East County News Service

July 29, 2021 (Borrego Springs) – The California Department of State Hospitals is proposing to place Merle Wakefield, a sexually violent predator, under conditional release at 1575 Yaqui Road in Borrego Springs.

Wakefield was convicted of felony rape in 1990 and of a lewd and lascivious act with a child under 14 in 1981.  He served time in state prison and was found in1998 to be a sexually violent predator. He has repeatedly been confined to a state hospital for treatment as a sex offender but in Dec. 2020, a judge granted his petition for conditional release. 

Funding will help establish in-house toxicology program to improve roadway safety.

Source: San Diego Sheriff

July 28, 2021 (San Diego) -- The San Diego County Sheriff's Department Regional Crime Laboratory has been awarded a competitive grant of $ 2.6 million to help keep our roadways safe from impaired driving. Funding comes from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program for education, prevention and enforcement programs on impaired driving. 

Here's a look at how the Crime Lab will use the grant money:

By Miriam Raftery

July 26, 2021 (Spring Valley) – Jammerieo Austin, 26, of San Diego has been arrested and charged with the murder of Karmen Dionne Anderson, 40, also known as Karmen Hicks. 

By Miriam Raftery

July 25, 2021 (El Cajon) – The brother of an El Cajon man fatally stabbed has been charged with homicide.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: cc via Bing

July 21, 2021 (San Diego) – A fentanyl overdose may have claimed the life of 22-year-old Saxon Rodriguez, an inmate at the San Diego Central Jail. He was found unresponsive in his cell, which had two other inmates, yesterday at 10 a.m.  Despite lifesaving efforts by deputies and medical personal, Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the facility.

An autopsy today by the County Medical Examiner found Rodriguez tested positive for Fentanyl, a powerful opiate, however more laboratory tests are required to confirm the cause and manner of his death.

East County News Service

July 21, 2021 (El Cajon) – A man found stabbed on July 18 at 2:20 p.m. has died at a local hospital. El Cajon Police responded to a medical aid call with Heartland Fire in the 1600 block of North Mollison Ave where “they located an unresponsive subject who had been stabbed at least one time,” according to Lieutenant Keith MacArthur.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via San Diego Sheriff

July 18, 2021 (Otay Mesa) – San Diego Sheriff’s deputies and medical staff assigned to the George Bailey Detention Facility in Otay Mesa used medication to save seven individuals suspected of overdosing on fentanyl.

East County News Service

Photo: cc via Bing

July 18, 2021 (spring Valley) – Sheriff’s detectives have arrested a 21-year-old man, George Gomez III, as a suspect in the murder of Dante Lopez, 42.  Lopez, a San Diego resident was fatally shot on July 11 near the intersection of Elkelton Boulevard and Crestmore Avenue in Spring Valley.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a shooting at 11:15 p.m. on July 11 and found the victim, attempting lifesaving efforts until fire personnel arrived. Lopez was taken to a hospital, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Update July 16, 2021:  D.A. announces no charges filed -- Gabriela Shepherd was scheduled to be arraigned at the El Cajon courthouse Thursday, but District Attorney spokeswoman Tanya Sierra said in a statement,"Charges are not being filed at this time. The investigation is ongoing and we will review the case as we get more information."  Shepherd has been released from Las Colinas and will be reunited with the couple's two children, NBC 7 reports.

By Miriam Raftery

July 14,2021 (Lemon Grove) – Gabriela “Gabby” Rose Shepherd, 26, has been arrested on suspicion of murder in the shooting death of her husband, Rev. Noah David Shepherd, 29.  The couple has two young children, Sam and Joel.

Sheriff’s deputies responding to a call reporting gunfire on July 12 around 6 p.m. found the victim in the backyard of the couple’s home in the 2500 block of Camino de las Palmas, Lemon Grove. Despite lifesaving efforts by deputies until fire personnel arrived, Noah Shepherd was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at a hospital.

Gabby Shepherd claimed that she had accidentally shot her husband when he entered their home through a back door, said Lt. Mike Arens with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. However following an investigation by the Sheriff’s Homicide Unit, Gabby Shepherd was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder.

After getting shot at, Sheriffs obtain a search warrant and allegedly find guns, drugs and flammables

Source: San Diego County Sheriff's Department Bureau of Media Relations

By Alexa Oslowski

Photo: Chief Ray Sweeney, via City of La Mesa

July 10, 2021 (La Mesa) - La Mesa announced on July 1 that Captain Ray Sweeney will serve as the new La Mesa Police Chief, effective immediately. The selection was made by City Manager Greg Humora. Sweeney has served as a Captain in La Mesa Police since 2015 and has previously served in the United States Army and the Army National Guard.

“After a comprehensive and thorough recruitment process, I am confident Ray Sweeney is the leader we need to advance our Police Department and sustain our professionalism and focus on best practices to deliver for our community. The La Mesa Community will benefit from his immediate familiarity with our City and Police Department while also leveraging his strong character and clear vision for effective community policing,” City Manager Humora said in the press release.

This appointment comes almost a year after former La Mesa Police Chief Walt Vasquez announced his retirement would start in August 2020, just months after La Mesa’s controversial stops of Amaurie Johnson and racial justice protests that turned into riots in May 2020.

Source: California Attorney General

July 1, 2021 (Sacramento) --  California Attorney General Rob Bonta today released statewide 2020 gun sales data showing a record increase in the number of hand guns legally sold in the state, and the number of long guns sold last year was second only to 2016.

With the increase in firearms across the state, Attorney General Bonta partnered with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence to call on Californians to utilize the state’s red flag laws-- Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs) and Domestic Violence Restraining Orders (DVROs).  These can help local law enforcement temporarily recover firearms or prevent purchase of firearms by individuals who have shown a probability to commit violence.

Source: San Diego Sheriff

June 30, 2021 (Lemon Grove) -- The Sheriff’s Lemon Grove Substation will be conducting a DUI / Driver's License checkpoint on Saturday, July 3 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.at an unspecified location in Lemon Grove.  

“In an effort to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol-involved crashes, DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street, as well as educate the public on the dangers of impaired driving,” says Traffic Sergeant Aaron Montan. “All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired drivers. This DUI / Driver's License checkpoint is an effort to reduce those tragedies, as well as ensuring drivers have a valid driver's license.”

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Person of interest and suspect vehicle sought by deputies

June 25, 2021 (Spring Valley) – Kenneth Love II was shot and killed June 2, 2020 while working as a security guard at a marijuana dispensary in the 8700 block of Troy Street in Spring Valley.  A year later, Sheriff’s deputies are still actively working on solving the case and they are asking public help to identify the killer.

His family is offering a $3,000 reward in addition to a $1,000 reward offered by Crimestoppers for information leading to the arrest of a suspect.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Supreme Court building, CC by NC-ND

June 23, 2021 (Washington D.C.) – In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court justices ruled that unless there is an emergency, police cannot force their way into a misdemeanor suspect’s home without first getting a warrant.

The ruling does not apply to felony pursuits. However when pursuing a suspect over a misdemeanor offense, officers can only enter if there is good reason, which Justice Elena Kagan said would include circumstances such as to “prevent imminent harms of violence, destruction of evidence, or escape from the home. But when the officer has time to get a warrant, he must do so – even though the misdemeanant fled,” she added.