A 40-year-old man from Homeland remained under arrest Tuesday on suspicion of murder, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department announced.

Deputies responded to the 31000 block of Neer Street in Homeland around 5:30 p.m. Sunday to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon.

Upon arrival, deputies found a man suffering from a gunshot wound in a vehicle. The man was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. He was later identified as Ryan White, 43, of San Diego County.

Deputies contacted and detained a possible suspect at the scene. The man also required medical attention and was rushed to a nearby hospital. He was later identified as Benjamin Velez of Homeland.

Velez was arrested on Monday and booked in to the Riverside County Jail where he was being held on a $1 million bail.

Anyone with additional information was encouraged to contact investigator K. Farag at 951-955-2777.

Firefighters were battling a brush fire that broke out in Lake Morena Monday.

Units were dispatched around 1:30 p.m. on Monday to reports of a fire in a rural camping and fishing area off the Cameron Truck Trail close to the Mexican border, according to Cal Fire officials.

“The blaze was stopped at 5.28 acres. Five abandoned buildings that were used for barns and stables were destroyed,” Cal Fire PIO Captain Brent Pascua told City News Service.

No evacuations or injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire was not immediately known.

San Diego County health officials have released an updated water contact closure and advisory list for county beaches in effect Monday.

Water contact closures have been issued for the following locations due to bacteria levels exceeding health standards:

• Coronado, Avenida Lunar
• Coronado, Coronado Lifeguard Tower
• Silver Strand Shoreline, ocean shoreline from Carnation to Avenida Lunar
• Imperial Beach Shorelines, ocean shoreline from south end of Seacoast Drive to Carnation Avenue
• Tijuana Slough Shoreline, ocean shoreline from U.S./Mexico border, including Border Field State Park and the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge

Additionally, water contact advisories have been issued for the following locations due to bacteria levels exceeding health standards:

• La Jolla, Children’s Pool
• La Jolla, Cove Beachline
• Coronado, North Beach
• San Diego Bay, Tidelands Park Shoreline
• Oceanside, San Luis Rey River outlet to 300′ south
• Mission Bay, Campland Beachline
• Mission Bay, Fanuel Park — 150′ east and west
• Mission Bay, Fiesta Island — Northwest Shoreline
• Mission Bay, North Bonita Cove — 150′ on either side of the restroom complex
• Mission Bay, South Crown Point — 150′ north and south of drain near restrooms

More information on water contamination in San Diego County can be found at www.sdbeachinfo.com.

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County dropped for the 26th time in the last 27 days Sunday, decreasing two-tenths of a cent to $5.107.

The average price has decreased 24.7 cents over the past 27 days, including 1.5 cents Saturday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is 9 cents less than one week ago and 25.1 cents less than one month ago, but 24.7 cents more than one year ago. It has dropped $1.328 since rising to a record $6.435 on Oct. 5, 2022.

The national average price dropped six-tenths of a cent to $3.593. It is two-tenths of a cent more than one week ago, 6.7 cents less than one month ago, and 2.1 cents more than one year ago. The national average price has dropped $1.423 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.

An 84-year-old woman suffered several injuries when she crashed her car into the rear of another vehicle in Kearny Mesa.

The crash occurred at 1:53 p.m. Saturday in the 4400 block of Mercury Street, according to San Diego Police Officer J. Perales.

The woman was driving her 2012 Honda Fit northbound in the right lane of Mercury Street and a vehicle driven by a 31-year-old man was stopped at the intersection with Balboa Avenue when the woman failed to stop and crashed into him, Perales said. The man’s vehicle was pushed forward and crashed into two other vehicles.

“The 84-year-old female suffered a punctured lung, fractured ribs, abrasions, skin tears to both hands and lacerations from the seat belt,” he said.

The injuries were not believed life-threatening.

Passengers from the other vehicles complained of pain, Perales said.

Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation, he said.

San Diego is stopping new intakes at its homeless shelter in Golden Hall as it prepares to transition people staying there to other shelters by the end of the year.

The Golden Hall Shelter is operated by Father Joe’s Villages under a contract with the San Diego Housing Commission and is set to close before the year is out due to winter storm damage.

The facility was first approved as a temporary shelter in 2019 by the San Diego City Council. The 60-year old building was recently damaged in this winter’s heavy rain, and the fire marshal has sped up the facility’s timeline.

According to a report issued last year by San Diego’s Independent Budget Analyst, it would cost at least $9.3 million in improvements to operate Golden Hall as a permanent shelter.

“Given future redevelopment plans for the Civic Core site, such an investment has been deemed unwise,” a city statement reads.

The several blocks around the shelter, which include Civic Theatre and the City Administration Building, are the subject of a proposed redesign. Mayor Todd Gloria has been attempting to find a developer to take on the ambitious project — which also includes the blighted 101 Ash Street building — for several years.

According to the city, residents at Golden Hall who have not yet been connected with long-term housing arrangements will be relocated to existing or new city-funded facilities by the end of the year. The temporary shelter currently has a capacity of 264 beds.

Intakes continue at all 17 other city-funded shelters and its two Safe Sleeping and four Safe Parking sites.

Gloria has proposed expanding the city’s shelter capacity by 1,000 beds and more than 200 Safe Parking stalls for households living in their cars.

Caltrans and local leaders Thursday officially opened a pathway underneath Interstate 5 in Carmel Valley that connects to already existing trails.

The $4 million extension connects to State Route 56 Bike Path, North Coast Bike Trail and Coastal Rail Trail and was funded by the State Highway Operations and Protection Program.

“Our goal is to increase the number of people who use alternative modes of transportation and decrease the number who drive alone in their cars,” Caltrans Director Tony Tavares said. “Projects like this one are helping reshape the state’s transportation system.”

According to the agency, the extension connects to an existing bike path at Old Sorrento Valley Road. The trail under I-5 then joins the SR-56 Regional Bicycle Trail from Carmel Valley Road on the east side of the interstate to a Park & Ride lot on the interstate’s west side.

Additionally, it completes a leg of the ambitious Sea-to-Sea bike trail from the Salton Sea to the Pacific Ocean, and represents a portion of the 265 miles of new and improved bike lanes to be added to the state highway system by 2028, a statement from the state agency added.

“The SR 56 bike path extension is another step in ensuring people of all ages and abilities have equitable access to safe and convenient connections,” said SANDAG and San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Nora Vargas.

“This new bikeway extension enhances access to the coast, transit and nearby trails, filling a critical gap in our regional bike network and across the region.”

Authorities Thursday publicly identified a patrolman and a domestic-assault suspect involved last weekend in a Chollas View-area police shooting that left the latter man wounded.

Robert Gladysz, an 18-month employee of the San Diego Police Department, opened fire on 29-year-old Steffon Nutall as the suspect was hiding in shrubbery at a residential complex in the 200 block of 47th Street, holding his infant daughter, according to the county Sheriff’s Department.

The department which investigates shootings involving SDPD personnel as part of a regional agreement designed to prevent conflicts of interest.

The events that led to the law enforcement gunfire began shortly before 10:30 p.m. Sunday, when Nutall showed up at his ex-girlfriend’s apartment in the 400 block of 47th Street, sheriff’s Lt. Michael Krugh said.

The woman made a 911 call to report that Nutall was outside her home, allegedly claiming that he would fire a gun through the front door if she would not let him in. When she complied with his demands out of fear for her life and that of the couple’s 11-month-old daughter, he allegedly threatened to shoot the woman, snatched the child and walked out of the residence.

Seeing arriving police officers, the suspect bolted, ran across a set of trolley tracks and a parking lot at 47th Street Trolley Station and entered an adjacent residential complex. Police soon found him there, trying to conceal himself in a bush, according to Krugh.

When Nutall refused orders to disarm himself and surrender, Gladysz shot him at least once, police said.

“It was (then) learned (that) the suspect was holding his daughter during the … shooting,” the lieutenant said. “The child was unharmed and was returned to her family.”

Paramedics took Nutall to a hospital, where he underwent surgery and was listed in stable condition. He was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon, exhibiting a firearm in a threatening manner and willful cruelty to a child with the potential for great bodily injury or death, according to police.

“Any additional charges will be evaluated by the District Attorney’s Office,” Krugh said.

The police shooting was the first of two to occur in San Diego within a roughly 24-hour period.

Shortly before 11 a.m. Monday, three SDPD officers opened fire on a man who was assaulting someone with a knife in the area of Friars Road and Morena Boulevard in Mission Valley. The suspect died at the scene of the shooting. His name has been withheld pending family notification.

The number of people experiencing homelessness in San Diego County in 2024 increased by an estimated 3% over the previous year, according to data released Wednesday from January’s Point-in-Time Count.

The count, conducted by more than 1,700 volunteers spread across San Diego County through the Regional Task Force on Homelessness, is a one-day snapshot of the minimum number of people experiencing homelessness throughout the region. The volunteers found no less than 10,605 people in the count, which included 6,110 unsheltered and 4,495 people in shelters and transitional housing.

In 2023, the number jumped up around 20% from the previous year.

“While a 3% increase is encouraging, we counted more people in unsheltered conditions across the region,” said task force CEO Tamera Kohler. “We’re seeing a significant increase in people living in their cars. This year’s numbers suggest we have a continuing need for more sheltering options and support for the efforts many cities are now taking to combat this crisis.

“We must focus on populations like seniors, veterans, and people living in cars, where proven housing strategies can make a difference in the months and years ahead,” she said.

According to the count, the number of homeless people increased by around 200 in each region of the county. The numbers also reflect a 44% increase in people living in their cars and a decreased in shelter or other temporary housing options.

“With the loss of federal emergency funding, including hotel/motel vouchers, and a shift toward safe sleeping and safe parking sites in several communities, RTFH is not surprised by these data points,” a statement from the task force read.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, safe sleeping and safe parking sites count as being unsheltered. In San Diego alone, 472 people were counted in the safe sleeping sites, and 285 individuals were in the safe parking sites.

“San Diegans should feel cautious optimism about this data,” said task force Board Chair Ray Ellis. “While we are still seeing too many experiencing homelessness for the first time, our region is making the right kind of investments in critical system infrastructure and programs that make a difference.”

Monthly reports created by the task force show the region has not seen a month since March 2022 when more individuals exited homelessness than experienced homelessness for the first time, a 25-month streak.

Additionally, the report finds, from October 2022 to September 2023, the region’s homeless response system interacted with more than 46,000 individuals, up from 41,000 the previous year.

“I hope this is the high water mark,” said Continuum of Care Advisory Board Chair Pastor Rolland Slade. “Our board is proud of the work that communities, non-profits, religious groups and others are embracing.

“Vista opening up a navigation center, the county increasing funding for RTFH’s diversion practice, Imperial Beach hiring a full time outreach worker – these actions add up and are crucial to slowing down what has been an accelerated crisis,” he said. “There’s a lot more work to do but this is good progress.”

Volunteers ask demographic questions of people they find experiencing homelessness. In 2024’s report, they began the reporting of Hispanic ethnicity along with race for the first time.

According to the report’s data, seniors experiencing homelessness saw less than a 1% decrease, while those found at Caltrans sites declined by 10%. A total of 81% of all those counted in the region said they first experienced homelessness in the county.

The oldest person found experiencing unsheltered homelessness was an 85-year-old Hispanic woman.

“Our biggest challenge remains the sky-high cost of housing across our region,” Kohler said. “The long-term need for abundant housing for people of all income levels remains apparent. There are still too few units and too much need.

“Yet I’m heartened by this report. There are interventions for many of the populations we’ve seen an increase in that can make a real difference,” she said. “Communities across the county, from Vista to National City, San Diego to La Mesa, are leaning into game-changer solutions. If we can keep people housed, quickly end homelessness for those sleeping in their cars, and continue to target vulnerable populations, San Diego has a fighting chance to see real change moving forward.”

In 2023, the count found no less than 10,264 individuals experiencing homelessness across the region. This number included 5,171 unsheltered San Diegans with 5,093 individuals in shelters and transitional housing.

Two fires broke out within roughly 75 minutes of each other and a little more than a mile apart Wednesday in Borrego Springs, seriously damaging a home, destroying an outbuilding and blackening swaths of brushy terrain before crews could snuff out the flames.

There were no immediate indications that the fires’ origins were related, according to Mike Cornette, a captain with Cal Fire.

The first of the blazes erupted about 3:20 p.m. in the area of Lazy S and Saint Vincent drives, a short distance north of Borrego Springs High School, according to Cal Fire.

It took ground crews and personnel aboard air tankers and water- dropping helicopters less than an hour to extinguish the flames, which briefly threatened about a half-dozen homes, gutted an auxiliary structure and spread over about five open acres, said Cornette.

Shortly after 4:30 p.m., the second fire began spreading through a single-family home on Sun and Shadows Drive near Palm Canyon Drive, about six blocks south of the site of the previous blaze. Ground crews, some of whom had been fighting the other blaze, were able to put out the flames in about 45 minutes.

The fire extensively damaged the house and displaced three people, all adults. The American Red Cross was called in to help the residents arrange for emergency shelter.

The causes of the blazes were under investigation.