Tag: San Diego

San Diego City Council Selects Sean Elo-Rivera as Next Council President

SAN DIEGO—The San Diego City Council elected Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera as council president Dec. 6, replacing Councilwoman Jennifer Campbell, who held the role for the past year. The 8–1 vote—with Campbell the sole dissenter—put Elo-Rivera in the new position immediately after the vote was taken. The council president sets the council’s agenda and runs its…


Autopsy: Vista Jail Inmate Died of Drug Overdose

SAN DIEGO—A 24-year-old inmate who died after falling ill at Vista Detention Facility last summer succumbed to an accidental drug overdose, authorities reported Dec. 6. Deputies found Ronaldino Estrada of Escondido unconscious and unresponsive in his cell at the South Melrose Drive jail on the morning of July 5, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Paramedics took Estrada…


SDSU to Play in ‘Snapdragon Stadium’ in 2022, as Qualcomm Buys Naming Rights

SAN DIEGO—San Diego State University’s (SDSU) new athletic facility in Mission Valley will be known as Snapdragon Stadium. SDSU officials announced on Dec. 6 a long-term agreement with San Diego-based Qualcomm Technologies. Snapdragon is the name of Qualcomm’s mobile platform brand. “Partnering with Qualcomm on Snapdragon Stadium continues our push for creating a world class stadium…


San Diego Gold Exchange Managers Sentenced for Federal Financial Crimes

SAN DIEGO—A San Diego gold exchange business and its managers were sentenced Dec. 3 for federal financial crimes stemming from a long-running money-laundering operation. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Global Gold Exchange LLC, and managers Richard M. Owen, 52; James Warren, 50; and Jeffrey Morrow, 46, laundered money from a number of illicit sources…


San Diego County Looks for Alternatives to Mileage Tax

SAN DIEGO—Some board members of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) on Dec. 3 are looking for alternatives—instead of charging county residents for every mile they drive—to fund the county’s regional transportation plan. The four-cents-per-mile road usage tax proposal—and two half-cent regional sales taxes proposed for 2022 and 2028—was envisioned as a way to help fund SANDAG’s long-term…


Chula Vista Man Sentenced for 100-Pound Fentanyl Distribution

SAN DIEGO—A Chula Vista man who distributed more than 100 pounds of fentanyl and other drugs was sentenced Dec. 1 to nearly six years in federal prison. Ernesto Renteria, 45, pleaded guilty earlier this year to four counts related to possessing drugs with the intent to distribute and received a 71-month term on Wednesday. According…


San Diego-Area Resident Evacuated From Afghanistan

SAN DIEGO—Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall) announced Dec. 1 that an American citizen and San Diego-area resident is on his way home from Afghanistan. “This one was personal. My team and I worked for months to ensure the safe return of Prince Wafa and his wife, and we were amazed by his courage and commitment,” Issa…


Three in Life-Threatening Condition After Falling From Border Wall

SAN DIEGO—Three people were taken to the hospital Dec. 1 after falling from the border wall between Otay Mesa and Garita De Otay, Mexico. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department was called to respond to four people at the border wall at the request of the U.S. Border Patrol around 2:45 a.m., according to online logs….


Man Gets Probation For Arson Fire in La Mesa Chase Bank

EL CAJON, Calif.—One of two men charged with setting fire to a Chase bank in La Mesa—following last year’s contentious protest outside the city’s police headquarters—received a term of probation on Nov. 30. Ricky Bernard Cooper, 34, pleaded guilty last month to arson and burglary charges for the May 30, 2020, fire inside the Chase bank branch at 4791…


Appeals Court Upholds California’s High-Capacity Magazine Ban

SAN DIEGO—A federal appeals court upheld on Nov. 30 California’s ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines, which a San Diego federal judge previously overturned and ruled as unconstitutional. A divided Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled—by a 7-4 margin—that California’s ban “on legal possession of large-capacity magazines reasonably supported California’s effort to reduce the devastating damage wrought by mass shootings.” The…