Ravneet Singh Allegedly Facilitated Nearly $300,000 in Illegal Foreign Contributions to Campaigns in San Diego, including D.A. Bonnie Dumanis, ex-Mayor Bob Filner and a federal candidate

As part of conspiracy, Former SDPD Detective Ernesto Encinas Allegedly Sought to Fire Sam Diego’s Chief of Police and Pick His Replacement

January 23, 2014 (San Diego)--Ravneet Singh,  proprietor of Washington, D.C.-based ElectionMall, Inc., was arraigned January 21 on charges that he conspired to finance political campaigns using money from an illegal foreign source. Singh was arrested by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents on Friday, January 17,  pursuant to an arrest warrant.

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

January 23, 2014 (El Cajon ) – El Cajon Police have arrested Hector Hoyt, an SDG&E worker who is accused of fleeing the scene after striking a 54-year-old man crossing Jamacha Road on January 6. 

Hoyt was driving his SDG&E utility truck at the time. SDG&E has indicated that Hoyt is no longer an employee and that he was not using the vehicle for company business at the time of the fatal crash.

January 16, 2014 (La Mesa) – Last night at 7 p.m., La Mesa Police received a 911 call from a woman who had just been robbed at gunpoint  in the 7600 block of Normal Avenue by two young men in black ski masks who stole her purse.

January 7, 2014 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police ask public help to locate a white Ford truck that struck a pedestrian near Main Street and Jamacha at 10:09 p.m. last night. After the driver fled the scene, the pedestrian was hit by another vehicle and died at the scene.

It is believed that the initial vehicle involved in the collision that left the scene was a 2008-2010 Ford F-350 to F-550 utility work truck.  This truck is white in color, with a decal/logo on the front door, and is equipped with a personnel bucket lift/crane and a utility bed.  The truck should have damage to the right headlight area as a result of the collision.

January 5, 2014 (El Cajon ) -- El Cajon Police requested the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect who was involved in two armed robberies that occurred on Monday December 30, 2013, Thursday January 2, 2014 and an attempted robbery on Wednesday January 1, 2014.

"Based on information received from tipsters and witnesses the suspect was located at an address in El Cajon," said Lt. Frank La Haye.  "The suspect was contacted as he was leaving an address on S. Magnolia.  After a brief foot chase he was apprehended without further incident in the 600 block of Van Houten Avenue."

By Nadin Abbott

December 31, 2013 (San Diego)—On December 23rd, Judge Howard Shore delayed his final decision on the placement of Mikel Wayne Marshall, a convicted sexual predator, in Jacumba Hot Springs on a conditional release. Shore said that he wants to personally inspect the property recommended by state officials before making his final decision after hearing compelling testimony from residents, including a survivor of sexual abuse who resides in Jacumba Hot Springs.

December 23, 2013 (La Mesa) – A parolee being pursued by law enforcement officers struck two vehicles, injuring an occupant of one of the vehicles struck as well as one of the suspects.

The incident began at 8:03 a.m. on December 22, when a La Mesa Police officer attempted to make a traffic stop on a vehicle at El Cajon Blvd. and Baltimore Drive for a traffic violation. The officer recognized the driver as a known subject on parole. When the suspect spotted the officer’s vehicle behind him, he fled the location and failed to yield to officers. A vehicle pursuit ensued.

December 17, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Thieves are easily tempted when people leave bags of gifts in plain sight in their vehicles or display presents under a tree in a front window. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is reminding everyone to be aware of criminals looking for easy targets during the holiday season.

December 14, 2013 (Lakeside) -- This story falls into the “how low can you go” category.  On Wednesday evening, two crooks stole donations out of a red Salvation Army kettle in front of a Walmart store off Los Coches Road in Lakeside.  One thief distracted the bell ringer while his partner in crime stole about $150 to $200 in cash.

Captain Terry Masango with the Salvation Army in El Cajon said it broke his heart that someone would steal money meant to help the poor.  “If they had just come to us and said, ‘We’re hungry,’ we would have helped them,” he said, the UT San Diego reported.

December 10, 2013 (San Diego) – San Diego State University Police are investigating an incident that took place in a parking structure at 5:00 AM on December 5.  A man was parking his motorcycle when two male suspects allegedly ran toward him, one of them displaying a handgun. The victim saw the suspects coming toward him and drove away.  The victim was not injured.

The first suspect is described as an African American male, unknown age, about 6 feet tall, dark curly neck length hair, clean shaven, wearing a grey short sleeved shirt, shorts, and armed with a dark colored handgun. 

December 4, 2013 (El Cajon)--The U.S. Postal Service is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to arrest and conviction of two suspects who robbed a mail carrier in El Cajon on Wedneday, November 27 at 5:05 p.m. The theft occurred in the 2400 block of Fletcher Parkway. 

Both suspects were described as 25 to 30 years old, white with medium build, about 5 feet 11 inches tall.  One suspect had a tear drop tattoo under his left eye and wore al ong-sleeved dark shirt, dark shorts, black knee-high socks and black shoes.  The other suspect had full sleeve-like tattoos on both arms; he wore a white So-Cal Tshirt, shorts and black shoes.

December 1, 2013 (Rolando)--San Diego Police Department Homicide Unit detectives are investigating the death of a man in the Rolando area.

On Saturday, November 30th at approximately 11:27 p.m., patrol officers responded to a 911 call of a shooting in the 7100 block of El Cajon Boulevard. Arriving officers located a man in his thirties lying on the ground in a parking lot. He was bleeding from the torso and appeared to have suffered at least one gunshot wound.

November 28, 2013 (El Cajon) – Just in time for Thanksgiving, El Cajon resident Jacque Bradfute and her 6-year-old stepdaughter, Haley, have new holiday decorations  to replace a stolen display. The heartwarming donations came from a secret Santa with help from El Cajon residents Deena While and Shirley Johnson.

On Monday,  just after putting up holiday décor including an inflatable Santa, Bradfute heard a commotion and came out to find everything missing, like a scene straight out of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

By Miriam Raftery

November 24, 2013 (San Diego) --Public safety spending is decreasing in the San Diego region. At the same time, arrests also are going down, according to a pair of new reports released by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). 

This news comes on the heels of several recent complaints ECM has heard from residents in unincorporated areas, who spoke to us off record to complain of very long response times for calls to the Sheriff.  According to the residents, responses of 30 to 60 minutes have occurred even for violent asauslts, hot prowl burglaries, and other crimes in progress in unincorporated areas such as Campo and Lakeside.

November 21, 2013 (San Diego) – The Sheriff seeks public help to locate Joseph Vincent McCarron, 58, a convicted child sexual predator who failed to appear for his trial verdict on November 13. 

McCarron is believed to be armed and dangerous. He  is known to frequent the Fallbrook and Rainbow areas. If you see him, do not confront him; call 911.