San Diego, CA
Surveillance video shows thief stealing children’s Christmas gifts from home
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A local mother is raising awareness about holiday theft after her children’s Christmas presents were stolen from their family home.
Meanwhile, San Diego police are warning people to be wary of scammers and thieves this time of year when the department sees a rise in these types of crimes.
“All the gifts that were hidden from my children were all gone,” said Kristin Lyons.
Plans for a Christmas surprise are now a loss for her two boys. Just before 3 a.m. Friday, a holiday grinch was caught on camera walking up the family’s University Heights driveway.
“It was a male. Jeans, gray sweatshirt, black backpack, a brown Padres hat and he came in on a bike,” said Lyons.
The alleged thief used a flashlight to search their carport before leaving with arms full.
“It was a big bin full of like 30 or 40 gifts wrapped,” according to Lyons. She explained the gifts included a scooter, shoes, clothes, and toys for her 3 and 4-year-old sons.
“They may not be very expensive items, they were very sentimental and personalized for the kids,” said Lyons.
Her neighborhood is located off Park Blvd. and Adams Ave. “We’ve had a lot of foot traffic, which has increased a lot of the crime as well.”
She said she and her neighbors rely on security cameras for safety, but hope police increase patrols after filing a report.
“There’s crimes of opportunity,” said SDPS Lt. Cesar Jimenez. He added that typically thieves look for easy targets.
“They’re looking for homes that are empty. They’re also looking into windows, and if people have all their presents, they have their Christmas tree by a window with all the presents underneath, then that’s a big temptation,” said Lt. Jimenez.
He advised residents to avoid placing their Christmas tree right by a window and to make sure packages are secured and out of sight.
Meanwhile, Lyons said she wants others to learn from her experience and isn’t letting this bring her and her family down.
She added that a neighbor found a partially wrapped gift dumped in the area and returned it to her after they saw her Nextdoor post. She’d like others who may stumble upon more gifts to also post about it on the Nextdoor app in the University Heights area, and she will keep an eye out.
CHULA VISTA (CNS) – The California Highway Patrol activated a Silver Alert today to help locate a 79-year-old woman last seen in Chula Vista.
Evangeline Rodriguez was last seen about 5:55 a.m. Thursday at Wildbrook Place and Woodspring Drive in Chula Vista. She is believed to be driving a white 2018 Honda CRV with California license plate 9JBS786.
Rodriguez is Hispanic, 5 feet, 2 inches tall, 130 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, last seen wearing a T-shirt and blue jeans.
Anyone who sees Rodriguez, or knows where she is, is urged to call 911.
The CHP activates a Silver Alert when an elderly or developmentally or cognitively impaired person is missing and determined to be at risk. It is
hoped providing immediate information to the public will aid in their swift
recovery.
Copyright 2026, City News Service, Inc.
Jim Dutton, local bestselling author, will discuss his legal thriller Path to Revenge at an in-person meeting at 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 23. hosted by Del Mar Community Connections Page Turners. The meeting will be held at St. Peter’s Parish Hall, 334 14th St. in Del Mar. The discussion occurs in partnership with the Del Mar branch library. Registration is required. DMCC has reserved a limited number of complimentary copies of the novel for 92014 residents who want to get in on the discussion.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and in this explosive sequel, it’s lethal. Path to Revenge is a gripping psychological legal thriller that dives into government corruption, internal affairs investigations, and grand jury drama. Haunted by his past and driven by a relentless need for justice, Nick Drummond finds himself torn apart by an organized crime vendetta and his actions to bury the truth. If you love unreliable heroes, hard-boiled detectives, and high-stakes litigation, this is your next binge-worthy read, a news release states.
Dutton was a career prosecutor in California. National television shows 48 Hours, Cold Case, and Forensic Files have featured his murder trials. He prosecuted numerous child molestation and rape cases. He was the chief of the California Attorney General’s Money Laundering Program for 20 years and testified before the U.S. Congress several times on that subject. Dutton was the representative for human trafficking for the San Diego-based California Attorney General’s Office and incorporated a human trafficking analysis in his Money Laundering Manual for law enforcement, the news release stated.
Dutton is an avid outdoorsman, photographer, and traveler. He has written numerous travel and legal articles over the years. He lives with his wife, two sons, and their incorrigible, skunk-seeking dog, Wylie Coyote, in Del Mar.
Del Mar Community Connections (DMCC) is an independent 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to support and serve the older adults of Del Mar so that they may age independently at home. DMCC helps seniors live active, vibrant lives by providing transportation, education, and social activities, including cultural discussions like Page Turners. Those interested in attending the discussion will find the registration link at www.dmcc.cc/PageTurnersRegistration, or call the DMCC office at (858) 792-7565 to receive assistance.
-
Iowa6 minutes ago14-year-old Dyersville girl dies in July 4 Clear Lake watercraft crash
-
Kansas9 minutes agoPolice in Kansas City, Missouri, investigate Sunday night homicide
-
Kentucky13 minutes ago1 missing, 4 injured in Fourth of July boating collision on Kentucky lake
-
Louisiana21 minutes agoLouisiana State Police Detectives Investigating Shreveport Police Department Officer-Involved Shooting
-
Maine23 minutes agoOne dead, another injured in Madison ATV crash
-
Maryland28 minutes agoMan killed, another injured in shooting at Maryland house party, described as
-
Michigan36 minutes agoRain chances linger into Monday across Southeast Michigan
-
Massachusetts38 minutes agoMotorcyclist flown to hospital after crash in Groton on Fourth of July
