East County News Services

Aug. 18, 2025 (La Mesa) -- As part of a broad effort to get unwanted firearms off the street, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department is holding a "Guns for Gift Cards" event in La Mesa.

The sheriff's department is partnering with the city of La Mesa for the event, set for 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 23 at the La Mesa Civic Center, and is offering $100 gift cards for handguns, rifles and shotguns, and $200 gift cards for assault weapons that are turned in.

Guns must be in working order and be placed, unloaded, in the trunk of the owners' vehicles. A deputy will provide instructions at the event. All weapons collected will be destroyed.

The gun safety event will also offer free gun cable locks while supplies last, and there will be no questions asked, according to the sheriff's department.

East County News Service

August 1, 2025 (San Diego) - Sheriff's stations and substations across the county will be hosting family-friendly community events to take a stand against crime on Tuesday, August 5.

National Night Out is an annual event that promotes law enforcement-community partnership and neighborhood camaraderie.

East County News Service

July 25, 2025 (San Diego) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in San Diego and its law enforcement partners yesterday arrested five people believed to be associated with the Mexican Mafia prison gang, the latest in string of related arrests and indictments.

The latest five suspects have been indicted for allegedly running an illegal gambling establishment, money laundering, and importing methamphetamine.

East County News Service

July 5, 2025 (Spring Valley) -- San Diego County Animal Services has identified the person responsible for the horrific July 2 incident in Spring Valley in which a dog was dragged behind a vehicle. 

After seeing video coverage of the incident on television, the dog’s owner contacted County Animal Services and admitted that it was his truck and his dog involved. Animal Control Officers confirmed that he was indeed the individual seen driving the truck in the video.

Tragically, due to the extent of the dog’s injuries, the animal had already been euthanized by a veterinary clinic prior to officers’ arrival. Animal Services was able to intercept the dog’s remains before cremation to preserve evidence for the investigation.

East County News Service

July 3, 2025 (El Cajon) – The driver of a red Tesla has been charged with multiple felonies including murder. He is accused of “intentionally” rear-ending a motorcycle, killing its driver who was from Chula Vista. 

The Tesla then struck a 2012 black Ram 1500 driven by an El Cajon man, 24. Six occupants in the Ram suffered minor to moderate injuries and were transported to hospitals.

 The deadly incident occurred June 30 around 8:03 p.m. on southbound I-805, north of Telegraph Canyon Road.

East County News Service

June 30, 2025 (Santee) -- Sheriff's Deputies and Santee Fire personnel responded to a report of a fire near the Walmart on Town Center Parkway in Santee around 6:32 p.m. on June 28. As deputies were driving to the location, a second witness called Sheriff's Dispatch and reported they watched a man set fire to contents of a trashcan just outside the Walmart parking lot.

Deputies arrived on scene and detained the suspect, later identified as 30-year-old Ryan Crist, says Lieutenant Thomas Fletcher.

East County News Service

Image: Fentanyl pills seized by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency

June 24, 2025 (San Diego) – Deaths from fentanyl dropped 30% countywide in 2024 over the prior year. That coincides with a major increase in drug seizures, including 1.9 million fentanyl pills worth more than $20 million over the past 18 months, Sheriff Kelly Martinez announced Monday in a press conference.

“When children as young as 13 years old began dying from using the drug, we knew we needed to act with more urgency,” said Martinez, who credits state and county funding for aiding law enforcement's crackdown on illlegal fentanyl sales.

UpdateJune 21:  The Ninth Circuit  Court of Appeals has ruled that Trump can retain control of the National Guard. ECM news partner 10 news reports.  It remains to be seen whether California will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.  The Ninth Circuit ruling overturns the lower court ruling discussed in our June 12 article below.

By Miriam Raftery

June 12, 2025 (Oakland, CA) – In a blistering decision, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer today ordered control of California’s National Guard be returned to the Governor, though the Judge stayed his order until tomorrow afternoon to allow the Trump administration time to file for an emergency appeal.

The judge’s order states that in ordering thousands of California National Guard members to Los Angeles amid civil unrest  over mass immigration enforcement, President Donald Trump’s actions were “illegal—both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”

Judge Breyer rejected an argument by a Trump administration lawyer, who had claimed courts do not have authority to review a president’s decision on whether the National Guard was needed.

“That’s the difference between a constitutional government and King George,” stated Judge Breyer, a Clinton appointee and brother of former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

East County News Service

Photo via San Diego County Sheriff's Department

June 1, 2025 (Ramona) – Ryan Jones, 40, faces numerous charges after  he was found in possession of a rifle, ammunition, high-capacity magazines and methamphetamine during a traffic stop in Ramona.

On Thursday, May 29 around 9:30 p.m., deputies from the Ramona Sheriff's Substation stopped a pickup truck driven by Jones near the intersection of Main and 16th streets in Ramona.

Jones had an active felony arrest warrant.

Source:  FBI San Diego

May 21, 2025 (El Cajon) —The FBI San Diego’s Violent Crime Task Force is asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating the man behind a bank robbery in El Cajon, dubbed “The Blue Glove Bandit”.

The robbery occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, at the Wells Fargo Bank located at 1235 Avocado Avenue, El Cajon, CA. During the robbery, the suspect entered the bank, approached the counter, and grabbed a customer, using him as a hostage. The suspect then demanded the teller give him money.

East County News Service

Update May 15:  The deceased has been identified as Callen Lines.

May 14, 2025 (Santee) – A 31-year-old woman died in a hospital on May 12, one day after she was arrested for vehicle theft and resisting arrest.

According to Lt. Juan Marquez with the San Diego County Sheriff’s department, sergeants at the Las Colinas and Reentry Facility in Santee found the woman unresponsive in her cell at 7:25 p.m. on May 12 while performing routine supervisor checks.

The sergeants began CPR, activated 9-1-1and requested help from the facility’s medical staff.

Emergency medical personnel from American Medical Response (AMR) Ambulance #5 and the Santee Fire Department assumed lifesaving measures upon their arrival. AMR Ambulance transported the woman to a local hospital. Despite their efforts, the woman was pronounced deceased at the hospital at about 8:15 p.m.

April 30, 2025 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa Police Department and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) are asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating the suspects responsible for the murder of 22-year-old Navy Sailor Corneilius Donte Brown, which happened four years ago.

Governor Gavin Newsom recently pledged an additional $50,000 reward from the State of California for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Brown’s murderer. In addition to $9,000 from  Brown’s family, $5,000 from NCIS, and $1,000 from San Diego Crime Stoppers, this brings the total reward to $65,000.

On April 24, 2021, at approximately 12:26 a.m., the La Mesa Police Department received several 9-1-1 calls of gunshots heard in the area of 4300 Echo Court, in La Mesa. Officers arrived within minutes and located a gunshot victim (later identified as Brown) inside his residence. He was transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital, where he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.

East County News Service

April 24, 2025 (El Cajon) – A suspect has been arrested for the fatal shooting of Jaquis Holiday, 26, this morning in the 300 block of North First Street in El Cajon.

El Cajon Valley High School was placed on temporary lockdown and two nearby elementary schools followed secure campus protocols as a precaution, although the shooting was not tied to any of the schools.

Multiple 9-1-1 callers reporter the shooting around 10:13 a.m.  Officers responded and found the victim suffering gunshot wounds. He was transported to a hospital where he died.

East County News Service

Photo snip of Jones with San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan (right) courtesy California State Republicans YouTube channel

April 16, 2025 (Sacramento, CA) -- In February, Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) introduced Senate Bill 286, to close what he called a “dangerous loophole” in California’s Elderly Parole program that allows violent sex offenders and murderers as young as age 50 to be released early.