February 1, 2011 (Valley Center) – Cameron Manning, 19, has been hospitalized with head trauma, a skull fracture and broken bones after he was attacked by two burglary suspects. According to the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, shortly after midnight on January 28, Manning entered his residence at 24586 Lake Wohlford in Valley Center. There he was beaten in the head with a hammer, kicked, and left bound and injured on the floor.

DUI Victim donates vehicle to educate public about dangers

January 31, 2011 (San Diego) – Sheriff Bill Gore held a press conference today to remind San Diegans not to drink and drive on Super Bowl weekend, or anytime. He was joined at the conference by Erin Limonchi of La Mesa, whose mother, Pamela Marabeas, was killed September 30, 2009 when a drunk driver smashed into her mother’s SUV in Santee. Limonchi has donated the crumpled vehicle for use in free “Start Smart” classes to provide teens a graphic reminder of the deadly consequences of drinking and driving.

January 28, 2011 (Poway) – An 80-year-old man who got lost while hiking has been found, Sheriff Lt. Jim Duffy has informed East County Magazine. “He had a cell phone and called for help,” said Duffy.

January 13, 2011 (El Cajon) --A bomb threat triggered an evacuation of the Wal-Mart store at 13487 Caminoi Canada in El Cajon last night.  Sheriff's deputies from Lakeside, Santee and Alpine responded after an unidentified male called an interior store phone shortly after 6 p.m. and whispered to a worker that he had planted a bomb.

DUI Arrests Down; With One Suspected DUI Related Fatality

December 31, 2010 (San Diego)--A countywide holiday anti-DUI crackdown has resulted in numerous DUI arrests during local traffic enforcement details and special DUI deployments in San Diego County. From 12:01 a.m.  December 17 through midnight on December 29, officers from 14 county law enforcement agencies arrested 499 people for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In 2009, 582 DUI arrests and bookings occurred during the same 13 day time period.

As part of the Winter Holiday Anti-DUI crackdown, members from multiple law enforcement agencies in San Diego County will be conducting DUI checkpoints and directed DUI Saturation enforcement during the New Year’s Eve weekend. Details are planned in the following cities, San Diego’s Sheriff office reports:

December 27, 2010 (Lakeside) - It's rare to view a helicopter hoist rescue from the victim's point of view.  East County Magazine videographer Billy Ortiz has posted a dramatic video shot by his hiking companion, Pam Wilmers,  chronicling his rescue off El Capitan Mountain following a rockslide yesterday.

December 17, 2010 (Jamul)-Jamul Drive was shut down this afternoon after a passerby found a dead man at 1:45 p.m. The body , which had blood on its face, was lying face-down in the 14000 block of Jamul Drive. California Highway Patrol officers responded and determined that the death did not result from a traffic accident, then summoned Sheriff’s homicide detectives.

 December 3, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) –In a continuing effort to reduce the number of people killed and injured in alcohol related crashes. The Sheriff’s Poway and Santee Stations will be deploying deputies on saturation patrols and DUI/driver’s license checkpoints tonight and tomorrow.

County declared disaster area; top disaster official seeks state disaster declaration--a move that would waive environmental laws

By Miriam Raftery
November 30, 2010 (Escondido) – An Escondido home described by a prosecutor as a “bomb factory” will be burned down to destroy the largest cache of homemade explosives ever found on U.S. soil. Protective barriers will first be erected around the property at 1954 Via Scott.

November 23, 2010 (La Mesa) – A 17-year-old has been arrested after attempting to rob the Yum-Yum Doughnut store for the second day in a row.

Yesterday 10:50 a.m., the teen stole a tip-jar from the store at 7550 El Cajon Blvd. According to La Mesa Police, he told the employee that he was sorry, but had no money and needed the cash. The employee and suspect struggled briefly over the tip jar, which contained about $10.

November 5, 2010 (Santee) – The Sheriff’s Santee Station and Santee Fire Department invite you to the 12th annual Santee Pancake Breakfast this Saturday at Fire Station #4, 8950 Cottonwood (corner of Mission Gorge and Cottonwood) this Friday and Saturday, November 5th and 6th.

Money raised from the breakfast will be split. The Sheriff’s Santee Station will use its half to help families in need through the nonprofit “Spirit of Giving” organization. The Fire Department will buy automated external defibrillators for Santee schools, community centers and churches.

November 1, 2010 (La Mesa)--The FBI and San Diego Sheriff’s Department announce the arrests of Christopher James Cuerden, age 26, and Caleb Gene Halcomb, age 20, as a result of the investigation into the robbery of the US Bank, located inside of the Vons grocery store at 3681 Avocado Boulevard in the unincorporated area of La Mesa on Friday, October 29, 2010.

October 23, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Timothy Allen Bliss of Ramona has been arrested following a chase through Lakeside, Poway and Ramona on State Route 67.

15-Year-old faces felony arraignment Sept. 28 for carrying hunting knife while jogging in rural area where kids were stalked by mountain lion

East County News Service

“My 12-year-old daughter was put against the car and she was searched by an adult male officer; the kids said they were touching their butts. My son said they put their hands up between their legs. They were crying and they were all shocked…No one in my household has ever been involved in illegal activities.” – Carmen Gomez Villeda Wagner , mother of two children stopped, including a 15-year-old boy charged with a felony

"I would never in a million years say that wearing camouflage clothing constitutes reasonable cause for anything." -- Rebecca Jones, president, Criminal Lawyers Defense Club, San Diego, who questions the legality of the stop made by Sheriff's officers.

“If they were three white children, would it have happened at all? I think it’s racial profiling.” – a concerned mother in the neighborhood who asked that her name not be published.