Said to have stolen and resold more than $3 million of equipment

Henry Bonilla, Richard Navarro, and Michael Tuisee, employees of a medical logistics operation at Camp Pendleton, were arraigned today (Jan. 31) on charges of stealing more than $3 million of expensive medical equipment, transporting it to Southern California locations, and …

Accused of lewd acts in public and then attacking a witness

Two Border Patrol agents, a man and a woman, who are accused of committing lewd acts in public and then battery on a witness, have begun selecting a jury for their trial in San Diego County Superior Court. Kallie Lamb …

Ex-Secretary of State, San Francisco financiers, rich loggers, and billionaire Silicon Valley heir give post-election cash to Nathan Fletcher's failed bid.

Months after his defeat, former GOP Assemblyman turned independent Nathan Fletcher remained a big money favorite of some high-profile establishment Republicans, according to the year-end campaign disclosure statement of his San Diego mayoral campaign committee posted online by the city …

The drone maker also provides big bucks to politicians

Transparency International, the watchdog group that measures openness in the defense industry, has ranked General Atomics the worst of major world contractors, according to Wired magazine. The watchdog ranks companies on whether they have anti-corruption programs in place, whether they …

Irwin Jacobs-backed committee has hired lobbying outfit to get approval for Plaza de Panama project

The Plaza de Panama committee, the group heading up the controversial project to remove traffic from Balboa Park's hub, hasn't stopped their efforts to gain approval for their project even as the project is hung up in court. Instead, the …

She didn't pay government payroll taxes withheld from employees

Ildiko Pinero, owner of Alpha Machining Products & Development, pleaded guilty today (Jan. 31) to not giving to the United States payroll taxes she had withheld from employee paychecks. In the 2006-2008 period, she withheld $110,000 in employee taxes, but …

A fire that broke out early Wednesday morning at a car dealership near downtown El Cajon required the assistance of fire crews throughout the East County region to tame, but not before it caused approximately $200,000 in damages. An officer …

USD prof says regulators encourage banks' dangerous opacity

University of San Diego Professor of Law and Finance Frank Partnoy, along with Pulitzer Prize-winning Pro Publica reporter Jesse Eisinger, say in the January/February issue of the Atlantic magazine that even the most discerning analyst cannot comprehend the financial reports …

Opinion comes weeks after Mayor Bob Filner did not need to ask council before firing state and federal lobbying firms

Mayor Bob Filner was fully in line with the law when he fired the City's longtime state and federal lobbying firms, writes the City Attorney's Office. In a January 29 memo, Deputy City Attorney Carrie Gleeson determined that Filner didn't …

He is also just about broke, says Vanity Fair

For decades, Merv Adelson, a Vegas/Hollywood entrepreneur who financed the building of North County resort La Costa with three other dubious characters, has denied his organized crime ties. But in the March 2013 issue of Vanity Fair, Adelson -- who …

The San Diego Coalition of Reason, a collection of local groups of non-theists and church-state separation activists, has teamed up with American Atheists, a national organization, to purchase ad space on a billboard off the SR 94 freeway near College …

Suspect grabs bottle of his own and strikes back.

A liquor store clerk in La Mesa and the suspect in an armed robbery are both likely nursing head wounds today suffered following blows delivered via glass bottle. On Monday night, La Mesa Police officers responded to a robbery call …

Separate homicides spread out across city

A string of homicides in Tijuana began Tuesday evening, January 28th, when a man killed from a head injury was found near the La Mesa penitentiary. The violence continued as the body of a man was found in the eastern …

Sheriff's investigators say no suspect yet, after huge brawl at remote California home

Three men were stabbed at a house party in Rainbow earlier this month, and investigators have no suspects yet in the case, according to San Diego County Sheriff's detectives. “All party-goers were gone by the time we arrived,” Sheriff’s Sergeant …

Will the venue be changed again?

Fourteen defendants of alleged corruption in three South Bay school districts — Sweetwater, Southwestern and San Ysidro — appeared in a South Bay court this morning only to be told the trial might be moved back to the San Diego …

Union to picket, deploring huge top management pay, pensions

"They get golden handshakes when they retire, and we get cat food!" That will be the rallying cry tomorrow (Jan. 31) as University of California workers and students stage protests at UC medical facilities and all ten UC campuses. The …

The Port of San Diego is inviting members of the public to a demolition party, as the South Bay Power Plant meets its maker via implosion this Saturday at 7 a.m. The plant, a bay front fixture since the 1950s, …

Breakfast admission in Washington starts at $1500; Friday afternoon Mission Valley golf affair just $1250

As previously reported, freshman Democratic congressman Juan Vargas has been first off the blocks in the House fundraising race for 2014, scheduling a Capitol Hill breakfast bash next month at Johnny’s Half Shell on North Capitol Street. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/30/39262/ “Using organic …

Gloria spends less than $4,000 on political causes and donations in the weeks before and after election

City Attorney Jan Goldsmith isn't San Diego's only politician who has stashed away tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions. Add city council president Todd Gloria to the list as well. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/30/39261/ Gloria, who like Goldsmith ran unopposed in …

But bigger names such as A-Rod getting the most sports coverage

In November, Major League Baseball suspended Padres's catcher Yasmani Grandal for 50 games for testing positive to testosterone. He had taken over the starting job in the middle of the season and done well. His suspension applies to this year. …

Film to feature former Tijuana police chief Julián Leyzaola

A documentary, which tracks the decline of violence in Ciudad Juárez, will begin showing on Friday, February 1st, at the Regal Rancho del Rey movie theater in Chula Vista. The film, which is directed and produced by Charlie Minn, is …

Defense spending plunges, but may not be bad portent for San Diego

The U.S. economy declined in the fourth quarter for the first time since the Great Recession, as growth inched down at a 0.1% annual rate. For the full 2012, the economy grew 2.2% versus 1.8% in 2011 and 2.4% in …

Potential thieves are still attempting a scam in which they pose as public utility workers in order to gain access to homes, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department is cautioning local residents. Yesterday morning, a man claiming to represent a local …

Mayor and City Attorney agree to draft a new zoning law allowing medical marijuana and present it to city council

It appears as if the City's fight, and the lawsuits, against medical marijuana dispensary owners is back on. Today, Mayor Bob Filner met with City Attorney Jan Goldsmith and city councilmembers to discuss the fate of the cases after the …

Twenty-year-old pleads not guilty to shooting two persons in the middle of the street

A man was shot dead and his girlfriend was shot in the face, because a neighbor got fed up with petty thieving from the man who lived across the street, it was suggested in courthouse testimony today. Diego Arturo Martinez, …

Mega-millionaire beer distributor gave big to DeMaio and Fletcher, along with brew merchants political committees, Major League Baseball PAC, and Mitt Romney

Ron Fowler, the politically-wired California beer distribution magnate who assembled the wealthy group that took over the Padres last year, has made it clear that he's no fan of mayor Bob Filner. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/29/39218/ That might not come as a surprise, …

Instruction offered to parents of 5 to 10 year-olds on avoiding drugs and gang life

The Carlsbad Police Department has announced new training classes aimed at the parents of unruly five to ten year-olds, with the hope that early intervention will help deter children from drug abuse or gang violence later in life. “Loving Solutions” …

Goldsmith still sitting on a lump of cash left over from the two previous elections.

San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith and his campaign committee is sitting on a wad of cash left over from the November election. Now, three months later, despite paying for posh accommodations in St. Petersburg, Florida for the Republican National …

Pot and parental notification also on publisher's personal political radar during 2012

It's the end of January, the time final 2012 campaign finance disclosure statements begin rolling in, and early filings show it was a record political fundraising season for local contributors. Among San Diego's major donors was the Reader's owner, Jim …

Controversial former Tijuana mayor hopes presidential support will help win office

Jorge Hank Rhon, a former mayor of Tijuana, hopes to get an endorsement from Mexico’s president to help his run for Governor of Baja California. Many had taken Hank Rhon’s statements lightly regarding a new political run, considering his recent …

Newly seated District 5 City Councilman Mark Kersey is wasting no time in moving to implement changes in the way San Diego goes about improving its crumbling infrastructure. Last week, Kersey released a plan to identify and prioritize needed repairs …

A recent lobbyist disclosure from Donahue Shriber shows presence of anti-One Paseo lobbyist at City Hall

Kilroy Realty is banking on hopes of city council support for their mega-development One Paseo in Carmel Valley. And, local lobbying outfits are banking thousands of dollars Kilroy Realty paid to lobby city council and city staff for support. But …

San Diegan Katie Simpson has filed a lawsuit against California Pizza Kitchen and Nestle USA, claiming that the food companies are “deliberately poisoning their customers,” Courthouse News Service reports. “Artificial trans fat is a toxic carcinogen for which there are …

The groups say ordinances violate CEQA and other state and local laws.

Consumers of organic produce and the farms they buy from are ticked off at San Diego County's Department of Environmental Health for the implementation of Eye Gnat Ordinances which could force farmers to spray pesticides on their crop. Now looking …

Sealed and floating drugs found near Ensenada

According to Baja California authorities, over 250 kilos (551 pounds) of marijuana have been found floating in the Pacific Ocean during the month of January. The most recent discovery, on Saturday January 26th, presented 228.7 kilograms floating off the coast …

Twin high-rise hotels, accompanying retail/meeting space scaled down from 2009 plans

The California Coastal Commission has filed documents indicating likely approval on a scaled-down high-rise hotel project on the former Lane Field site, original home of the minor-league San Diego Padres. The original plans, submitted and approved in 2009, called for …

San Diego newspaper mogul and litigation-beset Navy Broadway Complex developer gave heavily to those supporting controversial downtown project

Combative U-T San Diego publisher Douglas Manchester, whose development company was sued last week by the California Coastal Commission over Manchester's plans to turn the U.S. Navy's waterfront real estate into a giant hotel, office, and retail complex, remained busy …

Recent disclosure shows big money spent at City Hall to lobby for controversial projects.

Developers looking to build massive mixed use projects were scrambling to win favor at City Hall in the weeks before and after the new mayor and city councilmembers were sworn into office in early December. Their strategy was to join …

Disclosures reveal that U-T San Diego Manchester's Navy Broadway Complex was one of several contentious issues lobbied by D.C. influence peddling firm dumped by new mayor

As noted here last month, having ex-congressman Bob Filner as San Diego's new Democratic mayor might mean interesting changes for the city's costly and heavily partisan lobbying agenda, as previously controlled by Republican Jerry Sanders. Two new developments illustrate the …

SDG&E, U-T San Diego, Bridgepoint Education, and Qualcomm listed among sponsors of 'Visionary Awards" dinner

2012 was a successful political year for La Jolla billionaire Irwin Jacobs. Besides the re-election of Barack Obama, to whose super PAC the Democrat gave $2.12 million, Jacobs also won big with Proposition Z, the tax-raising San Diego Unified school …

Add North Park and Coronado to the areas taking action to make the region more cyclist-friendly. Both cities have recently announced plans to install bicycle corrals, which repurpose automobile parking spaces to add space for bicycle commuters to store their …

Callaway found he was a gambler, but had no outstanding debts

For years, the sports press has talked about golfer Phil Mickelson's gambling proclivities. Now that he has shot off his mouth about the excessive taxes on his $40 million+plus annual income, those stories -- some of which may be exaggerated …

It could take years to woo back some major conventions, says expert Morrison

In convention business, this year "will continue to be a difficult year for San Diego," says tourism guru Jerry Morrison of Encinitas. He considers it good news that the San Diego Tourism Authority (formerly CONVIS) will be taking over booking …

Panel consists of all federal officials, no public or utility company representation

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has formed a special task force to be called the San Onofre Review Panel, which will evaluate Southern California Edison’s proposal to restart one of the two long-idled nuclear reactors at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating …

Raul Licon Jr. pleads not guilty to felony child abuse

A California firefighter was ordered to face six felony child abuse charges by a superior court judge at the end of a preliminary hearing last September. The trial date was set for this week, but has been delayed two months. …

City Attorney will seek direction from council as to how to proceed with the eleven pending cases

City councilmembers and San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith will meet behind closed doors on Monday January 28 to discuss the eleven pending lawsuits against Medical Marijuana facilities filed by San Diego. The closed session meeting comes weeks after Mayor …

Influence peddlers for controversial development projects attend fundraiser in offices of downtown lobbyist owned by Filner consultant, watchdog says

That $500-a-head fundraiser thrown last night by the downtown lobbying shop of Public Policy Strategies - an influence peddling boutique owned by Tom Shepard, who was Bob Filner's chief campaign consultant in his victory over Republican city councilman Carl DeMaio …

Public records request reveals additional information on the illegal helipad at the Grand Del Mar

That's no heliport. It's a concrete fitness pad. That pretty much sums up the response from president of Manchester Resorts, Tom Voss, to officials from the Department of Transportation when asked about Grand Del Mar's non-permitted heliport back in June …

Merida Initiative pays for heavy duty police vehicle to transport criminals

The Attorney General’s Office of Baja California subtly announced, by parking it outside of their Tijuana office, the arrival of a new tactical armored truck to be used by the state police. The vehicle known as BATT, which stands for …

Suspect involved in armed robberies, unlicensed auto repair

San Diego Sheriff’s deputies in Santee are crediting a tip received via Facebook for helping them to identify a man associated with a string of robberies occurring near ATM machines in East County. 23 year-old George Adams was arrested yesterday …

Democratic mayor and Republican ex-councilman hit the political party circuit with lucrative campaign cash events

Last night, Bob Filner attended a $500 per person fundraising party for his campaign held by the downtown lobbying firm of Public Policy Strategies. The San Diego mayor was ferried to the occasion in a black Toyota sports utility vehicle, …

Real estate trade group blames lack of inventory for statistics showing fewer properties in escrow

The lack of housing inventory available for sale is driving down the number of pending sales, the California Association of Realtors, a real estate industry trade group, reports. The number of pending home sales, defined as properties under contract to …

Crime Stoppers is looking for assistance in identifying a kidnapping suspect who attempted to abduct an 11 year-old boy in Vista earlier this month. On January 10, the boy was walking home from Madison Middle School on South Melrose Drive …

Was on probation for four other cases, at the time of the new crime

Gregory Leon Spatcher, 31, made a plea deal in which he admitted felony kidnap, in San Diego’s North County Superior Courthouse, yesterday. When the judge asked the defendant if he did seize and confine and kidnap another person, Spatcher replied, …

Dr. Joel L. Bernstein brought in Turkish version of Rituxan, billed Medicare

The U.S. Attorney's office announced today (Jan. 23) that La Jolla oncologist Dr. Joel I. Bernstein pleaded guilty to introducing an unapproved drug into interstate commerce. He also pleaded guilty to health care fraud. The drug was Turkey's Mabthera, which …

Escondido cop said wrong-way-driver forced others off the road

Officer J. Houchin said he went to a hotel parking lot after someone complained of a man and woman fighting in a white van parked there, before 9 p.m. on January 3, 2013. The Escondido police officer said he was …

Officer allegedly kills himself while playing with gun off-duty

Police officers were called to the scene of an accidental shooting in Ensenada on Monday, January 21st, slightly after midnight. When officers arrived at the private residence they found an off-duty municipal police officer, Fernando Enciso Contreras, dead with a …

Man injured while riding the track now suing the City and cycling organization for negligence.

The City may have to add a cracked outdoor cycling track to its near-billion dollar list of infrastructure repairs. Last week a cyclist injured while riding the steep-banked oval track in Balboa Park filed a lawsuit against the City and …

Business appears to be booming for San Diego-based Medical Marijuana, Inc., which describes itself as “a publicly traded holding company which invests, develops and owns subsidiaries engaged in a number of diversified international businesses within the Medical Cannabis and Industrial …

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Southern California Edison representatives to field questions and comments

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has announced that it will hold a public meeting regarding the proposed restart of one nuclear reactor at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 12, and will take place …

Two couriers robbed at gunpoint

Sheriff’s deputies in Imperial Beach are looking for a pair of armed robbers, shortly after apprehending one suspected of multiple robbery attempts in a single day. Late Monday afternoon, deputies responded to an armed robbery call on the 300 block …

Deputies in San Marcos say the alleged abuser returned to the scene

A man who reportedly rescued a woman from domestic violence got smashed between two cars when the assailant returned and ran him down, according to San Diego Sheriff deputies. Monday evening, about 7:30 p.m., several concerned persons intervened and stopped …

Escondido couple plead not-guilty to felony child endangerment

A couple was charged with felony child endangerment, after police found a bag of meth hanging over their baby’s crib, according to testimony in court today. When police went into a trailer home three weeks ago, they also found hypodermic …

Former aides of GOP mayor Sanders throw open doors of their downtown lobbying office to raise campaign cash for Democratic mayor

The crew over at Public Policy Strategies Inc., the lobbying outfit founded and owned by onetime GOP champion Tom Shepard, is throwing a fundraiser tomorrow for Democratic mayor Bob Filner. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/22/38859/ Shepard is now Filner's top political guru, credited by …

Groups say doing so will impact quality of life for residents and park goers.

The political climate over the annual Earth Day Fair is more heated than ever before. Now residents of Park West and Bankers Hill are criticizing the City for not granting permits to Earth Day Fair organizers. Instead of holding the …

Escondido gangster was sentenced in San Diego Superior Court today

Sergio Alejandro Lopez Jr. turned 26-years-old in jail yesterday. This afternoon he was sentenced to 25-years-to-life in prison. Lopez' criminal career is documented since 2005, the year he turned 18. That year he admitted meth possession and resisting officer, and …

Robber described as looking 17 and high as a kite

An 18 year old man was arrested Monday night January 21, on suspicion of robbing the Imperial Beach Pharmacy at 720 State Route 75 near 7th Street. The man according to witnesses walked into pharmacy just minutes before closing pointed …

Mark Anthony Lopez arrested last week in stock manipulation scheme

Mark Anthony Lopez, former head of publicly-traded Unico, has been charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and two counts of obstructing justice. New Jersey trader Mark Allen Lefkowitz has already pleaded guilty. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, the …

City submits offer to San Diego Water Board over illegal discharge of sewage into San Diego Bay and ocean.

City officials in La Mesa have admitted to dumping over one million gallons of raw sewage into the San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The admission comes less than a month after local water quality officials slapped the City …

Over 67,000 prospective freshmen apply for admission

Applications for incoming freshmen and prospective transfer students seeking admission to UC San Diego reached record numbers for the fall 2013 semester, the university announced last Friday. A total of 67,392 prospective freshmen and another 14,948 transfer students submitted applications …

San Diego superior court imposes penalty on chain

San Diego County District Attorney, Bonnie Dumanis, announced in a January 22 press release that a superior court judge has imposed a penalty of $833,136 on Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, Inc. According to the release, "Prosecutors filed a civil …

Rents grow, but lag nation's pace, says Zillow

San Diego County housing values leapt 10% last year, according to Zillow.com. Only six of the top 30 metro markets had bigger jumps, and some such as Phoenix and Vegas were coming out of deep troughs. The median home value …

Chula Vista man helped fugitive brother-in-law sneak into U.S., scammed insurance company by faking truck theft

A federal judge called the actions of former U.S. Border Patrol agent Thomas Silva “an abomination,” sentencing him to eight months in prison and ordering him to forfeit $16,000 and pay another $8,129 to Farmer’s Insurance after he pleaded guilty …

Forty-six-year-old man denies resisting arrest charges

The deputy said it was a “typical” underage-drinking-party, with more than 200 persons overflowing the home into the street, and persons holding bottles were yelling “fuck the cops” and “fuck you pigs!” Sheriff’s deputy Frank Leyva said he and four …

Michael Theodore Pines “waives” his appearance for hearings

A former attorney who is notorious in San Diego County for his multiple arrests and unusual statements in court, apparently is no longer required to appear in court for his own cases. Michael Theodore Pines was formally disbarred in November, …

Fraser Yachts asking $34.5 million for yacht that hung around Monaco.

"Happy Days," the yacht of the late publisher David Copley, is for sale by Fraser Yachts, which has a San Diego office. The price is $34.5 million, according to a document distributed by Fraser. The listing agent for the company …

Sheriff's deputies in Fallbrook last week were called out in response to a report of an armed robbery in Valley Center. On arrival, they met with the victim, who claimed he had been robbed of a large amount of cash …

Pro golfer weighing move from California, possible retirement

San Diego pro golfer Phil Mickelson stated in La Quinta over the weekend that there will be "drastic changes" in his life. He may reveal some of them at the Farmers Insurance Open that begins Thursday at Torrey Pines. His …

Unauthorized automatic weapons and a costly sport utility vehicle used in San Diego on list of prohibited and improperly documented purchases made by U.S. Marshals Service

The United States Marshals Service has come under scrutiny by the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Inspector General over, among other things, unauthorized conversion of semi-automatic weapons purchases to those capable of fully automatic fire. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/21/38721/ In a report released …

He may not lure Chargers to L.A., and is having trouble with his wind farm, too

San Diego sports fans have long fretted over Denver multi-billionaire Phil Anschutz. The Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) has been planning a downtown stadium for Los Angeles; there has been concern that Anschutz would buy a big piece of the Chargers …

The westernmost portion of Broadway downtown will close to vehicle traffic next Wednesday and remain shut down until sometime this summer, as the Port of San Diego continues work on their North Embarcadero Visionary Plan improvement project. Beginning January 23, …

Man wanted for 2011 murder in Ensenada arrested in Salt Lake City

United States Customs Enforcement Agency officials announced Friday, January 18th, that a man wanted for murder in Baja California was returned after being arrested in Salt Lake City. Saul Camargo-Avendano, who was sought in connection with the Ensenada murder of …

Former Chargers quarterback threatened staff member and violated treatment plan

Ryan Leaf, the quarterback who was supposed to turn the Chargers around in 1998, has been moved from a drug treatment center to the Montana State Prison, according to the Associated Press. Leaf was charged with threatening a staff member …

Nunez kicks in $5,000 to Ruben Hueso's run for School Board in Pasadena

Former assembly speaker now running for state treasurer, Fabian Nunez, is spreading the wealth, to any member of the Hueso family who decides to run public office. On January 16, Nunez wrote a check from his state treasurer campaign fund …

Trading and currency showing positive results for start of 2013

Mexico’s stock market continues to strengthen, alongside a strong peso, as the benchmark IPC index of the nation’s top 35 stocks pushes into record territory. According to the Wall Street Journal, the index reached 44,980 during Friday morning trading. The …

Double-digit annual increases in many markets

While foreclosures continue to fall, the sales pace for the real estate market as a whole continues to heat up, and with it come rising prices. Total sales in December were up 9 percent as compared to a year ago, …

County gains 700 jobs in final month

The San Diego County unemployment rate fell to 8.1% in December from 8.4% in November and 9% a year ago, according to the Employment Development Department. Not surprisingly, retail trade jobs rose 1,800. Thus, the December improvement was in significant …

Legal memorandum drafted by former Union-Tribune political writer green-lights strong mayor's powers

If there was any doubt that new Democratic mayor Bob Filner has plenty of leverage under the city's so-called strong mayor form of government - once ardently embraced and financed by San Diego's Republican business establishment - GOP City Attorney …

Jan Goldsmith says City should not pay legal fees for medical marijuana cases.

City Attorney Jan Goldsmith is digging his heels in, refusing to give ground to medical marijuana patients and dispensary owners who have filed lawsuits against the City of San Diego. Days after Mayor Bob Filner announced Neighborhood Code Compliance would …

U.S. Border Patrol agents in North County seized nearly a million dollars’ worth of drugs in two stops earlier this week. In one, a Mexican national was stopped in a parking lot near Interstate 5 in Oceanside. A drug-sniffing dog …

Cunningham sees San Diego lagging state, nation

Economist Kelly Cunningham of the National University System Institute for Policy Research sees San Diego County growing only 1.5% this year, adjusted for inflation, versus 1.6% for California and 2% for the nation. He assumes Congress will come to some …

Bloomberg says Mary Jo White in line to head securities agency

"Obama is not going to clean up financial corruption by pinning a sheriff's badge on Wall Street's protector-in-chief." Thus speaks San Diego attorney Gary Aguirre about today's report from Bloomberg News that Mary Jo White is under consideration to head …

Pinging iPhone was ditched in a vacant lot near the home of a thief on probation

A man whose iPhone was stolen from his home while he slept, used the tracking device in his smartphone to assist Oceanside Police to find and arrest a suspect they already named for a string of prior burglaries. The alleged …

Defense attorney hopes a psychological exam could prove she is "not a danger" to the public

A 45-year-old woman accused of embezzling more than $5 million dollars from a San Marcos company for which she was the financial controller, delayed her preliminary hearing from this week until the end of next month. Elizabeth Ann Masters was …

Bus manufacturer New Flyer announced yesterday that it had finalized a sales contract with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System for the purchase of between 47 and 165 new 60 foot-long, articulated Xcelsior buses. The vehicles are set to run …

Allison Macfarlane also meets with local environmental group about safety concerns

Allison Macfarlane, the new head of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, made her first visit to the idle San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station earlier this week, meeting with officials while on site. Macfarlane replaced outgoing chairman Gregory Jaczko, who resigned …

Democrat Peters and Republican Issa make San Diego county one of America's top concentrations of congressional wealth, according to new ranking

The website OpenSecrets.org, run by Washington's non-profit Center for Responsive Politics, is out with its Congressional wealth rankings, and San Diego county can boast two members in the top twenty: Republican Darrell Issa and Democrat Scott Peters. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/16/38521/ Congressional disclosure …

Local retailer caught distributing bath salts and spice

Tommy’s Liquor in Vista is set to be hit with a 20-day suspension of its liquor license tomorrow by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Effective at 2:30 p.m. on the 17th, Tommy’s will not be able to sell …

Appeals court upholds ruling after Border Patrol seizure

The sheriff’s department in Yuma, Arizona, must return a stash of marijuana seized from an Encinitas woman at a Border Patrol checkpoint two years ago, an Arizona appeals court has ruled. Valerie Okun was stopped at the checkpoint just northeast …

A silent, deadly killer. Carbon monoxide.

An Imperial Beach family is thankful today to be alive after a carbon monoxide leak sent them to the hospital. It happened Monday morning January 14, in the 900 block of Cypress Avenue with the Clement family complaining of flu-like …

Former San Diegan says president can't tread on Second Amendment

Edwin Meese, former close aide to Ronald Reagan both as California governor and president, told Newsmax that President Obama could risk impeachment if he takes executive action on reducing gun violence, according to Talking Points memo. Meese practiced law in …

Business Improvement District chiefs in San Diego can obtain email addresses of business owners from city records, Goldsmith holds

Those who have business licenses from the city of San Diego may be seeing some new unsolicited email in their inboxes, thanks to a Memorandum of Law issued Friday by the office of City Attorney Jan Goldsmith. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/15/38463/ "Business Improvement …

Four new librarian positions are now listed on City's website.

Over the past five years, San Diego's public library system has taken a beating. In an effort to balance the City's structural deficit, public officials have reduced hours at libraries citywide. But things seem to be looking up for San …

During pursuit, suspect throws items including flaming towel from car, douses self in gasoline

San Diego Sheriff’s deputies responding to a call regarding a suspicious person on the 17000 block of Ridgeview Lane in Ramona yesterday afternoon observed a series of rather unique behaviors from 32 year-old Chula Vista resident Oscar Torres, who was …

Foreclosure rate falls to lowest in recent years

As the real estate market continues to climb, San Diego County posted its lowest number of new foreclosure filings and foreclosure sales in at least a year last month, new data from ForeclosureRadar shows. Far fewer properties that begin the …

Mother of girl killed on Escondido street seeking $15 million in damages

Tiffany St. Ives was 52 years old when she drove into a girl walking across a street in Escondido, in 2007. Seventeen-year-old high school student Marlene Resendiz was crossing East Grand Avenue at the corner of Rose Street, just before …

David Leroy Lucero Jr. was sent away to a mental hospital in 2010

Margo Jean Lucero, 53, had been locking her bedroom door at night because she was afraid of her 25-year-old son David, according to investigators who found the woman deceased in her own bed, almost two years ago. The young man’s …

Accused of lewd acts in public, and then attacking and threatening a witness

Two persons who are said to be five-year-veterans with the Border Patrol have a trial date at the end of this month, for a case in which they are accused of attacking a woman after a circus performance at the …

State passes milestone in solar installations

California’s solar power network now tops 1 gigawatt in generation, the *San Francisco Chronicle is reporting. A single gigawatt is equal to 1,000 megawatts, roughly equivalent to the power production of one of the two idled nuclear reactors at San …

Aguirre charges ratepayers getting fleeced over San Onofre; CPUC may grant silence

San Diego attorney Mike Aguirre today (Jan. 14) filed a motion with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in an attempt to thwart a bid for secret hearings on the San Onofre nuclear facility mishap. The facility is jointly owned …

But does the desert town have a future for resort business?

The Borrego Springs Resort & Country Club is on the market for $10 million, according to real estate salesman Rick Vesci, who has the listing. "It was never really successful," says Jerry Morrison, San Diego County hotel guru. "It was …

MTS paying SANDAG to manage the $637,414 camera project

Smile, you're on Metropolitan Transit System camera. New closed circuit television cameras may soon be installed at trolley stations throughout San Diego. The new cameras, if approved by SANDAG's transportation committee, will be installed along the trolley's Orange Line which …

Retired bus driver had his life savings taken after investing in Vegas express bus venture

A retired San Diego bus driver has filed suit against Luis Berrios and LBA Express, a shuttle service to Las Vegas, claiming elder abuse and fraud. Jose Carrillo, who is in his mid-sixties and survives on Social Security and a …

Cash stash controlled by controversial Democratic ex-Assembly Speaker, now employed by national lobbying firm, drops serious campaign change for current member's step up the ladder

A multi-million dollar campaign fund run by former state Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez has contributed $4,100 to the 40th district state senate campaign of fellow Democrat Ben Hueso, re-elected to the Assembly in November. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/14/38348/ The contribution was made on …

It's part of probe of for-profit educational institutions

Troubled Bridgepoint Education filed a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission this morning (Jan. 14) indicating that it has received an investigative subpoena from the California Attorney General requesting documents from March 1, 2009 to the present. Bridgepoint says …

Would-be bank robber doesn't know where money is kept

A man failed in his attempt to rob a Poway bank on Friday when he presented his demand note to a loan officer sitting at a desk in the lobby rather than approaching the teller windows where money is kept. …

Tensions mount over public employee pensions. Sheriffs' union files suit.

Tensions continue to mount between the Deputy Sheriffs' Association and the County of San Diego over pension obligations. In a lawsuit filed on January 4, the union accused the County of violating current pension agreements by implementing the California Public …

Departure of popular Obama appointee coincides with formation of UCSD search committee to replace departing Tony Haymet

Marcia McNutt, director of the United States Geological Survey and science advisor to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, today announced her resignation. Word circulating at UCSD is that she may soon be heading back to San Diego to join …

Lawsuit shows a new fight for relocation benefits.

Now that a settlement is near, the melee over the De Anza Cove mobile home park now has resident pitted against resident in a fight for relocation benefits. A new lawsuit, filed by James and Michelle Bloch on January 9, …

The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council came out yesterday with an official endorsement for Democratic California Assemblyman Ben Hueso to succeed state Senator Juan Vargas in a special election this May. Vargas won the contest this fall to …

Utilities move to block public access to information related to government inquiry on steam generator failure

The Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility earlier this week filed a statement with the California Public Utilities Commission opposing a motion by Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric, who collectively share a majority ownership stake in the long-idled …

Phone scams involving con artists posing as law enforcement officials are on the rise, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department warns. Earlier this week, the Reader reported on the case of an alleged California Highway Patrol officer (actually a scammer) who …

Today’s move may position new Democratic San Diego mayor for head-on collision with Obama’s U.S. Attorney here

San Diego mayor Bob Filner, whose election was opposed last year by U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy, today told the city's development department to stop its crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries. A day after a contretemps yesterday, in which Democrat Filner …

SD lags nation in percentage of homes free of debt

Zillow,com reports today that 29.3% of U.S. homeowners own their houses free and clear of debt. San Diego County comes in at 21.5%. The highest percentages among metro areas are Pittsburgh (38.6%) and Tampa (33.2%) and the lowest are Washington …

Corporations buy their way on to state-owned non-profit's air via "Downtown Abbey" event offering 44 TV spots, 60 radio spots, and 30,000 Internet ads, “sponsorship kit” says

KPBS, the public broadcasting operation owned and run by taxpayer-funded San Diego State University, is planning to stage a lavish downtown fundraising bash for well-heeled backers, allowing advertisers to "Reach KPBS' Most Loyal and Affluent Audience,” according to a “sponsorship …

Del Mar’s City Council is set to take up the issue of food trucks again next Monday, seeking to extend an emergency ordinance that effectively blocks their presence within city limits. On November 19, the council voted to place a …

Escape attempt leads to head-on traffic collision, homeowner confrontation after break-in attempt gone wrong

Twenty-eight year old Benjamin Nicholas Davidson of El Cajon was arrested late Tuesday night after leading La Mesa Police officers on a chase that wrecked two cars, left another driver injured, and found Davidson unsuccessfully attempting to break into an …

Media reporting that linebacker had chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Both ESPN and ABC News are reporting this morning (Jan. 10) that former star Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, who committed suicide last May, suffered from a debilitating brain disease attributed to 20 years of absorbing hard hits to the head …

Insults fly -- still no consensus on what happened at so-called watchdog

The board of beleaguered Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN) met last night (Jan. 9) in both an open and closed session. In the open session, members discussed how, through a change in the bylaws, longtime board member Niel Lynch was …

CalSTRS becomes first public pension fund to to divest gun maker stocks

The investment committee of the $154.3 billion California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) voted unanimously today (Jan. 9) to sell any investments in companies making firearms that the state bars private citizens from owning, as well as makers of high-capacity …

Class action suit argues illegal expiration dates, deceptive practices from "Daily Deal" provider SignOn San Diego

The U-T San Diego yesterday sent a notification to individuals who had subscribed to its “Daily Deal” vouchers announcing a proposed class action settlement in response to an August 2011 complaint filed by Linda Low in federal district court. Low …

Filner contributor is deeply rooted in San Diego lobbying, real estate development, and political fundraising, both Democratic and Republican

When Democratic mayor Bob Filner unveiled his new executive staff on Monday, one of the most intriguing names on the list was that of Molly Chase, daughter of Filner campaign contributor and Gregory Canyon solid waste disposal site promoter Nancy …

The Republican Party of San Diego County yesterday announced the appointment of Francis Barraza as the party’s executive director. The move is widely seen as an acknowledgment of a need to more aggressively court voters the party has failed to …

Twenty-four-year-old man admitted sex with 12-year-old girl

A 24-year-old man who admitted to having intercourse with a 12-year-old girl in Escondido had his case transferred to Los Angeles County, last week. Christopher Bradley Nutt had only recently moved to San Diego County, from San Dimas, before the …

Elderly San Diego couple were targets of a scam

It was a warm, pleasant morning in San Diego, about 11 a.m. last October, when Peggy got an upsetting phone call. The man on the phone said he was Sergeant Perry with the California Highway Patrol. The sergeant told Peggy …

Judge finds "stupid" good cause to reduce felony to misdemeanor

The deputy said he first noticed the car because it was driving so slow, and then he saw that the occupants kept turning around to look at his patrol car. Because there were four persons in the back seat of …

Man reportedly wrestled to the ground for Oil-of-Olay and Loreal products

The “corporate security” man for a retail grocery store said he observed the customer put two jars of beauty crème into his jacket before he left the store, without paying for the items. Witness Miguel Rivera testified that it was …

Elected officials invited to attend annual retreat at Barona Casino

Elected officials throughout San Diego County who sit on SANDAG's Board of Directors have just three days left to sign up for the agency's annual Board of Directors retreat. This year's all-expense-paid retreat will be held at Barona Casino from …

Fan kidnapped, robbed after UTEP game

San Diegan Brandon Lawrence Jones and El Paso's Jesus Manuel Gallegos have pleaded guilty to kidnapping and carjacking a man leaving a basketball game Nov. 5, 2011, beating him and emptying his bank accounts, according to the Federal Bureau of …

A fund-raising and volunteer sign-up drive kicked off Monday in support of the San Diego Housing Coalition’s annual Project Homeless Connect, put on in conjunction with the Interfaith Shelter Network, Family Health Centers of San Diego, and St. Vincent de …

New mayor fills extra-pay association of governments committees with himself and fellow partisans, disclosure shows

It's official. Democratic Mayor Bob Filner wants to appoint himself to the board of directors and the executive committee of the San Diego Association of Governments, otherwise known as SANDAG. And Filner, a former member of Congress and veteran of …

Colton Sudberry, president of Sudberry Properties, submits application for a 15,250 mansion in La Jolla

The uptick in San Diego's housing market is one sign of the local economy is on the mend. A more sure fire sign, though, are new proposals from large scale developers to build multi-million dollar mansions in La Jolla. That's …

Labor leader amassing political war chest for state Assembly run

The campaign for local labor leader Lorena Gonzalez has hit the ground running in her bid to take over the 80th District California Assembly seat potentially being vacated by Ben Hueso, who himself is gunning for Juan Vargas’ former state …

Filner releases a statement on the Earth Day Fair.

Carolyn Chase finally got the meeting she was hoping for. Unfortunately, it wasn't the outcome she wanted. Today, Chase met with Mayor Bob Filner to discuss the City's decision to deny Earth Day permits to hold the event at Balboa …

Two suspects were recorded wondering if the gun had been found, a deputy said

Fallbrook deputies did not know about the hidden gun until they heard the man ask his female friend if they had found it. Sheriff’s deputy John Klimek said he put Angel Chavez and Araceli Diaz in the back seat of …

Meth in his hoodie, pills and Sig Sauer pistol in his silver Cadillac

Escondido Police officer Jake Houchin said he was called to an apartment complex at 101 South Spruce Street on a report of a “suspicious person in the area.” It was just before 10 p.m. on a Wednesday night, December 19, …

A move initiated by the Surfrider Foundation in 2007 to get up to seven portions of San Onofre State Beach near the border of San Diego and Orange County listed on the National Register of Historic Places is drawing controversy …

Jobless migrants from southern Mexico hiking poverty numbers across state

According to recent reports, the Mexican state of Baja California has over 320,000 people living in some form of poverty. The Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (National Institute of Statistic and Geography or INEGI) census reported that 13% of …

Outgoing General oversaw discovery and destruction of drug pipelines

In the last six years, according to outgoing General Alfonso Duarte Múgica, 51 narco-tunnels were discovered and destroyed in the Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora. General Duarte Múgica, who left his military post on January 4th for a …

Man allegedly followed woman home from Lemon Grove bar, shot her in the head

Authorities have identified a suspect in the murder of a woman last week in Lemon Grove, leading to the arrest of 32 year-old Casey Tschida, who had fled to his mother’s house in Happy Valley, Oregon. San Diego Sheriff’s Homicide …

Sophisticated smuggling tunnel uncovered along border

Another narco-tunnel, which are used to smuggle narcotics and humans from Mexico to the United States, was uncovered in Mexicali on Saturday, January 5th. According to the Mexicali police chief, Marco Antonio, the tunnel is 10 meters deep and 30 …

Local law school last in state in students passing bar

Columnist Staci Zaretsky of the publication "Above the Law" has published a list of how the state's 21 American Bar Association-accredited law schools did in the July 2012 bar exams. In first place was Stanford, as 93.7% of its grads …

Co-founder of watchdog claims character assassination, says news service

The Courthouse News Service said today (Jan. 4) that Michael Shames has sued Utility Consumers' Action Network (UCAN), the organization he once headed, for a "systematic and calculated plan of character assassination and economic harassment." (I have not yet seen …

Filner deputy chief of staff tells organizer they are standing by staff's decision

San Diego's Earth Day is under attack and event organizers are scrambling to obtain the necessary permits and save the Earth Day celebration at Balboa Park. Today, Mayor Bob Filner's deputy chief of staff Allen Jones, called Earth Day organizer …

Veteran San Diego police captain withdraws candidacy for $160,000 job in wake of son's preferential treatment controversy

Manny Guaderrama, the longtime San Diego police captain who was set to become police chief of the Central California wine country town of Paso Robles, has bowed out in the wake of controversy over alleged preferential treatment of his son …

La Mesa Police arrested 31 year-old Gene Ramirez Valdez of National City yesterday after a backyard chase following a reported burglary in the 7100 block of Purdue Avenue. Responding to a call from a resident who reported seeing a man …

Decapitated head discovered in plastic bag

A human head was found in Playas de Rosarito on Thursday, January 3rd, after a citizen opened a plastic bag emitting a strong odor. The head, which is in an advanced state of decomposition, was found in an empty lot …

Navy uses scare tactics to reduce use of bath salt in new public service announcement

The Navy has announced an offensive on a new enemy; bath salts. The announcement comes more than a year after 64 sailors, 49 of which were on the USS Carl Vinson, were busted for possession of the synthetic cannabinoid, Spice. …

San Diego's major accounting scam happened a decade ago

Effective Dec. 26, 2012, the California Board of Accountancy has taken the certified public accountant license of Daniel Stulac, who now lives in Racine, Wisconsin. In February of 2003, Peregrine Systems restated $509 million of revenue that it had improperly …

Family said they noticed the car of missing man parked at shopping center

The family of a man reported missing two weeks ago found his car in a Fallbrook shopping center, and when deputies investigated, last night, they noticed the body in the back. San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies saw a man “zipped …

Community boosters: "We're not the Gaslamp!"

Like their southern neighbors in Barrio Logan, the community of East Village at the southern edge of San Diego’s downtown area is seeking proposals for a prominent new neighborhood entryway sign in the fashion of Mid-City neighborhoods such as Hillcrest …

U.S. adds 155,000 jobs in December, slightly below November

The nation added 155,000 nonfarm jobs in December, about the same as the 161,000 gain of November, the Labor Department said today (Jan. 4). The jobless rate stayed at 7.8%, down almost a percentage point from a year ago but …

Judge denied Thomas Scott Ruth's request in Superior Court yesterday

The owner of a pizza shop in Carlsbad made national news when he wrestled a loaded handgun away from a would-be robber in February 2011. Almost two years later, the man who admitted the attempted robbery is requesting modification of …

Council asked to approve spending up to $250,000 for outside legal representation in the cases against Anthony Arevalos

Former San Diego Police Officer Anthony Arevalos continues to cost the City for the sexual assault crimes he committed on unsuspecting women in San Diego's Gaslamp District over a two-year period from 2009 to 2011. On Tuesday, city councilmembers will …

Unidentified woman found on roadside with head injuries, later succumbs to her wounds

Sheriff’s deputies in Lemon Grove are searching for information regarding an apparent homicide this morning. Around 2 a.m., deputies were patrolling the 7600 block of Pacific Avenue when they found a woman lying on the side of the road. Stopping …

Comptroller alleges San Diego cell phone giant obscures its political spending

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, a Democrat, has announced that he is suing Qualcomm, the San Diego-based technology company founded by La Jolla billionaire Irwin Jacobs, in an effort to "to inspect the company’s books and records to …

President of the Clairemont Town Council, Ryan Trabuco, to leave the Republican Party to become an independent.

The sting from the November election continues to burn for some members of San Diego County's Republican Party. Bob Filner's win, Scott Peters defeat of GOP congressman Brian Bilbray, the election of David Roberts to the County Board of Supervisors, …

The 11 judge federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has voted 7-4 to disallow a move by the California court system to retroactively lift the probation status of two convicted drug smugglers in an attempt to lighten their sentences. At …

Clerk said a man wearing a blue bandana told him, "This is a stickup."

The store clerk reported he was grabbed from behind by a man who said, “This is a stickup, give me the money in the register.” The clerk at the 7-Eleven store said the robber “put an object” to the back …

Eighteen-year-old Pedro Manriquez Jr. denies latest car theft charge

An Escondido woman heard her car start, and looked out her apartment window in time to see her car being driven away, Sunday night, December 16, 2012. She also noticed a Honda Accord with a bike rack on the roof, …

California's political money-shifting machine never takes a break, not even for year's end

There was no rest for fundraising San Diego politicos as 2013 approached. http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2013/jan/02/37788/ On December 31, according to a filing posted online today by the California Secretary of State's office, Democratic Assemblyman Ben Hueso picked up a total of $7800 …

New lawsuit claims hotel takes room service employee's tips to pay for broken glasses regardless of actual breakage

Employees at the Manchester Grand Hyatt have to abide by a simple rule: If you break it, you buy it. But according to some former room service employees the policy is slightly more nuanced. For them, even if they don't …

Sketches of three suspects released by Sheriff

Sheriff’s Deputies are looking for three men wanted related to an attempted kidnapping in Encinitas on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve. An unidentified 18 year-old female was walking north on the 500 block of Saxony Road around 3:30 Monday …

Lowest number of homicides recorded in 5 years

Official numbers were released today, January 2nd, by the Procuraduría General de Justicia de la entidad (state attorney general’s office), which showed a large decrease in homicides for the Mexican state of Baja California. To date, 643 homicides were recorded …

Vietnamese cultural district would span several blocks of El Cajon Blvd. in City Heights

The Little Saigon Foundation of San Diego this week began circulating an online petition seeking official recognition for the Vietnamese community of the region by establishing a stretch of El Cajon Boulevard running from Highland Avenue to Euclid Avenue in …

The fiscal cliff legislation contains concealed goodies for companies

Corporations gleefully picked your pocket in the fiscal cliff legislation that finally passed both houses of Congress last night (Jan. 1). Buried in the legislation, explains Matt Stoller, fellow of the Roosevelt Institute and writer for Naked Capitalism, are some …