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Stories by Mike Madriaga

Were the crashes at Sycamore Den and Manhattan Club DUIs?

On August 26, a driver of a yellow Kia Rio crashed into a tree in front of Top Gun Wash & Groom on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights. "I had just crossed the street," Jonathan …

Private train car "The America" broken into last week

Over a week ago, a man broke into a private train car, which former President John F. Kennedy allegedly traveled in. It was parked at the Santa Fe Depot train station. "We attempted to speak …

Catalytic converter thief pinned under car in Mission Valley

On August 15, before 6:30 a.m. Cindy Morton said she heard a man screaming "help, help, help" from the tandem parking spots underneath their Mission Heights apartment complex in Mission Valley. "I ran down, came …

Why would Talmadge neighbor fire BBs at a small dog?

Beth Smith noticed her terrier-and-chihuahua mix, Pebbles, barking and yelping more than usual last week. On August 12, she reached out to us on our mid-city neighborhood online forum: "My neighbors have been shooting my …

August 16, 2021
Truck spills in Mira Mesa and Rosarito

On July 28, a truck full of Aroma-brand rice cookers overturned a couple of blocks north of Mira Mesa Boulevard. "We were confused how that freaking big thing happened," an employee of a nearby business …

San Diego skate parks rule Tokyo

North County athletes are sendin' it from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games — including Bryce Wettstein, Jordyn Barratt, Cory Juneau, and Heimana Reynolds. Per their Olympic Games' profiles, Bryce Wettstein, who is 17, was born …

SD MCs bet on AMC’s BFD after GameStop jump

As of late, San Diego hip-hoppers have been feeling bullish after linking up ‘on the low’ and strategizing their financial fates. “I have a few friends in the local hip-hop scene that I discuss crypto …

July 29, 2021
700 gallons of used oil found in Otay Mesa

On the morning of July 12, workers in the Otay Mesa area called the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department to check on an abandoned, white-colored, Isuzu flatbed truck that contained about 700 gallons of used motor …

Slammed down by the bullring

At about sunset, I spotted AF at the end of Date Avenue in IB loading his 7’8″ Electric Duck surfboard into his van. “It’s shaped by Mike Richardson,” he said. “That board works real good …

July 21, 2021
Spider Mans lifted from Kearny Mesa store in quick attack

On July 15, two burglars broke into Southern California Comics while a getaway driver stood by outside, less than a mile northwest of the Clairemont Mesa Boulevard/I-163 exit. "They used one of those firemen pry …

San Diego impounds 30 watercraft on Mission Bay July 4

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department's lifeguards and the San Diego Police Department impounded more than 30 water vessels at Mission Bay on July 4, most of which were personal watercraft. "So my office is by there, …

How Hillcrest and North Park fight back against bike thieves

On June 30, a local reached out to the 1,700-plus members of the Stolen Bike San Diego Facebook forum. "My Jamis City bike was stolen from my garage in Hillcrest last night along with my …

Blue Frida Kahlo house southwest of San Diego State draws comments

A day or so before June 24, an anonymous person living by the El Cerrito neighborhood enclosed a hand-written letter in an envelope that read "Why?" and "my gosh .... how sad," — poking fun …

Becky G’s Dime Optics sponsorship: the new BluBlocker?

Throughout the month of June, pop-rapper and reggaeton songstress Becky G has tweeted and TikTokked while “drippin’” with Dime Optics, the sunglass/eyeglass brand she signed on with during the pandemic. Some ‘90s hip-hop heads say …

June 24, 2021
Why Vespa theft in San Diego now?

On June 2, the San Diego Police Department Facebooked a photo of a stolen red moped. "A community member notified us of a man parking a moped and then running away, which [the man who …

Karol G’s “LOCATION” video brings new fans to off-roading and the Baja Beach Fest in Rosarito

The palabra within the off-road community is that reggaeton star Karol G has brought some new fans and racers into off-roadin’ culture. “I think it’s awesome that more women are getting involved in off-roading,” said …

June 17, 2021
Popeyes' Lemon Grove success – and its detractors

This month, those who live in Lemon Grove were soured by the grand opening of a Popeyes restaurant. "Just two days open has already made it impossible to navigate the parking lot by Bank of …

San Diego Reader Fun issue

Breakdance with Olympic prospects Kearny Mesa/Old Town Breakdancing will be an official sport at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, and local b-girls and b-boys have been practicing breakdance maneuvers in hopes of repping Team USA. …

Fire department called to South Park and Mission Bay – for bird rescues

On Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend, the San Diego Humane Society called the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department to rescue a bird in distress in South Park. The first responders drove Truck 1, a red-colored …

Asking $1200 for two Chargers stadium seats

On May 29, wellsready2fish, a local eBay seller, sold a concrete chunk from the recently demolished SDCCU stadium — for $15. The online seller sold a different concrete chunk a week prior titled "San Diego …

Why pickleball swept over San Diego

In the last week, rallying between local tennis players and pickleball players moved outside countywide tennis courts, two of which share the Collier namesake. "At the Collier Park one in La Mesa off of Spring …

May 25, 2021
City Heights intruder eased out but not arrested

On April 25, at about 11:30 p.m., a man wearing long dark shorts, a white-black-and-gray striped tank top, and a black-colored baseball cap entered Cam Pascale's City Heights home — uninvited. "This is where he …

Warning to San Diego boaters about their trailers

As wake boat sales increased 20 percent and fishing and pontoon boat sales increased 12 percent in 2020 throughout the U.S., according to The National Marine Manufacturers Association in January, so have trailer accidents, according …

Columbine and Pepper streets get serious patch

In the last two weeks, Azalea Park locals were surprised yet thankful for the city's recent repairs of their Columbine and Pepper cross streets. "That street [area] has been bad since we moved here in …

French bulldogs are the 'it' dogs for San Diego pet thieves

On February 3, a neighbor’s camera caught Brody wandering away from his San Lorenzo, Northern California home. The next day and 500-plus miles south, Brody mysteriously crossed into Tijuana. Brody is a four-year-old French bulldog, …

April 28, 2021
Bobcats prowl Imperial Beach

In the last two weeks, some Imperial Beach inhabitants warned their neighbors of bobcats lurking in their southwesternmost city of the United States. "I was not surprised, as I have seen bobcats in the river …

Norman Powell signs sneaker deal with AND1

A sense of elation followed by pride broke out among San Diego hip-hoppers and sneakerheads last month when Lincoln High alumnus, Norman Powell, signed a sneaker deal with AND1. “Powell is currently the only San …

April 22, 2021
When a high-rise goes up in Bay Park

Word on the Bay Park streets is much quieter since the Seaton Apartments went up and is nearly completed this month. On April 18 I drove around the Mission Bay-overlooking neighborhood between the Sea World …

Cobra Kai cassettes

Shoptalk buzzing throughout San Diego County record shops and swap meets is that vintage cassette tapes sell fast in 2021, particularly ’80s rock music cassettes by Mötley Crüe, Whitesnake, Poison, Ratt, REO Speedwagon, Journey, and …

April 15, 2021
Is Normal Heights' Orchid complex ugly or cool?

On April 11, Lisa Sku and her doggie Stella strolled past Orchid, a newly built Adams Avenue structure their neighbor compared to "Darth Vader." "I appreciate the urban design element," she said to me later …

Used vinyl cheaper in Tijuana

On March 26-27, an estimated 20 San Diegans rendezvoused with about 3000 other record collectors and dealers at the Pasaje Rodríguez on Avenida Revolución in Tijuana for the Fifth Tijuana Vinyl Fair. “[I found] an …

April 6, 2021
Does it feel as if San Diego crime is down?

On March 10, the San Diego Police Department posted an online graphic of their 2020 Annual Crime Statistics stating that overall crime was lower by 8.4 percent throughout the city of San Diego. The department …

No more Tony the Tiger on Mexican cereal boxes

I asked Duane D what's the most expensive cereal box that he owns? "It's probably worth $20,000. I have the first Michael Jordan progressive proof Wheaties box set that's white in color." I met up …

March 23, 2021
Wintering finches getting sick in San Diego

San Diego County dwellers have started to hide their birdbaths and feeders from Salmonellosis-infected birds that might fly in from central and northern California. "Since December, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and wildlife …

TikTok rap

North County rapper Kiyoshi teaches classes on rap songwriting and freestyle flowing on Zoom, Instagram, and other social media networks. Wack 100, who has managed rappers Blueface and The Game, took to the internet recently …

March 4, 2021
Parking tickets return to places like Normal Heights

On February 25, Jordan Taylor took to Facebook and warned her Normal Heights neighbors. "TOWING NOW: Heads up if you're parked on Monroe between 39th and 40th, the asphalt company is trying to start working …

Valentino Frankenstein’s tribute to Gary Numan

Valentino Frankenstein pre-ordered the Intruder CD from Gary Numan’s site. It’ll ship on May 21. “In 2021, I still play Gary Numan CDs in my Ford minivan,” said the 6’4” musician from Escondido. Numan, a …

February 25, 2021
Traffic circles safer, but maybe not for bikes

Word on the streets is there's an uptick in confusion between cyclists and motorists at San Diego circular intersections. The disorder is partly due to the newly developed roundabouts and traffic circles throughout the county, …

Uninvited guests on West Country Club Lane

A loud "boom" woke up Claribel Ramirez's household about 2:45 a.m. on February 4. "When we came out of our rooms, the whole house was like in a cloud of smoke. All seven of us, …

February 16, 2021
Rudy Serrano: Croc-verted by Post Malone

Sneaker-head Rudy Serrano was given a pair of Crocs on December 8. “My girlfriend woke up at six in the morning to buy them for me. Thank you, babe.” Serrano’s pair of black and pink …

February 11, 2021
Nomad John Sears and mules try Poway Road, Beyer Boulevard

A feeling of déjà vu struck John Sears and perhaps his two mules when county sheriffs recently escorted them out of the Poway city limits. "It was about a week ago," Sears said to me …

Theft from fire engine traced to Gaglione Brothers hat

On January 22, a white male climbed into a San Diego Fire-Rescue Department fire engine and took a bag from the firefighters "while they were hard at work putting out the fire," Facebooked the San …

February 2, 2021
TikTok pushes quesadillas beyond Mexican food

Since the second week of January, San Diegans noticed a shortage of giant-sized tortillas. The anomaly is partly due to the TikTok app, and its 3 billion and counting #tortillatrend hashtagged video views. It seems …

January 26, 2021
Hip-hop drug use explained

I see the devil in reflections of my phone screen/cause social media’s our vitamins and protein/ Addicted to the dopamine, rush from the scrolls/ Depression and anxiety from internet trolls... So goes the hook to …

January 21, 2021
Artist Sand One gets copied in Tijuana, defaced in City Heights and North Park

On January 5, Sand One pulled into an undisclosed Tijuana strip mall where a questionable "doll" is depicted on an eyelash extension salon's signage. She activated her phone's camera, then zoomed into the doll's larger …

San Diego firemen face fires and cancer

On January 10, SDFireBrigade posted an Instagram video of a burning truck in the "#sandiego .... airport parking garage" filmed by @OnSceneTV earlier that morning. The day before and about 30 miles east of the …

January 15, 2021
Hip-hop artist Kahlee310 on 9-to-5 jobs

Hip-hop 9 to 5: After concert venues shuttered in March, many San Diego hip-hop artists reverted to regular jobs, following the beat of former and current Billboard charting rappers. “I have friends who were full-time …

January 14, 2021
Breaking debuts as a sport at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Breakdancing was in the news on December 8 when the International Olympic Committee announced breaking would debut as a sport at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Breaking started as one of the four original elements of …

January 7, 2021
What San Diego's low-riders are left with at the end of 2020

On December 12, Charger Steve jumped into his lifted Toyota, flipped on the under-chassis neon lights, and drove to meet his buddies at D’s Ribs & Wings, a block west of Highway 67 in Santee …

January 6, 2021
San Diegans – never leave anything in your car – especially tools

At about New Year’s Eve, a south San Diego woman posted a Facebook meme warning her neighbors of a thief, or thieves, that stole nearly $8,000 worth of Milwaukee tools from her boyfriend’s truck, which …

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