January 13, 2013 (San Diego)--San Diego Police Department homicide detectives are investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred inside a movie theater in Carmel Mountain Ranch.

Officers responded at 2:22 p.m., Saturday to a radio call of a domestic violence incident occurring in a parking lot at a shopping center in the 11100 block of Rancho Carmel Drive.  Officers arrived to find the suspect had fled the scene.  Witnesses described seeing the suspect, who was armed with a handgun, run across Rancho Carmel Drive to another shopping center.

Severely Neglected Dog Found Dying in Dumpster

January 11, 2012 (Spring Valley)--The County of San Diego Department of Animal Services is looking for any witnesses or information regarding a severely neglected dog that was found in a dumpster Saturday, Jan. 5 at l in Spring Valley.

The dog, a tan-colored, 10 year old neutered male cocker spaniel, was wrapped in a blanket and placed in a black plastic trash bag, which was tied shut and put in the school dumpster.

January 9, 2013 (La Mesa) – Benjamin Nicholas Davidson, 28, of El Cajon is under arrest after fleeing from police, crashing head-on into another vehicle and breaking into a nearby home.

The incident began last night at 9:52 p.m., when a La Mesa Police officer tried to stop a Saab sedan traveling at a high speed on Fuerte Drive. The driver turned quickly onto Grossmont Boulevard, colliding head-on with a Ford F-150.

According to police, the Saab driver ran from the collision scene and tried to elude police by breaking into a home in the 9300 block of Wister Drive. The suspect was confronted by the home owners, who pushed him out the front door.

January 5, 2013 (La Mesa) – La Mesa residents Robert Mckany, 36, and Richard White, 57, have been arrested as part of an international effort to break up child pornography rings and rescue young victims from predators.

Arrests of 245 suspects in 35 states have been made. In addition, 123 victims were identified and 44 have been rescued from their abusers. 

By Miriam Raftery

January 3, 2013 (Lemon Grove) –Jennifer Rene Krajnak, 30, has died shortly after Sheriff’s deputies on patrol found her lying beside the road bleeding from a severe head injury at 2:00 this morning. She was discovered in the 7600 block of Pacific Avenue near Olive Street and died about a half hour later after being transported to a hospital.

“There was a shell casing found at the crime scene,” confirmed Lieutenant Glenn Giannantonio, who said it is not certain if the casing was related to this incident.  Channel 7 News reports officials said she may have suffered multple gunshot wounds.  Krajnak had filed a restraining order alleging domestic abuse in 2010 against a former boyfriend, but later vacated the order after he claimed self defense. Authorities have indicated he is not a suspect, 7 News reports.

The death comes just days after someone shot through the window of a vehicle driven by a woman with her 10-year-old  son on December 26 on Glencoe Street in Lemon Grove, about two miles away.  ECM has left word with Sheriff Homicide investigators to find out if the incidents could possibly be related.  The victim in that case reported being passed by a white two-door coupe moments before the shot was fired.

January 1, 2013 (San Diego)--San Diego State University Police have issued an alert warning of a violent assault that occurred at 2:40 a.m. in the 5700 block of Hardy Avenue.  Five African-American men in a silver 4-door BMW approached a male victim and attacked him without provocation, kicking and punching him before stealing his white iPhone, according to police.

The suspects, all about six feet tall, wore blue jeans. One suspect wore a white T-shirt with orange sleeves.  They fled east in the vehicle after the crime.

By Miriam Raftery

December 30, 2012 (Santee) – A San Diego Police officer sustained serious injuries when a pickup truck traveling at a high speed collided with a patrol car. The crash occurred at 2:28 a.m. at the intersection of Mission Gorge Road and State Route 125.  The driver of the truck, who was also injured has been charged with suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

The pickup truck was driving northbound on State Route 25 when it collided with the patrol car, knocking both vehicles off the road and onto the shoulder on northbound Mission Gorge Road. 

“Fire Department personnel used rescue equipment to cut and pry the car open to extricate the officer,” said Sgt. D. Hale with the San Diego Sheriff.

December 28, 2012 (San Diego) – The FBI and San Diego Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the unknown male responsible for robbing the Wells Fargo Bank, located at 9996 Scripps Ranch Boulevard, San Diego on December 26 at approximately 12:08 p.m.  The robber approached the victim teller, who had just finished helping another customer, and held a demand note in one hand and a bag in the other.  The teller placed a sum of money in the bag and the robber quickly exited the bank with the bag, spilling money on the way.

December 26, 2012 (Lemon Grove) – On Christmas night at 7:12 pm., a La Mesa woman was driving south in the 1600 block of Glencoe Drive in Lemon Grove with her 10-year-old son.  As she passed a white two-door coupe, she heard a loud pop, followed by her passenger side window shattering. 

Fearing for the safety of her son and herself, she continued driving until she located a San Diego Police officer in the city of San Diego.  Deputies from the San Diego Sheriff Department were then contacted and sent to the scene.

By Miriam Raftery

December 21, 2012 (La Mesa) - A man wearing a Santa cap entered the Murray Lake Liquor Store in La Mesa today not bearing gifts nor seeking holiday cheer. Instead, he pulled a gun and ordered the clerk to handover cash from the register at 3:15 p.m. today. 

According to witnesses, the suspect also wore a black jacket, shorts, and a black bandana.  After stealing the cash, the man in the Santa cap departed the store at 5395 Lake Murray Boulevard not in a sleigh, but in a dark grey Mazda-6 heading north.

Education professionals and a Granite Hills shooting survivor offer advice for parents and students

By Miriam Raftery (Photo from Facebook memorial page)

December 14, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – News of today’s shooting at Sandy Hill Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman killed 26 people including 20 children before taking his own life, has triggered strong reactions here in San Diego County, a region that has suffered through numerous school shootings.

“Personally I am very shocked and saddened…I have shed tears,” Fran Zumwalt, a teacher wounded in the 2001 Granite Hills High School shootings, told ECM.  “Words cannot express the sorrow I feel for those who lost loved ones today. No parents should ever lose a child.  I hope all of the citizens of Connecticut can feel the prayers of all of us—for their children, their families and their communities.”

December 18, 2012 (Spring Valley ) – Two gunmen forced employees to lay on the office floor at the recycling center at 1069 Elkelton Blvd. in Spring Valley at 10:34 a.m. today. After demanding money, suspects assaulted one of the workers, then stole their wallets.

By Miriam Raftery

December 8, 2012 (Bonita) – Today Sheriff’s deputies, with help from Alcoholic Beverage Control agents, conducted drunk decoy operations in Imperial Beach and Bonita.  Of 11 retail outlets visited, six sold alcohol to individuals who appeared to be intoxicated.

An undercover Deputy Sheriff was sprayed with alcohol for the operation, then entered the establishments acting intoxicated and reeking of alcohol.  Where alcohol was sold to the decoy, plainclothes deputies entered and provided informational handouts to the persons who made the sales; no enforcement actions were taken.

Money spent on lavish personal expenditures as well as community causes

By Miriam Raftery

December 6, 2012 (El Cajon) – “What I did was so shameful, and I will have to live with what I did for the rest of my life,” former El Cajon Councilwoman Jillian Hanson-Cox stated tearfully at her sentencing hearing last Monday.  Federal judge Michael Anello sentenced her to 30 months in prison after she admitted embezzling money from her former employer and failing to report the income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  Hanson-Cox is also ordered to pay more than $3.6 million in restitution to her ex-employer, Century Design Inc. (CDI) and another $1.2 million to the U.S. Treasury. 

“While embezzling millions of dollars from CDI, former Councilwoman Hanson-Cox not only traded on her reputation as a public official but also betrayed every citizen who expected her to act honestly in both her private and public affairs,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy.

December 2, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—A driver observed driving a Chevrolet Tahoe erratically at a high speed on I-8 early this morning refused to pull over, leading officers on a high-speed pursuit. The driver ultimately exited the freeway in the Granite Hills neighobrhood, lost control and rolled over.

“The driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, exited the vehicle and the CHP Officers ordered him to stop and raise his hands,” Lt. Glenn Giannantonio with San Diego Sheriff’s homicide detail stated. “The suspect made movements leading the officers to believe he was reaching for a weapon while he was advancing toward them. Fearing the suspect would shoot them, one or more of the officers fired their service weapons at him.”