Ex-fencing teacher arrested at courthouse on new case A former fencing coach at La Jolla Country Day School who is facing charges of molesting a student was arrested Aug. 2 at the courthouse when a prosecutor filed a new case against him. Vijay Prasad, 51, pleaded not guilty to the new charges, which allege he molested a minor in 2002. The charges include eight felony counts, including sexual penetration and oral copulation with a minor. The facts of the new case were not discussed in the arraignment before San Diego Superior Court Judge David Szumowski, and Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth McClutchey couldn’t comment on the case. Prasad was initially charged in February with 13 counts of oral copulation with a minor, digital penetration, sodomy and lewd acts with a minor that started in March 2005. He had been free on $200,000 bond. Prasad agreed on April 30 to stand trial on those 13 charges without having a preliminary hearing in which the victim — now an adult — would likely have testified. The judge increased Prasad’s bail to $300,000 in the earlier case and set bail at $150,000 for the new case. He remains in custody. A Sept. 21 trial date was set for the first case, and Aug. 30 was selected for a preliminary hearing on the new case. Prasad operated an after-school fencing program at Country Day, but is no longer employed there. — Neal Putnam Bird Rock Bandit a no-show in court One of the so-called “Bird Rock Bandits,” Eric House, 25, failed to appear in court on Aug. 6, where he was scheduled to formally answer to misdemeanor charges for battery and violating a restraining order at his girlfriend’s Pacific Beach apartment in late June. After failing to appear in court for his arraignment, San Diego Superior Court Judge Eugenia Eyherabide issued a $30,000 bench warrant for his arrest. House and five other men, dubbed the Bird Rock Bandits, previously served time for their involvement in the second-degree murder of La Jolla surfer Emery Kauanui, 24, in 2007 after a street fight that led to the death of the professional surfer. In the case, House pleaded guilty to involuntary mans-laughter and was sentenced to three years in prison. He was released and placed on parole in January 2011. — Mariko Lamb Council okays Children’s Pool lifeguard station A new lifeguard station at Children’s Pool in La Jolla is closer to construction after the San Diego City Council voted 7-0 July 31 to transfer funds from four sources to total $2.7 million for the project. The council approved a contract with Stronghold Engineering for design and construction. They were the lowest successful bidder among four proposal packages, but all of the bids came in higher than anticipated. The proposed project will demolish the existing building at 827 Coast Blvd., which was built in the 1960s and was red tagged in February 2008 because of deterioration. The new facility will have an observation tower, male/female locker rooms, first aid room, a second observation room, administration rooms and an accessible ramp to the new proposed unisex public restrooms, according to city records. In a separate project, the council also approved $25,000 for Roseling Nakamura Terada Architects, Inc. in completing the design phase of the La Jolla Cove Lifeguard Station, at 1160 Coast Blvd. — Neal Putnam Robber who shot at homeowner still at large Police are still searching for a robber who invaded a home on the 7400 block of Hillside Drive in La Jolla on Aug. 1 before driving away what police described as either a black Porsche or a black Ford Mustang. Just after 6 p.m., the suspect confronted a real-estate agent as she was leaving the home. He ransacked the home, taking jewelry and fur coats. As the suspect, described as white, in his 30s or 40s with blond hair and wearing eyeglasses, was leaving, the 76-year-old homeowner arrived. The suspect retrieved a rifle out of his car and fired two shots at the ground in front of the homeowner. Shrapnel from one round ricocheted off the ground and grazed the victim’s temple. According to police, the homeowner was taken to the hospital with a non-life threatening gunshot wound and released later that night. — Kendra Hartmann