Living In San Diego San Diego News. News for north san diego, south san diego, san diego harbor, coronado san diego, the gaslamp san diego, point loma san diego, ocean beach san diego, la jolla san diego etc.

>>Camp Pendleton Marine Killed During Parachuting Exercise

(Camp Pendleton, CA)  --  Parachuting exercises for the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion have been suspended after a 23-year-old Marine died during a training activity at Camp Pendleton.  Officials say Corporal Ryan L. Pape of Grand Forks, Minnesota, was part of a low-level, static line parachute training activity when he died Thursday night.  Pape, who was the son of a farmer, enlisted in the Marines after his older brother, Corporal Riley Pape, was killed in a motorcycle accident near Camp Pendleton in 2005.  Ryan L. Pape joined the Marines in October of 2005 and earned an Iraq Campaign Medal and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

>>Man Killed In I-8 Collision Identified

(San Diego, CA)  --  Authorities on Saturday released the name of an El Cajon man who died when the truck he was driving hit another vehicle and crashed in Mission Valley.  The Medical Examiner's Office says 43-year-old Eduardo Roberto Chavarin was the only one in the 1990 Toyota pickup truck that was heading west on Interstate 8 about 7:30 a.m. Thursday when for some reason he swerved to the right and collided with a 2004 Dodge Ram.  Authorities say the Ram then crashed into a 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee while the Toyota left the north side of the freeway, went down an embankment, crashed through a chain-link perimeter fence and overturned before stopping in the 35-hundred block of Camino del Rio North.  Police say Chavarin died at the site while the other drivers were not injured.

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>>Driver Allegedly Hits Gas Instead Of Brakes, Strikes Pedestrian

(San Diego, CA)  --  A pedestrian is in a hospital suffering from head injuries and a crushed arm after a car struck him in Otay Mesa Saturday when the driver accidentally pushed the gas rather than the brake.  Authorities say a 49-year-old driver was attempting to park his vehicle shortly before 9 a.m. in the 15-hundred block of Heritage Road when he accidentally pressed the gas instead of the brake, causing his vehicle to go over the curb.  The vehicle hit a 44-year-old man.  Police are investigating the accident and have not arrested anyone.

>>Woman Allegedly Runs Parade Barricade In Encinitas

(Encinitas, CA)  --  A woman was arrested and taken to Vista jail Saturday night after running through a barricade at the Encinitas Holiday Parade.  Authorities say the 32-year-old woman ran through the South Coast Highway barrier, south of Encinitas Boulevard, and struck a center island.  Sheriff's deputies arrested her for alleged drunken driving and child endangerment as she had two children, ages six and nine, in her vehicle. 

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>>Paramedics, Emergency Workers Vote To Join New Union

(San Diego, CA)  --  A San Diego firefighters union will evaluate election results and could challenge them after around 400 paramedics and emergency medical technicians voted to separate from it and become part of another union.  The paramedics and emergency medical technicians voted during an election that occurred over a few days and wrapped up Thursday night.  San Diego City Firefighters Local 145 has represented employees who work for San Diego Medical Services, a public-private enterprise that the San Diego Fire-Rescue and Rural/Metro Ambulance formed.  The employees who want to leave Local 145 voted to join the National Emergency Medical Services Association or NEMSA, which already represents emergency medical professionals who work for American Medical Response and Priority One Medical Transport.

>>Police Department Launches Toy Drive

(San Diego, CA)  --  Anyone looking to brighten the holidays for children who are in the hospital can take part in a stuffed-animal drive.  It's part of the 19th Annual Teddy Bear Drive, though any new, unwrapped stuffed animals with price tags still on them may be donated.  The San Diego Harbor Police Department is hosting this year's event and the animals will go toward patients at Rady Children's Hospital; the deadline to turn them in is December 15th.  Donors may drop off stuffed animals at all law-enforcement stations in the county, including police departments in San Diego, Chula Vista, La Mesa, Coronado, National City, Escondido and El Cajon, as well as Sheriff's Department stations around the county and at San Diego Harbor Police Department headquarters. 

A vigil was held last night for a sailor whose family believes he was killed because he was gay. The crowd of people gathered near Camp Pendleton to remember August Provost. Provost was buried yesterday in his hometown of Houston with full military honors. His family says they have received little information about the shooting from the Navy. Provost was shot to death while standing guard at Camp Pendleton on June 30th. The Navy does say they have not found any evidence to suggest a hate crime and any one who was on duty that night would have met the same fate. His family says he came to the base last September and was harassed the whole time.

An East County home caught fire yesterday, completely destroying it. Fire officials say they were called to the 800 block of Grossmont Avenue in El Cajon. The owner of the home and her daughter were both able to get out safely. The homeowner did suffer from burns on her arms and scalp when she went back inside to rescue her Chihuahua. Fire crews took around 25 minutes to put out the flames. The fire started in the family room, but the exact cause is still being investigated.

A man was arrested after federal agents found around 80 pounds of marijuana in his car. The 22-year-old man was driving his SUV into the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. As he drove up to the international inspection station a service dog alerted officials to the drugs in his vehicle. Officers searched the Ford Edge and found 28 packages of pot stashed under the floor and in the center console. The driver is a U.S. citizen and a member of the program that lets people do expedited border-crossing for frequent travelers between the United States and Mexico. He was booked into the county jail.

There were over 200 crop pests captured at the Port of San Diego in June. Federal agricultural experts say a just over a dozen of the 232 pests captured are deemed major threats to the U.S. food supply. These pests can do harm to U.S. crops, but they are nonexistent or very scarce in this country. The products in which the pests came into the country were sent back to their countries of origin, fumigated or destroyed. The number of bugs captured at the port was substantially higher than in 2008 and 2007.

Two men are in custody today, accused in taking part in a frightening home-invasion robbery in Imperial Beach Friday. Police say the suspects, 21-year-old Jason Dean Wootton and 22-year-old Tamba Ladrillono, were among four men who broke into the home of a man and woman in the 500 block of Elm Avenue using handguns and pepper spray. The suspects, wearing black ski masks, were attempting to tie the couple up with duct tape, when the male victim escaped and told neighbors to call the police. The suspects fled and Wootton was soon apprehended. He was positively identified by the victims during a line-up that took place on the scene. During questioning, police say Wootton said Ladrillono was also involved. Police arrested Ladrillono in south San Diego early Saturday morning. The two men were booked into San Diego Central Jail and charged with crimes including kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment. Two other suspects remain at large.

A motorist in Oceanside died after he apparently fell asleep behind the wheel on Interstate 5. What makes the incident unusual is that it happened during morning rush hour traffic. According to a report released by the Medical Examiner's Office Saturday, 48-year-old Arturo Gomez apparently fell asleep while driving on Interstate 5, just north of Harbor Drive, Thursday morning around 7:30 a.m. The coroner says Gomez struck two stopped cars. Gomez died after being transported to Palomar Medical Center.

San Diego police say they're seeing a decrease in rowdy behavior this holiday weekend at local beaches, and they believe it's due in large part to the alcohol ban. For the second year in a row, all alcohol has been banned on San Diego beaches during the Fourth of July holiday. Violence at Pacific Beach in Labor Day 2007 jump-started the movement to prohibit alcohol. A San Diego police spokesperson estimated arrests for public drunkenness are down as much as 60-percent since the ban took affect.

Gasoline prices continue to fall in San Diego County. Triple-A of San Diego says the price of a gallon of self-serve regular fell a one-cent Saturday and is now two-dollars and 96-cents a gallon. It is the 14th time in 15 days the price has fallen. The average price is now four cents less than it was a week ago. A spokesperson for the Automobile Club of Southern California noted that the price of gas has not been this low for Independence Day since 2005.

So far, so good for San Diego County this July 4th holiday weekend. The California Highway Patrol says there have been no traffic fatalities so far this weekend. Police do report that 36 drivers have been arrested in suspicion of DUI. The CHP announced they would be stepping up their DUI patrols this weekend, expecting more drivers under the influence to hit the road.

Two female marines based at Camp Pendleton died in Mexico Friday. Military officials say the unidentified soldiers died in a car crash in Mexicali, which is located about 130 miles from San Diego. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. The two women were members of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and their names are being withheld pending notification of their families.

A man in University City decided to mark July 4th by holding up a donut shop. San Diego police say a gunman held up the Golden Donuts on Governor Drive Saturday morning. The man took an undisclosed amount of cash from the register but didn't stop there. Police say the robber also took off with the clerk's wallet. Police are looking for a white man in his 20's, medium build, who was wearing a black shirt and blue shorts.

Everth Cabrera drove in three runs as the Padres came from behind to defeat the Dodgers 7-4 at Petco Park Saturday. Adrian Gonzalez, David Eckstein and Cabrera all had two hits with Eckstein driving in two for the Padres, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Greg Burke pitched two-thirds of an inning for his first career win. Heath Bell went an inning-and-two thirds for his 23rd save. Ronald Belisario was touched for three runs in a third-of-an-inning, dropping his record to 1-and-3. Manny Ramirez, playing in his second game back from a 50-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy, smacked a solo shot to left field for his only hit in three at bats.

A person was shot to death at a park in San Diego yesterday. Police say they received a call about shots fired at Valencia Park around 2:30 p.m. They found one victim when they arrived on scene. The victim was taken to Mercy Hospital where he died. The incident is still under investigation.

Three teenagers were arrested yesterday in connection with a home burglary. Police say the 16 and two 17-year-olds had rifles when they found them. They were arrested for suspicion of residential burglary, possession of stolen property and possession of a loaded firearm. Police received a call from a neighbor who said she saw two males, wearing masks and bandanas, armed with rifles taking off from a home on California Street. She also told police they were driving a Ford Explorer. Officers saw a Ford Explorer stopped on Wisconsin Avenue. They saw shotgun shells, the guns and a backpack with some of the alleged stolen items.

A man who has been accused of seven sexual assaults on women in the San Diego area, died by hanging in his cell at the San Diego Central Jail. The Medical Examiner's Office says it appears to have been a suicide. Deputies found the body of Thomas James Parker hanging by a sheet yesterday morning. The jails medical staff, firefighters and paramedics attempted lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead. Parker was arrested last Wednesday for allegedly trying to rape a Mission Valley woman in her garage, threatening her with a knife, and grabbing her. Police say he had been linked through DNA and other evidence to seven sexual assaults.

Coronado San Diego-Almost two dozen people fell ill and several children passed out at a church service yesterday. Parishioners at Scared Heart Catholic Church on C Avenue were evacuated as paramedics tended to everyone. Fire officials say people reported suffering from headaches, dizziness and nausea. The affected people were taken to hospitals with on site testing showing high levels of carbon monoxide in their systems. Further screenings at UCSD Medical Center showed no elevated levels of that gas or any other toxic substance in their bodies. The parishioners were released and hospital officials say they should be fine. A County hazardous-materials team worked with San Diego Gas & Electric and found no gas leaks and no evidence of any other kind of airborne contaminant. The church has been cleared to resume normal activities.

A man pled not guilty from his hospital bed to attempted murder and assault charges. Jeff Quijano was shot by detectives after he allegedly opened fire on them following a robbery. Two alleged accomplices also pled not guilty. Isaura Morales Naranjo is charged with attempted murder and various assault charges. Andrea Maria Ramos is charged with robbery and reckless evading. Police say Ramos and Quijano robbed a woman at knifepoint and then fled in a van with Morales driving. They ran a stop sign and plainclothes detectives saw them. The van went into an alley and Quijano allegedly started shooting at the detectives. They returned fire and wounded Quijano. Police say Ramos took over driving and crashed the van into a guardrail near Palm Avenue under an Interstate-805 overpass. All three are being held on one-million dollars bail.

There is a new iPhone application being offered from UC San Diego. The free iPhone software application will be able to give students an interactive campus map that pinpoints the location of each of their classrooms for their courses. It will also let students call, e-mail or send text messages to instructors. Eventually, campus officials are hoping to let students listen to podcasts of past lectures. Officials say there has been more than 21-hundred downloads of the application so far. UCSD is the first public university in the nation to offer an iPhone app. University officials are hoping to have a similar application for Blackberry users by the end of the year.

A man died and a woman is in critical condition following a shooting at a San Dimas Park Saturday night. A sheriff's spokesperson said the shooting happened during an altercation at the boat launch area at the Frank G. Bonelli Park. The unidentified 28-year-old man was shot multiple times. The woman was also shot and was transported to an area hospital in critical condition. Police continue to investigate the incident.

An undercover prostitution sting on Friday in Escondido led to the arrest of nine men. An Escondido police spokesman said officers also encountered a juvenile suspected of working as a prostitute during the sting. That girl was reported as a runaway and was returned to her mother. All of the men were charged on suspicion of soliciting prostitutes.

Gasoline prices continue to rise in San Diego County. According to the Automobile Club of Southern California, the price of a gallon of self-serve regular rose two-cents and is now two-85-per-gallon. That's a 15-cent increase from last week and 50-cents higher than last month.

The Padres beat the Diamondbacks 6-4 in the second of four games at Petco Park Saturday night. Brian Giles drove in a pair of runs in the sixth inning as the Padres snapped a four-game losing streak. Pitcher Kevin Correia gave up two runs on five hits over six innings in the win. Closer Heath Bell gave up a run in the ninth but held on for the save.

An inmate escaped from the Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay Mesa yesterday. The longtime General Manager and former President of the Municipal Employees Association has been fired. An elderly woman who is accused of keeping toys that were suppose to go to foster kids will stand trial on charges of grand theft and embezzlement. And, the Rock N Roll Marathon will be on Sunday. An inmate escaped from the Donovan Correctional Facility in Otay Mesa yesterday. Authorities say Gary Elwood escaped while working with the Inmate Community Crew in the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park. Local law enforcement are helping with the search. Elwood is considered a minimum level one inmate and is serving a sentence for second-degree burglary. He was scheduled for parole in May 2010. Elwood is described as a white male, five-feet-eleven-inches tall, weighing around 230 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. If you have any information about where Elwood is call the Donovan Watch Commander at 619-661-7889.

The longtime General Manager and former President of the Municipal Employees Association has been fired. Judie Italiano is accused of misusing her business credit cards incurring a substantial indebtedness to MEA. The executive board has sent their findings to the district attorney's office for review. Most recently members of the San Diego Lifeguards filed a lawsuit claiming fraud on the union's part and demanding to be given the opportunity to form their own union. Upon Italiano leaving she did write a check for the amount of remaining indebtedness and interest owed. She was with the union board for 24 years.

An elderly woman who is accused of keeping toys that were suppose to go to foster kids will stand trial on charges of grand theft and embezzlement. Officials say 73-year-old Virginia Prieto Kelly is president of the Latino Foster Parents Association and she was suppose to be the middle man between the charities and foster kids so they would receive toys at Christmas. Investigators testified they found thousands of unopened toys at three South Bay locations with an estimated value of 200-thousand dollars. The toys were given to her from Marine Toy for Tots, the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation and similar groups. Her attorney says she was overwhelmed by the amount of toys and did not make any money from them.

The Rock N Roll Marathon will be on Sunday. There will be around 20-thousand runners taking part in the 26-point-two mile race. At each mile along the race, there will be live band performing on stages, cheerleaders, and themed water stations. At the end of the race there will be a post-race concert. The route for the race will start at Balboa Park, runs through Hillcrest and downtown San Diego and it will make its way around Mission Bay and conclude at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. There will be many road closures starting around 5 a.m. with some streets temporarily shut down and then reopened as runners make their way through the course. This is the 12 year the Rock N Roll Marathon has taken place.

San Diego County is seeing a downturn in tourism this year, the first time in a decade. A San Diego City Councilwoman wants real dogs to solve the seal problem at the Children's Pool. If you run a red light in San Diego, a big fine might be heading your way. And the price of gas continues to rise in San Diego County.

It may appear as though the tourist season is in full-swing, but San Diego County is seeing a downturn in visitors this year, according to the San Diego Association of Governments. The tourism drop not only hurts local businesses, it also affects the city's bottom line. The tax revenue generated from San Diego hotel guests makes up about seven-percent of the city's general fund annually. City officials predict those tax revenues will be down by 15-million dollars in the next fiscal year, compared to the current fiscal year.

(La Jolla, CA) -- As an alternative to spending big bucks for the sounds of barking dogs, a San Diego City Councilwoman wants real dogs to solve the seal problem at the Children's Pool beach. In recent weeks, the Children's Pool beach in La Jolla has been overrun by seals, raising fears about the creatures and people coming in contact. As a means to comply with a judge's order that the seals be removed, the San Diego City Council proposed spending 700-thousand dollars to broadcast the sounds of barking dogs over several weeks. It is thought that the noise will get the seals to leave in a humane fashion. Now, Councilwoman Sherri Lightner wants to temporarily turn the area into a dog beach and see if the presence of real dogs makes the seals go away. Lightner has asked the mayor and the city attorney to review her proposal.

If you run a red light in San Diego, the fine will be a whopper. This weekend, San Diego police will be enforcing some new traffic light cameras at intersections in Torrey Pines, Kearney Mesa and Midtown. A San Diego spokesperson said all red light violators caught will get a citation for no less than 436-dollars.

The price of gas continues to rise in San Diego County. On Saturday, the price for a gallon of self-serve regular rose two-cents to two-dollars and 73-cents. It was the 26th consecutive day the price of gas rose. The average price is eight-cents more than a week ago and 38-cents more than last month. But before you start to get hot under the collar, remember this: gas is still one-dollar and 47-cents less than it was at this time last year.

The city council has declared a Level Two drought alert, which means there will be mandatory water-use restrictions starting Monday. There is new information about the Willow Fire that blackened 65 acres last week. A man who is accused of beating the manager of his Park West apartment complex with a hammer has pleaded not guilty to felony charges. And the governor is trying to balance California's budget and now he is proposing to cut 220 state parks in order to save money.

The city council has declared a Level Two drought alert, which means there will be mandatory water-use restrictions starting Monday. The city has enacted a "No Time To Waste, No Water To Waste" campaign to help inform residents about the new water rules. There will be restrictions on when you can water your lawn, wash your car and washing down sidewalks, driveways and patios will not be allowed. The city is hiring seven employees to help enforce the new water restrictions. They will be depending on citizen complaints to a hotline. The number is 619-515-3500. For more detailed information visit www.sandiego.gov.

There is new information about the Willow Fire that blackened 65 acres last week. Officials say the fire was accidentally started by prison workers who were doing training exercises. The blaze started behind a U.S. Fish and Game Department gun range off Willow Glen Drive in the Dehesa area. It spread across the slopes near the Singing Hills Country Club for a few hours, until crews were able to contain it. Officials did not say the exact cause of the Willow Fire, although early reports suggested it was ignited by a "flash-bang" grenade, which is used by law enforcement personnel to subdue uncooperative inmates.

A man who is accused of beating the manager of his Park West apartment complex with a hammer has pleaded not guilty to felony charges. Police say Dale Reed Bacon assaulted the 67-year-old victim at the apartments in the 19-hundred block of Fifth Avenue. They say Bacon and the manager have known each other for ten years. Bacon has been living in the apartment complex for about a year and would sometimes help the manager with maintenance work. They were installing a refrigerator when the manager said Bacon had been drinking and asked him to leave. Bacon became enraged and punched the manager and then picked up a hammer and hit him in the back of the head several times. Bail was set at 200-thousand dollars and a preliminary hearing is set for June 11th.

The governor is trying to balance California's budget and now he is proposing to cut 220 state parks in order to save money. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says these cuts are being considered because several propositions were rejected earlier this month. There are nine parks in San Diego County on the list. They are Anza-borrego Desert State Park, Border Field State Park, Carlsbad State Beach, Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Palomar Mountain State Park, San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park, Silver Strand State Beach, Torrey Pines State Beach and Torrey Pines State Reserve. Closing the parks means there would be no park rangers, no staff, no restrooms and no lifeguards at the parks. However a state parks representative says there is no way they can put up a fence to keep people out. A city, the county or a private company could take over the parks until the state gets back on its feet, but they would have to run it like the state did and they could not change the name.