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Man mauled to death by his three pet American bully dogs outside San Diego school

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Man mauled to death by his three pet American bully dogs outside San Diego school


A 26-year-old man was mauled to death by his pet dogs in a horror attack that left another victim seriously injured.

Pedro Luis Ortega was attacked by his three American bully dogs outside Ericson Elementary School in Mesa Viking Park, San Diego, at around midday Friday, San Diego police told NBC7.

A second unnamed adult stepped in to try to help Ortega, the Los Angeles Times reported, while other bystanders tried to fend off the dogs with shovels and a golf club.

Officers responded to the scene to find Ortega covered in bites from the 100-pound dogs. He was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries.

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The second adult also suffered “serious bite injuries,” authorities said, while a child present at the scene was left unharmed.

Officers deployed tasers on the dogs and quickly captured two of them while the third escaped. The school was plunged into a brief lockdown while authorities searched for the animal, before it was found at the owner’s home nearby.

Witness Steve Marto told KSWB/KUSI he initially thought police were trying to detain someone before realizing the commotion was due to a dog attack. “They were big, like XL bullies, just massive muscle,” he said.

Torn clothing and a shoe were seen at the scene.

The attack took place outside Ericson Elementary School in Mesa Viking Park, San Diego (pictured)

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The attack took place outside Ericson Elementary School in Mesa Viking Park, San Diego (pictured) (Google Maps)

San Diego Humane Society animal handlers euthanized the three dogs Saturday, spokesperson Nina Thompson told NBC7.

“Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to the victim’s loved ones,” Thompson said.

The animal’s remains will now be tested for rabies, she added.

The Independent has contacted the San Diego Police Department, the San Diego County Department of the Medical Examiner, and the San Diego Humane Society for comment.



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San Diego, CA

Pedestrian struck, killed by train in Oceanside

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Pedestrian struck, killed by train in Oceanside


A pedestrian was struck by a train and killed Sunday afternoon in Oceanside, a sheriff’s lieutenant said.

It happened about 12:30 p.m. near where Mission Avenue crosses the train tracks between North Cleveland and North Myers streets, sheriff’s Lt. Josh Stone said. The area is approximately two blocks east of the beach and the city’s pier.

Information about the person who was killed was not immediately available.

Oceanside police said an Amtrak train was involved and there were some roadway closures in the area. Some rail traffic in the area, including the North County Transit District’s Coaster commuter train, was delayed about 40 minutes after the crash, according to the agency’s posts on social media.

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City News Service contributed to this report.



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Back home in San Diego for the offseason, Tommy Edman reflects on championship season

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Back home in San Diego for the offseason, Tommy Edman reflects on championship season


On a star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers team featuring the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, few observers would have predicted that their postseason run to the 2024 World Series championship would be propelled by an under-the-radar midseason acquisition.

But when the Dodgers beat the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series, it was La Jolla Country Day School alumnus Tommy Edman who led them with a .407 batting average and matched a team record with 11 RBIs in six games. Edman was named Most Valuable Player of the NLCS.

In the World Series in late October against the New York Yankees, Edman went 5-for-17 (.294) with two doubles, three walks, a home run, two stolen bases and six runs scored.

After the Dodgers hoisted the World Series trophy with their victory in five games, Edman returned to his home in San Diego to enjoy some time off.

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“Baseball is weird,” Edman said. “You have your ups and downs over the course of a season. Part of that (success) can be your swing feeling really good and getting a lot of good pitches to hit. You kind of have to have a couple things align for that to happen. I think both happened in those series.”

Part of his success could be attributed to the overall power of the Dodgers’ lineup.

“I think the great thing about playing in such a good lineup is that the pressure is on the pitcher at all times,” Edman said. “They put so much of their attention on Mookie, Freddie and Shohei that it’s tough to focus for an entire lineup. So it kind of frees up guys like myself to not be the center of an opponent’s gameplan.”

Tommy Edman celebrates as he reaches home plate after his solo home run during the second inning in Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees, Oct. 26, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

Edman said he experienced many games this season that he would consider among the best he’s been a part of. First was Ohtani’s walk-off grand slam against the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 23 to reach 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases on the season. And Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the World Series set the tone for the rest of the series.

“The World Series was incredible,” Edman said. “Obviously, the first two series leading up to that — beating the Padres and beating the Mets — were great series in and of themselves. And the buildup to having the best team in the NL face the best team in the AL was really exciting.”

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Tommy Edman played at Stanford after graduating from La Jolla Country Day. (Stanford athletics)
Tommy Edman played at Stanford after graduating from La Jolla Country Day. (Stanford athletics)

Another thing that helped set up Edman for his success on the big stage was his time playing winning baseball at La Jolla Country Day and then Stanford.

Edman was a Country Day Torrey from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade and grew up watching his father, John, coach the high school baseball team. Edman played for his father from 2010-13.

Tommy Edman was an All-Academic pick while at La Jolla Country Day. (LJCD)
Tommy Edman was an All-Academic pick while at La Jolla Country Day. (LJCD)

“I learned about the game of baseball a lot when I was pretty young,” Edman said. “So I think that kind of helped me with my instincts and just understanding the game and what it takes to win.”

And win the Torreys did. In Edman’s sophomore year, LJCDS took home its first CIF baseball championship. His first-inning home run in the title game propelled the team to victory.

Edman still holds LJCD records for hits, runs, stolen bases, and ERA as a pitcher. He was a four-time All-Coastal League selection, a three-time All-CIF selection, the 2013 Coastal League MVP, a 2013 MaxPreps All-State selection, a 2013 Louisville Slugger First-Team All-American and a 2013 CIF San Diego Section Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Those accolades earned him a spot in Country Day’s Athletic Hall of Fame last year.

“I grew up around the school and I would go into the gym and they had all the plaques and banners for all the past athletes in the Hall of Fame,” Edman said. “I used to admire them. So now, to get to join their ranks, it feels very special.”

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La Jolla Country Day's Tommy Edman, right, dives to the bag during a 2013 game against Orange El Modena. (MIGUEL VASCONCELLOS / FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER)
La Jolla Country Day’s Tommy Edman, right, dives to the bag during a 2013 game against Orange El Modena. (MIGUEL VASCONCELLOS / FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER)

Edman played against the best players in San Diego, something he said was crucial to his development as a young ballplayer.

His baseball career further blossomed at Stanford, where he was named to the All-Pac-12 first team, All-Pac-12 Defensive Team and All-Pac-12 Academic Team and earned a degree in math and computational science.

The St. Louis Cardinals took him in the sixth round of the 2016 draft.

In St. Louis, Edman won several awards for his defensive prowess, including a 2021 Gold Glove and a 2022 Fielding Bible Award. His versatility and speed made him a key piece of a Cardinals team that typically was in the playoff mix.

Edman’s 2024 season had a sluggish start. He endured a longer-than-expected recovery from wrist surgery and suffered a sprained ankle on a rehabilitation assignment in June.

But the Dodgers saw value in Edman, who can play shortstop, second base and outfield. In the last week of July, they acquired Edman and hard-throwing reliever Michael Kopech in exchange for infielder Miguel Vargas and a pair of minor-leaguers.

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Edman quickly immersed himself in the Dodgers’ clubhouse culture, showing his versatility not only in the positions he plays but also in how he can adjust to a new setting.

“When I went in there, I just wanted to learn as much as I could,” Edman said. “And I think that helped me get integrated pretty quickly. I think guys just saw I was excited to be a part of the team (and) excited to contribute and that I wanted to be the best player I could be.”

The Dodgers' Tommy Edman celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The Dodgers’ Tommy Edman celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

He made his Dodgers debut Aug. 19. Just over two months later, he had added NLCS MVP and World Series champion to his resumé.

And Edman will remain in Dodger blue for the foreseeable future. He signed a five-year, $74 million contract extension Nov. 29 that goes through the 2029 season, with a sixth-year club option valued at $13 million.

Beyond his MLB, college and high school teams, Edman played for the Korean team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

It marked his first time visiting the country, and he saw it as an opportunity to represent his family lineage. As of April, Asian players made up only 3.4% of MLB’s population, a slight increase over 2023’s 3.2%.

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“There’s not too many players in MLB with an Asian-American background,” Edman said. “It’s definitely becoming more common … with Shohei and a lot of guys coming over from Japan and Korea. But I think it’s really cool to be an example, especially for Asian American kids who are growing up and see players in the big leagues who are having success who look like them.”

Following a weeklong vacation to Florida, Edman’s offseason focus is on his family. He and his wife, Kristen, welcomed their first child, Eli, in October last year.

“Spring training always comes really quickly,” Edman said, “so we gotta take advantage of this time off while we can.”

Lyons writes for the La Jolla Light.

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Mayor Todd Gloria’s massive warehouse shelter will again be debated, but behind closed doors

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Mayor Todd Gloria’s massive warehouse shelter will again be debated, but behind closed doors


Five months after a brutal, hourslong, late-into-the-night hearing where few residents or elected leaders could find positive things to say about the prospect of turning an empty Middletown warehouse into one of the nation’s largest homeless shelters, the proposal is back before the San Diego City Council.

But details about the re-negotiated plan will, at least for the moment, stay hidden.

Council members are scheduled to meet Monday behind closed doors about the “price and payment terms” for acquiring the nearly 65,000-square-foot property at the intersection of Kettner Boulevard and Vine Street. Few other specifics were provided in the meeting agenda, and representatives for Mayor Todd Gloria, who’s long championed the proposal, and the site’s owner, local businessman Doug Hamm, didn’t provide additional information.

A spokesperson for Hamm said only that he still believed in the project.

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The original lease could have cost the city $1 billion over the next three-plus decades. Its critics were legion.

The City Attorney’s office said the agreement introduced too many legal and financial risks. The Independent Budget Analyst worried it would take money from other services. Some experts questioned whether the facility could reasonably hold 1,000 beds, a key selling point, and city staffers didn’t independently assess the structure’s condition. Instead, they relied on a report commissioned by the landlord — which still found a high likelihood that “asbestos-containing material” and “lead-based paint” were inside.

The council voted in July to delay a final decision and many submitted changes they wanted to see in the lease, including smaller rent increases. Yet even if those demands are met, the project may still face opposition as the city stares down a deficit worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Multiple council members criticized the proposal Wednesday during a budget committee meeting.

Vivian Moreno repeatedly wondered why San Diego should drop tens of millions of dollars next year on the shelter when services in historically neglected neighborhoods could be cut. Henry Foster III said the proposal felt like business as usual when perhaps the city’s entire approach to homelessness needed an overhaul.

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“Colleagues may or may not support a mega-shelter,” said Joe LaCava, who was recently elected council president. But, he added, San Diego still needs “1,000 more beds somewhere, somehow.”

Homelessness countywide has grown every month for more than two-and-a-half years and there are nowhere near enough shelter spots for everybody asking.

While officials recently succeeded in finding beds to offset the closure of two downtown facilities, other shelters are still set to shutter down the line for a variety of reasons, including land being slated for new development. Some staffers on Wednesday characterized plans to add 1,000 beds as partially a way to replace what will be lost.

That reality may push San Diego leaders to put even more pressure on neighboring cities and county officials to boost their own shelter systems.

“The city should be building parks and libraries, firehouses and police divisions,” Councilmember Raul Campillo said this month in a speech, while “the county should be building shelters and units to address homelessness.”

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“But until the county changes, the city will be stuck,” he added.

The County of San Diego has in recent years proposed shelter projects in Lakeside, Santee and Spring Valley, but leaders backed down in each case after some residents objected. The Board of Supervisors is currently hoping to build several dozen small cabins in Lemon Grove, though that too has received pushback.

County officials recently moved to continue issuing vouchers that help homeless residents rent motel rooms while they explore potential changes to the program.

The total cost of the crisis, from encampment sweeps to homelessness-related police calls to emergency room visits, is unknown.

It’s not yet clear when a public hearing might be held on the warehouse shelter. Some residents are nonetheless planning to weigh in during an open comment period Monday.

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