Pacific Beach Crime Report February 2020

Men get prison terms in Pacific Beach killing

The gunman who fatally shot a man at a Pacific Beach house was sentenced on Jan. 10 to 27 years in prison and two others also received prison terms. Carlos Yslas, 25, got 27 years for firing two shotgun blasts at Marcanthony Mendivil, 44, on Dec. 29, 2018 in a home in the 2300 block of Wilbur Avenue.

Also sentenced that day to eight years in prison was Pedro “Lefty” Ramirez, 28, by San Diego Superior Court Judge Fred Link.

Paul Charles Weinberger, 51, received three years in prison when he was sentenced Jan. 8. Freddie Sosa, 38, was sentenced to eight years on Nov. 15.

Weinberger was renting the PB house and let Mendivil stay there temporarily, but the landlord had threatened to evict him for having too many people there and parties. Drug trafficking and sex-related parties began occurring at the home, according to documents filed by attorneys and the prosecutor. Weinberger offered to pay $400 to Yslas and Ramirez if they would “remove” Mendivil from the premises, but he did not want Mendivil killed. Around 2 a.m., Weinberger let Yslas and Ramirez into the house wearing masks, and Yslas walked inside Mendivil’s bedroom. Yslas pulled a shotgun on Mendivil, and when he made a furtive movement with his hand, he was shot twice.

Deputy District Attorney Flavio Nominati said Yslas was paroled from prison only nine days before this incident. He was serving a sentence for residential burglary, and it is not clear Weinberger knew that.

Sosa was also living with Weinberger, but punched him and gave him a black eye when he learned Weinberger had dated a woman Sosa had previously dated, according to court documents. Weinberger then paid for Sosa to live at a La Jolla hotel.

A murder charge was dropped against all four men. Yslas pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and admitted personal use of the shotgun. He received 12 years for manslaughter plus 10 years for using a gun. Link then added five years for having a prior conviction.

Both Ramirez and Sosa pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and assault with a deadly weapon. Weinberger pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon.

Man arrested after pulling gun on process server

A man pulled a gun on a process server in Pacific Beach on Jan. 16, then holed up in his apartment for about an hour before he surrendered without incident to police around 9 a.m. and was arrested, police said.

The process server told The San Diego Union-Tribune that when he knocked on the door around 7:50 a.m. at the man’s home on Ingraham Street near Emerald Street to serve a temporary restraining order, the man denied being the target.

“I told him I didn’t come here to argue with anyone and that’s when he opened the door and pointed a gun in my face,” Gregory Cole said. “That’s when I turned around and left.” Cole, 61, said he then called police. He said the gun appeared to be a 9 mm handgun.

The gunman’s girlfriend was also inside the home when the incident took place. She surrendered to police around 9 a.m., but isn’t likely to face any charges, police said.

Serious injury in Clairemont Mesa East

At 12:54 p.m. Jan. 13, a 59-year-old male (P1), driving a 2019 Nissan Frontier westbound on Balboa Avenue, struck the raised center median at Charger Boulevard and crossed into the eastbound lanes of traffic. He struck a 2014 Jeep Patriot, driven by a 33-year-old female (P2). The Jeep Patriot struck a 2017 Honda Civic, driven by a 20-year-old female (P3) and a 2015 Jeep Cherokee, driven by a 48-year-old female (P4). P1, P3 and P4 were not injured in the collision. P2 sustained a fractured femur and was transported by medics. Her passenger complained of pain. The male, P1, was arrested for DUI drugs. Traffic division is investigating.

Nine former Champion-Cain owned restaurants for sale

Many of the restaurants once owned and operated by Gina Champion-Cain are now up for sale as part of an ongoing effort by a court-appointed receiver to recover millions of dollars from the San Diego businesswoman’s once robust portfolio. Two San Diego brokerages have been given the go-ahead to market a total of nine Champion-Cain dining venues, including the Patio on Lamont in Pacific Beach, Mission Beach’s Surf Rider Pizza, Bao Beach and Swell Coffee, along with Saska’s, a Mission Beach mainstay since the 1950s.

All but four of the listed restaurants — Saska’s, the Patio on Lamont in PB and the Surf Rider restaurants in La Mesa and Ocean Beach — are closed, a consequence of federal fraud charges filed in August against Champion-Cain and her investment company, ANI Development.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has accused them of operating a $300 million scheme in which they allegedly solicited investors to make short-term, high-interest loans to people applying for alcohol licenses in California. Instead of using the investors’ money to make those loans, Champion-Cain instead directed investor funds to a company she controlled, the SEC claims.

Other closed Champion-Cain restaurants not included as part of the current listings are Fireside by the Patio at Liberty Station and Patio on Goldfinch. Her ANI portfolio included four Patio Marketplace venues in San Diego and Irvine, which were managed by a Champion-Cain entity — the Patio Marketplace limited partnership — but were not owned by her. They are either closed or are in the process of being shuttered or transitioned to new management, according to David Oates, spokesman for the receiver. — The San Diego Union Tribune

Police Blotter

Assaults: 21 reports

Drugs/Alcohol Violations: 149 citations

DUI’s Drugs/Alcohol: 11 arrests

Fraud: 10 reports

Prostitution: 3000 block Ocean Front, 1:26 a.m. Jan. 21

Other Sex Crimes: 1000 block Garnet, 12:24 p.m. Jan. 13; 3000 block Ocean Front, 1:15 a.m. Jan. 21; 1200 block Beryl, 3 p.m. Jan. 23

Residential Burglary: 8 reports: 700 block Isthmus, noon, Dec. 22; 1400 block Vacation, 5:18 p.m. Dec. 31; 1800 block Reed, 4 a.m. Jan. 1; 1900 block Diamond, 11 a.m. Jan. 2; 1200 block Loring, 8:50 p.m. Jan. 5; 1700 block Diamond, 11 a.m. Jan. 10; 2600 block Grand, 12:01 a.m. Jan. 12; 1100 block Pacific Beach, 5:35 a.m. Jan. 17

Commercial Burglary: 8 reports: 800 block West Mission Bay, 3 p.m. Dec. 31; 1400 block Vacation, 6:45 p.m. Dec. 31; 1400 block Vacation, 4:30 p.m. Jan. 10; 1300 block Garnet, 9:07 p.m. Jan. 15; 900 block Turquoise, 3:51 a.m. Jan. 16; 900 block Turquoise, 4:54 a.m. Jan. 16; 1400 block Vacation, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17; 1400 block Garnet, 4:18 a.m. Jan. 18

Street Robberies: 800 block West Mission Bay, 8:56 p.m. Jan. 1

Grand Theft (over $950): 12 reports

Petty Theft/Shoplifting: 40 reports

Vandalism: 26 incidents

Vehicle Break-ins: 42 reports

Stolen vehicles: 11 reports.

— Compiled by Savanah Duffy from San Diego Police reports.