April 7, 2010 (La Mesa) Around 4:40  this morning, two suspects used a vehicle to break into the La Mesa Mailboxes business in the 8200 block of La Mesa Boulevard. Suspects backed up into the business several times with their vehicle and caused major damage. There was no loss,  but the potential target was the automatic teller machine (ATM) inside.

A witness described the suspect vehicle as a white Dodge Ram truck with a gray tailgate and a partial plate of “6U8.” The driver was not identified, but the passenger was described as a white male in his 50s, 5 foot, nine inches tall with a heavy build and wearing a flannel shirt.

March 28, 2010 – Sokin Roberts, 19, of La Mes has been arrested and charged with burglary and possession of stolen property. Roberts reportedly used a large rock to break a window of a vehicle at 8464 Echo Drive and steal property.

March 15, 2010 (La Mesa) – A man sitting on the curb outside Wachovia Bank at 5610 Lake Murray Boulevard Friday afternoon waited as a customer withdrew money from the ATM machine, then displayed a handgun and demanded the money. The victim handed over the cash and the suspect fled northbound in traffic lanes of Baltimore Drive.

March 10, 2010 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Police has arrested Anthony Long, 19, of El Cajon and two juvenile males from El Cajon and Santee for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. The assault occurred on March 6 at Northmont Park in LA Mesa.

The suspects were arrested after search warrants were obtained and searches conducted on three homes in East County. According to the police investigation, two groups of young men got into a phone argument over a girl following a party in El Cajon, then agreed to meet at Northmont Park for a fight.

February 4, 2010 (La Mesa) -- La Mesa Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the robbery of a woman at Grossmont Center on January 21st.   The victim suffered a cut on her hand when a suspect attempted to slice the strap of her purse to steal it.

January 18, 2009 (La Mesa) At approximately 1:31 this morning, La Mesa Police received a report of a robbery at the Arco Station at 9600 Murray Drive. A white male suspect entered the store and displayed a black semi-automatic handgun, demanding money and cigarettes. The clerk handed the suspect an undetermined amount of money from the register and a pack of cigarettes.

The clerk followed the suspect out of the store and saw him get into a white newer model sedan, then drive off west on Murray Drive.

December 22, 2009 (La Mesa)--With the holidays rapidly approaching, many East County residents wille will be giving and receiving valuable items as gifts.  La Mesa Police offers tips to protect your valuables by keeping accurate records.

October 21 (La Mesa) -- On October 20, La Mesa Police Department’s Special Enforcement Detail (SED) arrested a man for possessing heroin for sale, growing marijuana, and possession of guns relating to narcotics. Mathew McKinney, 25 years old, was arrested after police received several tips from concerned citizens that there were possible narcotics sales occurring from the apartment complex at 7506 Parkway Drive.

By Miriam Raftery

October 6, 2009 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Police are conducting an investigation into a Helix Charter High School assistant principal in a case involving a runaway female student.

“We hope to finish our investigation this week and forward to the District Attorney with a misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor,” La Mesa Police Lieutenant David Bond told East County Magazine.