February 26, 2011 (2 p.m.) - New road hazards have been announced since our morning update  including SIGALERTS and closures of several major highways and freeways due to hazards ranging from boulders to flooding to power lines collapsed by heavy snow.

February 25, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – A cold storm will bring heavy snowfall late tonight through Saturday evening.

Snow is forecast to drop to unusually low elevations of 2,000 feet in East County’s mountains and upper deserts. Interstate 8 east of Alpine, Cuyamaca, Boulevard, Descanso Ranchita, and Pine Valley are among the areas where snow is predicted, as well as Palomar and Laguna mountains, where more than a foot of snow fell last weekend.

February 25, 2011 (Lakeside) – An unidentified man around 25-35 years old was found dead beneath a large wood pallet at 10303 Channel Road in Lakeside at 8:30 p.m. last night. His body was found by apparent transients at a drilling site, the San Diego Medical Examiner’s office reports.

 

February 23, 2011 (Escondido) – Jean and Scott Adam, a Southern California couple, have been killed by Somali pirates after being taken hostage last week off the coast of Oman. Phyllis Mackay and Robert Riggle of Seattle also died during an exchange of gunfire between their captors and the U.S. Navy.

“Our loved ones were tragically taken from us and our hearts are broken,” said a statement issued by the Sem family of Escondido, relatives of Scott Adam. 

February 22, 2011 (Borrego) -- San Diego Sheriff's Department helicopter, Copter 10, crewed by Cal-Fire and Sheriff's personnel launched from their base at Gillespie Field in El Cajon to assist emergency services personnel already on scene at the trail head of Palm Canyon in Anza Borrego. Initial reports this morning were that a hiker had sustained unknown injuries and was unable to make it out of the canyon and back to the trail head.

February 21, 2011 (Descanso)-- Sheriff’s deputies, U.S. Border Patrol agents and CalFire personnel responded to a call of a dead body in rural Descanso around 7:15 a.m. Authorities found a Hispanic man dead at the scene. He may have been with a group of illegal border crossers who entered the U.S. this weekend during sub-freezing temperatures.

A man hospitalized in San Diego has identified a woman found dead in the same area as his wife. He told authorities that members of the group became separated from each other near Descanso. U.S. Border Patrol agents are now searching the area for other potential victims, said Lt. Dennis Brugos with the Sheriff’s homicide detail.

February 19, 2011 (Pine Valley) – Two separate serious accidents have just occurred on both sides of I-8 near the Pine Valley exit.

At 4:16 p.m., CHP reports that a small sedan spun out and rolled onto the center divider. A pedestrian was hit on the westbound side. Two additional vehicles then spun out.
 

The second accident occurred nearly simultaneously on eastbound I-8 just east of the Pine Valley bridge around 4:15 p.m. At least two vehicles have rolled over and injuries are reported, with one vehicle on its roof as of 4:21 p.m.

Update 10:25 p.m.: CHP reports only minor injury in this accident, which is now cleared.
February 18, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – A Ford vehicle has plunged 200 feet over the side and rolled down into a canyon after losing control on rain-slicked I-8 just east of Highway 79. According to California Highway Patrol’s website, at least one person is trapped inside.

A rescue effort is in progress, involving 200 feet of cable down the steep side of the canyon.

February 18, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Heavy rains, thunderstorms, and flash flooding are forecast for tonight and tomorrow with snow falling down to 3,000 feet. That’s low enough to dust the tops of El Cajon Mountain (El Capitan and Tecate Peak, as well as communities such as Pine Valley and Warner Springs. A slight chance of severe weather including hail, waterspouts and tornadoes also exists through tomorrow night.

February 16, 2011 (San Diego) – A Hispanic man in his 50s, driving a white four-door car attempted to abduct a 10-year-old girl walking to Euclid Elementary School at 8 a.m., San Diego Police report. 

According to Sgt. Ray Battrick, the girl was walking northbound in the west alley of 4000 46th Street approaching Polk Avenue when the man asked if she wanted a ride. She refused and kept walking. The man got out, grabbed her from behind, and pulled her by the arm towards his car.

February 15, 2011 (Jamul) – A SIG ALERT has been used for an accident that has shut down eastbound Highway 94 at Rancho Jamul Road just east of Jamul Estates. The crash involves a big-rig truck and another vehicle, Incident Page Network reports.

Third major injury in a week at East County waterfalls

February 13, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – A 24-year-old woman fell from a rope swing at Cedar Creek Falls and broke her leg this afternoon. San Diego Sheriff’s personnel launched a rescue at the popular East County swimming hole near Ramona, which is bordered by steep canyon walls in the Cleveland National Forest.

February 13, 2011 (Ramona) – Manuel Alba, 85, has died of injuries sustained when he was struck and killed by a pickup truck pulling a wood chipper in Ramona. Alba, a widower who lived in Ramona, was crossing the intersection at Main Street and Seventh Street in Ramona when he was hit on February 11th at 7:47 a.m.

February 12, 2011 (San Carlos) – The driver, 33, of a 1993 Chevy truck is dead after rolling 150 feet down a steep cliff.  He was traveling northbound on Golfcrest and went straight through the intersection at Mission Gorge Road, crashing through a guardrail around 10:30 a.m., according to San Diego Police.