La Mesa crime

LA MESA OVERALL CRIME RATES REMAIN THE SAME, WHILE VIOLENT CRIME DROPS

By Michael Howard
 
Photos courtesy: City of La Mesa. Left: La Mesa Police Department Chief of Police Ray Sweeney address the La Mesa City Council on May 28, 2024. 
 
June 23, 2024 (La Mesa, CA) – La Mesa Police Chief Ray Sweeney reported mixed crime results in his first quarter 2024 crime report to the La Mesa City Council during the May 28 city council meeting.
 
“We had a slight dip in violent crime, property crime did go up a little bit, and then, the FBI total index is exactly the same as it was this time last year,” the chief reported to the council members.
 
By slight dip in violent crime, the chief was referring to a 17.5% decrease in 2024 first quarter homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults compared to the same time period last year.  In Q1 2023, the La Mesa Police Department responded to 57 crimes in this category, while in Q1 2024, they only responded to 47.

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LA MESA POLICE SEEK DARK SEDAN AFTER SHOTS FIRED AT MOTORCYCLIST ON UNIVERSITY

By Miriam Raftery

September 15, 2019 (La Mesa) – Gunshots were fired at a motorcyclist in the intersection of University Avenue and Marian Street around 3 a.m., prompting La Mesa Police to shut down several streets while they searched for a dark-colored sedan last seen heading east on University.

The shots missing the motorcyclist, but he sustained leg injuries after the gunfire caused him to crash into a fence. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.


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LA MESA MOTORISTS REPORT MAN ON BIKE POINTING POSSIBLE GUN AT DRIVERS

 

By Miriam Raftery

February 2, 2017 (La Mesa) – Several drivers report that a man on a bicycle with his face covered frightened them by screaming and pointing what appeared to be a gun covered with a cloth.


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ARMED ROBBERY AT LA MESA AM/PM GAS STATION

 

East County News Service

November 7, 2015 (La Mesa) – A man armed with a rifle similar to an assault weapon entered the AM/PM gas station at 3775 Massachusetts Avenue in La Mesa at 1:25 a.m. and demanded cash.  After the clerk turned over money, the suspect left on foot and was last seen running eastbound on Waite Drive, according to La Mesa Police.

Officers from La Mesa Police Department searched the surrounding areas with assistance from the San Diego Police Department helicopter ABLE and a San Diego Sheriff’s Department canine team, but were unable to locate the suspect.

The suspect is described as a light-skinned black male adult in his 20s, approximately 5’9” tall, with a thin build. He was wearing a blue and gray hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and a baseball cap. The suspect also wore dark sunglasses and had the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head.


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CRIME DOWN, LA MESA POLICE CHIEF REPORTS

 

Council also heard city’s quarterly financial report and filled Parking Commission vacancy

By Janis Russell

February 13, 2015 (La Mesa)- At the La Mesa city council meeting Tuesday,  former Police Chief Ed Aceves presented the quarterly crime report-and some good news:  crime last year declined from 2013. Chief Aceves said the crime rate overall is down, “the lowest it’s been since 2011.”

He also presented  charts.  One showed that in 2014, there were no homicides.  However there were  16 rapes, 68 robberies, and 124 aggravated assaults (assault with some type of injury). The aggravated assault  had the biggest increase from 2013. 28 robbery cases were cleared, or solved, in 2014.


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PROWLER ARRESTED BY LA MESA POLICE AFTER FLEEING, RAMMING POLICE CAR

By Miriam Raftery

November 16, 2013 (La Mesa) – Paul Day, 49, of La Mesa has been arrested after leading La Mesa police on a pursuit that led through backyards and streets of La Mesa, ending after he reportedly rammed a police car and attempted to back the vehicle into two officers. 

The wild chase in pursuit of the alleged prowler comes just days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled  that a La Mesa Police officer should not be held liable for an accidental injury to a homeowner that occurred during a hot pursuit of a suspect into the resident’s yard.  


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MAN IN BLOODY CRIME MASK ROBS 7-11 IN LA MESA

 

By Miriam Raftery

October 18, 2013 (La Mesa) – It was no laughing matter when a man in a bloody clown mask walked into a 7-11 store on Amaya in La Mesa at 4:34 a.m. yesterday morning.  The suspect, armed with a gun and mace, ordered a clerk to lie down on the ground, then robbed the store of cash, cigarettes and lottery tickets.  A search was conducted but the suspect remains at large.

The man wore a blue sweatshirt, blue jeans, black gloves, and black and white  tennis shoes along with the mask.  He is 30 to 35 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build.


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SHOPPER SURPRISES INTRUDER IN VEHICLE AT GROSSMONT CENTER

 

October 13, 2013 (La Mesa) – A shopper returning to his Ford Ranger  at 7:32 p.m. last night saw a man inside the vehicle going through belongings in the parking lot at Grossmont Center. 

The victim confronted the intruder, who fled.  An officer responding near Walmart pursued the suspect on foot and apprehended him. Lance Rodgers of El Cajon, 31, was booked into County jail on charges or burglary, possession of burglary tools, and resisting arrest.


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SUSPECT ARRESTED FOR ASSAULTING LA MESA POLICE OFFICER

 

 

September 15, 2013 (La Mesa) –Loren Montoya, 32, of Spring Valley has been arrested for assaulting a La Mesa Police officer responding to a call reporting a fight in the 5600 block of Jackson Drive shortly before 4 p.m. yesterday.

According to Police, when officers arrived on scene, the suspect refused to comply with commands and rushed at one officer. A taser was deployed, but the suspect continued to fight with officers. During the struggle, the suspect reportedly grabbed onto and attempted to remove the officer’s firearm from the holster.


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SHOTS FIRED IN LA MESA : MANHUNT ON FOR SUSPECT

 

Update August 31:  A gun has been found but the suspect remains at large.

August 30, 2013 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Police and the San Diego Sheriff’s helicopter are searching for a suspect after shots were fired at 7520 El Cajon Boulevard in La Mesa shortly after 7:30 p.m.  The incident began with a fight inside a hookah lounge that spilled outside intot he street. The suspect began firing shots at the business, according to police.

The suspect ran north on Comanche and was last seen in the area of 4900 Comanche.  He is described as a black male, 6 feet tall, 250 lbs, wearing a blue shirt and dark pants. Call 911 if seen.


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LA MESA POLICE SEEK SUSPECTS WHO ROBBED, INJURED VICTIM IN VONS PARKING LOT

 

 

August 31, 2013 (La Mesa) – Last night at 11:26 p.m., La Mesa Police were called to the parking lot of the Von’s grocery store, 8011 University Avenue, to investigate an assault.  During the investigation, Officers discovered that the victim had actually been robbed of his property by two unknown assailants.

The victim reported to police that he was walking to his vehicle when he was attacked from behind by two men.  The victim was struck in the face and knocked to the ground. During the attack, the suspects stole the victim’s cell phone and wallet.  The suspects were last seen running eastbound from the scene through an alley behind a neighboring store, possibly towards Orange Avenue.


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TWO ROBBED AT ATM MACHINES IN LA MESA

 

May 13,2013 (La Mesa)—Late Thursday night, two customers were robbed at gunpoint while using ATM cash machines in La Mesa.

According to La Mesa Police, the first incident occurred at 10:50 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Bank, 5610 Lake Murray Blvd.   A male customer using the ATM was approached by a man asking for change. When told the customer had no change, the man pulled a gun and demanded the man’s wallet before fleeing.

Close to midnight, a woman depositing money at an ATM at the Grossmont Center Bank of America was robbed by a gunman who demanded cash.  She gave him money and he fled east.


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EMPLOYEES INJURED IN ROBBERY AT LIQUOR STORE IN LA MESA

 

April 28, 2013 (La Mesa) --  Responding to a report of a fight last night in the 5900 block of Severin Drive, La Mesa Police officers arrived and found that the fight was actually an altercation between liquor store employees and suspects who reportedly stole alcohol. The employees chased the four suspects, two men and two women, out of the store and a fight ensued.

Both employees were hit in the face by the two male suspects and sustained bruising, but refused medical attention. The loss was a bottle of alcohol.


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SUSPECTS AT LARGE AFTER ROBBERY OF LOS PIÑOS TACO SHOP IN LA MESA





April 25, 2013 (La  Mesa)—Three robbers, one armed with a handgun, held up the Los Piños Taco Shop at 5660 Lake Murray Boulevard in La Mesa last night at approximately 9:52 p.m. They remain at large despite a search by the Sheriff’s ASTREA helicopter and a canine unit.

All three are described as African-American men in their late teens or early 20s, wearing bandanas over their faces.  Each was approximately 5’10 and weighs around 165 pounds.  One wore eye glasses and another had a dark gray hooded sweatshirt. All wore dark clothing.


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ARMED ROBBER IN SANTA HAT NABBED IN LA MESA

By Miriam Raftery

December 21, 2012 (La Mesa) - A man wearing a Santa cap entered the Murray Lake Liquor Store in La Mesa today not bearing gifts nor seeking holiday cheer. Instead, he pulled a gun and ordered the clerk to handover cash from the register at 3:15 p.m. today. 

According to witnesses, the suspect also wore a black jacket, shorts, and a black bandana.  After stealing the cash, the man in the Santa cap departed the store at 5395 Lake Murray Boulevard not in a sleigh, but in a dark grey Mazda-6 heading north.


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SCAM ALERT: BURGLARS POSE AS UTILITY WORKER, CITY INSPECTOR TO ROB LA MESA RESIDENTS

February 23, 2012 (La Mesa)--La Mesa Police warn that scam artists posing as an SDG&E utility worker and as city inspector have lured residents out of their homes while an accomplice burglarized at least two residences.


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ARMED ROBBERY AT LA MESA PARK

January 21, 2011 (La Mesa) –A man was robbed of his IPOD at gunpoint on January 17 around 9:30 pm. in the parking lot at Highwood Park, 7777 Junior High Drive in La Mesa.  


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HERE’S THE SCOOP: BASKIN ROBBINS ICE CREAM ROBBED IN LA MESA

December 5, 2011 (La Mesa) – A man who claimed to have a gun robbed the Baskin Robbins Store at 8807 La Mesa Boulevard this afternoon. La Mesa Police received a call at 4:22 p.m. but could not locate the suspect, who fled sound on Jackson Drive.


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TEEN GIRL ASSAULTED AND ROBBED AT LA MESA BUS STOP


September 23, 2011 (La Mesa) – A 16-year-old girl was punched repeatedly in the face and robbed of her cell phone by two women Tuesday afternoon. The attack occurred at a bus stop in the 8100 block of Allison--the same block where La Mesa's Police station is located.

 


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CIRCLE K ROBBERS HIT POLE WITH GETAWAY CAR; LA MESA POLICE SEEK SMALL WHITE CAR WITH DAMAGE AND YELLOW PAINT ON DRIVER’S SIDE

 

 

September 4, 2011 (La Mesa) – Yesterday at 3:59 a.m., La Mesa Police responded to an armed robbery at the Circle K store, 8899 La Mesa Blvd. Two Hispanic male suspects reportedly held up the clerk at gunpoint with a black, semi-automatic weapon, then fled on foot eastbound on Grossmont Blvd. 

 


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WOMAN KIDNAPPED IN COLLEGE AREA, SEXUALLY ASSAULTED IN LA MESA MOTEL


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WOMAN INJURED DURING PURSE SNATCHING AT GROSSMONT CENTER

 

January 27, 2011 (La Mesa) – A woman walking to her car in the Wal-Mart parking lot at Grossmont Center had her purse stolen last night around 6:30 p.m.The victim was approached from behind by the suspect, who grabbed the purse by the strap and attempted to flee. The victim tried unsuccessfully to hold onto her puse, twisting her lower back during the struggle.


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WOMAN FIGHTS OFF PURSE SNATCHER OUTSIDE MARKET IN LA MESA


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BEER RUN TURNS SOUR

 

January 3, 2011 (La Mesa) – Yesterday around 4:52 p.m., La Mesa Police received a report of a beer run at the Eastridge Liquor Store, 7705 University Ave. Two white male juveniles and black male entered the store and allegedly concealed beer in a backpack. As they were trying to leave the store, the manager confronted them and attempted to detain the trio until police arrived. The suspects resisted and fought with the manager.

 


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WOMAN ATTACKED WHILE WALKING DOG IN LA MESA PARK

 

December 22, 2010 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Police are seeking a suspect who attacked a woman, 30, this evening in Aztec Park at 5400 Aztec Drive. The attack was reported at 6:19 p.m. The woman was walking her dog in the southeast area of the park when she was grabbed from behind and hit on the right side of her head.


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FRAMED: LA MESA OPTOMETRY ROBBED AT GUNPOINT, DOCTOR FIGHTS OFF ROBBER

December 15, 2010 (La Mesa) –Most robbers demand cash. But at noon yesterday, a man armed with a handgun entered Dr. Newman’s Optometry Office in the 5600 block of Lake Murray Boulevard and demanded that the doctor fill a bag with eye glass frames.


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CLERK WITH SCREW DRIVER FOILS ROBBERY BY MAN WITH PHONY GUN

 

December 11, 2010 (La Mesa) – This morning at 3 a.m., a man wearing a black bandana tried to rob the Shell Station at 5302 Lake Murray Blvd. The clerk noticed that the “weapon” held by the suspect was a glove folded in the shape of a gun. So when the would-be thief demanded money, the clerk armed himself with a screw driver and told the suspect to leave.

 


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BUNGLED BURGLARY ENDS WITH TWO ARRESTS

 

November 19, 2010 (La Mesa) Two prowlers found themselves confronting a startled homeowner after prying off a window screen at a La Mesa residence today. The attempted break-in occurred at 4251 Woodland Drive shortly after 1 p.m.  The suspects were arrested a short time later.


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ARREST MADE IN GAS STATION ROBBERY


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DRIVE-BY PURSE-SNATCHING IN COSTCO LOT

 

 

August 20, 2010 (La Mesa) – A woman walking in the Costco parking lot in La Mesa on Wednesday shortly before noon had her purse stolen As the suspects drove past the victim, one suspect hung out a passenger window and forcibly grabbed her purse, causing burn-type abrasion to her arm. The suspects were last seen speeding away through the Costco parking lot.


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