Judge Harry Elias heard eleven cases June 2, in San Diego’s North County superior courthouse in Vista. One of the cases he heard was for Samuel Preciado Gutierrez Jr., 46. Gutierrez has lived his whole …

This story appeared first on March 20 in the print edition of the Reader. Author Eva Knott updated the story on May 29. In a ten-minute hearing on May 28, defendant Jay Alexander Terry, 37, …

Don't Embarrass the Hells Angels They will not tolerate someone pretending to be a member who is not really a member. By Eva Knott, July 25, 2012 Roman Abramovich Yacht on San Diego’s Embarcadero It …

The defense attorney appeared wearing a silky scarf around his face, with tiny tassels jiggling as he talked, and someone in the courtroom joked, “He’s going to start belly dancing in a minute.” Attorney Matthew …

Local gangsters allegedly video-recorded beatings intended to “jump in” new members and kept those videos on their Snapchat accounts, according to experts who testified in San Diego County superior court on March 10. “They use …

Adam Parfrey goes to the San Diego Zoo It is not generally appreciated that famous publisher Adam Parfrey once lived just off Lincoln Boulevard, a dismal stretch of gasoline-alley slightly east of Venice, California, and …

Cartel tunnels to Otay Mesa are infrastructural marvels The amount of warehouse space in Otay Mesa has nearly quadrupled since the mid-’90s, and the expansion has been almost as frenetic in Garita de Otay. Forklifts, …

When the deputies arrived at the 15600 Adams Avenue in Pauma Valley, the sun was hovering just above the surrounding hills. It was only hours before winter solstice, and sunset was officially clocked at 4:47 …

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney roots deep and wide in San Diego It is Matt Romney who takes public credit for calling his part of the Romney clan to San Diego County. “My wife and I …

Night people of San Marcos Miss Rincon said it was her habit to spend the night in the public bathrooms at Richmar Park, at the corner of Firebird Lane and Richmar Avenue, around the corner …

Raul Andres Diaz, 23, had a handful of long grasses lit like a torch, and he was setting fire to tall grass along a street corner in Vista, according to deputies who testified on February …

People who do not have drug issues or mental health issues usually do not dance on the hood of automobiles,” a judge said during a pre-trial hearing on Monday, February 10, 2020. Witnesses told Oceanside …

The registered owner of the red Nissan 2016 Rogue was part of a group who woke up last June 9. He was staying in a vacation home the group had rented in the 800 block …

“We got that victim alert that he was going to be released from jail, so we were putting his clothes in his car. And we saw him walking down the street towards us,” Jaynie told …

The owner of the nice estate on Via de Santa Fe splurged on his Halloween decorations. Two years ago, in 2017, he bought $15,000 worth of animatronic creatures from a high-end “prop” store. He shared …

The suspect said, “I’m a dumbass,” when the cop told him he was trying to sell things stolen in a burglary, according to testimony on November 25. Oceanside police officer Christopher James arranged to meet …

An unlucky parolee wheeled his shopping cart full of stolen goods into a parking lot where a deputy in his patrol car already had one suspect in the back seat, a prosecutor alleged in court …

David Alexander Carpio, 34, made a plea deal in August 2019, in which he admitted four felonies, including child rape and sexual battery on a child. The prosecutor has stated that there are actually three …

Scott Michael Perry, 30, is a frequent flyer in San Diego County’s court system, he has at least 25 case files. His public record began in the year 2008, when he was 19 years old. …

"He said, Hey, do you want to go get some dinner, something to eat? And I said, I already ate dinner. And so then he mentioned coffee. And I said, Sure! Coffee! And for some …

Lilac fire survivor comes to the races On December 7, 2017, horse trainer Joe Herrick said, “Hell came to town.” Herrick was was involved in trying to rescue 450 thoroughbred horses caught in the raging …

Eva Knott has covered the North San Diego County crime scene for the Reader since 2010. Knott's favorite stories she has written for the Reader: Don’t Embarrass the Hells Angels The bar is called One …

The question printed at the top of the page was, “What is the most important thing you learned today?” David Palafox’s handwritten response was: “That drinking and driving can cause death.” It was part of …

Javier said he was on the phone with 911 while he walked toward the fight, and he told the attacker to “Let go” of the man on the ground, but when the attacker turned away …

When I say Fallbrook, nothing comes to mind “They are going to fix the streets? For whom? Every other shop is vacant and has been for the last few years. There’s no draw for tourists. …

San Diego County law enforcement invaded the apartment of known gangster Jose Antonio Sorto, Jr. in April of 2018. They believed that the man, better known as Stomps, controlled most of the meth flowing into …

Denise said she woke that Saturday morning to a brushing sound. It was along the outer wall of her apartment, along the stairwell leading to the front door. She wondered if the man who lived …

A judge ordered ex-NFL tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. to be held without bail, after new accusations that he inappropriately approached two more women in Carlsbad, while he was at liberty on $2 million bail …

Joseph Patrick Zara, 62, was arrested after a traffic stop in Oceanside, because police noticed he had a “billy club” resting within reach, on the backseat of his car. However, his attorney protested that it …

It was “righteous self-defense” against a known gang member and not assault with a deadly weapon, as charged by the State, says the attorney for a man we’ll call “Rod.” Rod and his attorney were …

A 60-year-old homeless man admitted trying to kidnap one small child and then beating up her teenaged sister who had intervened. In a plea deal, Alan Ray Sasseen will get four years in California State …

Simon and Jose were friends for years, they worked together doing landscape jobs — until they both fell in love with the same woman. Her name is Aurora. On December 12, 1988, both men were …

‘We are not required to wait for her to injure a patient at work,” attorney Erin Sunseri told a judge. Representing the California nurses licensing board, Sunseri was trying to prevent Christena Potter doing any …

Escondido police officer Steve Higgins said he was called to Orange Glen High School the early afternoon of Tuesday, December 18. The officer said he spoke to one teacher, a man in his mid-50s, who …

A defense attorney claimed that Juan Dolorier did try to register as a sex offender, but there was confusion about what to do and when to do it. Public defender Dan Segura spoke on behalf …

Daryl Mayol Vaughn made 238 emergency calls to 911 in the year 2018, according to testimony from deputy Max Blumenshine in court yesterday, January 3, 2019. In those not-really-emergency calls, Vaughn typically claimed there was …

“I attracted a lot of women, yes,” Shyrehl Wesley testified in October of 2018. “I do believe that men are the dominant ones in a relationship with a woman.” Wesley turned in the witness box …

Charles Jack Seiler, 30, looked happy and smiled and nodded while a cop described his alleged rock-throwing activity, during a court hearing on December 11. Carlsbad police officer Michael Byrne said that on November 24, …

“As soon as I saw the knife I disengaged from the suspect,” a Target store employee testified yesterday, December 10, about his confrontation with a suspected shoplifter three weeks ago. The loss prevention officer said …

A witness identified as Arturo said he was the loss prevention officer for the Target store on Auto Park Way in Escondido, on September 16. Arturo said it was before noon that day that he …

On November 20, 2013, Ron started his day early. It was a Wednesday, and he met one of his cousins at her work at 7 am — that was when her workday finished. Together, they …

The felon out on probation had his knife lawfully displayed in a sheath on his belt, according to his defense attorney, and so he did not violate California law. And when that felon tossed his …

A jury trial started this week, on November 26, for a young man who allegedly punched an Oceanside police officer while naked and high on meth. The attorney for Joshua Adams Lachica, 26, suggested that …

"I didn’t want to go over there in the first place,” David Herbert said. “Before I went over there I spoke with my HOA and contacted law enforcement asking them to help me with the …

"They haven’t removed the stitches, I still have the stitches in there.” Victor touched his ear when he spoke about that weird day when his ear got slashed. It happened on March 31, when he …

A man and woman accused of working together to steal an expensive bicycle from a Del Mar diner four months ago were in court this morning to hear evidence against them. Colleen Marie Donovan, 29, …

An Escondido man created a bizarre birthday bonfire for himself the day he turned 31, overnight between September 12 and 13, according to a police officer who testified in court months later. Officer Adam St. …

Four transients beat down another transient in front of a popular taco shop in Oceanside, and then left on their bicycles with the victim’s cell phone and wallet and other belongings, it was alleged in …

Multiple witnesses and surveillance cameras all caught the shooting next to a pool in a Vista apartment complex last summer, according to statements in court yesterday, Tuesday, November 6. Estevan Steve Montelongo, 41, pleaded not …

Yesterday afternoon, November 1, Judge Richard Monroy gave Shyrehl Joseph Wesley, now 22, the maximum sentence for killing his “best friend” a year ago. Wesley was sentenced to 80-years-to-life. The murderer was out on parole …