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Man Killed in National City during a Car Jacking

hakitay — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:51:42 +0000

NATIONAL CITY — Police are looking for armed carjackers who shot a man five times in the back, leaving him critically wounded, and then may have staged another violent robbery in Ocean Beach. The 26-year-old victim, identified by police as Sean Simpson, had just gotten home from a friend’s house and was in the parking lot of his gated apartment on J Avenue near East Third Street about 1:10 a.m. when he was approached by two men, National City police Sgt. Mike Harlan said. Residents reported hearing gunshots and Simpson yelling for help, and when police arrived they found him lying on the ground. Simpson, who had just celebrated his birthday Wednesday, was not able to provide police with a description of the men, the sergeant said. Detectives taped off the parking lot, where they found numerous shell casings and interviewed several neighbors looking for witnesses. The car was described as a four-door, 2004 gray Toyota Corolla with California plates 5HLJ716. It is registered to Simpson’s fiancee’s mother, Harlan said. Simpson was rushed to an emergency room, where he underwent surgery and was listed in critical condition. “He’s fighting for his life,” Harlan said. About two hours later, three men in a similar vehicle pulled up to the Ocean Beach International Hostel on Newport Avenue near Cable Street, San Diego police Lt. Andra Brown said. Two of them got out and approached three women in their 20s visiting from Dublin, Ireland, who were sitting on the front steps, Brown said. One of the men grabbed one of the women by the arm, put a handgun against her cheek and told her to hand over her purse, Brown said. She thought at first that the man was joking and that the gun was a toy, but when she didn’t comply he got very aggressive with her, Brown said. He pressed the gun harder into her face and said, “Give me the (expletive) bag or I’ll shoot you,” the lieutenant said.
The men took the purses of all three women and drove off. The tourists, who were visiting friends at the hostel and staying elsewhere, lost phones, wallets and their passports, Brown said. The car was last seen heading east on Newport. The thieves were described as black, 20 to 25 years old, about 5 feet 9 to 6 feet tall, wearing dark hooded sweatshirts and gray bandannas covering their faces. National City and San Diego police detectives are working together on the case and are asking for the public’s help. “These crimes are very vicious, brutal and senseless,” Sgt. Mike Harlan said.

Man Who Fell From Star of India Died of Head Injuries

hakitay — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:54:56 +0000

SAN DIEGO — The man who fell some 50 feet from aloft on the Star of India died from injuries he suffered in the fall, the Medical Examiner’s Office said Wednesday. It still has not been determined, however, if 68-year-old Gregory Gushaw of Coronado suffered a heart attack or other medical emergency prior to the Sunday morning accident, investigators said. A witness who saw Gushaw in the rigging just seconds before he fell said it appeared that may have been the case. An autopsy found that the Gushaw died from blunt force injuries of his head, neck and chest. He was rescued in minutes from the water by fellow volunteers who performed CPR on him after the 10:15 a.m. accident but he died at a hospital about 40 minutes later. An investigator with the Medical Examiner’s Office said that the complete report will most likely not be completed for two to three weeks. Gushaw was a beloved, long-time volunteer and docent for the Maritime Museum. He was undergoing a training exercise on the rigging and was moving from one point to the other when he fell, hit his head on the ship and landed in the water.

Pacific Law Center No Longer Taking New Cases

hakitay — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 23:46:05 +0000

Kerry Steigerwalt’s Pacific Law Center, the highly visible firm with its ubiquitous television ads, has stopped taking new clients and is “winding down” its business, the firm’s owner said Wednesday. Steigerwalt, a well-known San Diego defense attorney who bought a majority interest in the firm in 2008, said that he broke the news to his staff during a morning meeting at the University City-based firm and advised them to focus on current cases. He said the economic downturn and the company’s business model of “little or no money down” contributed to the firm’s money woes. “Our model is predicated on people making payments,” Steigerwalt said in a telephone interview. “Fewer and fewer people have money to hire us, and those that do are not paying. It just became a managerial nightmare.” Steigerwalt said the firm, which has offices in San Diego, Chula Vista and Escondido, isn’t going out of business. Despite some staff reductions, he said, the lawyers working there are well-equipped to represent existing clients to the fullest. “At this point in time, I want to take no further cases,” he said. “I want to begin winding down this business.” The 17 attorneys listed on the firm’s website represent hundreds of clients in criminal cases, bankruptcies, loan modifications and personal injury lawsuits. The firm has 107 employees after staff cuts in February, The lawyers, including Steigerwalt, are featured in the law center’s frequently running television commercials in which they promote aggressive representation for “little or no money down” and affordable payment plans. Testimonials from clients also are used in the ads. Steigerwalt said he called local television stations Wednesday and told them to stop running the ads. Steigerwalt bought 51 percent of Pacific Law Center in March 2008. Former managing partner, Robert Arentz, had a 49 percent stake. Steigerwalt later became sole owner. Before he bought a stake in Pacific Law Center, the firm had been dogged by complaints from clients and allegations of unethical activity by former lawyers. The problems continued to some degree after Steigerwalt came on board. Clients had filed lawsuits against the firm, as did a former attorney who claimed that the sale to Steigerwalt was a fraud. Steigerwalt said he believes he successfully turned the firm around and that its old reputation was not a factor in the decision to stop taking new clients. Kerry Armstrong, a defense lawyer who worked for Steigerwalt for 11 years but did not work at Pacific Law Center, said Wednesday’s announcement was inevitable. “I knew it was coming; I just didn’t know when,” Armstrong said. Armstrong said the firm was hamstrung by its business model and a poor reputation that changed little despite Steigerwalt’s efforts. “I think Kerry really wanted to change it when he went in,” Armstrong said. “He just didn’t put the right people in place to do it for him.”

Toddler Killed When Hit by a Car

hakitay — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:50:27 +0000

SAN DIEGO — A 3-year-old boy was struck by a car and killed Friday in Encanto, police said. The toddler was being watched by his 12-year-old brother when the crash occurred on Madrone Avenue near Woodman Street shortly before noon, San Diego police said. The older boy told his little brother to stay on the sidewalk while he crossed the street to get a dog, but the toddler apparently didn’t listen and went into the road, police said. The boy was struck by a green Toyota Corolla and killed. His name has not been released. The car’s 19-year-old driver reportedly left the scene momentarily but came back, said San Diego police Sgt. Ray Battrick. The crash remains under investigation.

4 Injured in San Marcos 4th of July Firework Fiasco

hakitay — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:30:51 +0000

SAN MARCOS — While the Sheriff’s Department investigates what caused a Fourth of July fireworks display in San Marcos to go awry, witnesses to the accident are questioning how close is too close when it comes to watching pyrotechnics. Investigators said the firework apparently malfunctioned, shooting sideways and ricocheting off a caretaker’s home in Bradley Park before blasting into a group of nearby spectators Sunday night. The 9:20 p.m. incident occurred before the grand finale could be fired off and abruptly put an end to the show. An estimated 4,000 people were in attendance, with another 7,000 to 8,000 viewing the fireworks in the general vicinity, city spokeswoman Jenny Peterson said Tuesday. San Elijo resident Joe Silva was lying in a nearby baseball field with his wife and children. The technicians doing the show seemed to be having trouble from the beginning, with awkward stops and starts, Silva said. Then he saw the flash about three feet off the ground. “People started screaming,” he said. “I saw a lady holding a kid saying, ‘Help us! Help us!’” When the firework hit the building, it split into two pieces, said witness Jared Wyrick, who was at the home’s fence line with his 13-year-old son, Kane. One piece of explosive then hit the ground and struck a man sitting in a red chair. He jumped up and was screaming in pain as flames licked at his back. People pounded on him to put out the fire. The second piece hit a man in a lounge chair. “It was a large fireball. It was very frightening,” said Wyrick, who lives in Carlsbad. One person was taken to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido with minor burns and was later released. Three others were treated at the scene. Investigators with the sheriff’s bomb/arson unit were finishing interviews Tuesday with witnesses and examining photographs taken during the accident, Sgt. Everard Dayrit said. The findings will be turned over to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, which regulates fireworks shows. Pyro Spectaculars by Souza, the Rialto-based company that put on the show, didn’t return phone calls Tuesday. The $20,000 show, funded through community donations, has been held for the past 25 years without incident, city officials said. Mayor Jim Desmond, who witnessed the explosion in the park, said it’s too early to tell how the incident will affect future shows. “It’s an unfortunate accident that’s still being investigated,” Desmond said. “We’ll have to see if any lessons can be learned and make sure we’re as safe as we possibly can be. There’s been no decision made to cancel them.” For the Silva family, Sunday’s incident was a wake-up call. “It could have hit us just as easily,” Joe Silva said. “We’re going to rethink it next year. For sure, we won’t be that close.”

Charity Cyclist en route to San Diego Killed

hakitay — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:37:04 +0000

RINGTOWN, Pa. — A 19-year-old Pennsylvania man riding his bicycle to San Diego to raise awareness and money for breast cancer research was struck and killed by an SUV in New Mexico. Officials say John Anczarski, of Ringtown, Pa., died Tuesday of injuries suffered a day earlier in New Laguna, N.M., about 50 miles west of Albuquerque. Anczarski, a University of Colorado engineering student, and three friends called their project “The Pink Pedal.” The group said it had raised several thousand dollars for cancer research. They left Pennsylvania on May 23 and expected to reach San Diego next month. Police say the investigation into the crash has been turned over to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, because the accident occurred on tribal land. No charges have been filed.

Biker Fractures Womans Skull and Flees

hakitay — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 22:13:06 +0000

SAN DIEGO — A 22-year-old pedestrian was injured in Torrey Pines Sunday night after she was run down by a bicyclist who did not stop. The woman was walking her dog east on Carmel Valley Road near Caminto Del Barco about 9:00 p.m. when she was struck from behind and knocked to the ground, San Diego police Detective Dan Wall said. The victim got up and went home but later went to a hospital where it was determined she suffered a double skull fracture, Wall said. Police were called to the hospital about 1 a.m., Wall said. The woman was unable to provide a description of the bicycle or its rider. Police originally said she was walking at 1:10 a.m.

Sailor Cyclist Killed By Vehicular Wreck on Camp Pendleton

hakitay — Thu, 27 May 2010 22:50:23 +0000

CAMP PENDLETON — A 27-year-old sailor was struck by a car and killed while riding a bicycle on Camp Pendleton Tuesday night, the Medical Examiner’s Office said. The man, whose name was not released, was riding on Vandegrift Boulevard about 11:30 p.m. when he was struck by a Honda Odyessy. He died at a hospital a few hours later. He was an active member of the U.S. Navy stationed at Camp Pendleton.

Man returns from duty in middle east, assaults cheating girlfriend

hakitay — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:39:17 +0000

CHULA VISTA — A 23-year-old man who had just returned from duty in the Middle East was placed into custody Monday on suspicion of stabbing a man he found with his girlfriend at their home and hitting her in the face, according to police. The man was taken into a county jail on suspicion of spousal abuse with injury,and assault with a deadly weapon, Lt. Fritz Reber said. Police are not clear whether he was a member of the military or a military contractor. The man who was stabbed was treated for wounds to his arm and chest that were not life threatening, Reber said. The incident happened about 12:00 p.m. on Prescott Drive near Olympic Driveway. Police said the man who was stabbed ran out of the house and used his cell phone to call for help. Police went to the home but found it empty. They were able to track her car and found the suspect and the woman on E. Flower Street near First Avenue, where he was arrested.

Motorcyclist hit in head on crash

hakitay — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:01:02 +0000

SAN DIEGO — A motorcyclist suffered serious traumas April 24 in Linda Vista which lead to two people being arrested after the head-on collision. The 43-year-old man was riding north on Comstock Street near Comly Street just after 6 p.m. when he was hit by an SUV heading south being driven by a 25-year-old woman, according to San Diego police. The SUV crossed into the northbound lane, ran over the motorcycle rider and proceeded to drag him underneath the vehicle, police said. The driver, who was on her cell phone prior to the crash, was arrested for reckless driving, driving with a suspended license and outstanding warrants, police said. A 30-year-old passenger who tried to run away after the collision was arrested for possession of a methamphetamine pipe, police said. The victim was taken to a hospital where he was being treated for serious leg injuries. Alcohol was not a factor in the collision but drugs possibly were, police said.