An unidentified man driving a car with Texas plates is dead today after Border Patrol agents pursued the driver for failing to stop at an east San Diego County CBP checkpoint.
Authorities said the driver came under suspicion when Border Patrol agents observed the car travelling down the road in the wrong direction. Agents were able to stop the vehicle using a spike strip that deflated the fleeing car’s tires.
However, when Border Patrol attempted to question the driver, the suspect locked the car doors preventing agents from questioning the man.
Once the vehicle came to a stop, one Border Patrol agent attempted to break the car’s window, when the vehicle burst into flames killing the driver and injuring the agent.
As a result of the explosion, an unnamed Border Patrol agent was airlifted to an area hospital and treated for lacerations and burns.
A CBP statement said, “Agents had stopped a car that was reported to have been driving on the wrong side of Interstate 8."
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The vehicle ignited while the agent was standing near the driver side door. The driver of the car died at the scene. The agent was transported to the hospital and is being treated for non-life threatening injuries,” said Jenny Burke.
CBP authorities said they were working with the San Diego Sheriff's Department to investigate the early morning car explosion.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2012 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com CBP chase leaves one suspect dead and sends an agent to the hospital - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/cbp-chase-leaves-one-suspect-dead-and-sends-an-agent-to-the-hospital#ixzz1pEgRlgF6
Showing posts with label san diego. Show all posts
Showing posts with label san diego. Show all posts
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sixth largest cross border drug tunnel discovered in San Diego
A tunnel found in San Diego was more than four football fields long, 20-feet deep and fully ventilated. The drug-smuggling corridor entrances were located in two warehouses that straddled the U.S./Mexico border.
A multi-agency border tunnel task force discovered the sophisticated passageway yesterday, number 75 in the last four years, when surveillance of the warehouse drew suspicious concerns from law enforcement. Once officials executed a federal search warrant, authorities discovered a 20-foot hole in the warehouse and recovered approximately 6 1/2 additional tons of marijuana. U.S. agents then alerted Mexican officials that the tunnel led to another warehouse in Tijuana, Mexico where they recovered approximately six tons of cannabis.
The tunnel, measuring approximately four feet by three feet, contained structural supports, electricity as well as ventilation. Authorities said evidence inside the tunnel suggested the passageway was only recently completed.
A suspicious cargo truck leaving the border region warehouse prompted California Highway Patrol to pull over the vehicle where they found three tons of marijuana in the trailer. Officers apprehended the driver, Cesar Beltran-Zamoran, and passenger, Ruben Gomez-Hernandez who face federal narcotics smuggling charges, according to officials. Gomez told authorities he would receive $2,000 to smuggle the marijuana into the U.S.
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“The discovery of this tunnel is a tribute not only to the effectiveness of our joint investigative efforts, but also to the significant benefits we're gaining by using new technology to target this kind of smuggling activity,” said Derek Benner, special agent in charge for ICE Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “The drug cartels mistakenly believe they can elude detection by taking their contraband underground, but, again and again, we've been able to find these tunnels and shut them down.”
The San Diego tunnel represents the third such passageway detected this year and reveals U.S. officials continue to fight drug smuggling along the southern border.
“The fact that this is the third sophisticated cross border tunnel found within a year's time demonstrates the cartels will stop at nothing to smuggle their drugs into the United States,” said William R. Sherman, acting special agent in charge for the DEA in San Diego. “The seizure of marijuana coupled with the loss of yet another tunnel will deal a heavy blow to those responsible for constructing this tunnel.”
The tunnel is the sixth largest drug smuggling passageway discovered in San Diego since 2006.
The San Diego Tunnel Task Force includes representatives from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement.
The multi-agency group uses a variety of techniques to detect cross-border tunnels, from state-of-the-art electronic surveillance to old school detective work. The group also relies on tips from the public to protect the border region from criminal activity.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Sixth largest cross border drug tunnel discovered in San Diego - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/sixth-largest-cross-border-drug-tunnel-discovered-san-diego#ixzz1dz9Q9Bue
A multi-agency border tunnel task force discovered the sophisticated passageway yesterday, number 75 in the last four years, when surveillance of the warehouse drew suspicious concerns from law enforcement. Once officials executed a federal search warrant, authorities discovered a 20-foot hole in the warehouse and recovered approximately 6 1/2 additional tons of marijuana. U.S. agents then alerted Mexican officials that the tunnel led to another warehouse in Tijuana, Mexico where they recovered approximately six tons of cannabis.
The tunnel, measuring approximately four feet by three feet, contained structural supports, electricity as well as ventilation. Authorities said evidence inside the tunnel suggested the passageway was only recently completed.
A suspicious cargo truck leaving the border region warehouse prompted California Highway Patrol to pull over the vehicle where they found three tons of marijuana in the trailer. Officers apprehended the driver, Cesar Beltran-Zamoran, and passenger, Ruben Gomez-Hernandez who face federal narcotics smuggling charges, according to officials. Gomez told authorities he would receive $2,000 to smuggle the marijuana into the U.S.
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“The discovery of this tunnel is a tribute not only to the effectiveness of our joint investigative efforts, but also to the significant benefits we're gaining by using new technology to target this kind of smuggling activity,” said Derek Benner, special agent in charge for ICE Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “The drug cartels mistakenly believe they can elude detection by taking their contraband underground, but, again and again, we've been able to find these tunnels and shut them down.”
The San Diego tunnel represents the third such passageway detected this year and reveals U.S. officials continue to fight drug smuggling along the southern border.
“The fact that this is the third sophisticated cross border tunnel found within a year's time demonstrates the cartels will stop at nothing to smuggle their drugs into the United States,” said William R. Sherman, acting special agent in charge for the DEA in San Diego. “The seizure of marijuana coupled with the loss of yet another tunnel will deal a heavy blow to those responsible for constructing this tunnel.”
The tunnel is the sixth largest drug smuggling passageway discovered in San Diego since 2006.
The San Diego Tunnel Task Force includes representatives from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement.
The multi-agency group uses a variety of techniques to detect cross-border tunnels, from state-of-the-art electronic surveillance to old school detective work. The group also relies on tips from the public to protect the border region from criminal activity.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/homeland-security-in-national/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Sixth largest cross border drug tunnel discovered in San Diego - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/sixth-largest-cross-border-drug-tunnel-discovered-san-diego#ixzz1dz9Q9Bue
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Man dies after rock attack- proving Border Patrol Agents claim that rocks kill
Police reported today that a San Diego man attacked in June with a rock has succumbed to his injuries. Authorities say they are withholding the name of the 31-year-old victim pending family notification.
Joshua Larson, 37, is accused of the crime and was arrested on June 24 for his role in the assault. Prosecutors originally booked him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder; however, the charges have now been upgraded to murder. The defendant remains in custody with a $1 million bail requirement and could receive life in prison if he is convicted on all charges.
“Larson was arrested on June 24, and is suspected of hitting the victim in the head with a rock,” said SDPD Lt. Ernie Herbert. “The victim walked out of a canyon to Washington Street and flagged down a car.”
Lt. Herbert went on to explain that the victim was only able to tell the driver of a passing car that he had been hit with a rock.
It was only two weeks ago that a San Diego Border Patrol Agent shot and killed a rock thrower along the international border. The Agency came under fire for using excessive force by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other illegal alien sympathizers.
U.S. Border Patrol released this statement; “Our agents face many dangers while protecting our country. It is unacceptable for our agents to come under assault by members of criminal organizations that have no regard for our laws or the well-being of our agents. There is no doubt that large rocks thrown at a person can seriously injure or kill them. Our agents, like all law enforcement officers, are trained to protect themselves and others against serious bodily harm, while performing the duties that they swore an oath to uphold.”
Continue reading on Examiner.com Man dies after rock attack- proving Border Patrol Agents claim that rocks kill - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/man-dies-after-rock-attack-proving-border-patrol-agents-claim-that-rocks-kill#ixzz1RN0AsD7S
San Diego Border Patrol shooting death of Mexican national rock thrower (previous story)
The San Diego Police Department has taken over the overnight shooting death investigation, where a Border Patrol Agent shot and killed a Mexican National. The illegal alien allegedly crossed the international border fence one-and-half miles east of the San Ysidro port of entry.
Border Patrol Agents reported that the agent on the scene encountered three illegal border crossers. Once the agent, who has not been identified yet, proceeded to question the suspects, the men fled and threw several large rocks.
The Border Patrol Agent immediately called for back-up, according to the San Diego Police Department. Once the second agent arrived, police say two suspected illegal aliens fled back into Mexico, and a third threw rocks and a large piece of wood with exposed nails.
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A struggled ensued during the apprehension of the third assailant, and the BP Agents were pelted with rocks and wood, according to SDPD homicide Lt. Ernie Herbert.
The Border Patrol Agent, who was first at the scene, fired his gun, killing an illegal border crosser after the agents were under attack. The suspect fell onto the Mexican side of the border where officials say he succumbed to his injuries.
Mexican authorities identified the 40-year-old dead man as, Jose Alfredo Yanez Reyes.
The injured agent was treated for his injures and later released.
Herbert said, one suspect was arrested, but his name has not been released.
Neither Border Patrol Agent has been named, according to the San Diego Police Department who has taken over the investigation.
The American Civil Liberties Union called for the Border Patrol to review its shooting policy regarding rock throwers (on the Mexican side of the fence) and want to make sure agents don't used excessive force.
San Diego Border Patrol is no stranger to the daily barrage of illegal border crossers, in fact, BP Agent Robert Rosas was murdered in July of 2009 by illegal smugglers just yards from the U.S./Mexico fence.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the violence Border Patrol Agents face while securing the nation’s southern border every day.
Continue reading on Examiner.com San Diego Border Patrol Agent kills an illegal border crosser in self-defense - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com
© Copyright 2011Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Man dies after rock attack- proving Border Patrol Agents claim that rocks kill - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/man-dies-after-rock-attack-proving-border-patrol-agents-claim-that-rocks-kill#ixzz1RMz4kini
Joshua Larson, 37, is accused of the crime and was arrested on June 24 for his role in the assault. Prosecutors originally booked him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder; however, the charges have now been upgraded to murder. The defendant remains in custody with a $1 million bail requirement and could receive life in prison if he is convicted on all charges.
“Larson was arrested on June 24, and is suspected of hitting the victim in the head with a rock,” said SDPD Lt. Ernie Herbert. “The victim walked out of a canyon to Washington Street and flagged down a car.”
Lt. Herbert went on to explain that the victim was only able to tell the driver of a passing car that he had been hit with a rock.
It was only two weeks ago that a San Diego Border Patrol Agent shot and killed a rock thrower along the international border. The Agency came under fire for using excessive force by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other illegal alien sympathizers.
U.S. Border Patrol released this statement; “Our agents face many dangers while protecting our country. It is unacceptable for our agents to come under assault by members of criminal organizations that have no regard for our laws or the well-being of our agents. There is no doubt that large rocks thrown at a person can seriously injure or kill them. Our agents, like all law enforcement officers, are trained to protect themselves and others against serious bodily harm, while performing the duties that they swore an oath to uphold.”
Continue reading on Examiner.com Man dies after rock attack- proving Border Patrol Agents claim that rocks kill - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/man-dies-after-rock-attack-proving-border-patrol-agents-claim-that-rocks-kill#ixzz1RN0AsD7S
San Diego Border Patrol shooting death of Mexican national rock thrower (previous story)
The San Diego Police Department has taken over the overnight shooting death investigation, where a Border Patrol Agent shot and killed a Mexican National. The illegal alien allegedly crossed the international border fence one-and-half miles east of the San Ysidro port of entry.
Border Patrol Agents reported that the agent on the scene encountered three illegal border crossers. Once the agent, who has not been identified yet, proceeded to question the suspects, the men fled and threw several large rocks.
The Border Patrol Agent immediately called for back-up, according to the San Diego Police Department. Once the second agent arrived, police say two suspected illegal aliens fled back into Mexico, and a third threw rocks and a large piece of wood with exposed nails.
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A struggled ensued during the apprehension of the third assailant, and the BP Agents were pelted with rocks and wood, according to SDPD homicide Lt. Ernie Herbert.
The Border Patrol Agent, who was first at the scene, fired his gun, killing an illegal border crosser after the agents were under attack. The suspect fell onto the Mexican side of the border where officials say he succumbed to his injuries.
Mexican authorities identified the 40-year-old dead man as, Jose Alfredo Yanez Reyes.
The injured agent was treated for his injures and later released.
Herbert said, one suspect was arrested, but his name has not been released.
Neither Border Patrol Agent has been named, according to the San Diego Police Department who has taken over the investigation.
The American Civil Liberties Union called for the Border Patrol to review its shooting policy regarding rock throwers (on the Mexican side of the fence) and want to make sure agents don't used excessive force.
San Diego Border Patrol is no stranger to the daily barrage of illegal border crossers, in fact, BP Agent Robert Rosas was murdered in July of 2009 by illegal smugglers just yards from the U.S./Mexico fence.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the violence Border Patrol Agents face while securing the nation’s southern border every day.
Continue reading on Examiner.com San Diego Border Patrol Agent kills an illegal border crosser in self-defense - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com
© Copyright 2011Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Man dies after rock attack- proving Border Patrol Agents claim that rocks kill - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/man-dies-after-rock-attack-proving-border-patrol-agents-claim-that-rocks-kill#ixzz1RMz4kini
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Hummer filled with narcotics nabbed by interior Border Patrol Agents
Approximately 50 pounds of narcotics were seized by interior Border Patrol enforcement agents when they spotted a Hummer H3 driver behaving suspiciously. After the agents questioned the 38-year-old driver, they called in the K-9 team who performed a cursory inspection that lead to the drugs.
Once the K-9's warned Border Patrol Agents to a positive alert, they found anomalies on the Hummer’s undercarriage and rear seats.
“Agents subsequently discovered an aftermarket compartment under the rear seats concealing a total of 23 cellophane-wrapped bundles containing 26.78 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 23.48 pounds of cocaine with a combined estimated street value of $716, 840,” said Scott Simon Border Patrol Agent.
The driver was taken into custody in Fallbrook, just north of San Diego on Interstate 15 and will face a number of drug trafficking charges. The exact charges will come from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) once the case is thoroughly investigated.
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This seizure is a testament to Border Patrol’s interior enforcement teams. “We tackle border-related issues using multiple tools at our disposal. The interior enforcement effort is just another one of those tools that makes our agency successful in apprehending criminal illegal aliens and seizing narcotics that would find their way onto the streets in cities across America,” said BP Agent Jerry Conlin, Information and Communications Division for Border Patrol.
The U.S. Border Patrol maintains a high level of vigilance on major corridors of egress away from our nation’s borders in an effort to prevent illicit smuggling of humans, drugs and other contraband.Border Patrol Agents encourage citizens to report suspicious activity at (619) 498-9900.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Hummer filled with narcotics nabbed by interior Border Patrol Agents - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/hummer-filled-with-narcotics-nabbed-by-interior-border-patrol-agents#ixzz1Nfxttlio
Once the K-9's warned Border Patrol Agents to a positive alert, they found anomalies on the Hummer’s undercarriage and rear seats.
“Agents subsequently discovered an aftermarket compartment under the rear seats concealing a total of 23 cellophane-wrapped bundles containing 26.78 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 23.48 pounds of cocaine with a combined estimated street value of $716, 840,” said Scott Simon Border Patrol Agent.
The driver was taken into custody in Fallbrook, just north of San Diego on Interstate 15 and will face a number of drug trafficking charges. The exact charges will come from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) once the case is thoroughly investigated.
Advertisement
This seizure is a testament to Border Patrol’s interior enforcement teams. “We tackle border-related issues using multiple tools at our disposal. The interior enforcement effort is just another one of those tools that makes our agency successful in apprehending criminal illegal aliens and seizing narcotics that would find their way onto the streets in cities across America,” said BP Agent Jerry Conlin, Information and Communications Division for Border Patrol.
The U.S. Border Patrol maintains a high level of vigilance on major corridors of egress away from our nation’s borders in an effort to prevent illicit smuggling of humans, drugs and other contraband.Border Patrol Agents encourage citizens to report suspicious activity at (619) 498-9900.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2011 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Hummer filled with narcotics nabbed by interior Border Patrol Agents - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/hummer-filled-with-narcotics-nabbed-by-interior-border-patrol-agents#ixzz1Nfxttlio
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Mexican cartels turn to the friendly skies to smuggle drugs using ultralights
The Mexican drug cartels have now taken to the friendly skies using ultra-light planes in order to smuggle their illicit narcotics into the United States.
There have been reports of 30-50 ultra-light flights per week just east of San Diego near Tecate, Mexico. However, Border Patrol Agent Michael Jimenez says the numbers of official reports are lower.
By using unskilled pilots to fly low and elude radar, cartels have found another method to smuggle 150-200 pounds of marijuana into the mountainous East San Diego terrain.
Agent Jimenez says the shift in smuggling efforts is a result of tougher enforcement on the ground. “The cartels have turned to this dangerous method of transportation because border security has improved.”
He also noted that this new smuggling method is a concern and they are working with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to prosecute cases. “Our multi-agency teamwork, including the Mexican government, ensures that the U.S. is working aggressively to stop these smugglers,” Jimenez explained.
According to U.S. Border Patrol, records have been kept regarding ultralight incursions dating back to 2009. “In 2009 we had 118 confirmed events. 2010 showed an increase of ultralights to 228 and so far this year there have been 71 events through March,” he said.
Typically ultralights look a lot like hang gliders with engines attached and agents report they sound like a household lawnmower. Also these particular aircraft have been detected by U.S. Predator UAVs operated by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Border Patrol Agents said they have even seen crashed ultralight planes along the U.S./Mexico border region.
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The light-weight kit planes are easily purchased, relatively inexpensive and the cartels don’t need a combat pilot to traverse the U.S./Mexican border.
Quad City Ultralights advertises on their website that ultralights are reasonably priced at $20,000, about one quarter of the cost for a traditional plane. The only drawback for cartels is the ultralights don’t have the ability to transport drugs by the ton and most carry less than 300 pounds.
Once a novelty, ultralights have shifted the dynamic of Border Patrol tracking and smuggling rings.
Land owners along the southwest border have also seen and heard the drug cartel ultralights flying low and dropping their loads to waiting smugglers inside the U.S.
Jimenez urges residents who see or hear any unusual aircraft to call the Air and Marine Operations Center, who tracks all the radar along the southwest border, at 866-AIRBUST. All tips are kept confidential and authorities welcome information from residents along the border.
The only question remaining is who gets the frequent flyer miles?
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/secure-u-s-border-fence-fails-border-patrol-snags-7-drug-smugglers
© Copyright 2011Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Mexican cartels turn to the friendly skies to smuggle drugs using ultralights - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/mexican-cartels-turn-to-the-friendly-skies-to-smuggle-drugs#ixzz1Mp4Wbevx
There have been reports of 30-50 ultra-light flights per week just east of San Diego near Tecate, Mexico. However, Border Patrol Agent Michael Jimenez says the numbers of official reports are lower.
By using unskilled pilots to fly low and elude radar, cartels have found another method to smuggle 150-200 pounds of marijuana into the mountainous East San Diego terrain.
Agent Jimenez says the shift in smuggling efforts is a result of tougher enforcement on the ground. “The cartels have turned to this dangerous method of transportation because border security has improved.”
He also noted that this new smuggling method is a concern and they are working with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to prosecute cases. “Our multi-agency teamwork, including the Mexican government, ensures that the U.S. is working aggressively to stop these smugglers,” Jimenez explained.
According to U.S. Border Patrol, records have been kept regarding ultralight incursions dating back to 2009. “In 2009 we had 118 confirmed events. 2010 showed an increase of ultralights to 228 and so far this year there have been 71 events through March,” he said.
Typically ultralights look a lot like hang gliders with engines attached and agents report they sound like a household lawnmower. Also these particular aircraft have been detected by U.S. Predator UAVs operated by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Border Patrol Agents said they have even seen crashed ultralight planes along the U.S./Mexico border region.
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The light-weight kit planes are easily purchased, relatively inexpensive and the cartels don’t need a combat pilot to traverse the U.S./Mexican border.
Quad City Ultralights advertises on their website that ultralights are reasonably priced at $20,000, about one quarter of the cost for a traditional plane. The only drawback for cartels is the ultralights don’t have the ability to transport drugs by the ton and most carry less than 300 pounds.
Once a novelty, ultralights have shifted the dynamic of Border Patrol tracking and smuggling rings.
Land owners along the southwest border have also seen and heard the drug cartel ultralights flying low and dropping their loads to waiting smugglers inside the U.S.
Jimenez urges residents who see or hear any unusual aircraft to call the Air and Marine Operations Center, who tracks all the radar along the southwest border, at 866-AIRBUST. All tips are kept confidential and authorities welcome information from residents along the border.
The only question remaining is who gets the frequent flyer miles?
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/secure-u-s-border-fence-fails-border-patrol-snags-7-drug-smugglers
© Copyright 2011Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Mexican cartels turn to the friendly skies to smuggle drugs using ultralights - San Diego County Political Buzz | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/mexican-cartels-turn-to-the-friendly-skies-to-smuggle-drugs#ixzz1Mp4Wbevx
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Man arrested for brutal samurai sword attack in San Diego
A San Diego man was arrested and booked on suspicion of attacking his father in his home with a samurai sword over the holiday weekend, critically wounding his father.
The suspect is John Cahan. He is accused of walking into his 69-year-old father's bedroom in San Diego at approximately 3 a.m. Sunday morning. Reports suggest the son awoke his father and heatedly demanded the father to hold out one of his hands so he could chop it off, according to San Diego Sheriff Mark Varnau.
“Cahan swung the sword several times over his father and then brought it down, striking his lower leg,” Varnau explained. “The blade cut the victim's leg causing a potentially life-threatening wound. Cahan left the room with the weapon but returned later to try to stop the bleeding.”
The attacker waited nearly 90 minutes before he phoned emergency services to help his wounded father. According to Varnau, Cahan called medics to the home and claimed his dad accidentally injured himself while he was sleepwalking.
The victim was taken to the Hospital in critical condition. The Sheriff’s Department says there is no motive for the attack and the accused man would be drug tested.
After Deputies questioned Cahan, they arrested him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon as well as elder abuse.
Varnau said the father did identified his son as the person who attacked him with a samurai sword.
The suspect is scheduled to be arraigned today.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2010 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
The suspect is John Cahan. He is accused of walking into his 69-year-old father's bedroom in San Diego at approximately 3 a.m. Sunday morning. Reports suggest the son awoke his father and heatedly demanded the father to hold out one of his hands so he could chop it off, according to San Diego Sheriff Mark Varnau.
“Cahan swung the sword several times over his father and then brought it down, striking his lower leg,” Varnau explained. “The blade cut the victim's leg causing a potentially life-threatening wound. Cahan left the room with the weapon but returned later to try to stop the bleeding.”
The attacker waited nearly 90 minutes before he phoned emergency services to help his wounded father. According to Varnau, Cahan called medics to the home and claimed his dad accidentally injured himself while he was sleepwalking.
The victim was taken to the Hospital in critical condition. The Sheriff’s Department says there is no motive for the attack and the accused man would be drug tested.
After Deputies questioned Cahan, they arrested him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon as well as elder abuse.
Varnau said the father did identified his son as the person who attacked him with a samurai sword.
The suspect is scheduled to be arraigned today.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyright 2010 Kimberly Dvorak All Rights Reserved.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Another drug cartel tunnel found on the San Diego border
U.S. authorities have reported that a second smuggling tunnel has been uncovered along the Mexican border in San Diego. At least four people were arrested in connection with the tunnel along with a significant amount of marijuana.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that the smuggling tunnel was discovered on Thanksgiving when most Americans were watching football games and eating turkey dinners.
The tunnel itself runs approximately a half-mile in length and started in a Tijuana, Mexico residence and led to a warehouse in Otay Mesa, California.
The San Diego Tunnel Task Force will investigate the details regarding the underground passageway and are working hand-in-hand with Mexican authorities to nab more cartel criminals. The task force is made up of agents from ICE, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
San Diego federal authorities recently discovered a 600- yard long tunnel used to smuggle humans and illicit drugs from Mexico into America on November 2.
The tunnel linked the two countries as builders were able to dig underneath the U.S. border which gave smugglers the ability to use two warehouses, one in Tijuana, Mexico and the other in San Diego as their entry and exit points.
A multi-agency tunnel task force also snagged more than 20 tons of marijuana that was set to make its way into the United States illegal drug market.
The underground tunnel was well equipped, complete with a rail transportation system, lighting and ventilation, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Even though the tunnel used sophisticated construction, it wasn’t large enough for a person to stand up and walk the entire 600-yards.
The tunnel was located after multi-task force agents conducted surveillance on a semi-truck and trailer that was leaving a warehouse near the U.S. border.
Authorities followed the truck to a Border Patrol checkpoint in Temecula on highway 15. At the Border Patrol check point agents searched the truck and found 10 tons of marijuana inside, Amy Roderick of ICE said at a press conference. She said the driver and a passenger were taken into custody and are expected to face multiple federal drug smuggling charges.
Following the seizure, task force agents obtained a search warrant for the warehouse and found the tunnel, according to Roderick.
Once the U.S. warehouse was located ICE alerted Mexican authorities and they found another four tons of marijuana in the Tijuana warehouse where the tunnel ended. Roderick said, the marijuana recovered totaled almost 30 tons and has a street value of at least $20 million.
"What's unusual about this one is the amount of marijuana found as part of this investigation," ICE spokesperson Lauren Mack said. "There’s been some pretty big drug busts and we're not letting our guard down."
American law enforcement agencies continue to work with their counterparts in Mexico to slow the trafficking of drugs, humans, money and arms that flows both directions across the U.S./Mexico borders.
"We've also been enjoying an unprecedented cooperation with Mexican law enforcement in recent years," Mack explained. "So we get a lot of information from the Mexicans, and vice versa."
Detailed information provided by ICE said in the last four years there have been more than 75 tunnels discovered by law enforcement agencies. Some of the tunnels were complete while others were only partially finished. A similar tunnel was found in San Diego in January 2006 that also linked the two countries through a warehouse and included sophisticated lighting and ventilation systems.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyrighted 2010 Kimberly Dvorak all rights reserved
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that the smuggling tunnel was discovered on Thanksgiving when most Americans were watching football games and eating turkey dinners.
The tunnel itself runs approximately a half-mile in length and started in a Tijuana, Mexico residence and led to a warehouse in Otay Mesa, California.
The San Diego Tunnel Task Force will investigate the details regarding the underground passageway and are working hand-in-hand with Mexican authorities to nab more cartel criminals. The task force is made up of agents from ICE, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
San Diego federal authorities recently discovered a 600- yard long tunnel used to smuggle humans and illicit drugs from Mexico into America on November 2.
The tunnel linked the two countries as builders were able to dig underneath the U.S. border which gave smugglers the ability to use two warehouses, one in Tijuana, Mexico and the other in San Diego as their entry and exit points.
A multi-agency tunnel task force also snagged more than 20 tons of marijuana that was set to make its way into the United States illegal drug market.
The underground tunnel was well equipped, complete with a rail transportation system, lighting and ventilation, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Even though the tunnel used sophisticated construction, it wasn’t large enough for a person to stand up and walk the entire 600-yards.
The tunnel was located after multi-task force agents conducted surveillance on a semi-truck and trailer that was leaving a warehouse near the U.S. border.
Authorities followed the truck to a Border Patrol checkpoint in Temecula on highway 15. At the Border Patrol check point agents searched the truck and found 10 tons of marijuana inside, Amy Roderick of ICE said at a press conference. She said the driver and a passenger were taken into custody and are expected to face multiple federal drug smuggling charges.
Following the seizure, task force agents obtained a search warrant for the warehouse and found the tunnel, according to Roderick.
Once the U.S. warehouse was located ICE alerted Mexican authorities and they found another four tons of marijuana in the Tijuana warehouse where the tunnel ended. Roderick said, the marijuana recovered totaled almost 30 tons and has a street value of at least $20 million.
"What's unusual about this one is the amount of marijuana found as part of this investigation," ICE spokesperson Lauren Mack said. "There’s been some pretty big drug busts and we're not letting our guard down."
American law enforcement agencies continue to work with their counterparts in Mexico to slow the trafficking of drugs, humans, money and arms that flows both directions across the U.S./Mexico borders.
"We've also been enjoying an unprecedented cooperation with Mexican law enforcement in recent years," Mack explained. "So we get a lot of information from the Mexicans, and vice versa."
Detailed information provided by ICE said in the last four years there have been more than 75 tunnels discovered by law enforcement agencies. Some of the tunnels were complete while others were only partially finished. A similar tunnel was found in San Diego in January 2006 that also linked the two countries through a warehouse and included sophisticated lighting and ventilation systems.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
© Copyrighted 2010 Kimberly Dvorak all rights reserved
Saturday, November 20, 2010
TSA airport screeners gone wild in San Diego- again
In what can only be described as TSA handlers gone wild, the San Diego Harbor Police arrested an area resident for refusal to complete the screening/security process yesterday. This is the same airport that created the TSA security catch phrase “don’t touch my junk.” John Kliner of San Diego started the airport screening firestorm last week as Americans head into the busiest travel week of the year in the United States.
This time the defendant, Sam Wolanyk says he was asked to pass through the 3-D x-ray machine. When Wolanyk refused, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel told him he would have to be patted down before he could pass through and board his airplane.
Wolanyk said he knew what was coming and took off his pants and shirt, leaving him in Calvin Klein bike undergarments.
“It was obvious that my underwear left nothing to the imagination,” he explained. “But that wasn’t enough for the TSA supervisor who was called to the scene and asked me to put my clothes on so I could be properly patted down.”
It was clear to Wolanyk that TSA only wanted him to submit to a pat-down and if they were interested in ensuring the safety of all passengers they would have rifled through his clothes, carryon baggage and acknowledged that he was not carrying any illegal paraphernalia on his person.
Once Harbor Police arrested Wolanyk, he was handcuffed and paraded through two separate airport terminals in his underwear to the Harbor Police office located inside a different terminal at the airport than Wolanyk had originally gone through during his TSA security process.
The incident was confirmed by Harbor Police Sergeant Rakos who said Wolanyk was arrested on two misdemeanors, “failing to complete the security process; violation code 7.01 and illegally recording the San Diego Airport Authority (they confiscated his iPhone); violation number 714 (2).”
Another confirmation came from Ronald Powell, director of communications, who said Wolanyk wasn’t charged with any federal crimes, just the two misdemeanors. “The bottom line is that all our police officers did was enforce the law.”
Powell also stated that there was another arrest of a woman who was allegedly illegally filming the x-ray, and TSA screening process with a video camera. The young woman’s camera was confiscated and she was given a citation and released from Harbor Police custody.
TSA headquarters has told would-be airline travelers who enter an airport checkpoint process and refuse to undergo the method of inspection designated by TSA they will not be allowed to fly and can face possible charges for disrupting the airport security process.
Wolanyk will appear in court on January 7, 2011 to dispute the charges with Jason Davis of Davis and Associates of Orange County by his side.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
This time the defendant, Sam Wolanyk says he was asked to pass through the 3-D x-ray machine. When Wolanyk refused, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel told him he would have to be patted down before he could pass through and board his airplane.
Wolanyk said he knew what was coming and took off his pants and shirt, leaving him in Calvin Klein bike undergarments.
“It was obvious that my underwear left nothing to the imagination,” he explained. “But that wasn’t enough for the TSA supervisor who was called to the scene and asked me to put my clothes on so I could be properly patted down.”
It was clear to Wolanyk that TSA only wanted him to submit to a pat-down and if they were interested in ensuring the safety of all passengers they would have rifled through his clothes, carryon baggage and acknowledged that he was not carrying any illegal paraphernalia on his person.
Once Harbor Police arrested Wolanyk, he was handcuffed and paraded through two separate airport terminals in his underwear to the Harbor Police office located inside a different terminal at the airport than Wolanyk had originally gone through during his TSA security process.
The incident was confirmed by Harbor Police Sergeant Rakos who said Wolanyk was arrested on two misdemeanors, “failing to complete the security process; violation code 7.01 and illegally recording the San Diego Airport Authority (they confiscated his iPhone); violation number 714 (2).”
Another confirmation came from Ronald Powell, director of communications, who said Wolanyk wasn’t charged with any federal crimes, just the two misdemeanors. “The bottom line is that all our police officers did was enforce the law.”
Powell also stated that there was another arrest of a woman who was allegedly illegally filming the x-ray, and TSA screening process with a video camera. The young woman’s camera was confiscated and she was given a citation and released from Harbor Police custody.
TSA headquarters has told would-be airline travelers who enter an airport checkpoint process and refuse to undergo the method of inspection designated by TSA they will not be allowed to fly and can face possible charges for disrupting the airport security process.
Wolanyk will appear in court on January 7, 2011 to dispute the charges with Jason Davis of Davis and Associates of Orange County by his side.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Bail denied to San Diego men accused of giving money to Somalia terrorist group
Three San Diego men who were accused of funneling money to a Somalia-based terrorist organization will remain behind bars after a detention hearing.
The men said they considered themselves “to be part of the fight” in the African nation even though they lived in California, a federal prosecutors said.
During the afternoon detention hearing 54-year-old defendant, Issa Doreh, used his former position at work to send money to al-Shabaab Somalia terrorist group in 2007 and 2008, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolina Pineda Han.
Doreh told the court he explained to the other two defendants, Mohamed Mohamed Mohamud, 38, and Basaaly Saeed Moalin, 33, that the money they raised was “specifically needed for fighting,” Han said.
Han also informed the court that Doreh was recorded in a 2008 conference call asking what he could do to help the terrorist organization and used several phrases from the defendants that made it appear the group of three wanted to be part of the fight even though they lived in San Diego.
The suspected men have been charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
The court handed out an indictment on Oct. 22 that alleges a top military leader of the Somalian terrorist organization asked for monetary support from Moalin, who allegedly coordinated fund-raising efforts and arranged financial transfers with the two other co defendants. According to the indictment, money was sent to the organization even after the Somalia terrorist leader died.
Moalin also allegedly arranged for a house in Somalia for al-Shabaab, knowing it could be used to plan and carry out terrorist killings.
While the men have African ties, at least one is a naturalized citizen.
Doreh, is a naturalized U.S. citizen who moved to San Diego as a refugee in 1990 and was working on his doctorate in information technology at the University of the Pacific, according to his attorney, Kenneth Troiano. Doreh also has two bachelor degrees one from San Diego State University and the other from a college in Somalia.
The defense attorney explained the defendants who were heard on the wiretapped telephone conversation were merely expressing opinions about the strife in their war torn country. ``At most, they provided a meager amount of support to a particular organization,'' said Troiano.
The indictment was unsealed last week and it showed, prosecutors have charged that an al-Shabaab military leader requested Moalin raise a several thousand dollars for the fighting in Somalia in 2007. It was Moalin who then began fundraising and making money transfers with Mohamud and Doreh. Han explained the money was sent via wire transfers in January, February, April, July and August 2008.
Once the hearing was under way there was plenty of complaining from all the defendants.
Mohamud's lawyer, Mahir Tewfik Sherif, made it clear to the court that all defendants were being held in isolation in the downtown Metropolitan Correctional Center and felt it was over the top punishment especially since there is no evidence of any of the accused being violent. “The isolation seems to be an exceptional effort to break them down,” Sherif said.
The other defendant, Dareh, complained that the air-conditioning system was too strong and the food service was service was erratic. “This jail is torturing us,” he said.
However, the judge told the defendants that he might not have authority over their housing, but the lawyers can always file motions to have a hearing on the housing and food subjects.
While the indictment describes al-Shabaab terrorist organization as a group that uses assassinations, improvised explosives devices, rockets, mortars, automatic weapons, suicide bombings and other tactics of intimidation and violence to undermine Somalia's government and its supporters, attorneys said the defendants have no record of violence.
This particular Somalian terrorist group recently made worldwide news when its members executed two teenage girls by firing squad in a central Somali town after they were accused of spying for the United States. The townspeople were forced to watch the shooting, according to news outlets.
The al-Shabaab terrorist group is based in southern Somalia and the U.S. government said it imposes Taliban-style religious order in villages under its control. It’s been reported that many of its fighters have trained in Afghanistan and they are linked to al-Qaeda, according to the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC).
According to NCTC, most of al-Shabaab's attacks are against aid workers and other African Union
peacekeepers.
As for the two co-defendants Mohamed Mohamud and Moalin, they waived their rights to the hearing. However, Moalin will face an additional count of providing material support to terrorists overseas.
In the end, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Gallo ordered Doreh to remain in federal custody without bail ending the hearing for the day.
All of the defendants were ordered to return to court on Dec. 3 for more motions and to set up a trial hearing.
After the court hearing was over, Mahir Sherif the lawyer for Mohamud said the conditions the defendants continue to face in jail are designed to “break them down.”
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
The men said they considered themselves “to be part of the fight” in the African nation even though they lived in California, a federal prosecutors said.
During the afternoon detention hearing 54-year-old defendant, Issa Doreh, used his former position at work to send money to al-Shabaab Somalia terrorist group in 2007 and 2008, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolina Pineda Han.
Doreh told the court he explained to the other two defendants, Mohamed Mohamed Mohamud, 38, and Basaaly Saeed Moalin, 33, that the money they raised was “specifically needed for fighting,” Han said.
Han also informed the court that Doreh was recorded in a 2008 conference call asking what he could do to help the terrorist organization and used several phrases from the defendants that made it appear the group of three wanted to be part of the fight even though they lived in San Diego.
The suspected men have been charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
The court handed out an indictment on Oct. 22 that alleges a top military leader of the Somalian terrorist organization asked for monetary support from Moalin, who allegedly coordinated fund-raising efforts and arranged financial transfers with the two other co defendants. According to the indictment, money was sent to the organization even after the Somalia terrorist leader died.
Moalin also allegedly arranged for a house in Somalia for al-Shabaab, knowing it could be used to plan and carry out terrorist killings.
While the men have African ties, at least one is a naturalized citizen.
Doreh, is a naturalized U.S. citizen who moved to San Diego as a refugee in 1990 and was working on his doctorate in information technology at the University of the Pacific, according to his attorney, Kenneth Troiano. Doreh also has two bachelor degrees one from San Diego State University and the other from a college in Somalia.
The defense attorney explained the defendants who were heard on the wiretapped telephone conversation were merely expressing opinions about the strife in their war torn country. ``At most, they provided a meager amount of support to a particular organization,'' said Troiano.
The indictment was unsealed last week and it showed, prosecutors have charged that an al-Shabaab military leader requested Moalin raise a several thousand dollars for the fighting in Somalia in 2007. It was Moalin who then began fundraising and making money transfers with Mohamud and Doreh. Han explained the money was sent via wire transfers in January, February, April, July and August 2008.
Once the hearing was under way there was plenty of complaining from all the defendants.
Mohamud's lawyer, Mahir Tewfik Sherif, made it clear to the court that all defendants were being held in isolation in the downtown Metropolitan Correctional Center and felt it was over the top punishment especially since there is no evidence of any of the accused being violent. “The isolation seems to be an exceptional effort to break them down,” Sherif said.
The other defendant, Dareh, complained that the air-conditioning system was too strong and the food service was service was erratic. “This jail is torturing us,” he said.
However, the judge told the defendants that he might not have authority over their housing, but the lawyers can always file motions to have a hearing on the housing and food subjects.
While the indictment describes al-Shabaab terrorist organization as a group that uses assassinations, improvised explosives devices, rockets, mortars, automatic weapons, suicide bombings and other tactics of intimidation and violence to undermine Somalia's government and its supporters, attorneys said the defendants have no record of violence.
This particular Somalian terrorist group recently made worldwide news when its members executed two teenage girls by firing squad in a central Somali town after they were accused of spying for the United States. The townspeople were forced to watch the shooting, according to news outlets.
The al-Shabaab terrorist group is based in southern Somalia and the U.S. government said it imposes Taliban-style religious order in villages under its control. It’s been reported that many of its fighters have trained in Afghanistan and they are linked to al-Qaeda, according to the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC).
According to NCTC, most of al-Shabaab's attacks are against aid workers and other African Union
peacekeepers.
As for the two co-defendants Mohamed Mohamud and Moalin, they waived their rights to the hearing. However, Moalin will face an additional count of providing material support to terrorists overseas.
In the end, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Gallo ordered Doreh to remain in federal custody without bail ending the hearing for the day.
All of the defendants were ordered to return to court on Dec. 3 for more motions and to set up a trial hearing.
After the court hearing was over, Mahir Sherif the lawyer for Mohamud said the conditions the defendants continue to face in jail are designed to “break them down.”
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/kimberly-dvorak
Saturday, September 25, 2010
San Diego high school student kidnapped and raped on her way home from school
Authorities confirmed that a 15-year-old girl, who was on her way home from school Friday, was kidnapped, forced into a vehicle, driven around for an hour and raped repeatedly. Sheriff Department officials said the victim was able to give deputies an accurate description of the three Latino men who kidnapped and raped the young girl.
Three assailants are currently the focus of the county-wide search. The Sheriff Department says multiple agencies are working together and are expected to sort through the numerous leads from witnesses all weekend.
The alleged incident happened near San Dieguito High School at approximately 4:10 p.m. on Friday.
The victim told authorities that one man grabbed her from behind and forced her into the back seat of an older white mid-sized vehicle where two more suspects were waiting. Then the perpetrators sped away from the scene, according to Sheriff's spokeswoman Captain Sherri Sarro.
The victim also told authorities that the men drove through area residential streets for an hour while they repeatedly sexually assaulted her. Once the suspects were finished they drove the 15-year-old back to the high school where she was abducted and pushed her out of the car.
However, Capt. Sarro said they didn’t know what grade or high school the victim attended.
Investigators are taking the abduction and sexual assault seriously says Justin White, sergeant of the Sexual Assault Division at the Encinitas Sheriff substation. He reported that 10 detectives are working this case around the clock and have been searching the community hoping to locate leads from nearby residents who may have information leading to the arrest of the three Latino men.
The victim contends the men did not brandish a weapon, but Sergeant White said that it doesn’t mean the suspects were not armed.
“The victim has given us enough details and we are putting together a composite sketch of the men,” said Sergeant White at a press conference. Very few details about the rape were released as the investigation is ongoing; however, the victim did receive a rape kit evaluation.
The young girl was taken to an area hospital by her parents and given a Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) kit or a Sexual Offense Evidence Collection (SOEC) kit said Captain Sarro. The results were not immediately known, but it is highly unlikely that the outcome will be given out because the victim is a minor.
Law enforcement officers also said this is an active, ongoing investigation and they are hopeful an arrest will be made soon.
Capt. Sarro indicated they had contacted Customs and Border Protection shortly after the assault and issued a “Be On the Look Out” (BOLO), especially since the U.S./Mexico border is only minutes from the crime scene.
Sergeant White also admitted that they were looking through surveillance video from the school and area businesses in an effort to shed light on what may have happened as well as get more detailed descriptions of the criminals.
The three suspects are described as Hispanic between the ages of 20 and 32. The first suspect is approximately 6-feet tall, thin, a shaved head, thin mustache and a tattoo on the back of his head (possibly with a ‘6’ or ‘619’ on it) and he was wearing a black long sleeve shirt with baggy jeans.
The second suspect was between 5-feet-8 inches and 5-feet-10-inches tall, medium build, short brown hair, dark brown complexion with some acne and a goatee, he was wearing a white t-shirt and blue shorts.
Suspect three, who was the driver of the vehicle, he had green/hazel eyes, dark-brown complexion, short hair, medium build, a thin mustache and goatee and he was wearing a dark blue t-shirt and possibly had a scar on his neck.
The quiet community of Encinitas just north of San Diego is known for its young families and low crime rates. The city’s Mayor, Dan Dalager was on hand to reassure city residents the Sheriff’s substation was doing everything possible to apprehend the culprits.
“I just want families to know that the Sheriff crews who are working this are real good,” said Mayor Dalager, who has lived in the community his entire life. “Crime is crime and law enforcement will do everything necessary to capture these criminals no matter their ethnic background.”
As news of the rape floods the community, Sheriff Capt. Sarro wanted to reassure parents that schools can expect a strong, visible presence first thing Monday morning. The Sheriff Department is also working with area schools to inform parents what happened and to ensure they take extra precautions when traveling to and from school.
The Sheriff Department urges anybody with information about the crime to contact Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or the Sheriff Department at 858-565-5200.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/gop-makes-a-move-on-the-issues-pledge-to-american
Three assailants are currently the focus of the county-wide search. The Sheriff Department says multiple agencies are working together and are expected to sort through the numerous leads from witnesses all weekend.
The alleged incident happened near San Dieguito High School at approximately 4:10 p.m. on Friday.
The victim told authorities that one man grabbed her from behind and forced her into the back seat of an older white mid-sized vehicle where two more suspects were waiting. Then the perpetrators sped away from the scene, according to Sheriff's spokeswoman Captain Sherri Sarro.
The victim also told authorities that the men drove through area residential streets for an hour while they repeatedly sexually assaulted her. Once the suspects were finished they drove the 15-year-old back to the high school where she was abducted and pushed her out of the car.
However, Capt. Sarro said they didn’t know what grade or high school the victim attended.
Investigators are taking the abduction and sexual assault seriously says Justin White, sergeant of the Sexual Assault Division at the Encinitas Sheriff substation. He reported that 10 detectives are working this case around the clock and have been searching the community hoping to locate leads from nearby residents who may have information leading to the arrest of the three Latino men.
The victim contends the men did not brandish a weapon, but Sergeant White said that it doesn’t mean the suspects were not armed.
“The victim has given us enough details and we are putting together a composite sketch of the men,” said Sergeant White at a press conference. Very few details about the rape were released as the investigation is ongoing; however, the victim did receive a rape kit evaluation.
The young girl was taken to an area hospital by her parents and given a Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) kit or a Sexual Offense Evidence Collection (SOEC) kit said Captain Sarro. The results were not immediately known, but it is highly unlikely that the outcome will be given out because the victim is a minor.
Law enforcement officers also said this is an active, ongoing investigation and they are hopeful an arrest will be made soon.
Capt. Sarro indicated they had contacted Customs and Border Protection shortly after the assault and issued a “Be On the Look Out” (BOLO), especially since the U.S./Mexico border is only minutes from the crime scene.
Sergeant White also admitted that they were looking through surveillance video from the school and area businesses in an effort to shed light on what may have happened as well as get more detailed descriptions of the criminals.
The three suspects are described as Hispanic between the ages of 20 and 32. The first suspect is approximately 6-feet tall, thin, a shaved head, thin mustache and a tattoo on the back of his head (possibly with a ‘6’ or ‘619’ on it) and he was wearing a black long sleeve shirt with baggy jeans.
The second suspect was between 5-feet-8 inches and 5-feet-10-inches tall, medium build, short brown hair, dark brown complexion with some acne and a goatee, he was wearing a white t-shirt and blue shorts.
Suspect three, who was the driver of the vehicle, he had green/hazel eyes, dark-brown complexion, short hair, medium build, a thin mustache and goatee and he was wearing a dark blue t-shirt and possibly had a scar on his neck.
The quiet community of Encinitas just north of San Diego is known for its young families and low crime rates. The city’s Mayor, Dan Dalager was on hand to reassure city residents the Sheriff’s substation was doing everything possible to apprehend the culprits.
“I just want families to know that the Sheriff crews who are working this are real good,” said Mayor Dalager, who has lived in the community his entire life. “Crime is crime and law enforcement will do everything necessary to capture these criminals no matter their ethnic background.”
As news of the rape floods the community, Sheriff Capt. Sarro wanted to reassure parents that schools can expect a strong, visible presence first thing Monday morning. The Sheriff Department is also working with area schools to inform parents what happened and to ensure they take extra precautions when traveling to and from school.
The Sheriff Department urges anybody with information about the crime to contact Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or the Sheriff Department at 858-565-5200.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/county-political-buzz-in-san-diego/gop-makes-a-move-on-the-issues-pledge-to-american
Friday, May 14, 2010
Gardner sentenced for the murder of two San Diego teenagers that rocked San Diego
John Gardner was convicted and sentenced for the murder and rape of two San Diego teenagers as well as the attempted rape of a college jogger. Gardner received two life sentences with out the possibility of parole for the murders and another 25 years for the attempted rape of the jogger- all to be served concurrently.
While the details of Gardner’s life may be certain, the healing process is just beginning for the families who lost their daughters in a brutal and senseless manner.
From the onset it was clear Gardner was agitated and knew the wrath of words he would have to listen to as each parent approached the podium and expressed what anger they felt for someone who wasn’t of this life.
The biggest reaction Gardner displayed came from hearing Amber’s mom Carrie McGonigle, he literally broke down and crocodile tears streamed down his face. McGonigle expressed distain for Gardner’s actions, but ended with “I forgive you, but I will never forget that you stole my daughter from me.”
During the hour-long proceeding, two videos were played showing Amber and Chelsea in much happier times, Gardner never looked up. It appeared to attendees that if he watched it would mean he was capable of savagely murdering two young girls.
The female jogger, Candice Moncayo, who was attacked in December and threw her elbow to Gardner’s face giving her enough time to run away also spoke about the fact he stole her “safety and solitude of her runs.” She left the podium with a fitting question; “ how’s your nose?”
The King family had the harshest words for Gardner and his mother, who failed to register her son’s address and did nothing to contact authorities in the past 14 months.
Chelsea’s father, Brent, used words like “zest for life, extremely smart and self-assured,” to describe his 17-year-old daughter. He talked about the college letters that have been arriving in the mail for Chelsea and she would never attend. He explained that he never knew he had this kind of rage inside him for another human being.
On the other hand Chelsea’s mom, Kelly, demanded Gardner to look at her while she spoke. “You have taken a life worth an infinite amount of yours.” She told Gardner that he “plundered” from their family and was responsible for “dismantling’ their family life.
Again Kelly repeated; “look at me!” She then said she was not surprised by Gardner’s lack of eye contact. And she too blamed Gardner’s mother for not doing enough to protect the world from her monster of a son.
Amber Dubois’s father, Moe, told the court his daughter was raped and killed by a registered sex offender and he blamed the legal system for letting the murderer roam the streets of Escondido after his parole expired.
According to a victim-impact statement Dubois, says Gardner served a six-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2000, but was off parole and roaming freely when he raped and murdered Amber.
Dubois pointed out that once Gardner was off parole, his GPS device was removed and was “once again this predator was allowed to stalk our streets,''
“Less than five months later, John Gardner forcefully abducted, brutally beat, physically raped and then finally heartlessly murdered and discarded our beautiful 14-year-old daughter,” Dubois said.
After a face-to face jail visit with Gardner yesterday, Amber's mother, Carrie McGonigle, said she found some closure.
Last month McGonigle said she wanted to know the details from Gardner. “I want to know as her mom, but I think the community and law enforcement also has to know, how did this guy get Amber,” she said in April. “How do we protect our kids from someone like him?”
However, Moe Dubois said the missed opportunities to protect the community from Gardner allowed a “monster” to walk the streets looking for vulnerable young girls.
“Now, with our last hope for justice, we depend on the prison community to slowly and painfully cause (Gardner's) remaining days on this earth to be a living nightmare, and I truly hope he suffers a hundred times the amount of pain he caused our family's,” Moe Dubois said in his statement to the court. “`He will burn in hell for the acts he committed, I just hope that day is an agonizingly long way away and that he will have to suffer as much as we all have, actually more.''
The 14-year-old Amber Dubois went missing in February 2009. However, her body wasn't found until two months ago. In an offer of life over death Gardner took authorities to a remote part of Pala where he discarded Amber’s remains.
The murder may have gone unsolved if Gardner was not arrested for the rape and murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King, a Poway High School senior.
Escondido Police Chief, Jim Maher said the Dubois case was just two weeks away from being placed in the cold case department.
King disappeared at the end of February while she went for an after-school run at Rancho Bernardo Community Park. It would be only three days later that Gardner was arraigned for her murder, and that he agreed to lead authorities to Amber's body in Pala.
Looking ahead Moe Dubois says he is working with lawmakers to develop laws that will help authorities respond more quickly when children are taken. He will unveil details on May 25, coinciding with National Missing Children's Day. Other ideas in the new program include requiring child predators to have special driver’s licenses.
On a side note, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed his administration to take action on recommendations made by the Sex Offender Management Board after a thorough review of the John Albert Gardner case.
Schwarzenegger said he directed the board to review the Gardner case and determine where systematic improvements could be made to protect communities.
The department will award contracts for a pilot program to treat designated sex offenders on parole as part of a containment model strategy and attempt to make more records available to the public, Schwarzenegger said.
As the doors closed on the courtroom, Gardner’s fate was sealed. Trying to make sense of all this seems impossible for outsiders looking in. However, Kelly King’s words echoed in the background; “Come on mom we have to get up, we have important things to do mom, very important.”
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
While the details of Gardner’s life may be certain, the healing process is just beginning for the families who lost their daughters in a brutal and senseless manner.
From the onset it was clear Gardner was agitated and knew the wrath of words he would have to listen to as each parent approached the podium and expressed what anger they felt for someone who wasn’t of this life.
The biggest reaction Gardner displayed came from hearing Amber’s mom Carrie McGonigle, he literally broke down and crocodile tears streamed down his face. McGonigle expressed distain for Gardner’s actions, but ended with “I forgive you, but I will never forget that you stole my daughter from me.”
During the hour-long proceeding, two videos were played showing Amber and Chelsea in much happier times, Gardner never looked up. It appeared to attendees that if he watched it would mean he was capable of savagely murdering two young girls.
The female jogger, Candice Moncayo, who was attacked in December and threw her elbow to Gardner’s face giving her enough time to run away also spoke about the fact he stole her “safety and solitude of her runs.” She left the podium with a fitting question; “ how’s your nose?”
The King family had the harshest words for Gardner and his mother, who failed to register her son’s address and did nothing to contact authorities in the past 14 months.
Chelsea’s father, Brent, used words like “zest for life, extremely smart and self-assured,” to describe his 17-year-old daughter. He talked about the college letters that have been arriving in the mail for Chelsea and she would never attend. He explained that he never knew he had this kind of rage inside him for another human being.
On the other hand Chelsea’s mom, Kelly, demanded Gardner to look at her while she spoke. “You have taken a life worth an infinite amount of yours.” She told Gardner that he “plundered” from their family and was responsible for “dismantling’ their family life.
Again Kelly repeated; “look at me!” She then said she was not surprised by Gardner’s lack of eye contact. And she too blamed Gardner’s mother for not doing enough to protect the world from her monster of a son.
Amber Dubois’s father, Moe, told the court his daughter was raped and killed by a registered sex offender and he blamed the legal system for letting the murderer roam the streets of Escondido after his parole expired.
According to a victim-impact statement Dubois, says Gardner served a six-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2000, but was off parole and roaming freely when he raped and murdered Amber.
Dubois pointed out that once Gardner was off parole, his GPS device was removed and was “once again this predator was allowed to stalk our streets,''
“Less than five months later, John Gardner forcefully abducted, brutally beat, physically raped and then finally heartlessly murdered and discarded our beautiful 14-year-old daughter,” Dubois said.
After a face-to face jail visit with Gardner yesterday, Amber's mother, Carrie McGonigle, said she found some closure.
Last month McGonigle said she wanted to know the details from Gardner. “I want to know as her mom, but I think the community and law enforcement also has to know, how did this guy get Amber,” she said in April. “How do we protect our kids from someone like him?”
However, Moe Dubois said the missed opportunities to protect the community from Gardner allowed a “monster” to walk the streets looking for vulnerable young girls.
“Now, with our last hope for justice, we depend on the prison community to slowly and painfully cause (Gardner's) remaining days on this earth to be a living nightmare, and I truly hope he suffers a hundred times the amount of pain he caused our family's,” Moe Dubois said in his statement to the court. “`He will burn in hell for the acts he committed, I just hope that day is an agonizingly long way away and that he will have to suffer as much as we all have, actually more.''
The 14-year-old Amber Dubois went missing in February 2009. However, her body wasn't found until two months ago. In an offer of life over death Gardner took authorities to a remote part of Pala where he discarded Amber’s remains.
The murder may have gone unsolved if Gardner was not arrested for the rape and murder of 17-year-old Chelsea King, a Poway High School senior.
Escondido Police Chief, Jim Maher said the Dubois case was just two weeks away from being placed in the cold case department.
King disappeared at the end of February while she went for an after-school run at Rancho Bernardo Community Park. It would be only three days later that Gardner was arraigned for her murder, and that he agreed to lead authorities to Amber's body in Pala.
Looking ahead Moe Dubois says he is working with lawmakers to develop laws that will help authorities respond more quickly when children are taken. He will unveil details on May 25, coinciding with National Missing Children's Day. Other ideas in the new program include requiring child predators to have special driver’s licenses.
On a side note, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed his administration to take action on recommendations made by the Sex Offender Management Board after a thorough review of the John Albert Gardner case.
Schwarzenegger said he directed the board to review the Gardner case and determine where systematic improvements could be made to protect communities.
The department will award contracts for a pilot program to treat designated sex offenders on parole as part of a containment model strategy and attempt to make more records available to the public, Schwarzenegger said.
As the doors closed on the courtroom, Gardner’s fate was sealed. Trying to make sense of all this seems impossible for outsiders looking in. However, Kelly King’s words echoed in the background; “Come on mom we have to get up, we have important things to do mom, very important.”
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tea Party protesters slam health care reform bill in D.C.
In a clear warning to legislators, Tea Party groups, protested on a Tuesday afternoon in front of Democrat offices around the country, telling representatives – vote on health care at your own peril.
Approximately 100 people attended the ‘Operation Urgent Care’ rally in front of Democrat Susan Davis’ (D-CA) San Diego office. It was an amazing, warm day in San Diego; there were a number of handmade signs displaying their discontent with the massive health care reform bill Democrats are trying to eek through both Houses.
Many members protesting are registered Democrats. But, Leslie Eastman a co-founder of Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition suggested rally goers are suppose to “leave party affiliations at the door.”
“Many people went specifically to talk to representative Stupak and the other 12 members opposing the abortion language,” said Dawn Wildman also a co-founder of Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition. “We wanted to express our total support and that we had their back no matter what the party affiliation. It went well.”
Different rally participants came to Davis’ office with themes, but ultimately their message was the same, stop, slow down and start over.
Clarice Hurst used the Constitution to remind “Congresswoman Davis that she operates only with the consent of the governed.”
Victor Adams took umbrage with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) condemnation of Tea Party participants as Nazis, “even though she has now changed her tune, I won’t ever forget the insult to me as an American.” His daughter Sarah joined him; she recently graduated the University of California at San Diego with a degree in communication and is concerned about jobs. “Obama indicated jobs was his new focus. With unemployment near 10 percent and more than 12 percent in California, the president should be allowing the congress to work on creating jobs,” she explained.
A Tea Party staple in San Diego is the ever so intrepid, Alvin, he was making sure protesters signed the largest item on display — an enlargement of the U.S. Constitution.
SoCal-Tax Revolt Coalition wants the U.S. Congress “to honor the spirit of the document during passage of the bills. I should think the Coffee Peeps want to follow Constitutional parameters as well. They should be cool with the homage to one of our founding documents,” Eastman concluded.
Also in attendance at the midday rally was Congressional hopeful, Mason Weaver. “I consider myself the only Conservative in the race. It is important for the folks to realize that the smoke and mirrors in Washington will not change if they don’t make the right vote,” Weaver said.
While event organizer did not invite the congressional candidate, Wildman said she didn’t mind candidates showing up and talking to the rally participants. “For the most part they are willing to listen to the voter’s concerns and open up the dialog process and that is a good thing.”
On the minds of most attendees is health care. “I have grave concerns as to where our country is headed and I have extremely grave concerns about health care,” said Janet Oliver a resident of San Diego.
Oliver admits it was the health care issue that spurned her to get involved with the Tea Party movement. “Don’t get me wrong. We need health care reform, but they need to be made in incremental steps using free-market solutions. We can’t continue on this path, we are destroying America.”
A few miles up the road in Vista, another tea party group sponsored a “red alert” rally and approximately 100 people attended that event as well.
The police department closed down a lane of traffic for the Tea Party members, which allowed them more space to protest.
“The police were real cooperative and supportive of our right to protest the out of control government,” says Carol, a San Diego resident. “The reception we got from cars passing by was 95 percent positive, however we did get a few middle fingers.”
Several of the protesters stated that this was their first Tea Party rally and felt the decisions facing lawmakers in Washington D.C. was worth taking the time off work.
All these rallies are leading up to big events being scheduled on April 15 throughout America. After attending rallies all year, one thing is clear, the folks are mad and they want lawmakers to know Tea Party folks are not going anywhere.
Approximately 100 people attended the ‘Operation Urgent Care’ rally in front of Democrat Susan Davis’ (D-CA) San Diego office. It was an amazing, warm day in San Diego; there were a number of handmade signs displaying their discontent with the massive health care reform bill Democrats are trying to eek through both Houses.
Many members protesting are registered Democrats. But, Leslie Eastman a co-founder of Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition suggested rally goers are suppose to “leave party affiliations at the door.”
“Many people went specifically to talk to representative Stupak and the other 12 members opposing the abortion language,” said Dawn Wildman also a co-founder of Southern California Tax Revolt Coalition. “We wanted to express our total support and that we had their back no matter what the party affiliation. It went well.”
Different rally participants came to Davis’ office with themes, but ultimately their message was the same, stop, slow down and start over.
Clarice Hurst used the Constitution to remind “Congresswoman Davis that she operates only with the consent of the governed.”
Victor Adams took umbrage with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) condemnation of Tea Party participants as Nazis, “even though she has now changed her tune, I won’t ever forget the insult to me as an American.” His daughter Sarah joined him; she recently graduated the University of California at San Diego with a degree in communication and is concerned about jobs. “Obama indicated jobs was his new focus. With unemployment near 10 percent and more than 12 percent in California, the president should be allowing the congress to work on creating jobs,” she explained.
A Tea Party staple in San Diego is the ever so intrepid, Alvin, he was making sure protesters signed the largest item on display — an enlargement of the U.S. Constitution.
SoCal-Tax Revolt Coalition wants the U.S. Congress “to honor the spirit of the document during passage of the bills. I should think the Coffee Peeps want to follow Constitutional parameters as well. They should be cool with the homage to one of our founding documents,” Eastman concluded.
Also in attendance at the midday rally was Congressional hopeful, Mason Weaver. “I consider myself the only Conservative in the race. It is important for the folks to realize that the smoke and mirrors in Washington will not change if they don’t make the right vote,” Weaver said.
While event organizer did not invite the congressional candidate, Wildman said she didn’t mind candidates showing up and talking to the rally participants. “For the most part they are willing to listen to the voter’s concerns and open up the dialog process and that is a good thing.”
On the minds of most attendees is health care. “I have grave concerns as to where our country is headed and I have extremely grave concerns about health care,” said Janet Oliver a resident of San Diego.
Oliver admits it was the health care issue that spurned her to get involved with the Tea Party movement. “Don’t get me wrong. We need health care reform, but they need to be made in incremental steps using free-market solutions. We can’t continue on this path, we are destroying America.”
A few miles up the road in Vista, another tea party group sponsored a “red alert” rally and approximately 100 people attended that event as well.
The police department closed down a lane of traffic for the Tea Party members, which allowed them more space to protest.
“The police were real cooperative and supportive of our right to protest the out of control government,” says Carol, a San Diego resident. “The reception we got from cars passing by was 95 percent positive, however we did get a few middle fingers.”
Several of the protesters stated that this was their first Tea Party rally and felt the decisions facing lawmakers in Washington D.C. was worth taking the time off work.
All these rallies are leading up to big events being scheduled on April 15 throughout America. After attending rallies all year, one thing is clear, the folks are mad and they want lawmakers to know Tea Party folks are not going anywhere.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Two dead teenagers leaves San Diego in mourning
Now that the shock of the murder of Chelsea King and Amber Dubois begins to wear off and the justice department begins to build its case against convicted sex offender, John Garner, the family and community will start the process of healing and figuring out who failed the teenagers.
The Escondido and Poway High School students should have been looking in the mailbox to find college acceptance letters that were arriving, instead devastated families must begin the process of picking up the pieces.
There is no question about it Chelsea and Amber were wronged, someone dropped the ball and someone didn’t connect the dots. As the events preceding Amber and Chelsea’s disappearance unfold there is strong evidence pointing to a breakdown in communication in law enforcement.
Law enforcement officers have not missed an opportunity to step out in front of the news cameras all the while offering little to no information about the murders.
News is still developing about another attack in the Rancho Bernardo Park just two months earlier in December. John Gardner also assaulted a 22-year-old female jogger who was visiting from Colorado, according to authorities. However, the jogger was able to fight off her attacker and reported that she elbowed her assailant in the face most likely breaking his nose- this self-defense gave her an opportunity to run for her life.
The San Diego Police Department was called to investigate the scene and after interviewing the victim concluded it was a failed robbery.
“A failed robbery? How many women go jogging in a county park carrying a purse, computer, camera and cash? Anyone with common sense knows something like would take place at a car or home,” says Poway resident Carry who wished to protect her last name.
The jogging victim’s mother found the outcome odd as well. She reported that her daughter was tackled like a football player and a large man fitting Gardner’s description tried to aggressively subdue her daughter.
This where the communication break down begin. San Diego Police Department was convinced the female was a victim of a robbery attempt because at some point during the attack he asked for money. Not many women are buying that excuse.
According to the jogger who was attacked on Dec. 27th, she wanted to sit down with a police sketch artist to create a composite drawing of her attacker, the SDPD was too busy to follow through with her request. However, the female returned home to her Colorado home and was able to get a local Police Dept. to draw a sketch. The likeness to Gardner is astonishing.
Many Poway residents have trouble with the theory Gardner would lie in wait at a secluded part of the Rancho Bernardo Community Park to rob a runner.
San Diego Police saw it differently. “You have to weigh causing panic in the community versus putting information out there,” said Assistant Police Chief Boyd Long, who oversees patrol operations in a San Diego Union Tribune story.
“Hindsight is always 20/20. If we knew today, if we had any idea that the person who did this crime was responsible for other crimes or was going to commit other crimes, we would have put out every effort possible to put him in custody.”
Needless to say, the jogger who was attacked on December 27th could be considered ground zero. Had the police took the attack more seriously, they would have notified the local neighborhood watch program in place in the Rancho Bernardo Community that lines the park.
“There’s a lot of frustration and anger out there right now,” said Gary Carlson the Rancho Bernardo neighborhood watch coordinator. “The San Diego Police Department did not personally notify us after the Dec. 27th attack occurred. It was a failure in communications that the attack was classified as a simple robbery on the crime log.”
According to Carlson, recent cutbacks in community spending may have been a factor in the SDPD not reaching out to community leaders sooner. Had the Police Department notified community leader an action plan would have been implemented.
“First, we would have notified all of our district leaders who would bring neighbors up to speed. The community would have mobilized and put together fliers to post at local businesses, entrances to the park as well as post fliers door-to-door.”
Finally, the Rancho Bernardo Neighborhood Watch group would have posted information on their website and been in constant contact with law enforcement officers monitoring the case progress.
“Hind sight is 20/20, but I can say we would have been proactive,” Carlson said.
Moving forward Carlson believes the police and community can learn from this tragedy and figure out a communication system that will provide a timely alert mechanism for future incidents that may arise.
A day in court
The defendant’s first day in court went smoothly and lasted less than five minutes. Gardner's mother or stepfather did not attend the arraignment and it’s been reported they may have fled town to avoid the steady stream of onlookers and angry residents. Gardner’s family home was vandalized during the early hours on Wednesday, the garage door read, and “Chelsea’s blood is on you Move out."
After the brief court appearance, lead prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney Kristen Spieler held a joint press conference with San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. The charges Gardner face are murder with a special allegation that occurred during the commission or attempted commission of a rape.
"The special allegation attached to the murder charge makes the defendant eligible for the death penalty," Spieler explained.
Another mantra the District Attorney repeated during the news conference was "We are not here to try the case in the media, but to try our case in court." Dumanis explained the case would be handled by the book and considerations needed to be made regarding the crime that “has rocked” San Diego.
Due to the national media attention this case has garnered, prosecutors admitted the case would follow proper protocol and many decisions about the death penalty would be decided with the help of Chelsea’s family.
The charge of rape and murder are significant, but also concerning is the second charge that specifically accuses Gardner of assault with the intent to commit rape in the Dec. 27 attack.
Police or the District Attorney’s office wouldn’t detail the change in the police report taken in December and the addition of the intent to rape charges to Gardner.
News reported by the Associated Press tie Gardner’s DNA directly to Chelsea. According to the California Department of Justice spokesperson Christine Gasparac matching DNA of semen was found on Chelsea’s clothing.
Gardner who was released from prison in 2006 and competed his parole in September 2008, despite an unfavorable psychiatric review by Dr. Matthew Carroll who described the defendant as “a continued danger to underage girls in the community.”
Missing teenager Amber Dubois
Amber Dubois’ parents received the grim news that their daughter who has been missing for 13 months has been found. On Friday night the parents were hopeful their daughter was still alive as the Escondido Police Department searched Kit Carson Park for clues to the missing teenager.
That all ended today as Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher said, “The discovery was made in the early morning hours Saturday in a very rugged and remote area of Pala. Escondido police and Sheriff’s homicide detectives were following a lead in the case when they made the discovery.”
The remains found near the Pala reservation and Pala Casino, were positively identified using Amber’s dental records Saturday afternoon.
Maher, Sheriff Bill Gore and FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Keith Slotter, did not answer any questions at the brief press conference held at the Escondido Police Department. Maher explained the remains were part of an ongoing police investigation and there were three separate agencies working the Amber Dubois and Chelsea cases.
“The entire community, everybody who helped out with the search effort, and above all our huge volunteer corps, they are the most dedicated people and without them we couldn’t have done anything,” said the visibly upset father Maurice Dubois.
When asked if the reward for information leading to Amber’s disappearance would be in play, Sheriff Gore declined to answer leading to more questions as to how the skeletal remains were located.
The local convenience store in Pala, yielded chatter that Amber was most likely found because John Gardner, who is charged with Chelsea King’s rape and murder wanted to get out of the death penalty.
However, the San Diego Union Tribune is reporting that the tip came in the form of a concerned resident. “The entire Chelsea King event emotionally pulled at somebody who had this information,” said Bill Garcia a PI hired by the Dubois family. “They’ve seen the community in a lot of pain. Someone who had been afraid to say something finally came forward.”
A half-hour drive north of Escondido would be Amber’s final resting place. Her skeletal remains were recovered off Pala-Temecula Road in the rocky hillside of a bustling highway located between two casinos.
The Sheriff’s deputies were parked along the highway in nondescript SUVs, but were easy to spot because the officers were standing outside their vehicles. Ask if the crime scene was up or down, they pointed up a mile-long road into a wooded section of the hillside. Once their cover was blown, the Sheriff’s Department called Caltrans to place crime scene tape along the roadside and clear two members of the media.
The Escondido Police Department announced more details would be forthcoming at another press conference tomorrow.
Gardner lived in Escondido for part of 2009 when the teenager went missing. Dubois said he and his family knew that Gardner was a local registered sex offender and watched his apartment for a short period of time after their daughter went missing. Currently there are more than 60,000 sex offenders residing in California.
The national spotlight on Chelsea King renewed efforts by the Escondido Police Department and a recent tip sent authorities to Kit Carson Park in Escondido searching for clues to find Amber, but ultimately found her body 30 minutes north of where she was snatched.
The investigation into Gardner past widened in since Chelsea’s disappearance and authorities have linked him to a December assault and continue to explore whether he had a role in last year’s abduction of Escondido teenager Dubois.
Joined by the FBI, police officials scoured a Kit Carson Park pond and surrounding region to be sure nothing was left to chance. “We didn’t find anything that I would consider to be of evidentiary value at this point,” said police Lt. Craig Carter.
While the Dubois’ are grateful for the renewed effort in their daughter’s case, they are filled with sadness for the King family and both parents continue to wear the orange ribbon for Chelsea.
While the community is alert, authorities and family members of both girls are enlisting the public to step forward with any clues no matter how insignificant they may seem. “Right now our hearts go out to anyone with possible leads to Amber’s location and we are not going to lose hope in finding Amber alive,” they said at a Friday night interview.
Absolutely outrageous DNA backlog
The San Diego Union Tribune has also reported the San Diego Police Department crime lab had rushed to test a DNA swab taken from the elbow of the victim of the December attack this week. “We thought we could get something good on that, but unfortunately not,” Collins said.
Due to a 500 DNA sample backlog the suspect’s DNA sample taken in December was not tested earlier because it was considered an attempted robbery. Authorities say robberies don’t rate very high and rapes and murders take a higher priority for testing. It is worth pointing out that state budget cuts could have added to the delay as many state employees are forced to take furlough days each month.
According to the State Penal Code “the purpose of the DNA and Forensic Identification Database and Data Bank Program is to assist federal, state, and local criminal justice and law enforcement agencies within and outside California in the expeditious and accurate detection and prosecution of individuals responsible for sex offenses and other crimes, the exclusion of suspects who are being investigated for these crimes, and the identification of missing and unidentified persons, particularly abducted children.
Looking back to the December attack in Rancho Bernardo County Park, clues were dismissed and residents were unable to spring into action. Perhaps Chelsea’s death could have been prevented if her parents were aware that it wasn’t safe to jog in the park alone.
Community leaders will now begin the process of looking through the process to ensure proper steps are followed in the future.
Congressman Bilbray spokesperson Fritz Chaleff explained the Congressman, who has two daughters, “was deeply saddened by the news of Chelsea’s murder.”
No one can predict the future, but armed with information, residents can better protect themselves, communicate and ban together.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
The Escondido and Poway High School students should have been looking in the mailbox to find college acceptance letters that were arriving, instead devastated families must begin the process of picking up the pieces.
There is no question about it Chelsea and Amber were wronged, someone dropped the ball and someone didn’t connect the dots. As the events preceding Amber and Chelsea’s disappearance unfold there is strong evidence pointing to a breakdown in communication in law enforcement.
Law enforcement officers have not missed an opportunity to step out in front of the news cameras all the while offering little to no information about the murders.
News is still developing about another attack in the Rancho Bernardo Park just two months earlier in December. John Gardner also assaulted a 22-year-old female jogger who was visiting from Colorado, according to authorities. However, the jogger was able to fight off her attacker and reported that she elbowed her assailant in the face most likely breaking his nose- this self-defense gave her an opportunity to run for her life.
The San Diego Police Department was called to investigate the scene and after interviewing the victim concluded it was a failed robbery.
“A failed robbery? How many women go jogging in a county park carrying a purse, computer, camera and cash? Anyone with common sense knows something like would take place at a car or home,” says Poway resident Carry who wished to protect her last name.
The jogging victim’s mother found the outcome odd as well. She reported that her daughter was tackled like a football player and a large man fitting Gardner’s description tried to aggressively subdue her daughter.
This where the communication break down begin. San Diego Police Department was convinced the female was a victim of a robbery attempt because at some point during the attack he asked for money. Not many women are buying that excuse.
According to the jogger who was attacked on Dec. 27th, she wanted to sit down with a police sketch artist to create a composite drawing of her attacker, the SDPD was too busy to follow through with her request. However, the female returned home to her Colorado home and was able to get a local Police Dept. to draw a sketch. The likeness to Gardner is astonishing.
Many Poway residents have trouble with the theory Gardner would lie in wait at a secluded part of the Rancho Bernardo Community Park to rob a runner.
San Diego Police saw it differently. “You have to weigh causing panic in the community versus putting information out there,” said Assistant Police Chief Boyd Long, who oversees patrol operations in a San Diego Union Tribune story.
“Hindsight is always 20/20. If we knew today, if we had any idea that the person who did this crime was responsible for other crimes or was going to commit other crimes, we would have put out every effort possible to put him in custody.”
Needless to say, the jogger who was attacked on December 27th could be considered ground zero. Had the police took the attack more seriously, they would have notified the local neighborhood watch program in place in the Rancho Bernardo Community that lines the park.
“There’s a lot of frustration and anger out there right now,” said Gary Carlson the Rancho Bernardo neighborhood watch coordinator. “The San Diego Police Department did not personally notify us after the Dec. 27th attack occurred. It was a failure in communications that the attack was classified as a simple robbery on the crime log.”
According to Carlson, recent cutbacks in community spending may have been a factor in the SDPD not reaching out to community leaders sooner. Had the Police Department notified community leader an action plan would have been implemented.
“First, we would have notified all of our district leaders who would bring neighbors up to speed. The community would have mobilized and put together fliers to post at local businesses, entrances to the park as well as post fliers door-to-door.”
Finally, the Rancho Bernardo Neighborhood Watch group would have posted information on their website and been in constant contact with law enforcement officers monitoring the case progress.
“Hind sight is 20/20, but I can say we would have been proactive,” Carlson said.
Moving forward Carlson believes the police and community can learn from this tragedy and figure out a communication system that will provide a timely alert mechanism for future incidents that may arise.
A day in court
The defendant’s first day in court went smoothly and lasted less than five minutes. Gardner's mother or stepfather did not attend the arraignment and it’s been reported they may have fled town to avoid the steady stream of onlookers and angry residents. Gardner’s family home was vandalized during the early hours on Wednesday, the garage door read, and “Chelsea’s blood is on you Move out."
After the brief court appearance, lead prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney Kristen Spieler held a joint press conference with San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. The charges Gardner face are murder with a special allegation that occurred during the commission or attempted commission of a rape.
"The special allegation attached to the murder charge makes the defendant eligible for the death penalty," Spieler explained.
Another mantra the District Attorney repeated during the news conference was "We are not here to try the case in the media, but to try our case in court." Dumanis explained the case would be handled by the book and considerations needed to be made regarding the crime that “has rocked” San Diego.
Due to the national media attention this case has garnered, prosecutors admitted the case would follow proper protocol and many decisions about the death penalty would be decided with the help of Chelsea’s family.
The charge of rape and murder are significant, but also concerning is the second charge that specifically accuses Gardner of assault with the intent to commit rape in the Dec. 27 attack.
Police or the District Attorney’s office wouldn’t detail the change in the police report taken in December and the addition of the intent to rape charges to Gardner.
News reported by the Associated Press tie Gardner’s DNA directly to Chelsea. According to the California Department of Justice spokesperson Christine Gasparac matching DNA of semen was found on Chelsea’s clothing.
Gardner who was released from prison in 2006 and competed his parole in September 2008, despite an unfavorable psychiatric review by Dr. Matthew Carroll who described the defendant as “a continued danger to underage girls in the community.”
Missing teenager Amber Dubois
Amber Dubois’ parents received the grim news that their daughter who has been missing for 13 months has been found. On Friday night the parents were hopeful their daughter was still alive as the Escondido Police Department searched Kit Carson Park for clues to the missing teenager.
That all ended today as Escondido Police Chief Jim Maher said, “The discovery was made in the early morning hours Saturday in a very rugged and remote area of Pala. Escondido police and Sheriff’s homicide detectives were following a lead in the case when they made the discovery.”
The remains found near the Pala reservation and Pala Casino, were positively identified using Amber’s dental records Saturday afternoon.
Maher, Sheriff Bill Gore and FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Keith Slotter, did not answer any questions at the brief press conference held at the Escondido Police Department. Maher explained the remains were part of an ongoing police investigation and there were three separate agencies working the Amber Dubois and Chelsea cases.
“The entire community, everybody who helped out with the search effort, and above all our huge volunteer corps, they are the most dedicated people and without them we couldn’t have done anything,” said the visibly upset father Maurice Dubois.
When asked if the reward for information leading to Amber’s disappearance would be in play, Sheriff Gore declined to answer leading to more questions as to how the skeletal remains were located.
The local convenience store in Pala, yielded chatter that Amber was most likely found because John Gardner, who is charged with Chelsea King’s rape and murder wanted to get out of the death penalty.
However, the San Diego Union Tribune is reporting that the tip came in the form of a concerned resident. “The entire Chelsea King event emotionally pulled at somebody who had this information,” said Bill Garcia a PI hired by the Dubois family. “They’ve seen the community in a lot of pain. Someone who had been afraid to say something finally came forward.”
A half-hour drive north of Escondido would be Amber’s final resting place. Her skeletal remains were recovered off Pala-Temecula Road in the rocky hillside of a bustling highway located between two casinos.
The Sheriff’s deputies were parked along the highway in nondescript SUVs, but were easy to spot because the officers were standing outside their vehicles. Ask if the crime scene was up or down, they pointed up a mile-long road into a wooded section of the hillside. Once their cover was blown, the Sheriff’s Department called Caltrans to place crime scene tape along the roadside and clear two members of the media.
The Escondido Police Department announced more details would be forthcoming at another press conference tomorrow.
Gardner lived in Escondido for part of 2009 when the teenager went missing. Dubois said he and his family knew that Gardner was a local registered sex offender and watched his apartment for a short period of time after their daughter went missing. Currently there are more than 60,000 sex offenders residing in California.
The national spotlight on Chelsea King renewed efforts by the Escondido Police Department and a recent tip sent authorities to Kit Carson Park in Escondido searching for clues to find Amber, but ultimately found her body 30 minutes north of where she was snatched.
The investigation into Gardner past widened in since Chelsea’s disappearance and authorities have linked him to a December assault and continue to explore whether he had a role in last year’s abduction of Escondido teenager Dubois.
Joined by the FBI, police officials scoured a Kit Carson Park pond and surrounding region to be sure nothing was left to chance. “We didn’t find anything that I would consider to be of evidentiary value at this point,” said police Lt. Craig Carter.
While the Dubois’ are grateful for the renewed effort in their daughter’s case, they are filled with sadness for the King family and both parents continue to wear the orange ribbon for Chelsea.
While the community is alert, authorities and family members of both girls are enlisting the public to step forward with any clues no matter how insignificant they may seem. “Right now our hearts go out to anyone with possible leads to Amber’s location and we are not going to lose hope in finding Amber alive,” they said at a Friday night interview.
Absolutely outrageous DNA backlog
The San Diego Union Tribune has also reported the San Diego Police Department crime lab had rushed to test a DNA swab taken from the elbow of the victim of the December attack this week. “We thought we could get something good on that, but unfortunately not,” Collins said.
Due to a 500 DNA sample backlog the suspect’s DNA sample taken in December was not tested earlier because it was considered an attempted robbery. Authorities say robberies don’t rate very high and rapes and murders take a higher priority for testing. It is worth pointing out that state budget cuts could have added to the delay as many state employees are forced to take furlough days each month.
According to the State Penal Code “the purpose of the DNA and Forensic Identification Database and Data Bank Program is to assist federal, state, and local criminal justice and law enforcement agencies within and outside California in the expeditious and accurate detection and prosecution of individuals responsible for sex offenses and other crimes, the exclusion of suspects who are being investigated for these crimes, and the identification of missing and unidentified persons, particularly abducted children.
Looking back to the December attack in Rancho Bernardo County Park, clues were dismissed and residents were unable to spring into action. Perhaps Chelsea’s death could have been prevented if her parents were aware that it wasn’t safe to jog in the park alone.
Community leaders will now begin the process of looking through the process to ensure proper steps are followed in the future.
Congressman Bilbray spokesperson Fritz Chaleff explained the Congressman, who has two daughters, “was deeply saddened by the news of Chelsea’s murder.”
No one can predict the future, but armed with information, residents can better protect themselves, communicate and ban together.
For more stories; http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-10317-San-Diego-County-Political-Buzz-Examiner
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