Tag: San Diego

Sea Lion Wanders Onto San Diego Freeway, Miles From Ocean

SAN DIEGO—A sea lion that may have lost its bearings or been struck by wanderlust roamed onto the freeway Jan. 7, stopping traffic while concerned motorists, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers, and SeaWorld personnel rescued the wayward aquatic animal. The errant sea mammal appeared on the eastbound side of State Route 94 in the Stockton…


San Diego Student’s Family Sues Airliner Over Iran Missile Attack on Plane

SAN DIEGO—The family of a San Diego college student killed while aboard a plane that was shot down over Iran two years ago filed a lawsuit on Jan. 5 against the Ukrainian airline, alleging it should have been aware it was unsafe to fly amid tensions in the region. Sara Saadat, 23, a first-year doctoral student in…


Chase Bank in San Diego Robbed

SAN DIEGO—A man in a black hat and flannel shirt robbed a La Jolla bank on Jan. 5. The thief, who also was wearing a black face mask, confronted a teller at the Chase branch office in the 8800 block of Villa La Jolla Drive and demanded cash shortly before 3:30 p.m., according to the San Diego Police Department….


Gun Owners Sue to Block Law Sharing Information With Gun Violence Researchers

SAN DIEGO—A group of gun owners filed a lawsuit to block a newly signed state law that allows gun owners’ personal information collected during gun and ammo purchases to be shared with a research center studying gun violence. The suit filed Jan. 5 in San Diego court by five plaintiffs identified as John and Jane…


Blaze Guts Commercial Building in San Diego

EL CAJON, Calif.—A predawn fire gutted a commercial building in a strip mall near Interstate 8 and State Route 67 on Jan. 5, causing an estimated $2 million worth of damage, authorities said. The non-injury blaze in the 400 block of Broadway in El Cajon broke out for unknown reasons at about 3 a.m., Heartland Fire & Rescue…


Man Pleads Guilty in ‘Crack House’ Indictment Over Vista Home

SAN DIEGO—A man who maintained a “drug-involved premises” at his Vista property, which prosecutors said led to rampant crime in and around the North County home, pleaded guilty Jan. 4 to federal charges. Sean Terrence Sheeter, 73, was arrested in March of 2020 during a raid of his multi-acre Poinsettia Avenue property. Prosecutors charged Sheeter…


Homeless Man Jailed for Allegedly Killing Man by Pushing Him in Path of Train

SAN DIEGO—A transient was arrested Jan. 4 on suspicion of killing a 68-year-old man without provocation on New Year’s Day by pushing him into the path of an oncoming train at Old Town Transit Center. Ryan Michael Rukstelis, 26, was taken into custody in the 2200 block of Park Boulevard in Balboa Park shortly after…


Transient Jailed for Allegedly Killing Man by Pushing Him in Path of Train

SAN DIEGO—A transient was arrested Jan. 4 on suspicion of killing a 68-year-old man without provocation on New Year’s Day by pushing him into the path of an oncoming train at Old Town Transit Center. Ryan Michael Rukstelis, 26, was taken into custody in the 2200 block of Park Boulevard in Balboa Park shortly after…


Formerly Terminated ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy Restarts in San Diego

SAN DIEGO—Enforcement of the “Remain in Mexico” program, which keeps asylum seekers in Mexico while they await their immigration court hearings across the border, was expanded Jan. 4 to San Diego. The policy officially termed “Migrant Protection Protocols” was ended last summer by the new administration, but was reinstated following a federal judge’s order that…


Ex-Chabad of Poway Rabbi Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Tax Fraud

SAN DIEGO—Former Chabad of Poway Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein was sentenced to 14 months in prison on Jan. 4 for engaging in a series of fraudulent schemes, most notably a tax fraud in which supposed charitable donations made to the synagogue were funneled back to donors. Goldstein, 60, was also ordered to pay nearly $3 million in restitution to victims,…