Take a deep breath

San Diego's saddest stories, part II

Author

By Various Authors

Publish Date

Sept. 30, 2018

“[Now] I can’t sleep at night. I just start to think about how they shocked me, and I can’t sleep."

At St. Augustine, 1962. Father Anthony Wasko, his English teacher: "His verses were onomatopoetic and his cadences were remarkable," Wasko recalls. "I used his poems as models for subsequent students."

The blood upon his hands

In May of 1979, while he was a teaching assistant at UCSD’s drama department, he won the role of Agamemnon in Orestes! Orestes!, an adaptation of the ancient Greek tragedy. During rehearsals, his behavior grew bizarre. When he ranted from the roof of his mother’s house in a bathrobe — with a photo of his father in one hand and an American flag in the other — neighbors called police.

By Sue Garson, March 9, 1989 Read full article

"Someone said my name and said, ‘You are the guilty one.’ And I said, ‘No, I’m not.’ He said, ‘Yes, you are. How can you not be?’"

Little Room

"Then they grabbed me by the hair and told me to open my mouth, so I opened real wide. They shoved my shirt in my mouth so I wouldn’t scream very loud, and I was tied really tight to the chair so I couldn’t move.... They attached electrical cables to me — one on my little finger and one to each foot — and then they switched on the electricity."

Dude amps out

For years Gator was skateboarding’s biggest star. When he first started skating, 15 years ago, his moves were so creative, so aggressive, so — there’s no other word for it — radical, that he was able to turn pro at the tender age of 14. By the time he was 17, he was making $100,000 a year.

By Cory Johnson, Jan. 28, 1993 Read full article

Lorraine Flippen, Judy, and Gladys, Live Oak Park, 1948. Lorraine’s face is blurred with happiness, and Gladys looks efficient and capable, leaning over Judy to scoop something out of a jar.

The Death of Judy Huscher

Around town, they will say she was given strychnine in an ice cream cone. They will say Gladys told Judy that if she went to bed early, she could have ice cream. They will say it was pudding, hot chocolate, a milkshake. They will say that Mrs. Huscher (Mrs. Husher, as they will unconsciously revise her name) spent quite a bit of time stuffing toilet paper into Judy’s mouth.

By Laura McNeal, Nov. 7, 2002 Read full article

Broken skull, broken heart

A neighbor, Laurie, found me in the street, clawing at my head, screaming in pain. Artie stood next to me. There was no blood. No sign of injury. Laurie told me months later that I begged her not to call paramedics. I just had a headache — I wanted to go home and sleep. Then I vomited on myself, and she dialed 911.

By Dorian Hargrove, Apr. 21, 2010 Read full article

Udo rode from Encinitas to Pendleton, just 14 miles from home. At his pace, that was just a 45-minute ride. He entered the base at the southernmost entrance, Cristianitos Road. (Laura Stanton etsy.com/shop/epsilonphotos)

Udo was gone

Along Stuart Mesa Road near Cook Crossing and Vandergrift, he joined two other riders, Steven Scharf and John Edwards, both riding at the same pace. They chatted a bit, and as the wind picked up, they began to take turns “drafting,” a common practice used by experienced riders in which the lead rider plows through the wind, which aids the cyclists following immediately behind.

By Maryann Castronovo, Nov. 12, 2014 Read full article

Fleming had to know her child didn’t have to die; that the politically incorrect, male-dominated medical system could have saved her child. (Jeff Hanna)

Debby really was pro-choice

Patricia met Fleming almost nine years ago when her husband tried to force her to have an abortion. Her husband’s family had money and lots of lawyers. Patricia only had Fleming, who went to court with her and fought for Patricia’s right to have her child and, once born, the child support she was entitled to,

By Colin Flaherty, Dec. 20, 1990 Read full article