Public Safety
FBI raids homes of San Diego Democratic consultant and union official; no charges filed
Federal agents seized electronic devices from Jesus Cardenas, who pleaded guilty to two felonies in 2024, and Kelvin Barrios, a former city council candidate now on leave from the county Democratic Party.
SDPD used Flock license plate readers to surveil domestic violence victim and its own officers, records show
Internal Affairs detectives used the city's network of 500 surveillance cameras to track Officer Miguel Gonzalez and a woman he allegedly had a sexual relationship with, prompting a councilmember to demand immediate suspension of the program.
Sheriff's deputy arrested on suspicion of sexual relationship with Las Colinas inmate
Deputy Ricky Garcia was booked Tuesday on multiple counts of sexual activity with a person confined in a detention facility and placed on unpaid leave.
Border Patrol seizes $9.8M in cocaine at San Clemente checkpoint as record-low crossings free agents for drug interdiction
Two drivers were arrested three minutes apart after K-9s alerted on 550 vacuum-sealed packages of cocaine hidden in garbage bags during back-to-back stops on Oct. 25.
City audit finds brush inspections on private property missed violations, lacked oversight as wildfire risk grows
A performance audit headed to the City Council's Audit Committee on Thursday found San Diego Fire-Rescue's faster visual inspections are 30 times less likely to catch violations, with the 45,000 highest-risk parcels checked only once every 8 to 10 years.
Feds charge 42 in Poway gang drug network tied to Mexican Mafia; agents fired on in Lemon Grove raid
Prosecutors also indicted a Mexican engineer accused of building a CJNG cartel tunnel that surfaced near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry with more than a ton of cocaine.
Man who died in ICE custody at Otay Mesa was misidentified, county medical examiner records show
ICE named the 42-year-old Guatemalan detainee as Roberto Jimenez Gutierrez and published a criminal record under that name; the county lists him as Guillermo Pascual Verganza.
SDPD officer kills axe-wielding man on Friars Road after trolley vandalism call, sheriff says
The Sheriff's Office identified the man as Thomas Johnson, 36, and the officer as eight-year veteran Luisito Fanlo; the district attorney will review the Oct. 21 shooting.
CBP Seizes Nearly 1,600 Pounds of Meth Hidden in Tomatillos at Otay Mesa, Worth $2.5 Million
Federal officials say San Diego border drug seizures jumped more than 1,200% in fiscal 2026 as arrests for illegal crossings fell sharply.
Inmate, 34, Dies by Apparent Suicide at George Bailey Detention Facility; Eighth In-Custody Death This Year
Brian Andrew Holmes had been jailed since May on sexual assault charges and was scheduled to appear in court next week, the Sheriff's Office said.
Grand Jury: San Diego Fire-Rescue Fails Required Safety Inspections at Thousands of Buildings; Union Blocks Civilian Inspectors
The report, 'Playing with Fire,' finds SDFD completed only 58% of mandated annual inspections in FY2026 while the firefighters union contract prohibits hiring civilian inspectors — a bar the 2010 city audit flagged 16 years ago.
Sheriff Martinez Approved Over 200 Gun Waivers for Deputies, Records Show — Including Jail Guards and Long Guns
The waivers allow deputies to skip California's 10-day waiting period for personal firearm purchases. Martinez's predecessor cut approvals to just five in 2021 after a former captain went to prison for illegal gun sales.
Inmate, 62, Dies at San Diego Central Jail After Medical Distress; Homicide Unit Investigating
The man had been in custody since November 2025 on assault and criminal threat charges; he is the seventh in-custody death reported in county jails this year.
San Diego Overdose Deaths Drop 36% From 2021 Peak as County Credits Enforcement and Treatment Push
Fatalities fell to 840 in 2025, continuing a multi-year decline, though methamphetamine now accounts for 68 percent of all overdose deaths.
County Probation Officers Honored for Saving Man from Opioid Overdose Near Downtown Hall of Justice
Deputy Probation Officers Amanda Allsberry and Lino Rojas and Probation Aide Stephanie Roach received a Hero Award from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce for their July 6 lifesaving response on West C Street.
ICE Launches 'Operation Safe California' Enforcement Surge Beginning in San Diego, Sources Say
The 45-day operation has not been publicly announced but began several days ago in and around San Diego, with officers instructed to arrest all illegal immigrants encountered.
ICE San Diego Arrests Mexican National with Second-Degree Murder Conviction
Alfonso Duran, a previously deported criminal alien, was taken into custody by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and will remain detained pending immigration proceedings.
Extreme Heat Warning Issued as SDG&E Warns of Possible Power Shutoffs Through Sunday
The city is extending cooling center hours through Saturday as temperatures are forecast to reach the 90s at the coast and 100s inland, with Santa Ana winds raising wildfire danger.
ACLU Sues City, SDPD to Halt Automated License Plate Reader Program, Calling It Unconstitutional Mass Surveillance
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in San Diego Superior Court, alleges the city's network of at least 500 Flock cameras violates the California Constitution's right to privacy and seeks deletion of all collected data.
SDSU Mumps Outbreak Grows to 14 Confirmed Cases, County Urges Third Vaccine Dose for Close Contacts
The outbreak, first reported Sept. 18, now includes one probable case as well; health officials recommend a booster MMR shot for those identified as close contacts of confirmed infections.
Raw Milk Cheese Linked to E. Coli Outbreak Sickens Two San Diego County Children
Sierra Nevada Graziers issued a voluntary recall Sept. 25 for its raw milk cheeses after county epidemiologists identified the multi-state outbreak; 13 cases have been confirmed across 10 states.
SDPD Launches 'Operation Overdue' at Central Library, Expanding Downtown Safety Crackdown
Building on Operation Last Call's results in the Gaslamp, Chief Scott Wahl vows a 'zero tolerance approach' after stabbings and a July murder near the Central Library.
Falls Send Nearly 40,000 Older San Diego County Adults to Emergency Rooms in 2024
Falls were the leading cause of emergency visits for residents 60 and older, with more than 13,000 hospitalized and 338 deaths, county data shows.
