East County News Service

Photo: Tijuana River Valley; CC by SA via Bing

August 8, 2020 (Spring Valley)  – The Spring Valley Cleanup Crew and a coalition of San Diego activists are uniting for a protest in front of Rep. Juan Vargas' (D-CA) office this Monday, Aug. 9 at 8:30 a.m. to demand additional funding be deployed for the Tijuana River Valley crisis.

By David R. Shorey, East County Program Manager, Institute for Public Strategies

Photo:  celebrating the first anniversary of of the Spring Valley Community Alliance are, L to R, SVCA President Braulio Sanabra, Regional Manager Charles Gailband of County Park and Rec., and SVCA Vice President Chris Pierce. Photo courtesy IPS.

August 5, 2021 (Spring Valley) - Braulio Sanabria felt uncomfortable with what was happening in and around Lamar County Park in Spring Valley. There were discarded mini alcohol bottles, drug paraphernalia, graffiti, drug sales and homeless encampments. So he decided to do something about it. What began as one man with a trash bag on a summer day in 2020 has evolved into the Spring Valley Community Alliance (SVCA). The effort grew organically as more and more neighbors began joining Sanabria on Sunday mornings to pick up trash, adopt a highway, report graffiti and take pride in the neighborhood. SVCA recently celebrated its first anniversary with a community cleanup, picnic and celebration at the park on Bancroft Drive.

By Miriam Raftery

July 26, 2021 (Spring Valley) – Jammerieo Austin, 26, of San Diego has been arrested and charged with the murder of Karmen Dionne Anderson, 40, also known as Karmen Hicks. 

Update July 28, 2021: The deceased man has been identified as Victor Sosa-Soto, 33,  of Villa Hidalgo, Mexico, according to the San Diego Medical Examiner.

Story and photo by Miriam Raftery

Photo: Grave of an unknown migrant in Hemet, one of 10,000 people estimated to have died crossing the U.S.-Mexico border since 1994, according to Border Angels. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the rate is increasing, with more migrants dying crossing the border in the first three months of 2021 than in all of 2019.

July 18, 2021 (Dulzura) – On June 30, a search and rescue group found the body of a male believed to be from Mexico, part of a group of undocumented immigrants crossing the international border.

East County News Service

Photo: U.S. Army helicopter training, cc via Bing

July 17, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego County has issued a noise advisory for East County’s Descanso and East Alpine communities due to military set for Wednesday, July 21 and Monday, July 26.

Update 9:25 p.m.: The #BorderFire is now 30 acres and 50 percent contained.  Evacuation orders have been lifted and the temporary evacuation point is closed.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos via CalFire and CalFire international partners

July 15, 2021 (Tecate) – Downed power lines in Mexico sparked the #BorderFire this afternoon, which crossed onto the U.S. side of the international boundary at Tecate, according to Cal Fire on Twitter. Forward spread has been stopped.

The fire began near Tecate Mission Road, west of the Tecate Port of Entry The blaze burned 20 acres at a moderate rate of spread toward the northeast,

An evacuation warning was issued for the community of Tecate and a temporary evacuation point was established at the Potrero Elementary School. 

Update July 15, 2021:  On July 13, the Medical Examiner's Office conducted the autopsy and has identified the victim as Donte Anthony Lopez, 42, of San Diego. Lopez's family has been notified of his death. The preliminary cause of death is gunshot wound and the manner of death is homicide.

East County News Service

July 12, 2021 (La Presa/Spring Valley, Calif.) -- Law enforcement is encouraging anyone with information about a shooting last night around 11 p.m. near the intersection of Elkelton Blvd. and Crestmore Ave. in unincorporated San Diego County to come forward and speak with the Sheriff’s Homicide Unit, or, to stay anonymous, Crime Stoppers.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos via Cal Fire

Update July 15, 2021:  The cause of the Marron Fire was a truck that ignited brush, says Cal Fire Captain Thomas Shoots .  "The gentleman was trying to get to the South Bay Rod and Gun Club" but became disoriented on a dirt road and had a techhnical issue with his vehicle, says Shoots, adding that the driver was cooperative and remained on the scene after his truck burned.

July 11, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – The #MarronFire, which began last night along marron Valley Road south of the South Bay Rod & Gun Club in Dulzura, burned approximately 52 acres overnight. The blaze briefly threatened homes and high voltage power lines, however this morning, Cal Fire reports the fire is 40% contained. 

By Miriam Raftery

July 3, 2021 (San Diego) -- The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services is asking all County residents to fill out a survey about the Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program.  The SDG&E program to shut off power during high fire-risk conditions has sparked controversy across the backcountry among residents left without electricity to power their homes, businesses, wells pumps, and other vital needs. The deadline to complete the survey is July 13.

The survey asks residents whether they received adequate notification of such outages and whether they experienced financial losses, among other details – the first step toward documenting impacts of the program and potentially leading to changes.

By Miriam Raftery

July 3, 2021(El Cajon) – A San Diego resident, 57, died at a hospital where he was transported after a solo-vehicle crash at 4:08 a.m., July 1, in unincorporated El Cajon.

The motorist was driving a 2008 Chevrolet Trailblaze westbound on Dehesa Road, east of Cunningham Lane, when he missed a curve. The vehicle rolled over and struck a utility pole.  The driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and sustained fatal injuries.

J S Plastering of Jamul also assessed $25,000 in penalties for willful violations

 By Miriam Raftery

June 30, 2021 (Jamul) – Failing to pay overtime wages has cost JS Plastering of Jamul nearly $125,000 in back wages and penalties.

An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that the company paid overtime hours at straight-time rates in unrecorded cash, instead of paying time and a half as required by law when employees work more than 40 hours in a week.  

The investigation led to the recovery of $98,720 in overtime back wages owed to 39 employees and assessment of $25,380 in penalties for the employer’s willful violation of the law.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Person of interest and suspect vehicle sought by deputies

June 25, 2021 (Spring Valley) – Kenneth Love II was shot and killed June 2, 2020 while working as a security guard at a marijuana dispensary in the 8700 block of Troy Street in Spring Valley.  A year later, Sheriff’s deputies are still actively working on solving the case and they are asking public help to identify the killer.

His family is offering a $3,000 reward in addition to a $1,000 reward offered by Crimestoppers for information leading to the arrest of a suspect.

Source: Caltrans

June 23, 2021 (Campo) -- Caltrans crews anticipate closures at Interstate 8 (I-8) and Crestwood Road in Campo for four weeks beginning Tuesday, July 6 to replace guardrail systems. The work will require full closures of the westbound I-8/Crestwood Road on-ramp and the eastbound I-8/Crestwood Road off-ramp near the Golden Acorn Casino, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through early August. Please see the map below showing the closure locations.  

(Photo - left) Adopter Chappie Hunter understands challenges of wearing prosthetics firsthand

June 19, 2021(Alpine) --  Chloe, one of two dogs rescued by San Diego Humane Society’s Humane Law Enforcement and fitted for prosthetics by the medical team at San Diego Humane Society’s Escondido Campus, is being adopted by a family who understands the challenges of having a leg amputated first hand. SDPD Detective Chappie Hunter and his family have been fostering Chloe since her three-month recovery period at SDHS. The family has decided to keep her and make the adoption official. Detective Hunter lost his leg in a crash in Alpine in 2013. After a year of recovery, he returned to work with a prosthetic leg.