The deaths of an elderly couple who were fatally shot over the Memorial Day weekend at a home near Padre Dam Park have been ruled a murder-suicide, authorities reported Tuesday.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said that deputies responding to a call in the 300 block of Lantern Crest Way in the Santee area at around 11:30 a.m. Sunday found the bodies of David Soulner, 82, and his wife Claire, 79.

Investigators concluded that David Soulner shot his spouse before turning the gun on himself, sheriff’s Lt. Michael Krugh said.

“The circumstances and motivation for this crime are still under investigation,” Krugh said Tuesday.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (858) 285-6330 or San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

City News Service contributed to this report.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors has approved a rental program to help low-income adults ages 55 and older to pay rent.

The Shallow Rental Subsidy Program will provide $500 a month in rental assistance to 220 senior households chosen by lottery, in hopes improving housing stability.

The 18-month pilot program launched last spring with more than 2,000 applicants, according to officials.

“The county is committed to improving the lives of San Diegans who are struggling with housing affordability and the threat of homelessness. One in four people who are experiencing homelessness in San Diego County is over 55 years old, and this population demographic is growing,” county officials said in a statement.

– City News Service

Frequently when I discuss the San Diego region’s older adult homelessness problem, I provide plenty of facts and numbers to give people the big picture of what we are facing. The statistics are stunning. Thirty percent of San Diego’s population experiencing homelessness is over age 55.

The Serving Seniors Needs Assessment published two years ago offered a wake-up call along with a more precise look at the causes — and solutions — for older adult homelessness. Many of those solutions including shallow rental subsidy programs are being put into place.

Metrics are vital to identifying a problem’s scope. But numbers sometimes lack humanity. Numbers let us pretend homelessness is something that happens to people we don’t know. People who aren’t anything like us.

Let me introduce you to John Conroy.

Conroy was looking forward to retirement after working for 34 years at Sharp Grossmont Hospital. He worked in environmental services.

“I was very active in playing the piano there for administration’s extracurricular activities. I was a labor leader. For the employees in the union, I was on committees. So, I was very active in the job,” recalled Conroy. “I enjoyed it very much. And then I decided to retire early.”

But a sudden loss of housing turned his world upside down.

John and his roommates were evicted one evening after a knock at the door from San Diego Police. His landlord had passed away. The home was sold, but a probate dispute meant his lease was no longer valid. John, his three dogs, and his belonging had nowhere to go. He stuffed what he could into a car and left.

“I became homeless Feb. 16, 2022,” he said. “The support I needed the most was emotional and mental. It was a shock. I had no idea where I was going. My world was being turned upside down.”

He eventually made his way to a local shelter. It was a shocking experience. He felt anxiety about leaving with his belongings every day, and not making it back before curfew. His things were stolen, and he was physically threatened. He left the shelter and described it as a walk of faith, putting his future in God’s hands.

Conroy’s journey finally brought him to Serving Seniors, where caseworker Jazmin Garcia helped him find transitional housing. Conroy credits his faith for keeping him going. He managed to maintain a hopeful and positive attitude no matter how bleak things were.

“Serving Seniors is a healing place: physically, emotionally, mentally, to get people on the right track,” he said. “It gives people the hope they need, because Serving Seniors has charity, love, and compassion and understanding.”

Now safely housed, Conroy volunteers at Serving Seniors to give hope to others who are struggling with homelessness. A talented musician, he enjoys coming into the Serving Seniors Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center to play the piano in the dining room and socialize with others. He once again volunteers his musical talents at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in his free time, reducing stress for patients and staff alike.

People who attended the recent Serving Seniors Sunshine Gala at the Marriott Marquis Resort and Hotel last month were treated to a special performance by Conroy. His medley of classical music and George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” received a standing ovation.

Conroy is among the fortunate individuals who got help quickly. He calls himself a survivor, “like that song by Gloria Gaynor. People need to have hope and a positive message. And that’s what keeps us going.”

He never expected to be homeless, until he was. Now Conroy has the stability and safety he craved. He is a strong advocate today on behalf of older adults experiencing homelessness, hoping to prevent the trauma he experienced affecting others.

“Homelessness will affect all of you regardless of your status, regardless of your sex, your gender, your race, your environment, your job. It doesn’t matter. It can hit home to all of us.” he said. “Never think it can’t. Life is uncertain.”

Paul Downey is CEO of Serving Seniors, a San Diego-based nonprofit that helps seniors in poverty live healthy and fulfilling lives.

The growth of the gig economy has transformed the modern workforce. Uber and Lyft were just the beginning. Now, with app technology’s aid, businesses are increasingly relying on temporary workers, freelancers, and independent contractors. 

While this model brings flexibility, it also raises an alarming trend of worker misclassification. This misclassification can have profound implications for individuals, businesses, and the broader community. This is especially true in our healthcare industry, which venture capitalists have seized as a significant opportunity to address critical worker shortages by developing new healthcare staffing apps. 

This new gig economy enables healthcare workers to upload their certifications, educational information, and areas of expertise. This can then be matched with specific staffing needs of healthcare facilities. Operating like a corporate version of Tinder for employment, healthcare workers browse the available shifts and swipe for a match. This process is quick and easy. 

But for businesses and workers, it can get complicated quickly; there may be significant tax or legal implications if workers are not accurately classified. 

Healthcare is an intricate field that demands workers to operate under stringent protocols. These professionals juggle patient schedules, safeguard sensitive information and ensure adherence to facility rules. It’s a delicate balance that clashes with the “be-your-own-boss” narrative that is so attractive to independent contractors.

At the tip of the spear, businesses like Uber and Lyft are frequently cited as examples of the gig economy’s challenges. Many have faced legal confrontations over accusations of worker misclassification. The recent Proposition 22 ruling in California underscores this complexity, revealing that not all gig businesses can assume to be immune from legal challenges. This holds particularly true for the healthcare sector.

Amid the changing demographic landscape, the demand for healthcare is skyrocketing. By 2030, in California alone, the 65+ age group is expected to grow from 6 million to 8.4 million. This trend will likely coincide with a supply of workers that cannot keep up, resulting in an even worse labor shortage. 

In this evolving scenario, healthcare staffing apps have the potential to play a critical role. While some app staffing companies employ these workers as W-2 employees, others classify them as independent contractors. Unsurprisingly, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Justice Department are taking notice. 

In response to these concerns, the Department of Labor has embarked on a “nationwide effort by its Wage and Hour Division to focus on improving compliance by residential care, nursing facilities and home health services.” 

The department reported that since its 2021 launch of this program, it has completed over 1,600 investigations and identified violations in an astonishing 80 percent of its reviews. More than $28.6 million in back wages and damages for nearly 25,000 workers has been recovered. As a result, about $1.3 million in civil monetary penalties for employers have been issued. The most common violation? Misclassification of employees as independent contractors.

In California, Attorney General Rob Bonta recently “filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior against Care Specialist HCS, accusing the company and its operators of misclassifying in-home care workers as independent contractors instead of employees in direct violation of California’s labor laws and Unfair Competition Law.” 

Last year, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office fined home healthcare placement agencies $1.8 million for misclassifying 66 workers. It also sued healthcare app-based staffing company CareRev for misclassifying workers who signed up on the app as independent contractors. 

While technology offers undeniable efficiencies, it comes with significant responsibilities and costs. In leveraging the advantages of the gig economy, the healthcare sector must remain mindful of the broader implications of worker misclassification. As a human resources specialist, I can attest to the importance of balancing technological advancements and legal considerations in our labor system.

Amy Dellinger serves as a human resources specialist in California.

Repeated news headlines about the seemingly unrelenting growth in the number of San Diego County residents experiencing homelessness seem discouraging. Even without the monthly count data rising, residents and business owners see the human distress on our sidewalks and in our parks. 

As quickly as a small piece of the puzzle adds to our available housing, people who successfully find housing are replaced by an even larger number of new people without housing.

After nearly three decades working to address the needs of adults 55 and older in San Diego County experiencing homelessness, our team at Serving Seniors could easily join the ranks of fellow citizens who are frustrated. Instead, we see reason for optimism thanks to a shift in thinking about our public policy, and new initiatives now underway reconsidering the best methods for dealing with this societal issue.

In her 2023 State of the County address earlier this month, new Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas highlighted new programs aimed at preventing economic-based homelessness. “We have a homeless epidemic in San Diego, and we must work together to address it,” she noted. “The hard truth is, there are nearly 100,000 families living on less than $35,000 a year, add they are a paycheck away from being homeless.”

Starting this year, the county is accepting applications for a new shallow rental subsidy pilot program. The program is based on findings from the 2021 Serving Seniors Needs Assessment. More than half of older adults surveyed by Serving Seniors reported that an additional $300 or less per month would make the difference between being housed and homeless.

Program participants will receive $500 monthly to help prevent economic-based homelessness. To apply for this rental subsidy, individuals who meet the criteria should email their full name and contact information to HSEC-OHS.HHSA@sdcounty.ca.gov or call 619-980-4168. Application assistance and translation services are available.

Participant requirements include a household income at or below 50% of the area median income and using more than half their income for housing; a lease or rental agreement and landlord willing to participate in the program; and not be receiving any other rental subsidies.  

The shallow rental subsidy approach prevents homelessness, saves money, and is far more humane. Estimates provided by county staff for emergency shelter operating costs including services range between $2,500 to $6,000 per month depending on services offered. 

In addition to this shift toward prevention, leaders and funders agree on the need for age-friendly shelters and dedicated shelters for seniors to accommodate aging and mobility issues. The city of San Diego leased a 34-room hotel on Pacific Highway and successfully converted it into a non-congregate shelter to help aid people over 50 years old experiencing homelessness.

Serving Seniors recently opened and is now operating the new Senior Landing Bridge Shelter on Pacific Highway in collaboration with the city, which purchased the hotel property late last year. It provides 33 rooms of stable, safe lodging for older adults experiencing homelessness who are awaiting permanent housing placement. These units join 30 transitional units Serving Seniors leases at the Sara Frances, a single room occupancy residence.

This is an excellent start toward cost-effective housing solutions along with stabilization programs like the county’s shallow rental subsidy proposal. We’re grateful to Vargas for shining a spotlight on this issue, and to Supervisors Joel Anderson and Terra Lawson-Remer who developed the shallow rental subsidy pilot program.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera, Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, and city staff also deserve our praise for taking the Needs Assessment recommendations and acting on them with initiatives like the Senior Landing Bridge Shelter.

Vargas and her colleagues are looking at the potential for updating our region’s senior centers, offering additional prevention measures and services like the Serving Seniors Gary and Mary West Wellness Center. The creation of a countywide network of similar centers is extremely encouraging.

Yes, affordable housing is the end goal, but in San Diego development has always been a difficult proposition. People need help now. Shallow rental subsidy programs and other resources targeting older adult homelessness can help people quickly.

From a taxpayer perspective, subsidies are far more cost-effective than street clean-ups. From a humanitarian standpoint, Serving Seniors sees these efforts as a must. We have a golden opportunity to address easily preventable problems through targeted leveraging of existing resources.

We’re encouraged by these developments in 2023. Long-term solutions begin with recognition of the problem, a thorough assessment of causes, and the formation of solutions targeted toward those specific causes. 

Paul Downey is CEO of Serving Seniors, a San Diego-based nonprofit that helps seniors in poverty live healthy and fulfilling lives.

In September, a 74-year-old prisoner named Woodrow died after more than 40 years of punishment.

To the guards and prison staff, Woodrow’s death was routine. It meant nothing more than another available bed and the nuisance of having to inventory his meager possessions.

To the wheelchair- and walker-bound prisoners in Woodrow’s prison unit, his loss served as an uncomfortable reminder of their own looming, ignoble deaths in prison.

California’s prisons are packed with advanced-age prisoners. People 55 and older make up about 16% of California’s incarcerated population. During the 2000s, California added more than 11,000 people 55 and older to its prisons.  

Maybe they were once menaces to society. But time and brutal prison conditions have taken such a toll on their minds and bodies that they are no longer a threat — other than those who cheat when they play checkers. Many of these old men are dying or will die in prison, despite extremely low recidivism rates for their age group.

On average, it costs California a little more than $106,000 per year to keep someone in prison, according to the state Legislative Analyst’s Office. While the agency doesn’t track expenses by age group, the nonpartisan office reported that in other states it can cost two to three times more to incarcerate an older person. 

There are currently few options to gain release from prison, even once you approach death. California has an elderly parole program that allows for people to meet with the California Board of Parole if they are 50 or older and have been incarcerated for at least 20 years. 

But that program excludes many other people who should be considered, including those who are sentenced to death or life without parole. It also excludes anyone who is sentenced under California’s three-strikes law for their second or third serious felony conviction.

Data from the parole program also raises questions about how effective it has been at freeing elderly people. Between 2014 and 2020, the threshold for elderly parole in California was 60 years old and 25 consecutive years in prison. During that six-year window, the program had just a 19% release rate, according to Reciviz, which compiles data for criminal justice agencies. 

Parole programs across the U.S. generally have low release rates, regardless of age. California is no different, receiving an F-minus grade from the Prison Policy Initiative. The difference here is that with low elderly parole rates, the California Board of Parole has chosen to practice a form of “senicide,” the willful or neglectful killing of seniors. 

Everyone should care about this issue. There’s no reason to needlessly punish people to death, especially when that wasn’t their sentence to begin with — or the crime they committed. 

This practice of letting changed, elderly people die in prison has quietly tarnished the soul of California, and it will continue to do so until something changes.

Robert Outman is a writer incarcerated in the California Substance Abuse Treatment and State Prison in Kings County. This article was originally published by CalMatters in partnership with the Prison Journalism Project, a national, independent news organization that trains incarcerated writers to be journalists and publishes their writing.

Two men who pleaded guilty to taking part in a nationwide racketeering scheme targeting the elderly, which took more than $300,000 from at least 10 San Diego County residents, were sentenced Wednesday to federal prison terms.

Timothy Ingram, 30, of North Hollywood, and 46-year-old Florida resident Joaquin Lopez were sentenced Wednesday for their roles in a scam that took over $2 million from more than 70 senior citizens across the nation.

In sentences handed down in San Diego federal court, Ingram received nine years in prison, while Lopez received a two-year term.

Of the eight people charged in the scheme, six have pleaded guilty, while two remain at large.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the defendants phoned seniors and falsely claimed their grandchildren were in legal trouble and needed money to resolve fabricated issues such as paying for bail, medical expenses or to prevent additional criminal charges from being filed against them.

Prosecutors say the defendants conducted cash pickups from victims and also recruited and supervised “mules” to make similar collections. The money was then laundered either by transferring the funds or converting the money into cryptocurrency, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors allege Ingram coordinated the money collections and provided mules with victim addresses, names and other information. Most of his activities took place in California, though the U.S. Attorney’s Office says he also sent mules out of state. One cash pickup he conducted himself took $42,000 from a 76-year-old victim in Los Angeles County, prosecutors said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Lopez provided the other defendants with bank accounts where wire transfers from victims could be received and distributed.

“These defendants were crucial members of a sophisticated criminal organization that shamelessly exploited the grandparents’ love for their grandchildren,” U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said. “The long-lasting effects of this crime on our seniors and the community cannot be overstated. The victims were financially and emotionally devastated by callous people who thought only of enriching themselves.”

City News Service contributed to this article.

A man and woman charged in a nationwide racketeering scheme targeting the elderly that took more than $300,000 from at least 10 San Diego County residents pleaded guilty to federal charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

Joaquin Lopez, 46, of Hollywood, Florida, and Anajah Gifford, 33, of North Hollywood, California, entered guilty pleas this month, admitting to their roles in a scheme that took more than $2 million from more than 70 senior citizens across the nation.

Four others remain charged in the case, including two who remain at large.

Co-defendants Jack Owuor, 25, of Paramount, and Timothy Ingram, 29, of North Hollywood, pleaded guilty in March and are awaiting sentencing.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the defendants phoned senior citizens and falsely claimed their grandchildren were in legal trouble and needed money to resolve fabricated issues such as paying for bail, medical expenses or to prevent additional criminal charges from being filed against them.

Prosecutors say Ingram admitted to recruiting people to pick up money from the victims, while Owuor conducted cash pick-ups himself at Ingram’s direction and also recruited others to collect payments. Officials say the defendants then laundered the money they received either by transferring the funds or converting the money into cryptocurrency.

In Lopez’s plea agreement, he admitted using bank accounts to funnel the victims’ money to one of his co-defendants.

Gifford admitted in her plea agreement to collecting cash from victims on Ingram’s behalf and recruiting others to get bank accounts in order to receive money transfers from the victims.

U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said, “These defendants were part of a sophisticated criminal organization that exploited the tremendous love a grandparent has for a grandchild. The victims were financially and emotionally devastated by callous people who thought only of enriching themselves.”

Two men charged in a nationwide racketeering scheme targeting the elderly, which took more than $300,000 from 10 San Diego County residents, have pleaded guilty to federal charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.

Over the past week, Jack Owuor of Paramount, 25, and Timothy Ingram of North Hollywood, 29, admitted to their roles in a scheme that took more than $2 million from over 70 senior citizens across the nation. Six others remain charged in the case, including two who are at large.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the defendants phoned senior citizens and falsely claimed their grandchildren were in legal trouble and needed money to resolve fabricated issues such as paying for bail, medical expenses or to prevent additional criminal charges from being filed against them.

Prosecutors say Ingram admitted to recruiting people to pick up money from the victims, while Owuor conducted cash pick-ups himself at Ingram’s direction and also recruited others to collect payments. Officials say the defendants then laundered the money they received either by transferring the funds or converting the money into cryptocurrency.

U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said those involved in the scheme “exploited the sacred bond between grandparent and grandchild and left many victims financially and emotionally traumatized.”

City News Service contributed to this article.

A predawn house fire in Ramona left a retirement-age resident dead Monday, authorities reported.

The woman made a 911 call about 2:30 a.m. to report the blaze but was unable to provide her address, according to sheriff’s officials.

Deputies drove around the neighborhood and found the burning home in the 500 block of Telford Lane, about a mile south of state Route 78.

Entering the residence, the patrol personnel “attempted to instruct the elderly female to crawl out of the house,” but she apparently was unable to move, Lt. Daniel Vengler said. They retreated from the house, then re- entered, trying in vain to reach the woman.

“Deputies entered the house a third time, crawling along the ground (and) trying to get to the … occupant,” Vengler said. “Again, smoke and flames overwhelmed the deputies, who were forced to leave the house.”

Firefighters found the woman’s body in the charred home, and the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office was called in to confirm her identity.

Three deputies were treated at a hospital for smoke inhalation.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation as of Monday afternoon, though it did not appear to be suspicious.

“While the investigation is still ongoing and things may later change, the sheriff’s Bomb/Arson Unit detectives say they do not believe this is a criminal act,” Sgt. Greg Hampton said.

Updated at 2 p.m. Nov.15, 2021

–City News Service