County Gas Prices 43 Cents Higher Than a Year Ago

Rising Gas Prices

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County rose Monday for the fifth consecutive day, increasing six-tenths of a cent to $3.768, its highest amount since Nov. 20.

The average price is 3.4 cents more than one week ago, 13.9 cents higher than one month ago and 43 cents greater than a year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

The average price rose a half-cent on Thursday, three-tenths of a cent on Friday, eight-tenths of a cent on Saturday and nine-tenths of a cent on Sunday.

Hearing for Man Accused of Stabbing Agent

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Monday for a man accused of fatally stabbing his pregnant estranged wife, who was a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent.

Jesus Arteaga Garcia, 29, is charged with two counts of murder for the Dec. 9, 2009, slaying of Maribel Arteaga and her fetus in Chula Vista. He also faces child abuse counts because the killing took place in front of the victim's 4- and 6-year-old children.

The defendant fled to Mexico after the killing but was extradited to the United States in July.

Arteaga Garcia also faces special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and multiple murders, which makes him eligible for life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. In order to ensure the defendant's extradition, authorities in the United States had to agree not to seek the death penalty, said Deputy District Attorney Enrique Camarena.

Maribel Arteaga, who was two months pregnant, identified her estranged husband as the assailant before she died, and witnesses told authorities that he frequented Mexico and had family there, the prosecutor said.

Arteaga Garcia was sheltered by his sister and parents in Northern Baja California until his arrest in Tijuana, authorities said.

Monday's preliminary hearing is intended to enable a judge to determine if there is enough evidence to try Garcia for murder.

Hearing for PT Cruiser Driver

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Monday for a 72-year- old diabetic woman whose PT Cruiser crashed into a bus stop shelter in City Heights, killing a woman and seriously injuring her 4-year-old son and his father.

Jean Chizer-Williams of San Diego is charged with felony gross vehicular manslaughter and a misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license. She faces 12 years in prison if convicted of charges stemming from the June 4 crash.

The defendant was driving even though her license had been suspended because of her medical condition, and her blood-sugar level was extremely low at the time of the crash, according to Deputy District Attorney John Pro.

Chizer-Williams was driving about 35 miles per hour when she lost control of her vehicle and crashed into the bus shelter in the 4800 block of University Avenue, killing 25-year-old Vanessa Mae Shane, the prosecutor said.

Shane's 4-year-old son, Elijah, and her boyfriend, David Abilez, the boy's father, suffered serious injuries. The boy and his father had multiple broken bones and the child had shards of glass stuck in his liver, Pro said.

Chizer-Williams had been involved in three prior non-injury collisions since 2006 due to the same set of circumstances, according to Pro, who said the defendant has had her driver's license suspended three times.

Monday's preliminary hearing will enable a judge to determine if there are grounds to order Chizer-Williams to stand trial.

-City News Service