A prosecutor confirmed Dec. 29 a case involving the stabbing death of a 19-year-old man in an El Cajon park is a gang related case.
Kyle Chawin Khamphan was stabbed Dec. 12 at 750 East Park, and he later died at Grossmont Hospital. A 17-year-old boy was also stabbed and was hospitalized. Another person also had minor injuries.
A prosecutor confirmed Dec. 29 a case involving the stabbing death of a 19-year-old man in an El Cajon park is a gang related case.
Kyle Chawin Khamphan was stabbed Dec. 12 at 750 East Park, and he later died at Grossmont Hospital. A 17-year-old boy was also stabbed and was hospitalized. Another person also had minor injuries.
Luis Mondragon Pedroza, 18, and Francisco Gabriel Meza, 18, are charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon. El Cajon Police detectives arrested Pedroza and Meza separately on Dec. 19.
Police tentatively said it appeared to be a gang related crime and Deputy District Attorney Christopher Lindberg confirmed it. Lindberg said the facts of the case have not been discussed in court. A case is often declared a gang related case if one or more defendants are gang members.
A preliminary hearing date will be set on Feb. 9 in El Cajon Superior Court. Both Pedroza and Meza have pleaded not guilty and remain in jail on $2 million bail each.
His wife, two children, his mother, and many relatives, according to his obituary, survive Khamphan. He was described as an aspiring musical artist and auto detailer.
His funeral will be held on Jan. 6.
Preliminary hearing set for East County attempted murder case
Patrick Christian Douglas, 51, will have a preliminary hearing Jan. 31 on charges he tried to kill two women in El Cajon and La Mesa.
The first victim was stabbed in Douglas’ Mercedes Benz on Nov. 7 and she was apparently dumped from the car at 3 a.m. in the parking lot of the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market at 350 North Second Street in El Cajon.
Her belongings, a wig, and blood were found at the scene where she was rushed to a hospital.
The second stabbing occurred at 3:06 a.m. at the 7-Eleven store at 4610 Avocado Blvd. In La Mesa. A delivery woman was taking items from a truck into the store when she was stabbed.
Deputies found her bleeding on the floor of the 7-Eleven store and she was hospitalized. The two women don’t know each other. The store is four miles away from the location of the first stabbing.
Douglas is accused of evading sheriff’s deputies with reckless driving on a chase that ended in Dulzura. U.S. Border Patrol agents located Douglas in the area of Highway 94 and Freezer Road and he was arrested.
Douglas has pleaded not guilty in El Cajon Superior Court and remains in jail on $5 million bail.
Trial date set for DUI case resulting in death of Spring Valley man
A March 27 trial date has been set for an alleged drunk driver who left his vehicle on the freeway that resulted in the death of Gregory Scott, a Spring Valley father.
David Armando Olvera, 30, of Chula Vista, pleaded not guilty Dec. 19 in San Diego Superior Court. He is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, hit and run with death, and two counts of injuring other drivers who also crashed into his abandoned Jeep Cherokee.
Scott, 40, is the husband of Christy Scott, who was the editor of The Alpine Sun for many years. Gregory Scott was driving home June 17 when he struck the abandoned Jeep at 2:50 a.m. on Interstate 15 just north of Friars Road.
Olvera’s blood/alcohol level was registered at .21, which is almost three times the legal limit. Olvera was ordered to stand trial Dec. 5 in a 2-day preliminary hearing.
Olvera remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility on $1 million bail.
Two men sentenced in Lakeside road rage case
Two men have received jail terms for evading sheriff’s deputies and possessing a weapon following a road rage incident following a fiery crash of a vehicle into a Lakeside hair salon.
Both men were arrested in the investigation of the July 1 incident because they were evading deputies, but they actually had no involvement in the road rage or the crash into the salon, according to the prosecutor.
Erik Talavera, 27, received a prison term of three years and eight months from El Cajon Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein. Talavera pleaded guilty to evading officers and resisting an executive officer.
Ruben Chavez Jr., 36, was sentenced to 16 months in jail and his projected release date is Feb. 28, according to the sheriff’s department.
Chavez pleaded guilty to possessing an illegal weapon that was found in Talavera’s car after deputies stopped them.
Both men received credit for 205 days in jail. Talavera was fined $1,394, and Chavez received a $624 fine, according to court records.
The road rage incident involved other drivers on the state Route 67. One vehicle lost control of her car and smashed into Solis Hair Studio. Flames erupted from the car and spread to the salon.
Firefighters put out the fire, but the salon was heavily damaged. Smoke spread into two adjoining apartments behind it. The other driver was never found.
