Update:  The body of Max  Lenail has been found in Mission Trails Regional Park, his parents have confirmed on Facebook.  His father indicated that the death was apparently the result of a tragic accident.

By Miriam Raftery

January 30, 2021 (San Diego) – A search is underway in Mission Trails Regional Park for Maximilian “Max” Lenail. The 21-year-old man left North Park to go for a run in Mission Trails Regional Park on January 29. Heleft his white Subaru Outback parked at the trailhead, but has not been seen since, according to a flyer circulated in a Facebook group set up to help find him.

He was last seen wearing bright orange running shorts and a gray tank top at 10:30 a.m. yesterday. He is 5 feet, eight inches tall and weighs 160 pounds.

 “A land search started at 9 a.m. this morning at the trailhead,” Heath Meyer, a friend of Lenail, told ECM in an email this morning.

East County News Service

January 29, 2021 (San Diego) -- As part of Human Trafficking Awareness Month, the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force (SDHTTF) conducted a three-day operation (January 26-28) throughout San Diego County targeting sex buyers and traffickers. The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and allied local law enforcement agencies arrested a total of 30 men for solicitation and one man for pimping, pandering, and possession of a concealed firearm, after he recruited an undercover detective into prostitution online.  These cases will be referred to local prosecutors.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Erik Herrara

Updated 9:30 p.m. with clarification from El Cajon Police that a counterprotester who alleged assault did later file a police report.

January 29, 2021 (El Cajon) – The County’s public health officer and many local residents are speaking out critically of El Cajon’s leadership after Mayor Bill Wells gave the opening prayer at a religious gathering January 17^th that drew hundreds of outdoor worshippers at Prescott Promenade, nearly all without masks.

The “Let Us Worship” Christian service and concert was organized by evangelical musician Sean Feucht, who exhorted the crowd to yell as loudly as they could despite medical evidence that singing and shouting at worship services has led to super-spreader events and deaths elsewhere. He also invited people to come onstage for a “born again” ritual in which they were prayed over and hugged by faith leaders.

The event was in direct violation of the state and county COVID-19 regulations, held at a time when regional ICU capacity is zero and a stay-home order was in place due to surging COVID cases, including new, rapidly spreading variants.

East County News Service

January 28, 2021 (San Diego) - Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) has reintroduced legislation in partnership with San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan to extend the presumption of openness that exists in California courtrooms to proceedings under the Sexually Violent Predator Act. They initiated a similar effort last year but had to put it on hold due to the Legislature’s focus on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senate Bill 248 would require that proceedings for the civil commitment of a sexually violent predator (SVP) and subsequent hearings regarding his/her potential release be in open court and on the record, unless compelling and extraordinary circumstances justify closing the courtroom to the public. This bill would require a notice to all parties of the proposed closure and that it be made at least 10 calendar days prior to the closed court hearing.

Source: Superior Court of California, County of San Diego

January 28, 2021 (San Diego) – San Diego Superior Court jury trials were suspended throughout most of 2020, though a few trials were held in October and November. Jury trials were again suspended in December and January; however, the Court now aims to resume jury trials in February 2021.

Jury duty summonses were mailed to members of the public starting in September 2020. Beginning in late November summonsed individuals were advised they did not need to report for duty when they called the telephone standby phone number while trials were paused. Individuals with summons for dates in February and beyond should follow the instructions on their summons to call in for telephone standby jury duty. Small groups will be instructed to report in person for jury duty. Those not called in on the first day of their telephone standby service will need to call in the next day for further instructions until their service is complete.

By Miriam Raftery

January 28, 2021 (San Diego) – Over half of all hand sanitizers from Mexico have been found to contain toxic ingredients, many at dangerous levels, and 84% of samples tested failed to comply with FDA regulations. So on January 26, the FDA announced a nationwide import alert on all hand sanitizers made in Mexico to prevent them from entering the US. Until the agency can review products’ safety.

UPDATE:  THE VISTA TEEN HAS BEEN REUNITED WITH HER FAMILY AS OF TODAY, JAN. 28, 2021.

Source:  San Diego County Sheriff

January 27, 2021 (Vista) -- The Vista Sheriff's Station wants your help in locating a missing teenager who ran away from home. Natalie Munoz, 13, was last seen just after 2:00 p.m January 26th in the 1900 block of Yettford Road in Vista.  Her family told deputies she ran away from home after she got into an argument with her father.  Munoz does not have a history of running away and did not take a cell phone with her.  It is not known where she may be headed.

By Miriam Raftery

January 27, 2021 (Washington D.C.) – President Joe Biden’s national strategy to combat COVID-19, includes orders to purchase 200 million more vaccine doses from Pfizer and Moderna, boosting supply to 600 million. He also announced ramped up distribution of vaccines by next week to states and tribal governments.

This week he also plans to sign an executive order to reopen open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act health insurance policies, since so many out of work Americans have lost healthcare during the pandemic. Biden also plans to make it easier for low-income people to join Medicaid by rolling back certain restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, CNN reports.

In addition, Biden has ordered increased production of the vaccines  with the expectation that all of the 368 million Americans who want to be vaccinated will have vaccines available this spring, a pace dramatically accelerated over the prior administration both in numbers of vaccines available and pace of distribution.

By Kate Cimini, CalMatters

CalMatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  John adjusts the covers on his massage table. Photo by Ayrton Ostly, The Salinas Californian

January 25, 2021 (Salinas) - When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down his Bay Area region massage business, John went 93 days without income.  

Bureau to protect Californians with disabilities from discrimination and other harms

Source:  California Department of Justice

January 25, 2021 (Sacramento) - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced the establishment of the Bureau of Disability Rights (Bureau) within the Civil Rights Enforcement Section (Section) of the California Department of Justice. The Bureau will focus on matters that seek to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are advanced through specific investigations and litigation. The Bureau will also expand on the Section's work to vindicate the rights of persons with disabilities on issues including discrimination in education, healthcare, employment, access to public services, and with regard to law enforcement involvement. 

By Miriam Raftery

January 22, 2021 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police officers conducting a traffic stop in the 1200 block of Main Street led to the arrest of Neil Alequin, 37, of El Cajon on numerous charges of possessing illegal weapons and drugs.

A probation search of his vehicle and residence found numerous weapons including six illegally possessed handguns (several loaded), illegal high-capacity magazines, various calibers of ammunition, parts and machining equipment used to assemble illegal firearms, several stun guns, brass knuckles, and a pistol suppressor. The search also found narcotics.

Regional taskforce formed to bridge the digital divide gap in the San Diego region

Source:  SANDAG

Photo: Creative Commons by SA

January 22, 2021 (San Diego) - At its meeting Friday, the SANDAG Board of Directors adopted a resolution to support increased broadband access throughout the region to help bridge the digital divide – the gap that exists between those with and without access to information and communications technology such as broadband, computers, and smart phones. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issues caused by the digital divide, limiting people’s ability to work from home or participate in virtual classroom settings.

By Miriam Raftery

January 22, 2021 (El Cajon) – The January 26 agenda for the El Cajon City Council includes a proposal to remove Planning Commissioner Humbert Cabrera over alleged conflicts of interest and ethical concerns.

According to a report by Mayor Bill Wells and Mayor Pro Tem Gary Kendrick, the City Council has received complaints about Cabrera in emails and public comments.  The report raises three main areas of concern.