Brush Fires; Fatal Train Crashes: La Mesa & Nearby Police Log

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA – The following is a collection of weekly police, court and fire stories from across San Diego County this week.

Pasqual Fire Burns 240 Acres, Prompts Evacuations, Closes SR-78

• Authorities have issued an evacuation order for a number of streets in the area.

Man Allegedly Stabs Grandfather In El Cajon

• Lester Riley, 39, of El Cajon, will be booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, officials said.

Deputy Accused Of Groping Women Says Charges 'Simply Untrue'

• Nineteen women have filed lawsuits against Richard Fischer, 32, in civil court, alleging that he assaulted them while on patrol.

Driver Hits, Kills Woman On SR-94 In East County

• Authorities are searching for the driver of the SUV that struck and killed a woman Friday on state Route 94.

Fire Damages House, Cars In El Cajon

• Firefighters extinguished a blaze that engulfed a residence, several surrounding vehicles, sheds and parking structures in El Cajon.

Authorities ID Man Who Died After Hike In Poway

• Victor Parra of Chula Vista was hiking the Blue Sky Canyon Trail with friends when he collapsed around noon Saturday, officials said.

Brush Fire Burns 10 Acres, Prompts Evacuations In Rancho Bernardo

• About 200 people were evacuated from dwellings near the fire including a nearby senior living facility, officials said.

Pool Maintenance Worker Found Dead In Pool At Santee Home

• A 40-year-old pool maintenance worker was found dead Thursday in a pool at a home in Santee.

Train Hits, Kills Pedestrian In San Diego's Little Italy

• Medics took the unidentified woman to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Man Suffers Life-Threatening Injuries In Crash Near Escondido

• Alcohol or drugs were not believed to be factors in the wrong-way crash, authorities said.

Couple Escapes Oceanside House Fire With Minor Injuries

• The fire caused an estimated $150,000 in damage to the structure and $50,000 to contents, officials said.

Gang Members Sentenced To Life For Killing Teen In Oceanside

• Daniel Manuel Ramos, 22, and Elias Isai Ramos, 21, were convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 15-year-old Annebell Flores.

Man Killed In East County House Fire Identified

• Mike Loveless, 72, died of "fourth-degree thermal burns," the Medical Examiner's Office said in a statement.

Bicyclist Suffers Major Injuries In Crash On San Diego Highway

• Dispatchers received reports of a pedestrian lying in traffic lanes on southbound state Route 163 near state Route 52, the CHP said.

Hikers Rescued Near Ramona Hours After Trail Closure Announcement

• U.S. Forest Service officials announced the closures of the nearby Cedar Creek Falls and Three Sisters Falls trails Monday morning.

Man Shoots BB Gun At Navy Officers In San Diego: Police

• Scott Weaver, 47, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a replica firearm and other charges, police said.

Off-Duty Agent Admits Having Illegal Assault Weapon In Truck

• Oceanside police officers found off-duty Border Patrol agent Brandon James Herrera, 37, asleep in his truck with an illegal rifle.

San Diego City Council Approves Colin Stowell As Fire Chief

• Stowell, a San Diego native, began his career with the SDFD in 1988.

Brush Fire Burning Off I-15 In Rancho Bernardo

• Traffic is backed up in the area.

Brush Fire Sparks Off I-8, Backs Up Traffic In East County

• The CHP issued a congestion alert for the freeway in the area.

Brush Fire Sparks Near SR-94 In San Diego

• The blaze broke out near Home Avenue in the Fairmount Park area, according to the CHP.

Brush Fire Sparks East Of Mount Palomar

• One lane of SR-79 was closed as crews doused the blaze.

Pool Chemical Spill Closes Freeway Lanes On SR-125 In East County

• Part of northbound SR-125, north of Grossmont College, was shut down so a hazmat team could clean the spill, according to the CHP.

Driver, 78, Killed In Wrong-Way Freeway Wreck In North County

• The man was killed in a crash with two big rigs while driving the wrong way on Interstate 15, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Pedestrian Fatally Struck By Train In Carlsbad

• The deadly collision happened near the Poinsettia Station in Carlsbad.

Image via Patch