Category: San Diego

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5) — Ever since her body was found in a freezer last year, the suspicious death of Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones has been shrouded in a series of unanswered questions: Who was she? Where was she last seen? Is someone responsible for her death? “Ultimately she ended up deceased and she was in a freezer,” said Lt. Jud Campbell with the San Diego Police Department’s Homicide Unit. “I want to know why, and I think the public wants to know why.” FOX 5 has spent the last two months trying to to piece together snippets of her life, and what it might illuminate about her mysterious demise. ‘An unusual circumstance’ The story of Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones began when an unidentified body was found inside a plugged-in, unlocked freezer at a home on Zion Avenue in San Diego’s Allied Gardens neighborhood on Dec. 22, 2023. San Diego police officers were dispatched to the home around 11:45 a.m. after out-of-town family members stumbled upon the body during a visit. Because of where the body was found, Homicide Unit investigators were called to investigate. Mira Mesa

City officials say it’s sensible, not irresponsible, to reduce their pension payments in the near term and raise them years into the future

The young cat was captured on security camera footage walking through plazas and parking structures in Oceanside earlier this week

Prosecutors say Jesse Alvarez plotted to kill high school teacher Mario Fierro. His Internet searches in the weeks before the 2021 fatal encounter included queries on hiring a hit man and killing someone in self-defense

Police released a doorbell video showing a brazen heist as three men heft and heave a large safe through a front door, across a lawn and into a waiting SUV

The move, which is still three months away, will affect 135 jobs. Workers will have opportunity to fill positions at other sites.

VISTA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A home went up in flames in North County Thursday morning, displacing at least five residents, the Vista Fire Department confirmed. Plumes of smoke could be seen rising in the air around 10:30 a.m. in the 2300 block of Mira Sol Drive in Vista. A few hours later, fire officials told FOX 5 at the scene that it was a “total loss.” Driver, 38, caught with almost $900K worth of narcotics: CBP It was reported that two people were injured during the blaze, though the extent of their injuries is unknown at this time. In total, fire officials said five people were displaced as a result. A house caught fire in Vista Thursday, March. 7, 2024. (KSWB) A house caught fire in Vista Thursday, March. 7, 2024. (KSWB) A house caught fire in Vista Thursday, March. 7, 2024. (KSWB) An investigation into the cause remains ongoing. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A United Airlines flight that took off from San Francisco International Airport has been diverted to Los Angeles International Airport after losing a tire during takeoff. According to flight tracking website FlightAware, the plane took off from San Francisco at 11:23 a.m. and was diverted to Los Angeles about 25 minutes later. (Watch video below courtesy of Salvador Gonzalez with Cali Planes) The flight, UA 35, was originally bound for Osaka, Japan, before losing a tire during takeoff, according to an SFO official. A runway at SFO was briefly closed but has since reopened with no further impact. Multiple cars sustained damage as a result of the tire falling off the plane, airport officials confirmed. The tire landed on a surface parking lot used by airport employees. According to United, there were 249 people on board: 235 passengers, 10 flight attendants, and four pilots. The aircraft, a Boeing 777, had six tires on each of its two main landing gear. It’s designed to land safely even if tires are missing or damaged. “United Flight 35 lost one tire after takeoff from

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — It was a wet and damp Wednesday afternoon for most of San Diego County as scattered showers swept the region in bursts. Several mountain areas were also dusted with a little snow. According to the National Weather Service, periods of rain may continue throughout the day Thursday in some areas. San Diego County has exceeded annual rainfall average since Oct. 1 Here’s a look at 24-hour precipitation totals across the county as of 8:32 a.m. Thursday morning, according to NWS: Coastal Areas General Location Precipitation total (inches) Fashion Valley 0.64 San Onofre 0.58 Miramar 0.58 San Diego International Airport 0.47 Kearny Mesa 0.46 Chula Vista 0.46 Point Loma 0.39 Oceanside 0.36 National City 0.34 Carlsbad 0.31 Encinitas 0.25 San Marcos 0.24 Vista 0.19 Hazing suspected in drownings of 7 Mexican National Guard cadets off coast of Ensenada Valley Areas General Location Precipitation total (inches) Santee 0.77 Rancho Bernardo 0.69 Ramona 2.25 Valley Center 0.66 Skyline Ranch 0.63 La Mesa 0.62 Poway 0.48 Fallbrook 0.27 Bonsall 0.22 Escondido 0.21 Mira Mesa homeowner speaks out after string of burglaries Mountain Areas General

The searches included queries of how to hire hitmen, where to shoot someone in the head to ensure death, and how to kill your ex’s fiance, and were made shortly after Jesse Milton Alvarez discovered his ex-girlfriend had gotten engaged

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and guns — that’s what U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers uncovered in a vehicle at the San Ysidro Port of Entry Monday. Around 10:40 p.m., CBP said a 38-year-old woman driving a 2019 SUV applied for admission into the U.S. from Mexico. During a quick inspection of the vehicle, officers discovered several packages behind the rear seats. U.S. citizen in ride-share taxi cab arrested after fentanyl pills found in trunk CBP officers search a suspicious vehicle and discover narcotics. (Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection) The woman and SUV were then referred for a secondary inspection. An x-ray scan of the vehicle showed anomalies in the vehicle’s firewall, rear seats, spare tire and trunk, CBP explained. A K-9 team also responded and alerted to the presence of narcotics. A total of 103 packages containing methamphetamine, blue fentanyl pills, heroin and cocaine were found concealed throughout the SUV. CBP also said three handguns were recovered. The narcotics had a total weight of 126.4 pounds with an estimated street value of $885,460.00. CBP officers search

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — It’s been a wet start to 2024 for Southern California. The water year, which goes from Oct. 1 until Sept. 30 of the next calendar year, is a way to measure precipitation to sum up the entire “wet season.” With the wet season close to being halfway through, San Diego County has already exceeded its annual average rainfall, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. Since Oct. 1, San Diego has surpassed its average of 9.79 inches per year, according to NWS. San Diego is about 2.50 inches ahead of where it should be on average. The vast majority of the rain was recorded during the storms in late January and early February. 9 experiences in San Diego that are a must, according to National Geographic On Jan. 22, NWS reported the rainfall in San Diego was among the wettest days on record in the area with 2.73 inches of rain. The downpour caused severe flooding, destroying hundreds of homes and prompting dozens of road closures. In early February, San Diego was hit with an atmospheric river that brought in 3.75

The 422-foot aluminum-hull trimaran will be commissioned this summer, joining the other 16 LCS that operate out of San Diego Bay

The Navy alleges in charging documents Pedicini wrongfully transmitted classified information, failed to report a foreign contact, and wrongfully took a personal device into a secure room. SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A Navy chief charged with espionage is being held at a military brig in San Diego. Chief Petty Officer Fire Controlman Bryce Pedicini is accused of spying while stationed near Yokosuka, Japan and at Hampton Roads, Virginia on the USS Higgins Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. The Navy alleges in charging documents Pedicini wrongfully transmitted classified information, failed to report a foreign contact, and wrongfully took a personal device into a secure room. The alleged espionage happened from November 2022 – May 2023. The Navy is giving few details about the case. Last May, Pedicini took photos of a classified computer screen for the benefit of a citizen and employee of a foreign government, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Justin Taylor alleges in charging documents. National security expert Ron Bee suggested a few explanations of what the photos may have showed. “It could have been plans that were on the computer. It could have been

Prosecutors said the shooting murder of a Catholic high school teacher by his fiancé’s ex-boyfriend was carefully planned. SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Chilling surveillance footage captured the last moments Mario Fierro was alive. The teacher at Cathedral Catholic High School died after being shot six times in 2021 by his girlfriend’s ex-fiancee. The shooting in North Park, which was captured on multiple cameras with audio, was played in court on the first day of the murder trial for Jesse Alvarez, 33. After the first shot goes off, screaming is heard before several more gunshots are heard. “The defendant methodically plotted his execution and part of that planning was to surprise him with it,” prosecutor Ramona McCarthy told the jury in her opening statement. McCarthy pointed to Alvarez’s Google searches and internet history. “He started researching how to hire a hit man,” she said. His Google searches included “how to kill your ex’s fiancee,” “how to shoot someone in self defense” and “does a phone on airplane mode track GPS location.” Alvarez also read an article entitled ‘how to commit the perfect murder,’ signed up for

Ivy Black and her family are heading home to Joshua Tree after spending the holiday weekend in Oceanside. Rain or shine, her kids can’t get enough of the beach. Oceanside, Calif. (KGTV)- Most of San Diego’s north county saw on-and-off rain on Tuesday. Some of the heaviest rain fell in Oceanside earlier in the day. Ivy Black and her family are heading home to Joshua Tree after spending the holiday weekend in Oceanside. Rain or shine, her kids can’t get enough of the beach. “Pretty intense , especially this morning when it was raining pretty severely when we drove out here eight, nine in the morning. It was pretty crazy you couldn’t even see past the rocks for a little bit,” said Black. Most of the county saw showers throughout the day; there was some ponding but no major flooding. “It’s crazy, to see the waves and the rain go back and forth so much, it keeps going sunny and then rainy,” said Black. Doug Garcia and his wife are visiting from Utah. “We just came to see the waves. We heard there were going

A private immigration detention facility along the San Diego-Mexico border held a migrant woman in solitary confinement for over two years, a new report reveals. SAN DIEGO, Calif. — A private immigration detention facility along the San Diego-Mexico border held a migrant woman in solitary confinement for over two years, a new report reveals. Researchers with Harvard University and Physicians for Human Rights outlined the case at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in a report entitled ‘Endless Nightmare’: Torture and Inhuman Treatment in Solitary Confinement in U.S. Immigration Detention. “It’s horrific and completely egregious. It certainly goes far beyond meeting the definition of torture,” said report co-author Tessa Wilson in an interview with Team 10 investigator Austin Grabish from New York. The report found ICE oversaw more than 14,000 solitary confinement placements from 2018 – 2023 across the United States. Researchers with Harvard Law School got the data for the report through freedom of information requests and by suing federal immigration officials. Stephen Reusch Solitary confinement was used 723 times at the Otay Mesa Detention Center from 2018- September 2023. The data reveals solitary confinement

Mayor Todd Gloria and other city leaders said they did not expect the amount of rainfall on Monday and the damage could take months to repair. SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Fighting back tears some residents who were devastated by flash flooding called on top city brass for help Tuesday. “Everything we have is gone,” shouted one woman at Mayor Todd Gloria. Gloria and other senior city leaders were giving reporters an update outside Lincoln High School on the unprecedented flooding that hit the county Monday when they were interrupted by people impacted by the storm that has taken America’s Finest City by surprise. The residents from nearby neighborhoods said they’ve been dealing with flooding for years when it rains. They accused the city of neglecting their communities by failing to clear storm drains, for example. “They should have not neglected our infrastructure,” said community advocate Tasha Williamson. Williamson said it was the first time the residents were able to speak to someone in charge. “The damage is massive. It’s massive. People, they were submerged. Their homes were submerged. To me, it made me reflect on

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A grieving family aired their grievances at San Diego Commission on Police Practices hearing Wednesday night over officers engaging in a high-speed pursuit resulting in the death of two young boys, 8-year-old Malikai and 4-year-old Mason Orozco Romero, in December.  “Please take this seriously, because you can’t imagine what this mom is going through,” family spokesperson Tasha Williamson said.  The mother of the two boys, Victoria sat in a wheelchair, with a neck brace and did not speak because she and her family are suing SDPD. “This mother is every day trying to survive the day. She’s lost without her children,” Williamson said. Fatal crash closes lanes of northbound I-15 The man police were pursuing, 21-year-old Angel Daniel Velazquez, who’s facing charges of murder and vehicular manslaughter, was driving up to 100 miles per hour when he hit Victoria’s car, according to prosecutors. But folks at the hearing drove home the point police pursuits put the public in danger.  “Maybe if they were held accountable things would change,” one woman said. But does that mean the bad guys should just get away? When

The largely peaceful protest also sought to pressure student government leaders to stop doing business with companies that some people feel are hostile to Palestinians

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5) — San Diego police are asking for the public’s help in the search for suspects involved in a string of home burglaries in Mira Mesa. “I knew something happened so I called 911 right away,” said a neighbor who wanted to remain anonymous. The neighbor, who wants to stay anonymous, relived the moment her home got burglarized on Sunday. “They took all the cash and all of my family jewelry. I don’t wear jewelry too much, but that is generations from China,” the neighbor explained. “And also they took the art collection.” The neighbor said she and her husband were coming home from visiting her mom. It is a regular weekly visit that keeps them away from home for roughly five hours. When she got home and walked through the door, “I got shocked because the entire floor covered, thrown out things,” the neighbor said. Fatal crash closes lanes of northbound I-15 The incident is one of eight burglaries in the Mira Mesa area as of March 5, according to police. The burglaries are related to each other based on the