County News Service

December 16, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--The family of three—a couple approximately in their 40s, and their 17-year-old son and pet dog—slept in sleeping bags and blankets behind a Santee gas station last week. They were dressed in layers and were huddled or lying down on the concrete ground close to the building with their belongings in a few small carts. The family has been homeless since last December. Because the father works there five days a week, the gas station owner allows them to sleep on the property on occasion.

East County News Service

December 1, 2015 (Santee) –A 31-year-old El Cajon man was killed and two other people injured in a rollover accident on State Route 52 west of State Route 125 in Santee shortly before 5 a.m. this morning. The passenger who sustained fatal injuries was not wearing a seatbelt.

According to California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Pearlstein, a 33-year-old man from Escondido was driving a 2004 GMC pickup westbound when the vehicle drafted into a dirt center divide. The driver over-corrected, causing the truck to travel down a hill on the right before overturning.

East County News Service

November 22, 2015 (Santee) – Santee Santas invites you to join its 4^th annual Waddle & Trot 5K and Fun Run happening at 8:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Nov 26th. Runners and walkers of all levels are welcome.

This fast & flat 5K race starts and finishes at the Pathways Center in Santee, and loops around through scenic Santee Lakes. The 1/4 mile Fun Run takes place at the Pathways Center campus. All proceeds benefit Santee Santas and the Santee Food Bank.

East County News Service

November 10, 2015 (Santee) – A suspect who reportedly fled after a traffic stop in Santee later crashed and was ejected.  When he refused to cooperate with deputies after the accident, 41-year-old Anthony Ortega was tasered and arrested, said Sergeant Daniel Morsch.

By Miriam Raftery

November 10, 2015 (Santee) – The Sheriff’s department seeks public help to locate a Hispanic man in his late 20s or early 30s reported to have stalked multiple teenage girls in Santee near Santana High School.  The suspect was driving a white 1997-2004 Ford F-150 two-door pickup truck, dented on the passenger side between the front wheel well and passenger door. There was a silver tool box in the truck bed.  When last seen, he was unshaven with short hair and a dark complexion.

In the most recent incidents, the truck was seen driving past the home of a 17-year-old girl near Magnolia Avenue and Tomel Court several times over the weekend, at times honking the horn. On November 9, while in the street near her home, the victim recognized the same truck driving slowly behind her.  She started running and the truck then sped up and passed her. She ran home and later saw the truck pass her residence again, said Sergeant Joe Passalacqua.

In late September, Santana’s principal sent a letter warning parents about a suspect in a white pickup following multiple female students near Mast and Magnolia, as ECM reported. 

October 9, 2015 (Santee)--The American Diabetes Association (ADA) in San Diego will raise money for programs and services for people living with diabetes at its Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes, a fundraising walk on Sunday morning, Oct. 18, at NTC Park at Liberty Station, 2455 Cushing Road, San Diego.

One of the ADA’s East County programs to receive support from Step Out will be Camp Wana Kura, a summer day-camp held at Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve for children with diabetes.

East County News Service

September 29, 2015 (Santee)—Santana High School Principal Tim Schwuchow has notified parents in a letter about two incidents last week in which female students were reportedly followed by a white Chevrolet pickup truck.

“What if the next touch and go crash takes out a school in session?" – a resident’s letter to Supervisor Dianne Jacob

East County News Service

September 21, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) --After a plane crashed into a Santee home on September 3rd, killing the pilot and a flight student near Gillespie Field, Advocates for Safe Airport Policies or “ASAP” is calling for action to protect community members. ASAP has made many complaints to officials before this crash, which is the latest in a string of crashes and serious mishaps involving planes at Gillespie. But recently residents have warned of frequent and low flights over homes due to an increase in flight school training of students at Gillespie Field.  

Now ASAP is holding a meeting for concerned airport neighbors. The event will be held September 30^th at a private home in Fletcher Hills.  To RSVP and get the addresss contact suestrom1@cox.net.

By Miriam Raftery

September 6, 2015 (Santee)—A shot was fired but no one was seriously injured during a struggle to subdue a suspect, Jennifer Rebecca McKee, in Santee yesterday. Witnesses including two law enforcement officers say McKee tried to run over her boyfriend with a vehicle, then attacked him with a baseball bat and assaulted a law enforcement officer.

Signal will increase safety for drivers, residents and pedestrians

September 2, 2015 (Santee) – Pardee Homes has announced that the traffic signal improvement project on Mast Boulevard will soon be complete. The work is expected to conclude in early October. Pardee, developer of the future Castlerock residential community to be located north of Mast Boulevard between Medina Drive and West Hills Parkway, has been working with the City of Santee to expedite the installation of a traffic signal at the western exit from West Hills High School to improve safety for drivers, residents and pedestrians.

East County News Service

August 2, 2015 (Santee) – Nathan Smoltz, 31, has been arrested for felony drunk driving after the Ford Explorer he was driving plunged off a steep embankment and rolled over several times, ending up in a ravine in harsh terrain northwest of Summit Avenue in Santee.  Four people were injured, including two in serious condition and one who sustained critical injuries.

By Miriam Raftery

July 9, 2015 (Santee) – At last night’s Santee City Council meeting, 24 people came to show support for asking that dogs from puppy  mills be outlawed for sale in Santee.   The group is waiting to see if Council will agree to add the item to its agenda.

Sydney Cicourel, west coast director for The Puppy Mill Project, told Council members that her organization has gathered 3,000 signatures on a petition in support of the ban.  The group has been protesting at Pups and Pets, a Santee store that Cicourel says purchases dogs in from puppy mills where the animals are kept in “deplorable” conditions that are unsafe and unsanitary, often in stacked wire cages.

East County News Service

June 22, 2015 (San Diego's East County)--Summit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will be holding a Standing on the Side of Love event to support the national "Black Lives Matter" movement in Lemon Grove, California on June 22nd from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.. 

The movement is a rallying cry against police actions and a criminal justice system which results in extremely disproportionate acts of violence, incrimination and incarceration of Blacks in America. This event will also advocate that local law enforcement agencies such as the San Diego Sheriffs' Department stop conducting actions like Operation Lemon Drop which appear to target low income populations of color.

The rally will start at the northwest corner of Lemon Grove Avenue and Broadway.  At 5:30, local speakers will make short presentations regarding this movement in our region.