Category: San Diego

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday moved to dismiss criminal cases against three San Diego-area men charged in connection with the January 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol, a day after President Donald Trump granted clemency to his supporters who were prosecuted for violently storming the government building that day. In all, at least eight people from San Diego or with strong ties to the area were among those who benefited from the pardons. Trump loyalists convinced that the 2020 presidential election he lost had been “stolen” mobbed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, injuring about 140 police officers as they attempted to prevent Congress from certifying the election results. Ocean Beach resident Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by a Capitol Police officer as she tried to climb through a smashed window into the Speaker’s Lobby. On his first day back in office Monday, Trump commuted the sentences of 14 individuals, including the leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of orchestrating violent plots to stop the peaceful transfer of power, and granted “a full, complete and unconditional pardon” to the roughly 1,500 others who had been

The Lucky Duck Foundation and the Alex Morgan Foundation hosted a holiday party last month for young moms and their children at Home Start as well as for formerly homeless youth. The event was held at Home Start’s Thrift Boutique in Normal Heights. The Lucky Duck Foundation provided a $150 gift card for each mom along with a $75 Target gift card for every child. The Alex Morgan Foundation distributed clothes, backpacks, books and household items specifically requested by the moms at Home Start. Luna Grill donated a catered dinner for all attending. If your organization has held an event, you’re welcome to email a high-resolution photo along with information on the event to society@sduniontribune.com. Please clearly identify those in the photo, make them aware their image might appear in print and online, include the photographer’s name for credit and be sure to include the who, what, where, when and why information on the event.

They knew their appointments for asylum screenings at the border were no longer good, having been wiped away by President Donald Trump on his first day in office. Yet they showed up to the San Diego-Tijuana PedWest border crossing anyway on Tuesday, hoping for a sign, a snippet of news that might inform their next steps. It was time for Plan B. “It was like a bucket of cold water,” said Orlando Lugo of Venezuela, whose Thursday appointment through the CBP One app was canceled after waiting more than a year to secure one. “It’s unbelievable, I was looking forward to crossing and reuniting with my family.” Like many migrants waiting in Tijuana, he has barely had time to process what has happened. But he said he is fully aware that he needs to focus on what comes next now that Trump’s border and immigration crackdown has landed. “I know nothing is going to change,” he said resignedly. “The new government is coming with new policies and new requirements for migration.” Orlando Lugo, of Venezuela, grabs a cup of coffee while seeking more information after

An expansive San Diego-area investigation into a gang whose tendrils spread into narcotics, weapons dealing, homicides and extortion led local and federal authorities to arrest dozens of people allegedly affiliated with the Mexican Mafia, the District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday. Operation Los Impuestos, or “the taxes” in Spanish, led by the San Diego Police Department, resulted in the arrests last week of 39 people believed to be involved in the powerful prison gang. The department cooperated with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the district attorney’s gang unit. The suspects are largely street gang members who “took orders from cartel bosses operating in state prison and preyed on business owners by forcing mafia-style taxes,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said Tuesday at a news conference. As she spoke, Stephan was flanked by San Diego Police Chief Schott Wahl and other investigators, as well as tables holding more than a dozen rifles, shotguns and handguns. “They dealt illegal drugs including pounds of deadly fentanyl, committed widespread violence and trafficked weapons such as ghost guns and AR-15s,” Stephan said. One of

San Diego County residents have a chance to provide input on the way public comments will work at county Board of Supervisors meetings, as the board clerk works to implement a new system aimed at making the process easier. The new system will let all public speakers sign up online, rather than having early morning sign-ups or paper forms. These changes come on the heels of the board’s vote last month to tighten its rules for public participation amid a jump in meeting disruptions and public harassment. The most notable changes to the rules and procedures clarified the language allowed in meetings and toughened sanctions for people who have been removed multiple times. “Our new online platform will bring a welcome change to the speaker request process,” Andrew Potter, the board’s clerk, wrote in an online post. “Gone will be the days of separate systems for phone and in-person requests, where staff had to manually track every detail.” Under the new system, participants will now visit the online platform to select the agenda items they’d like to comment on and specific how they’d like to

A 62-year-old sexually violent predator was released Tuesday from Coalinga State Hospital to live in a Campo home temporarily until a long-term residence can be found, sheriff’s officials said. Alvin Quarles pleaded guilty in 1989 to four counts of forcible rape that occurred between 1987 and 1988 and admitted to being armed during the attacks. Prosecutors said he targeted adult women in San Diego County by breaking into the women’s motel rooms while they slept and forcing them to have sex with him while he held a knife. San Diego Superior Court Judge Marian Gaston ordered Quarles be housed temporarily at 1138 Cluster Road, a location that had been previously occupied by sexually violent predators, or SVPs, who were in the midst of legal proceedings, officials said. Gaston said Quarles would need to move if the previous tenant returned, but if the other SVP is sent back to a state hospital, Quarles could permanently stay at the residence. Quarles has a lifetime requirement to register as a sex offender, and sheriff’s officials said he will be supervised 24 hours a day by Liberty Health Care

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The PGA Tour might move the 2025 Genesis Invitational to the Torrey Pines Golf Course next month, according to a report by Golfweek. The tournament was scheduled to take place from Feb. 13 to 16 at The Riviera Country Club, located in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. However, due to the recent wildfires that devastated the greater metropolitan area earlier this month — the largest of which was the Palisades Fire — the Tour announced last Thursday that the Genesis Invitational would be forced to relocate. Among the top runners to host? Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, which is already set to host the annual Farmers Insurance Open Wednesday through Saturday. “We’re working with the PGA Tour as are other folks just to understand how to help that tournament and that group with their situation, and the city’s raised our hand to say, ‘Hey, we’re here to be an option if you need us,'” said Marty Gorsich, the CEO of The Century Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes the Farmers Insurance Open. Four players with San

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A convicted rapist, known for committing several crimes in the 1980s, was released from Coalinga State Hospital Tuesday following a court order, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. Dubbed the “bolder than most” rapist, Alvin Quarles was known to have assaulted women after breaking into homes and motels, oftentimes forcing their husbands or boyfriends to watch. 5 takeaways as Trump returns to power Quarles is registered as a “Sexually Violent Predator” with the California Department of Justice and the county of San Diego. He served 25 years in prison and was diagnosed with a mental disorder. He was sent to Coalinga State Hospital in 2014 where he underwent a sex offender treatment program. Earlier this year, a San Diego judge ordered his conditional release. On Tuesday, authorities confirmed he was released into the community as a transient, meaning he does not yet have a permanent housing placement, and is temporarily housed at 1138 Custer Road in Campo. People march downtown to protest inauguration, mass deportation plans He is under 24-hour supervision by Liberty Health Care, a private company

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Fire crews were busy battling a brush fire that broke out Tuesday afternoon off of Friars Road near the Fashion Valley Mall. The brush fire was first reported just after noon on Tuesday in the 7000 block of Friars Road near the Fashion Valley Mall and nearby homes. More than 100 firefighters, including San Diego Fire-Rescue, the City of Poway, and the City of Chula Vista, along with 20 fire engines, were battling the flames Tuesday afternoon. Air support was also called in. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said at 1 p.m. fire crews were making quick work on the Friars Fire, and was asking the public to avoid Friars Road west of SR-163. Fire crews were able to stop the forward progression of the fire at around three acres by 1:30 p.m. and will stay on the scene for several hours to extinguish hot spots. Councilmember Raul Campillo posted on X that the fire may have caused some minor damage to apartments, but no structures were lost. The evacuation orders and warnings were lifted by 4 p.m. You can

Crews have stopped the forward march of a fire across the street from Fashion Valley mall, but evacuations remained in place early Tuesday afternoon. Neighborhoods north of Friars and west of state Route 163 were placed under an evacuation order or warning as the fire, reported around noon, started to spread, according to authorities. Police closed off roads in the area, including SR-163 off ramps to Friars and a stretch of Friars west of the freeway. San Diego Fire-Rescue officials said on X they were making good progress on the fire, and a spokesperson said it appeared to have reached about 2 or 3 acres. Helicopters dropped water as flames moved uphill toward a large apartment complex. Police and firefighters were asking people to leave. The flames were also headed west along Friars Road. The Genesys app used to notify people of evacuation areas indicated that the evacuation area was roughly from the freeway west to Via Las Cumbres, and from Friars Road as far north as Genesee Avenue. Snapdragon Stadium was being used as a temporary evacuation point. Evacuation warnings for a larger swath

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The 2025 Farmers Insurance Open kicks off Wednesday morning at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla with a purse of $9.3 million up for grabs over the four-day event. Of the 156 players in the field, four have ties to San Diego County. Charley Hoffman Charley Hoffman, 48, joined the PGA Tour in 2006 and has won over $35 million in prize money over his career, according to the organization’s website. He was born in San Diego and graduated from Poway High School before attending the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He has played in 517 events. Charley Hoffman of the United States hits his tee shot on the 12th hole during the second round of the Zozo Championship 2024 at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club on Oct. 25, 2024 in Inzai, Chiba, Japan. (Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images) Michael Kim Michael Kim, 31, was born in Seoul, South Korea but was raised in San Diego and attended Torrey Pines High School. He went on to graduate from the University of California, Berkeley. Kim turned pro in 2013 and

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is spending his first full day back in the White House meeting with congressional leaders, making an infrastructure announcement and demonstrating one of his favored expressions of power: firing people. The new president posted on his Truth social media network early Tuesday that he would fire more than 1,000 presidential appointees “who are not aligned with our vision,” including some high-profile names. Trump fired chef and humanitarian Jose Andres from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, retired Gen. Mark Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, former State Department official Brian Hook from the board of the Wilson Center and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms from the President’s Export Council. “YOU’RE FIRED!” Trump said in his post — his catchphrase from his reality TV show, “The Apprentice.” Former President Joe Biden also removed many Trump appointees in his first days in office, including former press secretary Sean Spicer from the board overseeing the U.S. Naval Academy. Trump planned to continue to build on his barrage of Inauguration Day announcements, with the White House promising a “massive

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — More than two dozen people are in U.S. Border Patrol custody after their boat ran out of fuel just off the coast of Oceanside Monday morning, the United States Coast Guard Sector San Diego reports. Oceanside lifeguards found a panga-style boat with 26 people aboard, who are believed to be migrants, that ran out of fuel about one mile offshore from Oceanside Harbor around 10:30 a.m. Monday. Coast Guard stops panga boat with 15 migrants off coast of Point Loma After making sure there were no immediate safety concerns, lifeguards notified the Coast Guard and stayed with the boat until the Coast Guard Cutter Terrell Horne crew arrived. The Coast Guard reports Terrell Horne’s crew deployed a boarding team and was able to safely take 26 people representing multiple nationalities — including Mexico, China and Vietnam — to shore. The individuals were later transferred into U.S. Border Patrol custody. No further information was immediately available.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Fire crews are battling a brush fire that broke out Tuesday afternoon off of Friars Road near Fashion Valley. The brush fire was first reported just after noon Tuesday in the 7000 block of Friars Road near the Fashion Valley Mall and nearby homes. Dozens of firefighters, including San Diego Fire-Rescue and the City of Poway, were on the scene battling the flames Tuesday afternoon and air support was called in. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said at 1 p.m. fire crews were making quick work on the Friars Fire, and was asking the public to avoid Friars Road west of SR-163. Fire crews were able to stop the forward progression of the fire at around 3 acres by 1:30 p.m. and will stay on the scene for several hours to extinguish hot spots. Councilmember Raul Campillo posted on X that the fire may have caused some minor damage to apartments, but no structures were lost. Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place for several neighborhoods immediately behind the fire. You can view a map of the latest evacuation orders

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Much of inland San Diego County was whipped yet again by a strong Santa Ana wind event Monday into Tuesday, contributing to risky fire conditions as the region remains bone-dry. Multiple brush fires were sparked as the winds began to taper off after hitting their peak in the hours around midnight Tuesday. This includes a now-80-acre blaze, called the “Lilac Fire,” that forced dozens of residents in the exurbs of North County to evacuate. As the event entered its apex, parts of San Diego County under a Red Flag Warning for critical fire danger due to the winds — and low relative humidity — saw gusts reach speeds upwards of 36 to 80 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. What is a Red Flag Warning and why is it important? Just one area saw gusts that exceeded these speeds: Sill Hill near Cuyamaca Peak, which recorded a triple-digit gust around 9:50 p.m. Monday. Coastal areas outside the scope of the Red Flag Warning also experienced notable winds during this latest Santa Ana event, with peak gusts hitting

By RUSS BYNUM, Associated Press BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — More than 200 potential jurors were summoned Tuesday to a Georgia courthouse to face questions about whether they can serve impartially in the trial of a former prosecutor accused of meddling with police as they investigated the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery. Jackie Johnson served as district attorney when Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was chased by three white men in pickup trucks and fatally shot on a residential street. Johnson’s misconduct trial will be held in the same courthouse where Arbery’s assailants were convicted of murder in 2021. FILE – In this 2012 file photo provided by Yolanda Richardson, of FuzzyRabbit Fotos, Ahmaud Arbery poses for a senior photo on St. Andrews Beach, Jekyll Island, Ga. (Yolanda Richardson/FuzzyRabbit Fotos via AP, File) The threat of winter weather is causing delays. Senior Judge John R. Turner said he plans to adjourn early Tuesday ahead of forecast snow showers. He also canceled court Wednesday, when local schools will be closed because of expected snow of ice. Officials summoned a large pool of potential jurors given the notoriety

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes have been released from prison after their lengthy sentences for seditious conspiracy convictions in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol were wiped away by a sweeping order from President Donald Trump benefitting more than 1,500 defendants. Related Articles National Politics | Beneath a veneer of calm, Trump’s inauguration holds warning signs for US democracy National Politics | Watch live: Elise Stefanik testifies at UN ambassador confirmation hearing National Politics | Trump wants to pull the US out of the World Health Organization again. Here’s what may happen next National Politics | Stefanik will face questions about wars and nukes at her confirmation hearing to be UN ambassador National Politics | Trump grants sweeping pardon of Jan. 6 defendants, including rioters who violently attacked police Rhodes and Tarrio were two of the highest-profile Jan. 6 defendants and received some of the harshest punishments in what became the largest investigation in Justice Department history. Rhodes, of Granbury, Texas, was serving an 18-year prison sentence and Tarrio, of Miami

(The Hill) – President Trump took office again Monday, completing a remarkable political comeback and becoming only the second person to serve nonconsecutive terms as commander in chief. Trump’s inauguration ceremony was moved indoors, to the Capitol rotunda, owing to cold temperatures in Washington. That meant he was sworn in before around 600 dignitaries rather than in front of the huge crowds that usually line the National Mall to watch outdoor inaugurations. Among those who came to the Capitol were all the living former presidents — former Presidents Biden, Obama, George W. Bush and Clinton.  Trump’s vanquished opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, also looked on. Here are five big takeaways from the day. Trump makes quick moves with executive orders Trump, ever the showman, signed a brace of executive orders before a big crowd in Washington’s Capitol One Arena on Monday evening. The text of the orders was not visible, but they were announced as rescinding 78 Biden-era executive orders, freezing the enactment of new regulations, ordering federal workers to return to in-person work and withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, among other things.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Cal Fire crews are responding to a brush fire that erupted just south of Pala Mesa overnight into Tuesday, prompting evacuations for nearby areas. The fire, called the “Lilac Fire,” was first reported just before 1 a.m. in the area of West Lilac Road and Old Highway 395. As of 7 a.m., the fire was at 80 acres with 10% containment and a moderate rate of spread. In an update around 7 a.m., the North County Fire Protection District said a total of 86 residents have been displaced by the evacuation orders and at least two structures have been damaged. The extent of damage to the structures is unknown at this time. However, Cal Fire says crews are making “good progress” towards extinguishing the blaze, with fire activity having decreased significantly throughout the early morning hours. Evacuations have been ordered for nearby areas. A map of the current evacuation alerts can be found below, with red indicating the areas where a mandatory order is in place. (Cal Fire) A temporary evacuation point operated by the Red Cross was first set

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned back an election law case out of Montana that relied on a controversial legal theory with the potential to change the way elections are run across the country. The high court declined to hear the case in a brief order without explaining its reasoning, as is typical. Montana was appealing a ruling that struck down two GOP-backed election laws. It’s relying on the independent state legislature theory, which holds that state judges shouldn’t be allowed to consider election cases at all. Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen argues that only lawmakers have sway over state elections under the U.S. Constitution. She asked the justices to consider the case after the state’s highest court struck down laws ending same-day voter registration and prohibiting paid ballot collection. The Montana Democratic Party, joined by tribal organizations and youth groups, argued the laws made it more difficult for Native Americans, new voters, the elderly and those with disabilities to vote. Courts found the laws violated the rights of voters as protected under the state constitution.

By FARNOUSH AMIRI and EDITH M. LEDERER, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Elise Stefanik is likely to face questions at her confirmation hearing on Tuesday to become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations about her lack of foreign policy experience, her strong support for Israel and her views on funding the U.N. and its many agencies. Harvard-educated and the fourth-ranking member of the U.S. House, she was elected to Congress in 2015 as a moderate Republican and is leaving a decade later as one of President Donald Trump’s most ardent allies. She embraced Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol as he denied he lost the election to Democrat Joe Biden. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “looks forward to working again with President Trump on his second term,” U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Monday. When Trump announced Stefanik’s appointment, his former national security adviser John Bolton told The Associated Press that he sees her as the new version of Trump’s U.N. ambassador in his first administration — Nikki Haley. Haley went on to challenge him, unsuccessfully, for the GOP