Police/Fire

Thieves wigging out with Grand Avenue wig shop crime wave

A brazen young thief was caught by surveillance cameras in the act early Wednesday of robbing HQ Too Wigs on Grand Avenue. At least a half-dozen wigs valued at more than $300 were taken in the Wednesday robbery. (Surveillance video of early Wednesday wig shop theft. Break-in occurs just after 1:00 mark.) As shocking as that action was, it also represented the third break-in at…


Deadly driving week around Escondido

It was a deadly start of the driving week on Escondido roads with the San Diego Medical Examiner’s Office late Tuesday identifying the latest local road victim as Galileo Esteban Diego, 21, of Temecula. Diego died immediately after he crashed his silver 2006 Dodge Caravan westbound on Country Club Lane near Broadway just before 7:30 p.m. Monday. His minivan was nearly torn in half when…


Terrorism Alert: Cal State San Marcos held ‘active shooter drills’ Wednesday (Updated)

Don’t look now, but Cal State University San Marcos (CSUSM) was the scene of a terrorist attack on Wednesday. Good thing school doesn’t resume sessions until Jan. 25, so campus was fairly devoid of students. With terrorism and school shooting scenarios in mind, CSUSM staged an active shooter drill where fake became real for training purposes. About 100 North County police, fire and hospital personnel…



Wrong-way Highway 78 embankment flip near Metcalf kills driver on New Year’s Day

Just 10 days after a deadly Highway 78 crash killed four people; a wrong-way, single-vehicle crash on a nearby stretch of Highway 78 sometime before 3 p.m. killed another man, according to California Highway Patrol officers. The wrong-way 2003 Chevrolet Suburban headed west on eastbound Highway 78, presumably from Broadway, plunged off the road near Metcalf Street killing the driver, CHP officers said. Nobody called…


Escondido Police give lucky people $10K in Benjamins thanks to Secret Santa donation

Escondido Police officers went around town this month giving $10,000 in $100 bills to lucky people, all made possible by a donation from an anonymous person. Here is the video and  (somewhat) tongue-in-cheek titled news release issued today by EPD… Escondido Police Department Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, Escondido Police Officers had an opportunity to spread holiday cheer. Please watch this short video…


Police seek stabbing suspect from Sunday brawl near Bear Valley Middle School

Another whodunnit has caused Escondido Police to reach out to the public for help identifying a stabbing suspect from large fight just after midnight Sunday, Dec. 20. The brawl took place just outside Bear Valley Middle School near the intersection of Bear Valley Parkway and Canyon Drive. The fight was one for the ages, or at least young adults, in the 2800 block of Bear…


San Marcos 14-year-old shot dead last month identified, killer or killers at large

His name now is known. His killer or killers remain at large. The San Diego Sheriff’s Office Monday appealed to the public for help in solving what has become a disturbing mystery. Fourteen year old Brandon Gonzalez was found collapsed on a sidewalk in the 3500 block of De Leone Road around 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. Witnesses reported hearing multiple gun shots around the…


Escondido, San Marcos public safety allocations revealed by SANDAG report

Escondido led San Diego County jurisdictions this fiscal year in the percentage of overall public safety funding allocated in the city budget. The city allocated 43 percent of its budget to law enforcement, a similar percentage as El Cajon. Otherwise, the nine incorporated cities in the county spent an average of 33 percent of budgets on law enforcement. Not all the Escondido funding came from…


Four killed, three injured in fiery Hwy 78 crash near Nordahl Drive late Sunday

A young boy, a teenage girl and two women from Loma Linda died late Sunday on Highway 78 while a Fallbrook driver was arrested, then released following a fiery crash, California Highway Patrol officers said. Three other people driving with the four killed were injured. Just before 11 p.m., according to CHP Sgt. Curtis Martin, the driver of a 2014 Chevy Sonic attempted to change…