By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of ECM news partner 10 News: Elisa Serna’s supporters want to know why so many deaths have occurred in San Diego jails.

February 9, 2024 (San Diego) – A jury has acquitted Danalee Pascua, a nurse accused of involuntary manslaughter in the November 2019 death of Elisa Serna, a pregnant inmate at the Las Colinas Detention Center in Santee.  Charges against a second defendant, Dr. Friederike Von Lintig, resulted in a hung jury, with 9 jurors voting for acquittal and 3 against. A hearing next  Wednesday will determine whether prosecutors will seek to retry his case.

East County News Service

February 7, 2024 (Lakeside)—San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call reporting gunshots and a man lying in the street in the 9700 block of Cactus Street in Lakeside yesterday at 3:10 p.m. 

Deputies found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies provided medical aid until they were relieved by Fire Department personnel and paramedics. Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 3:25 p.m., says Lieutenant Joseph Jarjura with the Sheriff’s homicide unit.

The victim has been identified as 26-year-old Michael Anthony Johnson.

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

Photo: Sheriff’s Department booking photos are sought for Andrea and Jesus Cardenas (inset) by La Prensa San Diego publisher. Times of San Diego photo illustration

February 7, 2024 (Chula Vista) -- We’ve all seen booking photos of Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani and even sports figures like O.J. Simpson and soccer star Hope Solo.

But who has viewed the mug shots of arrestees Jesus Cardenas and his Chula Vista councilwoman sister Andrea Cardenas?

East County News Service 

January 31, 2024 (El Cajon) – A 20-year-old Lemon Grove man was shot and killed last night around 8:35 p.m. after exiting his vehicle, which had crashed and gone down an embankment off I-8 in El Cajon.

January 23, 2024 (El Cajon) —The El Cajon Police Department  wants the public to know that it is taking retail theft seriously, using “every extent of the law to arrest offenders who commit retail theft and, whenever, put them in jail,” according to a press release issued Jan. 22. But police have also voiced frustration over repeat offenders often back on the streets within hours or days after being arrested.

By Miriam Raftery

This story has been updated after the victim died.

January 21, 2024 (Jamul) – Sheriff’s deputies have charged Travis Bodle, 53, for the murder of his mother, 77-year-old Vickie Bodle.

The Fire Department called Sheriff’s deputies after responding to the 14400 block of Hillside Estates Drive in Jamul, where the victim showed signs of a physical assault.  She was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries in critical condition, and has since succumbed to her injuries, says Lieutenant Joseph Janjura with the Sheriff’s homicide unit.

Offenders deceive and manipulate victims to create sexually explicit material for extortion purposes

Source: FBI

Image:  CC via Bing

January 18, 2024 (San Diego) -- The FBI wants to warn parents, educators, caregivers, and children about the dangers of online activity that may lead to the solicitation and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual acts.

“Nationwide, and right here in San Diego, sextortion has become a major problem. Cases in our area have doubled over the past year and the overwhelming majority of the cases target minors,” said FBI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge, John Kim. “The best form of prevention is education and continued awareness. Parents and caregivers should learn about what’s happening so they can talk with their kids about online safety.”

January 16, 2024 – Residents countywide are warned to be vigilant for imposter water agency “workers” knocking on doors and requesting entry to homes to test water quality or making sales pitches, the San Diego Coiunty Water Authority warns.

Similar scams pop up every few years. A spate of incidents has been reported by several water agencies across the region in recent weeks, including in the City of San Diego, South County and East County.

By Miriam Raftery

January 11, 2024 (La Mesa) – La Mesa police seeks public help to solve the murder of 22-year-old Corneilius Donte Brown.  His family is offering a $9,000 reward, in addition to a $1,000 Crimestoppers award, for information leading to the identification and arrest of suspects in his murder, which occurred on April 24, 2021 around 12:26 a.m.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via ECM news partner 10 News

January 5, 2024 (San Diego) – The body of an elderly woman found Dec. 22 in a chest freezer at an Allied Gardens home has been identified as Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones, who formerly lived there. According to Lt. Jud Campbell with San Diego Police, she may have been missing or  dead for as long as nine years and would have been 81 years old if she had survived.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via WTVT pool video: Donald Santini is led into a Tampa courtroom before pleading guilty in the 1984 slaying of Cynthia “Cindy” Ruth Wood.

December 28, 2023 (Lake Morena, CA) – A Florida judge has sentenced Donald Santini to 50 years in prison, with 15 years parole, after he pleaded guilty to the 1984 strangulation murder of Cynthia Wood, the mother of three young children, the Tampa Bay Times reported in November. A fugitive for 40 years, Santini 65, lived under the alias  Wellman Simmonds in Campo’s Lake Morena community and even held public office. He served on the Campo-Lake Morena Community Planning Group and as president of the Lake Morena Views Mutual Water Company.

His arrest in June by federal marshals for the murder of a Florida woman decades ago since shockwaves through the Lake Morena Community, as ECM reported.

East County News Service

December 22, 2023 (San Diego)—The Neighborhood Market Association (NMA) held a press conference on Dec. 18 outside the Emerald Convenience Store in La Mesa to announce that it is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects in a series of armed robberies.

“A dangerous gang of gun-wielding criminals is terrorizing local small businesses in a series of armed `take-over’ style robberies at more than a dozen locations in the city and county of San Diego. Police have expressed concerns that these violent robberies could cause serious injury or death to innocent store employees,” a press release from the NMA states.

Last week, at least 13 convenience stores across  San Diego County were robbed; new surveillance video shows thieves yanking out cash registers and fleeing with the cash.

By Miriam Raftery

December 8, 2023 (Ramona) – Angel Jauregui, 35, of  Ramona has been identified as the victim of a deadly shooting that occurred on December 5th. Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call around 11:24 p.m. reporting gunshots and found Jauregui  at the intersection of State Route 78 and Haverford Road in Ramona.

Source:  Superior Court of California

December 7, 2023 (San Diego) - The San Diego Superior Court has received complaints about individuals trying to scam members of the public by pretending to be court officers or officials.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo:  Erik Talavera at rally; screenshot from video by ECM media partner 10 News

View deputies’ body camera footage of the shooting (warning, disturbing content):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WErLDy2sSzc 

November 30, 2023 (Lakeside) – A Lakeside man who suffered permanent injuries from being shot 16 times has filed a lawsuit against San Diego County and two Sheriff’s deputies who opened fire. 

The civil lawsuit filed by Erik Talavera alleges that deputies David Lovejoy and Jonathan Young gave conflicting commands and used excessive force and negligence during the incident in El Cajon on Feb.16, 2022. The deputies were cleared of criminal wrongdoing following an investigation by the District Attorney.