TIJUANA: At least one municipal police officer was among dozens of people arrested Saturday night in an organized-crime sweep, Baja California police officials said yesterday.
Baja California officers raided a baptism intending to arrest people connected to the Arellano Félix drug cartel. Sixty-two people, including 10 who have ties to the cartel, were arrested, said Agustín Pérez, a spokesman for the state prevention police.
Police said they were tipped off that members of organized crime would be at the baptism at the banquet hall, El Pequeño Travieso in the colonia Herrera, about 9 p.m. They stormed the celebration and found about 90 people at the hall. Some were armed, officials said.
Among the items seized were two black sport utility vehicles, handguns, police radios, Tijuana Municipal Police uniform patches and 460 grams of methamphetamine.
No shots were fired and no injuries were reported, Perez said.
–A.M.
Motorist shot in shoulder in apparent gang incident
SAN DIEGO: A man was shot in southeastern San Diego early yesterday in what appears to be a gang-related incident, police said.
The man was driving on Brooklyn Avenue near Madera Street in Encanto just after 1 a.m. when he pulled over to greet a car of what he thought were friends, police said. Instead, the people in the other car issued a gang challenge and started shooting with a handgun.
The victim was hit in the shoulder. A family member drove him to a hospital.
No information was available on his condition.
– J.S.
Drivers ticketed, arrested in anti-racing operation
CHULA VISTA: Chula Vista police handed out 27 tickets Friday and Saturday to drivers who had illegally modified their cars for racing.
Police also impounded three cars for racing and 18 others because of problems with driver's licenses. Three people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, one was arrested on a warrant and one was arrested on suspicion of auto theft.
Funding for the anti-racing operation came from a California Office of Traffic Safety grant.
– J.S.
County departments help fight N. California blazes
Fire departments around the county were sending up to 120 more firefighters, 30 engines and roughly 30 support personnel yesterday and today to help fight blazes raging from Monterey to the Oregon border.
The firefighters will be sent as six separate strike teams, each with up to 22 firefighters, a Cal Fire spokesman said.
The county's fire departments and Cal Fire already had dispatched 35 engines to help with the Northern California fires.
Despite these movements, a Cal Fire spokesman said fire agencies are ready for any local flare-ups. They still have helicopters, tanker planes and firefighters at stations, Capt. Nick Schuler said.
–M.A.
Staff writers Angelica Martinez, Jeanette Steele and Mark Arner contributed to this report.
