Category: El Cajon

Lemon Grove Woman Killed in 2-Car Crash, 2nd Driver Injured

EL CAJON, Calif.—An investigation was continuing Dec. 19 into the cause of a two-vehicle crash on the 8 Freeway in El Cajon that killed a 32-year-old woman from Lemon Grove. The collision on the eastbound highway at the Second Street off-ramp occurred about 4:30 a.m. Dec. 18, according to the California Highway Patrol. The woman…


Man Gets 30 Years to Life for Friend’s Stabbing Death in El Cajon

EL CAJON, Calif.—A man convicted of killing another man in El Cajon by stabbing and cutting him more than 100 times has been sentenced Dec. 13 to 30 years to life in state prison. Gustavo Rojas Salgado, 27, was convicted by an El Cajon jury of first-degree murder and a knife-use allegation in the death…


Man Gets 4 Years in Prison for Robbing Banks in San Diego

SAN DIEGO—A Campo man was sentenced on May 27 to four years in prison for robbing two San Diego-area banks last year, as well as violating his release conditions in an unrelated case. Eric Tyler Oxenham, 27, pleaded guilty earlier this year to robbing a California Bank and Trust in El Cajon and a U.S….


Home Torched, Killing One, During Eviction Attempt in El Cajon

EL CAJON, Calif.—An unidentified person died in an El Cajon house fire sparked on May 6 by someone who threw Molotov cocktail-type incendiary devices at deputies as they were trying to evict a resident. The events that led to the deadly blaze began shortly before noon, when court services personnel with the San Diego County…


Felon Arrested After Allegedly Assaulting Officer With Bat in El Cajon

EL CAJON, Calif.—A 26-year-old convicted felon was arrested on March 4 after allegedly hitting a police officer with a baseball bat outside an El Cajon Walmart. El Cajon Police Department units were called to the Walmart at 605 Fletcher Parkway, near Interstate 8, just before 3:40 p.m. by the store’s loss prevention team, which reported…


Man Admits to Dragging, Seriously Injuring Police Officer With SUV

EL CAJON, Calif.—A man pleaded guilty on Feb. 17 to felony charges for driving an SUV while an El Cajon police officer clung to the window, dragging the lawman about 200 yards and causing him serious injuries. David Pangilinan, 42, faces nearly 10 years in prison when is sentenced for dragging Officer Nick Cirello on…


Blaze Guts Commercial Building in San Diego

EL CAJON, Calif.—A predawn fire gutted a commercial building in a strip mall near Interstate 8 and State Route 67 on Jan. 5, causing an estimated $2 million worth of damage, authorities said. The non-injury blaze in the 400 block of Broadway in El Cajon broke out for unknown reasons at about 3 a.m., Heartland Fire & Rescue…


San Diego County Investigating Possible Tuberculosis Exposure at Sycuan Casino

EL CAJON, Calif.—San Diego County is investigating a possible tuberculosis exposure at Sycuan Casino where a person recently diagnosed with tuberculosis may have exposed patrons and employees, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency announced on Jan. 4. According to the health agency, the dates of exposure were from April 1 to Dec. 9, 2021….


4 Killed in El Cajon Plane Crash Reportedly Were 2 Pilots, 2 Nurses

EL CAJON, Calif.—The investigation is continuing into the crash of a small airplane that took off from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana and slammed into a neighborhood near El Cajon, killing all four people aboard. Multiple media reports indicated that the plane was operating as an air ambulance and that the victims were two pilots and two…


Man Gets Probation For Arson Fire in La Mesa Chase Bank

EL CAJON, Calif.—One of two men charged with setting fire to a Chase bank in La Mesa—following last year’s contentious protest outside the city’s police headquarters—received a term of probation on Nov. 30. Ricky Bernard Cooper, 34, pleaded guilty last month to arson and burglary charges for the May 30, 2020, fire inside the Chase bank branch at 4791…