Jacumba

WELCOME, DESERT DENIZENS!

Our deserts section covers the Anza Borrego Desert State Park and the communities of Borrego Springs, Ocotillo, Ocotillo Wells and Jacumba.


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SUSPECTED DUI DRIVER KILLED IN ROLLOVER CRASH IN JACUMBA

East County News Service

December 27, 2023 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – The driver of a red Ford Edge sustained fatal injuries in a solo-vehicle accident yesterday around 4:35 p.m.,  The crash also injured a passenger.  

The driver, a 52-year-old woman from  Wilmington, California, veered off I-8 westbound just east of McCain Valley Road in Jacumba Hot springs.  The vehicle rolled over multiple times, tumbling down an embankment.


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COUNTY SUPERVISORS APPROVE $3M IN FUNDING FOR MIGRANT SERVICES - BUT TOWNS CLOSEST TO BORDER BREECHES NOT ALLOCATED FUNDS

 

By Rebecca Person

 

December 13, 2023 (Jacumba Hot Springs, CA) -- Local volunteers in isolated East county border towns Jacumba and Boulevard are seeking support for humanitarian aid for migrants via a new crowd-funding campaign.  Volunteers set up this fundraising account in the face of a lack of  support by government entities such as Border Patrol and the National Guard and nonprofits such as the Red Cross, which have failed to utilize their resources to help masses of border crossers still arriving on U.S. ground. Border Patrol has directed them into barren detention sites with zero supplies. Water, shelter and food resources are being supplied mostly by volunteers through donations.


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VOLUNTEERS USE PEANUT BUTTER DIPLOMACY TO RESOLVE TOUGH BORDER SITUATION

By Rebecca Person

Photos by R. Person and Noah Miller

October 10, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) -- What began as a trickle of migrant activity at the Mexican border outside small towns in the farthest corner of east San Diego County has surged to a humanitarian crisis - a river, a deluge of hundreds of border crossings here daily. The scene has mirrored and surpassed the crisis last May, when the towns of Jacumba Hot Springs and Boulevard felt a sudden wave of migrants when Title 42 was lifted and Title 8 returned.

Those changes allowed migrants to apply for asylum.  But for those not able to qualify for asylum, crossing the border can lead to formal deportation back to one’s country of origin and possible criminal prosecution if the person makes a second entry within five years. 

Humanitarian groups such as Border Kindness have joined local resident volunteers and some church groups to bring a steady supply of donations - bottled water, blankets, jackets and tarps to migrants camped along the border fence. Also sandwiches, especially the peanut butter kind.


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VIDEO OF THE WEEK: HURRICANE FUELS LIGHTNING STORM IN JACUMBA

August 19, 2023 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Outer bands of Hurricane Hilary have sparked an estimated 1,000 cloud-to-cloud lighting strikes in San Diego County, the National Weather Service says.  At the Desert View Tower in Jacumba Hot Springs, overlooking Imperial Valley, Gabrielle Schultz had a birds-eye view and shot this dramatic video of a lightning storm before dawn this morning.


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NUDITY NO MORE: DE ANZA SPRINGS RESORT ORDERS RESIDENTS TO COVER UP

Owner cites financial need, but residents say they're getting a raw deal and seek legal counsel

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Milt Cyphert

August 3, 2023 (Jacumba Hot Springs, CA) – For nearly three decades, the De Anza Springs Resort in the high desert community of Jacumba Hot Springs has provided a 523-acre haven for naturalists to bare all, as one of the nation’s largest clothing-optional destinations.

But two days ago, residents received stark news:  a letter from the resort’s new management informing them of a decision to become a “textile” park. Starting September 1, clothing will be required in all common areas such as the pool and hiking trails. Then on October 1, nudity will be banned everywhere on the property, including privately owned and leased sites.

The action has laid bare resentments and anger among residents who bought or leased sites specifically for the freedom to be clothes-free,  as well as among frequent visitors who purchased club memberships. Some are seeking legal counsel over what they contend were deceptive marketing practices, as well as concerns over loud concerts and other problems stemming from changes implemented by the new owners.

“We understand that change can sometimes be met with mixed feelings, and we empathize with those who might feel upset or uncertain about the introduction of the new clothing rule,” the owners’ letter states, also encouraging residents with questions to  setup an appointment by emailing Luke Wasyliw, who blames residents for not supporting some events and cites financial needs.


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LIVES IN DANGER: REPORT PROMPTS HUMANITARIAN GROUP TO FILE FEDERAL COMPLAINT ACCUSING BORDER PATROL OF ENDANGERING MIGRANTS IN JACUMBA

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Lilian Serrano, Director, Southern Border Communities Coalition

May 18, 2023 (Jacumba Hot Springs) —the U.S. Immigration Policy Center (USIPC) at the University of California, San Diego, issued a blistering report accusing Border Patrol of endangering migrants’ lives by depriving them of food, water, shelter, medical care and other necessities. The damning report is titled Lives in Danger:  Seeking Asylum Against the Backdrop of Increased Border Enforcement. It was published on May 16, two days after ECM broke the story of some 1,000 to 2,000 migrants in Jacumba Hot Springs who were aided by residents after Border Patrol failed to provide food or shelter.

In addition, the nonprofit humanitarian group Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) has filed a federal complaint with Homeland Security’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, alleging mistreatment of the Jacumba asylum-seekers and violations of both U.S. and international law.

Lilian Serrano, director of SBCC, told ECM in an interview for KNSJ radio that volunteers withessed ”families, children, elders waiting outdoors for days without access to food or water.”  Regarding filing the complaint, she said, ”Our hope is that we can find out why were there outdoor detention facilities in our area, what was the reasoning behind that, and why were agents in full, clear violation of their policy – but more importantly, what can we do to prevent this from every happening again? Because regardless of your situation, whether you are coming in for asylum or not, basic standards need to be met. We cannot allow another child to go hungry in front of a federal agent.”

Audio: 


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JACUMBA CRASH KILLS MEMBER OF U.S. NAVY, INJURES FOUR OTHERS

East County News Service

Update June 6, 2022:  The U.S. Navy  has identified the deceased as Electronics Technician 2nd Class John Deltoro, 29. All five sailors involved in the crash are assigned to West Coast-based Naval Special Warfare units.

June 3, 2022 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – Four women in the U.S. Navy were injured and a Navy man died in a solo vehicle crash in Jacumba Hot Springs this morning.


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JACUMBA BATHHOUSE BAZAAR FEB. 5TH AND EVERY FIRST SATURDAY

East County News Service 

February 3, 2022 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – You’re invited to a Bathhouse Bazaar at 44450 Old Highway Highway 80 in Jacumba Hot Springs. This Saturday, February 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be a Taco Love food truck on site, along with Pine Valley Honey.


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ISSA AND JACOBS ANNOUNCE THEY WILL SEEK REELECTION FOR CONGRESS AFTER NEW DISTRICT BOUNDARIES APPROVED

By Miriam Raftery

Image:  final Congressional districts in San Diego County. Courtesy Citizens Redistricting Commission

December 21, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – Yesterday, California’s independent citizen redistricting commission unanimously approved the state’s new Congressional district maps, which will be certified December 27.  Today, two of East County’s Congressional members, Democrat Sara Jacobs and Republican Darrell Issa, announced plans to seek reelection in their new and solidly safe districts.


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SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY POWER INKS DEAL WITH BAYWARE TO BUY ENERGY FROM JACUMBA SOLAR SITE, BUT COUNTY HAS NOT YET APPROVED PROJECT

East County News Service

July 8, 2021 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- BayWa r.e., a renewable energy developer and services provider, has entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with San Diego Community Power (SDCP), the not-for-profit community choice energy program serving five cities in the San Diego region.

Under the terms of the agreement, SDCP would purchase power for 20 years from the Jacumba Valley Ranch (JVR) Energy Park being developed by BayWa r.e. near Jacumba Hot Springs in San Diego County.


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JACUMBA RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO FIGHT SOLAR PROJECT: JULY 9 PLANNNG COMMISSION HEARING IS NEXT STEP

Story and photos by Henri Migala 

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

June 30, 2021 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Imagine moving to a small, quiet, rural community over an hour away from a major metropolitan area to enjoy the quiet solitude of the open backcountry--only to learn that an international investment group is planning on building a massive solar project, six times larger than your entire community, within feet from you house.<--break->


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READER’S EDITORIAL: HELP FIGHT “GREEN MONSTER” IN JACUMBA: SD COMMUNITY POWER VOTE SLATED FOR TODAY

By Greg Curran

May 27, 2021 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- The community of Jacumba Hot Springs needs your voice to push back again the impending destruction of our small rural community which has been designated as a Colonia.

Jacumba is a diverse, low income community (~50 percent white, ~38 percent Latino or Hispanic, ~20 percent Pacific Islander.) Many of the residents are renters, and a large number are disabled and living on small fixed incomes. With Jacumba's affordable home prices (100K to 200K), people have an opportunity to own a modest home here. However, they will not have the resources to move to a more expensive community if the developer (BayWe re) is successful in pushing through a 623 acre utility-scale solar project within the Jacumba village boundary. This solar project will provide no jobs for locals and more importantly, it will keep Jacumba from growing or ever having a border crossing, things that would improve the vitality of this currently economically depressed town.(See brief project summary.)

Previously in April 2021, the Jacumba Sponsor Group voted to approve a 200 acre solar facility that would be pulled back away for residences, the Jacumba airport, and scenic Highway 80. On May 18, 2021, the sponsor group voted unanimously to deny the 623 acre Jacumba Valley Ranch (JVR) project for a variety of reasons.

Just two days ago, we learned that San Diego Community Power will be voting today on whether to approval a 20 year power purchase agreement with the JVR solar developer. It is item 16 on their agenda.


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JACUMBA STREET MARKET JANUARY 9

East County News Service
 
January 5, 2021 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – The Jacumba Street Market will be Saturday, January 9 and on the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Safety protocols for COVID-19 will be observed, according to organizers.

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JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS REACTS TO MASSIVE PROPOSED ENERGY PROJECT, ASKS FOR LOCALS TO SUBMIT CONCERNS IN WRITING BY DEC. 7

By Rebecca Person

November 23, 2020 (Jacumba Hot Springs) --  Residents of quiet Jacumba Hot Springs, a longtime retreat destination for traveling nature lovers and health seekers worldwide, are raising their voices to object to a proposed solar farm directly adjacent to the town. At a meeting Nov. 11 in town, they gathered to learn more about the proposed project and weigh in on its impact on their lives.

Locals say the project, which would cover an area of 643 acres, 6 times the area of their town, will impact its economic base and atmosphere. It could destroy the town’s travel appeal on historic Old Highway 80 where tourists, bicycle, motorcycle and classic car clubs venture, hikers explore the scenic high desert known for its boulder formations, desert washes and native plants, oaks, sunsets and sunshine.  


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COMMUNITY CLEANUPS AND GREEN WASTE CHIPPING EVENTS IN POTRERO, JACUMBA AND CAMPO

By Miriam Raftery

September 17, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – Community clean-up events are slated in three backcountry communities for residents to bring e-waste, furniture, box springs, appliances, mattress and other oversized trash (but no construction waste) from 8 a.m. until dumpsters are full. Chipping of green waste will also be available from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.  The events are scheduled for:

CAMPO:  Sept. 19 at Homemaker’s Thrift Shop, 987 Custer Rd.

JACUMBA: Oct. 17 at Jacumba Community Park, 44605 Old Highway 80

POTRERO: Nov. 21 at Potrero Community Park, 24800 Potrero Park Dr.


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SDG&E PLANNED OUTAGES IN TRIPLE-DIGIT HEAT AND STORMS MAY ENDANGER SAFETY OF RESIDENTS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: New power poles in Pine Valley are made of steel, not wood, for fire safety, as part of the upgrades that SDG&E has been installing across inland San Diego County.

Updated August 23, 2020 9:40 a.m. with responses from SDG&E.

August 22, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – Amid a record-breaking heat wave with monsoonal thunderstorms, flash floods and lightning-sparked fires forecast as potential added hazards, SDG&E has announced plans to shut off power for hours during the heat of the day on Sunday and Monday across much of San Diego County.  

The outages are to upgrade wood poles to steel, among other equipment upgrades or maintenance planned.

The NWS has warned that the intense heat  this week can be life-threatening for those without air conditioning, yet the power outage will leave any residents who lack generators without access to safe, cool spaces amid the COVID-19 pandemic when many public, air-conditioned places are shut down.

Rural residents with electric well pumps will also be left without water for people or livestock to drink, as well as for fighting fires, as many rural residents equipped with tanks and hoses have done in past brush fires, unless they have invested in generators. Downed communications including internet and in some areas, phone service also leave residents unable to receive emergency alerts despite a high potential for emergencies during the extreme weather conditions.


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JACUMBA HIKERS GROUP BECOMES PART OF IMPERIAL VALLEY DESERT MUSEUM PROGRAMS

By Miriam Raftery

 
August 17, 2020 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – After multiple requests seeking new hiking leaders following the loss of several long-time leaders, the Jacumba Hikers group will now be administered by the Imperial Valley Desert Museum (IVDM).  The museum’s board voted on August 13 to accept the proposal.

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TWO DEAD IN FIERY ROLLOVER ON I-8

By Miriam Raftery
 
July 10, 2020 (Jacumba)  -- A fiery vehicle rollover near the In-Ko-Pah brake check in Jacumba Hot Springs on Interstate 8 yesterday afternoon claimed the life of two patients and injured a third.
 
Cal Fire and the California Highway Patrol responded to the accidents.  First responders rescued two patients from the wreckage, both with major injuries. One was transported via air ambulance to a hospital Cal fire reports, but the other died at the scene, according to Cal Fire. A third victim was found dead in the vehicle.

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READER’S EDITORIAL: BORDER WALL IN JACUMBA WILDERNESS THREATENS GROUNDWATER FOR COMMUNITIES AND AN ENDANGERED SPECIES, THE CRUCIFIXION THORN

By Craig Deutsche

July 5, 2020 (Jacumba) - There have been a number of articles in large newspapers about the border wall and legal challenges. Most probably the story in California is only a detail in the big picture, although there might be several unique concerns here. One concern is that the Congressional designation of the Jacumba Wilderness in 1994 is very explicit and very restrictive in what is permitted within the boundaries.

More recently in 2019, the Department of Homeland Security waived seventeen federal environmental laws where border security was involved in Imperial County. These included the Wilderness Act of 1964, the National Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Waters Act, and the Antiquities Act of 1906. It is under this umbrella that the work proceeds. What is less clear, is whether it is possible to set aside state and county regulations that may otherwise apply.

The pipe shown in the photo runs five or six miles from several wells outside the Jacumba Wilderness Area to the construction area at the border. The pipe is 12 inches in diameter and is intended to provide water for concrete. [Aggregate for the concrete is visible in the second photo beside the equipment.] This water is drawn from a rather limited aquifer underlying several small communities in western Imperial County.


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RENEGADES, ROCK HOUSES, AND RESORTS: NEW BOOK CHRONICLES EAST COUNTY HISTORY

 

By Larry Johnson, President, Mountain Empire Historical Society

July 16, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Have you driven down scenic Highway 80 through its eastern stretch of San Diego County and noticed a lone chimney standing like a silent sentinel in a field, or a very old building that appears to date back to a previous era and wondered about their history?

If so, a new book written by historian and author Cherry Diefenbach called Renegades, Rock Houses and Resorts…the Stories of Jacumba Hot Spring and Surrounds may be just the ticket.

This nearly 500-page book provides a comprehensive history of the area using more than 1,200 photos, hundreds of old newspaper articles, and personal accounts from the descendants of early settlers. Many of the photographs have not been published elsewhere.

Finished after nearly five years of research, the book chronicles the colorful history of local mountain and desert comunities including Bankhead Springs, Boulder Park/Desert View Tower, Boulevard/Manzanita, Hipass/Tierra Del Sol, Jacumba Hot Springs, Live Oak Springs, Mountain Springs, and Oasis.

 

 

 


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GIANT WIND PROJECTS DRAW STRONG OPPOSITION FROM RURAL RESIDENTS AND TRIBAL MEMBERS: DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS IS TODAY

 

By Rebecca Person

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this article

Photos: An existing wind project on the Campo reservation has previously had multiple fires caused by exploding wind turbines, shown here, raising alarm among area residents over fire dangers and other potential hazards posed by the proposed new and far larger turbines

February 3, 2020 (Campo) -- Residents of Campo, Boulevard and Jacumba voiced their concerns Jan. 23rd at a meeting in Boulevard held by the County Planning Development Services staff addressing the construction of 120 wind turbines in Boulevard and on the Campo Reservation.

The wind turbines will be 596’ tall, taller than towers which dot the high desert that stand between 325' to almost 400 ft tall. 60 turbines are planned for the Campo Indian Reservation, and 30 turbines for McCain Valley near I-8 freeway in Boulevard. According to Donna Tisdale, chair of the Boulevard Community Planning Group, these may be the largest wind turbines ever erected on land. Turbines on tribal land would also abut her property in rural Boulevard. Setbacks from some homes would be far less than at many other wind projects, even though the turbines are larger.

Over 60 local residents gathered at the meeting and many spoke of the effects existing towers have had on their quality of life. Campo Band of Mission Indians tribal members who live on the Campo Reservation and oppose the project stated that they have presented a petition with 65 signatures asking their tribal council to overturn an earlier disputed vote to erect the giant turbines on the reservation.


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JACUMBA'S FESTIVAL OF SUNFLOWERS: A POP-UP SHOW OF LOCAL ART STARTS NEW TRADITION

By Rebeca Person

Editor Miriam Raftery contributed to this report

November 22, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Local Jacumba artists exhibited their works in a Pop-Up Show October 5th launching Jacumba’s first ever Festival of Sunflowers at Gilliam Gallery in downtown Jacumba Hot Springs.
 
Linda Churchill, muralist and mosaic artist, revealed new mosaics and oil paintings of Jacumba’s scenic beauty. 
 
Now the community plans to make this event an annual tradition.


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JACUMBA FALL FESTIVAL OCT 5 BENEFITS COMMUNITY’S PARK

By Miriam Raftery

September 21, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – The Jacumba Community Service District invites you to a Fall Festival on Saturday,  Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jacumba Community Park (44653 Old Highway 80).


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JUDGE APPROVES RELEASE OF “BOLDER THAN MOST” RAPIST, BUT LOCATION NOT YET DETERMINED

By Miriam Raftery
 
July 29, 2019 (San Diego) – Alvin Ray Quarles, dubbed the “Bolder than Most” rapist, will be released to a supervised home at an as-yet undisclosed location somewhere in San Diego County, Superior Court Judge David Gill ruled today.
 
Last fall, Gill ruled that Quarles could be released to a supervised residence in Jacumba Hot Springs, but later agreed to reconsider his decision at the request of prosecutors and Supervisor Dianne Jacob. After several days of an evidentiary hearing from which victims of Quarles were barred last week, Judge Gill has affirmed that Quarles can be released. However, the Jacumba property fell through, so an August 30 status conference has been set, when the state may present housing options and the public can testify, Times of San Diego reports.

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JACUMBA MAN, 76, DIES A WEEK AFTER ROLLOVER CRASH

By Miriam Raftery
 
June 27, 2019 (Jacumba) – Larry Wayne McClellan, 76, of Jacumba died in a hospital June 24th of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident that occurred a week earlier.
 
On June 17th, he was driving a sedan from Jacumba to El Centro when he struck a fixed object and his vehicle rolled over off an embankment. He was transported to UCSD Medical Center, where his condition declined and he was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. on June 24, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner.

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HEALING WOMEN AT JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS SPA RESORT APRIL 6

 

 

By Rebecca Person

March 28, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- The Healing Women are back. You're invited to come for a day of renewal on April 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jacumba Hot Springs Spa Resort (44500 Old Highway 80) in Jacumba Hot Springs.  Opening with an Earth &  Water blessing, the event also features a selection of healing and psychic therapies.  


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SLEEPY JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS GETS A WAKE-UP CALL: PROPOSED MAJOR ENERGY PROJECT DRAWS CONCERNED CROWD

 

 

By R. Person

March 27, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) -- Residents of the sleepy 1930s resort town Jacumba Hot Springs are awakening to the realities of a massive solar project planned for the edge of town on a site previously dedicated to a walled equestrian housing project.


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MARCH 21 SCOPING MEETING ON JACUMBA VALLEY RANCH SOLAR PROJECT

By Miriam Raftery

March 8, 2019 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – The proposed 90 megawatt Jacumba Valley Ranch (JVR) solar project on 1,345 acres next to the Jacumba Hot Springs airport has a project footprint “much larger than the small town that is right next door,” says Donna Tisdale, chair of the Boulevard Planning Group.

An environmental impact report will be prepared and public input  is sought on what should be included in the EIR.  Comments are due by April 8.  A scoping meeting will be held on March 21, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. at the Highland Community Center, 44681 Old Highway 80, Jacumba Hot Springs.

Below is the county’s public notice with full details:


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SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATOR PROPOSED FOR RELEASE IN JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS

 

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Herman Smith, San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept.

March 30, 2018 (Jacumba Hot Springs) — A hearing is set for April 27 on proposed release of Herman Smith at 42920 Desert Rose Ranch Road in Jacumba Hot Springs.  Smith has been convicted of sexually violent crimes including rape by force in 1993, oral copulation with a minor under age 14 by force or fear, and sodomizing a victim under age 14 with force. He has also been convicted of raping a drugged victim.


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