July 1, 2009 (Lemon Grove) – Yesterday the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department announced that it is joining forces with Crime Stoppers to help identify and apprehend a group of men responsible for assaulting and severely beating Russell Hinton in Spring Valley on June 13th shortly after midnight.

East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery interviewed journalist/author Sue Russell, an East County resident whose latest article exposes evidence that fingerprint analysis is not infallible as we've always thought and may be wrong in as many as 1,000 cases a year in the U.S., according to one estimate. Russell's article, BIAS AND THE BIG FINGERPRINT DUST-UP, documents how unintentional bias on the part of examiners influences their findings.

June 18, 2009 (Fallbrook) Three people were taken into custody for cultivating marijuana on Tuesday afternoon by Sheriff’s Deputies from the Fallbrook Substation. Deputy Andrew Brumfield was alerted by a concerned citizen of a possible marijuana grow in the Deluz Canyon area off of Calle Roxanne Road. Deputies Brumfield, Mark Cahill and Jeff Holder formulated a plan to conduct surveillance on the property with the help of the Sheriff’s ASTREA helicopter.

June 8, 2009 (Fallbrook)—Law enforcement officials issued 19 citations at a driving under the influence (DUI)/driver's license checkpoint Friday in Fallbrook, also towing 16 vehicles. Additional DUI checkpoints are planned for the Fallbrook area, the San Diego Sheriff’s office confirms.

April 23, 2009 (La Mesa)-- La Mesa Police received a 911 call at 1:32 p.m. on April 22 from a witness who told dispatchers that a man and two women were breaking into a home in the 7900 block of Pasadena Ave.

Officers arrived and detained two female suspects in the driveway of the victim’s residence. The witness told dispatchers the male suspect was fleeing out the back of the victim’s house. A perimeter was established and officers began a search of the area.

March 27, 2009 (Spring Valley)--An eight-year-old boy was shot in the foot while sleeping in his bed at 4:34 this morning. Suspects knocked on the door at Villas at Casa De Oro Apartments (3860 Helix Street, Spring Valley)., then began firing into the apartment using a rifle and a handgun, according to the San Diego Sheriff's Department. The boy was transported to Grossmont Hospital for treatment. His injury is not life-threatening. The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle, however no description is available from law enforcement authorities.

March 14, 2009 (Escondido)--One month after the disappearance of Amber Leeanne Duboise, 14, Escondido police have received new tips and family members are organizing searches in the community. To volunteer, visit http://www.bringamberhome.com/. Donations are also requested to help with costs of the search, which has drawn national attention. You can download flyers to post or distribute here: http://eastcountymagazine.org/?q=bringamberhome.

March 3, 2009 (San Diego)--San Diego County Crime Stoppers is joining forces with San Diego County Sheriff's Department Fallbrook detectives to help identify and apprehend the suspect responsible for robbing the Washington Mutual Bank in Fallbrook.

February 10, 2009 (La Mesa)--The day after two pedestrians were robbed at gunpoint by a masked man, Antonio Rattler (photo), a 20 year old from La Mesa,was arrested for the robberies by the La Mesa Police Department.

On February 9, 2009, in the late evening hours, a masked man armed with a gun robbed two pedestrians within thirty minutes of each other in the Parkway Drive/Fletcher Parkway area of La Mesa. Police checked the area at the time but did not locate the suspect.

January 30, 2009 (Poway) — Three men reportedly forced a 12-year-old
girl into a van
in Poway yesterday near Scots Way and Midland Road. According to the Poway
Sheriff, the victim was walking home between 5:25 and 5:45 p.m.. Three
Hispanic male adults in older white box-type utility van stopped and forced
the juvenile into the van. The suspects drove the girl around for about 20
to 30 minutes and then dropped her off unharmed. Police have released a composite sketch of one of the suspects.

Mitsubishi Eclipse with spoiler, vehicle possibly driven by suspect.

January
15, 2009 (Lakeside) — Lakeside deputies responded to a radio
call of a possible kidnapping at 10133 Maine Avenue in Lakeside shortly before
7 a.m.  Upon
arrival, deputies contacted the victim, a 15-year-old ninth grade female who
attends El Capitan High School. The victim reported an unknown male had followed
her as she walked to school from the intersection of Channel Road and Industry
Way (near Highway 67). The male suspect made several attempts to lure the female
into his vehicle by offering her a ride, and eventually stopped his vehicle
on Mapleview Street just west of Highway 67. As the victim attempted to walk
past the vehicle, the suspect got out of his vehicle and walked toward the
victim. The suspect placed his hand on the victim's shoulder and she fled the
scene to the 7-11 store at 10133 Main Avenue where she called the Sheriff's
Department.

January 9, 2009 (Ramona) — An eighteen year-old woman was attacked
by an unknown male suspect while walking home from a bus stop in the 27200
block of Sawday Truck Trail in Ramona at 3:20 p.m. today. The victim was cut
with a sharp instrument and sustained a 2 1/2 inch laceration on the back of
her head.

January 5, 2009 (La Mesa) — On January 5, 2009, at 3:12 PM, two masked
men entered the Michael's Craft Store at 9108 Fletcher Parkway, La Mesa and
robbed customers and the store employees at gunpoint.

The suspects entered the store and ordered employees and customers to the
floor while they each waved a handgun around.  The suspects took money
and jewelry from several customers and also took an undisclosed amount of money
from the store's cash registers.  The suspects fled the scene in an unknown
type white sedan.  No one was injured during the robbery. 

January 2, 2000 (La Mesa) — On January 1, an eight-year-old boy reported being
kidnapped from in front of his residence in the 4800 block of Parks Ave., La
Mesa. 

However, the La Mesa Police have concluded after further investigation that
the boy had falsified the entire story and that no crime had ever occurred.  On
January 2,  the alleged victim admitted to investigators that he had made
up the story.