.

The slide of the officer's gun was partly engaged, and its magazine was dislodged, indicating it was part of struggle, Beck said as he displayed pictures of the weapon.

He also said an officer in the video said "He has my gun" several times before three other officers opened fire in what the chief described as a tragedy.

"He forcibly grabbed one of the officers' holstered pistols," Beck said, adding that a round had been partially ejected from the gun's chamber. "This is indicative of a struggle over the weapon.

"This is an extreme tragedy. We feel great compassion in the LAPD for people who live in conditions of homelessness and, often, mental illness with no treatment. We prepare our officers to deal as best we can with them, but the reality is this much more than a problem that police along can solve."

Mayor Eric Garcetti was expected to discuss the case at a 1 p.m. meeting with staff members.

Two Los Angeles Police Department officers involved in Sunday's altercation that led to the fatal shooting were wearing a body cameras, providing police with another video for review in the department investigation, Beck said Monday.

Video from the camera was being obtained Sunday night by the LAPD's special Force Investigative Division, LAPD Commander Andrew Smith said Monday morning.

Several witness videos also show the midday shooting that occurred after the victim of the robbery report pointed officers to the man on Skid Row. Officers responding to the robbery report encountered the man in 500 block of South San Pedro Street, outside of the Union Rescue Mission.

The man can be seen on a bystander's video recording swinging his arms as officers approach. The man repeatedly refused to comply with officers' commands and a stun gun had "little effect," Beck said.

"While on the ground, the suspect and officers struggled over one of the officer's handguns and then an officer-involved shooting occurred," the LAPD said in a statement.

Officers first used a stun gun on the man, whose identity was not released early Monday. At least five rounds were fired, police said.

"They struggled with him, they tried to Tase him a couple of times," said Smith. "That was ineffective. Eventually, the struggle occurred where the officers were struggling with the individual over the officer's weapon."

The subject died at the scene. Two officers suffered minor injuries.

Video from the Rescue Mission's security camera reveals the man was involved in an earlier altercation with another person some 40 minutes before police arrived.

However vagrants who live in the area believe the police are at least partially responsible for what transpired.

"You can't tell me five officers can't take down one man. What about police training?" One homeless man said,"I think they treated him like they normally treat homeless people on Skid Row, with disrespect, with harassment."

It was not immediately clear whether the body camera video would be released. In December, the city announced it would purchase 7,000 of the cameras, worn on the front of an officer's uniform. The announcement was an expansion to the existing pilot program that provided 600 body cameras through private donations.

Police also plan to interview witnesses and have asked others with video to come forward. LAPD also has contacted Union Rescue Mission to determine whether its camera system captured the shooting.

President Barack Obama announced late last year that he wants $263 million in federal funds to go toward training police officers and buying body cameras. The request came in the wake of protests over a grand jury's decision not to indict the white police officer who killed Michael Brown, an unarmed, 18-year-old black man, in Ferguson, Missouri.

Gadi Schwartz contributed to this report.