Suspected Loma Portal rapist deemed competent A judge found a suspected Loma Portal rapist mentally competent on Aug. 23, moving forward criminal proceedings and setting up a preliminary hearing for Sept. 6.
Michael Meretse Tesfa, 21, was examined in jail by a psychiatrist, who wrote a report for San Diego Superior Court Judge Howard Shore. The psychiatrist determined that Tesfa did understand the nature of the court proceedings against him. His attorney had previously asked that criminal proceedings be halted pending a psychiatric evaluation.
Tesfa is accused of rape, kidnapping, robbery and false imprisonment in a March 18 incident at 9 p.m. behind a closed restaurant on Pacific Highway near Rosecrans Street. The victim told police she met Tesfa earlier that night and he asked her to go to a hotel with him, but she declined. Tesfa allegedly followed her and raped her. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody on $750,000 bail.
— Neal Putnam Dad accused of killing son in crash gets hearing A father who crashed his car near Rosecrans Street on June 2 and allegedly fled the scene where his 4-year-old son was lying critically injured is free on $500,000 bail. The boy later died of his injuries.
Angelo Fabiani Arroyo, 40, appeared Aug. 28 in San Diego Superior Court and a preliminary hearing was rescheduled for Sept. 17. He has pleaded not guilty to a hit-and-run charge resulting in death, along with a charge of child abuse.
Arroyo originally posted $150,000 bond and was free for awhile, but after his son’s death on June 11, a judge raised Arroyo’s bail to $500,000 when charges were upgraded. Arroyo recently posted the $500,000 bond, according to court records.
Police investigators said Arroyo crashed his Nissan Titan off Interstate 5 near Old Town, sending the vehicle careening down an embankment near Rosecrans Street. Witnesses to the accident told police Arroyo worked to free his son from the car, but when he got the seat belt unfastened, the boy — identified as Valentino Fabiani — dropped 10 feet to the pavement below, causing critical head injuries. Arroyo was described as appearing devastated when he saw his son’s injury before he fled.
— Neal Putnam Midway, La Jolla 7-Eleven robber pleads guilty A second man charged in a series of 7-Eleven store robberies on Midway Drive, Torrey Pines and elsewhere has pleaded guilty to 15 counts of robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Luis Alonso Cruz, 25, faces a prison term range of 30 to 70 years, said Deputy District Attorney Martin Doyle. Cruz will be sentenced Nov. 22.
Meanwhile, Alex Sanchez, 24, will be sentenced Sept. 10. He pleaded guilty to robbing the same stores, plus 11 other heists, and faces a prison term ranging from 22-28 years, said Doyle.
Cruz has a separate robbery case in El Cajon Superior Court which is expected to be resolved, said Doyle. Cruz was convicted of burglary in 2010, according to court records.
The 7-Eleven stores were located at 2387 and 3185 Midway Drive, and 13835 Mango Drive when they were held up in August 2012. The other stores held up were located in North Park, Chula Vista, Carlsbad, Linda Vista, Mira Mesa and Mission Valley. Both men remain in custody.
?— Neal Putnam   Program to detail county’s ancient past The Ocean Beach Historical Society will feature a free program on Sept. 19 featuring noted anthropologist and historian Richard L. Carrico, who will present a lecture on the hidden past and mysteries of ancient San Diego County. Through the use of an exciting narrative and PowerPoint, Carrico will take the audience back thousands of years to explore a people and a land that few know about. Carrico will delve into possible meanings of prehistoric rock paintings (pictographs) and carvings (petroglyphs) that dot the landscape, and discuss Kumeyaay Indian knowledge of our vast universe. He will also explore Kumeyaay pharmacology as shown through native-plant use, detail the ancient roots of Indian gaming in the region and explain how at least one local Kumeyaay holy man got the best of the Christian devil. Want to know how Indians cured and treated some common ailments or how some of our mountains were formed, how the pine trees moved from the coast to the Cuyamacas or the Kumeyaay name of Ocean Beach, Mission Valley, and San Diego, or how Kumeyaay made pigments? If so, this lecture is for you.
The program takes place at 7 p.m. at the Point Loma United Methodist Church, 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. For more information, visit www.obhistory.wordpress.com. End-of-summer beach cleanup set for Sept. 7 San Diego Coastkeeper and Raglan Public House are planning an End-of-Summer Beach Cleanup in Ocean Beach to restore the local coastline after the crowds have had their summer fun.
Organizers said the cleanup, set for Sept. 7 at 9 a.m., will target the sands from OB’s main beach from the rocks just south of the pier to the jetty and back.
A post-cleanup party will be held at Raglan Public House afterward at 1851 Bacon St. For more information, call Mikey at (619) 794-2304. Summer 2014 lifeguard tryouts slated Candidates eager to become city lifeguards for the summer of 2014 will have three opportunities to test their mettle over the coming months.
Lifeguard candidates will gather at 9 a.m. at Ventura Cove on Mission Bay next to the Bahia Hotel to prove they can swim 500 meters in 10 minutes or less before moving on to a round of interviews. Tryouts are slated for Sept. 5-7, with a second round scheduled for Oct. 3-5. One final set of tryouts is slated for Jan. 2-4, 2014.
Lifeguard candidates must bring a valid identification card with a photo and must be a U.S. citizen or have the right to work in the U.S. at the time of application. Candidates must be 18 years old by June 6, 2014. A parent must accompany candidates who are between 17 and 18 at the time of application to sign a city waiver form.
Successful candidates will be paid to attend the Miramar Lifeguard Academy after passing a comprehensive medical examination and fingerprint check.
To apply, candidates must visit www.sandiego.gov/empopp/ and create an account, create an application and go to the “Open Job Opportunies” link for Lifeguard I — T10020. Applicants will receive notice of application approval and schedule a swim test date at least two weeks in advance of the testing period. The closing date to apply is Dec. 13 at 5 p.m.
For more information, call (619) 221-8844, or visit www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards. Club to host talk on urban gardens, chickens
With the increasingly common phenomenon of using chickens as a companion to garden plantings, the Point Loma Garden Club will host a special talk by garden writer and photographer Bonnie Jo Manion during the club’s Sept. 11 meeting.
Manion, who most recently authored a book titled “Gardening with Free-Range Chickens for Dummies,” will speak on the topic of “Gardening with Chickens.” Manion’s presentation will take place at 10 a.m. at the United Portuguese S.E.S. Hall, 2818 Avenida de Portugal. Guests are welcome.
For more information, visit www.plgc.org. Theater group to perform ‘America’s Finest City: Behind Closed Doors’
The Point Loma Actors Theatre workshop will host two performances of “America’s Finest City: Behind Closed Doors” on Sept. 7 and 8, featuring 16 members of the Point Loma Actors “Summer 2013 Acting Intensive Workshop.”
Content, designed for mature audiences, will be funny, sad and weird when it comes to what goes on behind closed doors in the city.
“Whether you live in Point Loma, Hillcrest or Anytown San Diego, some of the events you will see and people you will meet may hit home, maybe closer than you think,” said the production’s organizers.
The performances, which take place at the Point Loma Assembly, 3035 Talbot St., are directed by David Sein. Tickets are $10. Showtimes are 8 p.m. on Sept. 7 and 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 8.
For more information, call (619) 225-0044, visit www.pointlomaactors.com or email [email protected].