María Sánchez arrives to greetings from the San Diego Sirens, a group of Wave supporters. Photo credit: @SD_Sirens via X San Diego Wave FC have acquired veteran forward and Mexican National Team star María Sánchez from the Houston Dash for cash and other considerations. Sánchez will be under contract with the Wave through the 2026 season, with a mutual option for 2027. “We are thrilled to bring María to San Diego and offer her a warm welcome to our club and community,” said San Diego Wave FC President Jill Ellis. “For club and country, María has been an integral part of every team she has been ..read more

Chuck Chaldekas. Photo by Chris Stone Chuck Chaldekas. Photo by Chris Stone Chuck Chaldekas. Photo by Chris Stone Vietnam Unit Memorial Monument. Photo by Chris Stone Chuck Chaldekas is flying with Honor Flight San Diego this weekend to see military memorials in Washington, D.C., and connect with his brotherhood. But on his mind will be a lesser-known monument in Coronado — one that honors 2,564 fallen Navy and Coast Guard members who served in Vietnam, which he thinks deserves greater national attention. The 76-year-old Coronado resident plans to meet with the director of the Vietnam Mem ..read more

A downcast Wandy Peralta tried to get back on track in the eighth inning, to no avail. Photo credit: Screen shot, mlb.com/padres The Padres, up by five after the top of the eighth inning Thursday, came thisclose to leaving Colorado having taken three of four from the Rockies. But then the bottom of the inning happened, and the Friars had to settle for a split at Coors Field after a 10-9 loss. The Rockies put six on the board in the bottom of the eighth, after Yuki Matsui gave up a double and a walk and manager Mike Shildt pulled him for Wandy Peralta, who carried an impressive .150 ERA into th ..read more

The crime-riddled area the operation focused on, at 16th and K streets. Photo credit: Screen shot, Google Street View An East Village “open-air drug market” that prosecutors say operated under gang control is the subject of grand jury indictments returned this week against 51 people. The charges, for crimes ranging from drug sales to weapons offenses, stem from an investigation into the area surrounding 16th and K streets, where officials say police were called to respond around 56,000 times over a period of two years. Nearly 6,200 of those calls were for “violent acts” such as shootings, stab ..read more

Austin Spirz. Phoro credit: Screen shot, NBCSan Diego.com A man who struck and killed a motorcyclist in Campo last Thanksgiving and fled the scene has pleaded guilty to hit-and-run causing death, among other charges. Gary Baker, 46, of Campo, admitted Wednesday in El Cajon court to causing the death of Austin Spirz, 26, who family members say was a father of three young daughters. Spirz died at the scene of the 5:30 p.m. crash, which happened on Sheridan Road near Custer Road. The California Highway Patrol said a Jeep heading west drifted across the double yellow lines and crashed into the vic ..read more

Federal courthouse in downtown San Diego. Photo by Chris Stone A former executive who prosecutors say stole more than $400,000 from a nonprofit pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal wire fraud charge. Katherine Lu Acquista, 47, of Escondido, who previously served as the director of operations and accounting at the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, used her access to bank accounts, credit cards, checkbook and payroll system to siphon money from the organization, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors allege the thefts were concealed through false entries Acquista ..read more

San Ysidro Port of Entry. Photo credit: OnScene.TV A Baja California state police officer who tried to drive through the San Ysidro Port of Entry in a drug-laden vehicle pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal drug count. Victor Alfonso Moreno-Mejia, 35, who Mexican officials said had been an officer for seven years, was arrested last September with around 100 pounds of cocaine in his car. A criminal complaint states Moreno-Mejia’s vehicle was inspected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, who discovered 35 packages hidden in the driver’s seat, passenger seat and rear seats. According ..read more

The Oceanside Pier fire, visible from the Coronado Hills South camera, part of the ALERTCalifornia system. Photo credit: @ALERTCalifornia via X Flames erupted Thursday on the far end of the Oceanside Pier, sending a thick plume of black smoke into the air over the coastal haven. The fire broke out shortly after 3 p.m., prompting a warning from the Oceanside Fire Department for residents and visitors to avoid the area. The blaze burned on the end of the pier that once housed a Ruby’s diner. It closed three years ago. Video from the scene showed smoke emanating from flames on the underside of th ..read more

Carlsbad High School. Photo credit: Screen shot, Google Street View A precautionary lockdown at Carlsbad High School in response to a “phoned-in unsubstantiated threat” Thursday morning was quickly lifted, police said. Carlsbad police officers, however, remained onsite “out of an abundance of caution” following the all-clear. The high school was reported at nearly 10 a.m. to have been placed on the lockdown due to the threat. The lockdown had been lifted by 10:25 a.m., according to a police post on X. Authorities had asked people to avoid the Monroe Street campus while they investigated. “Than ..read more

The stretch of Pershing Drive where the pedestrian was struck. Photo credit: Screen shot, Google Street View Authorities sought help Thursday in identifying a driver who fled the scene of an accident near Balboa Park where a pedestrian was badly hurt three weeks ago. The car the motorist was driving hit the victim, 54, from behind as he was walking in a southbound bicycle lane in the 1300 block of Pershing Drive at about 8:15 p.m. April 3, according to San Diego police. Following the impact, the motorist continued driving and left the area. The pedestrian was hospitalized for treatment of seve ..read more