REWARD UP TO $1,000 FOR SUSPECT WHO SERIOUSLY INJURED MAN IN SPRING VALLEY

July 1, 2009 (Lemon Grove) – Yesterday the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department announced that it is joining forces with Crime Stoppers to help identify and apprehend a group of men responsible for assaulting and severely beating Russell Hinton in Spring Valley on June 13th shortly after midnight.

Earlier that evening Russell Hinton and a female friend went to De Oro Mine Company Bar, located at 9924 Campo Road in Spring Valley, to play pool. Hinton and his friend left the bar at about 12:45 a.m. and started walking through an alley when they saw three white males who had been at the same bar following them. The suspects caught up with them. One suspect lunged at Hinton’s friend as if he were going to hit her, according to a press release issued by Lemon Grove Sheriff’s Investigators. Hinton told the suspects to leave her alone before he started running southbound towards Delores Street. Hinton’s friend believes he did that in an attempt to draw attention away from her. All three suspects chased him.

Hinton’s friend found him lying on the ground at the 9900 block of Dolores Street. He had been beaten and could not speak. The suspects were hovering over him and two of them were holding a broken pool stick. All three suspects fled the scene. The victim was transported to a local hospital. He suffered life threaten injuries and it is still unclear whether or not he will recover.

Suspect #1 is described as a White male between 22-23 years old. He is about 6’2’ tall and weighs about 190 lbs. He was described as having blond hair and a light complexion. He was possibly wearing blue jeans and a shirt (maybe a red Pendleton). Suspect #2 is described as a White male adult between 19-21 years old. He was 5’7” tall and weighed about 160 lbs. He had brown hair and was wearing blue jeans with an unknown shirt. Suspect #3 is described as White male adult between 20-22 years old. He was about 5’6” tall and weighed about 150 lbs. He had brown hair, brown eyes and was wearing blue jeans with a dark colored t-shirt.

Surveillance cameras captured the suspects on video. A copy of that video is available for pick up at Sheriff’s Department Headquarters located at  9621 Ridge haven Court, San Diego, CA 92123

Anyone with any information on this case is asked to call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (888) 580-8477. You can also send anonymous email or text messages to Crime Stoppers by visiting the following link http://www.sdcrimestoppers.com/. Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 reward o anyone with information that leads to a felony arrest.

Questions regarding the investigation should be directed to Detective A. Navarro at (619)337-2000.

Questions regarding Crime Stoppers should be directed to Deputy Adriana Uribe

at (619) 531-1547.

For information leading to an arrest, you could receive up to a $1,000 reward and remain anonymous. The qualification of any person(s) for the reward and the amount of the reward for any person(s) so qualifying will be determined by San Diego County Crime Stoppers, Inc, in its sole discretion.