By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office

October 26, 2018 (San Diego) - The California Office of Traffic Safety awarded San Diego County Probation a $382,000 grant to help ensure that high-risk, repeat drunk or drugged driving offenders with suspended or revoked licenses are complying with all court orders.

By Suzanne Bartole, County of San Diego Communications Office

October 22, 2018 (Alpine) - After years of steadily decreasing populations across the County’s in-custody juvenile facilities, the County of San Diego’s Probation Department has closed the last remote camp program and moved the youth to a more centrally located Urban Camp facility in Kearny Mesa.

East County News Service

October 18, 2018 (El Cajon) - Boy Scout Troop 363 in El Cajon needs help after thefts of two trailers containing all of their gear and equipment—including supplies needed to run their annual Christmas Tree lot sales in December, a fundraiser that sustains the scouts year-round camping program.

East County News Service

October 12, 2018 (San Diego) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the San Diego Violent Crimes Task Force are seeking the public’s assistance to identify a bearded man in a striped polo shirt who robbed two banks in El Cajon. In both robberies, the robber passed the teller a threatening note stating he had a weapon and demanded money.

By Miriam Raftery

October 9, 2018 (El Cajon)—Jesse Kendrick, son of El Cajon Councilman Gary Kendrick, has filed a police report accusing Councilman Ben Kalasho of twice stalking and harassing him on the campaign trail, including pursuing him some two miles, at times blocking his way.Kalasho is running against Kendrick on the November ballot.

Jesse Kendrick told ECM that on September 28, he was driving a licensed golf cart in Fletcher Hills “distributing flyers warning the citizens of El Cajon of Mr. Kalasho’s gross misconduct in office” when I noticed a black Range Rover driving very closely behind me.” Those flyers were titled `The terrifying truth about Ben Kalasho.’  View call records to police.

ECM photographer who aided victim gives eyewitness account of accident he calls "heartbreaking," calls for more funds for police to enforce traffic laws

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Suspect vehicle, from surveillance footage

Update October 5, 2018 -- An arrest has been made in this case.  Read details here. 

October 4, 2018 (El Cajon) – A 9-year-old boy on a bicycle was hit and seriously injured this morning while crossing an intersection at Main Street and Sunshine Avenue. Police are seeking a woman described by witnesses as possibly blond and driving a blue hatchback or SUV, possibly a Honda Fit, who fled the scene of the accident.

ECM photographer Robert Gehr was walking home from the post office between 7:30 and 8 a.m. when he saw the boy ride past him, press a button and wait for the green light, then ride across the intersection. He witnessed the vehicle strike the child.

East County News Service

September 30, 2018 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police officers responding to reports of a shooting near the 600 block of Emerald Avenue at 5:45 p.m. Saturday evening found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest. Paramedics responded and attempted life-saving measures, but the man was pronounced dead.

By Miriam Raftery

September 26, 2018 (Lakeside) – On Monday, September 24^th, Sheriff’s deputies conducting traffic enforcement at Ashwood Street and Willows Road in Lakeside pulled over a vehicle that ran a stop sign. A male passenger ran out of the vehicle and jumped the fence into the El Capitan High School campus just as students were being released.

Update September 22, 2018: The victim has been identified as Melanie Alexandra Feliciano, 24, who died of blunt force injuries to her head and neck, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: ECM news partner 10 News

September 20, 2018 (Spring Valley) – Rene Ruiz, 27, has been arrested after fleeing the scene of a fatal crash that occurred on September 17th at 1:50 p.m. on State Route 94 in Spring Valley. He has been charged with felony manslaughter with gross negligence, felony hit and run, and felony driving under the influence of drugs.

By Miriam Raftery

September 12, 2018 (El Cajon) - Jon Christopher Clark has been charged with first degree murder after the body of his girlfriend, 19-year-old Kiera Bergman from El Cajon, was found beside a desert highway near Phoenix, Arizona last week.

By Miriam Raftery

September 9, 2018 (Atlanta) – An indictment unsealed Friday by the U.S. Attorneys’ office in Atlanta reveals that charges have been filed against five call centers in India and 15 individuals, including seven arrested in the U.S., for an IRS phone scam targeting U.S. taxpayers.  

East County News Service 

September 8, 2018 (Lemon Grove) — Following numerous hit and run collisions where drivers fled the scene and evidence of drinking and driving was found, the Sheriff’s department conducted a checkpoint on September 7th in the 8000 block of Broadway.

By Miriam Raftery

September 7, 2018 (Lemon Grove) --  Shortly after midnight, sheriff's deputies saw a man and woman inside a vehicle parked in the middle of the street  in the 7400 block of Pacific Avenue, in  Lemon Grove. When the deputies investigated, they found the man bleeding from what a witness described as a gunshot wound, says Lt. Rich Williams with the Sheriff’s homicide unit.

Deputies called for Lemon Grove Fire Department personnel to assist and began providing first aid.

“The man was seriously injured and soon stopped breathing. Deputies performed CPR until relieved by fire department personnel,” says Lt. Williams. However dDespite lifesaving efforts, the man was pronounced deceased at about 12:39 a.m.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Dave Jordan in 2012, courtesy of Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

September 2, 2018 (El Cajon) – A Blossom Valley couple, David Wesley Jordan, 82, and his wife, Jean Adele Jordon, 83, died of gunshots to their heads in an apparent murder-suicide, the Medical Examiner’s office has concluded.

A physical therapist told Sheriff’s homicide investigators that upon arrival at the home on Toya Lane in unincorporated El Cajon at 8 a.m. Friday, a note was on the sliding glass door.  The therapist entered the home and found the couple’s bodies in the living room.  A revolver was in Jean Jordan’s hands.

David Jordan was a long-time football coach at Grossmont College, where he led the team to a statewide championship title in 2005 and won many honors for his coaching.

By Sgt. K. Trotter, El Cajon Police

August 28, 2018 (El Cajon) — As we enter the final stretch of summer spending time at the pool or barbequing with friends and family, El Cajon Police Department is driving home the importance of celebrating responsibly by not driving, or riding a motorcycle, impaired.