Category: San Diego

Man, 70, Pleads Guilty to US-Mexico Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy

SAN DIEGO—A 70-year-old man who prosecutors say ran a Mexican drug trafficking organization that moved “substantial quantities” of cocaine into the United States over the course of several decades pleaded guilty March 8 in San Diego federal court. Raul Flores-Hernandez, of Guadalajara, Mexico, ran the Jalisco-based trafficking organization from sometime in the 1980s until 2017,…


Young Man Jumps to His Death From Coronado Bridge

SAN DIEGO—A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer saw a man jump off the Coronado Bridge March 5. The man, between 20 to 25 years old, parked his vehicle midway across the bridge at about 7 a.m. Sunday and looked over the side before jumping into the bay, according to a CHP incident log. He was…


Man Found Shot in Neck in Otay Mesa Neighborhood

SAN DIEGO—A 27-year-old man was seriously wounded March 4 when he was shot in the neck in the Otay Mesa neighborhood, police said. San Diego Police Department officers responded at 6:07 a.m. Saturday in the 1700 block of Cactus Road to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon, Officer David O’Brien said. The…


2 Women Seriously Injured in Head-On Crash in Lake Murray-Area

SAN DIEGO—A 49-year-old woman suffered life-threatening injuries and a 19-year-old woman was seriously injured in a head-on collision in San Diego March 3 evening that authorities said driving under the influence might be a factor. San Diego Police Department officers were called at 4:36 p.m. to the 8300 block of Lake Murray Boulevard where they…


Man Sentenced to Jail for Fatally Striking Elderly Canadian Couple in San Diego

SAN DIEGO—A man who fatally struck a married couple near Liberty Station with his SUV last year was sentenced March 3 to six months in county jail, plus two years of probation. Kevin William Thomer, 36, pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence for the Jan. 19, 2022, deaths of Alberta,…


California’s Community Colleges Hired Too Many Part-Time Professors, Misspent Funds: State Auditor

Some of California’s community colleges do not have enough full-time faculty, and some misspend state funds intended for full-time professors on part-time adjuncts, according to a report released last month by the state’s auditor. The audit—which state legislators authorized last year at the request of a community college faculty group—investigated state spending and hiring practices…


UC Applications for Fall Admission Down Slightly From Last Year

New student applications to University of California (UC) schools are down slightly this year, according to data released by UC last week. Nearly 246,000 students applied to its 10 campuses for fall 2023—a 2 percent decrease from fall 2022, according to the data. Despite the slight drop, UC President Michael Drake said interest in UC…


Driver Extricated From Overturned Vehicle Off I-5 in La Jolla

Firefighters extricated a person who suffered serious injuries from an overturned vehicle from southbound Interstate 5 in La Jolla, California, Mar. 1, officials said. The San Diego Fire Department received a report at around 6:45 a.m. about the crash and an overturned vehicle with the driver still inside on southbound Interstate 5. The vehicle went…


San Diego Nanny Gets 25 Years in Prison for Baby’s Death

SAN DIEGO—A woman who inflicted fatal injuries on a month-old baby she was hired to care for in San Diego County was sentenced Feb. 28 to 25 years to life in state prison. Victoria Frances Fox, 40, pleaded guilty to a first-degree murder count for the August 2021 death of a baby boy identified in…


Wells Fargo Banker Gets Nearly 3 Years in Prison for Role in Money Laundering Scheme

SAN DIEGO—A former Wells Fargo personal banker, who pleaded guilty to federal charges for his role in an international money laundering scheme, was sentenced Feb. 27 to nearly three years in federal prison. Leopoldo Lora Aguilera, 58, of Chula Vista, admitted to opening bank accounts under false names and wiring millions of dollars to Mexico,…