Woman faces charges in fatal hit-and-run case An 18-year-old woman remains free on $50,000 bond after being charged with a hit-and-run case that resulted in the death of a man walking on the shoulder of Interstate 8 near the Nimitz Boulevard onramp on March 11. Sho Funai, 23, of San Diego, was killed around 4:30 a.m., but Nikolette Kristina Gallo told police she thought she might have struck a sofa. Many hours passed before her arrest, but she has not been charged with drunken driving. Gallo saw a news report about the fatality after the fact and called an attorney who then talked to police. Her attorney, King Aminpour, agreed in court for his client to wear a device that would show if she consumes alcohol in the future. Her lawyer said she agreed to wear the device “to show to the court, to the public, that she is not a safety risk.” Gallo pleaded not guilty March 20 to the lone hit-and-run charge before San Diego Superior Court Judge David Szumowski. A preliminary hearing was set for May 16. Funai was an engineer and it wasn’t disclosed why he was walking on the freeway shoulder prior to being killed. “She’s not a person dependent on alcohol or drugs of any kind,” said Aminpour during a television news interview. “She’s really numb right now,” said Aminpour. “That’s the word I could use to describe her. She’s numb, she’s upset, she’s saddened for the loss of the gentleman who was on the freeway that night.” —?Neal Putnam

Pitted parking lot near tower finally gets facelift Just in time for the spring break crush, city officials finished the long-awaited resurfacing of the Saratoga Park parking lot by the Ocean Beach lifeguard station. The project was not only completed in time for prime tourist season, but much earlier in the year and in less time than expected. Although city street maintenance workers originally thought they would need to close the lot for two days this month, only one day was needed to give the parking lot a new face and welcome “spring breakers” and the vehicles they drive. Visitors and locals have both been complimentary. — Bianca Koch

Two men arrested in ‘FBI agents’ scam The FBI arrested two San Diego men on charges of impersonating FBI agents as part of a scheme to defraud.  One of the men was arrested in Ocean Beach, according to authorities. Nenad Videnovic, 22 and Brian John Murphy, 33, were arrested last week. Videnovic was arrested in Ocean Beach by FBI agents March 27 at about 9:15 a.m. Murphy was arrested in the Mission Bay area later that same day at about 8:20 p.m. Videnovic and Murphy were allegedly impersonating FBI agents in an attempt to defraud a San Diego woman out of more than $200,000. According to court documents, on Friday, March 23, 2012, Videnovic and Murphy allegedly contacted the woman at her residence on March 23 and represented themselves as FBI agents. Both men allegedly identified themselves to the victim as FBI agents and one displayed what appeared to be FBI credentials and a gold badge.  The men told the woman she was the victim of a fraudulent scheme by her bank and asked her to withdraw money from her account and turn the money over to them so that they could put tracers on the money, and find out who was defrauding her.  The woman apparently became suspicious and asked for additional information about their FBI employment. One of the men provided a business card with false FBI contact information. The woman was suspicious of both men, but indicated she was willing to assist them. According to FBI officials, residents are urged to call law enforcement or the bank immediately if approached by someone claiming to be a bank examiner or other official requesting the resident to remove money from an account.  The elderly are the primary targets of this scam. Anyone who thinks they may be the victim of such a scheme are urged to call the FBI at (858) 565-1255 or submit a tip electronically at www.tips.fbi.gov. Faulconer, city crews host districtwide ‘Pothole Day’ District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer joined six city crews from the Streets Division on March 28 to assess the impact recent rains have had on district streets and to increase awareness of pothole reporting. Dubbed “Pothole Day,” the crews dedicated the entire day to filling potholes throughout the district to improve street conditions, including areas in Point Loma and Ocean Beach. “Keeping our streets in good condition is a priority for me because improved roads enhance the quality of life in our neighborhoods. I urge all San Diego residents to call the city’s pothole hotline at (619) 527-7500 to report potholes.” Faulconer said the city plans to invest about $30,000 to repave city streets in fiscal year 2013 and about $500,000 over the next five years in deferred capital maintenance for streets, improving storm drains and fixing older city facilities.   Meeting set to gather bike-friendly feedback The Pedestrian/Bicycle Advisory Committee for City Council District 2 will host a meeting on Tuesday, April 10 to gather input from residents and enthusiasts who want to make the area more bicycle friendly and safer. District 2 includes downtown, Little Italy, Bankers Hill, Mission Hills, Old Town, Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Mt. Soledad and the Bay Park Area. The meeting takes place at 6:30 p.m. at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center, located at 4726 Santa Monica Ave. Advisory committee members also welcome high school advocates who want to get involved. For more information, email Nicole Burgess at [email protected].