Sheriff's Department Arrests 212 in DUI Crackdown

DUI Crackdown

Law enforcement personnel taking part in a countywide holiday-season crackdown on drunken driving booked 212 people on suspicion of DUI offenses in the San Diego area over the last three days, authorities reported Monday.

The arrests -- 16 more than during the comparable time span last year -- occurred between 12:01 a.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday, according to sheriff's officials.

During the same period, a suspected DUI-related traffic accident killed a 49-year-old San Diego man on Interstate 15 in Mira Mesa, Lt. Jose Sanchez. The single-vehicle crash occurred near Miramar Way shortly before 2:30 a.m. Saturday, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Through Jan. 1, all regularly scheduled traffic and patrol deputies and police officers in the county will focus on stopping and arresting intoxicated drivers, Sanchez said. Also, numerous sobriety checkpoints, multi-agency task- force operations and DUI patrols are slated regionwide during the 17-day campaign, the lieutenant said.

Among those operations will be a "saturation patrol" on Wednesday evening near Qualcomm Stadium in connection with the Poinsettia Bowl college football game and checkpoints in Oceanside and Poway on Friday.

Funding for the program was provided by a grant from the state Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Needy Families Receive Toys

The Salvation Army Kroc Center will host its annual holiday toy distribution event beginning Tuesday to help needy families.

Parents will be able to "shop" for free donated toys to give their children. The event is expected to benefit around 2,800 children in 650 families, according to the Kroc Center.

Parents picked in an "Adopt a Family" event will choose their toys today, and other parents will get to pick out gifts on Wednesday.

Salvation Army sites around San Diego County are expected to help 18,000 children during the holidays -- each receiving two gifts and a stocking stuffer.

Border Tunnel Conspiracy

A man who participated in the distribution of 27,600 pounds of marijuana through a San Diego warehouse and border tunnel was sentenced Monday to 14 years in federal prison.

Victor Omar Valladares-Real, 25, pleaded guilty in June to a conspiracy charge.

Co-defendant Daniel Navarro-Chavez, 45, also pleaded guilty and was sentenced last month to nearly 16 years in prison.

According to court documents, the defendants were observed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations special agents on Thanksgiving morning 2010 at a warehouse on Marconi Drive in south San Diego, where a tractor-trailer was being loaded with the marijuana.

Valladares-Real escorted the tractor-trailer from the warehouse to Chula Vista, where it was given to a trucker, 56-year-old Jose Hernandez of El Monte

Hernandez was later stopped at the Temecula Border Patrol Checkpoint, where agents found the 27,600 pounds of marijuana.

A search warrant was executed at the south San Diego warehouse, where more marijuana and a narcotics tunnel was found.

Hernandez also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 27.