Crime Beat

BORDER PATROL OFFICERS SEIZE NEARLY FOUR TONS OF MARIJUANA IN SHIPMENT OF JALAPEÑO PEPPERS AT OTAY MESA

East County News Service

Photo:  Customs and Border Patrol officers pulled hundreds of packages of marijuana from boxes of jalapeño peppers.

August 16, 2019 (San Diego) – U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers assigned to the Otay Mesa cargo facility seized almost four tons of marijuana yesterday co-mingled in a shipment of jalapeño peppers, valued at $2.3 million

 


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FBI AND SDPD SEEKING TIPS ON BANK ROBBER IN VONS ON EL CAJON BLVD.

East County News Service

August 15, 2019 (San Diego) -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the individual responsible for a bank robbery. This morning around 10:30 a.m., a man entered the US Bank branch inside a Vons store at 6155 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego.    


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ALPINE SHERIFF’S INVESTIGATION LEADS TO RECOVERY OF RUNAWAY TEEN AND ARREST IN SUSPECTED TRAFFICKING CASE

By Miriam Raftery
 
August 15, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – A runaway 15-year-old girl from San Diego has been rescued and was returned home yesterday as the result of an investigation by Alpine Sheriff’s deputies and detectives, along with Juvenile Services and the San Diego County Human Trafficking Task Force.

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JAIL/DETENTION FACILITY SUICIDES OR ATTEMPTS DRAW SCRUTINY

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

August 15, 2019 (San Diego) - Prison and jail suicides are not just about inmates hanging themselves with bedsheets.

#Warning: graphic descriptions, but no graphic images in link and/or story.

“They jump off of their bunkbeds, they hit their heads on the ground, you can see all the blood,” said a health care professional who asked that their name be withheld.


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DUI DRIVER ARRESTED AFTER STRIKING CHP OFFICER AND FLEEING SCENE

East County News Service
 
August 14, 2019 (Lemon Grove) – A California Highway Patrol officer hit by a suspected drunk driver last night near Lemon Grove suffered moderate injuries but expected to make a full recovery, says Officer Travis Garrow with the CHP.

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PURSUIT IN SPRING VALLEY LEADS TO CRASHES; THREE INNOCENT CITIZENS INJURED

By Miriam Raftery
 
August 13, 2019 (Spring Valley) – A fleeing suspect and a deputy each collided with uninvolved vehicles during a pursuit this afternoon in Spring Valley. 
 
U.S. Marshall requested help from Sheriff’s deputies at 2:25 p.m. to apprehend David Hernandez, 37, a suspect wanted for a parole violation. The San Diego man was spotted in a stolen vehicle at 661 Sweetwater Road in Spring Valley and fled when deputies arrived, leading to a brief pursuit.   

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HOMICIDE DETECTIVES CALLED IN AFTER BODY FOUND IN LAKESIDE

East County News Service

August 8, 2019 (Lakeside) – The Sheriff’s Homicide Unit is investigating the death of a woman, 60, found dead in a trailer at 11361 Oak Creek Drive in Lakeside.


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LA MESA POLICE DEPARTMENT AND HEARTLAND FIRE AND RESCUE'S EIGHTH ANNUAL SAFETY FAIR AUGUST 10

Source:  City of La Mesa

August 8, 2019 (La Mesa) - Continuing with the National Night Out celebration, the La Mesa Police Department and Heartland Fire and Rescue will be hosting the 8 th Annual Safety Fair on Saturday, August 10th, 2019. The event will run from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. in the La Mesa Police Department parking lot.


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PROTESTORS IN CA, US STAND AGAINST WHITE SUPREMACY

By Suzanne Potter, California News Service

August 7, 2019 (Pasadena) - Thousands of Californians joined protests across the state to take a stand against white supremacy after the mass shooting in El Paso. 

Last weekend, a gunman killed 22 people at a Walmart store in that border city, shortly after posting a racist, anti-Latino essay online. 


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BOY SCOUTS ACCUSED OF HIDING ABUSE INCLUDING LOCAL CASES: LAWYERS URGE VICTIMS TO SPEAK OUT, PROTECT THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS

By Miriam Raftery

August 7, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – A  new lawsuit alleges that Boy Scouts of America (BSA) covered up names of some sexual abusers, the Washington Post reports. In a press conference this week, attorneys from Abused In Scouting say that researchers have found 350 names of suspected pedophiles were left of a blacklist with some 5,000 names previously made public. Both lists cite alleged abuse cases in our region including San Diego, El Cajon, La Mesa, Mount Laguna, Palomar Mountain and Poway.

“We as a group can start to change things and make sure that the next generation of kids does not have to suffer the way they did,” says San Diego attorney Van Arsdale  with AVA Law, a local firm that is one of three law firms nationally working with Abused in Scouting. 


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DRIVER SOUGHT IN LAKESIDE CRASH THAT LEFT MOTORCYCLIST BRAIN DEAD—JUST BEFORE HIS WEDDING DAY

 
By Miriam Raftery
 
Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News
 
August 7, 2019 (Lakeside) -- Steven Johnson was set to be married this Saturday, beginning a new life with his fiancée, Karlene Moen. Instead, his grieving family and friends will be holding a celebration of life in his memory. Johnson, left brain-dead after a motorcycle crash, is set to be removed from life support. 
 
Now his loved ones are asking for public help to find the woman driving a gray compact car, who fled the scene of the accident. The crash occurred last Friday morning around 5:30 a.m. on southbound Highway 67 near Willows Road in Lakeside, 10 News reports.

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MASS SHOOTINGS IN GILROY, EL PASO AND DAYTON HEIGHTEN CALLS FOR ACTION TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY

By Miriam Raftery
 
Photo: Mourners in El Paso, Texas; victims of mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and Gilroy, California; White House flag at half mast
 
August 5, 2019 (San Diego) – After posting a violent anti-immigrant manifesto on the same white nationalist hate site used by the Poway synagogue shooter, a heavily armed gunman wearing body armor opened fire at an El Paso Wal-Mart on Saturday with a military-style assault weapon. He slaughtered 20 people and injured 26 more before police arrested him.  

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BORDER PATROL AGENTS FIND OVER $270,000 WORTH OF METHAMPHETAMINES IN VEHICLE AT CHECKPOINT

East County News Service

Photo:  Agents pulled 114 packages of meth that was hidden inside a small car.

August 2, 2019 (Campo) -- U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a man Thursday night who had 114 packages of methamphetamine hidden inside his vehicle.


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PALOMAR STATE PARKS ENTRY STATION BURGLARIZED, FIREARMS AND RADIOS STOLEN

East County News Service

August 2, 2019 (Palomar Mountain) – A ranger arriving for her morning shift on July 31st at the Palomar State Parks entry station/information kiosk discovered the site had been burglarized overnight, according to the California Highway Patrol.


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NIGHT OUT TO FIGHT CRIME: AUGUST 6 AT THESE SHERIFF STATIONS

East County News Service

August 1, 2019 (San Diego) -- National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer. Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August—including a dozen locations in San Diego County.

You can come meet deputies who patrol your neighborhoods, learn about services the Sheriff’s department provides, and get crime prevention safety tips. You can also explore Sheriff’s programs such as senior volunteers, home vacation checks, the You Are Not Alone program for homebound seniors and the disabled, and Jr. Explorers. Visitors may also meet McGruff “The Crime Dog” and view a Sheriff’s K-9 demo. The events also offer free food and drinks, giveaways and a bicycle raffle at some locations.

Click on one of the communities below for an event flyer at each of these Sheriff's stations and substations including several  East County locations:


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JURY RULES OFFICER SHOOTING OF ALFRED OLANGO IN EL CAJON WAS JUSTIFIED

By Miriam Raftery

August 1, 2019 (El Cajon) – A jury in a civil trial has ruled that an El Cajon Police officer was justified in shooting and killing Alfred Olango on Sept. 27, 2016.  Olango’s sister ,Lucy,  had called 911 to ask for help for her brother, who was reportedly suffering a mental health crisis and walking into traffic.

While another officer pointed a taser at Olango, Officer Richard Gonsalves asked Olango to remove his hands from his pocket,. Olango pulled out a silver and black vape smoking device that resembled a gun and pointed it at the officer, assuming a shooter’s stance at point blank range.


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MIKE MOULTON APPOINTED AS THE CITY OF EL CAJON’S NEW POLICE CHIEF

Source: City of El Cajon 

July 30, 2019 (El Cajon) - Earlier today, the City of El Cajon announced the appointment of Captain Mike Moulton as the next Chief of Police. Moulton replaces Chief Jeff Davis who will retire on September 12, 2019. Mike Moulton, 44, has worked for the El Cajon Police Department for the past twenty-four years.


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JUDGE APPROVES RELEASE OF “BOLDER THAN MOST” RAPIST, BUT LOCATION NOT YET DETERMINED

By Miriam Raftery
 
July 29, 2019 (San Diego) – Alvin Ray Quarles, dubbed the “Bolder than Most” rapist, will be released to a supervised home at an as-yet undisclosed location somewhere in San Diego County, Superior Court Judge David Gill ruled today.
 
Last fall, Gill ruled that Quarles could be released to a supervised residence in Jacumba Hot Springs, but later agreed to reconsider his decision at the request of prosecutors and Supervisor Dianne Jacob. After several days of an evidentiary hearing from which victims of Quarles were barred last week, Judge Gill has affirmed that Quarles can be released. However, the Jacumba property fell through, so an August 30 status conference has been set, when the state may present housing options and the public can testify, Times of San Diego reports.

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POSTERS INFORM PUBLIC HOW TO REPORT SUSPECTED TRAFFICKING

By Rebecca Jefferis Williamson

July 29, 2019 (San Diego) - California Senate Bill 1193 (SB1193), enacted in 2013, added a law that certain businesses such as on-sale beer and liquor establishments, general public premise licenses, type 48are required to post a notice to help and assist victims of human trafficking, and alert the general public, on how to report the sex trafficking.


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12-YEAR-OLD RESCUED FROM SUSPECTED SEX TRAFFICKERS IN SPRING VALLEY

By Miriam Raftery
 
July 28, 2019 (Spring Valley) – Yesterday, detectives from the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force were investigating suspected sex trafficking of a 12-year-old runaway girl. While checking a possible location in the 8500 block of Paradise Valley Rd. in Spring Valley, detectives found and recovered the missing girl.

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BEARS FOR BADGES, PLUSH FOR GOOD

Source: San Diego Sheriff’s Department

July 26, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- Patrol bag? Check. Ballistic helmet and shield? Got it. First aid kit and rescue sled. Packed. Cuddly teddy bears? Absolutely! 


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GANG MEMBERS CONVICTED IN MURDER OF XUSHA BROWN JR. AND AN EARLIER KILLING, BOTH IN LA MESA

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Xusha Brown, Jr., innocent victim of gangland shooting

 

July 25, 2019 (La Mesa) – “We will continue to fight until justice is done,” Deborah Flores, mother of slain Sycuan tribal member Xusha Brown Jr. said at a press conference in 2016, when the tribe boosted a reward to $100,000 to help find his killer. La Mesa Police also posted the reward information on freeway signs. Three weeks later, three men were arrested for the drive-by shooting of Brown, 22, which occurred on I-8 in La Mesa in 2013.


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SHERIFF'S ASTREA DEPUTIES HONORED FOR EAST COUNTY RESCUE

Aviation Association recognizes deputies for saving skier's life

East County News Service

July 24, 2019 (Pine Valley) -- They help keep San Diego County safe from high above the ground. Today, two deputies with the Sheriff's ASTREA (Aerial Support To Regional Enforcement Agencies) helicopter unit have been honored by the Airborne Public Safety Association (APSA) for the demanding technical rescue of a cross country skier near Pine Valley earlier this year.

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LEMON GROVE CHECKPOINT RESULTS IN A DUI ARREST AND 22 CITATIONS; 10 VEHICLES IMPOUNDED

East County News Service
 
July 23, 2019 (Lemon Grove) – A DUI sobriety and drivers license checkpoint on July 20th in Lemon Grove resulted in one arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In addition, 22 citations were issued for suspended, revoked or no driver’s licenses and 10 vehicles were impounded.

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STRANGLING SUSPECT ARRESTED AT GROSSMONT CENTER

By Miriam Raftery
 
July 19, 2019 (La Mesa) – A man suspected of strangling his former girlfriend was arrested at 8:20 this morning in the parking garage next to Target in the Grossmont Center regional shopping mall.  The woman called police last night to report the strangling that allegedly occurred at her home in San Carlos on Hyde Park Drive. She was treated at a hospital, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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BEN AND JESSICA KALASHO ARRAIGNED ON CONTEMPT OF COURT CHARGES

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

July 18, 2019 (San Diego) – Over two years after a sexual harassment and fraud lawsuit was filed against Ben and Jessica Kalasho, the couple was arraigned last Friday in San Diego Superior Court on multiple counts of contempt of court. The former El Cajon Councilman and his wife are charged with failing to provide subpoenaed documents and actively interfering in the judicial process.

According to legal experts, the punishment for contempt of court can vary greatly. If it is a matter of urgency or if the contempt was done in front of a judge, the punishment can be immediate. Punishment can range from imprisonment of up to five years, to jail time merely until the defendant complies with the order or fine.


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SON KILLS MOTHER, THEN SELF IN BORREGO SPRINGS

Update July 19, 2019:  The Medical Examiner has completed the autopsies and identified Ann Sides and her son, Corey Sides. Ann Sides cause of death has been ruled as a gunshot wound, and the manner of death, a homicide. Corey Sides cause of death has been ruled as a gunshot wound, and the manner of death, a suicide.
 
East County News Service
 
July 17, 2019 (Borrego Springs) — A homicide investigation is underway after the bodies of a man and woman were found inside a home at 2909 Double O Road in Borrego Springs this morning. Both had trauma to their bodies, says Lt.Chad Boudreau.

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ALLEGED BURGLAR KILLED AT HOME NEAR LAKE MURRAY

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News

Update July 19, 2019: Police have identified the decease as Hollis Forman, 38.

 

July 16, 2019 (San Carlos) – An alleged burglar was shot and killed after being confronted by a homeowner and the homeowner’s son in the 6300 block of Lake Shore Drive around 6:30 a.m. 


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FBI SEEKS VICTIMS IN INDONESIA SHOWBIZ SCAM INVESTIGATION

Source: FBI

July 15, 2019 (San Diego) -- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is seeking victims who may have traveled to Indonesia under the promise of a potential job offer from individuals purporting falsely to be well-known entertainment industry professionals. This ongoing transnational fraud scheme targeting U.S. citizens began in approximately 2013. Today, the FBI launched a victim page and form, available at www.fbi.gov/IndonesiaShowbizScam, to identify additional victims of the scam.  Below is information provided by Special Agent Davene Butler, Public Affairs Coordinator for the San Diego FBI.


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ADVANCING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES: CRIME FREE MULTIHOUSING

By David R. Shorey, East County Program Manager, Institute for Public Strategies

 

Photo courtesy San Diego County Sheriff’s Department website, other photos via Creative Commons

 

July 10, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- Imagine you lived in an apartment complex so riddled with crime and danger, that law enforcement officers would not enter the property until backup arrived. A place where firefighters would not respond to a fire unless they were accompanied by sheriff’s deputies for protection. Where helicopters frequently flew overhead in search of a suspect, or attempting to restore peace. Where drive-by shootings, vandalism, prostitution, thefts, drug dealing, gangs and violence ruled the day.


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