Little Italy businessman found hanged in cell A Tierrasanta man and Little Italy business owner suspected in a yearlong series of countywide sex attacks and robberies was found hanged in his county jail cell early Friday, July 3. He died shortly thereafter. San Diego police had matched Thomas James Parker’s DNA, alongside other evidence, with that left at the scene of the seven alleged assaults. In each case, Parker had allegedly demanded cash and had restrained his victims. The attacks occurred in the College Area, Tierrasanta and Mission and Carmel valleys and at a UCSD housing center. “A deputy found him in the cell and took appropriate action. We contacted medical, and then he was pronounced dead at the scene,” said San Diego Sheriff’s Lt. Julie Sutton. “It was him. He was alone. That’s my understanding, that he was not on suicide watch.” Parker, 39, lived in Tierrasanta with his wife and children. He was an owner of the It’s a Grind coffee shop in Little Italy. Beginning in June of 2008, Parker allegedly began targeting Asian women. On July 1 of this year, a would-be Mission Valley victim fought back, attracting neighbors’ attention with her cries for help. She and the bystanders gave chase as 911 was called. Two off-duty Border Patrol agents detained Parker for police. Police booked Parker into the county jail on suspicion of burglary, robbery, assault with intent to commit rape and false imprisonment. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office has called Parker’s death a suicide. Art Academy takes up residence in North Park The Art Academy of San Diego, for 11 years a staple educational institution in East Village, has moved to North Park following stagnant enrollment that the school’s founder blames on the construction of Petco Park. The school’s new 2,500-square-foot digs, at 3784 30th St., translate to a 75 percent cut in overhead. Founder Stuart Burton hailed this, citing North Park as a more user-friendly area. Since January alone, the school has accepted about 130 students; enrollment never exceeded 250 in the decade the school was located at 840 G St., about three blocks north of the ballpark. Several smaller East Village galleries were impacted by the ballpark’s construction, which began in 2000; many closed, and the academy’s efforts to attract patronage through several after-hours events at area businesses failed. It cost about $120,000 to run the school annually. The private school offers more than 60 classes and workshops for all visual-arts experience ­levels.