The cold-case unit was contacted by a potential family member who believed she knew the victim's identity.
Ruben Castro was booked into San Diego County Jail on suspicion of assault, false imprisonment and failing to register as a sex offender.
Take a look at some of this week's police, fire and courtroom stories from across San Diego County.
August Marriott, 28, was seen in cell phone video that was posted to various social-media platforms becoming irate with salon workers.
Following the crashes, one passenger of the Nissan fled on foot, leaving behind a seriously injured passenger, according to the CHP.
An automated license-plate reader and other databases identified the involved vehicle, police said.
The accident resulted in a Sigalert that closed the freeway for several hours.
Residents can anonymously drop off expired or unwanted prescription drugs at locations across San Diego County.
Police said the boy suffered major head trauma and was taken to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
The attack happened on the northbound shoulder of state Route 67 in the Lakeside area, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Robert Panza, 37, was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence and hit-and-run offenses, according to the sheriff's office.
A car crossed over a concrete center divider into oncoming traffic and crashed into another vehicle, according to the CHP.
Mount Miguel High School​ was placed on lockdown after deputies received a report of a possible discharge of a gun heard near the campus.
"We are very excited to open Santee's third fire station in the southwestern area of our city," Fire Chief Harley Wallace said.
A toxicology report through the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office was pending, the CHP stated.
The checkpoint was held in the 9200 block of Carlton Hills Boulevard, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office.
The 43-year-old man was identified as the victim of the single-car collision last week.
A 9-year-old boy was hospitalized after gunfire penetrated the wall of the apartment he was in, according to authorities.
"The sheriff's office and local school districts take every threat seriously, and nothing can be dismissed or ignored."
The student said they feared the driver was planning on kidnapping them, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's ​Office.
The gas leak was reported between Jamacha Boulevard and Sweetwater Springs Boulevard in Spring Valley, officials said.
The man died after being assaulted in an apartment in the unincorporated area of El Cajon.
Deputies found a man with traumatic injuries inside an apartment in unincorporated El Cajon​, officials said. He died at the scene.
Two people were killed over the weekend, one pedestrian struck by a car and a second in a multi-vehicle pileup.
The 34-year-old driver appeared to be intoxicated and was taken into custody without incident, according to the sheriff's office.
The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and was cooperating with the investigation.
One person suffered smoke inhalation and another burns in the fire, which destroyed six homes.
The blaze broke out Monday afternoon in San Diego's East County.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders and warnings for nearby residents.
Stephen Matthews, 29, of La Mesa was found and arrested at the scene on suspicion of homicide, according to the El Cajon Police Department.
Brandy Thomas​, 52, of Santee was arrested after she was suspected of defacing the post office​ with black spray paint, officials said.