In 2021, the California Highway Patrol reportedly responded to calls to more than 7300 sideshows statewide, many of them here in San Diego County. Sideshows, or takeovers, take place when car enthusiasts block off city streets …
Back to profile
Stories by Mike Madriaga
An Imperial Beach kid who some say deliberately ran into the car was the topic of recent discussions on the beachfront neighborhood streets and online forums.On September 30, Imperial Beach locals posted and reposted a …
San Diego County residents who regularly work out, you would think, would like to live a longer life. But recently, conditioning has been hazardous, as locals toning muscles have been the target of assaults. One …
On October 5, when news broke of Target deciding to discontinue opening a 36,000-square-foot store in the Radian Apartment complex at 9th and G downtown, most San Diegans online agreed with the decision."I think it …
Given the rise in Covid-19 hospitalizations, local mask-wearing criminals have again taken advantage of the normalcy of wearing masks outdoors.On September 18, a ziadalyadago on TikTok posted a clip of a man wearing a mask …
In the last few months, there's been a slew of electronic theft reports online from all over the county — laptops, iPhones, and headphones. Some local thieves are brazen enough to steal iPhones from the …
On September 7, the El Cajon Police Department received an automated license plate recognition notice of a stolen 2016 Hyundai Sonata by Mollison Avenue and Chase Avenue. The officers in the vicinity spotted and stopped …
In the last couple of months, over a dozen San Diego County teenagers reportedly partook in the harassment and assaults of much older people. The most recent assault was the attack by three 14-year-old females from …
Earlier in the month, two videos filmed in San Diego surfaced of a man taking a bicycle from a screaming woman and a man punching someone's face trying to steal a bike. Many online say …
On August 12, a motorcyclist popped a wheelie on the I-5 freeway heading northbound, then wiped out and fell to the pavement feet away from a fast-moving car — as depicted on an Instagram video …
On August 13, ravers took to the TikTok platform to post about a recent underground rave in town. An underground rave is an illegal electronic dance music (EDM) party. While the location on the video …
Steve Sedio noticed a few brush fires in his Valley Center area in the last three weeks. "We did have one fire that alerted us quickly because it was very close to my [PurpleAir] sensor," …
When Ed Finn opened his San Diego Gas & Electric bill last month – he was shocked at the nearly $4,000 statement. "Most of the May-June bill was for the gas portion – like $3,400 …
Otay before 50,000 homes In 1954 I sat on the school bus every day next to my best friend, Mark Robson. The ride home from Montgomery Elementary School in Otay was a straight shot east …
According to longtime dealers and cosplayers, the 2023 Comic-Con International, San Diego was hot. The people I interviewed on location on July 22 blame the heat inside the main hall on the SAG-AFTRA strikes — …
Caryn White of Point Loma was heading to a concert recently, she hopped online to find a dog sitter for her four-month-old puppy. "I was only going to be gone for four to five hours," …
In San Diego and Tijuana, dozens of crimes happened on #GoSkateDay, June 21. The perps and victims were skateboarders. Between 4-5 pm, an unidentified "dog walker" lay on the cement of Balboa Park with blood …
Santee – where everyone wants to live Most people who drive past the old green and white Dutch-style barn on North Magnolia Avenue in Santee, on their way to one of the freeways or to …
Shooting marbles nowadays is not the same as when we'd flick them at our opponents' marbles in the 1980s. Nowadays, glass-marble play is for more than keeps. Throughout June, local vandals shot marbles at car …
Movie lover's paradise Meanwhile, Blockbuster and Hollywood Video have shuttered their local outlets. Owner and buyer Guy Hanford understands why. “When you went into a Blockbuster or Hollywood to rent a film, you never engaged …
On July 4 at 9 pm, Imperial Beach will showcase a traditional fireworks show by their pier — the dazzling kind of show that whizzes and bursts, sparkles, and smokes within the U.S./Mexico border airspace. …
On June 4, an unidentified 19-year-old trolley rider was shot and killed by San Diego police, a San Diego County Sheriff's report says. Just minutes before the deadly shooting that Sunday night, as the trolley …
On May 17, the El Cajon Police Department informed their 21,000-plus Instagram followers of the trending "Gift Card Scam" happening at big box stores around the country — including San Diego County. According to the …
On May 18, a Zero electric scooter caught fire at an apartment complex in Normal Heights. The Thursday night fire by the hillside overlooking Mission Valley and just west of the 805 was the fifth …
A recent verbal altercation at a local Lucha Libre-inspired restaurant in Mission Hills was actual and not a professional wrestling skit, as many onlookers thought. "Ma'am, give me my receipt, you fu--ing bit-h .... "You …
On April 22 and 23, the El Cajon Facebook page challenged those living there to hop onto their "My El Cajon" app and "mark every pothole you can find within our city limits and have …
“I’m repping my shirt today: San Diego State, baby!” exclaimed Kyle Turley to me on April 1. The Aztecs’ men’s basketball team had just come back from 14 points down in the second half against …
On April 14, between 6:30 pm and midnight, of the 717 drivers the Escondido Police Department pulled over at a checkpoint at East Valley Parkway and Beven Drive, police cited four drivers for driving with …
Are recent thefts of designer perfume, sunglasses, tees, and underwear more common, or is it just social media? On March 9, Diana Llamas posted a video on TikTok of a person allegedly stealing from the …
“Lil Maru” Macias is among the most lit rappers in San Diego — at least, judging by the 19-year-old’s social media. A combination of melodic rapping, singing, and mumbling has pulled the hip-hop artist some …
Urinating students, pounding-bass music, snarky comebacks, and matching green thongs by SDSU were the last few straws pushing College and Rolando neighbors — many fellow SDSU alums — over the edge. College-area resident Cindy Sonboleh …
A car thief was caught near the Hotel Del Coronado earlier in the month because the thief couldn't drive a stick shift, reads a police report online. The pursuit began when Officer Chan of the …
A former Wienerschnitzel A-frame building in Chula Vista caught on fire again, marking the tenth reported blaze at a California-based Wienerschnitzel building in the last couple of years. Right before 11:30 am on March 9, …
Over a dozen Imperial Beach locals have found and heard errant golf balls land in their yards and hit their roofs. The closest golf course to the beachfront city is about nine miles north in …
Shortly after the conclusion of the fourth annual San Diego Rocket Con comic and toy convention held in the Scottish Rite Center on February 18, dozens of cosplayers, comic book and toy collectors, and collectible …
San Diego lifeguards locked up the partly damaged Ocean Beach Pier due to safety concerns when the January waves destroyed its railing. Now, locals say, people keep cutting the locks and opening the gates leading …
The heavy rains and windy roads on SR-76 leading into Fallbrook added to the adventure of my January 15 visit to the Country Wine Dancing shindig at Monserate Winery. As I pulled up around 6 …
On February 12, a wind advisory was made on I-8 from Willows Road in Alpine next to Viejas Casino & Resort to the Imperial County line a little past Jacumba, according to CA-17.com. The wind …
Last month, San Diego's gnarly surf kept lifeguards busy towards the tail end of January. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department lifeguards even helped rescue folks from a plane that landed on the surf. On January …
The recent storms and floods didn’t deter hundreds of electronica and house music fans — myself included — from bundling up and rendezvousing at downtown’s Bang Bang Japanese restaurant and nightclub on January 14. Electronic …
Bepul Kicks, a sneaker and fit shop in National City’s Westfield Plaza Bonita, has become command central for local hip-hop artists such as 22Gfay and Lil Weirdo. “Most of the time, my gear is in …
On January 6, prices of large white eggs in cartons dropped from $7.50 per dozen to $7.37 per dozen in California, according to the USDA site. But even at those high prices, Ashley Hahn noticed …
“In Mexico or Baja California, there is a lot of corruption done by the municipal police force as they arbitrarily arrest people and the officers ask for a bribe to release them, without going before …
“Hi, hi, hi, high / Marijuanaman, marijuana man / Say we gonna save the land.” So go the lyrics of Ziggy Marley’s 2016 joint “Marijuanaman.” On February 3 and 4, the oldest son of the …
On Christmas Day, the San Diego Police Department caught the drivers of three Chevy Corvettes and a Ford Fox Body Mustang for participating in a "drifting sideshow." They impounded all four vehicles and posted the …
What am I doing in Eastlake? The western end of the loop consists of a series of shopping centers, all butted up against Eastlake Parkway, and all bearing names that declare their neighborhood allegiance: Eastlake …
“I started the San Diego Super Padres motto,” says masked fan Padre Libre, whose new baseball rap will debut next opening day, March 30. “I found some guys to make the music for my song, …
As thousands of people were stuck at the San Diego International Airport during and after Christmas because of canceled flights, many people rented cars inside and near the airport and drove to their destinations. One …
Bay Park remains a mere neighborhood Bay Park was around long before there was any movement in Clairemont. Bay Park has history going back to 1877. Clairemont wasn't developed until the 1950s. Ocean Beach lives …
Debbie Gibson’s Winterlicious concert at Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine was an early Christmas gift bestowed to local “Deb Heads” on Thanksgiving weekend. “That’s Debbie’s name for her core group of fans,” Jenny Corriveau …