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San Diego police chief lays out separation between SDPD and ICE

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San Diego police chief lays out separation between SDPD and ICE


The Rotary Club of La Jolla hosted San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl at its March 10 meeting as he spoke about his team’s role in the community, pointing out that it does not include enforcement of federal immigration laws.

Meanwhile, the club is continuing its contributions to a fire station fundraising project.

Here’s a breakdown of the latest Rotary happenings.

Chief explains SDPD and ICE dynamic

Wahl discussed his department’s priorities and attempted to clarify the differences between its operations and those of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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Wahl, who led SDPD’s Northern Division, which includes La Jolla, as a captain in 2021-22 and took over as chief in 2024 following the retirement of former chief David Nisleit, said he has three main goals for the department: Build trust, develop leaders and be efficient and effective with the resources allotted. Its overarching job, he added, is to provide stability and structure “when things are out of control and there’s chaos.”

Several questions from people at the meeting were directed toward the Police Department’s role — or lack thereof — in ICE operations.

San Diego police do not enforce federal immigration laws and are subject to state regulations. California Senate Bill 54 “prohibits SDPD officers from investigating, detaining or arresting people based solely on their immigration status,” according to the city of San Diego.

SDPD officers are not allowed to ask about immigration status, participate in immigration enforcement or assist with immigration arrests. They are responsible for answering calls for emergency help and providing information as available to elected officials about the details and circumstances of calls.

Wahl described the department’s role as “apolitical,” though he added it’s an increasingly fine line to walk.

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“Obviously this is a very polarizing issue with many different views,” Wahl said. “I’m sorry the way this is impacting families and folks that have been in this country for many, many years. I wish there was something I could do to change that. But I am very cautious to make sure I’m not in my role creating or making this … Police Department a pawn in a political battle.”

“They [ICE] have their areas of responsibility, we have our areas of responsibility,” Wahl said. “Unfortunately, right now during this tough time, we all get painted with the same broad brush.”

Wahl told the La Jolla Light after the meeting that it’s unsurprising that immigration enforcement is a topic of local interest given San Diego’s proximity to the U.S./Mexico border.

“It’s a tough issue, and it’s really tough to be succinct and to the point [and] have people understand all the different layers,” he said. “I understand people want us to do something. And I want to be able to do something. But in many respects, there’s not much we can do.”

Wahl said he was unaware of any ICE-related calls SDPD may have received in La Jolla, though areas such as Linda Vista, South Park and Mission Valley have been affected.

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Fire Station 16 fundraising

An ongoing effort to renovate San Diego Fire Station 16 on Mount Soledad in La Jolla continues to gain steam and is now about $45,000 from its fundraising target, Rotarian Cindy Goodman told the Light.

Visitors and firefighters gather at a Nov. 12 open house at La Jolla’s Fire Station 16 that raised $20,000 toward the station’s renovation. (Provided by Wendy Moore)

The city approved a Phase 1 revitalization plan shepherded by the La Jolla Sunrise Rotary Club to replace walls and doors in the station’s sleeping areas, along with other improvements.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation and the Rotary Club of La Jolla have teamed with Sunrise Rotary in an agreement that if the Rotarians come up with the money and materials for the project, the city will provide the labor.

The Fire-Rescue Department says Fire Station 16 was built in 1982 and hasn’t had any major renovations since, instead receiving small upgrades. Renovating the station will enable firefighters to have better sleep, privacy and living standards, project organizers say.

The overall funding target is $175,000. But with more than $130,000 collected so far, the clubs should be able to cover construction and temporary housing costs, Goodman said. Now they are awaiting city guidance on temporary trailers that meet requirements.

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“The community has been wonderful about supporting the project to provide decent housing for our firefighters, and all those involved are very grateful,” Goodman said.

Kiwanis and Rotary joint meeting to feature S.D. council president

Less than a month after he held a town hall meeting at the La Jolla Recreation Center, San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava, whose District 1 includes La Jolla, is scheduled to deliver a city update at a Rotary Club meeting later this month.

The meeting, a joint effort including the Kiwanis Club of La Jolla, will begin at noon Tuesday, March 24, at the La Valencia Hotel, 1132 Prospect St.

Hot topics at LaCava’s March 4 town hall included area speed limits, city budget issues and continuing infrastructure projects. ♦

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Border Patrol agent indicted in San Diego for 2022 shooting of unarmed teen driver

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Border Patrol agent indicted in San Diego for 2022 shooting of unarmed teen driver


A federal grand jury in San Diego has indicted a U.S. Border Patrol agent on a civil rights violation for shooting an unarmed 19-year-old U.S. citizen in 2022 in Calexico, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday.

Marcos Javier Andrade faces one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges next week in U.S. District Court in San Diego.

The indictment alleges that on July 11, 2022, Andrade tried to stop a minivan that he suspected of smuggling undocumented immigrants on a highway in Calexico, in Imperial County. The van was being driven by a teen “who was unarmed and was not engaged in smuggling activity,” according to the indictment, which identifies the teen only by his initials, A.F.

After the teen failed to pull over and then became stuck in traffic, Andrade allegedly pulled up next to the van, exited his Border Patrol SUV and fired eight shots at the driver, striking him in his neck, hip, shoulder and hand, according to the indictment. The teen survived after undergoing surgery for his injuries.

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The indictment alleges that after the shooting, Andrade “refused to answer basic safety questions that all Border Patrol agents are required to answer on scene when they discharge their firearms.” It also alleges that Andrade had been disciplined previously for firing his gun “at civilians” in 2012 and 2017.

Andrade could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday, and it was unclear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

Officials from the Border Patrol, as well as its parent agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment late Thursday afternoon.

The indictment against Andrade comes at a time when Border Patrol agents and other immigration officers have faced increased scrutiny for shooting U.S. citizens. In October, a Border Patrol agent shot and wounded Marimar Martinez in Chicago, and in January, a Border Patrol agent fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis just weeks after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Renée Good in the same city.

Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol’s former “commander at large” who spearheaded the Trump administration’s immigration operations in Chicago and Minneapolis, and who sent an email to the Chicago agent just hours after he shot Martinez praising his “excellent service,” was the chief of the El Centro sector in 2022 when Andrade allegedly shot the teen driver.

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Border Patrol officials had previously released few details about the shooting in Calexico, which occurred in the middle of the day near a busy intersection. Andrade’s name was never publicly linked to the shooting before Thursday.

The indictment alleges that when Andrade tried to pull over the driver, the teen continued along state Route 98, driving at the speed limit until he came to a stop behind a line of cars at a stoplight. Andrade allegedly pulled his SUV partially in front of the minivan on the left side, exited his SUV and pointed his gun at the teen.

At that point, both the teen and the driver of a semi in the lane to his right began to pull forward “with the stop-and-go pace of traffic,” traveling between 1 and 5 mph, according to the indictment. The teen then steered his minivan slightly to the right, away from Andrade’s vehicle, in an effort to get around, the indictment alleges.

“At no time did A.F.’s vehicle pose a threat to defendant Marcos Javier Andrade or anyone else,” the indictment alleged. “Nevertheless … Andrade fired eight shots at A.F.”

The indictment alleges that one shot struck the hood, three pierced the windshield and four went through the driver’s side window. In addition to the gunshot wounds the teen suffered, he also sustained injuries from shattered glass that lodged in his right eye, according to the indictment. Six of the eight shots allegedly traveled through the van and also struck the tractor-trailer.

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A photo published by the Calexico Chronicle the day of the shooting showed a Border Patrol agent taking cover behind an SUV and pointing his gun at the van, which at that time was riddled with bullet holes.

Andrade is facing the same two charges that federal prosecutors in San Diego brought against a sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot an unarmed, fleeing man in downtown San Diego in 2020. An initial jury in that case deadlocked after being unable to reach a unanimous verdict, but a second jury convicted the deputy last month on both counts.



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I-805 fatal crash snarls traffic at Murray Ridge Road

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I-805 fatal crash snarls traffic at Murray Ridge Road


Several lanes are closed on the northbound Interstate 805 due to a fatal crash on Thursday morning.

The crash was reported at around 5:30 a.m. at Murray Ridge Road and closed all lanes, but by 6 a.m., two lanes reopened while three lanes remained closed, according to Caltrans.

By 8 a.m., all lanes had reopened to traffic.

Heavy traffic is reported in that area.





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Mother and son identified in apparent murder-suicide in San Diego

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Mother and son identified in apparent murder-suicide in San Diego


SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego Police Department announced Wednesday that a man and woman who were involved in an apparent murder-suicide last week have been named and identified as mother and son.

*The Nexstar Media Wire video above shows what happens when someone calls 911.

According to SDPD, on Monday, March 23, at around 7:40 p.m., officers and San Diego Fire-Rescue personnel responded to a 911 call on San Marcos Avenue in the Burlingame neighborhood. The report said neighbors heard gunshots and found a man with a gunshot wound to his head on the front porch of a residence.

When officers arrived, they found a 51-year-old man, who was later identified as Galen Sherwood, with a gunshot wound to the head, which police reportedly suspect was self-inflicted. Officers also found a handgun near Sherwood, SDPD says.

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After life-saving measures were attempted on the man, he was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later, according to SDPD.

While officers were at the residence tending to Sherwood, they reportedly found an 83-year-old woman inside the home who had a gunshot wound to her upper torso. According to SDPD, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene and was later identified as Virginia Sherwood, the mother of the 51-year-old.

The two reportedly lived together at the residence.

SDPD’s Homicide Unit took over the investigation and will examine the gun collected at the scene and conduct comparison tests of the rounds and casings recovered.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is encouraged to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

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