Water Authority Signs 55-Year Agreement to Protect Animals

Water Authority Signs 55-Year Agreement

The San Diego County Water Authority signed a 55-year agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state Department of Fish and Game to protect 63 animal and plant species and streamline the permitting process, it was announced Monday.

The deal, finalized on Dec. 28, creates a master endangered species permit for future Water Authority projects in exchange for land to be set aside to conserve the listed species, of which 18 are considered endangered or threatened.

It covers nearly 1 million acres in San Diego and southern Riverside counties that could be impacted by the construction, operation, repair and maintenance of current and future SDCWA facilities.

"The big benefit for our ratepayers is that this plan will save time and money as we build and operate current and future projects," said Ken Weinberg, director of water resources for the SDCWA. "This plan precludes the need to obtain individual federal or state endangered species permits for each of our activities or projects."

The species to be protected include 26 plants, 13 birds, nine reptiles, eight mammals, five invertebrates and two amphibians.

Fugitives Extradited from Mexico

A record six fugitives were extradited from Mexico to San Diego County in 2011, which District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis credited Monday to relationship-building with law enforcement partners on both sides of the border.

The most recent cases occurred on Dec. 30, when two fugitives were extradited from Mexico to the United States to face serious and violent charges in San Diego.

One of those extradited was Jesus Gonzalez Trujillo, a member of Los Palillos kidnapping and murder crew, Dumanis said.

Members of the Los Palillos gang are charged with nine murders and the attempted murder of a police officer.

Four other fugitives were extradited to San Diego last year, including Jesus Arteaga Garcia and Mauricio Tadeo Alba, both charged with the murder of their respective estranged wives.

Since 2008, 14 Mexican nationals accused of committing serious and violent offenses in San Diego have been extradited from Mexico back to San Diego, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Man Sentenced for Father's Death

A man pleaded guilty Monday to voluntary manslaughter in the beating death of his 77-year-old father in the apartment they shared in Lakeside.

Charles Leo Goodwin, 29, was immediately sentenced to 14 years in state prison for the death last year of Robert Goodwin, a military veteran.

Witnesses testified during a preliminary hearing last summer that the defendant attended a party at another home last Jan. 29, drank alcohol, got into an argument and was upset when he left.

Sheriff's investigators said Charles Goodwin called 911 about 6:40 p.m. to say that his father was dead in the apartment on Laurel Street.

Prosecutors said the elder Goodwin died of blunt force trauma and had severely broken ribs and severe bruising on his face. The defendant had blood on his shirt, hands and inner thigh when emergency personnel arrived at his apartment, prosecutors said.

-City News Service