By Ken Stone,Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  La Mesa Police Chief Ray Sweeney (right) succeeded Walt Vasquez (center) and Matt Nicholass in July 2021. Photo via Twitter

September 3, 2023 (La Mesa) - The announcement came Monday in Facebook.

East County News Service

September 1, 2023 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Police Department is crediting newly installed automated  license plate reading (ALPR) cameras with solving three crimes in three days, according to Lieutenant Jeremiah Larson.  The Flock Safety technology sends ECPD real-time crime alerts when a stolen vehicle, or known wanted vehicle, from a state or national database is detected locally.

By Miriam Raftery

August 29, 2023 (San Diego) – A SWAT team standoff last night ended in a hail of gunfire that killed a man who opened fire on police, after fatally shooting a woman and a dog, then setting fire to the home.

Judge denies couple’s request to delay sentencing, after they claimed air travel was unsafe for Jessica Kalasho due to pregnancy

By Miriam Raftery

File photo of  Ben and Jessica Kalasho at a prior hearing

August 26, 2023  (San Diego) – Former El Cajon Councilman Bessmon  “Ben” Kalasho and his wife, Jessica have been found guilty on four counts each of contempt of court in a civil defamation case won by attorney Lina Charry. 

They have been ordered to report to San Diego Superior Court on September 1 to being serving an eight-day jail sentence, as well as pay fines of $1,000 apiece for each count.

Scheme involved fake electors, seizing voting machines, and pressuring officials in Georgia and other states to break the law

By Miriam Raftery

August 15, 2023 (Fulton County, GA) – In a sweeping 98-page indictment, Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis filed indictments against former president Donald Trump and 18 others with violating the state’s Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO)  Act. The indictments, recommended by a Grand Jury, accuse the defendants of willfully joining a “conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump.”

41 counts in the conspiracy case include forgery, filing false documents, making false statement and writings, impersonating a public officer, pressuring public officials to violate their oaths of office to commit illegal acts in multiple states, and illegally accessing ballots on voting machines in Coffee County, Georgia, among other things.

Trump faces 13 new criminal charges in Georgia, the fourth jurisdiction where he is under criminal indictment. The former president and current presidential candidate is charged with conspiracy to  impersonate a public officer (related to the slate of fake electors that cast votes and submitted them to official channels), conspiracy to commit forgery, conspiracy to commit false statements and writings (including in official proceedings), and conspiracy to commit filing false documents. He is also charged with pressuring public officials to violate the law for the purpose of stealing the 2020 presidential election.

The indictment alleges that after  Trump falsely declared victory following the Nov. 2020 election, Trump among other things personally committed the ofllowing illegal acts:

• Called Arizona Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers and pressured  Bowers to unlawfully appoint electors to vote for Trump, even though Biden won the state. Bowers declined and told Trump, “I voted for you… I campaigned for you.  I just won’t do anything illegal for you.”
• Joined a call to Pennsylvania legislators, made false statements and asked them to appoint electors for Trump, though Biden won Pennsylvania;
• Met with Mark Meadows and John McEntee to devise a scheme for Vice President Mike Pence  to count only half the electoral votes from some states and return others to state legislators, an illegal act which Pence refused to do;
• Solicited Georgia’s Republican Speaker of the House David Ralston (since deceased) to commit a felony by arranging for Georgia to appoint presidential electors for Trump, even though Biden won Georgia;
• Called the Republican Party chair Ronna McDaniel and asked her to help get certain people to meet as fake electors and cast electoral votes for Trump in states won by Biden;
• Asked  U.S. Attorney General Jefrrey Rosen and Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue to make a false statement.  Trump urged them, “Just say that the election was corrupt,and leave the rest to me and the Republican Congressmen.”
• Made false and harassing statements against officials who refused his demands to violate the law, such as “What a fool Governor@BrianKempGA of Georgia is…Demand this clown call a Special Session and open up signature verificfation NOW.”
• Submitted false documents in a lawsuit, Trump v.Kemp, which falsely claimed that thousands of votes were cast by felons, unregistered voters, underage people and dead people, without any evidence.
• Solicited Georgia’s Secretary of State,Republican Brad Raffensperger, to commit a felony by unlawfully altering  certified election results.
• Making false statements to  Raffensperger and other Georgia officials claiming pollworker  Ruby Freeman stuffed ballot boxes, that ballots were dumped,and numerous other claims found to be false.
• Was present at a January 4, 2021 meeting with Vice President Pence,  Eastman and others. After Trump pressured Pence to reject electoral voes or delay the joint session of Congress on January 6, Eastman “admitted both options violated the Electoral Count Act,” the indictment states.
• Made false statements asserting election fraud (despite losing 62 court challenges, some decided by Trump-appointed judges) in his speech at the Ellipse and urged the crowd to march to the U.S. Capitol on January 6, where violence ensued that resulted in several deaths and 140 injured  Capitol police officers.
  

By Miriam Raftery

I recently signed up for Social Security.  On Aug. 12, a Saturday, I received an email from DoNotReply@ssa.gov with subject line “Request for Information” that Social Security confirms is a scam. Don’t be fooled into giving scammers info that could be used in an identity theft scheme or to steal benefits—and be sure to report suspected scams to the SSA’s Office of Inspector General at Report.Scam@ssa.gov.

East County News Service

August 2, 2023 (San Diego) – A man who fired shots at a person in the Mesa College area later shot a police dog.  A San Diego  Police officer shot the suspect, who later died.

East County News Service

Photo courtesy of the San Diego Sheriff's Dept.

August 1, 2023 (Ramona) – Jonathan McDowell, 47, of Ramona died at Scripps Mercy Hospital on July 29, 10 days after he was found unresponsive in his cell at the George Bailey detention facility. The Medical Examiner’s autopsy has concluded that McDowell died of asphyxia due to hanging and that his death was a suicide.

A statement from the Sheriff’s department says,  “We extend our sympathies to the McDowell family and those affected by his death. A Sheriff's Family Liaison Officer will support the family as they deal with the loss of a loved one.”

McDowell was arrested on Feb. 20 on charges of assaulting a peace officer with a gun,  attempted murder, and committing a felony while  on bail or release.

East County News Service

July 28, 2023 (San Diego) – Cal-Fire, which has been battling a fire near the U.S. Mexico border, notified the Sheriff at 1:30 a.m. about a shooting near the international border. One male victim was pronounced dead and the other was transported to a hospital.

Both victims appeared to have gunshot wounds. Neither have been positively identified at this point, says Lieutenant Joseph Jarjura.

The location was east of the Otay port of entry, near the border wall. according to the Sheriff's department.

$1,000 reward for info leading to arrest of suspect, who is considered armed and dangerous

Source: San Diego Sheriff's Department

July 26, 2023 (Lemon Grove) -- Do you recognize this man? He is Daniel Ethridge, 34, and he is wanted in connection with a homicide in Lemon Grove earlier this year.

On March 18 around 10:00 p.m., deputies from the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Substation responded to a report of a shooting in the 2800 block of Lemon Grove Avenue. While searching the area, deputies found Gregory Moore, 39, unconscious in a car at the intersection of Lemon Grove Avenue and San Miguel Avenue. He was later pronounced dead.

Sheriff's Homicide Investigators have identified Ethridge as a suspect. He has an active arrest warrant for homicide and is believed to be associated with a local street gang. Ethridge has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and shooting into an inhabited dwelling.

He should be considered armed and dangerous, according to Lt. Joseph Janjura with the Sheriff’s homicide unit.

East County News Service

July 22, 2023 (El Cajon) – A stolen vehicle suspect barricaded himself in an El Cajon motel Thursday evening and threatened to set the building on fire, prompting evacuation of nearby rooms, says Lieutenant Darrin Forster with El Cajon Police Department. 

The incident began at 6:38 p.m., when  El Cajon Police received information that the GPS system on a vehicle reported stolen showed it was parked at the Best Inn & Suites at 1274 Oakdale Avenue. Officers found the vehicle in the parking lot unoccupied. The driver of the stolen car was observed on surveillance video entering a motel room, which paid for by the San Diego County Homeless Voucher Program administered through EQUUS.

East County News Service

July 14, 2023 (San Diego) -- Sheriff Kelly Martinez and members of the Sheriff’s Detention Services Bureau held a press conference on July 5 to provide an update on efforts to improve the county’s detention facilities.  She provided a thorough update on construction projects, technological advancements, healthcare services, accessibility, reentry services and keeping drugs out of our jails.

By Miriam Raftery

July 10, 2023 (San Diego’s East County)—Michele Michalina Lange was a devoted mother  and a popular waitress at the Por Favor Restaurant in La Mesa.  But on June 22, her ended when she was walking across  Jamacha Blvd. near Lamplighters Village Drive in Spring Valley and was struck by two vehicles—a red SUV and a silver sedan.

 Both fled the scene, and now Michele’s father, Michael Lange, is offering a $25,000 reward to find those drivers and hold them accountable.

“I’m lost…I loved my daughter dearly,” he told 10 news, adding, “I want justice.”

By Miriam Raftery

July 1, 2023 (San Diego) – A man found unresponsive in his cell at San Diego County Central Jail on June 26 died two days later at UCSD Hospital. The Medical Examiner has found the cause of death was suicide by hanging.