Ex-surf shop worker charged with thefts, embezzlement A former employee of the South Coast Surf Shop in Ocean Beach has been charged with grand theft, embezzlement and theft of surfboards. Derek Jacob Patterson, 22, waived his right to have a preliminary hearing and he agreed to stand trial on all charges. A trial date was set for Jan. 9. Deputy District Attorney Luis Mendez said Wednesday the stolen surfboards were not recovered during the investigation. Court documents say the theft was discovered May 18. The business has two locations in Ocean Beach, but the prosecutor said he did not know which one Patterson had worked for. Patterson remains in custody on $170,000 bail. Patterson has a second unrelated case pending that involves a robbery of Zales Jewelry store in La Mesa on June 14. Patterson allegedly stole 19 rings from a display case that was estimated at a value of nearly $77,000, according to La Mesa Police. They arrested him June 27 at the Motel 6 in La Mesa where he was living at the time. Mendez said some of the jewelry was recovered. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The case involving the embezzlement and jewelry thefts may be consolidated for trial as both cases have a trial date set for Jan. 9 in El Cajon Superior Court. — Neal Putnam

Suspected ‘Mr. Magoo Bandit’ may plead guilty The suspected bank robber charged in the “Mr. Magoo Bandit” series and who surrendered to the Federal Bureau of Investigation faces a Dec. 20 hearing in which he may plead guilty to twice holding up the US Bank at 1331 Rosecrans St. The attorney for Scott James Larson, 43, scheduled the Dec. 20 change-of-plea hearing in U.S. District Court. Larson is charged with nine other holdups of other banks in San Diego, up and down the coast of California and one in Henderson, Nev. The FBI released 18 photographs of the “Mr. Magoo Bandit” to seek the public’s assistance to identify him. Larson surprised FBI agents on Oct. 18 by showing up at their offices and confessing he was the bandit they were looking for. The bank on Rosecrans was held up on July 12 and Aug. 10. Larson remains in custody on $75,000 bail. — Neal Putnam

Median work set to spruce up intersection Work began this month on the Catalina Boulevard and Cañon Street median project, a venture shepherded by the Point Loma Association (PLA) civic group. The two asphalt medians are located at the intersection just before the turn into Point Loma Nazarene University. The project calls for nearly 4,000 square feet of landscaping, using drought-tolerant plants that will be maintained by the Point Loma Association. The project cost is more than $20,000 and all money was raised as the result of community donations. According to Robert Tripp Jackson, a director of the PLA, he envisioned the improvements while shopping at Fresh & Easy last spring. With help from a host of many volunteers, including former PLA chairman Tony Calabrese, architect Dan Johnson, Karen Davis and David Crawford, Jackson saw his vision come to fruition when ground was broken on the project Nov. 14. Jackson said several Point Loma families and Point Loma Nazarene University donated money, and additional funds were obtained through the office of county Supervisor Greg Cox. Jackson said 175,000 pounds of asphalt were hauled away when ground was broken Nov. 14. A tentative commemoration ceremony date is set for Dec. 16 at 9 a.m. Correia is this year’s beneficiary at BookStar Students at a local middle school are hoping area shoppers will remember them when holiday giftbuying at the BookStar store in Point Loma. Correia Middle School was selected by the bookseller as the beneficiary of its annual Holiday Book Drive, and the school’s library is hoping for a big increase in the number of titles offered, according to Correia librarian Julie McKay. From now until Jan. 1, customers at BookStar may purchase a book and designate it for the Correia school library. These gifts of literacy will be matched by City National Bank through its “Reading is the Way Up®” program.  The BookStar store is located in the historic former Loma Theater at 3150 Rosecrans Place in Point Loma. The store, part of the Barnes & Noble chain (www.BN.com), can be reached at (619) 225-0465 for holiday store hours. For further information, contact McKay at (619) 222-00476, ext. 2902. — Scott Hopkins

Cabrillo Club again offering scholarships Graduating high school seniors of Portuguese descent who qualify may begin applying for $500 scholarships from the Cabrillo Civic Clubs. Scholarships will be awarded in June. Applications are available at all of the city and county schools. To qualify, a student must have a grade-point average of 3.5 or better and have been involved in school and in community service. The deadline to apply is March 15. For information, email Breck Austin at [email protected], call (760) 305-8021 or by visit www.cabrillocivicclubs.org.   Thrift shop to host major shopping events The American Cancer Society’s Discovery Shop will host two major events in December. Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society for research and the quest for a cure. A designer-label sale is slated for Dec. 1 and 2, with a semi-annual 50-percent-off-everything-in-the-store sale on Dec. 16 and 17. Shop officials said high fashion can be found for low prices at the Discovery Shop’s designer-label clothing sale on Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the store’s location, 3609 C Midway Drive. For more information, call (619) 224-4336.